Fwd: Devi Mahaatmya- Prelude

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Kali_Ma, "kalis_word" <kalis_word> wrote:

 

"This is a 700 verse poem and a part of the Markandeya Puraana.

It is auspicious to read the Devi Mahatmya Katha on or before

Dassera, but the same can also be read any time.

 

The best technique for the achievement of 'Moksha' is worship.

Moksha consists of the march of the human soul to its freedom.

Freedom from what? It is freedom from desires that goad a man

from birth to death and the dissatisfaction that results

despite their fulfillment. The object of any form of worship

is the attainment of Divine Grace.

 

The Devi Mahatmya is a brilliant poem in Sanskrit, that describes

the three stages of transformation of the obstacles that a human

soul encounters in the journey towards freedom. What are these

obstacles?

 

Desire and anger.

Restlessness of the mind.

Ignorance.

 

The narration starts with the story of king Suratha. He is dejected

because he has been defeated by his enemies. He lands up in the

hermitage of Sage Medha. There he meets a merchant called Samadhi.

Samadhi had not only lost his wealth but his own family, as the

latter has turned him out.

 

Both Samadhi and king Suratha are confounded at the fact that their

mind keeps reverting to the very family and circumstancesthat have

been the cause of so much sorrow in their lives.

 

They both request Rishi Medha to throw light on this mysterious

aspect of the mind.

 

The Sage replies that this sorrow that they were experiencing was due

to the veiling power of the Divine Mother which is called'Maya'. This

delusion emanates from the Lord Himself. It is through this power

that the Lord creates, preserves and dissolves back everything into

its Pure State.

 

It is depicted in the Devi Mahatmya that Ma Durga, Ma Kali, MahaLaxmi

and MahaSaraswati are not different. They are three separate aspects

of the same 'Shakti'energy.

 

MADHU AND KATABHA

 

Once Lord Vishnu withdrew His power of Maya and went into a Yoga

Nidra (sleep). The whole Universe at that time was dissolved in the

causal waters. Brahma, the creative power of the Lord had also gone

to sleep. The earth had been broken up and was floating around in the

causal waters, These pieces of dirt lodged themselves in the ears of

the Lord. He swept these out with His fingers. That dirt, because of

the Lord's touch sprang into life and became enormous emons 'Asuras'.

 

They were called Madhu and Kaitabh. They attacked Brahma. The latter

invoked the Divine Mother to wake Vishnu. The Lord took the Asuras

and placed them on His thighs and cut their heads off.

 

The Lord then created the earth with the fat (Medas) of the demons.

That is the reason for the earth being called 'Medini' It is believed

that the earth is situated in the thighs in the Cosmic Body of the

Lord. It is interesting to note that the earth was created again from

the fat of the same demons, Madhu and Kaitabh.

 

MAHISHAASURA

 

Mahishaasura was a buffalo-headed demon . He was granted a boon

whereby he would be protected from anyone. Intoxicated by the

above gift, he set out to conquer the world. Mahishaasura defeated

Indra, the king of the gods. Indra implored Brahma, Vishnu and

Mahesh to help him. The Divine Trio amalgamated their shakti (power)

and created Durga. Ma Durga fought Mahishaasura for 9 days and

beheaded him on the 10th day. The 9 days are those of Navratri and

the 10th victorious day is called Vijaydashami..

 

A point to note is that as Mahishaasura was attacked, the latter

would change its forms to elephant, bull, buffalo, until ultimately

it is killed. The buffalo also represents the base animal instinct in

a human being. Goddess Durga is powerful enough to control Evil

that comes in disguise. She ends this tyranny and protects Her

devotees.

 

These transformations of Maahishaasura also denote the fickle mind

and different desires that manifest in some manner or another. The

Trident that Mother uses to destroy the Impure is a 3 pronged weapon

which protects the mental, intellectual and physical aspects of

life. Her sword cuts the evil of ignorance. Her bell drives away

unholy thoughts and the twang of Her bow instills alertness in Her

devotees.

 

DHOOMRA-LOCHANA AND CHANDA MUNDA

 

Ma then proceeded to annihilate Dhoomra-Lochana. The latter was a

powerful general of the terrible Asura, Sumbha. Mother uttered

the sound 'Hum' and the demon turned to ashes by the powerful

vibration of the sound.

 

The form of Ma Kali who emerged from the forehead of the angry face

of the Mother killed the Asuras Chanda and Munda. Chanda

means a person who is short-tempered and Munda means a shaven-headed

man.

 

Together they imply the anger of a champion fighter. Because of this

victory over Chanda and Munda , Kali Mata is known as Chamunda.

 

RAKTABEEJA

 

Hearing the news of the death of Chanda and Munda, the infuriated

King Sumbha mobilised the Asuric forces and surrounded the Mother

from all sides. Then, from the Great Devas (Spiritual Beings) emerged

Powers which entered the Form of the Mother.

 

>From Brahma, emerged the power called Brahmaani. From Lord Shiva,

emerged Maheshwari and Veer Bhadra. From Lord Shiva's son Kartikeya,

emerged the power of Kaumari. From Lord Vishnu emerged the power of

Vaishnavi, Vaaraahi and Naarasimhi. From Indra emerged the power of

Indraani. Raktabeeja was the son of Krodhaavati, the sister of Sumbha

and Nisumbha. Krodha means anger. Raktabeeja was an Asura who

enjoyed a unique blessing. If a drop of blood were to drop from his

body and touch the earth, then a demon of his might and form

would spring from it. So if he were to get wounded during battle, the

drops of blood would give rise to a thousand demons like

himself. It is for the above reason that Kali spread her tongue so

that she could suck Raktabeeja's blood before it touched the

earth. Raktabeeja fell on the ground dead as his body was completely

drained of blood.

 

SUMBHA AND NISUMBHA

 

Finally Sumbha and Nisumbha were slain by Mother Saraswati. Ma

Saraswati stands for knowledge and Wisdom. Knowledge and

Wisdom are forever victorious over Ignorance and delusion.

 

The first 3 days of 'Navratra' are dedicated to 'Ma Kali' to

annihilate the enemies within The next 3 days are dedicated to 'Ma

Laxmi' and the last 3 days are dedicated to Ma Saraswati.

After 9 days of struggle, Ma Durga beheaded Mahishaasura on the 10th

day. This victorious day is called Vijaydashmi. On this day Shri

Ram killed the 10 headed Ravana. This day is known as Dassera.

 

On the 10th day a Bonfire is lit to burn the Self arrogating Ego. So

on this Vijaydashmi day or call it Dassera if you wish let us also

sound the bugle of Victory over our struggle with our base nature

tendencies .

 

But how do we do that? Lord Krishna advises the Spiritual seeker in

the Geeta, "Verily this divine Maya of mine made up of the three

gunas is difficult to cross over. Those who take refuge in Me, they

alone cross over it".(VII-14)"

 

 

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