Devī Māhātmyam | Durgā Saptashatī
Devī Māhātmyam
The Devi Mahātmyam or Devi Mahātmya (Sanskrit: देवीमाहात्म्यम्), or "Glory of the Goddess") is a very popular devotional text in Hinduism and a root text of Śaktism, from Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa describing the victory of the goddess Durgā over the demon Mahishasura. It’s authorship is attributed to the sage (Rishi) Mārkaṇḍeya.
Devī Māhātmyam is also known as the Durgā Saptashatī (दुर्गासप्तशती) or simply Saptashatī, Caṇḍī (चण्डी) or Caṇḍī Pāṭha (चण्डीपाठः): pāṭha – "reading" – refers to the act of ritual reading.
The text is called Saptaśati as it contains 700 verses (saptashata; "seven hundred"), arranged into 13 chapters. This count includes one-line sentences which are not strictly verses.
There is another opinion that the name should be Saptaśati as it deals with the story of seven Satis or "pious persons". The seven mothers are Brāhmi, Māheśwari, Kaumāri, Vaisṇavi, Vārāhi, Indrāṇi, and Cāmunḍa.
Caṇḍī or Chaṇḍikā is the name by which the Supreme Goddess is referred to in Devī Māhātmya.
The Devī Māhātmya consists of chapters 81-93 of the Mārkandeya Purāṇa, one of the early Sanskrit Purāṇas, which is a set of stories being related by the sage Mārkaṇḍeya to Jaimini and his students (who are in the form of birds).
The thirteen chapters of Devi Māhātmya are divided into 3 charitas or episodes:
At the beginning of each episode a different presiding goddess is invoked, none of whom is mentioned in the text itself.
The main story of Devi Māhātmya presents a dispossessed king, a merchant betrayed by his family, and a sage whose teachings lead them both beyond existential suffering.
The sage instructs by recounting three different epic battles between the Devi and various demonic adversaries (the three tales being governed by, respectively, Mahākālī (Chapter 1), Mahālakṣmī (Chapters 2-4) and Mahā-Sarasvatī (Chapters 5-13).
Most famous is the story of Mahishasura Mardini – Devi as "Slayer of the Buffalo Demon" – one of the most ubiquitous images in Hindu art and sculpture, and a tale known almost universally in India.
Among the important goddess forms the Devi Mahātmyam introduced into the Sanskrit mainstream are Kālī and the Sapta-Mātrikā ("Seven Mothers").
CHAPTER 1
The slaying of Madhu and Kaitabha
॥ devī māhātmyam ||
॥ śrīdurgāyai namaḥ ||
॥ atha śrīdurgāsaptaśatī ||
॥ prathamo'dhyāyaḥ ॥
viniyogaḥ
asya śrī prathamacaritrasya । brahmā ṛṣiḥ ।
mahākālī devatā । gāyatrī chandaḥ । nandā śaktiḥ ।
raktadantikā bījam । agnistattvam ।
ṛgvedaḥ svarūpam । śrīmahākālīprītyarthe
prathamacaritrajape
viniyogaḥ ।
Meditation of Mahākālī
। dhyānam ।
oṃ khaḍgaṃ cakragadeṣucāpaparighāñchūlaṃ bhuśuṇḍīṃ śiraḥ
śaṅkhaṃ sandadhatīṃ karaistrinayanāṃ sarvāṅgabhūṣāvṛtām ।
nīlāśmadyutimāsyapādadaśakāṃ seve mahākālikāṃ
yāmastautsvapite harau kamalajo hantuṃ madhuṃ kauṭabham ||
I resort to Mahākālī, who has ten faces, ten legs and holds in her hands the sword, disc, mace, arrows, bow, club, spear, missile, human head and conch, who is three-eyed, adorned with ornaments on all her limbs, and luminous like a blue jewel, and whom Brahma extolled in order to destroy Madhu and Kaitabha, when Vishnu was in (mystic) sleep.
oṃ namaścaṇḍikāyai ||
oṃ aiṃ mārkaṇḍeya uvāca ॥ 1||
Mārkaṇḍeya said (to his disciple):
sāvarṇiḥ sūryatanayo yo manuḥ kathyate'ṣṭamaḥ ।
niśāmaya tadutpattiṃ vistarādgadato mama ॥ 2||
mahāmāyānubhāvena yathā manvantarādhipaḥ ।
sa babhūva mahābhāgaḥ sāvarṇistanayo raveḥ ॥ 3||
1-3. Sāvarṇi, son of Sūrya, is called the eighth Manu.
