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 18/1:55
The Svayambara of S’as’ikalâ
1. Vyâsa
said :-- The King's lovely daughter was very glad on hearing the words of the Brâhmana,
and drowned herself in ecstacy of love. The
Brâhmin also departed, thinking of the whole affair.
2. The
daughter was already attached to the prince, and now she became the more merged
in love for him and became very anxious.
Now, on the departure of the Brâhmin, she felt herself struck by the
arrows of love.
3-4. Then
S’as’ikalâ, oppressed by love, addressed her dear companion, who followed her
inclinations thus :-- “O my companion! I
have not as yet had any knowledge of the king's son; still the signs of love
have sprung up in my body and mind, from the moment that I heard about him from
the Brâhmin. The love is giving me much
trouble; tell, my companion what am I to do now? and whither shall I go?
5. O dear
companion! I saw him like a second God
of Love in my dreams; and, since then, my innocent mind is being troubled with
his being away from me.
6. O fair
one! The sandal paste on my body appears
to me like a poison, this garland is like a serpent and the moon's rays seem
like a fire.
7. O
companion! My mind gets not rest
anywhere, in palaces, gardens, in lakes, in hills, at any time, during the day
or night; all the enjoyable things have assumed now contrary aspects and are
paining me.
8. The
bedding, betel leaves, music, singing, and dancing, all now fail to give me satisfaction
and peace.
9. O
companion! I would have gone to-day
where is residing that deceiver; but I fear for my father as well for the
honour of my family.
10. My
father is not yet declaring the svayamvara for my marriage. What shall I do? Had he given me in marriage to that
Sudars’an, I would have allowed him embrace me and satisfy his passions to-day!
11. O friend! look at the strange ideas of the Creator! There are hundreds of kings today who are
influential and I do not consider them beautiful; and that King's son is exiled
from his kingdom and yet he has stolen away my heart.”
12. Vyâsa
said :-- Thus that King's son, Sudars’ana, though helpless, and living in a forest
on roots and fruits, deprived of wealth, power, and army, began to reign in the
heart of that princess.
13-14. S’as’ikalâ,
too, began to recite slowly the root mantra of Sarasvatî and therefore her love
towards this prince held out signs of success.
Once engaged in meditation on that excellent root mantra on Kâma, and,
while
repeatedly reciting it mentally, he got in a dream the vision of
that Ever Full, the World Mother Ambikâ, that cannot be expressed in words, the
Vaisnavî S’akti and capable to bestow all wealth and property.
15-16. At this
time the King of Nisâdas, the lord of S’rimgaverpur came to the hermitage and
presented an excellent chariot together with all other necessary things. This chariot was drawn by four horses,
decorated with nice flags and was endowed with the prospect of getting victory
everywhere; thinking it thus a befitting present to be given to the King, he
gave it to Sudars’ana.
17. Sudars'ana,
too, accepted the offer of a friend and worshipped him well in return, with
roots and fruits of the forest.
18-19. The lord
of the Nisâdas, thus worshipped as a guest, went away. The Munis and ascetics then began to address
Sudars'ana, with fondness “O son of the king!
Don't be anxious and restless; within a very short time, you will get
your kingdom, no doubt, by your own good luck and prowess.
20. O one
attached to one’s vows! The Goddess that
enchants the whole universe, the Giver of boons, S’rî Ambikâ, has been pleased
with you; assistance is also rendered well to you; therefore do not trouble
yourself with contrary thoughts any more.”
21. The
Munis, who have taken vows, addressed Manoramâ also “Your son will soon become
the lord of the world; you need not care any more.”
22. Then the
lean and thin Manoramâ, hearing the Muni's words said “O Brâhmanas! Let your âsiss (words of benedictions) be
justified with success. What wonder that
a kingdom be obtained by the good will of the Sâdhus!
23. There is no force, no minister, no help, no property; how, under
what combinations, can then my son get kingship?
24. You are
the best of the knowers of mantrams; due to the influence of your good will, my
son will surely be a king; there is no doubt in this.”
25. Vyâsa
said :-- Wherever that intelligent Sudars'ana used to go on his chariot, there he
seemed by his own prowess, as if he were surrounded by a whole army consisting
of 109, 350 foot, 65,610 horse, 21,870 chariots and 21,870 elephants.
26. This is
the influence of the seed mantra; it is not an ordinary acquisition. It is because Sudars’ana, with gladness and
one-pointedness of his mind, meditated on his seed mantra, that he acquired the
above powers; there is no doubt in this.
27. Becoming
pure and peaceful, whoever gets this wonderul seed mantra from a true spiritual
guide and meditates on it incessantly, is destined certainly to attain all
desires.
28. O best
of kings! There is no such thing either
in the heavens above or in the worlds below, that a man won’t get, when the
Supreme Goddess becomes pleased.
