Durga Saptashati Chapter 13: Suratha-Vaishya Vara-Pradana

Durga Saptashati Chapter 13, known as Trayodasha Adhyaya or Suratha-Vaishya Vara-Pradana – "The Granting of Boons to Suratha and the Merchant" – is the last chapter of the Devi Mahatmya. It belongs to the Uttama Charitra, presided over by Mahasaraswati, and it brings the text back to where it began: the king who lost his kingdom and the merchant who was thrown out by his family, listening to Sage Medha in the forest.

Medha ends his teaching with a single counsel: everyone is deluded by the Goddess's Maya – take refuge in her. The two go to a riverbank, make an image of the Goddess out of earth, and worship her for three years with flowers, incense, fire, fasting and the offering of their own blood. Chandika appears and offers whatever they wish. The king asks for his kingdom, in this life and the next; the merchant asks for the knowledge that frees from "I" and "mine". Both are granted – and the king, Medha foretells, will be reborn from the Sun as Savarni, the eighth Manu, which is why every chapter of the Saptashati is set "in the account of the Savarnika manvantara".

The chapter contains 29 textual units, traditionally counted as 6 uvacha lines, 10 half-verses and 13 full verses, and brings the whole Durga Saptashati to its 700. Every unit is given below in Sanskrit, with transliteration and a simple English meaning.

Durga Saptashati Chapter 13 at a Glance

Particular	Details
Chapter	Trayodasha Adhyaya (Thirteenth Chapter) – the last chapter of the Devi Mahatmya
Traditional Name	Suratha-Vaishya Vara-Pradana – The Granting of Boons to Suratha and the Vaishya
Charitra	Uttama Charitra – Chapters 5 to 13; this chapter completes it
Presiding Deity	Mahasaraswati
Rishi · Metre · Shakti · Bija · Tattva · Veda	Rudra · Anushtup · Bhima · Bhramari · Surya · Samaveda – from the Viniyoga of the Uttama Charitra, recited at Chapter 5; Chapter 13 has no separate Viniyoga
Dhyana	The auspicious Goddess, four-armed and three-eyed, bright as the rising sun, with noose, goad, boon and fearlessness
Main Theme	Medha's final counsel; the austerities of the king and the merchant; the two boons; the end of the Devi Mahatmya
Speakers	Sage Medha ("Rishir Uvacha"), Sage Markandeya ("Markandeya Uvacha", the outer narrator) and the Goddess ("Devyuvacha")
Principal Figures	King Suratha; the merchant Samadhi (the Vaishya); Sage Medha; Sage Markandeya; the Goddess as Chandika; Vivasvat, the Sun; Savarni Manu
Traditional Count	29 textual units (700 from the beginning of the text)
Source	Markandeya Purana – Devi Mahatmya
Navratri	Read on its own on Day 9 in the nine-day schedule

Story of Durga Saptashati Chapter 13

Sage Medha closes his teaching. "I have told you this supreme glory of the Goddess, O King; such is her power, by which the world is upheld. By her, the Maya of Vishnu, knowledge is made – and by her you, this merchant and other discerning people are deluded, were deluded and will be deluded. Take refuge in her, great King: worshipped, she gives enjoyment, heaven and liberation."

Here the outer narrator, Sage Markandeya, takes up the story. King Suratha bows to Medha and, weary of his attachment and of the loss of his kingdom, goes at once to practise austerities; the merchant Samadhi goes with him. On a sandbank by a river they make an image of the Goddess out of earth and worship it with flowers, incense, fire and libations of water. They fast, or eat little, their minds fixed on her; the merchant chants the supreme Devi Sukta; and they offer the Goddess bali sprinkled with blood from their own bodies. For three years they worship her with their minds controlled – and Chandika, the Mother of the world, well pleased, appears before them.

