Devi Puranas

[Guest guest]

Hello, i just joined this community.

I wanted to ask about the Devi Puranas. There are some texts that can

be study only if one has initiation by his guru, what about the

Puranas? They can be studied by everyone? Also, i was told that Devi

Mahatmayam requires initiation while it is a part of the Markandeya

Purana?

Jaya Ma

[Guest guest]

, "omshrimatenamah <barst1@h...>"

<barst1@h...> wrote:

> Hello, i just joined this community.

> I wanted to ask about the Devi Puranas. There are some texts that

can

> be study only if one has initiation by his guru, what about the

> Puranas? They can be studied by everyone? Also, i was told that

Devi

> Mahatmayam requires initiation while it is a part of the Markandeya

> Purana?

> Jaya Ma

 

One has to be initiated to recite Devi Mahatmyam in sanskrit.

However, we can read the english(or any other language) translation.

 

Devi Bhagavatam(and all puranas) can be read by anyone. The result

of hearing this from a great soul(or say a nice priest who is

properly initiated) will have more beneficial effect.

 

rgds

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your reply shatisharingela

I was quite confused because Devi Mahatmyam is a part of the

Markandeya Purana, at least i think so. So, the Markandeya Purana can

be studied-recited by anyone except the Devi Mahatmyam?

[Guest guest]

, "omshrimatenamah <barst1@h...>"

<barst1@h...> wrote:

> I was quite confused because Devi Mahatmyam is a part of the

> Markandeya Purana, at least i think so. So, the Markandeya Purana

can

> be studied-recited by anyone except the Devi Mahatmyam?

 

 

Yes. Reason: Devi mahatmyam which is part of Markandeya Purana is

considered to be very potent and hence the initiation.

 

Examples: Many puranas are interspersed with Kavacha mantras and

Hridaya Stotras which are replete with Bijaxaras and so cannot be

recited with out learning from a teacher. Every shloka in Devi

Mahatyam is considered to be equal to a mantra and so the same

reasoning applies to Saptasati(Devi Mahatmyam) as well.

 

rgds

satish

[Guest guest]

I understand, but i am not sure what i should read that will help me

but will not harm me until i find my guru.

I would be grateful for suggestions for texts i can read about the

Devi that will help the growth of bhakti in me.

[Guest guest]

shrIH

 

, "omshrimatenamah <barst1@h...>"

<barst1@h...> wrote:

> I understand, but i am not sure what i should read that will help

me

> but will not harm me until i find my guru.

> I would be grateful for suggestions for texts i can read about the

> Devi that will help the growth of bhakti in me.

 

 

Devi Bhagavatham,

Devi Gita(part of Devi Bhagavatham),

Translations of Saptasati,

Commentaries of Bhaskararaya Swamin on Lalita Sahasranama,

Sri Adi Shankara's commentary on Lalita Trisati,

Any standard commentary on Saundaryalahari,

Lalitopakhyana(Part of Brahmandapurana(Vol 25 and 26 in Motilal

Banarasidass publication @ http://www.mlbd.com)

Siva Purana.. there should be many more.

 

All puranas where Devi or Shiva is glorified(excluding the Kavachas

and similar mantras within them).

regards

[Guest guest]

Thank you very much

Actually i just had gotten the Lalita Sahasranama with the

comentaries of Bhaskaraya Swamin but i wasnt sure if i should read it

[Guest guest]

>, "Baines, Lada AVED:EX"

<Lada.Baines@g...> wrote:

> Hari Om!

>

>

> So now I've learnt, that I should have been initiated, prior to

reading the

> 'Saptashati'???

>

> My GuruMa is 'Amma', [Mata Amritanandamayi], when I chant her

mantra, does

> she not guide me and protect me and show me the way to all the

sadhnas...I

> practice?>

> Do I need to be initiated for each different type of sadhna by

different

> Gurus.

 

Yes. For every sadhana involving specific mantras,one has to

be initiated

into the required mantras. If the Guru does not have the mantra that

the individual wants it can be taken from somebody else. It is better

to stick to one teacher and do whatever He/She prescribes.

>

> Also, where can I come across the 'Markandey Purana', if I do

locate it, do

> I need to be initiated, prior to reading it, if 'yes', by who or

where do I

> have this initiation done.