29. Those
are certainly very unfortunate and of dull intellect, who cannot place their faith
on the worship of this Goddess and consequently suffer incessantly all sorts of
troubles.
30. O best
of the Kurus! At the beginning of the
creation, this Ambâ Devî was the Mother of all the Gods, and is therefore known
as the First Mother.
31. She is
practically seen in this world in the shape of Buddhi (iutellgence), Kîrti (fame),
Dhrîti (fortitude), Laksmî (Goddess of wealth), S’akti (the Force), S’raddhâ (Faith),
Mati (Intellect), Smriti (memory), etc.
32. It is
only the deluded souls that do not realise the nature of the Devî; it is only those,
whose hearts are destroyed by the glare of false argument, that do not worship this
All-auspicious Goddess of the Universe.
33-34. O king! Brahmâ, Visnu, S’ambhu, Indra, Varuna, Yama,
Vâyû, Agni, Kuvera, Vis'vakarmâ, Pûsâ, Bhaga, the two Asvins, Âdityas, Vasus,
Rudras, Vis'vedevas, Maruts, all worship the Supreme Deity of Creation,
Preservation and Dissolution.
35. Who is
there amongst tho wise that does not serve this Highest Energy? The real nature of that Auspicious Goddess,
the Bestower all desires, Sudars’ana came to know very well.
36. She is
the Real Essence, Brahmâ, very rarely realised; She is the Higher Vidyâ and the
Lower Vidyâ (Avidyâ) and She is the vital energy, the Mukhya Prâna, of the best
of the Yogis, who are desirous of liberation.
37. O king! What individual is there that is able to
realise the nature of Pramâtmâ (the Highest Universal Self) without having
recourse to Her, Who is manifesting this universal consciousness, by bringing
into existence these Sâtvik, Râjasik, and Tâmasik creations.
38. Sudars'ana,
though he dwelt in the forest, realised a greater happiness than that in obtaining
the sovereignty of a kingdom, by constantly meditating on that Goddess.
39. S’as’ikalâ,
too, being too much oppressed with the arrows of love, any how remained with
her soul in her body, having had to be always cared for her health in various
ways by her attendants.
40. Then the
king Subâhu, on coming to know that her daughter is desirous of getting her
husband, made arrangements for her Svayambara (a marriage in which the girl chooses
her husband from among a number of suitors assembled together) without any delay.
41-44. The
Svayambara of the royal family, the Pundits say, is of three kinds :--
Ist Ichchhâ Svayambara (optional);
2nd Panya Svayamvara by fulfilling a promise, e.g. Râmachandra
broke in two the bow of S’iva and married Sîtâ;
3rd the Svayambara, preferring one who will prove the strongest
hero by one’s own prowess.
Of these three kinds of Svayambaras, the king Subâhu preferred
Ichchâ Svayamvara (according to the bride's free choice).
Accordingly the king employed many artisans, had platforms covered
with beautiful carpets and big halls decorated beautifully in various ways.
45-47. Thus the
assembly hall for Svayambara built and decorated and all the necessary articles
and equipments brought thither, the fair eyed S’as’ikalâ, told her companions with
sorrow “Better go to my mother and say her privately that I have already
selected mentally my husband the beautiful Sudars'ana, the son of the king
Dhruvasandhi in my mind; I won't marry any other prince than him; the Goddess
Bhagavatî has settled him for my husband.”
48-50. Vyâsa
said, the companion of S’as’ikalâ hearing thus, went quickly to her mother
Vaidarbhî and addressed her sweetly in private “O chaste one! Your daughter, with a sorrowful heart, has
sent me to you to say the following; Please hear and do at your earliest
convenience, what is good and beneficial.” She said “There is staying in the
hermitage of Bhâradvâja, the son of the king Dhruvasandhi; I have mentally selected
him as my husband; I won't select any other prince.”
51. Vyâsa
said :-- The queen, hearing her words, told to her husband, when he returned to
the palace, all her daughter's words as she had heard them.
52-53. Hearing
this, the king Subâhu was astonished and then laughed frequently and then began
to say to his wife, the daughter of the king of Vidarbha the following true words
:-- “O fair one! That king’s son
Sudars’ana is a minor, he has been exiled to the forest; now he is helpless and
is residing with his mother in a dense forest.
54. For his
sake, the king Vîrasena was slain in battle by the king Yudhâjit. O fair eyed!
how can that helpless exiled poor boy become her husband.
55. Do say
therefore to S’as’ikalâ that, in the assembly hall for her Svayamvara, many kings
commanding honour and respect would be present.
She would then choose whomever she likes. She need not repeat such words any more.”
Thus ends the Eighteenth Chapter of the 3rd Skandha about the
Svayambara of S’as’ikalâ, the daughter of the king Kâsirâja in the Mahâ Purânam
S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000
verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
Source: Translation of The Srimad Devi Bhagvatam by Swami Vijnanananda
