durgA stutI - 1

[Guest guest]

This is the first verse of a set of 18, titled durgAstutiH is a summary of

the dEvImAhAtmya as mentioned in the text. The last pAda of every verse is a

prayer to Goddess Durga, asking Her to be like a fort to ward off death.

Starting from today I hope to post one sloka a day. Since the language is a

bit tough, I have given only the general meaning of the verses.

 

Aarathi.

 

durgAstutiH

dEvImAhAtmyasArarUpA

 

kalpAnte madhukaiTabhAsuraparAbhUtasya dhAtuH stavaiH

prItA paN^kajalochanasya nayanAnnirgatya nidrAmayI .

tau yuddhe parimohya ghAtitavatI tenaiva vishveshvarI

roddhu.n ghorakr^itAntasainyamiha me durgaiva durgAyatAm .. 1 ..

 

Being pleased by the praises sung by Brahma who was troubled by the asuras

Madhu and Kaitabha at the end of a kalpa, and emerging out of Brahma's eyes

in the form of sleep, She had killed the two in a battle after deluding them

and so is known as the Ruler of the entire world. Let Goddess Durga become a

fort for me to stop the terrible army of kr^tAnta, the god of death.

[Guest guest]

Sridhar had noted an error in my translation and has given a summary of the

madhu-kaitabha-incident. I am forwarding that mail to the group.

 

Aarathi.

 

-

<seshagir

"Aarathi Sankaran" <aarathisankaran

Thursday, October 18, 2001 7:08 AM

Re: durgA stutI - 1

 

> > kalpAnte madhukaiTabhAsuraparAbhUtasya dhAtuH stavaiH

> > prItA paN^kajalochanasya nayanAnnirgatya nidrAmayI .

> > tau yuddhe parimohya ghAtitavatI tenaiva vishveshvarI

> > roddhu.n ghorakr^itAntasainyamiha me durgaiva durgAyatAm .. 1 ..

> >

> > Being pleased by the praises sung by Brahma who was troubled

> > by the asuras Madhu and Kaitabha at the end of a kalpa, and

> > emerging out of Brahma's eyes in the form of sleep, She had

> > killed the two in a battle after deluding them and so is known

> > as the Ruler of the entire world. Let Goddess Durga become a

> > fort for me to stop the terrible army of kr^tAnta, the god of

> > death.

>

> ==> This doesn't sound correct, Aaarathi.. sorry i read it so

> superficially earlier.. paN^kajalochana - Lord Vishnu.. Madhu

> and Kaitabha came out of Vishnu's ears, and troubled Brahma

> after getting boons from him that they shud die only if they

> so willed.. Brahma turned to Vishnu for help, but Vishnu was

> fast asleep in Yoganidra, due to Devi's YogamAyA. He then started

> praising the devi, and pleased, [sHE brought Vishnu out of nidrA].

> This is what is alluded to in line 2, i think.. Lord Vishnu then

> fought with them (for 27 days, i think).. Recall Brahma's boon

> to them. They were invincible, and Vishnu didn't know what to

> do.. SHE then clouded their thinking (using their ego!.. this is

> the reference to deluding them, i presume) and assuming an air of

> superiority, they asked Vishnu " O Vishnu, we are mightier than

> you. Ask what you wish of us". HE smiled, thinking this was also

> HER mAyA and asked them that they wish their own death, the only

> way they could be killed ! Decieved, they had to do so..Only then

> was HE able to kill them.. The earth was born of their fat(medhas),

> and so it is called medhini. This is how the story starts.