Skandha 1
The very first verse of Bhagavan Veda Vyasa is a powerful Devi mantra.
“Om, let us meditate on Devi, whose very form is all-pervading Consciousness, who is the very source of everything. May her inspire our intellect (on virtuous path).”
Maharishis Shounaka and others stayed in Naimisharanya, afraid of the ill-effects of Kaliyuga and were performing long duration Satrayagas, immersing themselves in devotion of Devi. When Suta Pouranika arrived, they were delighted; they listened to Puranas as recounted by him. They said to him that Jaganmatha, the mother of the universe is known to be compassionate in removing all blemishes in devotees and blessing them with happiness here and bliss hereafter; they beseeched Suta to share his knowledge of the Purana of that Devi. Suta hailed them and commenced his narration of Shri Devi Bhagavatham.
Origin of the Purana
During the Great Deluge (Maha Pralaya), when everything was under water, Vishnu was lying down on a leaf of banyan tree. He was feeling deluded as to his own identity, his genesis, purpose of his being there etc. Devi spoke to him incorporeally:
“All this is only myself; nothing else is eternal.” Vishnu felt very happy on hearing this voice; Devi gave him darshan immediately. Devi appeared in the form of Mahalakshmi, with all attributes surrounding her in physical form. She said that she is the Satvic ( Satva – peace and harmony) aspect of Adi Parashakti. She reminded him of his identity of Vishnu. She said: Brahma and Rudra would also appear soon; the activities of creation, sustenance and dissolution would continue again; the half verse uttered by Devi is indeed the essence of all Shastras. After Devi disappeared, Vishnu felt very happy at the very thought of that half verse, as if a destitute had hit upon a treasure. Vishnu later disclosed the half verse to Brahma, who composed a hundred crore of verses based on this half verse and named the text as Devi Bhagavatham. Brahma taught this Purana to his son Narada; Narada conveyed it to Vyasa; Vyasa condensed the text into a Purana of 18000 verses and blessed his son Shuka and Suta by letting them into this treasure. Out of compassion towards people in Kaliyuga, suffering from mental impurities and unsteadiness, which pose obstacles in deep understanding of Vedas, Upanishads and Brahma Sutram, Bhagavan Vyasa composed Puranas, Mahabharata etc. and taught them to Suta. For the same reason, he abridged Devi Bhagavatham for public consumption. At the close of every Chaturyuga, Vyasa performs this task. In the current Chaturyuga, Vyasa is Krishna Dvaipayana, the son of sage Parashara and Sathyavati.
Hayagriva Charitram
Once when Vishnu was in deep meditation, Brahma enquired of him: You are the lord of all the worlds; on whom are you meditating? Vishnu reminded Brahma of Hayagriva Charitram and Madhu, Kaitabha Vadha Charitram and said that he is not independent, but subject to the control of Devi.
Vishnu once fought a war with Asuras lasting a thousand years, and having become exhausted, sat down with his bow fixed in the ground in vertical position with the top of the bow supporting his head. He went to sleep. Devendra happened to organise a yajna at that time and invited Brahma and Shiva; not finding Vishnu in Vaikuntham, he searched for him and finally found him sleeping at this point. To wake up someone in sleep is Adharma. Hence Brahma created white ant and asked it to cut off the bowstring of Vishnu. As the termite was the direct creation of Brahma, it raised the question of Dharma Shastra:
“Disturbing sleep; creating obstacles in religious story-telling; creating wall of differences between husband and wife, mother and child; all these are sins equivalent to killing of brahmana”. How can I do that? Brahma assuaged the feelings of the termite with suitable assurances. The termite accordingly bit off the bowstring. There arose a sudden terrible sound and it became pitch dark. The earth quaked; the ocean rose high and overshot the shores; the planets shifted. Devas were shaken. They went near Vishnu. What they saw, they could not believe. By the sudden upswing of the cut bowstring, Vishnu’s head had been cut off; his headless body alone remained. They searched everywhere, but could not find the head. Brahma then asked Vedas, who had accompanied him with forms, to sing the praise of Jaganmatha. The Stotra of Vedas is wonderful. They said: “Devi, you give rise to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and carry out the acts of creation, sustenance and dissolution through them yourself. You sustain all the attributes of all created beings; but, what a wonder, the touch of Samsara does not adhere to you even a bit. Your sports with names and forms are endless; your glory is unknown to even you. How can we sing that glory? Can a drop of water size up the waters of the ocean? Please relieve us of the misery we are experiencing with disappearance of Vishnu’s head.” Devi, pleased with this Stotra of Vedas, gave darshan and blessed that this Stotra is in fact equal in merit to Vedas themselves. Devi added: “An asura named Hayagriva performed austerities for 1000 years and obtained a boon from Devi that his end would come at the hands of only the one who has a horse’s head (hayagriva). His atrocities have peaked now and hence the time for his elimination has arrived.” Devi blessed that if a horse’s head would be attached to Vishnu’s form, he would rise as Hayagriva (horse-headed) and kill the asura Hayagriva. Devi’s instructions were followed; the asura got exterminated accordingly at the hands of Hayagriva.
