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女神颂 (The Devi Mahatmya)
第一章 默根达亚(Makendeya)说：第八个天神(Manu)叫萨梵利(Savarni)，是太阳神苏利耶(Surya)之子。我要告诉你们他是如何出世的。由于摩诃摩耶(Mahamaya)的恩赐，(Manvantara)之王成为苏利耶之子。 从前有个叫苏罗达(Suratha)的国王在地上统治，他爱民如子。有一次他受到敌人袭击，要用武力攻占他的城邦。苏罗达跟他们战斗得十分激烈。但最后都被敌方那些邪恶的国王和大臣打败，被迫离开自己的国土。他悲痛莫名，骑着马，一直往森林走去。入了森林，他看见有座婆罗门的道院，许多门人在那里读经。里面那位婆罗门的圣人还热情地招待国王进去坐坐。 国王在道院里坐立难安，左右徘徊。他被那种「我执」所操踪，于是想：「多悲惨啊！我统治的王国被人占领，从前忠心于我的大臣，现在都服侍新朝。我在位的时候，子民都很高兴，不知他们现在的生活过得怎样。现在他们都要受外邦人统治。我的财富也都落入敌人之手！」国王想到这些事情，便不觉悲从中来。 在道院里，国王看见一个吠舍(Vaisya商人阶级)，于是向他问道：「请告诉我你是谁？在这里做甚么？」那吠舍回答说：「我的名字叫三摩地(Samadhi)，本来生长在一个富贵之家。可是我被邻居骗去了家财，之后，妻子儿女都离弃我。由于不名一文，我只好来到森林。我现在心中充满了痛苦，也不知妻儿子女过得怎样，甚至他们是生是死都不知道。」国王说：「在你穷途末路的时候，妻儿子女都离开了你，那你为甚么还要这样眷恋他们呢？」那吠舍回答说：「王啊！你说的一点不错，其实我也是知道的，但我能怎么办呢？我心里还是爱他们啊！人的思想就是这样，就算我的妻子儿女不好，把我驱逐，我还是爱他们的，我真的是一点办法也没有。」 默根达亚说：跟着国王和那位吠舍便一同前去拜见住在道院中的圣人。他们在圣人面前下跪，然后国王虔敬的向圣人提出如下的问题：「尊贵的圣者！我想向你请益一下，我失去了我的国土，现在已是一无所有，但我仍然对我所失去的，包括我的妻儿子女魂牵梦萦。尊贵的圣者啊！为甚么我会这样？而这位吠舍先生因失去了财产，便被家人离弃。可是他现在仍然日日夜夜的挂念妻子儿女。我俩都是同一类人，都是怀着极大的哀伤，也一样的执迷不悟，圣者啊！求你用你的智慧，去除我们的无明。」 圣人说：「王啊！每一种生物都有他的智慧。有些动物日间是盲的，有些动物夜间是盲的，有些日间夜间都看得清楚，而人则只在日间才能见物。然而所有这些都拥有相同的智慧。那是甚么智慧？为何有这样的差别？且看那灯蛾扑火！且看人类怎样像灯蛾扑火般追求感官的事物！两者之间又有何区别呢？尽管智愚不同，所有生物其实都是为了填饱肚子而挣扎。他们都被操纵在摩诃摩耶的大能之下，充满了谬见！由于摩诃摩耶的力量，这个世界才能运作。由于摩诃摩耶的力量，所有生物都受到痛苦，由于摩诃摩耶的力量，所有生物都享受悦乐，这是毫无疑问的。就算是饱学之士也被摩耶的力量支配，充满了谬见。摩诃摩耶是宇宙的创造者，动者与不动者。如果得她欢喜，她便会给人类以永恒的救赎。摩诃摩耶是一切束缚与解脱的因由。她便是一切，她统治着所有的王！」 国王说：「尊贵的圣者啊！这位摩耶女神是谁？她是如何出世的？她竟然能造出这样的奇迹，我真想知道关于她的一切。」圣人说：「她是永恒的，她是最高力量的显现，她遍及一切。关于她如何出世有好几个故事。她是为了诸神的福祉才出世的。天地初开，摩诃毗湿奴(Mahavishnu)还在熟睡的时候，从毗湿奴的耳垢出现了两个邪魔，叫蛮毒(Madhu)和卡塔巴(Kaitaba)。他们跑到梵天婆罗摩(Brahma)那里去，当时婆罗摩正从毗湿奴肚脐的莲花中出来，两个邪魔便想趁机把婆罗摩吃掉。婆罗摩看见毗湿奴正在睡觉，再没有谁可助他脱离危难。为了使摩诃毗湿奴快些醒来，婆罗摩便向太初之母(Adimaya)祷告。这位宇宙之母是整个宇宙的支持者，是所有世界中最高的女神，是一切的创造者、持护者和毁灭者。 婆罗摩说：『女神啊！你是Svaha, Svadha和Vashatkara！你是Nada, Ardhamatra和Savitri！你是这个世界的支持。你独力创造了这个宇宙。你持护着整个宇宙。你是Mahavidya, Mahamaya, Mahamedha, Mahasmriti和Mahamoha！请唤醒毗湿奴来拯救我。你是Prakriti，你有三种状态(Gunus)，你是繁荣昌盛，你是和平与慈悲。你有无数的武器。你是美丽又可怖的。你是伟大者之中最伟大者。女神啊！你就在每一处，我还能说甚么呢？毗湿奴原来是可帮助我的，可是他现在睡着了。请你把他唤醒，请你把无明放在那些阿修罗(Asura)之中，因为我的生命有危险啊！」 圣人说：「婆罗摩这样祷告的时候，摩诃摩耶便从四面八方进入毗湿奴的身体。她张开毗湿的眼睛，打开他的思想，还伸展他的双手与四肢。那位三界之中伟大的主，拿着他的武器站起来，辉煌无比。他看见面前有两个可怕的恶魔，他们具有非常强大的力量，而且非常邪恶。而这时，这两个恶魔正要吞吃婆罗摩。毗湿奴和他们战斗了五千年。这时摩诃摩耶便用她的力量使这两个邪魔心里迷惑，使他们陷入无明。两个邪魔便向毗湿奴说：『毗湿奴，你可以向我们要求一个愿望。毗湿奴说：『那你们就立即被我杀死吧！」 圣人说：「那两个邪魔看见周围都找不到没有水的地方，便说：『好吧，如果在没有水的地方，你便可以把我们杀死。』毗湿奴把他们赶到他的大腿上，那里正好没有水，然后用飞环把他们的头砍掉。王啊！这便是摩诃摩耶出世的故事。跟着我还要说关于她的其它故事。」 THE DEVI-MAHATMYAM 700 Slokas on Sri Durg from MarkaNDeya PuraaNa According to legend, Durga sat on the tip of a needle for nine days, doing a severe penance to destroy the evil Asura Mahisha. On the first three days, she meditated as Herself, the next three days as Mahalakshmi and the last three days as Sarasvati. It is, however, a long tradition that one reads the devi-bhagavatam or the devi mahatmyam (Durga saptasati, 700 verses on Durga) during this period. Devi bhagavatam notes that Rama meditated and fasted for nine days after Sita was kidnapped by Ravana. There are numerous such incidents on how people's wishes were granted. The reading of Devi Maahaatmyam during Navaraatri is to be done follows: \ Chapter 1 (Madhu kaitabha samhaara) is to be read for 1st day, \ ch 2 thru 4 (Mahishhasura samhaara) to be read on 2nd day, \ ch 5 and 6 (Dhuumralochana vadha) on the 3rd day, \ ch 7 (Chanda Munda vadha) on 4th day, \ ch 8(Rakta biija samhaara) on 5th day, \ ch 9 and 10 (Shumbha Nishumbha vadha) on 6th day, \ ch 11(Praise of Narayani) on 7th day, \ ch 12 (Phalastuti) on 8th day, \ ch 13 (Blessings to Suratha and the Merchant)on 9th day \ ch 14 (aparaadha xamaapaNa) on 10th day \ {CHAPTER 1} {The slaying of Madhu and Kaitabha} Meditation of Mahakali I resort to Mahakali, who has ten faces, ten legs and holds in her hands the sword, disc, mace, arrows, bow, club, spear, missile, human head and conch, who is three-eyed, adorned with ornaments on all her limbs, and luminous like a blue jewel, and whom Brahma extolled in order to destroy Madhu and Kaitabha, when Vishnu was in (mystic) sleep. Markandeya said ( to his disciple Krasustuki Bhaguri): 1-3. Savarni, {footnote： Savarni was so called because he was the son of Savarna, Surya's wife. He became King Suratha in the second (Svarocisa) manvantara.