The Goddess in one major Purana (was Which of the 18 Major Puranas is the "Devi Bhagavad Purana"?)

[Guest guest]

Namaste Devi bhakta,

 

Please excuse my delay in responding for your courteous request for further

information on puranic texts about the Devi.

 

On Feb 25 you wrote:

>Your posts are always tantalizing -- filled with fresh

>perspectives, original thinking and hinting at new and

>untapped sources of inspiration.

 

Certainly a lot of shakta sources from India have remained largely untapped

by western seekers of the Goddess. The sources are neither my inventions

nor my discoveries, but I do what I can to help people connect with them.

>I had

>no idea about any of the books you just mentioned --

>and would love to hear as much about them as you are

>willing and able to share!

 

I'll begin by summarizing a story from the Uma Samhita section of the Shiva

Purana.

 

The Vedic gods, led by Indra, had won a big victory against the asuras, and

were very proud of themselves. Returning from the battle, they encountered

a mysterious form of light. They sent the god Vayu, the god of wind, to

find out what it was. The being of light placed a straw before the god of

wind, and challenged him to blow the straw away. Vaya found he was unable

to move the straw. He returned to the gods, chastened and baffled. Similar

things happened to other gods, until Indra himself approached the being.

 

Indra saw "the goddess Uma, consisting of existence, consciousness and

bliss...in the centre of that mighty tower of splendour... she exclaimed,

'I am truly Brahman!'... Mahamaya spoke, she whose form is the inner guide

of all, the witness in every creature... 'Neither Brahma, nor Vishnu, who

is the gods' delight, nor lord Shiva, enemy of Pura, are entitled to pride

before me in any way. Why speak of other gods? The supreme Brahman, the sun

on high, the syllable OM encompassing the pairs of opposites -- all this am

I. There is no one higher than I... sometimes taking the form of a lovely

woman, sometimes of a man, sometimes both, I am the goddess who assumes all

forms... It is by my power alone that you have defeated all the sons of

Diti.' "

 

(Shiva Purana, Uma Samhita, Chapter 49. The extract in quotes is from the

translation of this episode in the book _Classical Hindu Mythology_ by

Cornelia Dimmitt and J.A.B. van Buitenen, published by Temple Uni Press,

Philadelphia, 1978. A full translation of the Uma Samhita is found in

Volumes 3 and 4 of the series _Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology_

edited by J.L.Shastri and first published by Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi,

1969 (Vol3) and 1970 (Vol4).)

>For starters, let me ask you this: Brown was referring

>strictly to the "Great Goddess" tradition in the

>comment I quoted; i.e. Devi as Brahman, the One

>without a second, etc. Do the books you mention have

>this concentration also? Because Brown acknowledges

>that the Puranas -- especially the late Puranas --

>were very much influenced by Shaktism; however, that

>Devi is only given absolute *supremacy* in the Devi

>Mahatmyam and Devi Bhagavata Purana. In the others, he

>says, she is either relegated to consort or otherwise

>subordinated to a male deity, however subtly.

 

It is not always easy to tell whether the authors of a particular text see

the Devi as supreme over all gods, or co-supreme with the highest god, or

subordinate to him. For instance, in the Devi Mahatyam, Devi is refered to

as "Vishnumaya" (chapter 5 verses 14 to 16). It is debatable whether this

name means the maya that is Vishnu's attribute, or she whose maya overcomes

even Vishnu, or both. I don't know of any verse in the Devi Mahatmya that

actually says Devi is Brahman.

 

In the passage above from the Uma Samhita, Uma describes herself as Brahman

and declares that none is higher than her. However, other parts of the Uma

Samhita represent Shiva as supreme, with Uma as his Shakti. Perhaps the

most sensible conclusion to draw is that the supreme divinity can be

encountered and worshipped either as Shiva or as Uma.

 

The Uma Samhita also contains a section describing and naming the 18 major

Puranas. One of the eighteen works it mentions has the _two_ names

"Bhagavata Purana" and "Devipurana" and contains stories about Durga.

(Shiva Purana Uma Samhita Chapter 44 verse 129)

 

Is that enough for now?

 

Om Shantih,

 

Colin Robinson

(colinr)

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[Guest guest]

COLIN, you are more than a 'connection; rather, you are

the 'strongest' link ; devi _ bhakta is absolutely right when he says

you bring original and refreshing viepoints to this group...

 

it was a pleasnt surprise to read the passage from 'uma smhita' from

the shiva-puranas...

 

yes, the devi claims she is 'para brahman' in another tantrik text

called tripura rahasya where she declares she is the formless

*brahman' ( the ultimate reality of upanishads.)

 

but i have also read in svetashvatara upanishads, that lord rudra

is 'brahman' and the great liusion maker from whom the whole world or

his maya shakti emanates!

 

so what are we to do? us ordinary bhaktas still struggling to make

that divine connection - as it is said even the so called brahma

jnanis could not describe 'brahman' except to say it is a state of

sat-chit-ananda (truth-consciousness-bliss) but here again, we enter

into another realm- are not TRUTH-CONSCIOUSNESS-BLISS NOUNS IF NOT

ADJECTIVES- THEREFORE ARE THEY NOT DESCRIPTION OF SOME SORT OF

ATTRIBUTES?

 

as far vishnumaya is concerned- you have raised some interestnig

questions-

 

one interpreation is durga put the great vishnu into mystic slumber

(maya) before she embarked on her assault on the asuras so she can

fight the battle single-handedly?

 

in any case, your posts are always enjoyable to read specially

the 'wealth' of information contained and all the research involved !

 

as sree lalita sahasaranamah says let is bow down to to the divine

mother...

 

om sri sivayai namha

 

salutations to Her who is the blessed siva (identical with siva.)

 

love

 

p.s. thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the light and

love!!!!