Devi Bhagvatam 5:5:1:57

You art the substratum of all luminaries

You create and destroy all

The Lord of all Celestials

We meditate fully on Thee

Planets Stars Galaxies are your body

Divinity is established in Thee alone

You are the AdiPurusha/AdiPrakruti The Foremost of all Beings

All sins are destroyed by remembering Thee.

ayi giri nandini, nandita medini, visva vinodini, nandinute || giri vara vindhya shirodhini vasini vishnuvilaasini jisnunute || bhagavati he shitikaNthakutumbini bhoorikutumbini bhoorikrute || jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || Oh, Daughter of the Mountain, Who makes the whole World happy, Who makes all the Universe rejoice, Who is praised by Nandin, Who dwells on the peaks of the great Vindhya Mountains, with radiance reaching far and wide, Who is praised by those desirous of victory, Oh Goddess, Wife to blue-necked Shiva, Mother to many families, Doer of many deeds,Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair!  suravaravarshiNi durdharadharshiNi durmukhamarshiNi harsharate || tribhuvanaposhiNi shankaratoshiNi kilbishamoshiNi ghosharate || danujaniroshiNi ditisutaroshiNi durmadashoshiNi sindhusute || jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || Who bestows boons upon the Gods, Who defeats the undisciplined, Who tolerates the ignorant, Who is ever rejoicing, Who nourishes the three worlds, Who pleases Shankara, Who removes sins, Who inhabits the sound of AUM, Whose wrath befalls the progeny of the demons Danu and Diti, Who destroys those drunk on the evil intoxicant of pride, Who is Daughter of the Ocean! Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair! ayi jagadamba madamba kadambavanapriyavaasini haasarate || shikharishiromaNi tungahimaalaya shringanijaalaya madhyagate || madhumadhure madhukaitabhaganjini kaitabhabhanjini raasarate || jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || Oh, Mother of the World, my Mother, Who loves Her Kadamba tree forest, Who is always smiling, Whose dwelling is in the tallest peaks of the Himalayas, the greatest of all mountain chains, Who is so very sweet, Who keeps the treasures of Madhu and Kaitabha, Who slayed Kaitabha, Who is ever dancing,Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair! ayi shatakhaNda vikhaNditaruNda vituNditashuNda gajaadhipate || ripugajagaNda vidaaraNachaNda paraakramashuNda mrigaadhipate || nijabhujadaNda nipaatitakhaNda vipatitamuNda bhataadhipate || jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || Who splinters demons' heads into hundreds of shards, Who severs the trunks of their great battle elephants, Whose great Lion mount exhibits terrifying valor, as he tears apart the temples of the enemy's elephants Who shatters the skulls of enemy chieftains with the strength of her own arms,  Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair! ayi raNadurmadashatruvadhodita durdharanirjara shaktibhrute || chaturavicharadhuriiNamahasiva dutakrita pramathaadhipate || duritaduriihaduraashayadurmati daanavaduta krutaantamate || jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || Oh, it is You Who possesses the invinceable force that vanquishes hard-to-subdue enemies in battle Who promoted Pramatha, the great attendant of Shiva, a master of subtle thinking, to be Her general in battle, Who destroyed the messengers of the demons, who were sinful, with evil intention in their thoughts and minds,Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair! ayi sharaNaagata vairivadhoovara viiravaraabhayadaayakare || tribhuvanamastaka shoolavirodhishiirodhikritaamala shoolakare || dumidumitaamara dundubhinaada mahomukhariikrita tigmakare || jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || Oh, it is You Who gives protection to the wives of heroic enemy warriors when they seek refuge; Who aims a flawless spear at the head of the demon who causes great pain in all the three worlds, Who burns like a blazing hot sun, inflamed by the resounding din of the war-drums of the Gods, Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair! ayi nijahunkriti maatraniraakrita dhoomravilochana dhoomrashate || samravishoshita shoNitabeeja samudbhavashoNita biijalate || shivashivashumbhani shumbhamahaahavatarpita bhutapishaacharate || jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || Oh, it is You Who, with a single roar, disperses the streams of smoke flowing from the eyes of advancing demons, Who thrives like a vine on the blood that falls on the battleground, Who delights alike in the company of the auspicious Shiva, inauspicious Shumbha and Nishumbha, and the ghoulish spirits who feed on the battle carnage, Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair! dhanuranusangaraNakshaNasanga parishphuradanga naTatkaTake || kanakapishanga prishatkanishanga rasadbhatasringa hataabaTuke || krutachaturanga balakshitiranga ghatadbahuranga raTadbaTuke || jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || Who decks Her tender limbs with fine dancing ornaments at the moment of battle, as She readies Her bow, Who slays huge enemy soldiers with Her shining sword and arrows from Her golden-brown quiver, Who plays with the vast enemy forces arrayed on the battlefield as if they were screaming toy soldiers, Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair! jaya jaya japyajaye jayashabda parastutitatatpara vishvanute || jhaNa jhaNa jhinjhimijhinkritanoopura sinjitamohita bhootapate || natita nataardhanatiinatanaayaka naatitanaatyasugaanarate || jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || Victory to You! Victory to You! Whose victory need be sung and praised by all the Universe, Who attracts Shiva's attention with the tinkling of Her bells and ornaments as She dances Who delights in Her own beautiful singing, and Her dance in the form of Ardhanari, Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair! ayi sumanah sumanah sumanah sumanoharakaantiyute || shrita rajanii rajanii rajanii rajanii rajaniikaravakravrute || sunayanavibhra marabhra marabhra marabhra marabhra maraadhipate|| jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || Oh, it is You Whose flowerlike complexion attracts all good-hearted souls, [The meaning of the middle two lines is unclear],Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair! sahitamahaahava mallamatallika mallitarallaka mallarate || virachitavallika pallikamallika shrillikabhillika vargavrute || sita kruta phullisamullasitaakruNtallaja pallavasallalite || jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || [The meaning of this verse is unclear.]Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair! aviralagaNda galanmadamedura mattamatangajaraajapate || tribhuvana bhooshaNa bhootakalaanidhi roopapayonidhiraajasute || ayi sudatiijanalaalasamaanasa mohanamanmatharaajasute || jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || Who effortlessly steers huge royal elephants in their fury, musk streaming in rivers down their temples, Oh Great Princess, Daughter of the Ocean, Who has the beauty of the Moon, Who is Ornament of the triple world, Princess of Love, whose beautiful smile enchants the minds of those entrapped by desire,Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair! kamaladalaamalakomala kaantikalaakalitaamala bhaalatale || sakalavilaasakalaanilayakrama kelichalatkala hamsakule || alikulasankula kuvalayamaNdala maulimiladbakulaalikule || jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || Whose flawless forehead displays Her beautiful complexion, pure and delicate like lotus petals, Whose flocks of swans follow Her with the fluid grace that is the mark of all beautiful arts, Whose swarms of bees sail down from the bakula trees to light with other bees atop the lotus flowers, Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair! karamuraliirava viijita koojita lajjita kokila manjumate || militapulinda manoharagunjita ranjitashailanikunjagate || nijaguNabhoota mahaashabariigaNa sadguNasambhruta kelitale || jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || Who so sweetly plays Her flute that its music puts the Kokila bird to shame, Who always has sweet thoughts, Who dwells in colorful mountain groves that echo pleasantly with the bustle of mountain folk, Whose playground is filled with breathtaking tribal women, who are manifestations of Her own great qualities, Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair! katitatapiitadukoolavichitra mayookhatiraskrita chandraruche|| praNatasuraasura maulimaNisphuradamshulasannakha chandraruche|| jitakanakaachala maulipadorjita nirbharakunjara kumbhakuche || jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || Who outshines the brilliance of the moon with the colorful rays flashing from the yellow silks around Her waist, Whose toenails shine like the moon as well, reflecting the crest jewels of the gods and demons who bow at Her feet, Whose breasts outshine the temples of wild elephants and the high peaks of golden mountains, Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair! vijitasahasra karaikasahasra karaikasahasra karaikanute || krutasurataaraka sangarataaraka sangarataaraka soonusute || surathasamaadhi samaanasamaadhi samaadhi samaadhi sujaatarate || jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || Who surpasses the thousand-rayed sun with the brilliance of Her own thousand hands, and Who is in turn praised by a thousand suns, Who does battle to save the Gods, and Whose sons fought the demon Taraka and are Saviors, [Meaning unclear], Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair! padakamalam karuNaanilaye varivasyati yonudinam sashive || ayi kamale kamalaanilaye kamalaanilayah sakatham na bhavet || tava padameva param padamityanushiilayato mama kim na shive || jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || Oh Benevolent Goddess, accompanied by Shiva, when one daily cherishes Your lotuslike feet, Then, Oh lotus-dwelling Lakshmi, how will one not become wealthy? Oh Auspicious Goddess, what riches will not be mine, if I earnestly believe that Your feet are the highest goal to be achieved? Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair! kanakalasatkala sindhujalairanusinchinute guNarangabhuvam || bhajati sa kim na sachikuchakumbha tatiiparirambha sukhaanubhavam || tava charaNam sharaNam karavaaNi nataamaravaaNi nivaasisivam || jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || If one bathes You, the playground of virtues, in the shining golden waters of the ocean, Will one not experience in Heaven the joy, equal to that of Indra, of embracing the full bosom of Sachi? Oh Goddess worshipped by the Gods Themselves, I take refuge at Your feet, which are also the abode of Shiva.Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair! tava vimalendukulam vadanendum alam sakalam nanu koolayate || kimu puruhoota puriindumukhiisumukhiibhirasau vimukhiikriyate || mama tu matam sivanaamadhane bhavatii kripayaa kimuta kriyate || jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || When one sufficiently dedicates oneself to Your entire moonlike visage, brighter than a host of perfect moons, How will one be turned away in heaven by the moon-visaged beauties of the city of Indra? [Meaning unclear], Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair! ayi mayi diinadayaalutayaa krupayaiva tvayaa bhavitavyamume || ayi jagato jananii krupayaasi yathaasi tathanumitaasitare || yaduchitamatra bhavatyurariikrutaadurutaapa mapaakrurute || jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || Oh Uma, please look kindly upon me, because of your virtue of compassion toward the meek, [Meaning unclear], But you may do as You wish with me, Oh You who removes the pain of Her devotees. Victory, victory to You, Oh Slayer of the Buffalo Demon! Victory, Daughter of the Himalayas, with beautifully plaited hair!  Translated by Devi Bhakta

