An exceedingly fiery mass like a flaming mountain
Did the Gods see, filling the firmament with flames.
That peerless splendor, born from the bodies of all the Gods,
Unifying and pervading the triple world with its lustre, became a Woman.
(Devi Mahatmyam, 2.11-12.)
Did the Gods see, filling the firmament with flames.
That peerless splendor, born from the bodies of all the Gods,
Unifying and pervading the triple world with its lustre, became a Woman.
(Devi Mahatmyam, 2.11-12.)
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 4/1:51
On the War counsels given by Indra
1-17. Vyâsa said :-- O King! The messenger of the Dânavas having departed,
Indra, the lord of the Devas, Yama, Vâyu, Varuna, and Kuvera and other Devas,
called an assembly and addressed thus :-- O Devas! the most powerful Mahisa, the son of Rambha,
is now the king of the Dânavas; he is particularly expert in hundreds of Mâyâs
(magic) and has become haughty on the strength of his boon. O Devas!
Mahisa has sent his messenger; he wants to take possession of the
heaven; he came down to me and spoke thus :--
“O Indra! Quit your this heaven and go any where you
like, or be ready to pay your homage to the high souled Mahisâsura, the Lord of
the Dânavas. The Dânava Chief never
becomes angry with his opponent who becomes submissive like a servant; if you
surrender and serve him, he will, out of mercy, grant an allowance to you. O Lord of the Devas! If this does not like you, then collect your
forces and be ready for fight; no sooner I return, the Lord of the Dânavas will
come here at once ready to give battle to you.”
Thus saying, the messenger of
that wicked Dânava departed. Now what
are we to do? O Devas! Think on that. O Devas!
Even a weak enemy is not to be overlooked by a powerful opponent,
especially when the enemy is powerful by his own powers and is ever energetic,
never is he to be overlooked. It is always
incumbent on us to make our efforts, as best as we can, both by our body and mind as far as lies
in our power; the result, victory or defeat depends entirely on Fate. It is useless to make treaty with a deceitful
and dishonest person; we therefore never should make treaty with this person;
you are all honest; that Dânava is dishonest; therefore ponder and ponder
deeply and ponder again; do you that which is proper.
It is not
advisable to go out at once for fight when we are unaware of our enemy's
strength; let us therefore send spies truthful, honest, motiveless, quick, to
ascertain their strength, those who can easily enter amongst our enemies and
yet who have no relation, nor any interest with them. The arrangements of their forces, their
movements, their numbers, they will ascertain correctly who are their generals,
what is their number and what is their strength, they will thoroughly examine
and return here quickly. First, we will ascertain
the strength of the forces of our opposite party and then we will decide at once
whether we will start for battle or seek protection within forts. Wise persons always consider before they act;
any act done rashly leads in all respects to many troubles, and anything done
after mature prejudgments leads to happiness; so the wise do. The Dânavas are all one in their heart and
mind; therefore it is not advisable, in any way to apply the principle of Bheda
(sowing principles of discord). Let our
spies go there, ascertain their strength, return and inform us; we will then
judge what principle is proper and apply to the expert Dânavas. Any act done contrary to policy and
expediency will undoubtedly produce effects contrary in every way just like a
medicine which we have not tried already.
18-22. Vyâsa said :-- O King! Thus counselling with the Devas; Indra sent
expert spies to ascertain the true state of affairs. The spies, too, went into the abode of the
Daityas, with no delay and made their searches thoroughly into every nook and
corner and returned and told Indra all the strength of the Dânava forces. Indra was very much startled to know, then,
of their arrangements. He immediately
bade all the Devas be ready for battle and called for his High priest
Brihaspati, expert in giving advices and began to consult with him how to carry
on the warfare with that indomitable enemy, the Lord of the Asuras. On Bhihaspati, the best and famous of the
Angirâ family, taking his excellent seat.
23-25. Indra thus said :-- “O
Guru of the Devas! O Learned! Please say what are we to do now in this
critical juncture? You are omniscient;
to-day you are our guide. The Demon
Mahîsa has become very powerful, very haughty; surrounded by Dânavas he is now
coming to fight with us. You are expert
in mantras; find out the remedy for us. S'ukrâchârya
is the remover of all obstacles on their side; and that you are our safe guard
is well known to us.”
26. Vyâsa said :-- Hearing
these words of Indra, Brihaspati, who is always ready to effect the Deva's
purposes, thought intently on the subject, said very shortly thus :--
27-51. Brihaspati spoke :-- O
Lord of the Devas! O Venerable One! Be peaceful; have patience; when a difficulty
comes, one should not, all on a sudden, lose one's patience. O Chief of the Immortals! Victory or defeat is completely under the
control of destiny: therefore
intelligent ones should always be patient.
O S'atakratu! What will unavoidably
be done must come to pass; knowing this as certain, one would always be an
enthusiast and exert one's powers. Everything
is guided by Fate.
Knowing this, the Munis
devote themselves at all times solely filled with energy in their meditation
and Yoga practices for their final liberation.
Therefore, to show one's energy, according to the rules of the daily practices,
ought to be indispensably done; and one should not repel or feel pleasure on failure
or success; for that is under Fate.
Success
sometimes comes without the exercise of one's own powers,
as seen in cases of the lame and the blind; and that is not the reason why one should
be very glad.
The embodied beings are
all under Daiva (Fate); therefore even if success be not attained, though one's
own powers are exercised thoroughly, no one is to blame for that. O Lord of the Suras! What to say of forces, Mantras, or advices,
what of chariots or weapons, nothing to lead to success; It is Daiva, and only
Daiva that makes one successful. This
whole universe is under Daiva; it is, therefore, that we see powerful persons
suffering pains, and weak ones getting happiness; the intelligent ones sleeping
without any food and fools enjoying merrily; distressed persons getting victory
and powerful ones suffering defeats; what cares, then ought one to entertain in
this.
O Lord of the Suras! Whatever is inevitable to come to pass, be it
success or failure, one will lead one's energies to that end; therefore one needs
to consider beforehand whether one's energies will be successful or not.
In times of distress, one sees distress too
much and in times of pleasure, one seeks pleasure too much; one's self,
therefore one should not surrender to one's enemies, pleasure and pain. Pain and suffering is not felt so much in
patience as is felt when impatient; therefore one must practise patience when
pain or pleasure comes. Indeed it is
very difficult to bear oneself up in distress or happiness; therefore wise
persons try not to let these feelings crop up at all from the very beginning. “I am always full, undiminishable, I am
beyond these Prâkritic qualities. Who is
there to suffer? What is suffering?”
Thus one ought to think at that moment. I
am beyond the twenty-four Tattvas; what pleasure or pain can, then, arise to me? Hunger and thirst are the Dharma of Prâna;
pain and insensibility is the Dharma of mind, age and death belong to this physical
body. I am free from these six diseases;
I am S’iva. Grief and delusion are the qualities of this
body what then do I care for them? “I”
am not the qualities of the body nor “I” am the soul pertaining to that. I am beyond the seven transfigurations,
changes, e. g., Mahat, etc., I am beyond
this Prakriti, Nature, and beyond the sixteen changes wrought out by Prakriti;
I am therefore eternally happy, I am beyond Prakriti and its transformation,
then why am I to suffer pain always?
O
Lord of the Suras! Think on these and be
without any passion. O S'atakratu! This attachment is the root of all miseries
and non-attachment is the source of all happiness; non-attachment therefore, is
the chief means of the extirpation of all your troubles. Lord of S'achi! Nothing can be happier than contentment.
In case you find it difficult to practise
dispassion, apply, then, discrimination and think of Fate, that what comes
inevitably to pass. O Lord of the Suras! Actions already done cannot die out without
their effects being enjoyed. O Best of
the Suras! Let all your intelligence be
brought to action, let all the Devas lend their helping hands to you; what is
inevitable must come to pass; what then can you care for your happiness or pain?
O King!
Happiness is felt for the expiation of good deeds and pain is felt for
the expiation of bad deeds; therefore wise persons get thoroughly delighted
when their punya ends.
O King! Judge and hold a council to-day; then try
your best. But what is unavoidable will
come to pass, even if you try your best.
Here ends the Fourth Chapter
of the Fifth Book on the counsels given by Indra in the Mâhâ Purânam S’rî Mad
Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
Source: Translation of The Srimad Devi Bhagvatam by Swami Vijnanananda