(Sāvarṇi was so called because he was the son of Savarṇā, Surya's wife. He became King Suratha in the second (Svārochiṣa) Manvantara),
Listen, while I describe in detail about his birth, how Sāvarṇi, illustrious son of Surya, became the lord of the (eighth) Manvantara.
{One cycle of creation is divided into 14 Manvantaras. The period ruled over by one Manu is called a Manvantara. There are, therefore, 14 Manus as follows: Svāyambhūva, Svārochiṣa, Uttama, Tāmasa, Raivata, Chākṣusa, Vaivasvata, Sāvarṇi, Dakṣa-Sāvarṇi, Brahma-Sāvarṇi, Dharma-Sāvarṇi, Rudra-Sāvarṇi, Deva-Sāvarṇi, and Indra-Sāvarṇi. }
by the grace of Mahāmāyā {One of the names of the Divine Mother. }.
svārociṣe'ntare pūrvaṃ caitravaṃśasamudbhavaḥ ।
suratho nāma rājābhūtsamaste kṣitimaṇḍale ॥ 4||
tasya pālayataḥ samyak prajāḥ putrānivaurasān ।
babhūvuḥ śatravo bhūpāḥ kolāvidhvaṃsinastadā ॥ 5||
4-5. In former times there was a king named Suratha, born of the Chitrā dynasty, ruling over the whole world in the period of Svārochiṣa. He protected his subjects dully like his own children.
At that time the kings, who were the destroyers of the country, became his enemies.
tasya tairabhavad yuddhamatiprabaladaṇḍinaḥ ।
nyūnairapi sa tairyuddhe kolāvidhvaṃsibhirjitaḥ ॥ 6||
tataḥ svapuramāyāto nijadeśādhipo'bhavat ।
ākrāntaḥ sa mahābhāgastaistadā prabalāribhiḥ ॥ 7||
6-7. He, the wielder of powerful weapons, fought a battle with the destroyers of Kolas, but was defeated by them though they were a small force.
Then he returned to his own city, and ruled over his own country. Then that illustrious king was attacked by those powerful enemies.
amātyairbalibhirduṣṭairdurbalasya durātmabhiḥ ।
kośo balaṃ cāpahṛtaṃ tatrāpi svapure tataḥ ॥ 8||
tato mṛgayāvyājena hṛtasvāmyaḥ sa bhūpatiḥ ।
ekākī hayamāruhya jagāma gahanaṃ vanam ॥ 9||
8-9. Even in his own city, the king, (now) bereft of strength, was robbed of his treasury and army by his own powerful, vicious and evil-disposed ministers.
Thereafter, deprived of this sovereignty, the king left alone on horse-back for a dense forest, under the pretext of hunting.
sa tatrāśramamadrākṣīddvijavaryasya medhasaḥ ।
praśāntaśvāpadākīrṇaṃ muniśiṣyopaśobhitam ॥ 10||
tasthau kañcitsa kālaṃ ca muninā tena satkṛtaḥ ।
itaścetaśca vicaraṃstasmin munivarāśrame ॥ 11||
10-11. He saw there the hermitage of Medhās- the supreme among the twice-born - inhabited by wild animals which were peaceful, and graced by the disciples of the sage.
Entertained by the sage, Suratha spent some time moving about in the hermitage of the great sage.
so'cintayattadā tatra mamatvākṛṣṭamānasaḥ ।
matpūrvaiḥ pālitaṃ pūrvaṃ mayā hīnaṃ puraṃ hi tat ॥ 12||
madbhṛtyaistairasadvṛttairdharmataḥ pālyate na vā ।
na jāne sa pradhāno me śūro hastī sadāmadaḥ ॥ 13||
mama vairivaśaṃ yātaḥ kān bhogānupalapsyate ।
ye mamānugatā nityaṃ prasādadhanabhojanaiḥ ॥ 14||
anuvṛttiṃ dhruvaṃ te'dya kurvantyanyamahībhṛtām ।
asamyagvyayaśīlaistaiḥ kurvadbhiḥ satataṃ vyayam ॥ 15||
sañcitaḥ so'tiduḥkhena kṣayaṃ kośo gamiṣyati ।
etaccānyacca satataṃ cintayāmāsa pārthivaḥ ॥ 16||
12-16. There then overcome with attachment, he fell into the thought:
'I do not know whether the capital (which was) well-guarded by my ancestors and recently deserted by me is being guarded righteously or not by my servants of evil conduct.
