365bet娱乐

Eulogy of the Goddess by the Gods [devaih krta devi stutih] Compiled with note and comment By Sri Anand Swarup Gupta / 1-8

devaih krta devi stutih (devibhagavata, 5|22|25-42 ) 1. namo devi visvesvari prananathe sadanandarupe suranandade namo danavantaprade manavana- manekarthade te || t bhaktigamyasvarupe || 25|| 2 . na te namasamkhya na te rupamidrk tatha ko'pi veda''didevadirupe || tvamevasi sarvesu saktisvarupa prajasrstisamharakale 3 . smrtistvam dhrtistvam tvamevasi buddhi- sadaiva ||26|| rnara pusti-tusti dhrtih kanti- santi || suvidya sulaksmirgatih kirti-medhe bijam puranam ||27|| tvamevasi visvasya 4 . yada yaih svarupaih karosiha karyam suranam ca tebhyo namamo'dya santyai || ksama yoganidra daya tvam vivaksa sthita sarvabhutesu sastaih svarupaih ||28|| 5 . krtam karyamadau tvaya yatsuranam hato'sau maharirmadandho hayarih || daya te sada sarvadevesu devi prasiddha puranesu vedesu gita || 29 || 6 . kimatrasti citram yadamba sutam svam muda palayet posayet samyageva ||

2 "61 8. puranam - PURANA [Vol. VIII., No. 1 yatastvam janitri suranam sahaya kurusvaikacittena karyam samagram ||30|| na va te gunanamiyatta svarupam vayam devi janimahe visvavandye || krpapatramityeva matva tatha'sman bhayebhyah sada pahi patum samartha || 31 || vina banapatairvina mustighatai- vina sula -khadgairvina saktidandaih || ripunhantumevasi sakta vinodat tatha'piha lokopakaraya lila || 32|| 9 . idam sasvatam naiva jananti mudha na karyam vina karanam sambhaved va || vayam tarkayamo'numanam pramanam tvamevasi karta'sya visvasya ceti || 33|| 10 . anah srstikarta mukundo'vita'yam haro nasakrdvai purane prasiddhah || na kim tvatprasutastrayaste yugadau tvamevasi sarvasya tenaiva 11 . tribhistvam pura''radhita devi datta 199 mata || 34 || tvaya saktisgra ca tebhyah samagra || tvaya samyutaste prakurvanti kamam jagatpalanotpattisamharameva 12 . te kim na mandamatayo yatayo vimudha- stvam yena visvajananim samupasrayanti || vidyam param sakalakamaphalapradam tam ||35|| muktipradam vibudhavrndasuvanditanghrim ||36||

Jan. 1966] devaih krta devi stutih 13 . ye vaisnavah pasupatasca saura dambhasta eva pratibhanti nunam || dhyayanti na tvam kamalam ca lajjam kanti sthiti kirtimathapi pustim || 37 || 14 . hariharadibhirapyatha tvamiha sevita devavarairasuraistatha || bhuvi bhajanti na ye'lpadhiyo nara janani te vidhina khalu vancitah || 38|| 15 . jaladhinapadapanka naranjanam naturasena karoti harih svayam || trinayano'pi 16 . kimaparasya dharadhara nanghripa- nkajaparaganisevanatatparah narasya kathanakai- stava padabjayugam na bhananti ke || vigataragagrhasca dayam ksamam ||39|| krtadhiyo munayo'pi bhananti te || 40 || 17 . devi tvadanghribhanane na jana rata ye samsarakupapatitah patitah kilami || te kustha- gulma- siraadhiyuta bhavanti 18 . ye daridryadainyasahita rahitah sukhaughaih ||41|| kasthabharavahane yavasavahare karye bhavanti nipuna dhanadarahinah || nanimahe 'lpamatibhirbhavadanghriseva purve bhave janani tairna krta kadapi || 42 || 3

