The Devi Mahaatmya

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The Devi Mahaatmya 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. To those who worship God as Mother, it is the most important text. It is considered a garland of mantras. It is called Saptasati. Since it narrates the glory of the Goddess Chandi, the book is also called Chandi. It is next only to the Gita in popularity.

 

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?

 

1. Desire and anger.2. Restlessness of the mind.3. 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 circumstances that 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.

 

The sage tells his listeners the triumphs of the Goddess, called Mahaamaayaa, over the forces of evil represented by Asuras called Madhu, Kaitabha, Mahishaasura, Dhoomra lochna, Chanda, Munda, Raktabeeja, Nisumbha and Sumbha. The Goddess Herself is an Effulgence formed by the combination of light emerging from the Trinity- Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara.

The venerable sage Markandeya is imparting spiritual instruction to his disciple Kroustuki, who is also known as Bhagur. There are eighteen courses of study. First come the Vedas, they are four in number namely Rig, Yajur, Sama and the Atharva Vedas. Then there are six auxiliaries or Vedangas. The remaining disciplines are: Mimamsa, Nyaya-sastra, Purana, Dharma-sastra, Ayurveda, Dhanurveda, Ghandharvaveda and Aartha-sastra. Thus there are 18 disciplines this has been explained in the first chapter. Also Markandeya explains in great detail the early history of the eight Manu who is the son of Savarna.

 

The legend narrates Tvashta, the architect of the Gods had a daughter named Samjna who was given in marriage to Surya the Sun. To them were born two sons and a daughter. The seventh Manu Vaivaswata and Yama, the god of death, are the sons and river Yamuna is the daughter. Samjna was unable to bear the blinding light of her husband. She decided to do Tapas, penance, in order to reduce the fierceness of her husband's light. She by her yogic powers produced a woman from her own shadow. The shadow-born being of the same varna, she came to be known as Savarna (of the same colour). Savarna was entrusted with the service of the Sun, and Samjna, without her husband's knowledge went away to the Uttara Kurudesa in the form of a mare.

 

Savarna served her husband duly. Surya begot two sons and a daughter in her also. The eight Manu Savanika and Sanaischara, the planet Saturn, are the sons and Tapati, the river is the daughter. The seventh Manu is called Vaivaswata after his father and the eight one Savarnika, after his mother. They have a common father, only their mothers are different.

 

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.

 

 

 

 

Chapter I

The Tamasic Manifestation

 

Chapter II

Extermination of Mahisha's Army

 

Chapter III

Slaying of the Demon Mahisha

 

Chapter IV

Hymns of Sakra & Others

 

Chapter V

Dialogue between Devi & messenger

 

Chapter VI

Killing of Dhumralochana

 

Chapter VII

Killing of Chanda & Munda

 

Chapter VIII

Killing of Raktabija

 

Chapter IX

Killing of Nisumbha

 

Chapter X

Killing of Sumbha

 

Chapter XI

Hymns of Narayani

 

Chapter XII

The Glories of Devi Story

 

Chapter XIII

Granting of boons to Suratha & Vaishya

 

 

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