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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
4/Chapter 23/1:52
On the birth of S’rî Krisna
1-2. Vyâsa
said :-- The six sons of Devakî being thus killed by Kamsa and the seventh womb
being miscarried, Kamsa began, when Devakî was pregnant for the eighth time, to
think of the cause of his own death as advised by Nârada and watched carefully,
day and night, so that this time there would be born a son and there be no
miscarriage.
3. On the other hand the Bhagavân Hari came down
and rested on the body of
Vâsudeva as part incarnate
and then entered into the womb of Devakî, in due order.
4. That very time the Goddess Yogamâyâ, of Her
own accord, enters into the womb of Yasodâ in order to help the workings of the
gods.
5. Rohinî, the wife of Vâsudeva was anxiously
dwelling at that time through the fear of Kamsa in the Nanda Gokula; Balarâma,
the part incarnate of Ananta, took his birth there as Her son.
6. Kamsa then imprisoned Devakî, who was being
worshipped by gods, and engaged servants to take care of her.
7. Vâsudeva, too, entered into the prison with
his wife Devakî, thinking of his issue and also being attracted by his
attachment towards his wife.
8. Visnu, here, the Deva of the Devas, to
accomplish the purpose of the gods began to grow regularly in the womb of
Devakî, being incessantly adored and praised by the gods.
9-10. When the tenth month was complete, on the
eighth day of the dark fortnight, under the star Rohinî, Kamsa became much
bewildered with fear and called on his Dânava followers and said “You must all
carefully protect Devakî in the prison.
11-12. The son born from this eighth womb of Devakî
will turn out my dire enemy; therefore do you all very carefully protect that
child, my death incarnate (so that the child may not be transferred anywhere
else). O Daityas!
I will be able to sleep without any anxiety then, when I will be
successful. Kill this eighth son of Devakî who has become
the source of my constant worries and endless troubles.
13. Equipped with swords, shafts and bow and darts
do you all incessantly watch with eyes open on all sides, leaving off your
sleep and drowsiness. ”
14. Vyâsa said :-- Thus ordering the Demons, the
king Kamsa who had become worn out with this anxiety and was bewildered with
fear, went quickly to his own palace room; but he could not find any trace of
happiness.
15-18. On the other hand, Devakî, at dead of night,
in that prison, told Vâsudeva “O king! My
birth pain has come; I see here many guards, terrific, who are watching and protecting
us; what shall I do now? Yasodâ, the wife of Nanda, promised me before this. O
respected one! Your heart is almost
burnt up with the fire of grief; therefore do you send to my house your son; I
will protect it with utmost care; and especially to incur Kamsa’s faith and
belief, I will give you another son. O Lord!
This is now a very hard moment; what are we to do now?
19. And again how are you to exchange the two
sons? However let what may come, come to pass; now the moment of child birth
has come; I am possessed by a feeling of shame not liable to be overcome. You
better turn away your face; there is no other remedy here. ”
20. Thus saying to that blessed Vâsudeva,
worshipped by the gods, Devakî, at dead of night, delivered a wonderful child.
21. The blessed Devakî looking on that exceedingly
beautiful child, was struck with wonder and told her husband, her whole body
being filled with joy.
22. O Lord!
Look at the face of your new born child, a very rare thing to see such a
face as this. Alas! The
son of my paternal uncle, Kamsa, will kill my this new born child.
23. “Kamsa will do so. ” Saying this, Vâsudeva took up that child in
his arms and began to look amorously at the face of that child of wonderful
deeds.
24. Thus looking, Vâsudeva thought “What can I do
now so as to relieve me from my sorrows owing to the future destruction of this
child. ”
25-27. While Vâsudeva was thus anxiously pondering
over, the Heaven Voice clearly said thus :-- “O Vâsudeva! Quickly go to Gokula with the child. The
keepers and guards I have made dead asleep by My Mâyâ. The
eight very strong doors are now lying wide open. You
better free yourself from your chains and take this child, keep it in the house
of Nanda and bring Yoga Mâyâ from there and come back here. ”
28-29. Thus hearing the Heavenly Voice, he cast his
glance at the doors and found them all wide open. O King! Very quickly then he took the child and
stepped out of the prison, quite unnoticed by the guards and watchmen. Going
to the banks of the Jumnâ he found there the daughter of Kalindi, flowing with
great force and became anxious.
