[Advaita-l] Devi Mahatmya -- introduction

[Srikrishna Ghadiyaram]

hariH Om !!

In the Devi Mahatmya book that is published by
Ramakrishna Matha, the three stutis are not there.
Would you please let me know if these are available on
line.

Om Namo Narayanaya !!

Srikrishna

--- "Jaldhar H. Vyas" <jaldhar at braincells.com> wrote:

> As we haven't had many posts lately and today is the
> first day of
> Navaratri, I thought I'd begin a series of articles
> on the Devi Mahatmya.
> 
> The Devi Mahatmya is also known as Durga Saptashati
> or Chandi Patha.  It
> describes the glorious deeds of the
> Goddess.  It is perhaps the most well-known text of
> Goddess worship in the
> Hindu tradition.
> 
> The shastras of contemporary Hinduism can broadly be
> placed into two
> classes--Vedic and Tantric.  There is also a third
> class, "mixed" for
> those works which have both a Vedic and Tantric
> character.  The Devi
> Mahatmya belongs to this third class.  It is a
> section of the Markandeya
> Mahapurana which is one of the 18 Puranas which were
> written by Maharshi
> Vedavyasa as the essence of the Vedas.  But the
> methods for its' use are
> described in the Katyayini Tantra according to the
> celebrated scholar
> Bhaskararaya whose interpretations of the Devi
> Mahatmya in his commentary
> Guptavati I shall follow here.
> 
> Readers should note that while Bhaskararayas' views
> are influential in
> many parts of India, there are other traditions too
> so if you notice
> discrepancies, you should consult a learned Pandit
> of your own locality
> rather than blindly following what is written here.
> 
> A full reading of the Devi Mahatmya requires first
> the following three
> stotras:
> 
> * devI kavacham.h
> * argalAstotram.h
> * kIlakastotram.h
> 
> Then the thirteen chapters of the Mahatmya itself. 
> They are also divided
> into three charitas (stories.):
> 
> * prathamacharitam.h
> 
>   1 madhukaiTabhavadha (The Defeat of Madhu and
> Kaitabha)
> 
> * madhyamacharitam.h
> 
>   2 mahiShAsurasainyavadha (The Defeat of
> Mahishasuras' Army)
>   3 mahiShAsuravadha (The Defeat of Mahishasura)
>   4 shakraadikrtadevyaH stuti (The Hymn to the
> Goddess by Indra and the Gods)
> 
> * uttaracharitam.h
> 
>   5 devIdUtasa.nvAda (The Conversation Between the
> Goddess and the Messenger)
>   6 dhUmralochanavadha (The Defeat of Dhumralochana)
>   7 chaNDamuNDavadha (The Defeat of Chanda and
> Munda)
>   8 raktabIjavadha (The Defeat of Raktabija)
>   9 nishumbhavadha (The Defeat of Nishumbha)
>   10 shumbhavadha (The Defeat of Shumbha)
>   11 devaiH krtA nArAyaNiistuti (The Hymn to
> Narayani by the Gods)
>   12 devyAshcharitamahAtmyaM (The Glory of Hearing
> the Deeds of the Goddess)
>   13 surathavaishyayorvarapradAnaM (The fulfillment
> of the Wishes of Suratha
>      and the Vaishya)
> 
> Lastly three stotras called rahasyas:
> * pradhAnikarahasyam.h
> * vaikrtikarahasyam.h
> * mUrtirahasyam.h
> 
> One should read the entire mahatmya along with the
> six ancillary stotras.
> If this is not possible one should read acharita or
> if this is not
> possible, one chapter.  But one should never stop in
> the middle of a
> chapter.
> 
> -- 
> Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
> _______________________________________________
> want to unsubscribe or change your options? See:
>
http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l
> Need assistance? Contact:
> listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org
> 



		
_______________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Declare Yourself - Register online to vote today!
http://vote.yahoo.com