Devi Mahatmya

The Devi-Mahatmya forms an important episode of the Markandeya Purana, Chapters 81-93. The text has the highest esoteric value as a scripture accepted for daily recitation all over India.

There is no doubt that it is an inspired work of a rare genius, possessing extraordinary poetic excellence. From the point of contents it is unparalleled throughout Sanskrit literature as a unique document on ‘the Glorification of the Goddess’ (Devi Mahatmya).

The real greatness of  the  text  consists  in  the meaning  emboxed in the shell of the story. Who is the Great Goddess, Mahadevi, eulogised here? Who is Mahisha, the Demon-king, who throws a challenge to the Goddess and is worsted in the conflict?

The Goddess in the Vedas :-

The Goddess represents the metaphysical principle of Power (Shakti), the transcendent source and support of all creatures and creation as propounded both in the Vedas and in the Puranas. In the Rigveda, 10.125, we find a clear and emphatic statement of the Great Goddess as the Universal Power called Vak. She is the daughter of the Primeval Ocean (Ambhah, Samudra), and named Ambhriini, both in the unmanifest source (परमे व्योमन्), and in the manifest cosmos (द्यावा-पृथिवी).

She is the Supreme Power as Speech or Vak. What we designate speech or vak is the same as shabda which is the attribute of Akasha. In the Akasha which is the subtlest of the five material elements the Goddess exists as the ‘Word’ (Shabda), but in the highest Empyrean (परमे व्योमन्) the Goddess exists as the ‘Meaning’ (Artha) which is the same as the ‘Idea’ (Manas) or the Mind of the Creator.

She is the symbol of the highest consciousness (Vijyana-ghana), namely the Power as Chit-shakti, which is identical with Brahman. The Cosmic Wheel comprising the gods Vasus, Rudras, Adityas and Vishve-devas moves in endless spirals and circles by one single Power which is both manifest and unmanifest.

She is the ‘World as Power’ ­ ‘शक्ति: करोति ब्रह्माण्डम्’ (Devi Bh. 1.8.37). This Devi is the pre-eminent Goddess, the Supreme Energy whose nature is the Highest Self and who is eternal and the object of meditation by the mind :-

ते वै शक्तिं परां देवीं परमाख्यां परमात्मिकाम ।

ध्यायन्ति मनसा नित्यं नित्यां मत्वा सनातनीम् ।।

 ( Devi  Bh. 1.8.47)

According to the Indian metaphysical tradition whatever has been stated in the Vedic formulations about the Supreme Being, all that stands in the completest  manner, in the conception of Devi as given in the Puranas Her general name is Ambika the Mother. In the Rigveda she is called the Great Mother (‘मही-माता’ V. 47.1). She is the mother of Gods ( Deva-mata )  identified as Aditi, Universal Nature or Infinity (Rig. VIII.101.15; I.153.3). She is also named as Viraj, the Universal Mother, symbolised as the Cosmic Cow whose teats ooze out ambrosial milk for all creation (A. V. VIII. 9).

The Goddess as the Ultimate Reality :

According to the Indian metaphysical thought the ultimate principle is Brahman, the Self-existent Reality called Svayambhu. He is the Supreme Cause of all causes and there is no other cause beyond him. The exploration of any other cause as His substratum becomes alogical (‘तर्काप्रतिष्ठानात्’). He is conceived of as the Eternal Man, but at the same time – and it is the same thing as to speak of Him – as the Eternal Woman (cf. ‘त्वं स्त्री त्वं पुमान’).

The Vedic metaphysicians ascended to bold heights of imagination that the ultimate Reality may be spoken of as Deva and with equal justification as Devi. As the term Deva (from div, to shine) indicates, it is the one Supreme Light that fills both heaven and earth, that which in its transcendent aspect is one becomes two for the sake of  creation.