4 puranam - PURANA [Vol. VIII., No. 1 Note on the Devi-Stuti Devi eulogised here is the great Goddess Sakti or Mahamaya who is the transcendent source of all the sakti (energy) required for the creation, preservation and destruction of the universe. Her glory is sung both in the Vedas and the Puranas. The DeviMahatmya of the Markandeya Purana (Jivananda edn., Chapters 81-93) is the famous and important Puranic episode which represents Devi in all Her glory. This sacred episode, also called the Devi-Carita, finds place in the Devi-Bhagavata (V. 7-35) and the Vamana-Purana (Venkt. edn., Adhs. 18-20; 21. 1-8; 54. 23- 28; 55-56) also. During her wars with the demons-Mahisa, Sumbha and Nisumbha -Devi was praised by the gods on four occasions as follows:- (1) She was first praised by the gods when in order to kill the demon Mahisa she was manifested from the assemblage of the lustres (tejass) or energies (eaktis) of all the gods including even the three great gods Brahma, Visnu and Mahesa. As the lustres of the gods got assembled into one in the hermitage of Sage Katyayana, and mixed up with his lustre also, this manifestation of Devi was called as Katyayani (Vam.-P. 18. 7-8). This Stuti is given in the Vam.-P. (18. 19-20), and in the Devi-Bhag. (V. 9. 23-29); while in the Mark.-P. the Devi-stuti on this occasion is not given, but only alluded to:- nayeti devasca muda tamucuh simhavahinim || tustuvurmunayascainam bhaktinamratmamurttayah || (82.34) (2) When Devi killed Mahisa, She was praised by the gods again. This Stuti is given in the Devi-Mahatmya (Adh. 4) of the Markandeya-Purana (84. 2-26), and also in the Devi-Bhagavata (V. 19. 2-33), while in the Vamana-

Jan. 1966] devaih krta devi stutih 5 Purana no Devi-stuti is given on this occasion, but it is only alluded to :- devya jayam devagana vilokya stuvanti devim stutibhirmaharse | (20.50 ab) (3) When Sumbha and Nisumbha, the two brother-demons, began to oppress the gods, they (the gods) remembered Devi and praised Her in order to seek Her help for their protection. While they were thus praising, the Goddess appeared from the kosa (sheath) of Parvati, and hence was called Kausiki (Mark. 85. 40; Devi-Bhag. V. 23. 2; Vam. 54.25). This Stuti is given in the Devi-Mahatmya (Adh.5) of the Markandeya-Purana (85. 7-36) in 30 slokas, and in the Devi-Bhagavata (V. 22. 25-42) in 18 slokas as given above. But in the Vamana a stuti on this occasion is neither given nor alluded to. (4) When both Sumbha and Nisumbha were killed by Goddess Kausiki (known also as Ambika), she was again praised by the gods as appearing in her various manifestations including the seven Matrs or Saketis of seven gods-Brahma, Visnu, Mahesa, Kumara (Skanda), Nrsimha, Varaha and Indra. This Stuti is given in the Devi-Mahatmya (Adh. 11) of the Mark -P. (91. 2-33), and in the Vamana-Purana (56. 56-63); but in the Devi-Bhagavata it is only alluded to (V. 31. 62 f.). The present Stuti of the Devi-Bhagavata (V. 22. 25-42), as given above, was uttered by the gods before the appearance of Devi from the kosa of Parvati. Devi has been praised here as 'governing the whole Universe, controlling the life-principle, ever blissful, giver of the happiness to the gods, destroyer of the demons, fulfilling the various objects of men, approachable only through devotion.-(25): She has the innumerable names, Her real nature is unknowable, She is the Energy for the creation

