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Devi-Mahatmyam
It is an English translation by Swami Jagadiswarananda of the Devi-mahatmya or Durga-Saptasati, popularly known as candi. The original text has been printed in Devanagari type with running lucid English translation. Footnotes have been added wherever necessary. The Candi is divided into 13 chapters and consists of 700 mantras and hence it is called the Saptasati. Three aspects of the Divine Mother have been depicted in the book and they are (1) Mahakali (Chapter I), (2) Mahalaksmi (Chapters II to IV) and (3)Mahasarasvati (Chapters V to XIII) and meditation on each of them has been added with English translation. The whole of Devi-Mahatmyam is chanted on sacred occasions, especially during the Durga-Puja (Navaratri).
170 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 550
37 people are currently reading
249 people want to read
About the author
Markandeya
6 books1 followerMarkandeya (Sanskrit: मार्कण्डेय) is an ancient rishi (sage) from the Hindu tradition, born in the clan of Brigu Rishi. He is celebrated as a devotee of both Shiva and Vishnu and is mentioned in a number of stories from the Puranas. The Markandeya Purana especially, comprises a dialogue between Markandeya and a sage called Jaimini and a number of chapters in the Bhagavata Purana are dedicated to his conversations and prayers. He is also mentioned in the Mahabharata. Markandeya is venerated within all mainstream Hindu traditions.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 6, 2021
I have heard the audiobook version of it. It is really beautiful to hear the translation. Of course there are few words you cannot translate properly in english apart from that it is beautiful and a must read for anyone interested in knowing more about Devi.
September 27, 2020
Devi Mahatmyam has to be one of the greatest stories ever told and this is the best translation in English so far, wonderfully fluid and lyrical yet staying true to the original. I was so impressed I produced an audiobook of it! Check out Audible or audiobook trailer: https://youtu.be/I_qbiB5AWW0
February 20, 2025
I was not familiar with the story of Chandi, or The Divine Mother, previous to reading this book. Her story is a fascinating one and I would love to hear more about it!
The audio is great because you can actually hear some of the Hindi chanting at the beginning of each chapter. It’s a very quick listen and I learned a lot. I would definitely need to listen again to remember more of her story, since so much happens.
The audio is great because you can actually hear some of the Hindi chanting at the beginning of each chapter. It’s a very quick listen and I learned a lot. I would definitely need to listen again to remember more of her story, since so much happens.
January 6, 2026
Who could have imagined that 2025 would close on so dark a note for me? Pulmonary edema confined me to a bleak cabin in a nursing home—an existence measured by IV lines, injections, tasteless food, and an oppressive solitude. In those days, my only refuge was my iPad: its books, my Kindle, and the familiar quiet comfort of my Goodreads wall. It was there, in that isolation, that I began my reading and reviewing for 2026. I was released on the sixth of January, but the shadow of that time lingers still—a memory etched deeply into my mind, unlikely to fade.
Among the many manifestations of the Divine Feminine in Hindu thought, ‘‘Mā Kālī’’ occupies a position both intimate and terrifying, maternal and annihilatory, tender and cosmic. She is not merely a goddess among others but a “principle”—a dynamic force that dissolves illusion, time, ego, and form.
In the ‘‘Devī-Māhātmyam,’’ embedded within the ‘Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa’, Kālī appears not as a marginal figure but as a ‘‘central eruption of Śakti herself’’, emerging repeatedly in moments of cosmic crisis.
Her presence fractures conventional morality, aesthetics, and ontology, demanding a re-evaluation of divinity beyond the comforting and the beautiful.
Śrī ‘‘Jagadīśvarānanda’’, in his luminous commentarial tradition, does not approach Kālī as a mythic curiosity or symbolic abstraction. Rather, he reads her as ‘‘the experiential core of Śākta realization’’—the terrifying compassion that liberates by destroying.
Through his lens, the ‘Devī-Māhātmyam’ ceases to be a mere narrative of gods and demons and becomes a ‘‘manual of spiritual confrontation’’, where Kālī is the threshold between ignorance and awakening.
This review undertakes a ‘‘comparative study of Mā Kālī as she appears in the Devī-Māhātmyam’’, juxtaposing ‘‘textual narration’’, ‘‘theological symbolism’’, and ‘‘Jagadīśvarānanda’s interpretive insights’’.
