Pancaratra Agama Pramana Concerning Mahisamardini Durga

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Dear Bhagavatas,

 

I would like to share a pramana from the Laksmi Tantra, a text from

the Pancaratra Agama, which may answer the doubt about worshipping

Mahisamardini Durga. The doubt seems to be based on a

misunderstanding about the identity of Mahisamardini Durga.

Hopefully this pramana will remove all doubts from the minds and

hearts of all the Bhagavatas.

 

Please consider the following discussion, which is divided into four

sections.

 

Section 1 The authority of the Pancaratra Agama.

Section 2 The authority and special characteristics of the Laksmi

Tantra.

Section 3 The pramana which establishes the identity of

Mahisamardini Durga.

Section 4 Conclusion.

 

Section 1 The authority of the Pancaratra Agama.

 

Sri Yamunacarya in his Agamapramanyam and Sri Vedanta Desika in his

Sri Pancaratraraksa have established the authority of the Pancaratra

Agama. No more evidence is needed to establish this statement.

 

Section 2 The authority and special characteristics of the Laksmi

Tantra.

 

The Laksmi Tantra is a Pancaratra text that may be considered

especially authoritative for the following reasons.

 

2.1 The Laksmi Tantra is extensively quoted as a pramana by Vedanta

Desika in his Srimad Rahasyatrayasara.

 

2.2 The Srivaisnava scholar V. Krishnamacharya did a critical

edition of the Laksmi Tantra. The reference to this text is as

follows.

 

2.2.1 Krishnamacharya, V. editor. Laksmi-Tantra, A Pancaratra

Agama. Madras: The Adyar Library and Research Center, 1959.

 

2.2.2 In his Sanskrit introduction to the Laksmi Tantra. Pandit V.

Krishnamacharya makes the following statement. " Many passages from

this (Laksmitantra) are taken and explained in works on Srivaisnava

tradition and in particular in the Rahasyatrayasara, Nikseparaksa,

and others on the topic of prapatti and are interpreted. This text

is found therefore to enjoy validity in regard to the doctrines of

the Pancaratra system and is accepted by the disciplined. "

Varadacharya, V. Laksmimahima The Glory of Laksmi (English

rendering to Pandit V. Krishnamacharya's Sanskrit Bhumika to the

Laksmi Tantra). Pondicherry, 1996, page 139.

 

2.2.3 By providing a critical edition based on a number of

manuscripts, Pandit V. Krishnamacharya has made certain that the

pramana quoted below is not an interpolation and is an authentic

part of the Laksmi Tantra.

 

Section 3 The pramana which establishes the identity of

Mahisamardini Durga.

 

Chapter 9 of the Laksmi Tantra is a declaration by Sri (shrIh) about

the special forms She takes in order to resolve special problems.

Verses 8 to 12 and verse 37 make up the pramana that I am citing in

order to establish the identity of Mahesamardini Durga.

Professor Sanjuka Gupta has translated these verses as follows:

 

Beginning of quote

 

8-11 These are my three supreme forms, as classified by the three

gunas. O Sakra, during the reign of Svayambhuva (Manu), for the

benefit of all worlds, I, Mahalaksmi, appeared as Mahisamardini.

The elements of my sakti inherent in each god combined to constitute

my dazzlingly beautiful form (of Mahisamardini). O king of gods,

the saktis belonging to the special weapons of each god turned into

my weapons without undergoing change of form. Worshipped by the

gods I, in that form (Mahisamardini), instantaneously slew the

(demon) Mahisa.

 

12 Then the laudatory hymn (addressed) to the slayer of Mahisa,

which opens with the words devaya yaya etc. and fulfills every wish,

was revealed to all the gods including Indra and the sages.

 

37. Whereupon I shall indeed slay the great demon called Durga and

gain renown as the goddess Durga.

 

End of quote

 

The quote given above is from: Gupta, Sanjukta. Laksmi Tantra, A

Pancaratra Text. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1972. pages 49-50; 52.

 

Below is the Sanskrit text of these verses from pages 32 and 33 of

Pandit V. Krishnamacharya's critical edition of the Laksmi Tantra,

transliterated following the 5.3 version of ITRANS.

 

Verses 8-11

guNatrayavibhAgena rUpametatparaM mama |

mahAlakShmIrahaM shakra punaH svAy.Nbhuve (a)ntare ||

hitAya sarvalokAnAM jAtA mahiShamardanI |

madIyA shaktileshA ye tattaddevasharIragAH ||

sambhUya te mamAbhUvan rUpaM paramashobhanam |

AyudhAni ca devAnAM yAni yAni sureshvara ||

tacchaktayastadAkArA AyudhAni mamAbhavan |

abhiShTutA suraiH sAhaM mahiShaM jaghnuShI kShaNAt ||

 

Verse 12

mahiShAntakarIsUktaM sarvasiddhipradaM tadA |

devyA yayA dikaM dRRiShTaM sendrairdevaiH saharShibhiH ||

 

Verse 37

tatraiva ca haniShyAmi durgamAkhyaM mahAsuram |

durgAdevIti vikhyAtiM tato yAsyAmyahaM bhuvi ||

 

 

Section 4 Conclusion

 

In the Laksmi Tantra—a text favored by Vedanta Desika himself—Sri

declares that She appeared as Mahisamardini. As a form of Sri and

Mahalaksmi, Mahisamardini Durga is certainly worthy of vandana and

aradhana. This pramana should remove the misunderstanding about the

identity of Mahisamardini Durga that is the basis of the doubt

concerning Her worship. Since all Vaisnavas will happily worship

any form of Narayana, Sri, or Bhudevi, they should also be able to

offer worship to Mahisamardini Durga—as a form of Sri---without any

doubts in their minds about its appropriateness.

 

I gathered this information over my lunch hour. This is the best I

can do without spending more time researching this topic. I think

that the pramana that I have presented has adequately addressed the

doubt. If I have made errors in preparing this, I apologize in

advance.

 

Respectfully,

 

Robert D. Evans