Durga sapsthi

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Durga SaptashatiClick on underlined words to open paragraph

Durga SaptashatiExplanations based upon the writings of Shree Devadatta KaliDurga Saptashati KathaSection oneChapter 1 The Slaying of Madhu and KaitabhaSection Two

Chapter 2 Slaughter of the Armies of MahishasuraChapter 3 The Slaying of MahishasuraChapter 4 The Devi StutiSection ThreeChapter 5 The destruction of demons Shumbha and Nishumbha.Chapter 6 The Slaying of DhumralochanaChapter 7 The Slaying of Chanda and MundaChapter 8 The Slaying of RaktabijaChapter 9 The Slaying of NishumbhaChapter 10 The Slaying of ShumbaChapter 11 Hymn to Narayani

Chapter 12 Eulogy of the MeritsChapter 13 The Bestowing of Boons to Suratha and VaisyaThe Message Of The ChandiBy Devadatta Kali


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Madhu and KaitabhFrom The Mahabharat

__________________Durga SaptashatiThe Devisukta of the Rig VedaExplanations based upon the writings ofShree Devadatta KaliDevisukta is a hymn of eight verses found in the most ancientHindu sacred text, the Rig Veda (in the 10th mandala).The Devisukta (RV 10.125) declares that the Goddess is the power expressed throughall the gods, that they are united in her who shines with consciousness, that herpresence is all-pervading, that she supports all of creation, that she is the source of

righteousness and the revealer of truth, that she is the source of all worlds, yet that sheshines transcendent beyond them. Among Shaktas this Vedic hymn is held in highesteem and is considered to be the source from which the entire Chandi sprang. Later,the Chandi itself was elaborated upon in the Puranas and Tantras.The Chandi goes by two other names. The most common and widely recognized isDevimahatmya [The Glory of the Goddess]. The other is Sri Durga Saptashati [SevenHundred Verses to Sri Durga].

__________________Durga Saptashati KathaExplanations from other sources

Abridged and paraphrased in a few placesThis Katha can be divided into three sections:

1. The demons Madhu and Kaitabha destroyed by Lord Vishnu2. Demon Mahishasur destroyed by Mahamaya (Mother Durga the united light or

combined power of the gods.)3. The destructions of demons Shumbha and Nishumbha.

The demons Madhu and Kaitabha destroyed by Lord VishnuSection oneChapter 1 The Slaying of Madhu and KaitabhaMarkandeya said (to his disciple Krasustuki Bhaguri):


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There was a king by the name of Suratha who ruled the kingdom of Kola. He was agood king who protected his people and treated them as his sons. Some ministers ofKola plotted against king Suratha and deposed him. Deprived of his kingdom, kingSuratha rode alone on horseback into a dense forest. There he came to the hermitageof sage Medhas, where the sage's disciples enhanced the atmosphere of the place and

the wild animals looked mild as if influenced by the tranquil vibrations that emanatedfrom the hermitage.The sage received king Suratha with due hospitality. While on a walkabout near thehermitage, king Suratha reflected in his own mind. Overcome with attachment, hethought:'I do not know whether the capital (which was) well guarded by my ancestors andrecently deserted by me is being guarded righteously or not by my servants of evilconduct. I do not know what enjoyments (care) my chief elephant, heroic and alwayselated, and now fallen into the hands of my foes, will get. Those who were my constant

followers and received favour, riches and food from me, now certainly pay homage toother kings. The treasures which I gathered with great care will be squandered by thoseconstant spendthrifts, who are addicted to improper expenditures.'The king was continually thinking of these and other things.Near the hermitage of the sage the king saw a merchant, and asked him: Who are you? What is the reason for your coming here? Wherefore do you appear as ifafflicted with grief and depressed in mind?'Hearing this speech of the king, uttered in a friendly spirit, the merchant bowedrespectfully and replied to the king.The merchant said: 'I am a merchant named Samadhi, born in a wealthy family. I havebeen cast out by my sons and wife, who are wicked through greed of wealth. My wifeand sons have misappropriated my riches, and made me devoid of wealth. Cast out bymy trusted kinsmen, I have come to the forest grief-stricken. Dwelling here, I do notknow anything about the welfare of my sons, kinsmen and wife. How are they? Are mysons living good or evil lives?'The king said: 'Why is your mind affectionately attached to those covetous folks, your

sons, wife and others, who have deprived you of your wealth?'

The merchant said: 'This very thought has occurred to me, just as you have uttered it.What can I do? My mind does not leave attachment; it bears deep affection to thosevery persons who have driven me out in their greed for wealth, abandoning love for afather and attachment to one's master and kinsmen. I do not comprehend although, Iknow it. O noble hearted king, how is it that the mind is prone to love even towards


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worthless kinsmen? On account of them I heave heavy sighs and feel dejected. Whatcan I do since my mind does not become hard towards those unloving ones? Markandeya said: . Then the merchant Samadhi and the noble king Suratha togetherapproached the sage (Medhas); and after observing the etiquette worthy of him and as

was proper, they sat down and conversed (with him).

The king said: 'Sir, I wish to ask you one thing. Be pleased to reply to it. Without thecontrol of my intellect, my mind is afflicted with sorrow. Though I have lost the kingdom,like an ignorant man- though I know it- I have an attachment to all the paraphernalia ofmy kingdom. How is this, O best of sages? And this merchant has been disowned byhis children, wife and servants, and forsaken by his own people; still he is inordinatelyaffectionate towards them. Thus both he and I, drawn by attachment towards objectswhose defects we do know, are exceedingly unhappy. How does this happen, then, sir,that though we are aware of it, this delusion persists? This delusion besets me as wellas him, blinded as we are in respect of discrimination?'The Rishi said: Sir, every being has the knowledge of objects perceivable by thesenses. And object of sense reaches it in various ways. Some beings are blind by day,and others are blind by night; some beings have equal sight both by day and night.Human beings are certainly endowed with knowledge, but they are not the only beings(to be so endowed), for cattle, birds, animals and other creatures also cognise (objectsof senses).The knowledge that men have, birds and beasts too have; and what they have men alsopossess; and the rest (like eating and sleeping) is common to both of them. Look atthese birds, which though they possess knowledge, and are themselves distressed by

hunger are yet, because of the delusion, engaged in feeding grains into the beaks oftheir young ones. See with what devotion they put the food grains into the beaks of theiryoung ones? Men, O king, are full of desires. Human beings are, O tiger among men,attached to their children because of greed, expecting rewards in return.Do you not see this? Even so men are hurled into the whirlpool of attachment, the pit ofdelusion, through the power of Mahamaya (the Great deusion), who makes theexistence of the world possible. Marvel not at this. This Mahamaya is the Yoganidra, ofVishnu, 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, entangles them intodelusion. 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 isthe supreme knowledge, the cause of final liberation, and eternal; she is the cause ofthe bondage of transmigration and the sovereign over all lords.The king said: . 'Venerable sir, who is that Devi whom you call Mahamaya? How did shecome into being, and what is her sphere of action, O sage? What constitutes hernature? What is her form? Wherefrom did she originate? All that I wish to hear from you,O you supreme among the knowers of Brahman.'


