Devi Bhagvatam 5:10:1:66

You art the substratum of all luminaries

1. 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.

1. 
   
   Book 5/Chapter 10/1:66
   On the messenger’s news to Mahisa

1-16.  Vyâsa said :-- The Mahâ Mâyâ, that Excellent Lady, hearing thus the words of the prime minister of Mahisa, laughed and spoke with a voice, deep like that of a cloud, thus :-- O Minister-in-chief!  Know Me as the Mother of the gods; my name is MahâLaksmî.  It is I that destroy all the Daityas.  I am requested by all the Devas to kill Dânava Mahisa; they have been oppressed and deprived of their share of Yajña offerings.  Therefore I have come here today alone, without any army to take away his life.  

O Good One!  I am pleased with your sweet words of welcome, in showing me marks of respect.  Had you not behaved thus, I would have certainly burnt you to ashes by my fiery sight, which is the universal conflagration at the break up of the world.  O Minister!  Who is there that gets not pleased with sweet words! 

Go you to Mahisa and speak to him the following words of mine “O Villain!  Go down to Pâtâla (the nether regions) at once if you have any desire to live.  Otherwise, I will slay you, the wicked one, in the battle-field; you will have to go to the house of Death, pierced by my mass of arrows.

O Stupid One!  Know that this is merely kindness shown unto you, that I have told you to go soon to Pâtâla and that the Devas get possession of their Heaven, with no delay.  

O One of weak intellect!  Therefore dost Thou leave possession of this sea-girt earth and go alone without any delay to Pâtâla, before my arrows are shot at you.  O Asura!  Or if you desire to fight, then come at once with your powerful warriors; I will destroy all of them.

O One of dull intellect!  I will kill you in battle, just as I killed before in yugas after yugas countless Asuras like you.  O Passionate creature!  Better shew that your efforts in holding weapons have been crowned with success by your being engaged in battle against Me; otherwise they will all be useless.

O Stupid!  You thought that you would be vulnerable alone to women hence you oppressed the Devas entitled to worship; O wicked one!  No longer show your pride on the strength of your getting the boon from Brahmâ, that you would be vulnerable only to the females.  Thinking it advisable to observe the words of the Creator, I have assumed this incomparable Eternal Female appearance and I have come here to slay you, O wicked one!  O stupid one!  If you have any desire for your life, then quit this Heaven and go to Pâtâla, infested with snakes, or anywhere else you like.”

17-28.  Vyâsa said :-- Hearing these words of the Devî, that minister, surrounded by forces, replied in reasonable words thus :-- “O Devî!  You are speaking in words befitting a woman and puffed up with pride.  You are a woman; the lord of the Daityas is a hero; how can a battle be engaged between you two.  It seems to me impossible.  Your body is delicate, a girl in full youth; especially you are alone and Mahisa is of huge body and powerful; so the fight comes next to impossibility.  He has elephants, horses, chariots, infantry, etc., and countless soldiers all armed with weapons.  

Therefore, O Beautiful One!  He will find no difficulty in killing you in battle as an elephant finds no difficulty in treading over the Mâlati flowers.  Rather, if I utter anything harsh to you, that would go against the sentiment of love, with you; therefore I cannot speak rudely to you out of my fear not to interrupt the above feeling.  True, that our king is an enemy of the gods; but be has become extremely devoted to you.  Therefore it is wise to speak words full of conciliation or generosity.  Were it otherwise, I would have shot arrows at you and would have killed you in as much as you have thus boasted in vain and spoken so dire a falsehood, resting merely on the strength of your youthful pride and cleverness.

My master has become fascinated on hearing your extraordinary beauty hardly to be seen in this world; it therefore behoves me to speak sweet words to you for the sake of pleasing my master.  O Large-eyed!  This kingdom and the wealth thereof are all yours; in fact, Mahisa will be your obedient servant; therefore, better forsake your anger, leading to your death; and cultivate friendship with him.

O Sweet Smiling One!  I am falling at your feet; you better go to him and become at once queen-consort.  O Handsome Woman!  No sooner you become the queen of Mahisa than you will get at once all the pure wealth of the three worlds and the unbounding happiness of this world.”

29-45.  The Devî said :-- “Minister!  I now speak what is pregnant with goodness and wisdom to you, according to the rules of the S'âstras, keeping in view also the

cleverness that you have shown in using your words.  Now I come to understand  from your talk, that you are the chief secretary of Mahisa; and therefore your nature and intelligence are like those of a beast.  And how can he be intelligent, whose ministership is occupied by a man of your nature!

Nature has ordained connection between two persons of like nature.  O Stupid One!  Did you think a little beforehand the meaning of your words when you told me of my feminine nature?  Though I am not apparently a man, yet my nature is that of the Highest Purusa (Man); I shew myself simply in a feminine form.