It explores her ‘‘various forms—Kālī, Cāmuṇḍā, Mahākālī, and the terrifying emanations of Durgā—’’while situating them within the broader Śākta vision of reality as ‘‘dynamic, non-dual, and compassionate in its violence’’.
The ‘‘‘Devī-Māhātmyam’’’ (also known as the ‘Caṇḍī Pāṭha’ or ‘Durgā Saptashatī’) occupies chapters 81–93 of the ‘Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa’ and consists of ‘‘700 verses’’ divided into three major episodes. Ever since our childhood days, our seniors have told us that these episodes correspond not merely to narrative progression but to ‘‘three cosmic functions’’: creation, preservation, and dissolution.
Kālī’s presence is most explicit in the ‘‘second episode’’, where she emerges during the battle between the Devī and the demons ‘‘Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa’’. Yet her influence permeates the entire text. The Devī herself declares:
“By me alone is this universe upheld; by me is this world created;
by me it is protected, O gods, and by me it is always consumed.”
This declaration destabilizes any simplistic division between benevolent and terrifying divinity. Kālī is not an aberration but the ‘‘logical consequence of a Goddess who is total’’.
Jagadīśvarānanda emphasizes that the Devī-Māhātmyam is not dualistic mythology but ‘‘advaitic Śāktism’’ expressed through dramatic form. Kālī, therefore, is not “evil-slaying violence” alone; she is ‘‘time (kāla)’’ manifest, devouring limitation.
The most iconic appearance of Kālī occurs when ‘‘Durgā’’, locked in battle with Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, becomes intensely wrathful. The text describes:
“From the surface of her brow, dark with anger,
suddenly issued forth Kālī, of terrifying countenance.”
This moment is crucial. Kālī is not an independent goddess descending from elsewhere; she is ‘‘Durgā’s anger given form’’. Yet this anger is not petty or egoic—it is ‘‘cosmic necessity’’. Jagadīśvarānanda writes that Kālī represents ‘‘the moral impatience of consciousness itself’’ when confronted with persistent ignorance.
Kālī’s physical description defies classical ideals of beauty: emaciated body, gaping mouth, lolling tongue, garland of skulls. The Devī-Māhātmyam does not soften this imagery. Instead, it revels in it:
“She devoured the armies of the enemies,
crushed them between her teeth,
and swallowed them whole.”
This devouring is not cruelty but ‘‘release’’. In Śākta metaphysics, demons symbolize ‘‘rigid ego structures’’, frozen identities that refuse transformation. Kālī’s violence is therefore ‘‘liberation through destruction’’.
After killing Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, Kālī is given the name ‘‘Cāmuṇḍā’’, a nominal transformation that signals a deeper metaphysical role. Names in the Devī-Māhātmyam are not labels but ‘‘functions’’. As Cāmuṇḍā, Kālī becomes the ‘‘specific force that annihilates arrogance and aggression’’.
Jagadīśvarānanda notes that Cāmuṇḍā is invoked not for comfort but for ‘‘spiritual surgery’’. She is called upon when gentler forms of grace have failed. This resonates deeply with the Śākta understanding that ‘‘not all souls awaken through sweetness’’; some require terror.
The Devī praises her:
“Because you have slain Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa,
You shall be renowned in the world as Cāmuṇḍā.”
Here, Kālī is integrated into the divine order rather than marginalized. Her terror is acknowledged as ‘‘essential,” not accidental.
Beyond narrative episodes, the Devī-Māhātmyam hints at a more expansive form: ‘‘Mahākālī,’’ the primordial darkness from which all forms arise. In the opening episode, when Viṣṇu sleeps upon the cosmic waters, it is ‘‘Mahākālī’’ who envelops him in yogic slumber.
Jagadīśvarānanda interprets Mahākālī as ‘‘the pre-cosmic womb,’’ the silence before sound, and the darkness before form. Unlike popular depictions of Kālī as merely fierce, Mahākālī is “ontological depth itself.”
She is described as
“She who is the cause of creation, preservation, and destruction.”