"Whatever you ask, O King, and whatever you ask, joy of your family – receive it all from me. I am pleased; I give it." The king asks for a kingdom that will not fall from him in another birth, and, here and now, his own kingdom with his enemies' forces destroyed. The merchant, wise and weary of the world, asks for knowledge – the knowledge that frees from the attachment of "mine" and "I".

The Goddess grants both. "In a few days, O King, you shall regain your kingdom; you shall slay your enemies, and it shall be yours without faltering. And when you have died, you shall be born from the god Vivasvat, the Sun, and become a Manu on the earth named Savarnika. And you, best of merchants – the boon you desired, I grant: knowledge shall be yours, for your perfection."

Having given them what they wished, the Goddess, praised by both in devotion, vanishes at once. And so, Markandeya ends, King Suratha, best of kshatriyas, having received the Goddess's boon, will be born from the Sun and become Savarni Manu – "become Savarni Manu", the text repeats, as the sign that the Devi Mahatmya is complete.

Who Appears in Chapter 13?

Figure	Role in the Chapter
Sage Medha	Gives his final counsel to the king and the merchant: take refuge in the Goddess
Sage Markandeya	The outer narrator of the Devi Mahatmya, who tells what the two did after Medha's teaching
King Suratha	Worships the Goddess for three years and asks for his kingdom; he will be reborn as Savarni Manu
Samadhi, the Vaishya	The merchant who worships beside the king and asks for knowledge
The Goddess (Chandika)	Appears to the two worshippers and grants their boons
Vivasvat, the Sun	The god from whom Suratha will be born in his next life
Savarni Manu	The eighth Manu, whom Suratha will become – the Manu of the Savarnika manvantara in which the whole text is set

Structure of Chapter 13

The chapter can be understood in five parts:

Medha's final counsel: take refuge in the Goddess – Verses 1–5
The austerities on the riverbank – Verses 6–13
The Goddess appears; the two boons asked – Verses 14–18
The boons granted – Verses 19–25
The Goddess vanishes; the end of the Devi Mahatmya – Verses 26–29

Durga Saptashati Chapter 13 Sanskrit with Meaning

॥ श्रीदुर्गासप्तशती – त्रयोदशोऽध्यायः ॥

Dhyana

ॐ बालार्कमण्डलाभासां चतुर्बाहुं त्रिलोचनाम्। पाशाङ्कुशवराभीतीर्धारयन्तीं शिवां भजे॥

Om Balarka-Mandalabhasam Chaturbahum Trilochanam | Pashankusha-Varabhitir Dharayantim Shivam Bhaje ||

Meaning: I worship the auspicious Goddess – bright as the orb of the rising sun, four-armed and three-eyed, holding the noose and the goad and showing the gestures of granting boons and dispelling fear.

Verse 1 – Rishir Uvacha

"ॐ" ऋषिरुवाच॥१॥

"Om" Rishir Uvacha || 1 ||

Meaning: With "Om", the sage Medha said:

Verse 2

एतत्ते कथितं भूप देवीमाहात्म्यमुत्तमम्। एवंप्रभावा सा देवी ययेदं धार्यते जगत्॥२॥

Etatte Kathitam Bhupa Devi-Mahatmyam Uttamam | Evamprabhava Sa Devi Yayedam Dharyate Jagat || 2 ||

Meaning: "I have told you, O King, this supreme glory of the Goddess. Such is the power of the Goddess by whom this world is upheld."

Verse 3

विद्या तथैव क्रियते भगवद्विष्णुमायया। तया त्वमेष वैश्यश्च तथैवान्ये विवेकिनः॥३॥

Vidya Tathaiva Kriyate Bhagavad-Vishnumayaya | Taya Tvamesha Vaishyashcha Tathaivanye Vivekinah || 3 ||

Meaning: "And by her – the Maya of Lord Vishnu – knowledge too is made. By her you, this merchant, and other discerning people as well"

Verse 4

मोह्यन्ते मोहिताश्चैव मोहमेष्यन्ति चापरे। तामुपैहि महाराज शरणं परमेश्वरीम्॥४॥

Mohyante Mohitash Chaiva Moham Eshyanti Chapare | Tamupaihi Maharaja Sharanam Parameshvarim || 4 ||

Meaning: "are deluded, were deluded, and others will be deluded. Go to her for refuge, great King – to the supreme Goddess."

