English meaning: Knowledge too is brought about by the divine Vishnu-maya. The sage turns to the king, this merchant and other discerning people as those affected by her.
हिंदी अर्थ: भगवती विष्णुमाया ही ज्ञान भी उत्पन्न करती हैं। ऋषि आगे राजा, इस वैश्य और दूसरे विवेकी लोगों का उल्लेख करते हैं, जो उनके प्रभाव में आते हैं।
Roman Hindi meaning: Bhagavati Vishnu-maya hi gyan bhi utpann karti hain. Rishi aage raja, is vaishya aur doosre viveki logon ka ullekh karte hain, jo unke prabhav mein aate hain.
Text position 3
मोह्यन्ते मोहिताश्चैव मोहमेष्यन्ति चापरे। तामुपैहि महाराज शरणं परमेश्वरीम्॥
English meaning: People are being deluded, have been deluded, and others will be deluded. The sage asks the king to seek refuge in the supreme Goddess.
हिंदी अर्थ: लोग मोह में पड़ते हैं, पहले भी पड़े हैं और दूसरे आगे भी पड़ेंगे। ऋषि राजा से परमेश्वरी की शरण लेने को कहते हैं।
Roman Hindi meaning: Log moh mein padte hain, pahle bhi pade hain aur doosre aage bhi padenge. Rishi raja se Parameshvari ki sharan lene ko kahte hain.
English meaning: The sage describes the worshipped Goddess as granting enjoyment, heaven and liberation. Markandeya then narrates that King Suratha heard the sage's words.
हिंदी अर्थ: ऋषि कहते हैं कि आराधित देवी मनुष्यों को भोग, स्वर्ग और मोक्ष देने वाली हैं। फिर मार्कण्डेय बताते हैं कि राजा सुरथ ने ऋषि की बात सुनी।
Roman Hindi meaning: Rishi kahte hain ki aradhit Devi manushyon ko bhog, svarg aur moksh dene wali hain. Phir Markandeya batate hain ki raja Surath ne rishi ki baat suni.
English meaning: The narrative describes worship with flowers, incense and fire offerings, periods of no food or restrained food, and concentrated attention on her. It is not a fasting prescription.
हिंदी अर्थ: कथा में फूल, धूप और अग्नि-तर्पण से पूजा, कभी निराहार और कभी सीमित आहार तथा देवी में एकाग्र मन का वर्णन है। यह उपवास का निर्देश नहीं है।
Roman Hindi meaning: Katha mein phool, dhoop aur agni-tarpan se puja, kabhi nirahar aur kabhi simit ahar tatha Devi mein ekagra man ka varnan hai. Yah upavas ka nirdesh nahin hai.
Text position 9
ददतुस्तौ बलिं चैव निजगात्रासृगुक्षितम्। एवं समाराधयतोस्त्रिभिर्वर्षैर्यतात्मनोः॥
English meaning: The narrative says they offer a bali sprinkled with their own blood and worship with self-restraint for three years. This describes the story, not a practice to imitate or advice to harm oneself.
हिंदी अर्थ: कथा कहती है कि वे अपने शरीर के रक्त से सींचा हुआ बलि-अर्पण करते हैं और तीन वर्ष संयमपूर्वक आराधना करते हैं। यह कथा का वर्णन है, अनुकरण करने या स्वयं को चोट पहुँचाने की सलाह नहीं।
Roman Hindi meaning: Katha kahti hai ki ve apne sharir ke rakt se sincha hua bali-arpan karte hain aur teen varsh sanyampoorvak aradhana karte hain. Yah katha ka varnan hai, anukaran karne ya svayam ko chot pahunchane ki salah nahin.
English meaning: The pleased sustainer of the world, Chandika, appears before them and speaks. The Goddess asks what the king and the son of a noble family seek.
हिंदी अर्थ: प्रसन्न जगद्धात्री चण्डिका उनके सामने प्रकट होकर बोलती हैं। देवी राजा और कुलनन्दन वैश्य से उनकी इच्छा पूछती हैं।
Roman Hindi meaning: Prasann Jagaddhatri Chandika unke samne prakat hokar bolti hain. Devi raja aur kulanandan vaishya se unki ichchha poochhti hain.
English meaning: The Goddess says she is pleased and will grant everything sought from her. Markandeya narrates that the king asks for a kingdom that will not be lost in another birth.
हिंदी अर्थ: देवी कहती हैं कि वे प्रसन्न हैं और उनसे माँगी गई सभी इच्छाएँ पूरी करेंगी। मार्कण्डेय बताते हैं कि राजा दूसरे जन्म में ऐसा राज्य माँगते हैं जो न छिने।
Roman Hindi meaning: Devi kahti hain ki ve prasann hain aur unse mangi gayi sabhi ichchhayen poori karengi. Markandeya batate hain ki raja doosre janm mein aisa rajya mangte hain jo na chhine.
English meaning: The discerning merchant seeks knowledge that loosens attachment to 'mine' and 'I'. The Goddess then tells the king that he will regain his kingdom in a few days.