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The Rishi said:

She is eternal, embodied as the universe. By her all this is pervaded. Nevertheless sheincarnates in manifold ways; hear it from me. When she manifests herself in order toaccomplish 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 thedeluge) and the adorable Lord Vishnu stretched out on Sesa and took the mysticslumber, the terrible asuras (demons) the well-known Madhu and Kaitabha, sprung intobeing from the dirt of Vishnu's ears, and sought to slay Brahma.Brahma, the father of beings, was sitting in the lotus (that came out) from Vishnu'snavel. Seeing these two fierce asuras and Janardhana (Vishnu) asleep, and with a viewto awakening Hari (Vishnu), Brahma with concentrated mind extolled Yoganidra,dwelling in Hari's eyes (appeared as Sleep in the eyes of Vishnu). The resplendent LordBrahma extolled the incomparable Goddess of Vishnu, Yoganidra, the queen ofcosmos, the supporter of the worlds, the cause of the sustenance and dissolution alike

(of the universe).

Brahma said: O great Mother! 'You are Svaha (the energy of Devas). You are Svadha(the energy of Pitris). You are verily the Vasat (the emblem of sacrifice). You are theembodiment of Svara (Vedic accent). You are Sudha (the nectar). O eternal andimperishable One, you are the embodiment of the threefold mantra. You are Savitri andthe supreme Mother of the devas. You are the goddess of good fortune, the ruler,modesty, intelligence characterized by knowledge, bashfulness, nourishment,contentment, tranquillity and forbearance. Armed with sword, spear, club, discus, conch,bow, arrows, slings and iron mace, you are terrible (and at the same time) you arepleasing, yea more pleasing than all the pleasing things and exceedingly beautiful. You

are indeed the supreme Isvari, beyond the high and low. O Devi, bewitch these twounassailable asuras Madhu and Kaitabha with your superior powers. Let Vishnu, theMaster of the world, be quickly awakened from sleep and rouse up his nature to slaythese two great asuras.'The Rishi said: There, the Devi of delusion extolled thus by Brahma, the creator, inorder to awaken Vishnu for the destruction of Madhu and Kaitabha, drew herself outfrom every part of Vishnus body, and appeared before Brahma. Janardana (Vishnu),Lord of the universe, rose up from His couch on the universal ocean, and saw those twoevil (asuras), Madhu and Kaitabha, of exceeding heroism and power, with eyes red inanger, endeavouring to devour Brahma. Thereupon the all-pervading Lord Vishnu gotup 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 toVishnu, ' Ask a boon from us.'Lord Vishnu said: 'If you are satisfied with me, you must both be slain by me now. Whatneed is there of any other boon here? My choice is this much indeed.'


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The Rishi said: Those two (asuras), thus bewitched (by Mahamaya), gazing then at theentire world turned into water, told Lord Vishnu the lotus eyed One, 'Slay us at the spotwhere the earth is not flooded with water.' The Rishi said: Saying 'Be it so', Lord Vishnu,the great wielder of conch, discus and mace, took them on His loins and there severedtheir heads with His discus. Thus she (Mahamaya) herself appeared when praised by

Brahma. Now listen again the glory of this Devi that I will tell you. Here ends the firstchapter called 'The slaying of Madhu and Kaitabha' of Devi Mahatmya Sri DurgaSaptashati in Markandeya Purana, during the period of Savarni, the Manu.Top


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divine drink. The Devi said: 'Roar, roar, O fool, for a moment while I drink this wine.When you will be slain by me, the devas will soon roar in this very place.' The Rishi said: Having exclaimed thus, she jumped and landed herself on that greatasura, pressed him on the neck with her foot and struck him with her spear and

thereupon, caught him under her foot. Mahishasura half issued forth (in his real form)from his own (buffalo) mouth, being completely overcome by the valour of the Devi.Fighting thus with his half-revealed form, the great asura was overpowered by the Deviwho struck off his head with her great sword. Then, crying in consternation, the wholeasura army perished; and all the hosts of deva were in exultation. With the great sagesof heaven, the devas praised the Devi. The Gandharva chiefs sang and the bevies ofapsaras danced.Here ends the third chapter called 'The Slaying of Mahishasura' of Devi-Mahatmya inMarkandeya Purana during the period of Savarni, the Manu.Top


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'By your grace, O Devi, the blessed individual does daily all righteous deeds with utmostcare and thereby attains to heaven. Are you not, therefore O Devi, the bestower ofreward in all the three worlds?'When called to mind in a difficult pass, you remove fear from every person. When

called to mind by those in happiness, you bestow a mind still further pious. Whichgoddess but you, O dispeller of poverty, pain and fear, has an ever sympathetic heartfor helping everyone?Thus the supporter of the worlds was praised by the devas, worshipped with celestialflowers that blossomed in Nandana and with perfumes and unguents; and with devotionall of them offered her - heavenly incense. Benignly serene in countenance she spoketo all obeisant devas.The Devi said: 'Choose all of you, O devas, whatever you desire of me. (Gratifiedimmensely with these hymns, I grant it with great pleasure)' The devas said: 'Since our

enemy, this Mahishasura, has been slain by Bhagavati (i.e you) everything has beenaccomplished, and nothing remains to be done. And if a boon is to be granted to us byyou, O Maheshvari, whenever we think of you again, destroy our direct calamities. OMother of spotless countenance, and whatever mortal (human) shall praise you withthese hymns, may you, who have become gracious towards us, also be gracious forhim and increase his wealth, and other fortunes together with riches, prosperity and life,and good wife, O Ambika!'The Rishi said: O King, being thus propitiated by the devas for the sake of the world andfor their own sake, Bhadrakali said, 'Be it so' and vanished from their sight. Thus have Inarrated, O King, how the Devi who desires the good of all the three worlds made her

appearance of yore out of the bodies of the devas.

And again how, as a benefactress of the devas, she appeared in the form of Gauri forthe slaying of wicked asuras as well as Shumbha and Nishumbha, and for theprotection of worlds, listen as I relate it. I shall tell it to you as it happened. Here endsthe fourth chapter called The Devi Stuti of the Devi-Mahatmya in Markandeya-Puranaduring the period of Savarni, the Manu.Top


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their pride and strength. The two, themselves, took over likewise, the offices of the sun,the moon, Kubera, Yama, and Varuna.They themselves exercised Vayu's authority and Agni's duty. Deprived of their lordshipsand sovereignties, the devas were defeated. Deprived of their functions and expelled by

these two great asuras, all the devas thought of the invincible Devi. She had granted usthe boon, "Whenever in calamities you think of me, that very moment I will put an end toall your worst calamities."Resolving thus, the devas went to Himavat, lord of the mountains, and there extolled theDevi, who is the illusive power of Vishnu. The devas said: Salutations to the Devi, to theMahadevi. Salutations always to her who is ever auspicious. Salutation to her who is theprimordial cause and the sustaining power. With attention, we have made obeisance toher. We bow to her who is welfare; we make salutations to her who is prosperity andsuccess. Salutation to the consort of Shiva who is herself the good fortune as well asmisfortune of kings. Salutations always to Durga who takes one across in difficulties,

who is essence, who is the authority of everything; who is the knowledge ofdiscrimination.O Prince, while the devas were thus engaged in praises and (other acts of adoration),Parvati came there to bathe in the waters of the Ganga. She, the lovely-browed, said tothose devas, 'Who is praised by you here?' An auspicious goddess, sprung forth fromher physical sheath, gave the reply: This hymn is addressed to me by the assembleddevas set at naught by the asura Shumbha and routed in battle by Nishumbha. Because that Ambika came out of Parvati's physical sheath (Kosa), she is glorified asKaushiki in all the worlds. After she had issued forth, Parvati became dark and was

called Kalika and stationed on mount Himalaya.