Verse 5

आराधिता सैव नृणां भोगस्वर्गापवर्गदा॥५॥

Aradhita Saiva Nrinam Bhoga-Svargapavargada || 5 ||

Meaning: "Worshipped, she it is who gives to men enjoyment, heaven and liberation."

Verse 6 – Markandeya Uvacha

मार्कण्डेय उवाच॥६॥

Markandeya Uvacha || 6 ||

Meaning: The sage Markandeya said:

Verse 7

इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा सुरथः स नराधिपः॥७॥

Iti Tasya Vachah Shrutva Surathah Sa Naradhipah || 7 ||

Meaning: "Having heard these words of the sage, King Suratha"

Verse 8

प्रणिपत्य महाभागं तमृषिं शंसितव्रतम्। निर्विण्णोऽतिममत्वेन राज्यापहरणेन च॥८॥

Pranipatya Mahabhagam Tamrishim Shamsita-Vratam | Nirvinno'timamatvena Rajyapaharanena Cha || 8 ||

Meaning: "bowed to that illustrious sage of the celebrated vow. Weary of his excessive attachment and of the theft of his kingdom,"

Verse 9

जगाम सद्यस्तपसे स च वैश्यो महामुने। सन्दर्शनार्थमम्बाया नदीपुलिनसंस्थितः॥९॥

Jagama Sadyastapase Sa Cha Vaishyo Mahamune | Sandarshanartham Ambaya Nadi-Pulina-Samsthitah || 9 ||

Meaning: "he went at once to practise austerities, O great sage, and so did the merchant – to obtain a vision of the Mother, settling on the sandbank of a river."

Verse 10

स च वैश्यस्तपस्तेपे देवीसूक्तं परं जपन्। तौ तस्मिन् पुलिने देव्याः कृत्वा मूर्तिं महीमयीम्॥१०॥

Sa Cha Vaishyas Tapas Tepe Devisuktam Param Japan | Tau Tasmin Puline Devyah Kritva Murtim Mahimayim || 10 ||

Meaning: "There the merchant practised austerities, chanting the supreme Devi Sukta. On that sandbank the two of them made an image of the Goddess out of earth,"

Verse 11

अर्हणां चक्रतुस्तस्याः पुष्पधूपाग्नितर्पणैः। निराहारौ यताहारौ तन्मनस्कौ समाहितौ॥११॥

Arhanam Chakratus Tasyah Pushpa-Dhupagni-Tarpanaih | Niraharau Yataharau Tanmanaskau Samahitau || 11 ||

Meaning: "and worshipped her with flowers, incense, fire and libations of water – fasting, or eating little, their minds fixed on her in deep concentration."

Verse 12

ददतुस्तौ बलिं चैव निजगात्रासृगुक्षितम्। एवं समाराधयतोस्त्रिभिर्वर्षैर्यतात्मनोः॥१२॥

Dadatustau Balim Chaiva Nija-Gatrasrig-Ukshitam | Evam Samaradhayatos Tribhir Varshair Yatatmanoh || 12 ||

Meaning: "They offered her bali sprinkled with blood from their own bodies. When the two, with their minds controlled, had worshipped her in this way for three years,"

Verse 13

परितुष्टा जगद्धात्री प्रत्यक्षं प्राह चण्डिका॥१३॥

Paritushta Jagaddhatri Pratyaksham Praha Chandika || 13 ||

Meaning: "Chandika, the Mother of the world, well pleased, appeared before them and spoke."

