Devadatta Kālī - Devīmāhātmyam: in praise of the Goddess: the Devīmahātmaya and its meaning

In Praise of the Goddess

In Praise of the
Goddess

The Devmhtmya
and Its Meaning

Devadatta Kl

Translator and Commentator

First published in 2003 by

Nicolas-Hays, Inc.

P. O. Box 1126

Berwick, ME 039011126

www.nicolashays.com

Distributed to the trade by

Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC

P. O. Box 612

York Beach, ME 039100612

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Copyright 2003 David Nelson

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Nicolas-Hays, Inc. Reviewers may quote brief passages.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Puranas. Markandeyapurana. Devmahatmya. Sanskrit.

Devimahatmyam : in praise of the goddess : the Devimahatmya and its meaning / Devadatta Kali.

p. cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 089254080-X (tradepaper : alk. paper)

I. Devadatta Kali II. Title.

BL1140.4.M3742D4818 2003

Cover design by Kathryn Sky-Peck. Cover illustration: Mahdev and Klik. Mysore, ca. 1900 CE. Collection: Smt. Rita Chaudhrie, New Delhi. Mahdev (Durg), astride her lion, engages in battle with the demon brothers urnbha and Niumbha while Kl looks on, drinking their blood.

Typeset by Valerie Cooper.

Text: Times New Roman PS MT, Milan. Display type: Minion.

Printed in the United States of America EB

09 08 07 06 05 04 03

7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials Z39.481992 (R1997).

Lovingly dedicated
to the memory of my Guru,
Swami Prabhavananda,
and to my Guru M,
Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati

I gratefully acknowledge my indebtedness to Swm Jagadvarnandas translation of the Devmhtmya, published in India in 1953. Its glowing devotional spirit was the initial spark that led me almost two decades later to devote eight years of my life to this work.

This book would not have been possible without the initial encouragement and continuing assistance of Pravrajika Anandaprana and Pravrajika Vrajaprana of the Sarada Convent in Santa Barbara. I owe them my inestimable gratitude for their editorial skills, sensitivity, constructive criticism, and selfless dedication, which guided and shaped the work from its inception. I would like to express my thanks also to Joseph Cooper, my partner, who read the manuscript repeatedly throughout its evolution and often contributed just the right word or phrase that eluded me. Thanks also to Swami Sarvadevananda of the Vedanta Society of Southern California, who provided his oversight and requested the inclusion of the associated texts that form the third part of this volume; to Swami Atmajnanananda of the Vedanta Society of Greater Washington, DC, who clarified several important points; to Swami Chetanananda of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis, who advised me to meditate on every verse; to my fellow Vednta devoteesShuddha Barnes, Radhika and Govinda Eschner, Amala Kenny, Connie Magwood, Nalini Tipple, and Deepti Zarembawho read portions of the manuscript and were unfailingly generous with their encouragement and suggestions; to Kalishyam DeVito, whose enthusiastic questioning guided me in revising the manuscript; and to my revered Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati for confirming the books spiritual validity. Heartfelt thanks to my editor, Valerie Cooper, for the intelligence, sensitivity, and commitment she brought to the realization of this book. To Swami Tyagananda of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of Boston, I can only say that words fail to express my profound gratitude for the editorial expertise and spiritual authority he brought to bear on the work. By reading the entire manuscript from beginning to end with meticulous care, he invested the work with a legitimacy far beyond that which I could have envisioned. Finally, to the Divine Mother herself, my inexpressible gratitude for engaging me in what has been truly a labor of love.

All quotations are the authors own translations.