Verse 2.1.35-37

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.1.35-37:

विप्रो निष्किञ्चनः कश्चित् पुरा प्राग्ज्योतिषे पुरे ।
वसन्न् अज्ञात-शास्त्रार्थो बहु-द्राविण-काम्यया ॥ ३५ ॥
तात्रत्य-देवीं कामाख्यां श्रद्धयानुदिनं भजन् ।
तस्याः सकाशात् तुष्टायाः स्वप्ने मन्त्रं दशाक्षरम् ॥ ३६ ॥
लेभे मदन-गोपाल-चरणाम्भोज-दैवतम् ।
तद्-ध्यानादि-विधानाढ्यं साक्षाद् इव महा-निधिम् ॥ ३७ ॥

vipro niṣkiñcanaḥ kaścit purā prāgjyotiṣe pure |
vasann ajñāta-śāstrārtho bahu-drāviṇa-kāmyayā || 35 ||
tātratya-devīṃ kāmākhyāṃ śraddhayānudinaṃ bhajan |
tasyāḥ sakāśāt tuṣṭāyāḥ svapne mantraṃ daśākṣaram || 36 ||
lebhe madana-gopāla-caraṇāmbhoja-daivatam |
tad-dhyānādi-vidhānāḍhyaṃ sākṣād iva mahā-nidhim || 37 ||

vipraḥ–a brāhmaṇa; niṣkiñcanaḥ–poor; kaścit–a certain; purā–in ancient times; prāg-jyotiṣe pure–in a city in the land of Assam; vasan–was living; ajñāta–not knowing; śāstra-arthaḥ–teachings of the scriptures; bahu-draviṇa–great wealth; kāmyayā–because of desiring; tatratya–of that place; devīm–the goddess; kāma-ākhyām–named Kāmākhya-devī; śraddhayā–with faith; anu-dinam–every day; bhajan–worshiping; tasyāḥ–from her; sakāśāt–directly; tuṣṭāyāḥ–pleased; svapne–in a dream; mantram–a mantra; daśa–ten; akṣaram–syllables; lebhe–he received; madana-gopāla-caraṇaambhoja–of the lotus feet of Śrī Madana-gopāla; daivatam–the Deity; tat–of that; dhyāna-ādi–of meditation and so forth, including nyāsa and ācamana; vidhāna–with the process; āḍhyam–embellished; sākṣāt–directly; iva–like; mahā-nidhim–great wealth.

In ancient times, a poor brāhmaṇa who lacked any scriptural knowledge lived in Prāgjyotiṣa-pura (near present-day Gauhātī, in the State of Assam). The goddess Kāmākhyā-devī (Durgā-devī) is present there, and every day, the brāhmaṇa faithfully worshiped her with a desire for great wealth and opulence. Pleased with his worship, the goddess appeared in his dream and gave him a mantra–the ten-syllable gopāla-mantra, whose Deity is Śrī Madanagopāla. This mantra embodies immense potency. When conferring this mantra on the brāhmaṇa, the goddess instructed him about the process of mantra meditation, and also about nyāsa and other rituals and worship. She told him that by the power of this mantra alone, he would achieve the service of the lotus feet of Śrī Madana-gopāla.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

Śrī Parīkṣit says, “A brāhmaṇa once lived in the city of Prāgjyotiṣa-pura, in the country known as Kāma-rūpa (Assam).” The brāhmaṇa’s history is related in three verses. “This brāhmaṇa was poor. Moreover, he was ignorant of the import of the scriptures and did not know anything about his own religious duties. Thus, he was quite foolish.” This is an indication of the great power of the mantra. That all the desires of a great fool like him were fulfilled indicates the power of the mantra given by the goddess.

“Desiring fabulous wealth, the brāhmaṇa would serve Kāmākhyādevī, the goddess of Prāgjyotiṣa-pura. Pleased by his service, the goddess appeared in the brāhmaṇa’s dream and taught him a ten-syllable mantra. This mantra is found in the Krama-dīpikā Tantra, and the worshipful Deity of the mantra is Śrī Madana-gopāla Himself. Upon bestowing the mantra, the goddess also explained to the brāhmaṇa the mantra’s meditation (dhyāna), mental dedication of the body to the Lord (nyāsa), symbolic hand gestures (mudrā), and worship (pūjā).” Śrī Uttarā may question, “After worshiping Devī, how did he become free from his desire for wealth?” In reply, Śrī Parīkṣit says, “That mantra is the absolute form of infinite treasure. Therefore, by obtaining it, all his desires were automatically fulfilled.”

Note: In the tantra named Krama-dīpikā (2.5), the ten-syllable mantra is explained:

शार्ङ्गी सोत्तर-दन्तः शूरो वामाक्षि-युग्-द्वितीयार्णः
शूली शौरिर् बानो बलानुज-द्वयम् अथाक्षर चतुष्कम्

śārṅgī sottara-dantaḥ śūro vāmākṣi-yug-dvitīyārṇaḥ
śūlī śaurir bāno balānuja-dvayam athākṣara catuṣkam

The ten-syllable mantra is actually for the worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is gopī-jana-vallabha, the beloved of the gopīs.