Verse 14 – Devyuvacha

देव्युवाच॥१४॥

Devyuvacha || 14 ||

Meaning: The Goddess said:

Verse 15

यत्प्रार्थ्यते त्वया भूप त्वया च कुलनन्दन। मत्तस्तत्प्राप्यतां सर्वं परितुष्टा ददामि तत्॥१५॥

Yat Prarthyate Tvaya Bhupa Tvaya Cha Kulanandana | Mattas Tat Prapyatam Sarvam Paritushta Dadami Tat || 15 ||

Meaning: "'What you ask, O King, and what you ask, joy of your family – receive it all from me. I am well pleased, and I give it.'"

Verse 16 – Markandeya Uvacha

मार्कण्डेय उवाच॥१६॥

Markandeya Uvacha || 16 ||

Meaning: The sage Markandeya said:

Verse 17

ततो वव्रे नृपो राज्यमविभ्रंश्यन्यजन्मनि। अत्रैव च निजं राज्यं हतशत्रुबलं बलात्॥१७॥

Tato Vavre Nripo Rajyam Avibhramshy Anyajanmani | Atraiva Cha Nijam Rajyam Hata-Shatru-Balam Balat || 17 ||

Meaning: "Then the king chose a kingdom that would not fall from him in another birth – and, here and now, his own kingdom, with his enemies' forces destroyed by force."

Verse 18

सोऽपि वैश्यस्ततो ज्ञानं वव्रे निर्विण्णमानसः। ममेत्यहमिति प्राज्ञः सङ्गविच्युतिकारकम्॥१८॥

So'pi Vaishyastato Jnanam Vavre Nirvinna-Manasah | Mamety Aham Iti Prajnah Sanga-Vichyuti-Karakam || 18 ||

Meaning: "And the merchant, wise, his mind weary of the world, chose knowledge – the knowledge that cuts away the attachment of 'mine' and 'I'."

Verse 19 – Devyuvacha

देव्युवाच॥१९॥

Devyuvacha || 19 ||

Meaning: The Goddess said:

Verse 20

स्वल्पैरहोभिर्नृपते स्वं राज्यं प्राप्स्यते भवान्॥२०॥

Svalpair Ahobhir Nripate Svam Rajyam Prapsyate Bhavan || 20 ||

Meaning: "'In a few days, O King, you shall regain your own kingdom;'"

Verse 21

हत्वा रिपूनस्खलितं तव तत्र भविष्यति॥२१॥

Hatva Ripun Askhalitam Tava Tatra Bhavishyati || 21 ||

Meaning: "'you shall slay your enemies, and it shall be yours there, without faltering.'"

Verse 22

मृतश्च भूयः सम्प्राप्य जन्म देवाद्विवस्वतः॥२२॥

Mritashcha Bhuyah Samprapya Janma Devad Vivasvatah || 22 ||

Meaning: "'And when you have died, you shall obtain birth again from the god Vivasvat, the Sun,'"

Verse 23

सावर्णिको नाम मनुर्भवान् भुवि भविष्यति॥२३॥

Savarniko Nama Manurbhavan Bhuvi Bhavishyati || 23 ||

Meaning: "'and you shall be a Manu on the earth, named Savarnika.'"

Verse 24

वैश्यवर्य त्वया यश्च वरोऽस्मत्तोऽभिवाञ्छितः॥२४॥

Vaishyavarya Tvaya Yashcha Varo'smatto'bhivanchhitah || 24 ||

Meaning: "'And you, best of merchants – the boon you have desired from me,'"

Verse 25

तं प्रयच्छामि संसिद्ध्यै तव ज्ञानं भविष्यति॥२५॥

Tam Prayachchhami Samsiddhyai Tava Jnanam Bhavishyati || 25 ||

Meaning: "'I grant it: knowledge shall be yours, for your perfection.'"