30-31. But the river Jumnâ instantaneously turned out
to be easily fordable just knee deep; then Vâsudeva, guided by Yoga Mâyâ,
crossed the Jumnâ and betaking to an unfrequented road arrived at Gokul at dead
of night. There, at the doorway of the house of Nanda,
he began to see the cows, buffaloes, the wealth and property of Nanda.
32. At that very moment, there was born of
Yos’odâ, the Mahâ Devî, the part of the Divine Yoga Mâyâ, the Incarnate of the
three qualities.
33. Then the Mahâdevî Yoga Mâyâ, assuming the
appearance of a female artisan,
taking that divine
female child in her arms came there and handed her over to
Vâsudeva.
34. Vâsudeva, too, delivered his child over to the
lotus like hands of the Devî and,
taking the female
child instead, quickly returned with his heart full of joy.
35. He went unto the prison and kept that female
child in the bed of Devakî and
remained aside,
fearful and anxious.
36-37. But that child, the moment she was lulled to
sleep, began to cry in a sonorous voice; the royal guards at once woke up on
that cry, and being bewildered with fear, hurriedly went to their king and said
“O King! Come quickly. Devakî
has brought forth a child. ”
38-39. The King of the Bhojas, hearing their words,
went there quickly and saw the doors open, called on Vâsudeva “O blessed one! Let me have the eighth son of Devakî, my
death incarnate; I will at once kill that enemy of mine, born as part incarnate
of Hari. ”
40. Vyâsa said :-- O King! Hearing Kamsa’s words, Vâsudeva handed over
to him the female child crying and very much bewildered with fear.
41. At the sight of the female child, the king was
very much astonished and began to think that the Heavenly Voice and the Seer
Nârada’s words turned out false.
42. How can Vâsudeva be able to bring about, in
this dreadful place, the unnatural act of turning male into a female. Especially my guards are carefully watching
the place. There is no doubt in this.
43. How has this female child come here? Where has
that eighth born child gone? I ought not to doubt in this matter. For
the ways of Time are mysterious!
44-46. Thinking thus, the cruel King Kamsa caught
hold of that female child by her legs and, raising her high up in the air, was
going to strike her against a stone, when the female child slipped out of his
hands and flying into the air assumed a divine appearance and gently spoke to
Kamsa, thus :-- “What will you get by killing me? Your powerful enemy is already born on the
earth. O vilest of men! Disgrace to your family! He, the Excellent Human being Who is very
difficult to be worshiped will certainly kill you. ”
47-49. Saying thus, the auspicious female child, able
to go anywhere according to her will, disappeared. Kamsa
astonished returned to his own home and, becoming
impatient with fear
and anger, called all the Dânavas Baka, Dhenuka, Vatsa and others, and
addressed them thus :-- “O Dânavas. Go all of you to serve my purpose. Kill anywhere
the child whom you see just born.
50. Let Pûtanâ, expert in killing children go
today to Nanda’s Gokula. My order is this :-- Any child recently born
they must kill.
51. Dhenuka, Vatsaka, Kes’i, Pralamba, and Vaka,
etc. , all should remain in Gokula to carry
out my order. ”
52. The cruel king Kamsa, thus ordering the
Demons, went away to his own palace, and, thinking on this matter over and over
again became, very much afflicted with fear and his mind got immensely
depressed.
Thus ends the 23rd
Chapter in the 4th Skandha of S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam, the
Mahâ Purânam, of
18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa, on the birth of S’rî Krisna.
Source:
Translation of The Srimad Devi Bhagvatam by Swami Vijnanananda
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