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.

Book 5/Chapter 5/1:57

On the defeat of the Dânava forces of Mahisa

1-6.  Vyâsa said :-- The thousand eyed Indra, hearing this, again asked to Brihaspati that he would make preparations for war against Mahisâsura.  Without effort kingdoms are not attained; no - nor happiness, nor fame, nor anything; those who are weak, they extol effortlessness; but the powerful never praise that.  Knowledge is the ornament of the ascetics and contentment is the ornament of the Brâhmanas; but those who desire lordship over powers, effort and prowess to destroy one's enemies are their excellent ornaments.  O Muni!  I will kill this Mahisâsura by my heroism as I had, of old, destroyed Vritra, Namuchi and Balâsura.  You are the Deva Guru; therefore you and my thunderbolt are my strength.  The immortal Hari and Hara also will help me in this.  O Guru!  Preserver of my honour and prestige!  Now recite the mantras calculated to remove all the obstacles towards my victory.  I, too, am making preparations and raising up my own forces to wage up war against that Dânava Mahisa.

7-13.  Vyâsa said :-- On hearing Indra's words, Brihaspati smiled and said “O Lord of the Devas!  I see you are bent on fight.  I will neither stimulate you to fight nor shall I make you desist from the purpose.  The issue is doubtful.  There may be defeat or there may be victory.  O Lord of S'achî!  You are not to blame at all in this matter; what is written in the Book of Fate will come to pass, be it victory or defeat.  I am not aware of the future in this respect.  O Child!  You know already what an amount of suffering I had to endure in times gone by when my wife had been stolen.  O Destroyer of the enemies!  My wife had been stolen by Moon who turned out my enemy; living in my stage of an householder I was put to all sort of miseries, deprived of all my happiness.  O Lord of the Suras!  I am renowned in all the worlds as a man of much wisdom and intelligence.  Where then was my intelligence, when Moon carried away, perforce, my wife.  O Lord of the Suras!  To my mind, the success or failure depends entirely on destiny; yet intelligent ones should always resort to efforts and be energetic.

14-17.  Vyâsa said :-- O King!  On hearing the words of Brihaspati, pregnant with truth, Indra went with him to Brahmâ, took his refuge and saluting him said :-- O Grand Sire!  The Dânava is collecting a big army, and wants to conquer and take possession of the Heavens.  All the other Dânavas have enrolled themselves in the list of his army; they are eager to fight and they are all very powerful and skilled in arts of warfare.  I am therefore very afraid and have come to you.  You know everything; please help me in this matter.

18-20.  Brahmâ said :-- We all will go today to the Mount Kailâs’a and take S'ankara with us and go to Visnu.  There all the Devas, assembled, will hold a council and consider the time and place, when it will be settled whether it is proper or not to fight.  For one who dares to do any act without considering one's strength and without any judgment, certainly courts his own downfall.

21-35.  Vyâsa said :-- O King!  Hearing this, Indra with the other Lokâpalas and Devas, headed by Brahmâ, went to Kailâs'â.  Then they came to S'ankara and sang vedic hymns to him.  Mahes'vara became very much pleased and they taking Him went to Vaikuntha, the abode of Visnu.  Indra saluted Visnu and sang hymns to him, and told him about his errand thus :--

“Mahisa has become very haughty on account of the favour bestowed on him and therefore we are very afraid (and therefore ask your help to relieve us from this danger).” Visnu, then, hearing the cause of fear, told them :-- “We all will fight and kill that Demon.

” Vyâsa said :--O king!  Thus settling the question, Brahmâ, Visnu, and Hari and Indra and the other Devas riding on their own Vâhanas (means of conveyance) respectively dispersed.  While Brahmâ on his vehicle Swan, Visnu on his Garuda, S'ankara on his Bull, Indra on his elephant Airâvata, Kârtika on his peacock, and Yama, the god of death on his Vâhana, the Buffalo, were on the point of going with the other Deva forces, the army of the Dânava Mahisa met them on their way, all fully equipped with arms and weapons.  A dreadful fight then ensued between the Devas and the Dânavas.  Arrows, axes, Prâsas, Musalas (clubs), Paras'us (pick axes), Gadâs (clubs), Pattis'as, S'ûlas (tridents), chakras (discus) S'akti (weapons), Tomaras, Mudgaras, Bhindipâlas, Lângalas, and various other deadly weapons appeared on the scenes with which they fought against one another.  The Commander-in-Chief of Mahisa, the very powerful Chiksura, shot five sharp arrows at Indra.  The ever-ready and light-handed Indra too, with his arrows cut off all of them and struck at his heart heavily with his Ardhachandra (half moon) arrow.  The Commander-in-Chief, struck by this arrow fell senseless on the back of his elephant.  Indra, then struck the trunk of the elephant with his Vajra (thunderbolt); the elephant then severely struck with the Vajra fled away into the Dânava's forces.

The Lord of the Dânavas seeing this, got very angry and addressed the general Vidâla “O Hero!  You are very powerful; go then and kill first that haughty Indra; then kill Varuna and other Devas and come back to me.”

36-57.  Vyâsa said :-- The very powerful Asura Vidâla, on receiving the order came up  at once to Indra, mounted on a very furious elephant.  Seeing him coming, Vâsava shot at him angrily with very terrible and most powerful arrows that looked like deadly snakes.  But the Demon, too, out off those arrows at once with his excellent arrows and quickly shot at Vâsava fifty arrows, sharpened on stones.  Indra cut off all those and, being infuriated, shot again sharp deadly serpent-like arrows at him, and cutting off again all his enemies' arrows by arrows discharged from his bow, struck the elephant's trunk with his Gadâ (club).  The elephant, being thus struck on his head, cried aloud in a distressed tone and being afraid turned back, thus killing the Dânava forces as he fled away.  The general Vidâla, seeing the elephant fleeing away from the battle-field, mounted on a beautiful chariot and instantly appeared before the Devas to fight with them.  Seeing the Dânava coming again on a chariot, Indra shot at him sharp arrows

after arrows like venomous snakes.  The powerful Dânava, too, infuriated hurled at him terrible arrows; then a sharp conflict ensued between Vâsava and the Dânava.  Finding the Dânava powerful, Vâsava's senses were confounded with anger; he then took his son Jayanta before him and began to fight.  Jayanta stretched his bow tight and shot at the breast of the Dânava swelled with pride, five sharp arrows with his full strength.  Thus shot at by the network of arrows, the Dânava fell unconscious on the chariot; the charioteer then fled away with his chariot from the battle-field.

Thus on the Dânava Vidâla becoming unconscious and being taken away from the field, the Dunduvis (drums) of the Devas were resounded and great acclamations of “Victory to the Devas” were heard.  The Devas were very glad and sounded hymns before Indra; the Gandarbhas began to sing and the Apsarâs began to dance.  O king!  Hearing the loud acclamations of victory to the Devas, Mahisa became very angry and ordered the Dânava Tâmra, the destroyer of enemy's pride, to go to the battle-field.  Tâmra appeared in the battle, and, coming face to face with many Deva warrior, hurled on them showers of arrows.  Varuna appeared with his Pâs'a weapon and Yama, mounted on his buffalo, appeared with his Danda (staff).  A terrible fight then ensued between the Devas and Dânavas and the weapons, arrows, axes, Musalas, S'aktis and Paras'us glittered in the fields.  Yama raising his Danda with his hands struck at Tâmra; but the powerful Tâmra, though severely struck, was not at all moved and remained firm in his place in the field.  On the other hand Tâmra, violently drawing his bow, hurled a mass of sharp arrows at Indra and the other Devas.  The Devas got angry and shot at the Dânava multitudes of divine arrows sharpened on stone, and frequently called aloud “Wait, wait.” The Dânava Tâmra thus shot at by the arrows of the Devas, fell unconscious in the battle-field; the Dânava forces got afraid and a cry of universal consternation and distress arose.

Here ends the Fifth Chapter of the Fifth Skandha on the defeat of the Dânava forces of Mahisa in the Mâhâpurânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses.

Source:  Translation of The Srimad Devi Bhagvatam by Swami Vijnanananda