Verse 26 – Markandeya Uvacha

मार्कण्डेय उवाच॥२६॥

Markandeya Uvacha || 26 ||

Meaning: The sage Markandeya said:

Verse 27

इति दत्त्वा तयोर्देवी यथाभिलषितं वरम्॥२७॥

Iti Dattva Tayordevi Yathabhilashitam Varam || 27 ||

Meaning: "Having thus given the two of them the boons they desired,"

Verse 28

बभूवान्तर्हिता सद्यो भक्त्या ताभ्यामभिष्टुता। एवं देव्या वरं लब्ध्वा सुरथः क्षत्रियर्षभः॥२८॥

Babhuvantarhita Sadyo Bhaktya Tabhyam Abhishtuta | Evam Devya Varam Labdhva Surathah Kshatriyarshabhah || 28 ||

Meaning: "the Goddess, praised by them in devotion, vanished at once. Thus King Suratha, the best of kshatriyas, having received the boon from the Goddess,"

Verse 29

सूर्याज्जन्म समासाद्य सावर्णिर्भविता मनुः। सावर्णिर्भविता मनुः॥क्लीं ॐ॥२९॥

Suryajjanma Samasadya Savarnir Bhavita Manuh | Savarnir Bhavita Manuh || Kleem Om || 29 ||

Meaning: "will obtain birth from the Sun and become the Manu Savarni – become the Manu Savarni." Kleem Om.

Chapter Colophon

॥ इति श्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणे सावर्णिके मन्वन्तरे देवीमाहात्म्ये सुरथवैश्ययोर्वरप्रदानं नाम त्रयोदशोऽध्यायः॥१३॥

|| Iti Shri-Markandeya-Purane Savarnike Manvantare Devimahatmye Suratha-Vaishyayor Vara-Pradanam Nama Trayodasho'dhyayah || 13 ||

Meaning: Thus ends the thirteenth chapter, named "The Granting of Boons to Suratha and the Vaishya", of the Devi Mahatmya in the account of the Savarnika manvantara in the Shri Markandeya Purana.

उवाच ६, अर्धश्लोकाः १०, श्लोकाः १३, एवम् २९, एवमादितः॥७००॥

Uvacha 6, Ardhashlokah 10, Shlokah 13, Evam 29, Evamaditah || 700 ||

Meaning: Six uvacha lines, ten half-verses and 13 full verses – 29 textual units in this chapter, and 700 from the beginning of the text: the seven hundred of the Saptashati.

॥ श्रीदुर्गासप्तशती समाप्ता ॥

|| Shri Durga Saptashati Samapta ||

Meaning: The Shri Durga Saptashati is complete.

Significance of Durga Saptashati Chapter 13

Durga Saptashati Chapter 13 closes the frame that Chapter 1 opened. The twelve chapters between were spoken by Sage Medha to two listeners – a king who had lost everything and a merchant whose family had turned him out – and the last chapter shows what the listening did for them. Medha's counsel is one sentence: everyone is deluded by the Goddess's Maya; take refuge in her. The two take it, and the text ends not with the gods but with two human beings worshipping an earthen image on a riverbank for three years and being answered.

The two boons are the chapter's teaching. The king asks for the world – his kingdom now and a kingdom that will never fall; the merchant asks to be free of "I" and "mine". The Goddess grants both without preferring either. The Devi Mahatmya is for the person who wants his life back and for the person who wants to be free of it, and the same worship serves both.

The chapter also explains the colophon of every chapter before it. Each ends "in the account of the Savarnika manvantara"; here Suratha is told he will be reborn from the Sun as Savarni, the eighth Manu, and the whole Devi Mahatmya turns out to have been the story of how that Manu came to be. The repeated last words, "Savarnir Bhavita Manuh", mark the end of the seven hundred.

Main Teachings of Chapter 13

Everyone is deluded by the Goddess, and refuge in her is the way out: the king, the merchant and the wise alike (Verses 3–5).
Worship is simple and sustained: an earthen image, flowers, incense, fire, water, fasting and a fixed mind, for three years (Verses 10–12).
The Goddess answers in person: pleased, Chandika appears and offers whatever is asked (Verses 13–15).
Both the worldly and the spiritual boon are granted: a kingdom for the king, knowledge for the merchant (Verses 17–25).
The listener becomes the story: Suratha, who heard the Devi Mahatmya, becomes the Manu of the age in which it is set (Verses 22–23, 29).