In this sense, Kālī transcends even her terrifying iconography. She is “the ground of being,” beyond good and evil, beyond form and formlessness. The skull garland becomes not a threat but a “cosmic rosary,” counting the deaths of universes.
A key comparative question arises: “Is Kālī distinct from Durgā, or merely her aspect?” The Devī-Māhātmyam refuses a simplistic answer. Kālī emerges from Durgā, yet Durgā praises and honors Kālī. This circularity dissolves hierarchy.
Jagadīśvarānanda insists that Śākta theology is ‘‘non-linear.’’ Durgā represents “structured power,” righteous order, and cosmic balance. Kālī represents ‘‘unstructured power,’’ raw truth, and cosmic honesty. Together, they form a complete divine psychology.
Where Durgā rides the lion, Kālī dances on corpses. Where Durgā wields weapons, Kālī uses her teeth. Yet both act for ‘‘dharma,’’ understood not as social morality but as ‘‘cosmic alignment.’’
Classical Sanskrit aesthetics often privilege ‘‘śṛṅgāra’’ (erotic) and ‘‘śānta’’ (peaceful) rasas. Kālī introduces a different dominant mood: ‘‘bhayānaka rasa,’’ terror. The Devī-Māhātmyam unapologetically embraces this.
However, Jagadīśvarānanda argues that Kālī’s terror is ‘‘transformative,’’ not paralyzing. It shatters false securities. The devotee who approaches Kālī must relinquish aesthetic comfort.
In this sense, Kālī represents an ‘‘anti-aesthetic aesthetic,’’ where beauty is found not in harmony but in ‘‘truthfulness.’’ Her ugliness is honesty; her violence is clarity.
Despite her fearsome form, Kālī is repeatedly addressed as ‘‘Mātā’’—Mother. This paradox lies at the heart of Śākta devotion. The Devī-Māhātmyam presents her as both terrifying and accessible, both cosmic and intimate.
Jagadīśvarānanda writes that Kālī’s motherhood is ‘‘not sentimental.’’ She does not coddle ignorance. She loves fiercely enough to destroy what harms her children—even when that harm is the child’s own ego.
This conception challenges modern notions of divine love as comfort alone. Kālī teaches that ‘‘true compassion may appear cruel.’’
When placed beside other world religious figures, Kālī stands apart. Unlike the punitive God of judgment or the nurturing Madonna, she ‘‘refuses moral simplification.’’ She embodies ‘‘process,” not personality.
Compared to Christian apocalyptic imagery, Kālī is less about final judgment and more about “continuous dissolution.” Compared to Buddhist wrathful deities, she is less symbolic and more ‘‘ontologically real’’ within her tradition.
Jagadīśvarānanda emphasizes that Kālī cannot be psychologized away. She is not merely a metaphor for inner anger or trauma. She is “Śakti itself,” manifesting according to cosmic necessity.
The Devī-Māhātmyam is not only read but also ‘‘recited,’’ often in ritual contexts. Chanting its verses is considered an encounter with the goddess herself. Kālī’s presence in the text makes this encounter ‘‘intense.’’
Jagadīśvarānanda notes that sustained recitation can evoke fear, tears, or ecstatic clarity. This is not incidental. Kālī’s energy, once invoked, ‘‘does not negotiate.’’
In the Devī-Māhātmyam, Mā Kālī emerges not as a peripheral horror but as ‘‘the indispensable core of divine action’’. She is anger purified of ego, violence purified of cruelty, and darkness purified of ignorance. Through Jagadīśvarānanda’s interpretive lens, she becomes the “ultimate teacher,” the one who strips the soul bare so that truth may stand unobstructed.
Kālī teaches that liberation is not always gentle, that love is not always soft, and that divinity is not obligated to be beautiful. She reminds us that “without destruction, there is no freedom,” and without darkness, no depth.
To encounter Kālī in the Devī-Māhātmyam is to encounter “reality without anesthesia”—and to discover, paradoxically, that such reality is the deepest form of grace.
Jai Mahakali.
Most recommended.
Among the many manifestations of the Divine Feminine in Hindu thought, ‘‘Mā Kālī’’ occupies a position both intimate and terrifying, maternal and annihilatory, tender and cosmic. She is not merely a goddess among others but a “principle”—a dynamic force that dissolves illusion, time, ego, and form.