Then, Chanda, and Munda, two servants of Shumbha and Nishumbha, saw that Ambika(Kausiki) bearing a surpassingly charming form. They both told Shumbha: 'O King, acertain woman, most surpassingly beautiful, dwells there shedding lustre on mountHimalaya. Such supreme beauty was never seen by any one anywhere. Ascertain whothat Goddess is and take possession of her, O Lord of the asuras! Nishumbha hasevery kind of gem produced in the sea. Fire also gave you two garments, which arepurified by fire. Thus, O Lord of asuras, all gems have been brought by you. Why thisbeautiful lady-jewel is not seized by you?The Rishi said: On hearing these words of Chanda and Munda, Shumbha sent the greatasura Sugriva as messenger to the Devi.He said: Go and tell her thus in my words and do the thing in such a manner that shemay quickly come to me in love. He went there where the Devi was staying in a verybeautiful spot on the mountain and spoke to her in fine and sweet words.


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The messenger said: O Devi, Shumbha, lord of asuras, is the supreme sovereign ofthree worlds. Sent by him as messenger, I have come here to your presence. Hearkento what has been said by him whose command is never resisted among the devas andwho has vanquished all the foes of the asuras: (He says), "All the three worlds are mineand the devas are obedient to me. We look upon you, O Devi, as the jewel of

womankind in the world. You who are such, come to me, since we are the enjoyers ofthe best objects. Take to me or to my younger brother Nishumbha of great prowess, Ounsteady-eyed lady, for you are in truth a jewel.Wealth, great and beyond compare, youwill get by marrying me. Think over this in your mind, and become my wife."'The Rishi said: Thus told, Durga the adorable and auspicious, by whom this universe issupported, then became serene.The Devi said: You have spoken truth; nothing false has been uttered by you in thismatter. Shumbha is indeed the sovereign of the three worlds and likewise is alsoNishumbha. But in this matter, how can that which has been promised be made false?

Hear what promise I had made already out of foolishness. "He who conquers me inbattle, removes my pride and is my match in strength in the world shall be my husband."So let Shumbha come here then, or Nishumbha the great asura. Vanquishing me herelet him soon take my hand in marriage. Why delay?The messenger said: O Devi, you are haughty. Talk not so before me. Which man in thethree worlds will stand before Shumbha and Nishumbha? All the devas verily cannotstand face to face with even the other asuras in battle. Why mention you, O Devi, asingle woman?Indra and all other devas could not stand in battle against Shumbha and other demons,

how will you, a woman, face them? On my word itself, you go to Shumbha andNishumbha. Let it not be that you go to them with your dignity lost by being dragged byyour hair.The Devi said: Yes, it is; Shumbha is strong and so is Nishumbha exceedingly heroic!What can I do since there stands my ill-considered vow taken long ago? Go back, andtell the lord of asuras carefully all this that I have said; let him do whatever he considersproper.Here ends the fifth chapter called 'Devi's conversation with the messenger' of the Devi-Mahatmya in Markandeya-Purana during the period of Savarni, the Manu.Top


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The Rishi said: The messenger, filled with indignation on hearing the words of the Devi,returned and related them in detail to the king of the daityas. Then the asura monarch,enraged on hearing that report from his messenger, told Dhumralochana, a chieftain ofthe daityas: 'O Dhumralochana, hasten together with your army and fetch here by forcethat shrew, distressed when dragged by her hair. Or if any one else stands up as her

saviour, let him be slain, be he a god, a yaksa or a gandharva.'

The Rishi said: Then the asura Dhumralochana, commanded thus by Shumbha, wentforth quickly, accompanied by sixty thousand asuras. On seeing the Devi stationed onthe snowy mountain, he asked her aloud, Come to the presence of Shumbha andNishumbha. When Sheba, the lord of asuras, heard that asura Dhumralochana wasslain by the Devi and all his army was destroyed by the lion of the Devi, he wasinfuriated, his lip quivered and he commanded the two mighty asuras Chanda andMunda: 'O Chanda, O Munda, go there with large forces, and bring her here speedily,dragging her by her hair or binding her. But if you have any doubt about doing that, thenlet the asuras strike (her) in the fight with all their weapons. When that shrew is

wounded and her lion stricken down, seize that Ambika, bind and bring her quickly.'Here ends the sixth chapter called 'The Slaying of Dhumralochana' of Devi-Mahatmya inMarkandeya Purana during the period of Savarni, the Manu.Top


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Then the Devi, mounting upon her great lion, rushed at Chanda, and seizing him by hishair, severed his head with her sword. Seeing Chanda being slain, Munda also rushedat her. She felled him also to the ground, striking him with her sword in her fury. Seeing the most valiant Chanda and Munda laid low, the remaining army there became

panicky and fled in all directions. And Kali, holding the heads of Chanda and Munda inher hands, approached Chandika and said, 'Here have I brought you the heads ofChanda and Munda as two great animal offerings in this sacrifice of battle; Shumbhaand Nishumbha, you shall yourself slay.'The Rishi said: Thereupon seeing those asuras, Chanda and Munda brought to her, theauspicious Chandika said to Kali these playful words: 'Because you have brought meboth Chanda and Munda, you O Devi, shall be famed in the world by the nameChamunda. Here ends the seventh chapter called 'The slaying of Chanda and Munda'of Devi-Mahatmya in Markandeya Purana, during the period of Savarni, the Manu.Top


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the drops of blood generated by the blow of my weapon and (also) the great asurasborn of the drops of blood of Raktabija. Roam about in the battlefield, devouring thegreat asuras that spring from him. So shall this daitya, with his blood emptied, perish.

As you go on devouring these, other fierce (asuras) will not be born.'Having enjoined her thus, the Devi next smote him (Raktabija) with her dart. Then Kalidrank Raktabija's blood with her mouth. Then and there he struck Chandika with hisclub. The blow of his club caused her not even the slightest pain. And from his strickenbody wherever blood flowed copiously, there Chamunda swallowed it with her mouth.Then Chamunda devoured those great asuras who sprang up from the flow of blood inher mouth, and drank his (Raktabijas) blood. The Devi (Kausiki) smote Raktabija withher dart, thunderbolt, arrows, swords, and spears, when Chamunda went on drinkinghis blood. Stricken with a multitude of weapons and bloodless, the great asura(Raktabija) fell on the ground, O King. Thereupon the devas attained great joy, O King.The band of Matrs who sprang from them danced, being intoxicated with blood.

Here ends the eighth chapter called 'The Slaying of Raktabija' of Devi-Mahatmya inMarkandeya-Purana, during the period of Savarni, the Manu.Top


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Here ends the ninth chapter called 'the Slaying of Nishumbha' of Devi Mahatmya inMarkandeya-Purana during the period of Savarni, the Manu.Top


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adored by the Lord of the universe. Those who bow in devotion to you themselvesbecome the refuge of the universe. O Devi, be pleased and protect us always from fearof foes, as you have done just now by the slaughter of asuras. And destroy quickly thesins of all worlds and the great calamities, which have sprung from the maturing of evilportents. O Devi you who remove the afflictions of the universe, be gracious to us who

have bowed to you. O you worthy of adoration by the dwellers of the three worlds, beboon-giver to the worlds.The Devi said: O Devas, I am prepared to bestow a boon. Choose whatever boon youdesire in your mind, for the welfare of the world. I shall grant it. The devas said: ' OQueen of all, in this same manner, you must destroy all our enemies and all theafflictions of three worlds. The Devi said: 'When the twenty-eighth age has arrivedduring the period of Avaisvsvata Manu, two other great asuras, Shumbha andNishumbha will be born. Then born from the womb of Yashoda, in the home of cowherdNanda, and dwelling on the Vindhya mountains, I will destroy them both. Thuswhenever trouble arises due to the advent of the danavas, I shall incarnate and destroy

the foes.'