I do not know what enjoyments my chief elephant, heroic and always elated, 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 to other kings.
The treasure which I gathered with great care will be squandered by those constant spendthrifts, who are addicted to improper expenditures.'
tatra viprāśramābhyāśe vaiśyamekaṃ dadarśa saḥ ।
sa pṛṣṭastena kastvaṃ bho hetuścāgamane'tra kaḥ ॥ 17||
saśoka iva kasmāttvaṃ durmanā iva lakṣyase ।
ityākarṇya vacastasya bhūpateḥ praṇayoditam ॥ 18||
pratyuvāca sa taṃ vaiśyaḥ praśrayāvanato nṛpam ॥ 19||
17-19. The king was continually thinking of these and other things. Near the hermitage of the Brāhmaṇa he saw a merchant, and asked him:
'Ho! Who are you? What is the reason for your coming here? Wherefore do you appear as if afflicted with grief and depressed in mind?'
Hearing this speech of the king, uttered in a friendly spirit, the merchant bowed respectfully and replied to the king.
vaiśya uvāca ॥ 20||
The merchant said:
samādhirnāma vaiśyo'hamutpanno dhanināṃ kule ॥ 21||
putradārairnirastaśca dhanalobhādasādhubhiḥ ।
vihīnaśca dhanairdāraiḥ putrairādāya me dhanam ॥ 22||
vanamabhyāgato duḥkhī nirastaścāptabandhubhiḥ ।
so'haṃ na vedmi putrāṇāṃ kuśalākuśalātmikām ॥ 23||
pravṛttiṃ svajanānāṃ ca dārāṇāṃ cātra saṃsthitaḥ ।
kiṃ nu teṣāṃ gṛhe kṣemamakṣemaṃ kiṃ nu sāmpratam ॥ 24||
kathaṃ te kiṃ nu sadvṛttā durvṛttāḥ kiṃ nu me sutāḥ ॥ 25||
20-25. 'I am a merchant named Samādhi, born in a wealthy family:
I have been cast out by my sons and wife, who are wicked through greed of wealth. My wife and sons have misappropriated my riches, and made me devoid of wealth.
Cast out by my trusted kinsmen, I have come to the forest grief-stricken.
Dwelling here, I do not know anything as regards good of bad of my sons, kinsmen and wife. At present is welfare or ill-luck theirs at home? How are they? Are my sons living good or evil lives?'
rājovāca ॥ 26||
The king said:
yairnirasto bhavām̐llubdhaiḥ putradārādibhirdhanaiḥ ॥ 27||
teṣu kiṃ bhavataḥ snehamanubadhnāti mānasam ॥ 28||
26-28. 'Why is your mind affectionately attached to those covetous folk, your sons, wife and others, who have deprived you of your wealth?'
vaiśya uvāca ॥ 29||
The merchant said:
evametadyathā prāha bhavānasmadgataṃ vacaḥ ॥ 30||
kiṃ karomi na badhnāti mama niṣṭhuratāṃ manaḥ ।
yaiḥ santyajya pitṛsnehaṃ dhanalubdhairnirākṛtaḥ ॥ 31||
patisvajanahārdaṃ ca hārditeṣveva me manaḥ ।
kimetannābhijānāmi jānannapi mahāmate ॥ 32||
yatpremapravaṇaṃ cittaṃ viguṇeṣvapi bandhuṣu ।
teṣāṃ kṛte me niḥśvāso daurmanasyaṃ ca jāyate ॥ 33||
karomi kiṃ yanna manasteṣvaprītiṣu niṣṭhuram ॥ 34||
29-34. 'This very thought has occurred to me, just as you have uttered it. What can I do?
