Fwd: THE DEVI-MAHATMYAM-Chapter 1 part ll

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Kali_Ma, "kalis_word" <kalis_word> wrote:

THE DEVI-MAHATMYAM-Chapter 1 verses 49-104

 

 

Chapter 1 continued..

 

 

50-58. The knowledge that men have, birds and

beasts too have; and what they have men also

possess; and the rest (like eating and sleeping) is

common to both of them.

 

Look at these birds, which though they possess

knowledge, and are themselves distressed by hunger

are yet, because of the delusion, engaged in dropping

grains into the beaks of their young ones. Human beings

are, O tiger among men, attached to their children

because of greed for return help.

 

Do you not see this? Even so men are hurled into the

whirlpool of attachment, the pit of delusion, through

the power of Mahamaya (the Great Illusion), who makes

the existence of the world possible. Marvel not at this.

 

This Mahamaya is the Yoganidra, of Vishnu, the Lord of

the world. It is by her the world is deluded. Verily she,

the Bhagavati, the Mahamaya forcibly drawing the minds

of even the wise, throws them into delusion. She creates

this entire universe, both moving and unmoving. It is

She who, when propitious, becomes a boon-giver to human

beings for their final liberation. She is the supreme

knowledge, the cause of final liberation, and eternal;

She is the cause of the bondage of transmigration and

the sovereign over all lords. The king said:

 

59-62. 'Venerable sir, who is that Devi whom you

call Mahamaya? How did she come into being, and

what is her sphere of action, O Brahmana? What

constitutes her nature? What is her form?

Wherefrom did she originate? All that I wish to hear

from you, O you supreme among the knowers of

Brahman.' The Rishi said:

 

63-71. She is eternal, embodied as the universe. By

Her all this is pervaded. Nevertheless she incarnates

in manifold ways; hear it from me. When She manifests

Herself in order to accomplish the purposes of the devas,

She is said to be born in the world, though she is eternal.

At the end of a kalpa when the universe was one ocean

( with the waters of the deluge) and the adorable Lord

Vishnu stretched out on Sesa and took the mystic slumber,

tow terrible asuras, the well-known Madhu and Kaitabha,

sprung into being from the dirt of Vishnu's ears, sought

to slay Brahma; Brahma, the father of beings, was sitting

in the lotus( that came out) from Vishnu's navel.

 

Seeing these two fierce asuras and Janardhana asleep,

and with a view to awakening Hari, (Brahma) with

concentrated mind extolled Yoganidra, dwelling in

Hari's eyes. The resplendent Lord Brahma extolled the

incomparable Goddess of Vishnu, Yoganidra, the queen

of cosmos, the supporter of the worlds, the cause of

the sustentation and dissolution alike (of the universe).

 

72-74. Brahma said: 'You are Svaha and Svadha.

You are verily the Vasatkara and embodiment of

Svara. You are the nectar. O eternal and

imperishable One, you are the embodiment of the

threefold mantra. You are half a matra, though

eternal. You are verily that which cannot be uttered

specifically. You are Savitri and the supreme Mother

of the devas.

 

75-77. 'By you this universe is borne, by you this

world is created. By you it is protected, O Devi and

you always consume it at the end. O you who are

(always) of the form of the whole world, at the time

of creation you are of the form of the creative force,

at the time of sustentation you are of the form of the

protective power, and at the time of the dissolution

of the world, you are of the form of the destructive

power. You are the supreme knowledge as well as

the great nescience, the great intellect and

contemplation, as also the great delusion, the great

devi as also the great asuri.

 

 

78-81. ' You are the primordial cause of everything,

bringing into force the three qualities. You are the

dark night of periodic dissolution.

 

You are the great night of final dissolution, and

the terrible night of delusion. You are the goddess

of good fortune, the ruler, modesty, intelligence

characterized by knowledge, bashfulness, nourishment,

contentment, tranquility and forbearance. Armed with

sword, spear, club, discus, conch , bow, arrows, slings

and iron mace, you are terrible( and at the same time)

you are pleasing, yea more pleasing than all the pleasing

things and exceedingly beautiful. You are indeed the

supreme Isvari, beyond the high and low.

 

82-87. 'And whatever of wherever a thing exists,

conscient( real) or non-conscient (unreal), whatever

power all that possesses is yourself. O you who are

the soul of everything, how can I extol you (more

than this)?

 

By you, even he who creates, sustains and devours the

world, is put to sleep. Who is here capable of extolling

you? Who is capable of praising you, who have made all

of us- Vishnu, myself and Shiva- take our embodied forms?

 

O Devi, being lauded thus, bewitch these two unassailable

asuras Madhu and Kaitabha with your superior powers.

Let Vishnu, the Master of the world, be quickly awakened

from sleep and rouse up his nature to slay these two great

asuras.' The Rishi said:

 

88-95. There, the Devi of delusion extolled thus by

Brahma, the creator, in order to awaken Vishnu for

the destruction of Madhu and Kaitabha, drew herself

out from His eyes, mouth, nostrils, arms, heart and

breast, and appeared in the sight of Brahma of

inscrutable birth.

 

Janardana, Lord of the universe, quitted by her,

rose up from His couch on the universal ocean,

and saw those two evil(asuras), Madhu and Kaitabha,

of exceeding heroism and power, with eyes red in anger,

endeavoring to devour Brahma. Thereupon the all-pervading

Bhagavan Vishnu got up and fought with the asuras

for five thousand years, using his own arms as

weapons.

 

And they, frenzied with their exceeding power, and deluded

by Mahamaya, exclaimed to Vishnu, ' Ask a boon from us.'

Bhagavan(Vishnu) said:

 

96-98. 'If you are satisfied with me, you must both

be slain by me now. What need is there of any other

boon here? My choice is this much indeed.' The

Rishi said:

 

99-101. Those two(asuras), thus bewitched (by

Mahamaya), gazing then at the entire world turned

into water, told Bhagavan, the lotus eyed One, 'Slay

us at the spot where the earth is not flooded with

water.' The Rishi said:

 

102-104. Saying 'Be it so', Bhagavan(Vishnu), the

great wielder of conch, discus and mace, took them

on His loins and there severed their heads with His

discus. Thus she (Mahamaya) herself appeared when

praised by Brahma. Now listen again the glory of

this Devi. I tell you. Here ends the first chapter

called 'The slaying of Madhu and Kaitabha' of Devi

mahatmya in Markandeya purana, during the period

of Savarni, the Manu.

 

[continued]

 

(extracted from website:

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

evi-1.txt)

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