Here ends the eleventh chapter called 'Hymn to Narayani' of Devi-Mahatmyam inMarkandeya Ppurana, during the period of Savarni, the Manu.Top


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delivered without doubt from all troubles and be blessed with riches, grains andchildren. Hearing this glorification and auspicious appearances of mine, and my feats ofprowess in battles, a man becomes fearless. Enemies perish, welfare accrues and thefamily rejoices for those who listen to this glorification of mine. Let one listen to thisglorification of mine everywhere, at a propitiatory ceremony, on seeing a bad dream,

and when there is the great evil influence of planets. (By that means) evil portentssubside, as also the unfavourable influence of planets, and the bad dream seen by menturns into a good dream.It creates peacefulness in children possessed by the seizes of children (i.e., evil spirits),and it is the best promoter of friendship among men when split occurs in their union. Itdiminishes most effectively the power of all men of evil ways. Verily demons, goblins,and ogres are destroyed by its mere chanting. This entire glorification of mine draws (adevotee) very near to me. And by means of finest flowers, arghya and incenses, and byperfumes and lamps, by feeding Brahmanas, by oblations, by sprinkling (consecrated)water, and by various other offerings and gifts (if one worships) day and night, in a year-

the gratification, which is done to me, is attained by listening but once to this holy story(katha) of mine.The chanting and hearing of the story of my manifestations remove sins, and grantperfect health and protects one from evil spirits; and when my martial exploit in the formof the slaughter of the wicked daityas is listened to, men will have no fear from enemies.

And the hymns uttered by you, and those by the divine sages, and those by Brahmanasbestow a pious mind. He who is (lost) on a lonesome spot in a forest, or is surroundedby forest fire, or who is surrounded by robbers in a desolate spot, or who is captured byenemies, or who is pursued by a lion, or tiger, or by wild elephants in a forest, or who,under the orders of a wrathful king, is sentenced to death, or has been imprisoned, or

who is tossed about in his boat by a tempest in the vast sea, or who is in the mostterrible battle under shower of weapons, or who is amidst all kinds of dreadful troubles,or who is afflicted with pain - such a man on remembering this story of mine is savedfrom his predicament.Through my power, lions etc., robbers and enemies, flee from adistance from him who remembers this story of mine.The Rishi said: Having spoken thus the adorable Chandika, fierce in prowess, vanishedon that very spot even as the Devas were gazing upon her. Thus O King, the adorableDevi, although eternal, incarnating again and again, protects the world. By her thisuniverse is deluded, and it is she who creates this universe. And when entreated, shebestows supreme knowledge, and when propitiated, she bestows prosperity. By her, theMahakali, who takes the form of the great destroyer at the end of time, all this cosmicsphere is pervaded.She indeed takes the form of the great destroyer at the (proper) time. She, the unborn,indeed becomes this creation.She herself, the eternal Being, sustains the beings. Intimes of prosperity, she indeed is Lakshmi, who bestows prosperity in the homes ofmen; and in times of misfortune, she herself becomes the goddess of misfortune, and


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brings about ruin. When praised and worshipped with flowers, incense, perfumes, etc.,she bestows wealth and sons, and a mind bent on righteousness and prosperous life.Here ends the twelfth chapter called Eulogy of the Merits of Devi-Mahatmya in theperiod of Markandeya-Purana, during the period of Savarni, the Manu.Top


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knowledge shall be yours, for your self-realization. Markandeya said: Having thusgranted them both the boon that they desired, the Devi disappeared forthwith, as theywere extolling her with devotion. Having thus gained the boon from the Devi, Suratha,the foremost of Kshatriyas, shall obtain a new birth through Surya and shall be theeighth Manu named Savarni.Here ends the thirteenth chapter called The bestowing of boons to Suratha and Vaisyaof Devi-Mahatmya in Markandeya-Purana, during the period of Savarni, the Manu. Hereends the Devi-Mahatmya of 700 Mantras.Om Tat Sat

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On many other occasions, M. recorded similar teachings, and on one point SriRamakrishna was particularly emphatic. Brahman and Shakti are identical. If youaccept one, you must accept the other. You cannot conceive of the suns rayswithout the sun, nor can you conceive of the sun without its rays. One cannot think ofthe Absolute without the Relative, or of the Relative without the Absolute (M., 134).

Another time Sri Ramakrishna said: That which is Brahman is also Kali, the Mother, thePrimal Energy. When inactive It is called Brahman. Again, when creating, preservingand destroying, It is called Shakti. Still water is an illustration of Brahman. The samewater, moving in waves, may be compared to Shakti, Kali (M., 634-635). Water iswater, whether it moves or is still (M., 835).These are consistent teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, spoken from his own experience,but they are not the teachings of Sankaras Vedanta. Without question, Ramakrishnawas well versed in Vedantic teaching. We know that toward the end of 1865, he tookinitiation from an austere monk named Tota Puri, practiced the disciplines of Sankaras

Advaita Vedanta and in a short while attained nirvikalpa samadhi, the realization ofnondual consciousness. But four years earlier Ramakrishna had undergone anintensive course of Tantric sadhana, taught to him by an itinerant holy woman known asthe Bhairavi. She was a Shakta, a worshiper of the Divine Mother.Nor was this Sri Ramakrishnas first exposure to Shakta teachings. Earlier still, at theage of 19, when the young Ramakrishna agreed to be employed as a priest at theDakshineswar Kali temple, he was trained by his older brother Ramkumar in theMothers worship and in the recitation of the Chandi, the great scripture on the DivineMother (Saradananda, 133-134).The Chandi declares that the Mother is the supreme reality and that she herself hasbecome this universe. We do not know who composed the Chandi, only that its authoror authors created the most widely known and most sacred of all Shakta texts aboutsixteen hundred years ago. Some of the traditions preserved in the Chandi areinconceivably older. We know from the evidence of archeology that some of theChandis ideas on the Motherhood of God go back six thousand years or more. Votivestatues that survive from neolithic India and Pakistan portray a goddess in two differentaspects: either as a nurturing mother with hand held to breast, or as a hooded, deathlikefigure.This dual distinction of the Divine Mother in auspicious and terrible forms is an enduringfeature throughout the history of Indian religion and survives to this very day.Throughout the ages the tribal cultures and high civilizations that rose and fell on Indiansoil left their mark on the 13 chapters of the Chandi. Prominent among the many anddiverse influences is the Devisukta, a hymn of eight verses found in the most ancientHindu sacred text, the Rig Veda.The Devisukta (RV 10.125) declares that the Goddess is the power expressed throughall the gods, that they are united in her who shines with consciousness, that her


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man named Medhas. This forest retreat is a place of great calm and natural beauty,where even the ordinarily ferocious tiger abides peacefully with the gentle deer. YetSuratha knows no peace. His mind churns in agony at the thought of everything he haslost: his kingdom with its riches and privilege, the loyalty of his subjects, the glory ofpower. These thoughts torment him ceaselessly.One day another visitor arrives. His name is Samadhi, and he is every bit asdespondent as the king. Once a prosperous merchant, he has been cast out by his wifeand sons, who seized his wealth out of greed. He is deeply hurt by their betrayal andcannot understand it, being himself a man of good character. Most of all, he cannotunderstand why he still feels love for those who caused his deep humiliation and pain.

