MAHASAPTAMI – The 7th day of Navaratri

It is the day when the Verses from “Devi Atharva Sheersha” from “Durga Saptashati” is to be recited.
Here the Mahadevi….. the Great Goddess answers the question put to Her by the Devas as to who She is.

“I am the form of Brahma”
“I am joy and beyond the joy”
“I am knowledge and beyond the knowledge”
“I am the Brahma that everyone should know and also the illusion”
“I am the Vedas and beyond the Vedas”
“I am the pure knowledge and the illusion”
“I move about as Rudras & Vasus, Aditya & Vishwadeva”
“I am the one who supports the Sun, Varun, Indra, Agni & Ashwani Kumar”
“I support Soma,Twastha, Poosha and Bhag” (class of deities)”
“It is I who supports Vishnu, Brahmadeva & Prajapati”
“It is I who receives oblations offered in havans”
“It is I who gives wealth to God’s devotees all over the world”
“I am the chief of all deities to whom oblations are offered in havans”
“I create all five elements from my own form”
“My place is in the intellect that is enlightened with the light of atma and the one who understands this receives divine wealth”

All the Gods then spoke thus:

“Salutations to the Great Goddess, the bestower of auspiciousness. We all humbly surrender and pay obeisance to PRAKRUTI…(the Mother of entire creation)…the One who bestows benedictions and rules over the entire world.
We all surrender to DEVI DURGA….who is having the complexion like the flames of burning fire, who is resplendent with the knowledge, who rewards the actions.

Salutions to the destroyer of demons. May that Goddess who resides in all beings as the power of speech, who is like wish-fulfilling Kamadhenu cow, be pleased with us and always be with us.

Salutations to the Goddess who is the last night, who is praised by Brahmadeva, who is the power of Shri Vishnu, the mother of Shri Kartikeya, Shri Saraswati, Shri Aditi mother of Gods) the daughter of Daksha and the consort of Shri Shiva.

We want to know more about Shri Mahalaxmi, we meditate on Shri Sarvashakti. May that Goddess encourage us to meditate more on her.

She is the power of Atma. She is the one who is enticing the universe, wielding noose, goad, bow and arrow the great knowledge (mahavidya). One who knows this, is liberated of all grief.

Salutations to you O Bhagwati , O Mother, always look after us.

She is eight Vasus (a class of 8 deities), eleven Rudras (11 destructive powers), twelve Adityas (suns).

She is the Vishwadevas authorised and unauthorised to have somas (vibrations).

She is the Sattwa, Rajo and Tamo gunas.

She is Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

She is stars, planets and constellations.

O Devi, who is also of the form of Kala, Kashtha and Kala (small units of time), the dispeller of sins, bestower of fulfilment and liberation unending, victorious, pure, the only one to be surrendered, the bestower of benevolence, of the form of auspiciousness, our salutations to you.”

The Beeja Mantra “HRIM”

The Beeja Mantra “HRIM” (which is combination of Viyat i.e. Ether (Ha) and “ee” and fire (ra) , bedecked with crescent moon, fulfils all desires), is described as single letter containing the Brahman and is meditated upon by yogis of pure attention , who are verily the collection of knowledge, with great bliss.
The mantra “Aem, Hrim, Kleem, Chamundaya, Vicche” gives great joy to the devotees of the Devi and leads them to Brahman realisation.
We should devote ourselves to that Devi who resides at the centre of our lotus hearts, whose glory is like that of a rising sun, whose face is pleasing, who is granting the boons and protections, who is three eyed and has put on redlothes and is fulfilling the desires of the devotees.
Salutations to that Great Goddess (Mahadevi) who destroys great fears, who removes great calamities and who is the great compassion personified.

Her form cannot be known even by deities like Brahmadeva and others and is therefore called as “Unknown”. She has no end and is therefore called “Endless”. It cannot be known what is Her aim and therefore She is called One without Aim. She has no birth and is therefore called “Unborn”. She is alone everywhere. Hence She is called “One and the Only”.

Although She is One, yet the whole Universe is Her form. Hence She is called “Not One”.

Therefore She has names as Agnyeya, Alakshya, Ajaa, Aika, Naika, etc.

That Devi is “Matruka” (letters which make the mantras) in mantras, She is Knowledge in Words. In Knowledge, She is beyond Pure Intelligence. In the nothingness, She is the Witness. There is nothing beyond Her, hence She is described as Durga.

I, who am afraid of the ocean of worldly affairs, salute that DURGA, who is inaccessible, who is the destroyer of all wickednes and saviour of the people from the ocean of illusion.

Article shared by Sahaja Yogini Armaity Bhabha