My mind does not become hard; it bears deep affection to those very persons who have driven me out in their greed for wealth, abandoning love for a father and attachment to one's master and kinsmen.
I do not comprehend although, I know it. O noble hearted king, how it is that the mind is prone to love even towards worthless kinsmen. On account of them I heave heavy sighs and feel dejected.
What can I do since my mind does not become hard towards those unloving ones?
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca ॥ 35||
Mārkaṇḍeya said:
tatastau sahitau vipra taṃ muniṃ samupasthitau ॥ 36||
samādhirnāma vaiśyo'sau sa ca pārthivasattamaḥ ।
kṛtvā tu tau yathānyāyaṃ yathārhaṃ tena saṃvidam ॥ 37||
upaviṣṭau kathāḥ kāściccakraturvaiśyapārthivau ॥ 38||
35-38. Then O Brāhmaṇa, the merchant Samādhi and the noble king together approached the sage (Medhās); and after observing the etiquette worthy of him and as was proper, they sat down and conversed (with him) on some topics.
rājovāca ॥ 39||
The king said:
bhagavaṃstvāmahaṃ praṣṭumicchāmyekaṃ vadasva tat ॥ 40||
duḥkhāya yanme manasaḥ svacittāyattatāṃ vinā ।
mamatvaṃ gatarājyasya rājyāṅgeṣvakhileṣvapi ॥ 41||
jānato'pi yathājñasya kimetanmunisattama ।
ayaṃ ca nikṛtaḥ putrairdārairbhṛtyaistathojjhitaḥ ॥ 42||
svajanena ca santyaktasteṣu hārdī tathāpyati ।
evameṣa tathāhaṃ ca dvāvapyatyantaduḥkhitau ॥ 43||
dṛṣṭadoṣe'pi viṣaye mamatvākṛṣṭamānasau ।
tatkimetanmahābhāga yanmoho jñāninorapi ॥ 44||
mamāsya ca bhavatyeṣā vivekāndhasya mūḍhatā ॥ 45||
39-45. 'Sir, I wish to ask you one thing. Be pleased to reply to it:
Without the control 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 of my kingdom. How is this, O best of sages?
And this merchant has been disowned by his children, wife and servants, and forsaken by his own people; still he is inordinately affectionate towards them.
Thus both he and I, drawn by attachment towards objects whose defects we do know, are exceedingly unhappy.
How this happens, then, sir, that though we are aware of it, this delusion comes? This delusion besets me as well as him, blinded as we are in respect of discrimination.'
ṛṣiruvāca ॥ 46||
The Rishi said:
jñānamasti samastasya jantorviṣayagocare ॥ 47||
viṣayāśca mahābhāga yānti caivaṃ pṛthakpṛthak ।
divāndhāḥ prāṇinaḥ kecidrātrāvandhāstathāpare ॥ 48||
keciddivā tathā rātrau prāṇinastulyadṛṣṭayaḥ ।
jñānino manujāḥ satyaṃ kiṃ tu te na hi kevalam ॥ 49||
46-49. Sir, every being has the knowledge of objects perceivable by the senses. 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 cognize (objects of senses).
yato hi jñāninaḥ sarve paśupakṣimṛgādayaḥ ।
jñānaṃ ca tanmanuṣyāṇāṃ yatteṣāṃ mṛgapakṣiṇām ॥ 50॥
manuṣyāṇāṃ ca yatteṣāṃ tulyamanyattathobhayoḥ ।
jñāne'pi sati paśyaitān pataṅgāñchāvacañcuṣu ॥ 51||
kaṇamokṣādṛtān mohātpīḍyamānānapi kṣudhā ।
mānuṣā manujavyāghra sābhilāṣāḥ sutān prati ॥ 52||
lobhāt pratyupakārāya nanvetān kiṃ na paśyasi ।
tathāpi mamatāvartte mohagarte nipātitāḥ ॥ 53||
mahāmāyāprabhāveṇa saṃsārasthitikāriṇā ।
tannātra vismayaḥ kāryo yoganidrā jagatpateḥ ॥ 54||
mahāmāyā hareścaiṣā tayā sammohyate jagat
jñānināmapi cetāṃsi devī bhagavatī hi sā ॥ 55||
balādākṛṣya mohāya mahāmāyā prayacchati ।
tayā visṛjyate viśvaṃ jagadetaccarācaram ॥ 56||
saiṣā prasannā varadā nṛṇāṃ bhavati muktaye ।
sā vidyā paramā mukterhetubhūtā sanātanī ॥ 57||
saṃsārabandhahetuśca saiva sarveśvareśvarī ॥ 58||
50-58. The knowledge that men have, birds and beasts too have; and what they have men also possess; and the rest (like eating and sleeping) is common to both of them.
