Maharishi Śuka continued, “The person who even once faithfully worships the Supreme Lord merges into Him. This being the case, Diti had devotedly worshipped Srihari for a period of almost a year. For this reason, her sons the 49 Maruts, together with Indra constituted 50 Devatas. Notwithstanding the fact that they were his step-brothers, Indra ensured that Diti’s sons, the Maruts get their appropriate share of Soma-rasa from Yagna offerings.

Diti woke up from sleep and saw her 49 sons who were glowing as radiantly as Indra and was very pleased. She said to Indra, “My dear son, I took up this very difficult ritual solely to beget a son who would instill fear in Aditi’s sons. How is it that I have 49 sons when I prayed for only one son.? O Indra, please tell the truth”.

Indra replied, “Mother, I, who was filled with selfishness and who am unrighteous, came to know of your desire. Hence seeking a suitable opportunity to destroy your fetus, I came here and began serving you. Today, when there was a lax in your disciplines, I seized the opportunity and entering your womb, I cut the fetus.

A selfish person does not care to transgress righteousness (dharma). When I cut the fetus into 7 divisions, it instantly transformed into 7 fetuses. Thereafter I cut each fetus into 7 bits. To my astonishment, instead of dying, they transformed into 49 fetuses. I then realized that this was the outcome of your intense austerities and devotional worship offered to the Supreme Lord.

Ārādhanaṁ bhagavata īhamānā nirāśiṣaḥ Ye tu necchanty api paraṁ te svārtha-kuśalāḥ smṛtāḥ

**Our Shastras dictate that the person, who worships the Supreme Lord without any selfish motive and who does not even seek liberation, truly accomplishes the ultimate goal of life! He fulfills the purpose of life. **

The Supreme Lord resides as the Self within every living being. **When He is worshipped with utmost devotion He gives himself away to the devotee! **He is Datta. Any sensible devotee who devotedly worships Him will never crave for sensory pleasures. After all, aren’t these sensory pleasures available to a certain extent even in hell? Worshipping the Supreme Lord for fulfillment of sensory pleasures is a mere waste of effort.

O mother! O pious woman! Please forgive me for my evil deeds. Purely due to the Lord’s grace your children have survived”.

Diti was pleased with Indra’s pure and clean behavior. Together with the Maruts, Indra offered obeisance to her. With her permission, he took them to heaven along with him. O Parikshit, I have narrated to you about the birth of the Maruts exactly as you asked. What more do you seek to listen?”

With this the eighteenth chapter of Sixth Canto comes to an end.

Sixth Canto Chapter Nineteen

In this chapter, the ritual (vrata) known as Pumsavana is detailed.

Emperor Parikshit enquired, “O Maharishi! You have spoken about the supreme ritual famously called Pumsavana. I want to learn more about this ritual by which one can please Lord Srihari”.

Maharishi Śuka replied, “O Emperor! In order to fulfill her desires, the woman should, with the permission of her husband, begin this ritual on Marghaśira shukla padyami (which comes around November-December). She should then listen to the story of how Maruts were born. With the permission of Brahmin Vedic scholars, she should brush her teeth early morning, bathe, deck herself in two-piece white clothing and wear proper ornaments. Then prior to breakfast she should worship Mother Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Srihari, with the following prayer.
** ‘Alaṁ te nirapekṣāya pūrṇa-kāma namo ’stu te Mahāvibhūti-pataye namaḥ sakala-siddhaye ** O Supreme Lord! You are complete in every aspect. You do not have any expectations. You are the Lord of all accomplishments. All supernatural powers reside within You. To You, I offer obeisance.

O Ishwara! Compassion (daya), all forms of prosperity, radiance (tejas), all glories, all energies and all qualities serve You. Therefore You are the Lord of everyone (Jagannath). You are aptly glorified as Bhagawan.

Viṣṇu-patni mahā-māye mahāpuruṣa-lakṣaṇe Prīyethā me mahā-bhāge loka-mātar namo ’stu te

O Lakshmi, consort of Vishnu! You are the supreme illusory power (māya shakti). All the attributes of the Supreme Lord are visible in You. O auspicious mother of this creation! Be pleased with me. I offer obeisance to You.

I offer obeisance to Lord Puruśottama, the Supreme Lord who is of unsurpassed influence, whose transcendental glories are infinite, and who is of unimaginable prowess. O Lord, I offer all these puja materials to You’.

With mantras that contain such essence and feelings, she should worship the Lord daily morning by invoking Him with absolute concentration, offering Him water to wash His feet and hands, water for purificatory purposes and water to bathe. She should then offer to Him clothing to wear, the sacred thread, ornaments, sandal paste, flowers, incense sticks, deepa (lamp), food to eat (naivedya) and complete other services.

haviḥ-śeṣaṁ ca juhuyād anale dvādaśāhutīḥ oṁ namo bhagavate mahā-puruṣāya mahāvibhūti-pataye svāheti svāheti

May these offerings reach the Supreme Lord Puruśottama who is the husband of Goddess Lakshmi. Chanting this above mantra and with feelings of devotion she should offer food (naivedya) to the Lord. While doing so she should offer the remaining ingredients (havis) twelve times in the homa fire.

All our desires are fulfilled by Lakshmi-Nārāyaṇa alone! Hence the person who seeks all forms of prosperity should, with absolute devotion, worship this holy couple daily without fail. Thereafter with all humility and devotion he should prostrate to the Lord by falling flat on the ground. He should chant Srihari’s mantra 10 times and thereafter chant the hymn.

O Lakshmi-Nārāyaṇa! You are the presiding deities of this creation! Although You are the cause for this creation You remain beyond it. Goddess Lakshmi is the primary subtle energy for this entire creation. She is the illusory power which is very difficult to cross over. O Lord, You are the lord of this illusory power”.

Srikrishnāya namah