And so, the king and the merchant approach Medhas the seer and ask why they are somiserable. Surely, as men of knowledge they ought to know better, but they are deeplyperplexed.You say you are men of knowledge, Medhas remarks. Do you know what knowledge

is? He explains that what the king means by knowledge is only the experience of theobjective world. Through the senses, men, birds and beasts alike share such aknowledge, each species according to its own capacity. Such knowledge is relative. Inevery way, the knowledge gained through the senses is conditioned by time and space,and we are constantly deceived. Medhas explains further that animals act out of instinct;but humans have the added capacity to reason and make choices, although suchchoices are most often driven by self-interest and the expectation of results.If even our simple sense perceptions are so misleading, how much more confoundedare we by the added factors of reason, will, memory, emotion and expectation? Theoperative principle here is that nothing in this world is as it seems to be. Not only are the

king and the merchant perplexed, Medhas explains, everyone is, because even thewise are thrown into the whirlpool of delusion by the blessed goddess Mahamaya. Whois this Mahamaya? the king asks. Whatever there is to know about her, all that I wishto learn.

And so we arrive at the heart of the Chandi. The story of the king, the merchant and theseer acts as a frame that encloses three additional stories which Medhas relates toinstruct his two disciples. Each story is a mythical account of the Divine Mothers fierce,bloody battles with demons. Now, we must not dismiss a myth as a piece of fictionmerely because it does not describe a historical event or the world as we know it.Instead, a myth takes us beyond the realm of fact and into the realm of meaning.Through symbols, it plumbs our deeper levels of understanding and brings to lightelusive truths that are difficult to convey by ordinary means.The Platonic philosopher Synesius of Cyrene summed it up in a single sentence: Mythsare things that never happened, but always are (Greer, 45). The Chandi is an allegory.Its battlegrounds represent our own human consciousness, and its events symbolizeour own experiences. The demons represent all the evils in the world and all that is


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wrong within our minds and hearts. The Divine Mother is our own true being, and herclashes with the demons symbolize the outward and inward struggles we face daily.Because there are three myths, the Chandi naturally falls into three parts, and they canbe related to the three gunas, the basic universal energies or qualities of sattva, rajas

and tamas. The first part tells about the Divine Mother in her dark, deluding aspect thatensnares humankind in the bonds of ignorance and attachment. It teaches us about thenature of reality and asks us to question: what are divinity, the universe andhumankind?The second part presents the Mother as the fiery and active power that vanquishes eviland upholds the moral order of the universe. It teaches us how to live in this world,where we are torn between good and evil, right and wrong, enjoyment and suffering.The third part reveals the luminous, benevolent form through which the Mother grantsenlightenment and liberation. It shows us how to transcend the world through the higher

knowledge of the spirit. Side by side with grisly narratives of bloodshed and slaughter,the Chandi integrates four hymns that are rich in philosophical and theological content.Of surpassing beauty, these hymns are sublime outpourings of devotion. The variety ofmaterial in the Chandi is a convenient reminder that overall this text can be approachedin more than one way. Its stories can be taken as allegories relating to our own behaviorand circumstances. Its hymns inspire us to devotion for the personal forms of God asMother; and its deeper, philosophical and esoteric interpretation leads us to therealization of God as the impersonal supreme reality.Medhass first myth is short and to the point. During a period of cosmic dissolution,Vishnu lies sleeping on the thousand-headed serpent Shesha, who drifts on the waters

of the undifferentiated ocean. Sitting on a lotus that grows from Vishnus navel, Brahma,the Lord of Creation, surveys the four directions. Suddenly two demons, named Madhuand Kaitabha, spring forth from the wax in Vishnus ears and attempt to kill Brahma.Frantically he tries to awaken Vishnu, but the god is held in the power of Mahamaya,who is settled over his eyes as his blessed sleep.

And so Brahma praises Mahamaya with a hymn. She allows Vishnu to awaken, and hebattles with the demons for 5000 years, but without victory. At this point Mahamayaintervenes again. She confounds Madhu and Kaitabha with delusions of their own mightand grandeur. Look at us, the demons think. Not even Vishnu, the Supreme Lord, canconquer us. Because he has fought so well, let us offer him a boon. These big,lumbering demons are comical in their stupidity, and at this point we can almost hearthem gasp, Oops! Did we make a mistake?Of course they did, because Vishnu replies, There is only one boon to ask: that Idestroy the two of you here and now. In a last-ditch effort to save themselves, Madhuand Kaitabha look around and see only the endless cosmic ocean. Very well, they say,but on one condition: slay us where water does not cover the earth. The outcome ofthis story hinges on a pun, because the Sanskrit words for earth and thigh are almost


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the same. And so, Vishnu lifts the two demons to his thighs and cuts off their heads. It issaid that a pun is the lowest form of humor, and this is fitting, because Madhu andKaitabha represent the lowest form of human awareness, densely shrouded inignorance. Their unprovoked attack on Brahma reminds us of the senseless violence inour own world, where members of one religious or political or ethnic group attack people

of other groups only because they are different.

Madhu and Kaitabha, in their near-bestial state, recognize no higher reality; they areviolent, ugly creatures intent on gratifying their base instincts, often expressed throughthe thrill of intimidation or brute force. In their physical strength they grow exceedinglyvainglorious. But of course pride goes before a fall, and their own arrogance becomestheir undoing. Through the hymn that Brahma addresses to Mahamaya, the universaldeluder, we learn much about the universe we inhabit. This hymn, the Brahmastuti, iscomposed in highly symbolic language that is often difficult to interpret, but it revealsprofound insight into the nature of the cosmos. Although the ideas are expressed indevotional terms, the concepts are scientific even by todays standards.The Brahmastuti tells us that creation is a process of manifestation that flows from theOne to the many. The Divine Mother is the infinite, nondual consciousness as well as itsdynamic creative power; and she is ever present throughout all of creation. Beforemanifestation, she is the bindu, the dimensionless, nonlocalized point of concentratedshakti that contains within itself all possibilities. This sounds very much like the BigBang theory and especially like a recent refinement of it, known as the Cosmic Inflationtheory. This proposes that the entire universe popped out of a dimensionless,contentless point and immediately expanded to cosmic size in a miraculous way,suggesting the agency of a higher power.Let us not forget that the Sanskrit word for power is shakti. According to Brahmashymn, the Divine Mother gives birth to the universe, supports it and draws it back intoherself in an ever-repeating cycle, because creation is without an absolute beginning oran absolute end. In this process, she who is nondual consciousness veils her radiantboundlessness with the limitations of time and space, name and form, cause and effect.Through these limitations she projects the finite world of our experiencea world that isboth dark and dazzling, terrifying and enchanting.The Divine Mother is the all-encompassing source of good and evil alike, whoexpresses herself in every form. Yet beyond this apparent multiplicity, everythingbe itspirit, mind or matteris ultimately one. Philosophically, the Chandi agrees with SriRamakrishnas answer to M.s question, Is the world unreal? But when Ramakrishnafirst replied that it was a matter for philosophical discussion, he recognized that amongthemselves Hindus hold more than a single opinion. A follower of Sankaras AdvaitaVedanta would answer, The world seems real as long as we experience it, but once weattain knowledge of Brahman, the phenomenal world vanishes. We think we see asnake in the semi-darkness, but when the light reveals it to be a rope, the perception ofthe snake vanishes.