Look at these birds, which though they possess knowledge, and are themselves distressed by hunger are yet, because of the delusion, engaged in dropping grains into the beaks of their young ones.
Human beings are, O tiger among men, attached to their children because of greed for return help. Do you not see this?
Even so men are hurled into the whirlpool of attachment, the pit of delusion, through the power of Mahāmāyā (the Great Illusion), who makes the existence of the world possible.
Marvel not at this: this Mahāmāyā is the Yoganidrā, of Vishnu, the Lord of the world:
It is by her the world is deluded. Verily she, the Bhagavatī, the Mahāmāyā forcibly drawing the minds of even the wise, throws them into delusion.
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 is the supreme knowledge, the cause of final liberation, and eternal; she is the cause of the bondage of transmigration and the sovereign over all lords.
rājovāca ॥ 59||
The king said:
bhagavan kā hi sā devī mahāmāyeti yāṃ bhavān ॥ 60||
bravīti kathamutpannā sā karmāsyāśca kiṃ dvija ।
yatprabhāvā ca sā devī yatsvarūpā yadudbhavā ॥ 61||
tatsarvaṃ śrotumicchāmi tvatto brahmavidāṃ vara ॥ 62||
59-62. 'Venerable sir, who is that Devi whom you call Mahāmāyā? How did she come into being, and what is her sphere of action, O Brāhmaṇa?
What constitutes her nature? What is her form? Wherefrom did she originate? All that I wish to hear from you, O you supreme among the knowers of Brahman.'
ṛṣiruvāca ॥ 63||
The Rishi said:
nityaiva sā jaganmūrtistayā sarvamidaṃ tatam ॥ 64||
tathāpi tatsamutpattirbahudhā śrūyatāṃ mama ।
devānāṃ kāryasiddhyarthamāvirbhavati sā yadā ॥ 65||
utpanneti tadā loke sā nityāpyabhidhīyate ।
yoganidrāṃ yadā viṣṇurjagatyekārṇavīkṛte ॥ 65||
āstīrya śeṣamabhajat kalpānte bhagavān prabhuḥ ।
tadā dvāvasurau ghorau vikhyātau madhukaiṭabhau ॥ 67||
viṣṇukarṇamalodbhūtau hantuṃ brahmāṇamudyatau ।
sa nābhikamale viṣṇoḥ sthito brahmā prajāpatiḥ ॥ 68||
dṛṣṭvā tāvasurau cograu prasuptaṃ ca janārdanam ।
tuṣṭāva yoganidrāṃ tāmekāgrahṛdayaḥ sthitaḥ ॥ 69||
vibodhanārthāya harerharinetrakṛtālayām ।
viśveśvarīṃ jagaddhātrīṃ sthitisaṃhārakāriṇīm ॥ 70||
nidrāṃ bhagavatīṃ viṣṇoratulāṃ tejasaḥ prabhuḥ ॥ 71||
63-71. She is eternal, embodied as the universe. By her all this is pervaded. Nevertheless she incarnates in manifold ways; hear it from me.
When she manifests herself in order to accomplish the purposes of 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 the deluge) and the adorable Lord Vishnu stretched out on Śeṣa and took the mystic slumber,
two terrible asuras, the well-known Madhu and Kaitabha, sprung into being from the dirt of Vishnu's ears, sought to slay Brahma;
Brahma, the father of beings, was sitting in the lotus (that came out) from Vishnu's navel:
Seeing these two fierce asuras and Janārdana asleep, and with a view to awakening Hari, (Brahma) with concentrated mind extolled Yoganidrā, dwelling in Hari's eyes.
