Fwd: The Devi Mahatmyam -Introduction and Method of Chanting

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Kali_Ma, "kalis_word" <kalis_word> wrote:

 

The Devi Mahatmyam is a collection of 700 Slokas

on Sri Durga from MarkaNDeya PuraaNa: An English

translation is given below.

 

Navaratri is celebrated four times a year. They are

Ashada Navaratri, the Sharada Navaratri, the Maha

Navaratri and the Vasantha Navaratri.

 

Of these, the Sharada Navaratri of the month of

Puratashi and the Vasantha Navaratri of the Vasantha

kala are very important. If you refer to the agni

purana, then it is said that the Puratashi and

Panguni (in Tamil months) i.e. Asvin and Chaitra

are like the two jaws of Lord Yama.

 

If one wants to escape the mouth of Yama, then one

should celebrate Navaratri on these two occasions.

 

 

A similar analogy is presented in the devi bhagavatam.

Devi bhagavatam also talks in detail on how one should

observe fasts, and how one should meditate/work on these

days.

 

According to legend, Durga sat on the tip of a needle

for nine days, doing a severe penance to destroy the

evil Asura Mahisha. On the first three days, She

meditated as Herself, the next three days as

Mahalakshmi and the last three days as Sarasvati.

 

This signifies progression from tamsik, to rajasik to

satvik and eventually obtaining liberation. The tenth

day during Sharada Navaratri is called vijayadashami

to signify the victory on the day of dashami. It is,

however, a long tradition that one reads the devi-

bhagavatam or the devi mahatmyam (Durga saptasati,

700 verses on Durga) during this period.

 

Devi bhagavatam notes that Rama meditated and

fasted for nine days after Sita was kidnapped by

Ravana. There are numerous such incidents on how

people's wishes were granted.

 

The reading of Devi Maahaatmyam during Navaraatri

is to be done follows (Based on emails from

S. A. Bhandarkar and M. Giridhar)

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

*Chapter 1 (Madhu kaitabha samhaara) is to be

read for 1st day,

 

*ch 2 thru 4 (Mahishhasura samhaara) to be read

on 2nd day,

 

*ch 5 and 6 (Dhuumralochana vadha) on the 3rd

day,

 

*ch 7 (Chanda Munda vadha) on 4th day,

 

*ch 8(Rakta biija samhaara) on 5th day,

 

*ch 9 and 10 (Shumbha Nishumbha vadha) on 6th

day,

 

*ch 11(Praise of Narayani) on 7th day,

 

*ch 12 (Phalastuti) on 8th day,

 

*ch 13 (Blessings to Suratha and the Merchant)on

9th day

 

*ch 14 (aparaadha xamaapaNa) on 10th day

 

[continued]

 

(extracted from website:

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/8175/d

evi-1.txt)

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