In the ‘‘Devī-Māhātmyam,’’ embedded within the ‘Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa’, Kālī appears not as a marginal figure but as a ‘‘central eruption of Śakti herself’’, emerging repeatedly in moments of cosmic crisis.
Her presence fractures conventional morality, aesthetics, and ontology, demanding a re-evaluation of divinity beyond the comforting and the beautiful.
Śrī ‘‘Jagadīśvarānanda’’, in his luminous commentarial tradition, does not approach Kālī as a mythic curiosity or symbolic abstraction. Rather, he reads her as ‘‘the experiential core of Śākta realization’’—the terrifying compassion that liberates by destroying.
Through his lens, the ‘Devī-Māhātmyam’ ceases to be a mere narrative of gods and demons and becomes a ‘‘manual of spiritual confrontation’’, where Kālī is the threshold between ignorance and awakening.
This review undertakes a ‘‘comparative study of Mā Kālī as she appears in the Devī-Māhātmyam’’, juxtaposing ‘‘textual narration’’, ‘‘theological symbolism’’, and ‘‘Jagadīśvarānanda’s interpretive insights’’.
It explores her ‘‘various forms—Kālī, Cāmuṇḍā, Mahākālī, and the terrifying emanations of Durgā—’’while situating them within the broader Śākta vision of reality as ‘‘dynamic, non-dual, and compassionate in its violence’’.
The ‘‘‘Devī-Māhātmyam’’’ (also known as the ‘Caṇḍī Pāṭha’ or ‘Durgā Saptashatī’) occupies chapters 81–93 of the ‘Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa’ and consists of ‘‘700 verses’’ divided into three major episodes. Ever since our childhood days, our seniors have told us that these episodes correspond not merely to narrative progression but to ‘‘three cosmic functions’’: creation, preservation, and dissolution.
Kālī’s presence is most explicit in the ‘‘second episode’’, where she emerges during the battle between the Devī and the demons ‘‘Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa’’. Yet her influence permeates the entire text. The Devī herself declares:
“By me alone is this universe upheld; by me is this world created;
by me it is protected, O gods, and by me it is always consumed.”
This declaration destabilizes any simplistic division between benevolent and terrifying divinity. Kālī is not an aberration but the ‘‘logical consequence of a Goddess who is total’’.
Jagadīśvarānanda emphasizes that the Devī-Māhātmyam is not dualistic mythology but ‘‘advaitic Śāktism’’ expressed through dramatic form. Kālī, therefore, is not “evil-slaying violence” alone; she is ‘‘time (kāla)’’ manifest, devouring limitation.
The most iconic appearance of Kālī occurs when ‘‘Durgā’’, locked in battle with Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, becomes intensely wrathful. The text describes:
“From the surface of her brow, dark with anger,
suddenly issued forth Kālī, of terrifying countenance.”
This moment is crucial. Kālī is not an independent goddess descending from elsewhere; she is ‘‘Durgā’s anger given form’’. Yet this anger is not petty or egoic—it is ‘‘cosmic necessity’’. Jagadīśvarānanda writes that Kālī represents ‘‘the moral impatience of consciousness itself’’ when confronted with persistent ignorance.
Kālī’s physical description defies classical ideals of beauty: emaciated body, gaping mouth, lolling tongue, garland of skulls. The Devī-Māhātmyam does not soften this imagery. Instead, it revels in it:
“She devoured the armies of the enemies,
crushed them between her teeth,
and swallowed them whole.”
This devouring is not cruelty but ‘‘release’’. In Śākta metaphysics, demons symbolize ‘‘rigid ego structures’’, frozen identities that refuse transformation. Kālī’s violence is therefore ‘‘liberation through destruction’’.
After killing Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, Kālī is given the name ‘‘Cāmuṇḍā’’, a nominal transformation that signals a deeper metaphysical role. Names in the Devī-Māhātmyam are not labels but ‘‘functions’’. As Cāmuṇḍā, Kālī becomes the ‘‘specific force that annihilates arrogance and aggression’’.