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According to the Vedantin, the world is no more real than the misperceived snake. Thisposition is called vivartavada, the doctrine of appearance, because the phenomenalworld is thought to be a mere appearance superimposed upon the transcendental unityof Brahman. The Shakta philosophy takes a different position. When thread is woveninto cloth, it undergoes a change of form but not of substance. In becoming cloth, thread

takes on the additional qualities of cloth, but in substance it is still thread. In the sameway, the Divine Mother, who is pure energy and consciousness, assumes all the namesand forms and characteristics of the creation, even while remaining the pure energy andconsciousness that is her true nature. This view is called parinamavada, the doctrine oftransformation.We find it in the Chandi, where Medhas says of the Divine Mother: She is eternal,having the world as her form (DM 1.64). And also in Sri Ramakrishnas reply to M.:The Divine Mother revealed to me in the Kali temple that it was She who had becomeeverything (M., 345). There is one more point: whichever way we choose to view theworld, we still have to live in it. And that is what the second part of the Chandi is all

about.

Medhass second story is intended especially for the king. Suratha, like Arjuna in theGita, belongs to the ruling and warrior caste, whose duty is to uphold the moral order ofthe world. In the story that Medhas relates, an ill-tempered buffalo demon, namedMahishasura, wages war against heaven, casts out the gods, and usurps Indras throne.When the dispossessed gods seek Vishnus and Shivas help, the Divine Mother herselfcomes to the rescue.First from Vishnus brow, then from the bodies of all the other gods, a great radianceshines forth and coalesces into the beautiful form of Durga. The gods bow to her,

recognizing that their own individual powers are only aspects of her supreme power.After Durga has slain Mahishasuras forces, she stands on the blood-soakedbattleground facing the buffalo demon himself. Mahishasura, bellowing in confrontation,represents willfulness and monumental rage. Under his frenzied wheeling, the trampledearth breaks apart, his blasting breath tosses mountains into the air, his lashing tailcauses the oceans to overflow, and overhead his mighty horns tear the gently floatingclouds to shreds.Consider the symbolism: the power of human anger and greed threatens to destroyeverything it touches: the goodness of the nurturing earth, the stability of the mountains,the expansive beauty of the oceans, the innocence of the gentle clouds. Under Durgasattacks Mahisha changes formfrom buffalo to lion to man to elephant, every timeeluding her deathblows. But she resolves to slay him, and when Mahisha returns to hismighty buffalo form, she pins him beneath her foot and thrusts her spear into his side.Instantly Mahisha reveals his true demon form, and Durga beheads him with her greatsword.Like Mahisha, we go through life dissatisfied, often agitated, sometimes full of rage; andthe causes of our misery change over time. One day its this, the next day its something


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else, and so it goes. Until we can pin down the root cause, our discontent cannot beovercome, and like Mahishasura that cause is loath to reveal itself. Mahisha representsmore than monumental rage. His anger is one of six passions that afflict our humanawareness. The others are lust, greed, pride, jealousy and delusion. Lets analyze them.Lust, or desire in general, is a longing for gratification. We want something. Why?

Because we feel something is lacking. We feel deficient, limited or separated in someway. When we fail to satisfy a desire, a common response is anger. Or when a desire issatisfied, a common response is greed: we want more. And so were caught in anongoing cycle. To make matters worse, we can add pride and jealousy to the mix. Lets define pride as a false sense of superiority designed to convince us were notdeficient after all, but in fact better than anyone else. And so we thinkuntil someoneelse comes along whom we see as richer, more powerful, more attractive or happierthan we are. Then we fall prey to jealousyan apprehensive resentment of someoneelses better condition in life. All this adds up to delusion: we are caught up in amisreading of who and what we really are. The Sanskrit word for delusion, moha,

comes from a root meaning to lose consciousness, and herein lies the key tounderstanding.The Divine Mother is infinite consciousness. When she projects herself as the universeof name and form, that consciousness appears divided among all beings. This apparentfragmentation creates the sense of individuality. Each individual self experiences itsexistence in terms of I, me and mine, as well as not-I, not-me and not-mine. And sothe trouble begins. The root cause of our inner existential discontent and our outwardconflicts is the feeling deep down inside that we are limited, separated and incomplete.We mistakenly identify with the limited ego, when in fact we are the limitless atman.That atman, abiding in every person, is the true Selfthe one, undivided reality whose

essence is pure being-consciousness-bliss.

Just as Mahishasura is about to be beheaded by Durgas sword of knowledge, hisglance meets hers, and he gets a fleeting glimpse of that truththat his true identity liesdispassionate and blissful beyond the raging whirlpool of his passions. After he is slain,the gods celebrate Durgas triumph over Mahishasura in the longest and most eloquentof the Chandis four hymns. Known as the Shakradistuti [Praise by Indra and the host ofgods], it invites us to reflect on the themes of good and evil, fate and free will, karmaand divine grace.The hymn praises Durga as good fortune in the dwellings of the virtuous andmisfortune in the abodes of the wicked (DM 4.5). On the surface, this verse impliesreward and punishment by a personal deity. The deeper, philosophical meaning pointsto an impersonal balancing principle at work in the universe, the law of karma. Eitherway the message is the same: our deeds have consequences. A central theme of thehymn is the question of good and evil. A working definition might go like this: good isthat which takes us toward the Divinetoward harmony, love and unity; evil is thatwhich distances us from the Divine and creates hatred, injury and disunity in our lives.


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Additionally, referring to the fierce battle that has just taken place, the hymn asks howMahisha, even though enraged, could be moved to strike the Mothers gently smilingface. From this we can add another dimension to our definition of evil: that it isintentionally profaning. In the world around us we witness continual assaults on all wehold sacred. War, terrorism, genocide, the corruption of the innocent, the logging of

irreplaceable forests, and the remorseless pollution of the air, water and earth thatsupport our very existencewhat evil moves humans to commit such terrible acts?Whether we are talking about destructive actions, hate-filled speech, malevolentthoughts or even uncaring passivity, let these be a sobering reminder that our collectiveand individual evil is the human face of Mahishasuras rage. Yet the hymn proclaimsthat even toward evildoers the Mothers intentions are most gracious. Her nature is tosubdue the misconduct of the wicked. Through her inconceivable grace, evenwrongdoers who have committed enough evil to keep them long in torment are purifiedin battle by the touch of her weapons and are brought to beatitude. We are reminded once again of the Bhagavadgita. Sri Krishna declares that wheneverrighteousness declines and evil spreads, he is born into the world to protect the good, todestroy wickedness, and to re-establish virtue (BG 4.6-8). On the theme ofunconditional grace, he says: I am alike to all beings; to me none are hateful or dear. If even an evil-doer worships me with utter devotion, he should be regarded as good,for he is rightly resolved. Quickly he becomes righteous and attains eternal peace (BG9.29-31). The story of Madhu and Kaitabha was concerned with the power of tamas: how in ourordinary state of being, we all walk around dazed and confused. In the story of Durgaand Mahishasura, the power of rajas predominates. Mahishasuras rajasic energy

controls him and impels him to destructive acts, but Durga controls her own fierysplendor. Her rajas is protective of her devotees and intent on destroying evil. Throughthis story Medhas teaches that through active struggle, we can overcome enslavementto our passions and live virtuously, in harmony with the world.

According to Hindu teaching, life has four legitimate aims. These are dharma, artha,kama and mokshavirtuous conduct, material comfort, enjoyment and liberation. Thefirst three form a category called bhukti, concerned with life in the world. Bhukti is thekings immediate concern. Having fled to the forest after his defeat, he has failed to fulfillhis moral responsibility, and he still feels attraction for the privileges of kingship. In otherwords, he has unfinished business in the world.How different is the merchant Samadhi. World-weary and ready to renounce thepursuits of dharma, artha and kama, he is ready for moksha, spiritual liberation. For hissake, Medhas tells his third and final story, one that points toward realizing our innerperfection beyond the world. The story has a familiar beginning. Two demons, namedShumbha and Nishumbha, have dispossessed the gods, stripped them of their powersand appropriated their wealth and privilege. This time the cast of characters is muchlarger, and the demons seem more like us than the ones weve met previously.