 

We dont need to be initiated to read Markandeya Purana

or any other Purana.

Only Saptasati needs inititaion

>

> I am very confused, what about Feb 2/3, I was gearing up to reading

the

> 'Saptashati' again for nine consecutive days, and see if I maybe

able to

> participate in another Hommam with the 700 mantras.

 

It is not a good idea. That will be the opinion of most

teachers. But stotras within Saptashati like tantric Devi Sukta(hymn

with each verse ending with namastasyai....namo namaH)can be recited.

> Please help me out here, have I done everything wrong up to this

point in

> time???

 

I dont know wrong or right, but it will do a lot of good,

if we wait untill we are initiated to recite Saptashati.

Personally I recited Saptashati without knowing 2 or

3 times, but stopped that once I came to know of the restrictions.

Fortunately I was not punished nor beaten up by Chandika Parameshvari

for that as of now, but I know some ppl who have distasteful

experiences due to chanting of powerful mantras without initiation.

 

regards

[Guest guest]

Dear Lada,

 

I would like to share my views and experiences with you regarding the

CHANDI PAATH.

 

Initiation from a competent Guru is a must for spiritual success.

Initiation has two aspects:

 

1. Mantras are nothing but the deity (Devata) itself. When a Guru

initiates his disciple into a particular Mantra, he transfers the

divine energy contained in the Mantra to the disciple. Mantras are

under the control of the Mantra Siddha (one who has attained

`Siddhi"

of the Mantra). Unless one is not initiated by a Mantra Siddha

(Guru), it is impossible to progress. All Hindu scriptures fully

praise the importance of such a Guru. There is no distinction between

Mantra, Devata and Guru. Offering mental worship to the holy feet of

the Guru, complete surrender to the Guru and following Guru's

words

without a speck of doubt are the only means of salvation.

There is nothing wrong in having many Gurus. Each one will be adept

in a particular field. Shastras mention different Gurus like VidyA

Guru, DIkshA Guru, Veda Guru, Shastra Guru etc. Also there can be

different levels of Gurus like ShriGuru, Parama Guru, Parameshti

Guru, Parathpara Guru, Jagadguru etc. But you should not compare one

with the other. That is very sinful. So you have to be extra careful

before selecting a Guru for yourself. You might be aware how Swami

Vivekananda tested Paramahamsa before accepting him as his Guru.

 

There is no use in getting initiated into 100s of mantras at a time.

First attain siddhi of one mantra. Chandi is the great mother. First

win her love; later she herself will guide you. Usually, one who has

been initiated into the Gayathri, Chandi or the ShriVidya mantras

need not take initiation for other mantras since these are the maha

mantras

 

2. Chandi Paath (Sapthashathi) occupies a very high place in Mantra

Shastra. Each shloka, when chanted properly, is capable of fulfilling

all wishes. On the other hand, wrong pronunciation may lead to

disastrous results. An incident in the recent times comes to my mind:

 

Once Jagadguru Chandra Shekhara Bharathi of the

Sringeri Sharada peetam advised a devotee to chant the Chandi

Kavacham alone several times a day, for about a month or so to get

rid of his problems. After a few days, the devotee came to Swamiji

and complained to him that after he started chanting the Chandi

Kavacham, his wife fell ill and finally she died. Swamiji meditated

for a while and asked the devotee to chant the Kavacham in front of

him. In place of chanting "BhAryAm rakshatu Bhairavi" ("O

Bhairavi

protect my wife"), the devotee chanted "BhAryAm Bhakshatu

Bhairavi"

("O Bhairavi eat away my wife")!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And his

prayers

were answered!!!

 

Therefore one has to get complete training and be very careful when

chanting any mantra; especially the Chandi.

 

I strongly advise you to learn Sanskrit. This is the language spoken

by the Gods. No language on this earth can produce such powerful

vibrations as Sanskrit does. It is impossible to write Sanskrit in

English since English contains exactly half the number of letters

(alphabets) of Sanskrit. Also many other grammatical wonders of

Sanskrit are completely absent in English.

[Guest guest]

I wanted to ask, Srinath Ram

What is Sringeri Sharada Peetam?