6 puranam - PURANA [Vol. VIII., No. 1 and destruction of the universe; She resides in all in the form of Sakti (power or energy), smrti (memory), dhrti (steadfastness), buddhi (intelligence), jara (old age), pusti (nourishment, growth), tusti (contentment), kanti (splendour), santi (peace), su-vidya (benevolent knowledge), su-laksmi (benevolent wealth or prosperity), kirti (fame), medha (retentive faculty of the mind); She is the first seed of the universe.-(26-27). She assumes various forms for accomplishing the work of the gods, She resides in all the beings in the auspicious forms of kesama (tolerance), daya (mercy) and vivaksa (faculty of speech); She is the yoganidra (the great sleep after the annihilation of the universe).-(28). She is merciful to the gods, as She killed their great enemy Mahisa.-(29). She is the Mother of the gods, and therefore She readily protects and nourishes them.-(30). The limit and the real nature of Her qualities is unknowable even by the gods, She is able to protect the gods from all fears-(31). She is able to destroy the enemies without the help of weapons; still, for the sake of sport She takes the help of the weapons for the benefit of the universe.-(32). There is no effect without a cause, and so the Goddess is the producer of the universe.-(33). According to the Puranas Brahma is the creator, Mukunda (Visnu) the preserver, and Hara (Rudra) the destroyer, but they themselves are created by Devi at the beginning of a yuga (i. e. kalpa), therefore She is the Mother of all. (34). Devi was worshipped even by these three Gods, and so she gave them power by which they perform their work of creation, preservation and destruction of the universe.-(35). Devi is the real bestower of all the objects, fulfiller of all the desires, and giver of salvation, hence those who do not worship her are dull-minded and illusioned.-(36). Those who are Vaisnavas (the worshippers of Visnu), Pasupatas (worshippers of Pasupati-Siva) and Sauras (worshippers of the Sun) are mere hypocrites, as they do not worship the Goddess Who is manifested as the prosperity, modesty, splendour, sustaining power, fame and growth.-(37). She is worshipped even by the gods, such as Hari and Hara, and also by the Asuras; therefore, those foolish persons on the earth who do not worship Her are really unfortunate.-(38).

Jan. 1966]. devaih krta devi stutih Hari himself colours the lotus-like feet of the Daughter of the Ocean (i. e. Laksmi, a form of Devi) with lac-juice, and the threeeyed God Siva is also devoted to the lotus-like feet of the Daughter of the Mountain (i.e. Parvati, also a form of Devi)'.-(39). 'Who are there, O Goddess! who do not worship Thy feet, when even those wise persons who are without any attachment and have renounced the world worship Thee'.-(40). 'O Goddess! those depraved persons who are not devoted to the worship of Thy feet fall into the well (or pit)-like world, and suffer from serious diseases like leprosy, glandular enlargement in the abdomen, head-ache etc.; they ever remain oppressed with poverty, and are deprived of pleasures and happiness'.-(41). 'We infer, O Mother! that persons who carry loads of wood and grass (on their heads) and are without wealth and household, have not worshipped Thy feet in their previous birth'.-(42). The Devi-stuti of the Markandeya Purana (85. 7-36) gives in the first six slokas a number of names of the Goddess, such as Devi, Mahadevi, Siva, Prakrti, Gauri, Dhatri, Nair rti, Sarvani, Durga, Khyati, Krsna, Dhumra, Krti, and Visnu-maya. But in this Devi-stuti of the Devi-Bhag. the Goddess has only been called 'Devi', although it has been mentioned that no one can know the number of Her names (Sl. 26). In both the Stutis a number of physical, mental and moral qualities (in feminine gender) inhering in the created beings are mentioned as so many manifestations of the Goddess; some of these qualities are common to both these Stutis, but some of the qualities given in the Stuti of the Markandeya Purana, such as Cetana (consciousness), Ksudha (hunger), Chaya (reflection of the Divine in the mortals), trsna (eager desire), sraddha (faith), bhranti (illusion) etc., are not mentioned in the Stuti of the Devi-Bhagavata. Similarly some of the quatities mentioned in the Stuti of the Devi-Bhagavata, such as dhrti, jara, pusti, gati, kirti, medha, vivaksa, are not given in the Markandeya. The Devi-Bhag.-Stuti lacks the catholic spirit which permeats the Stuti of the Markandeya Purana. It is marred with the narrow spirit of sectarianism, on account of which the Vaisnavas,

8 PURANA [Vol. VIII., No. 1 Pasupatas and the Sauras are denounced as hypocrites (sl. 31); and even Hari and Hara are made to serve the feat of their consorts (sl. 39). Still, this Stuti of the Devi-Bhagavata is full of devotional spirit. It also expounds the principle of the primeval Sakti which enables even the three Gods to perform their respective function of creation, preservation and destruction (sls. 34-35). But in its sectarian zeal the Devi-Bhagavata in this Devistuti goes even so far as to attribute the cause of disease and poverty to the lack of devotion (sectarian) to Devi in one's previous birth.-(sis. 41-42). -ANAND SWARUP GUPTA