Hayagriva’s form is that of Jnana; he is the greatest of the devotees of Devi. The accounts and Stotras he taught sage Agastya, viz. Lalitopakhyanam, Lalita Sahasranamam and Lalita Trishati, are our greatest means of Devi worship today.
Madhu Kaitabha Vadham
At the time of start of new creation after a certain Mahapralaya (Great Disssolution), Vishnu and Brahma alone were there. Two asuras, Madhu and Kaitabha emerged then from Vishnu’s ears. They grew instantly into monsters. They meditated on Devi; they got to listen in time to the incorporeal voice conveying Vakbija (ऐं, Aim) of Devi. They chanted that bijakshara for 1000 years; Brahma appeared and gave them the rare boon that their death would be voluntary at anytime of their choice. Puffed with pride at having attained this boon, and, itching to fight, they noticed Brahma, who had conferred the boon on them, seated on his lotus seat and asked him out for a battle with them. Brahma, overcome with fear, attempted to wake up Vishnu, who was fast asleep. Finding that Vishnu would not wake up, Brahma prayed to Tamasi Devi, whose hold on Vishnu could not be broken: “Your sports are beyond the ken of even Vedas. You take the forms of Swaha and Swadha (consorts of Agni Deva) and enable with compassion the offerings in Agni made by humans to be reached to Devatas and Pitrus. Now, please show compassion on me and deign to wake up Vishnu, or, you exterminate the asuras yourself. It would be great infamy for you if I, your first created being, get killed at the hands of these asuras.” Devi gave darshan and blessed Brahma. Tamasi Shakti left the form of Vishnu; he woke up. Suta expounds the glory of Devi:
“Even Shiva, without the power of Kundalini (Devi), would be inactive like a corpse. (The very first shloka of Soundaryalahari mentions this). Shakti, who is all-pervading, is distinguished as Brahman.”
Vishnu called Madhu and Kaitabha to fight with him. The wrestling match lasted 5000 years. Madhu and Kaitabha wrestled with Vishnu alternately. The exhausted Vishnu was surprised at their prowess. Taking a break, Vishnu moved away and prayed to Devi. He expressed his anxiety as to how to kill the asuras, who had the rare boon of death only when they wish. Devi said to Vishnu that she would entice the asuras by her crooked vision and that Vishnu could kill them by using devious means. Vishnu accordingly approached the deluded asuras and, praising their valour, he said he wished to give them a boon. The asuras responded with disdain that they were known to give and not beg and asked Vishnu to seek a boon from them. Vishnu cleverly asked for the boon that they be killed at his hand. The asuras were flabbergasted and, noticing water everywhere, they imposed a condition that they might be killed in a place entirely free from water. When Vishnu tried to grab them, they assumed a huge figure. Vishnu then took a form even larger, and instantly, took them and placed them on his lap and decapitated them with his Chakra. When their fat (medas) spread in the waters, that part became earth (medini). As our earth contains the fat of these asuras, we are asked not to consume soil.
The entire creation comprises of the three characteristics: Satva (peace, virtues), Rajas (passion, agitation) and Tamas (sloth, violence). Humans are also living with these three attributes. Shastras stress that we should suppress the tendencies of Rajas and Tamas and strive for Satva. Madhu and Kaitabha, the embodiments of Tamas, picked up a fight with Brahma for no reason. That it took Vishnu 5000 years to fight the asuras indicates the extent of effort required to overpower Tamas, when it is allowed to grow hugely. Hence this Madhu Kaitabha Vadha account teaches us that we have to be ever vigilant and keep Rajas and Tamas under control with the weapon of Satva and attempt to keep Satva flowering.
(to be continued)