} son of Surya, is called the eighth Manu. Listen , while I describe in detail about his birth, how Savarni, illustrious son of Surya, became the lord of the (eighth) Manvantara \footnote{One cycle of creation is divided into fourteen manvantaras. The period ruled over by one Manu is called a Manvantara. There are, therefore, fourteen Manus as follows: Svayambhuva, Svarocisa, Uttama, Tamasa, Raivata, Caksusa, Vaivasvata, Savarni, Daksha-savarni, Brahma-savarni, Dharma-savarni, Rudra-savarni, Deva-savarni, and Indra-savarni. } by the grace of Mahamaya { footnote： One of the names of the Divine Mother. }. 4-5. In former times there was a king named Suratha, born of the Chitra dynasty, ruling over the whole world in the period of Svarocisa. He protected his subjects dul6y like his own children. At that time the kings, who were the destroyers of the c, became his enemies. 6-7. He, the wielder of powerful weapons, fought a battle with the destroyers of Kolas, but was defeated by them though they were a small force. Then he returned to his own city, and ruled over his won country. Then that illustrious king was attacked by those powerful enemies. 8-9. Even in his own city, the king, (now) bereft of strength, was robbed of his treasury and army by his own powerful, vicious and evil-disposed ministers. Thereafter, deprived of this sovereignty, the king left alone on horse-back for a dense forest, under the pretext of hunting. 10-11. He saw there the hermitage of Medhas- the supreme among the twice-born - inhabited by wild animals which were peaceful, and graced by the disciples of the sage. Entertained by the sage, Suratha spent some time moving about in the hermitage of the great sage. 12-16. There then overcome with attachment, he fell into the thought, 'I do not know whether the capital (which was) well guarded by my ancestors and recently deserted by me is being guarded righteously or not by my servants of evil conduct. I do not know what enjoyments my chief elephant, heroic and always elated, and now fallen into the hands of my foes, will get. Those who were my constant followers and received favor, riches and food from me, now certainly pay homage to other kings. The treasure which I gathered with great care will be squandered by those constant spendthrifts, who are addicted to improper expenditures.' 17-19. The king was continually thinking of these and other things. Near the hermitage of the Brahamana he saw a merchant, and asked him: 'Ho! Who are you? What is the reason for your coming here? Wherefore do you appear as if afflicted with grief and depressed in mind?' Hearing this speech of the king, uttered in a friendly spirit, the merchant bowed respectfully and replied to the king. The merchant said: 20-25. 'I am a merchant named Samadhi, born in a wealthy family. I have been cast out by my sons and wife, who are wicked through greed of wealth. My wife and sons have misappropriated my riches, and made me devoid of wealth. Cast out by my trusted kinsmen, I have come to the forest grief-stricken. Dwelling here, I do not know anything as regards good of bad of my sons, kinsmen and wife. At present is welfare or ill-luck theirs at home? How are they? Are my sons living good or evil lives?' The king said: 26-28. 'Why is your mind affectionately attached to those covetous folk, your sons, wife and others, who have deprived you of your wealth?' The merchant said: 29-34. 'This very thought has occurred to me, just as you have uttered it. What can I do? My mind does not become hard; it bears deep affection to those very persons who have driven me out in their greed for wealth, abandoning love for a father and attachment to one's master and kinsmen. I do not comprehend although, I know it. O noble hearted king, how it is that the mind is prone to love even towards worthless kinsmen. On account of them I heave heavy sighs and feel dejected. What can I do since my mind does not become hard towards those unloving ones? Markandeya said: 35-38. Then O Brahmana, the merchant Samadhi and the noble king together approached the sage (Medhas); and after observing the etiquette worthy of him and as was proper, they sat down and conversed (with him ) on some topics. The king said: 39-45. 