The resplendent Lord Brahma extolled the incomparable Goddess of Vishnu, Yoganidrā, the queen of cosmos, the supporter of the worlds, the cause of the sustentation and dissolution alike (of the universe).
brahmovāca ॥ 72||
Brahma said:
tvaṃ svāhā tvaṃ svadhā tvaṃ hi vaṣaṭkāraḥ svarātmikā ॥ 73||
sudhā tvamakṣare nitye tridhā mātrātmikā sthitā ।
ardhamātrā sthitā nityā yānuccāryāviśeṣataḥ ॥ 74||
72-74. 'You are Svāhā and Svadhā. You are verily the Vaṣaṭ-Kāra and embodiment of Svara. You are the nectar. O eternal and imperishable One, you are the embodiment of the threefold mantra.
You are half of mātrā, though eternal. You are verily that which cannot be uttered specifically. You are Sāvitrī and the supreme Mother of Devas.
tvameva sandhyā sāvitrī tvaṃ devi jananī parā ।
tvayaitaddhāryate viśvaṃ tvayaitat sṛjyate jagat ॥ 75||
tvayaitat pālyate devi tvamatsyante ca sarvadā ।
visṛṣṭau sṛṣṭirūpā tvaṃ sthitirūpā ca pālane ॥ 76||
tathā saṃhṛtirūpānte jagato'sya jaganmaye ।
mahāvidyā mahāmāyā mahāmedhā mahāsmṛtiḥ ॥ 77||
75-77. 'By you this universe is borne, by you this world is created. By you it is protected, O Devi and you always consume it at the end.
O you who are (always) of the form of the whole world,
at the time of creation you are of the form of the creative force, at the time of sustentation you are of the form of the protective power, and at the time of the dissolution of the world, you are of the form of the destructive power.
You are the supreme knowledge as well as the great nescience, the great intellect and contemplation, as also the great delusion, the great Devī as also the great Āsuri.
mahāmohā ca bhavatī mahādevī maheśvarī ।
prakṛtistvaṃ ca sarvasya guṇatrayavibhāvinī ॥ 78||
kālarātrirmahārātrirmoharātriśca dāruṇā ।
tvaṃ śrīstvamīśvarī tvaṃ hrīstvaṃ buddhirbodhalakṣaṇā ॥ 79||
lajjā puṣṭistathā tuṣṭistvaṃ śāntiḥ kṣāntireva ca ।
khaḍginī śūlinī ghorā gadinī cakriṇī tathā ॥ 80||
śaṅkhinī cāpinī bāṇabhuśuṇḍīparighāyudhā ।
saumyā saumyatarāśeṣasaumyebhyastvatisundarī ॥ 81||
78-81. ' You are the primordial cause of everything, bringing into force the three qualities. You are the dark night of periodic dissolution. You are the great night of final dissolution, and the terrible night of delusion.
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 are pleasing, yea more pleasing than all the pleasing things and exceedingly beautiful.
You are indeed the supreme Īśvarī, beyond the high and low.
parāparāṇāṃ paramā tvameva parameśvarī ।
yacca kiñcitkvacidvastu sadasadvākhilātmike ॥ 82||
tasya sarvasya yā śaktiḥ sā tvaṃ kiṃ stūyase mayā ।
yayā tvayā jagatsraṣṭā jagatpātyatti yo jagat ॥ 83||
so'pi nidrāvaśaṃ nītaḥ kastvāṃ stotumiheśvaraḥ ।
viṣṇuḥ śarīragrahaṇamahamīśāna eva ca ॥ 84||
kāritāste yato'tastvāṃ kaḥ stotuṃ śaktimān bhavet ।
sā tvamitthaṃ prabhāvaiḥ svairudārairdevi saṃstutā ॥ 85||
mohayaitau durādharṣāvasurau madhukaiṭabhau ।
prabodhaṃ ca jagatsvāmī nīyatāmacyuto laghu ॥ 86||
bodhaśca kriyatāmasya hantumetau mahāsurau ॥ 87||
82-87. 'And whatever of wherever a thing exists, sentient (real) or non- sentient (unreal), whatever power all that possesses is yourself.
O you who are the soul of everything, how can I extol you (more than this)? By you, even he, who creates, sustains and devours the world, is put to sleep.