Jagadīśvarānanda notes that Cāmuṇḍā is invoked not for comfort but for ‘‘spiritual surgery’’. She is called upon when gentler forms of grace have failed. This resonates deeply with the Śākta understanding that ‘‘not all souls awaken through sweetness’’; some require terror.
The Devī praises her:
“Because you have slain Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa,
You shall be renowned in the world as Cāmuṇḍā.”
Here, Kālī is integrated into the divine order rather than marginalized. Her terror is acknowledged as ‘‘essential,” not accidental.
Beyond narrative episodes, the Devī-Māhātmyam hints at a more expansive form: ‘‘Mahākālī,’’ the primordial darkness from which all forms arise. In the opening episode, when Viṣṇu sleeps upon the cosmic waters, it is ‘‘Mahākālī’’ who envelops him in yogic slumber.
Jagadīśvarānanda interprets Mahākālī as ‘‘the pre-cosmic womb,’’ the silence before sound, and the darkness before form. Unlike popular depictions of Kālī as merely fierce, Mahākālī is “ontological depth itself.”
She is described as
“She who is the cause of creation, preservation, and destruction.”
In this sense, Kālī transcends even her terrifying iconography. She is “the ground of being,” beyond good and evil, beyond form and formlessness. The skull garland becomes not a threat but a “cosmic rosary,” counting the deaths of universes.
A key comparative question arises: “Is Kālī distinct from Durgā, or merely her aspect?” The Devī-Māhātmyam refuses a simplistic answer. Kālī emerges from Durgā, yet Durgā praises and honors Kālī. This circularity dissolves hierarchy.
Jagadīśvarānanda insists that Śākta theology is ‘‘non-linear.’’ Durgā represents “structured power,” righteous order, and cosmic balance. Kālī represents ‘‘unstructured power,’’ raw truth, and cosmic honesty. Together, they form a complete divine psychology.
Where Durgā rides the lion, Kālī dances on corpses. Where Durgā wields weapons, Kālī uses her teeth. Yet both act for ‘‘dharma,’’ understood not as social morality but as ‘‘cosmic alignment.’’
Classical Sanskrit aesthetics often privilege ‘‘śṛṅgāra’’ (erotic) and ‘‘śānta’’ (peaceful) rasas. Kālī introduces a different dominant mood: ‘‘bhayānaka rasa,’’ terror. The Devī-Māhātmyam unapologetically embraces this.
However, Jagadīśvarānanda argues that Kālī’s terror is ‘‘transformative,’’ not paralyzing. It shatters false securities. The devotee who approaches Kālī must relinquish aesthetic comfort.
In this sense, Kālī represents an ‘‘anti-aesthetic aesthetic,’’ where beauty is found not in harmony but in ‘‘truthfulness.’’ Her ugliness is honesty; her violence is clarity.
Despite her fearsome form, Kālī is repeatedly addressed as ‘‘Mātā’’—Mother. This paradox lies at the heart of Śākta devotion. The Devī-Māhātmyam presents her as both terrifying and accessible, both cosmic and intimate.
Jagadīśvarānanda writes that Kālī’s motherhood is ‘‘not sentimental.’’ She does not coddle ignorance. She loves fiercely enough to destroy what harms her children—even when that harm is the child’s own ego.
This conception challenges modern notions of divine love as comfort alone. Kālī teaches that ‘‘true compassion may appear cruel.’’
When placed beside other world religious figures, Kālī stands apart. Unlike the punitive God of judgment or the nurturing Madonna, she ‘‘refuses moral simplification.’’ She embodies ‘‘process,” not personality.
Compared to Christian apocalyptic imagery, Kālī is less about final judgment and more about “continuous dissolution.” Compared to Buddhist wrathful deities, she is less symbolic and more ‘‘ontologically real’’ within her tradition.
Jagadīśvarānanda emphasizes that Kālī cannot be psychologized away. She is not merely a metaphor for inner anger or trauma. She is “Śakti itself,” manifesting according to cosmic necessity.
The Devī-Māhātmyam is not only read but also ‘‘recited,’’ often in ritual contexts. Chanting its verses is considered an encounter with the goddess herself. Kālī’s presence in the text makes this encounter ‘‘intense.’’