'Sir, I wish to ask you one thing. Be pleased to reply to it. Without the control of my intellect, my mind is afflicted with sorrow. Though I have lost the kingdom, like an ignorant manthough I know it- I have an attachment to all the paraphernalia of my kingdom. How is this, O best of sages? And this merchant has been disowned by this children, wife and servants, and forsaken by his own people; still he is inordinately affectionate towards them. Thus both he and I, drawn by attachment towards objects whose defects we do know, are exceedingly unhappy. How this happens, then, sir, that though we are aware of it, this delusion comes? This delusion besets me as well as him, blinded as we are in respect of discrimination.' The Rishi said: 46-49. Sir, every being has the knowledge of objects perceivable by the senses. And object of sense reaches it in various ways. Some beings are blind by day, and others are blind by night; some beings have equal sight both by day and night. Human beings are certainly endowed with knowledge, but they are not the only beings ( to be so endowed), for cattle, birds, animals and other creatures also cognize (objects of senses). 50-58. The knowledge that men have, birds and beasts too have; and what they have men also possess; and the rest (like eating and sleeping) is common to both of them. Look at these birds, which though they possess knowledge, and are themselves distressed by hunger are yet, because of the delusion, engaged in dropping grains into the beaks of their young ones. Human beings are, O tiger among men, attached to their children because of greed for return help. Do you not see this? Even so men are hurled into the whirlpool of attachment, the pit of delusion, through the power of Mahamaya ( the Great Illusion), who makes the existence of the world possible. Marvel not at this. this Mahamaya is the Yoganidra, of Vishnu, the Lord of the world. It is by her the world is deluded. Verily she, the Bhagavati, the Mahamaya forcibly drawing the minds of even the wise, throws them into delusion. She creates this entire universe, both moving and unmoving. It is she who, when propitious, becomes a boon-giver to human beings for their final liberation. She is the supreme knowledge, the cause of final liberation, and eternal; she is the cause of the bondage of transmigration and the sovereign over all lords. The king said: 59-62. 'Venerable sir, who is that Devi whom you call Mahamaya? How did she come into being, and what is her sphere of action, O Brahmana? What constitutes her nature? What is her form? Wherefrom did she originate? All that I wish to hear from you, O you supreme among the knowers of Brahman.' The Rishi said: 63-71. She is eternal, embodied as the universe. By her all this is pervaded. Nevertheless she incarnates in manifold ways; hear it from me. When she manifests herself in order to accomplish the purposes of the devas, she is said to be born in the world, though she is eternal. At the end of a kalpa when the universe was one ocean( with the waters of the deluge) and the adorable Lord Vishnu stretched out on Sesa and took the mystic slumber, tow terrible asuras, the well-known Madhu and Kaitabha, sprung into being from the dirt of Vishnu's ears, sought to slay Brahma; Brahma, the father of beings, was sitting in the lotus( that came out) from Vishnu's navel. Seeing these two fierce asuras and Janardhana asleep, and with a view to awakening Hari, (Brahma) with concentrated mind extolled Yoganidra, dwelling in Hari's eyes. The resplendent Lord Brahma extolled the incomparable Goddess of Vishnu, Yoganidra, the queen of cosmos, the supporter of the worlds, the cause of the sustentation and dissolution alike (of the universe). 