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The complex scenario passes through three phases as we move progressively inward.The Mothers successive victories over a colorful cast of demons symbolize our ownefforts at purifying our consciousness of every imperfection and misconceived notion.First the myth turns the mirror on our behavior and motivations. Next we are drawn indeeper to observe the mind and its workings, and finally we face the fundamental

question of who or what we are.

We first meet Shumbha sitting in his palace amid his glittering hoard of stolen treasure.The sickening excess of it all reminds us of our own materialism run amok. Soon thetwo fawning servants, Chanda and Munda, enter with news that theyve seen a youngwoman of captivating beauty dwelling in the Himalayas. Playing upon Shumbhasvanity, they suggest that he who is all-wealthy and all-powerful surely must alsopossess this jewel among women. Little do they know that she is the Devi, the DivineMother herself, in her sattvic aspect. In the same way, we are drawn to the worldsenchantments but forget that they are expressions of the Divine. Shumbha, his lustaroused, wants to claim her as his own, just as we want to possess all that we find

attractive and desirable. And just like us, if one way fails, Shumbha will try another, andanother, with growing frustration.When his smooth-talking messenger, Sugriva, delivers a marriage proposal, werecognize in him our own lack of complete truthfulness. At first the Devi plays along withdelicious irony, but after she refuses the marriage proposal, Sugrivas honeyed wordsturn threatening. If cajoling and deceit dont work, how about force? Next, Shumbhasends a dim- witted thug named Dhumralochana to fetch the Devi, kicking andscreaming if need be. In other words, when we set our mind to something, how it affectsothers is not necessarily our concern.When Dhumralochanas brute force fails, Shumbha loses all reason and sends Chandaand Munda with a huge army to bring back that vile woman in any way or in anycondition whatever. Notice how in Shumbhas agitated mind the jewel among womenis now that vile woman. What was once so desirable is now the cause of his misery,and his desire now is only for the triumph of his own will. Dont we also overreactirrationally when circumstances frustrate our intentions? The struggle escalates, and thegently smiling Devi Durga calls forth the terrifying, emaciated form of Kali and eightother fierce goddesses to combat the demon hordes. Each one of these shaktis is anaspect of her own immense power. Each represents a higher function of our ownconsciousness.When Chanda and Munda lie dead, a demon named Raktabija strides onto thebattlefield. He possesses a unique power. Whenever a drop of his blood falls to earth,another demon of identical size and strength springs up. In the fighting, demonsproliferate from his spilled blood, and utter terror seizes the gods, until Durga merelysmiles and tells Kali to roam the battlefield and lap up the drops of blood as they fall.The demons arising from it soon perish between her gnashing teeth; and Raktabija,drained of blood, falls dead.


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This scene bridges two levels of reality. On one level the glistening red drops ofRaktabijas blood represent the overwhelming power of desire. Like a seed, everydesire that falls on the fertile soil of our mind grows to maturity and bursts with seeds forthe next planting. Every desire produces the seeds of many more, and we find we arenever satisfied. The ghastly image of Kali, in her red-eyed, emaciated form known as

Chamunda, avidly licking up the drops of blood, tells us that desires are best conqueredwhen nipped in the bud.Another interpretation of the Raktabija episode takes us deeper into the mind. Patanjali,whose Yoga Sutra systematized the science of meditation more than two thousandyears ago, wrote, Yoga is the control of the thought-waves in the mind. Anyone whohas ever sat to meditate knows how difficult this is. No matter how hard we try toconcentrate, the mind wanders from here to there. One thought gives rise to another.Raktabija symbolizes this normal, unruly state of human consciousness, where mentalenergy is scattered and unfocused. Chamunda Kali is the power of concentratedawareness that subdues the thought-waves and takes us to a calmer, purer state of

consciousness.

Finally, only two demons remain, the brothers Shumbha and Nishumbha. They arealmost inseparable, and the Chandi calls Nishumbha the younger brother who is dearerto Shumbha than life itself. Shumbha represents the ego, and Nishumbha is the senseof attachment, the tag-along sibling that accompanies him everywhere. Earlier we spokeabout the ego as a sense of separate selfhood. What we call ego is a limiting function ofconsciousness that in Sanskrit is called ahamkara, literally the I- maker. It is both aprocess of consciousness and the product of that process. Along with the sense of itsown individuality, this I-making principle has the power of self- appropriation that claimsthings as its own.Here is where Nishumbha comes in. The attachment he represents is called mamatva,literally, my-ness. In a sense it is the glue that holds our identity together. Weconsciously attach our sense of self to things that are not the Self. We identify with ourbodily characteristics, such as sex, size, shape, color. We define ourselves by our likesand dislikes, by the people in our lives and our relationships to them, by ourprofessions, leisure activities, religious or political affiliations and countless other factorsthat combine in ways to make each one of us unique. We use our lifes experienceswhat we do and what happens to usto shape and reshape our identity. And so, oursense of self is constantly shifting.Sri Ramakrishna noted how a fine new garment or a new pair of boots can change anordinary man into a swaggering fool, or how money can make a humble man arrogant(M., 169). Is our sense of self so fragile that a slight change of circumstance can causeus to reformulate ourselves? Every factor we identify with is known in Sanskrit as anupadhi, a defining attribute. But upadhi also means a limiting adjunct. We go through lifeacquiring upadhis, thinking they will make our identity bigger and better, but in reality weare merely adding to our limitations. Attachments to fame, influence, wealth and


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possessions only make our burden of personal identity heavier. The more we are reinedin by our defining attributes, the more we lose sight of our larger sense of self.When we allow our happiness and misery to be dictated by things outside of and foreignto our true nature, we lose our autonomy. Lets consider the third meaning of upadhi: a

substitute, anything that may be taken for something else, an appearance mistaken forreality. Our defining upadhis are components of a false sense of our own identity. In theend, they are no more than worthless tokens of our separation from the infinite Self. Buthow we hold on to them! When the Divine Mother finally slays Nishumbha, we get agraphic image of the ferocity of the struggle. Just when she has the demon cornered, hesprouts ten thousand arms with ten thousand grasping hands. This picture of uglydesperation illustrates just how desperate we are not to let go.Even with Nishumbha out of the way, there remains the ego-sense itself, denuded of allborrowed attributes. Now Shumbha, alone, stands face to face with the Mother. Hepoints to her companion goddesses and chides her for relying on the strength of others

in the fight. She answers, I am alone here in the world. These are but projections ofmy own power (DM 10.5). To prove her point, the Shaktis vanish into her, and shethen slays Shumbha. This final victory represents the realization of the true Self.There is no way to describe this immediate, unmediated knowledge of the atman; butthat has not stopped mystics of every religious tradition throughout history from trying toexpress the inexpressible experience of the Divine. In the Svetasvatara Upanishad, atext certainly known to whoever composed the Chandi, the enlightened seer proclaims,I have known the unchanging, primeval One, the indwelling Self of all, everywherepresent and all-pervading, whom the wise declare to be free from birth and eternal (SU3.21).Medhas then relates how the gods again praised the Divine Mother in a fourth and finalhymn. Three of its verses (DM 11.10-12) are well known in Vedanta circles. They aresung every evening around the world in temples of the Ramakrishna Order as the aratihymn Om Sarva Mangala Mangalye. Then, Medhas sends his two disciples to thebank of a river, where they meditate and worship the Mother devotedly. After threeyears she appears to them and offers each a boon. Suratha, who we remember hasunfinished business, asks for the return of his earthly kingdom, followed by animperishable kingdom in the next life. The merchant Samadhi, on the other hand, hasgrown wise and dispassionate. He asks for the knowledge that will dissolve thebondage of worldly existence.Through the Mothers grace, each boon is granted, in keeping with the Chandisteaching that the Divine Mother is bhuktimuktipradayini, the bestower of worldlyenjoyment and liberation (DM11.7). How conversant Sri Ramakrishna was with theteachings of the Chandi is made clear in a conversation he had with members of theBrahmo Samaj in the autumn of 1882. In a single paragraph that summarizes theessential message of the Chandi, Ramakrishna said, Bondage and liberation are bothof Her making. By her maya worldly people become entangled in woman and gold, and


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again, through her grace they attain liberation. She is called the Savior, and theRemover of the bondage that binds one to the world (M., 136).