Jagadīśvarānanda notes that sustained recitation can evoke fear, tears, or ecstatic clarity. This is not incidental. Kālī’s energy, once invoked, ‘‘does not negotiate.’’
In the Devī-Māhātmyam, Mā Kālī emerges not as a peripheral horror but as ‘‘the indispensable core of divine action’’. She is anger purified of ego, violence purified of cruelty, and darkness purified of ignorance. Through Jagadīśvarānanda’s interpretive lens, she becomes the “ultimate teacher,” the one who strips the soul bare so that truth may stand unobstructed.
Kālī teaches that liberation is not always gentle, that love is not always soft, and that divinity is not obligated to be beautiful. She reminds us that “without destruction, there is no freedom,” and without darkness, no depth.
To encounter Kālī in the Devī-Māhātmyam is to encounter “reality without anesthesia”—and to discover, paradoxically, that such reality is the deepest form of grace.
Jai Mahakali.
Most recommended.
April 6, 2020
This is an English translation of the original Devi Mahatmyam in Sanskrit. The translation is accurate and easy to read. The prose form keeps the flow simple and engaging while staying true to the original in meaning. I needed to read an English version for the times I could simply take a break from work and read a chapter like a story, when I don't have time to chant or read the Sanskrit (or Kannada) version. I was delighted to find that this translation does not attempt to add any layers or take away from the original. Great work.
Read
June 14, 2019Hindu Goddess-sectarian text. Very interesting read if one wants to understand the power and creation of the Goddess from a Hindu Goddess worshiper’s beliefs/perspective.
July 26, 2021
Very precious - Jai Mata Di!
November 14, 2021
Loved it
October 7, 2023
This book is a wonderful resource for worshiping God as Mother.
"Greater is their trouble whose minds are set on the Unmanifested; for the goal of the Unmanifested is very hard for the embodied to reach" (Bhagavad-Gita, 12.5). Worship of a manifested personal God with form is an easy way to realise the Infinite Formless Unmanifested Reality.
"Since the dawn of civilisation, the worship of the Divine Mother came into practice... Mother-worship was psychologically more appealing to the devotee, the Mother being nearest in filial affection to the child... It is easier to establish a conscious relationship with the Providence in terms of kindly motherhood than by the concept of an unfathomable void. God is devoid of qualities, in reality, but a relative superimposition of the positive ideals of goodness and virtue is essential for self-culture and spiritual progress of the aspirant... The Upasana or the worship of the Universal Mother leads to the attainment of the knowledge of the Self. The Mother is the creative aspect of the Absolute. She is symbolised as Cosmic Energy. Energy is the physical ultimate of all forms of matter and the sustaining force of the Spirit. Energy and Spirit are inseparable. They are essentially one" (Swami Sivananda, The Devi Mahatmya in Sanskrit Original with a Lucid Running Translation in English, Pages 13-14).
"In the individual’s spiritual life, however much it may be true in the ultimate reaches of realisation that he is not this physical body, he is Pure Atman which is beyond body and mind, yet we find that if the aspirant is foolish enough to start with this basis in his life of practical spiritual Sādhana he will come to grief very soon" (Swami Chidananda, God as Mother, Page 60). On the other hand, the path of Bhakti or worship of a personal God is safe, natural, and easy.
This book is absolutely essential in worshiping God as Mother. "The Devī Māhātmyam or Durgā Saptaśatī contains thirteen chapters which describe the process of the Mother giving battle to, on behalf of divine beings, and destroy the entire array of cosmic nescience, of wickedness, of all that is a negation of the Supreme Truth. Each aspect of this negation of truth is depicted in this great scripture which is a wonderful allegory, by some particular demon; and these demons are given appropriate names and forms according to those aspects of nescience. And the thirteen chapters describe how Mother using numerous forms annihilates all the aspects of evil, of nescience, ignorance and this cosmic delusion. And at the end the Supreme Victory to the powers of wisdom and knowledge is achieved and the Jiva is freed for ever from ignorance (Swami Chidananda, God as Mother, Pages 34-35).
This book will be of great help in worshiping God as Mother. Anyone interested in worshiping God as Mother must study this book repeatedly.