72-74. Brahma said: 'You are Svaha and Svadha. You are verily the Vasatkara and embodiment of Svara. You are the nectar. O eternal and imperishable One, you are the embodiment of the threefold mantra. You are half a matra, though eternal. You are verily that which cannot be uttered specifically. You are Savitri and the supreme Mother of the devas. 75-77. 'By you this universe is borne, by you this world is created. By you it is protected, O Devi and you always consume it at the end. O you who are (always) of the form of the whole world, at the time of creation you are of the form of the creative force, at the time of sustentation you are of the form of the protective power, and at the time of the dissolution of the world, you are of the form of the destructive power. You are the supreme knowledge as well as the great nescience, the great intellect and contemplation, as also the great delusion, the great devi as also the great asuri. 78-81. ' You are the primordial cause of everything, bringing into force the three qualities. You are the dark night of periodic dissolution. You are the great night of final dissolution, and the terrible night of delusion. You are the goddess of good fortune, the ruler, modesty, intelligence characterized by knowledge, bashfulness, nourishment, contentment, tranquility and forbearance. Armed with sword, spear, club, discus, conch , bow, arrows, slings and iron mace, you are terrible( and at the same time) you are pleasing, yea more pleasing than all the pleasing things and exceedingly beautiful. You are indeed the supreme Isvari, beyond the high and low. 82-87. 'And whatever of wherever a thing exists, conscient( real) or non-conscient (unreal), whatever power all that possesses is yourself. O you who are the soul of everything, how can I extol you (more than this)? By you, even he who creates, sustains and devours the world, is put to sleep. Who is here capable of extolling you? Who is capable of praising you, who have made all of us- Vishnu, myself and Shiva- take our embodied forms? O Devi, being lauded thus, bewitch these two unassailable asuras Madhu and Kaitabha with your superior powers. Let Vishnu, the Master of the world, be quickly awakened from sleep and rouse up his nature to slay these two great asuras.' The Rishi said: 88-95. There, the Devi of delusion extolled thus by Brahma, the creator, in order to awaken Vishnu for the destruction of Madhu and Kaitabha, drew herself out from His eyes, mouth, nostrils, arms, heart and breast, and appeared in the sight of Brahma of inscrutable birth. Janardana, Lord of the universe, quitted by her, rose up from His couch on the universal ocean, and saw those two evil(asuras), Madhu and Kaitabha, of exceeding heroism and power, with eyes red in anger, endeavoring to devour Brahma. Thereupon the all-pervading Bhagavan Vishnu got up and fought with the asuras for five thousand years, using his own arms as weapons. And they, frenzied with their exceeding power, and deluded by Mahamaya, exclaimed to Vishnu, 'Ask a boon from us.' Bhagavan(Vishnu) said: 96-98. 'If you are satisfied with me, you must both be slain by me now. What need is there of any other boon here? My choice is this much indeed.' The Rishi said: 99-101. Those two(asuras), thus bewitched (by Mahamaya), gazing then at the entire world turned into water, told Bhagavan, the lotus eyed One, 'Slay us at the spot where the earth is not flooded with water.' The Rishi said: 102-104. Saying 'Be it so', Bhagavan(Vishnu), the great wielder of conch, discus and mace, took them on His loins and there severed their heads with His discus. Thus she (Mahamaya) herself appeared when praised by Brahma. Now listen again the glory of this Devi. I tell you. Here ends the first chapter called 'The slaying of Madhu and Kaitabha' of Devi mahatmya in Markandeya purana, during the period of Savarni, the Manu. |
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