Your master asked before from Brahmâ that he would prefer death, if possible, at the hands of a woman ; therefore, I consider him quite illiterate and ignorant of the sentiment, worthy of a hero.  Because to die at the hands of a woman is very painful to one who is a hero; and this is gladly welcome to one who is a hermaphrodite.  Now see that your master Mahisa has shown his intelligence, when he courted his death from the hands of a woman.

For that very reason, I have come here in the shape of a woman to effect my purpose; why shall I fear, then, to hear your words, contradictory to those of the S'âstras.  When Fate goes against any one, a grass comes like a thunderbolt; and when fate goes in favour of anyone, a thunderbolt becomes as soft as a bundle of cotton.

What does it avail even when one possesses an extensive army or various weapons in abundance, taking shelter in a wide extending fort?  What will his soldiers do to him, whose death has come close at hand?  Whenever, in due time, the connection of the Jîva (the human soul) with this body is brought about, then his pleasures, pains and death are written. 

Know this as certain, very certain, that death will come to him in the manner as written by the hands of Fate; it will never be otherwise.  As the birth and death of Brahmâ and other gods are ordained, your death has been similarly ordained; no, there is no need of taking the example further than this.  Those who are tied up by the hands of death are surely fools and of extremely blunt intellect, if they think simply on the strength of their getting some boons “that they would never die.” 

Therefore go quickly to your king and speak to him what I have said; you will then surely obey what he commands you to do.  If he wants his life, he, with his retinue, would at once go down to Pâtâla; let Indra and the other Devas get possession of the Heavens and their share of Yajñas.  If he holds a contrary opinion, let him be eager to go to the house of Death and come and fight with Me.  If he thinks that Visnu and the other Devas have fled from the battle-fields, he has nothing to boast of; for he has not shewn his manliness at all even then; for his victory is solely due to his having got the boon from Brahmâ.”

46-52.  Vyâsa said :-- Hearing these words of the Devî, the Dânava began to think

whether I ought to fight or to go to Mahisa?  The King has become very enamoured and has sent me hither to negotiate for marriage; how then will I be able to go to him if I make this affair unpleasant and interrupted in the middle in its course of harmony.  Now it is wise for me to go to the King without fighting; let me then go as early as possible in this way and inform him about this whole affair.  The King is exceptionally intelligent and experienced; he will consult with his other experienced ministers and do what is best.  Therefore I ought not to fight here rashly; for victory or defeat would alike be distasteful to my monarch.  Whether this Lady kills me, or I kill this Lady, the king will be angry in either case.  I will therefore go now to the king and tell him what the Devî has said; he will do whatever he likes.

53-66.  Vyâsa said :-- Thus that intelligent son of the minister argued and went to the king.  Then, bowing down before him, he began to say thus :-- O King!  That excellent woman, fascinating to the world, the beautiful Devî is sitting on a lion with weapons in all her eighteen hands. 

O King!  I told her “O Beautiful Lady!  Be attached to Mahisâsura; you will become, then, the queen-consort of the king, the lord of the three worlds.  You will certainly then be his queen-consort; he will pass his life, ever obedient to you like an obedient servant.

O Beautiful One!  If you choose to make Mahisa your husband, you will become fortunate amongst women and will enjoy ever all the wealth of the three worlds.” 

Hearing my these words, that large-eyed woman, puffed up with egoism, laughed a little and said thus :-- “Your king is born of a buffalo and is the worst of brutes; I will sacrifice him before the Devî for the benefit of the gods.  Is there any woman in this world so stupid as to select Mahisa as her husband?  O You stupid!  Can a woman like me ever indulge in bestial sentiments!  A female buffalo has got horns; she, being excited with passion, may select your Mahisa with horns as her husband and come to him bellowing.  I am not stupid nor like her so as to make him my husband.

O Villain!  I will fight and destroy the enemies of the gods in the battlefield.  Or if he desires to live, let him flee to Pâtâla.

O King!  Hearing those rough words uttered by Her in a moment of madness, I have come to you, thinking also how to redress this wrong.  O King!  Only I feared not to interrupt in your love sentiment; and therefore I did not fight with Her; especially, without Your command, how can I engage myself in useless excitement?

O Lord of the Earth!  That handsome woman rests maddened on Her own strength; I do not know what is in the womb of future or whatever is destined to happen, will surely come to pass.  You are the sole master in this matter; I will do whatever you order me.  The matter is very difficult to be reflected upon; whether it is better to fight or it is better to fly away, I cannot say definitely.”

Here ends the Tenth Chapter of the Fifth Skandha on the messenger's news to Mahisa, in S'rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam the Mahâ Purânam, of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.

Source:  Translation of The Srimad Devi Bhagvatam by Swami Vijnanananda