"Greater is their trouble whose minds are set on the Unmanifested; for the goal of the Unmanifested is very hard for the embodied to reach" (Bhagavad-Gita, 12.5). Worship of a manifested personal God with form is an easy way to realise the Infinite Formless Unmanifested Reality.
"Since the dawn of civilisation, the worship of the Divine Mother came into practice... Mother-worship was psychologically more appealing to the devotee, the Mother being nearest in filial affection to the child... It is easier to establish a conscious relationship with the Providence in terms of kindly motherhood than by the concept of an unfathomable void. God is devoid of qualities, in reality, but a relative superimposition of the positive ideals of goodness and virtue is essential for self-culture and spiritual progress of the aspirant... The Upasana or the worship of the Universal Mother leads to the attainment of the knowledge of the Self. The Mother is the creative aspect of the Absolute. She is symbolised as Cosmic Energy. Energy is the physical ultimate of all forms of matter and the sustaining force of the Spirit. Energy and Spirit are inseparable. They are essentially one" (Swami Sivananda, The Devi Mahatmya in Sanskrit Original with a Lucid Running Translation in English, Pages 13-14).
"In the individual’s spiritual life, however much it may be true in the ultimate reaches of realisation that he is not this physical body, he is Pure Atman which is beyond body and mind, yet we find that if the aspirant is foolish enough to start with this basis in his life of practical spiritual Sādhana he will come to grief very soon" (Swami Chidananda, God as Mother, Page 60). On the other hand, the path of Bhakti or worship of a personal God is safe, natural, and easy.
This book is absolutely essential in worshiping God as Mother. "The Devī Māhātmyam or Durgā Saptaśatī contains thirteen chapters which describe the process of the Mother giving battle to, on behalf of divine beings, and destroy the entire array of cosmic nescience, of wickedness, of all that is a negation of the Supreme Truth. Each aspect of this negation of truth is depicted in this great scripture which is a wonderful allegory, by some particular demon; and these demons are given appropriate names and forms according to those aspects of nescience. And the thirteen chapters describe how Mother using numerous forms annihilates all the aspects of evil, of nescience, ignorance and this cosmic delusion. And at the end the Supreme Victory to the powers of wisdom and knowledge is achieved and the Jiva is freed for ever from ignorance (Swami Chidananda, God as Mother, Pages 34-35).
This book will be of great help in worshiping God as Mother. Anyone interested in worshiping God as Mother must study this book repeatedly.
December 27, 2025
Durga Saptashatī (also called Devi Māhatmya or Chaṇḍi Patha) tells what the Supreme Divine Power (Devi) is, how She operates, and how humans relate to Her through devotion, knowledge, and surrender.
It is not merely a story text—it is a complete theological, philosophical, and spiritual manual within Hindu theology.
At its core, Durga Saptashatī teaches that:
“By You is this universe borne; by You is it created; by You is it protected.”
Evil is not destroyed by ego-power, but by Divine Grace.
Asuras represent inner tendencies:
Madhu–Kaiṭabha → tamas & ignorance
Mahiṣāsura → ego & inertia
Śumbha–Niśumbha → pride, arrogance, and misuse of power
Devī destroys them when devotion ripens.
Devotion (Bhakti) brings protection and liberation.
Durga Saptashatī has 700 verses, arranged in 13 chapters, grouped into three major sections (Caritras).
1️⃣ Prathama Caritra (Chapters 1–3)
Devi as Mahakali / Tamas Shakti
Slaying of Madhu & Kaiṭabha
Emphasizes:
Awakening consciousness
Removal of ignorance and inertia
Associated with Tamas guṇa
📌 Spiritual message: Without Devi's grace, even Vishnu cannot awaken.
2️⃣ Madhyama Caritra (Chapters 4–6)
Devī as Mahalakshmi / Rajas Shakti
Slaying of Mahiṣāsura
Emphasizes:
Courage
Action
Dharma-based struggle
Associated with Rajas guṇa
📌 Spiritual message: Ego must be destroyed through righteous effort empowered by Devi.
3️⃣ Uttama Charitra (Chapters 7–13)
Devi as Mahasarasvati / Sattva Shakti
Slaying of Shumbha & Nishumbha
Durga Saptashatī teaches that the Supreme Mother, through Her infinite forms, destroys ignorance, ego, and pride, and grants both protection and liberation to those who take refuge in Her.