It is a process of auto-fission that the father-principle and the mother­ principle emanate out of the one Reality, spoken of as the two halves of a single egg. The one half is spoken of as Svayambhu, as Vrisha (Male), as Pita (Father), as Dyauh (Heaven) etc. The other half is named as Parameshthi, Viraja, Yosha, Mata, Prithivi, etc.

The whole conception of Devi is that of Viraja, the Mother who creates and manifests herself in her creation at different levels, at times as the Great Mother, and again as the Youthful Daughter, and again as Daksha, the presiding deity and efficient cause of each individual Yajya or organised system.

Cosmogonic Views of the Ancient Rishis –

In order to understand the conception of Devi, one should have a clear idea of the cosmogonic view held by the ancient Indian thinkers. Creation is conceived of as at two levels, viz. Mind and Matter.

The first is the Manasi Srishti, i.e. creation on the plane of thought, and the second is the Maithuni Srishti i.e. creation on the plane of gross material elements. Each creation is preceded by the two Parents. In the case of the corporeal Self (Sharira-purusha, Taitt. Ar. 3.2.3) the two parents are the father and mother, Pita and Mata, symbolised as Dyava­ Prithivi (Dyauh = Pita; Prithivi = Mata). This is the reference to the Maithuni-Srishti, i.e. manifestation of life in men, animals and plants, where bi-sexual union is an essential principle.

But on the plane of the mind the two parents are named as Svayambhu, and Viraja, Maha Deva and Mahi Mata. The one is like the center and the other the circumference of the circle. The centre attains to its greatness (mahima) in the form of the circumference (mandala). The latter is the same as Mahat, the Universal.

According to the Vedic conception the Universal is spoken of as Viraja, the same as Mahat, which the Gita speaks of as the Yoni, the great Womb of the Mother in which she receives the seed of creation from the opposite principle (मम योनिर्महद् ब्रह्म तस्मिन् गर्भे दधाम्यहम् , Gita, 14.3). We may put it in the form of the following   equation :-

• देव=स्वयम्भू=पिता=द्यौ:=रेतस्=सत्य=हृदय (i.e. केन्द्र or उक्थ);
• देवो=विराट्=माता=पृथिवी=योनि=ऋत=महिमा (i.e. मण्डल)

The  Daivasuram  Conflict-

Each Deva is conceived of on the plane of manifestation in the hero-pattern (eka·vira). It means that in order to demonstrate its effective existence, he must have his counterpart in the form of an Asura. The hero does three things. He discovers the enemy; he organizes the struggle; and he leads his hosts to victory.

The universe is in the visible form of a Daivasuram conflict in which the Devas and the Asuras are locked in a trial of strength every moment and everywhere. The Asura is intolerant of the Deva. He strives to invade and penetrate into the sphere of the Deva. The Deva as hero resists and retaliates and his onslaught ends in prostration of the Asura.

This ever-raging conflict is the key-note of the Devi-Mahatmya. The Great Goddess presiding over the Mahat or Viraja, namely the Universal, finds her counterpart in the Universal Asura called Mahisha. Both the words mahat and mahisha are derived from the same root mah to magnify, to become great.

In Svayamblu there is no struggle. Svayambhu is pure stasis (sthiti-tattva). All objects originate from movement (gati-tattva). Svayambhu is Sattva and Parameshthi is Rajas. Svayambhu is pure light, but Parameshthi is the region of light and darkness.  The conflict pattern, therefore, starts with the region of Mahat that forms the charita, or  the exploit of the Goddess. All the Asuras and the Devas exist in the Universal.

The Devas are types of Yajya, order, system, controlled movement. The  Asuras represent a-yajya (i.e. Yajya-vidhvaÙsa, disruption of Yajya), disorder, anarchy, riotous movement. The dual polarity of the Daivasuram pattern is symbolised as Devi and Asuras in three-fold conflict.

