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 14/1:53
On the narration of the glories of the Devî
1-2. Janamejaya spoke :-- O Dvîja! I have heard in detail the Devî Yajña,
performed by S’rî Visnu. Now describe Her Glory and glorious deeds. After
hearing these, the Devî’s glorious deeds, I will also perform that, the best of
all sacrifices. Thereby I will no doubt be pure through your
favour.
3. Vyâsa said :-- O king! Hear, I am describing to you the history of
the most auspicious mighty deeds of the Devî, according to the Purânas.
4-5. In days of yore, there reigned in the country
of Kosala, the king Dhruvasandhi of the Solar Dynasty. He
was the son of Puspa and celebrated on account of his great prowess. He
was truthful, religious, engaged in doing good to his subjects, obeying the
laws of the four castes and Âs’ramas. He being pure, performed his regal duties in
the flourishing city of Ayodhyâ.
6. The Brâhmanas, Ksattriyas, Vais'yas, and S’ûdras
and other good persons all lived religiously under his rule, each abiding by
his own profession.
7. No thieves, cheats, cunning persons, vain and
arrogant persons, treacherous and illiterate men were allowed to remain in his
kingdom.
8. O host of
Kurus! Thus
ruling virtuously, the king had two wives, both of them young, fair and
beautiful and well able to give delights and enjoyments to the king.
9. The first and lovely wife was Manoramâ, and
the second was Lîlâvatî. Both of them were exceedingly handsome,
intelligent and qualified.
10. The king enjoyed much with them in palaces,
gardens, romantic hills, lakes, and various beautiful mansions.
11. In the auspicious moment, Manoramâ gave birth
to a beautiful child, endowed with all royal qualifications. The
child was named, in due course, Sudars’ana.
12. Next within one month, his second wife the
fair Lîlâvatî in the auspicious fortnight and in the auspicious day, gave birth
to an excellent child.
13. The King then performed the Jâta-Karma
(ceremonies on the birth of a child) and being very glad, made lots of
presents, wealth, etc. , to the
Brâhmanas.
14. The King shewed affection equally to the two
children; never he made any distinction between them.
15. The king, the tormenter of
the foes, was very glad and performed duly the chudâ karana ceremony according
to his position and wealth.
16. The sight
of these two sons delighted very much the people. Now
seeing these Kritachûdas, and playing, the king was merged in the ocean of
pleasure.
17-18. Sudars'ana was the eldest; but Satrujit, the
second beautiful son by Lîlâvatî was of sweet and persuasive speech. His
beautiful figure and sweet words gave very much delight to the king, and for
these qualities, the child Satrujit turned out also a favourite of the people
and ministers.
19. The king could not show so much affection to
the unfortunate Sudars’ana as he showed to Satrujit.
20-21. Thus some days having passed, one day the
king Dhruvasandhi went out on an hunting expedition to the forest. He
killed in the forest many deer, Ruru (a kind of deer), elephants, boar, hare,
buffaloes, rhinoceros, camels and amused himself very much with this hunting
affair.
22-23. While he was hunting thus, a lion got very
much enraged, and, from a bush, suddenly jumped and came upon the king. That
king of the beasts was already struck with arrows; now seeing the king in
front, he loudly roared.
24-25. He angrily lifted his long tail high up in
the air and, puffing up his manes, jumped up high in the air to attack and to
take the life of the king. Seeing this, instantly the king took sword in
his right hand and shield in his left and stationed himself like another lion
before him.
26. The king's followers, one and all, angrily
shot arrows on the lion.
27. Then a loud uproar ensued; and all began to
hurl arrows as best as they could. But, after all, that dangerous lion fell upon
the king.
28-29. Seeing thus, the king struck him with his
sword, but the lion also tore asunder the king, with his sharp nails. The
king thus struck by the lion, fell on the spot and died. The
soldiers cried aloud and killed the lion with arrows.
30. Thus both the king and lion lay dead on the
spot; and the soldiers turned back to the palace and gave all the informations
to the royal ministers.
31. When the munis heard the demise of the king,
they went to the forest, performed the burning of the dead body of the king.
32. The Maharsi Vas’istha performed duly on the
same spot, all the funeral ceremonies, thus ensuring the king the safe journey
to the next world.
33. All the subjects and the citizens and the
Muni Vas’istha counselled each other to install Sudars’ana on the throne as the
king.
34-35. The minister-in-chief as well as the other
members proposed that as Sudars’ana is the son of the legal wife, calm and
quiet, beautiful and endowed with all the royal qualifications, he is fit for
the throne. Maharsi Vas’istha said, the royal son, though
not attained to proper age is still religious; therefore he is really fit be
installed as king on the royal throne.
36. When the wise aged ministers thus decided,
Yudhâjit, the king of Ujjain, on hearing the decision hastened to the spot.
37. He was the father of Lîlâvatî; on hearing the
demise of his son-in-law he came there, so that his daughter’s son might get
the kingdom.
38. Next, Vîrasena, the king of the country of
Kalinga and the father of Manoramâ, came there also with the object that his
daughter’s son Sudars’ana be the Emperor.
39. The two kings, accompanied respectively by
their own army and soldiers, began to counsel with the aged ministers, each
trying so that his daughter’s son may get the throne.
40. Yudhâjit made the question :-- “Who is the
eldest of the two sons? Is it always the case that the eldest will
inherit the kingdom? Will not the youngest ever be able to acquire
it? ”
41. Vîrasena said :-- O king! He who is the son of the legal wife inherits
the kingdom; this I have heard from the learned who are proficient in the
knowledge of the S’âstras.
42. Hearing Vîrasena, Yudhâjit repeated “Sudars’ana
is not so qualified with royal qualifications and other matters as this son of
the late king, Satrujit. How can then Sudars’ana inherit the throne? ”
43. O King!
Then quarrels ensued amongst the two kings. Now,
at this critical juncture, who is able to solve their doubts?
44. Yudhâjit then addressed
the ministers :-- “You all are prompted by selfish ends; you want to acquire a
good deal of money by making Sudars’ana the king.
45-46. I have come to know by your gestures and
postures that your decision is to the above affect. After
all, as Satrujit possesses many more qualifications than Sudars’ana, he has
more claims to the throne; and therefore he is fit to occupy the throne and no other. Morever,
let me see as long as I live who can set aside the claims of a qualified prince,
in possession of an army, and put forward the claims of a prince who has no
qualifications it all.
47. I am ready to fight and I will tear the earth
into two pieces by my sword. What more have you to say on this? ”
48. Hearing this, Vîrasena addressed Yudhâjit “I
see the two boy’s intelligence the same.
You are intelligent; kindly
mention where is the difference? ”
49. O king!
The two kings quarrelling with each other,
remained there; the subjects and the Risis, seeing this, were very anxious.
50. Hundreds of tributary princes wanting that the
two kings might be
involved into quarrels with each other, came to the spot, with
their soldiers, though they had to undergo great hardships in doing so.
51. Many aborigines, from the inhabitants of
Sringaverpur, hearing the demise of the late king, also appeared on the scene
with the sole object to plunder.
52. The two princes are minors; and hearing their
parties at war with each other, many robbers from various adjoining countries
came also there.
53. Thus when the war broke out between the two
kings, the great confusion and tumult across within the kingdoms; on the other
hand, Yudhâjit and Vîrasena both became ready to fight.
Thus ends the Fourteenth Chapter on the narration of the glories
of the Devî and the death of the Kosala king Dhruva Sandhi in the 3rd Adhayâya
of S'rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam.
Source: Translation of The Srimad Devi Bhagvatam by Swami Vijnanananda
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