Emphasizes:
Wisdom
Discrimination
Divine knowledge
Associated with Sattva guṇa
📌 Spiritual message: Ultimate victory comes through knowledge and surrender.
It is not merely a story text—it is a complete theological, philosophical, and spiritual manual within Hindu theology.
At its core, Durga Saptashatī teaches that:
“By You is this universe borne; by You is it created; by You is it protected.”
Evil is not destroyed by ego-power, but by Divine Grace.
Asuras represent inner tendencies:
Madhu–Kaiṭabha → tamas & ignorance
Mahiṣāsura → ego & inertia
Śumbha–Niśumbha → pride, arrogance, and misuse of power
Devī destroys them when devotion ripens.
Devotion (Bhakti) brings protection and liberation.
Durga Saptashatī has 700 verses, arranged in 13 chapters, grouped into three major sections (Caritras).
1️⃣ Prathama Caritra (Chapters 1–3)
Devi as Mahakali / Tamas Shakti
Slaying of Madhu & Kaiṭabha
Emphasizes:
Awakening consciousness
Removal of ignorance and inertia
Associated with Tamas guṇa
📌 Spiritual message: Without Devi's grace, even Vishnu cannot awaken.
2️⃣ Madhyama Caritra (Chapters 4–6)
Devī as Mahalakshmi / Rajas Shakti
Slaying of Mahiṣāsura
Emphasizes:
Courage
Action
Dharma-based struggle
Associated with Rajas guṇa
📌 Spiritual message: Ego must be destroyed through righteous effort empowered by Devi.
3️⃣ Uttama Charitra (Chapters 7–13)
Devi as Mahasarasvati / Sattva Shakti
Slaying of Shumbha & Nishumbha
Durga Saptashatī teaches that the Supreme Mother, through Her infinite forms, destroys ignorance, ego, and pride, and grants both protection and liberation to those who take refuge in Her.
Emphasizes:
Wisdom
Discrimination
Divine knowledge
Associated with Sattva guṇa
📌 Spiritual message: Ultimate victory comes through knowledge and surrender.
October 8, 2021
Devi Mahatmyam is highly regarded in India as one the best religious books to read and chant.
Detailing Durga Devi's origin, the origin of Mahakali and their battles against Mahishasura and Chanda-Munda.
There are many miraculous powers associated with reading this book.
Even if you don't believe in that, this particular version is good for those well versed only in English and want to get an understanding of the stanzas and their meanings.
Highly recommend!
Detailing Durga Devi's origin, the origin of Mahakali and their battles against Mahishasura and Chanda-Munda.
There are many miraculous powers associated with reading this book.
Even if you don't believe in that, this particular version is good for those well versed only in English and want to get an understanding of the stanzas and their meanings.
Highly recommend!
December 6, 2023
Good start for those who know nothing about Adi shakti. Few stories of Mata killing Mahishasur, Chanda, Munda, Shumbh and Nishumbh whom even Devas were unable to kill due to the boon and other reasons. I read because it was written by non other than Markandeya Muni and it is a part of Purana, who also wrote beautiful Chandrashekhar Asktakam.
April 4, 2023
On my first reading of this I didn’t appreciate the value and power of the great Mahamaya Shakti.
This is much more than a pleasant fable. This is the affirmation of the goddess that is all of consciousness and by which consciousness can be obtained.
This is much more than a pleasant fable. This is the affirmation of the goddess that is all of consciousness and by which consciousness can be obtained.
October 17, 2025
Jai Mata Di! Maa, it’s with your extreme blessing that i read this sacred text. To say that it changed my life would be an understatement.
June 24, 2012
Excellent story out of annals of ancient India, Devi (Mother Goddess) incarnates in various forms (Durga, Chandi, Kali) to do battle with insidious asuras (demons)and make the three worlds much nicer places to be.
October 15, 2021
Devi is OP as usual, and she lent her grace to me throughout this period. Eternally indebted to the Cosmic Mother. Happy Navratri and Vijaya Dashami 2k21.
September 28, 2022
Loved it and the mantras was beautiful
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