The Three Charitas of the Goddess:

Since all creation is a triple manifestation in accordance with the principle of the One becoming the Many, the Devi­Charita is conceived of as in three parts:-

(1)     पूर्व चरित – divine conflict against Madhu and Kaitabha;

(2)     मध्यम चरित – the battle against the Asura Mahisha

(3)     उत्तर चरित – having three constituents:

          (a)     Battle against Shumbha and Nishumbba;

          (b)     Battle against Chanda and Munda;

(c)     Battle against Raktabija.

The question arises as to why the Goddess organises the three-fold endeavour, and secondly why She should side with the Devas, although She is the Universal Mother who creates both the Devas and the Asuras. Light and darkness are equally her emanations, why then She should not be on the side of the Asuras? A subsidiary question may also be asked as to why the Asuras always are on the aggressive in opening the front against the Devas? To these we may reply as follows.

According to both the Vedic and Puranic traditions, the cosmos implies a basic Trinity.In philosophy we call it Traigunya, in religion and cult-worship Trideva, in the Gita it is Tri-purusha (the doctrine of three Purushas, viz. Kshara, Akshra and Avyaya), in the ritual of the Yajya Agni-treta (three Fires, in the spatial conception three Lokas (Prithivi, Antariksha and Dyauh), in the temporal conception three divisions of time (past, present and future), in the metres as गायत्री, त्रिष्टुप्, जगती; etc. The over-riding statement which explains all these trinitarian principles is symbolised as Three Steps of Vishnu- ‘इदं विष्णुर्विचक्रमे त्रेधा निधदे पदम्’.

Vishnu is the Deity pervading all time and space. His three steps encompass the entire time-space relata. A step is the symbol of movement (gati), and the three strides of Vishnu are the fundamental traits of all manifest forms.

These triple forms are represented in the three-fold battles of the Goddess. One of the basic patterns of trinity is that of the three states of consciousness called jagrata, svapna and sushupti, or of the three constituents of the self, spoken of as Manas, Prana and Vak, i.e. Mind, Life and Matter – एतन्मयो वाऽयमात्मा मनोमय: प्राणमय: वाङमय:~ Vak is the support of the Paycabhutas. Since Akasha is the most subtle of the five, and Vak or Sabda is its attribute, therefore Vak stands as an appropriate symbol for all the five material elements.

Now the conflict pattern naturally manifests itself on these three levels. The पूर्वचरित against Madhu-Kaitabha relates to the plane of the Mind or the Psychic Man, the मध्यमचरित against Mahisha relates to the plane of Prana or the Vital Man, the उत्तरचरित against Shumbha­Nishumbha relates to the Paycabhutas, the Physical Man.

The Goddess combines in her form the three Gunas. She is Sattviki, Rajasi and Tamasi. Her complete victory implies the annihilation of darkness on these three planes. The Asura deserves beating whether he is on the plane of mind or life or matter, and the divine power must justify itself in the over-all rout of the Asura.

The victory of the Goddess is universal vindication of the divine principle against the forces of darkness and disorder.

Translation of chapter I (shloka 41-50).

1. 41. This should not surprise you. Mahamaya is the same as Yoganidra of Vishnu who is the Lord of the world. By this power the whole world is being deluded.
2. 42. That Illustrious Goddess, Mahamaya, forcibly seizes the minds of even those who have knowledge and leads them to delusion.
3. 43. This animate and inanimate world is created by Her. When She is pleased, She confers Her boon on men for their liberation.
4. 44. She is supreme eternal knowledge being the cause of moksha. She as the supreme power over all the god is also the cause of bondage of the world.

The king said :-

1. 45. ‘Venerable Sir’, who is that Goddess whom you call Mahamaya ? How was She born? What is Her Activity? O Sage!
2. 46. What is Her nature? What is Her form? Whence was Her origin? All that I wish to hear from you, O, foremost amongst those who k now Brahman!

The Rishi said :-

1. 47. She is eternal having the universe as Her form. All these worlds are Her manifestation. Even so she is incarnating in manifold ways. Hear it from me.
2. 48. When She becomes incarnate for fulfilling the divine purpose then She is said to be born in the world, though She is eternal.

(—by V.S. Agrawala).