The Two Boons

Figure	His state	What he asked	What he was given
King Suratha	Weary of his attachment and of the loss of his kingdom (Verse 8)	A kingdom that will not fall from him in another birth, and his own kingdom now, with his enemies destroyed (Verse 17)	His kingdom in a few days, his enemies slain, and rebirth from the Sun as Savarnika Manu (Verses 20–23)
Samadhi the Vaishya	Weary of the world, wise (Verse 18)	The knowledge that cuts away the attachment of "mine" and "I" (Verse 18)	Knowledge, for his perfection (Verses 24–25)

The Goddess grants the worldly wish and the spiritual wish in the same breath. The Devi Mahatmya does not rank them.

Why Every Chapter Ends "in the Savarnika Manvantara"

Each of the thirteen colophons sets the Devi Mahatmya "in the account of the Savarnika manvantara" (Savarnike Manvantare). Chapter 13 explains why. The Markandeya Purana is describing the ages of the Manus, and its account of the eighth Manu, Savarni, begins with the question of who he was. The answer is King Suratha: the Goddess tells him that after death he will be born from the Sun and become the Manu named Savarnika (Verses 22–23). The whole Devi Mahatmya is therefore told as the story of how the eighth Manu earned his place – by hearing the glory of the Goddess and worshipping her.

The Worship on the Riverbank

Verses 9–12 describe the first worship of the Goddess by human beings in the Devi Mahatmya:

On the sandbank of a river, for a vision of the Mother (Verse 9)
An image of the Goddess made of earth (Verse 10)
The merchant chanting the supreme Devi Sukta (Verse 10)
Worship with flowers, incense, fire and libations of water (Verse 11)
Fasting, or eating little; the mind fixed on her in concentration (Verse 11)
Bali sprinkled with blood from their own bodies (Verse 12)
For three years, with the mind controlled (Verse 12)

Tradition sees in the earthen image of this chapter a model for the clay image of the Goddess made and worshipped at Durga Puja.

Why Is Chapter 13 Called Suratha-Vaishya Vara-Pradana?

The thirteenth chapter is traditionally known as Suratha-Vaishya Vara-Pradana – "the granting of boons (vara-pradana) to Suratha and the Vaishya" – because it tells how the Goddess appeared to the king and the merchant and gave each what he asked. It is the last chapter of the Devi Mahatmya; the Rahasyas and the Shapoddhara mantras recited after it belong to the Path, not to the Purana.

Traditional Recitation of Chapter 13

Chapter 13 completes the Uttama Charitra of the Devi Mahatmya, which runs from Chapter 5 to Chapter 13 under Mahasaraswati. It has no separate Viniyoga; the Viniyoga of the Uttama Charitra is recited at the start of Chapter 5, and Chapter 13 opens with its own Dhyana, given above.

Schedule	When Chapter 13 is read	Context
3-day Path (by Charitra)	Day 3, with Chapters 5–12	Day 1: Chapter 1 · Day 2: Chapters 2–4
7-day Path	Day 7, with Chapter 12	Day 1: 1 · Day 2: 2–3 · Day 3: 4 · Day 4: 5–8 · Day 5: 9–10 · Day 6: 11
9-day Navratri Path	Day 9, on its own	Day 1: 1 · Day 2: 2–4 · Day 3: 5–6 · Day 4: 7 · Day 5: 8 · Day 6: 9–10 · Day 7: 11 · Day 8: 12

After the thirteenth chapter the Path continues as the Sankalpa prescribes: the Navarna japa again, the Devi Sukta, the three Rahasyas and the Shapoddhara mantras. The chapter is read through to its colophon in one sitting; a chapter is never left unfinished. The exact procedure varies by tradition, lineage and method, and devotees should follow the method prescribed by their Guru or family tradition.