हिंदी अर्थ: विवेकी वैश्य ऐसा ज्ञान चाहते हैं जो 'मेरा' और 'मैं' की आसक्ति दूर करे। फिर देवी राजा से कहती हैं कि कुछ ही दिनों में उन्हें अपना राज्य मिल जाएगा।
Roman Hindi meaning: Viveki vaishya aisa gyan chahte hain jo 'mera' aur 'main' ki asakti door kare. Phir Devi raja se kahti hain ki kuchh hi dinon mein unhein apna rajya mil jayega.
Text position 14
हत्वा रिपूनस्खलितं तव तत्र भविष्यति। मृतश्च भूयः सम्प्राप्य जन्म देवाद्विवस्वतः॥
hatvā ripūnaskhalitaṃ tava tatra bhaviṣyati| mṛtaśca bhūyaḥ samprāpya janma devādvivasvataḥ||
English meaning: In the Goddess's promise within the story, the king will defeat his enemies and his rule will remain secure. After death he will be born again from the god Vivasvan, the Sun.
हिंदी अर्थ: कथा में देवी के वचन के अनुसार राजा शत्रुओं को हराएँगे और उनका राज्य स्थिर रहेगा। मृत्यु के बाद वे सूर्यदेव विवस्वान से फिर जन्म लेंगे।
Roman Hindi meaning: Katha mein Devi ke vachan ke anusar raja shatruon ko harayenge aur unka rajya sthir rahega. Mrityu ke baad ve Suryadev Vivasvan se phir janm lenge.
Text position 15
सावर्णिको नाम मनुर्भवान्भुवि भविष्यति। वैश्यवर्य त्वया यश्च वरोऽस्मत्तोऽभिवाञ्छितः॥
English meaning: Praised with devotion by both, the Goddess immediately disappears. Having received her boon, Suratha, foremost among warriors, will be born from the Sun and become Savarni Manu.
हिंदी अर्थ: दोनों की भक्तिपूर्ण स्तुति के बाद देवी तुरंत अन्तर्धान हो जाती हैं। उनका वर पाकर श्रेष्ठ क्षत्रिय सुरथ सूर्य से जन्म लेंगे और सावर्णि मनु होंगे।
Roman Hindi meaning: Donon ki bhaktipoorn stuti ke baad Devi turant antardhan ho jati hain. Unka var pakar shreshth kshatriya Surath Surya se janm lenge aur Savarni Manu honge.
अध्याय का समापन
The selected main colophon, outside the printed-position count.
Colophon
इति श्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणे सुरथवैश्ययोर्वरप्रदानं नाम त्रयोदशोऽध्यायः॥१३॥
English meaning: The selected colophon closes chapter thirteen of the Markandeya Purana, named the granting of boons to Suratha and the merchant.
हिंदी अर्थ: चुना हुआ समापन मार्कण्डेयपुराण के सुरथ और वैश्य को वर देने नामक तेरहवें अध्याय को पूरा करता है।
Roman Hindi meaning: Chuna hua samapan Markandeya-puran ke Surath aur vaishya ko var dene namak terahven adhyay ko poora karta hai.
What is Durga Saptashati — Chapter 13?
Read the complete selected core of Durga Saptashati chapter 13, the Suratha–merchant boon narrative. This 1894 witness has 17 printed positions and a separate colophon. Its printed grouping includes embedded speakers and does not equal a count of individual metrical verses; no meditation or extra closing repetition is added.
Complete selected chapter and numbering
This is the entire main Sanskrit chapter 13 from the visually dated 1894 Nirnaya Sagar edition, not an opening excerpt or the complete thirteen-chapter Saptashati. It has 17 printed text positions and a separate colophon. Printed positions may group verse segments and speaker headings; they are not all single full metrical verses. The reader keeps this print's numbering and main ending.
Edition boundary and exclusions
Only the ancient Sanskrit core is reproduced, with fresh literal Roman and original English, Hindi and Roman-Hindi reading aids. The seven interleaved commentaries, scan images, historical layout, optional meditation and commentary-only recitation additions are excluded. Chapter 13's opening speaker and extra ending repeat in some recitation editions are not independent main-text positions here. This chapter reader is not a complete ceremonial Chandi-path manual.
Selected readings
Speaker headings embedded in printed positions remain in place. Positions 4–5 and 10–17 regroup verse segments differently from common recitation numbering; their original meanings follow these boundaries. The ending is the main Suratha–merchant boon colophon, without importing another print's Savarnika-manvantara prefix or standalone repeated ending.
Devotional claims and safe reading
Religious assurances about protection, health, wealth, children, dreams and liberation are statements within the source, not guaranteed outcomes, medical guidance or judgments about hardship. Animal offerings, fasting and the own-blood narrative are historical descriptions, not instructions to imitate. No caste-access rule, compulsory gift, fixed ritual count or household fire procedure is prescribed. Meanings are internal editorial reading aids; expert review was not performed.