Fwd: THE DEVI-MAHATMYAM-Chapter 1 -part 1

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Kali_Ma, "kalis_word" <kalis_word> wrote:

CHAPTER 1:****The slaying of Madhu and Kaitabha:

 

Meditation of Mahakali I resort to Mahakali, who

has ten faces, ten legs and holds in her hands the

sword, disc, mace, arrows, bow, club, spear, missile,

human head and conch, who is three-eyed, adorned

with ornaments on all her limbs, and luminous like a

blue jewel, and whom Brahma extolled in order to

destroy Madhu and Kaitabha, when Vishnu was in

(mystic) sleep.

 

Markandeya said ( to his disciple Krasustuki

Bhaguri):

 

1-3. Savarni, {Savarni was so called because he was

the son of Savarna, Surya's wife. He became King

Suratha in the second (Svarocisa) manvantara.} son

of Surya, is called the eighth Manu. Listen , while I

describe in detail about his birth, how Savarni,

illustrious son of Surya, became the lord of the

(eighth)Manvantara {One cycle of creation is

divided into fourteen manvantaras. The period ruled

over by one Manu is called a Manvantara. There are,

therefore, fourteen Manus as follows: Svayambhuva,

Svarocisa, Uttama, Tamasa, Raivata, Caksusa,

Vaivasvata, Savarni, Daksha-savarni, Brahma-

savarni, Dharma-savarni, Rudra-savarni, Deva-

savarni, and Indra-savarni. } by the grace of

Mahamaya {One of the names of the Divine Mother.

}.

 

4-5. In former times there was a king named

Suratha, born of the Chitra dynasty, ruling over the

whole world in the period of Svarocisa. He

protected his subjects duly like his own children. At

that time the kings, who were the destroyers of the

c, became his enemies.

 

6-7. He, the wielder of powerful weapons, fought a

battle with the destroyers of Kolas, but was defeated

by them though they were a small force. Then he

returned to his own city, and ruled over his won

country. Then that illustrious king was attacked by

those powerful enemies.

 

8-9. Even in his own city, the king, (now) bereft of

strength, was robbed of his treasury and army by his

own powerful, vicious and evil-disposed ministers.

Thereafter, deprived of this sovereignty, the king left

alone on horse-back for a dense forest, under the

pretext of hunting.

 

10-11. He saw there the hermitage of Medhas- the

supreme among the twice-born - inhabited by wild

animals which were peaceful, and graced by the

disciples of the sage. Entertained by the sage,

Suratha spent some time moving about in the

hermitage of the great sage.

 

12-16. There then overcome with attachment, he fell

into the thought, 'I do not know whether the capital

(which was) well guarded by my ancestors and

recently deserted by me is being guarded righteously

or not by my servants of evil conduct. I do not know

what enjoyments my chief elephant, heroic and

always elated, and now fallen into the hands of my

foes, will get. Those who were my constant

followers and received favor, riches and food from

me, now certainly pay homage to other kings. The

treasure which I gathered with great care will be

squandered by those constant spendthrifts, who are

addicted to improper expenditures.'

 

17-19. The king was continually thinking of these

and other things. Near the hermitage of the

Brahamana he saw a merchant, and asked him: 'Ho!

Who are you? What is the reason for your coming

here? Wherefore do you appear as if afflicted with

grief and depressed in mind?' Hearing this speech of

the king, uttered in a friendly spirit, the merchant

bowed respectfully and replied to the king. The

merchant said:

 

20-25. 'I am a merchant named Samadhi, born in a

wealthy family. I have been cast out by my sons and

wife, who are wicked through greed of wealth. My

wife and sons have misappropriated my riches, and

made me devoid of wealth. Cast out by my trusted

kinsmen, I have come to the forest grief-stricken.

Dwelling here, I do not know anything as regards

good of bad of my sons, kinsmen and wife. At

present is welfare or ill-luck theirs at home? How

are they? Are my sons living good or evil lives?' The

king said:

 

26-28. 'Why is your mind affectionately attached to

those covetous folk, your sons, wife and others, who

have deprived you of your wealth?' The merchant

said:

 

29-34. 'This very thought has occurred to me, just as

you have uttered it. What can I do? My mind does

not become hard; it bears deep affection to those

very persons who have driven me out in their greed

for wealth, abandoning love for a father and

attachment to one's master and kinsmen. I do not

comprehend although, I know it. O noble hearted

king, how it is that the mind is prone to love even

towards worthless kinsmen. On account of them I

heave heavy sighs and feel dejected. What can I do

since my mind does not become hard towards those

unloving ones? Markandeya said:

 

35-38. Then O Brahmana, the merchant Samadhi

and the noble king together approached the sage

(Medhas); and after observing the etiquette worthy

of him and as was proper, they sat down and

conversed (with him ) on some topics. The king

said:

 

39-45. 'Sir, I wish to ask you one thing. Be pleased

to reply to it. Without the control of my intellect, my

mind is afflicted with sorrow. Though I have lost the

kingdom, like an ignorant man- though I know it- I

have an attachment to all the paraphernalia of my

kingdom. How is this, O best of sages? And this

merchant has been disowned by this children, wife

and servants, and forsaken by his own people; still

he is inordinately affectionate towards them. Thus

both he and I, drawn by attachment towards objects

whose defects we do know, are exceedingly

unhappy. How this happens, then, sir, that though

we are aware of it, this delusion comes? This

delusion besets me as well as him, blinded as we are

in respect of discrimination.' The Rishi said:

 

46-49. Sir, every being has the knowledge of objects

perceivable by the senses. And object of sense

reaches it in various ways. Some beings are blind by

day, and others are blind by night; some beings have

equal sight both by day and night. Human beings are

certainly endowed with knowledge, but they are not

the only beings ( to be so endowed), for cattle, birds,

animals and other creatures also cognize (objects of

senses).

 

[continued]

 

THE DEVI-MAHATMYAM-Chapter 1 verses 49-104

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