Traditional Spiritual Significance

In the chapter-wise tradition of the Path, the thirteenth chapter is read for devotion to the Goddess – the chapter in which three years of steady worship bring her before two ordinary worshippers. Devotees traditionally approach it for:

Devotion towards Goddess Mahasaraswati, the presiding deity of the Uttama Charitra, and towards the Goddess who appears to those who worship her
Steadiness in worship, after the pattern of the king and the merchant
The restoration of what has been lost, as the king's kingdom was restored
Freedom from the attachment of "I" and "mine", as the merchant asked
The grace of the Goddess, who grants both the worldly and the spiritual wish

These are traditional devotional associations and should not be understood as guaranteed worldly or medical outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Durga Saptashati Chapter 13 called?

Durga Saptashati Chapter 13 is called Trayodasha Adhyaya and is traditionally known as Suratha-Vaishya Vara-Pradana, "The Granting of Boons to Suratha and the Vaishya". It is the last chapter of the Devi Mahatmya.

What happens in Chapter 13 of Durga Saptashati?

Sage Medha ends his teaching by telling the king and the merchant to take refuge in the Goddess. They worship an earthen image of her on a riverbank for three years; Chandika appears and offers a boon; the king asks for his kingdom and the merchant for knowledge; both are granted; and the king is told he will be reborn from the Sun as Savarni Manu.

Who are Suratha and the Vaishya?

The two listeners of the whole Devi Mahatmya, introduced in Chapter 1: Suratha, a king who lost his kingdom to his enemies and his ministers, and Samadhi, a merchant turned out of his home by his wife and sons. They met Sage Medha in the forest and asked him why they still loved those who had wronged them – the question that led to the whole text.

What boons do they ask for and receive?

The king asks for his kingdom now and a kingdom that will never fall; he is promised his kingdom within days, victory over his enemies, and rebirth as Savarnika Manu. The merchant asks for the knowledge that frees from "I" and "mine"; he is promised knowledge for his perfection (Verses 17–25).

Who is Savarni Manu, and why do all the chapters mention the Savarnika manvantara?

Savarni is the eighth Manu, the ruler of the eighth age of humanity. King Suratha is told he will become this Manu in his next birth, born from the Sun. The Markandeya Purana tells the Devi Mahatmya as the account of how Savarni Manu came to be, which is why every chapter's colophon places it "in the Savarnika manvantara".

Why does "Markandeya Uvacha" appear in this chapter?

Because Sage Markandeya is the outer narrator of the whole Devi Mahatmya. Chapter 1 opened with "Markandeya Uvacha" and Medha's teaching filled the chapters between; here Markandeya speaks again to tell what the king and the merchant did after they had heard it.

Is the earthen image in Chapter 13 the origin of the clay Durga images of Durga Puja?

The text describes the king and the merchant making an image of the Goddess out of earth and worshipping it for three years (Verses 10–12). Tradition sees in this the scriptural model for the clay image worshipped at Durga Puja, though the chapter itself does not say so.

How many verses are there in Durga Saptashati Chapter 13?

The traditional count gives 29 textual units: 6 uvacha lines, 10 half-verses and 13 full verses. With it the Durga Saptashati reaches its total of 700 units – the "seven hundred" from which it takes its name.

Can Chapter 13 be recited on its own?

Yes. In the nine-day Navratri schedule it is read by itself on the ninth day. Its own Dhyana is recited first; its Viniyoga is that of the Uttama Charitra, recited at Chapter 5; and the preliminaries of the Path Vidhi are performed before it as for the whole Path.

Continue Reading Durga Saptashati

Chapter 13 completes the Devi Mahatmya. In the full Path, the recitation continues with the Navarna japa, the Devi Sukta, the three Rahasyas and the Shapoddhara mantras, as set out in the Durga Saptashati Path Vidhi.

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All 13 chapters of the Durga Saptashati: