MAHĀKĀLI DHYANAM
Meditation on Mahākāli
From the Devī Mahātmyam [Mārkendeya Purana]
Om Namaś Chaṇḍikāyai.
Om khaḍgaṁ chakra-gadeṣu-chāpa-parighāñ
chūlaṃ bhuśuṇḍīṁ śiraḥ
śaṅkhaṁ saṃda-dhatīṁ karai-stri-nayanāṁ
sarvāṅga-bhūṣāvṛitām
Nīlāśma-dyutimāsya pāda-daśakāṁ
seve Mahākālikāṁ
yāmastaut-svapite harau kamalajo
hantuṁ madhuṁ kaiṭabham.
Om Namaś Chaṇḍikāyai.
Om, I bow to the Goddess Chaṇḍikā.
Om, holding a scimitar, disk, mace, arrows and bow, lance, club, a skull and a conch shell in Her ten hands. The three-eyed goddess, Her body covered with ornaments, Her countenance with the brilliance of blue diamonds, with ten limbs. We offer our service to Mahākāli, She who Brahma praised for protection from the demons Madhu and Kaitava, when Vishnu was in sleep.
Om, I bow to the Goddess Chaṇḍikā.
Book 3/Chapter 10/1:65
On the story of
Satyavrata
1. Janamejaya said :-- O Maharsi! Who was Satyavrata, the Brâhmin whose name
you have just taken? In what country was
he born? Of what nature was he? Please describe all these to me and satisfy
my curiosity?
2. How did he hear that sound “Ai”; how did he
repeat that word? How came out the success
to him, that illiterate Brâhman, at that very instant?
3. And how is it that that Great Goddess, who is
omniscient and omnipresent, was pleased with him, kindly describe this
interesting incident in detail.
4. Sûta said :-- Vyâsa, the son of Satyavatî,
thus asked by the king, addressed in the following pure, sweet, and highly
liberal words.
5. Vyâsa said :-- Hear, O king! You are the best and foremost in the Kuru clan;
what I before heard in the assembly of the Munis, I am now relating that
ancient story, highly beneficial to you.
6. O best of the Kurus! Once in my peregrinations in the holy places
of pilgrimages, I came to the Naimisâranya forest, that highly sacred place
frequented by the Munis.
7-8. That time there were staying Sanaka, Sanâtana
and the other sons of Brâhma who were liberated while living. I went there and bowed down to the Munis and
took my seat. Then the religious
conversations ensued there in the assembly, when the great sage Maharsi
Jamadagni began to question the Munis in the following terms :--
9. O high-minded excellent ascetics and Munis! There has arisen a great doubt in my mind; I
am desirous to have that doubt solved in this assembly of the Maharsis.
10-12. O all-knowing Maharsis that have fulfilled
your vows! O Givers of one's honour! Now my question is this :-- Of the following
Devas Brâhma, Visnu, Rudra, Indra, Varuna, Fire, Kuvera, Wind, Visvakarmâ,
Kârtikeya, Ganesa, the Sun, the two As'vins, Bhaga, Pûsâ, Moon, and the other
planets, who is the first and best to be worshipped, that can easily be served;
who is very quickly satisfied and grants the desired boons; kindly tell me this
as early as possible.
13. Thus questioned by the Muni Jamadagni,
Maharsi Lomas'a, one in the assembly, spoke :-- O Jamadagni! Hear in reply to your question.
14-15. The Goddess of Energy is the best of the
Devas, most excellent and highest to be worshipped. Those who want welfare, they ought to worship
this Supreme Force. She is the Parâ
Prakriti, the Highest Nature, the Brâhma, conditioned by Mâyâ (Time, space, and
causation). She grants all the desires,
does good to all, pervades everywhere, and is the Mother of Brâhma and the
other high souled Devas. She is the
First Prakriti, and is the Root of this gigantic Tree of Universe.
16. If any one calls the Devî in remembrance or
distinctly utters Her Name, She fulfills all the desires of the human beings. If anybody worships Her, She is at once
filled with mercy and becomes ready to grant boons.
17.
O Munis!
How, once on a time, at Brâhmin, uttering one letter of Her mystical mantra,
obtained Her Grace, I am now describing that most auspicious history before you. Be pleased to hear.
18. Once on a time, there lived in the country of
Kosala,* a famous Brâhmin, named Deva Datta.
He had no issues and therefore started duly according to the prescribed rules
a sacrifice called Puttresti for the sake of obtaining children.
*Kosala is a country situated, according
to Râmâyana, along the banks of the Sarayû (or Gogrâ). It was divided into Uttara-Kosala and
Dakshina Kosala. The former is also called
Ganda and it must have therefore signified the country, north of Ayodhyâ comprising
Gonda and Bahraich. Aja and Dasaratha,
etc., are said to have ruled over the province.
At the time of Râma's death, his two sons Kusa and Lava reigned respectively
at Kusâvati in Southern Kosala in the defiles of the Vindhyas and at Srâvasti
in northern Kosala.
19-20. On the banks of the Tamasâ river, the Brâhmin
erected a temporary building (or an open shade) for performing the ceremony,
and there built an altar and invited the Brâhmins, versed in the Vedas, and
clever in performing sacrificial rites. There
he placed the fire and began to perform according to the strict rules, the
Puttresti sacrifice.
21-22. In that sacrifice, Suhotra, the best of the
Munis acted the part of Brâhma (1); Yâjñyavalkya acted the part of Adhvaryu
(2); Brihaspati, that of Hotâ (3); Paila, that of Prastotâ (4); Govila, that of
Udgâtâ (5); and the other Munis acted as assistants. These all were duly paid their remunerations.
(1) One of the four priests employed at a
Soma sacrifice as a superintendent.
(2) Any officiating priest technically
distinguished from Hotri, Udgâtri and Brâhman. His duty was to measure the ground, build
the altar, prepare sacrificial vessels, to fetch wood and water, light the
fire, bring the animal and immolate it and while doing this to repeat the
Yajurveda.
(3) A sacrificing priest who offers the
oblations. Or one who recites the
prayers of the Rigveda at a sacrifice.
(4) One of the four principal priests at a
sacrifice, one who chants the hymns of the Sâmaveda.
23-24. The Hotâ Govila, the excellent reciter of the
Sâma hymns, began to sing in accented tones called svarita (the accents are
three Udâtta, Anudâtta and Svarita) and the Rathantara Sâma in 7 tunes.
Then he began to draw breath frequently;
and consequently there was a break in time in the accent of Govila. Seeing this, Deva Datta was angry and
immediately said to Govila.
25. Well, Govila, you are the foremost of the
Munis and still you are doing your work like a quite illiterate man. I fear obstacles may arise in the getting of
my son in this my sacrifice of Puttresti.
26. Govila then became much enraged and told Deva
Datta “your son will be illiterate, hypocrite, and dumb.”
27. Behold!
Every being is subject to breathing and respiring; it is very hard to
control them; there is no fault of mine in the accents of my songs being thus
broken; it is strange that you, being intelligent, cannot understand this.
28. Being afraid to hear the curse from Govila,
Deva Datta became very sorry and said
“O Muni!
I have done no serious offence; why are you so offended without any
cause. See! The Munis are void of anger and they always
give delight to others.”
29-30. O best of Brâhmans! My offence is very trifling; why have you
inflicted on me so severe a curse? I was
already under the mental agony, since I had no issues; and now you have made me
suffer more pain.
31. For the Vedic Pundits declare that it is
better not to have any son than to have an illiterate stupid son; the more so,
when a Brâhmin's son is illiterate, he is blamed by one and all.
32. An illiterate son is like a S’ûdra or a
beast; he is unfit for any action. O
Brâhmin! What shall I do with an
illiterate son?
33. An illiterate Brâhmin is like a S’ûdra;
consequently not an object to be engaged in any act of worship or of gifts, he
is not deserving to do any action.
34. A Brâhman, bereft of the knowledge of the
Vedas, living in a country is treated as a S’ûdra by the king of the place and
is liable to pay taxes.
35. Whoever wants to have any fruit in any action
will never invite an illiterate Brâhmin to take his seat in the ceremony
relating to the Pitris or the Devas.
36. The king will consider an illiterate Brâhmin
as if a S’ûdra and will never engage him in any religious ceremony but will
order him to do the work of a farmer in cultivating fields.
37. Rather to perform the funeral ceremonies by
erecting a Kus'abata than to engage an illiterate Brâhmin for the purpose.
38. One should give food to an illiterate Brâhmin
just sufficient to fill his belly and no more.
If he does not do that, the giver and especially the receiver are
subject to go down to hell.
39. Fie to a kingdom where honour is shown to the
illiterate stupid Brâhmanas.
40. Where no difference is observed when seats,
worship and gift are given to various persons, sages should draw their
inference how the literate and illiterate persons are treated there.
41. When the illiterate fools become haughty,
when they are paid honours and gifts, the literary persons should never dwell
there.
42. The wealth of the wicked goes to the
enjoyments of the bad persons; for the Nim trees, though abounding richly in
fruits, are enjoyed only by crows.
43. Again, on the other hand, if the Brâhmins,
versed in the Vedas, study the Vedas even after they have taken their food,
still his father and forefathers are happy and play cheerfully in their
heavens.
44. Therefore O Govîla! You being the foremost of the Brâhmin who are
versed in the Vedas, what have you said just now? See in this world, death is rather to be
preferred then to have an illiterate son.
How is it, then, that you have cursed me that I would get an illiterate
son, when you are the best one, highly qualified with knowledge.
45. O high minded one! You are capable to relieve the distressed; I
am bowing down to your feet; shew your mercy and re-consider your curse.
46. Lomas'a said :-- O Munis! Devadatta, saying these words, fell prostrate
at his feet and began to eulogise him in very pitiful words, being very much
grieved and with tears in his eyes.
47. Seeing him thus distressed, Govila was moved
with pity. The persons that are noble have
their anger satiated after a short while; the anger of the ignoble lasts for a
long time.
48. The water is naturally cool; but it gets hot
in contact with fire heat; and no sooner the heat is drawn away, water gets
again cooled quickly.
49. The merciful Govila then addressed the
distressed Devadatta “your son though at first illiterate, will afterwards be
very learned.”
50. The Brâhmin Devadatta was very glad on
getting this boon; then completing the sacrifice, rewarded the Brâhmins with
their due dakshinâs and dismissed them.
51. In due course of time, his fair chaste wife
Rohinî, like the asterism Rohinî became pregnant.
52. Devadatta performed the Garbhâdhân (1) and
Pumsavan (2) ceremonies and other purificatory rites duly.
53. He performed the Sîmantonnayana ceremony
according to rules and considered his Puttrvesti sacrifice successful and made
various offerings to the Brâhmins.
N. B. -- (1) One of the Samskâras, purificatory
ceremonies, performed after menstruation to ensure or facilitate conception
(this ceremony legalises in a religious sense the consummation of marriage).
(2) It is a ceremony performed on a woman's
perceiving the first signs of a living conception, with a view to the birth of
a son.
(3) “Parting of the hair” one of the
twelve Samskâras or purificatory rites observed by women in the fourth, sixth,
or eighth month of their pregnancy.
54-55. In the auspicious lagna when Rohinî asterism
was present and in the auspicious day, his wife Rohinî gave birth to a male
child. Devadatta performed the
nativities of the new born child and saw its face. Next that knower of the Purânas, Devadatta
kept the name of the child as Utathya.
56. When the son was eight years old, Devadatta
performed the Upanayana (thread) ceremony duly.
57-58. Next the child was made to accept the vow of
Brâhmachâri; and Devadatta made him study the Vedas; but the child could not
pronounce a single word and used to sit simply like a stupid boy. Though tried in various ways to read and
write, that wicked boy never paid the slightest attention, simply sat idly. Seeing this, his father was very sorry and
much grieved.
59. Thus twelve years passed. Yet the boy could not learn how to perform
his Sandhyâ Bandanâ duly.
60. The rumour went abroad that Utathya, the son
of Devadatta turned out very illiterate. All the Brâhmanas, ascetics, and other persons
came to learn this fact.
61. Wherever Utathya used to go in any forest on
hermitage, the people used to laugh at him, ridiculed his father and mother and
began to chide that illiterate son.
62. Thus blamed by father, mother and all other
persons, dispassion occupied the heart of Utathya.
63. Once when rebuked by his father and mother
that it was better to have a blind and lame son instead of an illiterate brute,
Utathya took recourse to renunciation and went to a dense forest.
64-65. On the banks of the Ganges in a beautiful
spot free from obstacles, he built a beautiful hut and began to subsist on the
roots and fruits of the forest and with collected
mind. Having made the excellent vow “I
will never speak untruth” and holding the vow of celibacy, he lived in that
beautiful hermitage.
Thus ends the 10th chapter in the 3rd
Skandha of S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa
relating to the story of Satyavrata.
Source: Translation of The Srimad Devi Bhagvatam by Swami Vijnanananda
No comments:
Post a Comment