Chanting Schedule :

1. * Introduction & Chandi Kavacham

2. Argala & Keelakam Stotram

3. First break of 5 minutes

4. Chapter 1 – chapter 13 chanting

5. Second break of 15 minutes

6. **Concluding Prayer

7. Mangala Arathi

Introduction:

• Ganapathi Dhyanam

• Guru Dhyanam

• Saraswathi Dhyanam

• Durga Saptshloki

**Concluding Prayers :

Durga Kshama Prarthna

Shanti Mantra

Ending with our Guru’s blessings

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Devi Mahatmya

Kishanlal Munshi @ThePursuitOfHappinessOCT 22, 2020, 15:28 IST

Devi Mahatmya (“Glory of the Goddess”) also known as the Durga Saptashati or simply Saptashati, Chandi or Chandi Patha, is a Hindu religious text describing the victory of the Goddess Durga over the the evil forces (Asuras) such as Madhu, Kaitabha, Mahishasura, Dhumralochana, Chanda, Munda, Raktabija, Nishumbha, and Shumbha.

Devi Mahatmya is the very definition of the nature of Divine Mother. She is the unlimited Shakti (energy) behind all limited Shaktis. Some people call her Durga, some call her Chandi and some call her MahaLakshmi. She is the Moola Prakriti, the root nature, of all that manifests. She is the force that drives everything in the universe.

Devi Mahatmya is also significant in that it regards various forms of the Goddess – ranging from the fearsome and dangerous Kali to the benign and gentle Sri – as fundamentally unified. Chief among these forms is Durga, a warrior figure whose salvific actions are recounted in this work.

Durga is depicted as aiding male deities, energizing them for the task of slaying the demons. She is also active in her own right, most famously in her battle with the great buffalo-demon Mahisasura. Durga is described as having many arms, each of which wields a weapon, and riding a fierce lion. Although a conquering warrior, Durga is also portrayed as beautiful and is sometimes referred to as “Mother,” which displays the many-sided nature of this Goddess.

Devi Mahatmya, a part of the Markandeya Purana, is one of the Puranas (secondary Hindu scriptures), and was composed in Sanskrit around 400-500 CE, with authorship attributed to the sage (Rishi) Markandeya. It consists of Chapters 74 to 86 (13 chapters) of the Markandeya Purana.

Devi Mahatmya, consisting of 700 verses (Slokas), is considered to be the crown jewel of Markandeya Purana in the same way as Bhagavad Gita, also consisting of 700 verses, is considered the crown jewel of the greatest epic Mahabharata. The 700 verses are arranged in 13 chapters. Also, they are arranged in 3 sections (charitas). The three parts have MahaKali,  MahaLakshmi and MahaSaraswati as the deities.

Devi Mahatmya was considered significant among the Puranas by Indologists. This is indicated by the early dates at which it was translated into European languages. It was translated into English in 1823, followed by an analysis with excerpts in French in 1824. It was translated into Latin in 1831 and Greek in 1853.

Devi Mahatmya has been translated into most of the Indian languages. There are also a number of commentaries and ritual manuals. The commentaries and ritual manual followed vary from region to region depending on the tradition.

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Hindus have been celebrating the Navaratri festival from ancient times as a mode of worship of Devi, the Divine as mother. They worship Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati during those nine days. Who are these three? These three forms have fascinated man. Their esoteric significance is represented by three potencies : karma, devotion and spiritual wisdom. The significance of Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati has to be rightly understood. 

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba