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 27/1:55
On the virgins fit to be worshipped and the Glory of the Devi
1. Vyâsa
said :-- O king! Those Kumârîs, who are
defective in limbs, who are lepers, who are filled with sores and ulcers over
their bodies, whose bodies emit offensive smell or whose bodies are polluted,
or those who are
of a bad family are never to be accepted for worship in the
Navarâtra ceremony festival.
2-3. Those
who are born blind, who are squint-eyed, who are blind of one eye, of disgraceful
appearance, whose bodies are overgrown with hairs, or who are diseased or who
are in their menstruation or in any other signs, indicating thus their
passionate youthful tendencies, or those who are very lean and thin, or born of
widows, or of women unmarried are always to be avoided in this Pûjâ.
4. O king! It is only the healthy, graceful, beautiful,
without any ulcers, and who are not bastards, those virgins are to be selected
for the Kumârî Pûjâ.
5. In all
the cases, the Kumârîs, born of the Brâhmin families, can be taken; when victory
is desired, the Kumârîs of the Kshattriya families are preferred; when profit
is wanted, the Vais’ya Kumârîs and, when general welfare is wanted, the S’ûdra
Kumârîs are to be taken.
6-7. O king! In the Navarâtri Pûjâ, the Brâhmins should
select for worship the Brâhmin Kumârîs; Kshattriyas, Brâhmin or Kshattriya; the
Vais’ya worshippers can select for worship Brâhmin, Kshattriya, or Vais’ya
Kumârîs. And the S’ûdra worshippers can select,
for worship, any of the four classes. But
artists and artisans should select for worship the Kumârîs from their own
families and tribes respectively.
8. If
persons become unable to worship on all the days, then it is advised that they should
perform the special worship on the eighth day (Astamî tithi).
9-10. In
ancient times, on the eighth day, Bhadra Kâli Goddess, the destroyer of the sacrifice,
started by Daksa, appeared on that day in hideous forms, surrounded by hundreds
and lakhs of Yoginîs (one of a class of sixty goddesses or female attendants on
Kâli). Therefore one should worship in
particular on the eighth day with scents, garlands, and pastes and various
offerings.
11. On this
day, Pâyasa (a food prepared of rice, milk and sugar), and fresh fish are to be
specially offered to the Deity. The Homa
ceremonies, feasting of the Brâhmins, and the worship of the Mother Goddess are
done with various offerings, the fruits and flowers, and in good quantities.
12. O king! Those who are unable to observe the fasting
in this Navarâtra Pûjâ, will reap the same fruits, if they observe fasting for
the three days only the Saptamî, the Astamî, and the Navamî tithis.
13. On the
seventh, eighth, and ninth days, in these three tithis (lunar days) if one worships
with devotion, one will acquire all the merits.
14. When the Devî’s
worship, Homa, Kumârî worship and the feasting of the
Brâhmanas, all these are done, know that the Navarâtri Pûjâ is
completed.
15. O
Janamejaya! No worship or vow or
charitable gifts extant in this world, can be compared, as regards their
meritorious effects, with this Navarâtra Pûjâ.
16. On
observing this Navarâtram Vrata, one gets riches, crops, sons and grandsons, prosperity
and happiness, longevity, health and heaven and even the final beatitude.
17. Those
who are desirous of learning, riches, or sons will get them all if they perform
this most auspicious Navarâtra ceremony, able to confer fortunes on the
devotees.
18. On the
performance of this sacrifice, those who want learning get all the learning; and
he, who is deprived of his kingdom will get back all his kingdoms.
19. Those
who did not, in their previous births, perform this meritorious vow, they become
diseased, poor and devoid of sons in their present births.
20. Those
women that are barren, or widows or devoid of sons, infer that they never, in their
previous births, performed this sacrifice.
21. Those
who have not performed the Navarâtra ceremony, how can they acquire riches in
this world and acquire happiness and peace in the next?
22. He who
has worshipped the Goddess Bhagavatî Bhavânî Devî with young leaves of the Bel
tree, besmeared with red sandal paste, it is he that will undoubtedly become
the king in this world.
23. That man
who has failed to worship the Goddess of the whole universe, Who fructifies all
the pursuits of human life, Who destroys all the troubles, pains and miseries,
Who is all suspicious Bhagavatî Bhavânî, that fellow is sure to pass his days in
this world, wretched, impoverished, and surrounded by his enemies on all sides.
24. When
Hari, Hara, Brahmâ, Indra, Fire, Varuna, Kuvera, and the Sun when all these possessing
all the wealth and powers and filled with the highest felicities, when they meditate
constantly the Goddess of the universe, Who is All Existence Intelligence, and Bliss,
then what to speak of the human beings! How
is it that persons do not worship that Chandikâ Devî, the One that leads all
human pursuits to success!
25-26. Why
should not the people worship the Goddess Bhavânî, the bestower of all happiness,
whose other names are Svahâ and Svadhâ, the mantrams under whose intrinsic energies
the Devas and the Pitris always get satisfied, and which are recited by all the
Munis when they chant in every sacrifice the Vedic mantrams? Under Whose Will power Brahmâ the Creator,
creates all this Universe? Under Whose
energy, the Visnu Janâradan, the Deva of the Devas, incarnates in this earth in
various forms and preserves this world, and under Whose power, S’ankara
destroys this whole Universe?
27. No body,
in this whole universe, can have his existence without having recourse to that
Prakriti Devî, the S’akti incarnate; be he a Devî, a human being or a bird, or
a serpent, Gandharva, Râkhsasa, Pis’âcha, a mountain or a tree, he cannot move
even of his own accord, without the help of this Force.
28. Therefore,
why should not anybody worship that Chandikâ Devî, the Awarder of all desires
and wealth? And how is it, that a man
desiring one of the 4 objects of human pursuits, Dharma, wealth, desires, and
the final beatitude, observes not the vow regarding that Deity.
29. So much
so, that even a man who has committed a heinous offence, five such are enumerated,
viz. (1) killing a Brâhman, (2) drinking
liquor, (3) stealing gold, (4) adultery with the wife of a spiritual guide (5)
associating with any such person, if he performs the Navarâtra vow, he will be
absolved entirely from all such sins; there is no doubt in this.
30. O king! Once on a time there lived in the country of
Kosala, a trader, poor and miserable, having under him many relations and
dependants in his family, whose provisions he had to provide.
31. He had
many sons and daughters; when they were very hungry and distressed, then they
used to get a little food and that in the evening, only once in twenty-four
hours.
32. That
trader, too, worked under another, the whole day; and when it was evening, he used
also to take his meals. Thus, being very
much anxious and distressed, he maintained somehow or other his family members
(that are to be maintained).
33-34. This
trader was of a quiet temper, of a good conduct, truthful, always ready to act
religiously, devoid of anger, steady and contented, void of vanity and
jealousy; daily he used to worship the Devas, Pitris, and the guests and used
to take his meals after all his family members had taken their meals.
35-36. Thus
many days passed away when that good trader, named Sus’îla, being very much
perplexed with poverty and hunger, asked a quiet tempered Brâhmin “O Bhûdeva! (deva incarnate on the earth) kindly tell me
positively how this state of poverty can be got rid off!
37. O holy
minded! Kindly advise me such as
preserves my honour; I do not want wealth, nor do I like to be a rich man; O
Brâhmin! I want just enough to meet with
the expenses, incurred in maintaining my family; please advise so that I may be
able to earn this much only.
38. I have
many sons; I have not got any food, sufficient enough to give them even a handful
of rice.
39. Alas! My youngest son was crying today for food; I
have driven him out of the house by chastising him. O Brâhmin!
What am I do? I have got no
wealth; my heart is burning with grief and sorrow; my baby has gone out of the
house, weeping and hungry.
40. My
daughter has come to a marriageable age; I have no money. Her age has exceeded ten years; the
marriageable age limit has been exceeded.
Alas! What am I to do?
41-42. O
Brâhmin! I am expressing my sorrow for
all that. You are merciful, and
allknowing; tell me any means, be it asceticism, gifts, vow, or the reciting of
any mantrams by which I can maintain my family; I want wealth just sufficient
for that purpose and nothing more.
43. O high
minded one! Kindly devise and tell me
some means by which my family members become happy in this world.”
44-46. Vyâsa
said :-- The Brâhmin that used to practice vows when thus asked by the trader
told him gladly “O trader! Do now the
Navarâtri vow, the most auspicious, and worship the Bhagavatî, perform Homa,
and feast the Brâhmins. Have the Vedas
and Purânas recited and recite then slowly the S’akti mantram and try, as much
as you can, to do other concomitant ceremonies; and your desires will thus be
undoubtedly fulfilled.
47. There is
no other vow superior to this in this world; this vow is very holy and will bring
unto you happiness.
48. This vow
leads to wisdom and liberation; destroys enemies and increases posterity and
prosperity.
49. In
former days, S’rî Râma Chandra suffered very much owing to his being deprived of
his kingdom; and, then on account of his wife being stolen away. Subsequently he performed this Navarâtra vow
in Kiskindhyâ, his heart being heavily laden with grief.
50. Though
troubled very much, on account of the bereavement of Sîtâ, still Râma Chandra
observed the Vow of Navarâtra and worshipped the Goddess according to the prescribed
rules and rites.
51-52. As a
fruit of this worship he was able to bridge the great ocean and kill the giant Kumbha
Karna, Meghanâda, the Râvana’s son, and Râvana, the king of Lanka; and subsequently
he was able to recover his Sîtâ. He installed
Vibhîsana on the throne of Lanka (Ceylon) and at last returned to Ayodhyâ and
reigned there without any enemies.
53. O best
of the Vais’yas! Râma Chandra, of
incomparable prowess, was able to obtain happiness in this world on account of
the influence of this Navarâtra ceremony.
54-55. Vyâsa
said :-- O king! That Vais’ya, hearing
thus the Brâhmin’s words, made him his Guru, was initiated by him in the seed
mantra of Mâyâ and ceaselessly, without any laziness, recited slowly the
mantram for nine nights and worshipped the Devî, with great caution and with
various offerings. Thus for nine
consecutive years he devoted himself to the Japam (reciting slowly) of the seed
mantra of Mâyâ till, at last, when the ninth year was completed, the Great
Goddess appeared distinctly before his eyes on the night of the great Astamî
tithi (the eighth day of the bright half) and gave him various boons and
delivered the Vais’ya from poverty and bestowed on him wealth and his other
desired things.
Here ends the 27th Chapter on the virgins fit to be worshipped and
the Glory of the Devî in the Mahâ Purânam S’rîmad Devî Bhâgavatam by Maharsi
Veda Vyâsa in the Third Adhyâya.
Source: Translation of The Srimad Devi Bhagvatam by Swami Vijnanananda