A short while later he added, I tell you the truth: there is nothing wrong in your being inthe world. But you must direct your mind toward God; otherwise you will not succeed.

Do your duty with one hand and with the other hold to God. After the duty is over, youwill hold to God with both hands (M., 137-138). On another occasion Sri Ramakrishnasaid, Sometimes I find that the universe is saturated with the Consciousness of God, asthe earth is soaked with water in the rainy season (M., 260). This calls to mind theChandis third hymn, known as the Aparajitastuti, [Hymn to the Invincible Goddess].Unlike the three other hymns, which are intimately connected to the foregoing battlenarratives, this one is an ecstatic celebration of the Divine Mothers presence in theworld. It reminds us simply to see divinity everywhere around us, because the Motherabides in all beings as intelligence, order, forgiveness, modesty, peace, beauty, goodfortune, compassion, contentment, and in countless other ways. We need only to

remember her presence; and as a sign of her grace, it is she herself who abides in useven in the form of memory.We conclude with two verses from this hymn: To her who presides over the elementsand the senses and is ever present in all beings, to the all-pervading Devi, salutationsagain and again. To her who pervades this entire world and abides in the form ofconsciousness, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, again and again(DM 5.77-80).NOTESJohn Michael Greer, Myth, History and Pagan Origins, The Pomegranate 9 (1999): 44-50.[M]ahendranath Gupta, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, translated by SwamiNikhilananda (New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942).Swami Saradananda, Sri Ramakrishna, The Great Master, translated by SwamiJagadananda (Mylapore, Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math, 1952).Cited passages from the Bhagavad Gita (BG),Chandi(DM), and SvetasvataraUpanishad(SU) translated by the author.http://www.vedanta.org/reading/monthly/articles/2003/2.message_of_chandi.html

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Madhu and KaitabhFrom the MahabharataVana Parva, Section CCIITranslated by Sri Kisari Mohan Ganguli

Addressing MarkandeyaYudhishthira said: O holy one, O thou possessed of the wealth of asceticism, who wasthis Daitya (Dhundhu) of great energy? Whose son and whose grandson was he? Idesire to know all this.Markandeya said: O monarch, know everything as it happened, O ruler of men, as Inarrate the particulars truly, O thou of great wisdom!When the world became one broad expanse of water and creatures mobile and

immobile were destroyed, when, O bull of the Bharata race, the entire creation came toits end. He who is the Source and creator of the Universe, viz., the Eternal and unfadingVishnu, He who is called by Munis crowned with ascetic success as the Supreme Lordof the Universe, that Being of great holiness, then lay in Yoga sleep on the wide hood ofthe snake Sesha of immeasurable energy, and the Creator of the Universe, that highlyblessed and holy Hari, knowing no deterioration, lay on the hood of that snake encirclingthe whole Earth and as the Deity lay asleep on that bed, a lotus endued with greatbeauty and effulgence equal unto that of the Sun, sprang from His navel.

And from that lotus possessed of effulgence like unto the Suns sprang the GrandsireBrahma, that lord of the worlds who is the four Vedas, who has four arms and four

faces, who is invincible in consequence of his own energy and who is endued withmighty strength and great prowess and as the Lord Hari of wondrous frame, possessedof great lustre and decked with a crown and the Kautubha gem and attired in purple silk,lay stretched for many a yojana on that excellent bed furnished by the hood of thesnake itself extending far and wide, blazing, O king, in his beauty and the lustre of hisown body like a thousand Suns concentrated in one mass.He was beheld some time after by two Danavas of great prowess named Madhu andKaitabha and beholding Hari (in that posture) and the Grandsire (Brahma) with eyes likelotus leaves seated on that lotus, both Madhu and Kaitabha wandered much and theybegan to terrify and alarm Brahma of immeasurable prowess, and the illustrious Brahma

alarmed by their continuous exertions trembled on his seat, and at his trembling thestalk of the lotus on which he was seated began to tremble and when the lotus stalktrembled, Kesava (Vishnu) awoke.

And awakened from His slumber, Govinda (Vishnu) beheld those Danavas of mightyenergy, and beholding them the Deity said unto them: Welcome, ye mighty ones! I amgratified with you! Therefore, I will grant you excellent boons!


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And thereupon both those proud and mighty Danavas, O king, laughingly replied untoHrishikesa (Vishnu), saying: Ask boons of us, O divine one! O thou that art the SupremeDeity, we are disposed to grant thee a boon. Indeed, we will grant thee a boon!Therefore, ask thou of us anything that comes to thy mind.Thus addressed by them the holy one spoke: Ye brave ones, I will accept a boon fromyou. There is a boon that I desire. Both of you are possessed of mighty energy. There isno male person like unto any of you, O you of unbaffled prowess, submit ye to be slainby me. Even that is what I desire to accomplish for the good of the world. Hearing these words of the Deity, both Madhu and Kaitabha said: We have neverbefore spoken an untruth. No, not even in jest. What shall we say of other occasions! Othou foremost of male Beings, know that we have never been firm in truth and morality.In strength, in forms, in beauty, in virtue, in asceticism, in charity, in behaviour, ingoodness, in self-control, there is no one equal unto either of us. A great danger, OKesava, has approached us. Accomplish thou, therefore, what thou hast said. No one

can prevail over Time. But, O Lord, there is one thing that we desire to be done by thee.O thou best and foremost of all Deities, thou must slay us at a spot that is absolutelyuncovered. And, O thou of excellent eyes, we also desire to become thy sons. This isthe boon that we desire, know then, O chief of the gods! Let not that O Deity, be falsewhich thou had at first promised to us.The Holy One then replied unto them saying: Yes, I will do as you desire. Everything willbe as ye wish.Markandeya continued: Then Govinda began to reflect but uncovered space found Henone and when He could not discover any spot that was uncovered on earth or in the

sky, that foremost Deity then beheld His thighs to be absolutely uncovered. And there,O king, the illustrious Deity cut off the heads of Madhu and Kaitabha with His keen-edged discus!Markandeya said: The illustrious Dhundhu, O king, was the son of Madhu and Kaitabha,and possessed of great energy and prowess, he underwent ascetic penances of greatausterity and he stood erect on one leg and reduced his body to a mass of only veinsand arteries, and Brahma, gratified with him, gave him a boon. And the boon he hadasked of the lord Prajapati (Grandsire Brahma) was in these words: Let no one amongthe gods, the Danvas, the Rakshasas, the Snakes, the Gandharvas and the Rakshasasbe capable of slaying me. Even this is the boon that I ask of thee.

And the Grandsire replied unto him saying: Let it be as thy wishest. Go thy way. ================Related articles:


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