Who is here capable of extolling you? Who is capable of praising you, who have made all of us- Vishnu, myself and Shiva- take our embodied forms?
O Devi, being lauded thus, bewitch these two unassailable asuras Madhu and Kaitabha with your superior powers. Let Vishnu, the Master of the world, be quickly awakened from sleep and rouse up his nature to slay these two great asuras.'
ṛṣiruvāca ॥ 88||
The Rishi said:
evaṃ stutā tadā devī tāmasī tatra vedhasā ॥ 89||
viṣṇoḥ prabodhanārthāya nihantuṃ madhukaiṭabhau ।
netrāsyanāsikābāhuhṛdayebhyastathorasaḥ ॥ 90||
nirgamya darśane tasthau brahmaṇo'vyaktajanmanaḥ ।
uttasthau ca jagannāthastayā mukto janārdanaḥ ॥ 91||
ekārṇave'hiśayanāttataḥ sa dadṛśe ca tau ।
madhukaiṭabhau durātmānāvativīryaparākramau ॥ 92||
krodharaktekṣaṇāvattuṃ brahmāṇaṃ janitodyamau ।
samutthāya tatastābhyāṃ yuyudhe bhagavān hariḥ ॥ 93||
pañcavarṣasahasrāṇi bāhupraharaṇo vibhuḥ ।
tāvapyatibalonmattau mahāmāyāvimohitau ॥ 94||
uktavantau varo'smatto vriyatāmiti keśavam ॥ 95||
88-95. There, the Devi of delusion extolled thus by Brahma, the creator, in order to awaken Vishnu for the destruction of Madhu and Kaitabha, drew herself out from His eyes, mouth, nostrils, arms, heart and breast, and appeared in the sight of Brahma of inscrutable birth.
Janārdana, Lord of the universe, quitted by her, rose up from His couch on the universal ocean, and saw those two evil(asuras), Madhu and Kaitabha, of exceeding heroism and power, with eyes red in anger, endeavouring to devour Brahma.
Thereupon the all-pervading Bhagavān Vishnu got up 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 Mahāmāyā, exclaimed to Vishnu, 'Ask a boon from us.'
śrībhagavānuvāca ॥ 96||
Bhagavān (Vishnu) said:
bhavetāmadya me tuṣṭau mama vadhyāvubhāvapi ॥ 97||
kimanyena vareṇātra etāvaddhi vṛtaṃ mayā ॥ 98||
96-98. 'If you are satisfied with me, you must both be slain by me now. What need is there of any other boon here? My choice is this much indeed.'
ṛṣiruvāca ॥ 99||
The Rishi said:
vañcitābhyāmiti tadā sarvamāpomayaṃ jagat ॥ 100||
vilokya tābhyāṃ gadito bhagavān kamalekṣaṇaḥ ।
āvāṃ jahi na yatrorvī salilena pariplutā ॥ 101||
99-101. Those two(asuras), thus bewitched (by Mahāmāyā), gazing then at the entire world turned into water, told Bhagavān, the lotus eyed One,
'Slay us at the spot where the earth is not flooded with water.'
ṛṣiruvāca ॥ 102||
The Rishi said:
tathetyuktvā bhagavatā śaṅkhacakragadābhṛtā ।
kṛtvā cakreṇa vai chinne jaghane śirasī tayoḥ ॥ 103||
evameṣā samutpannā brahmaṇā saṃstutā svayam ।
prabhāvamasyā devyāstu bhūyaḥ śṛṇu vadāmi te ॥ 104||
102-104. Saying 'Be it so', Bhagavān (Vishnu), the great wielder of conch, discus and mace, took them on His loins and there severed their heads with His discus.
Thus she (Mahāmāyā) herself appeared when praised by Brahma.
Now listen again the glory of this Devi. I tell you.
। aiṃ oṃ ।
॥ svasti śrīmārkaṇḍeyapurāṇe sāvarṇike manvantare devīmāhātmye
madhukaiṭabhavadho nāma prathamo'dhyāyaḥ ॥ 1॥
Here ends the first chapter called 'The slaying of Madhu and Kaitabha' of Devi Māhātmya in Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, during the period of Sāvarṇi, the Manu.