Insights from the First Chapter of Durga Saptashati

Insights from the First Chapter of Durga Saptashati

The Significance of Durga Saptashati: Insights from the First Chapter

What is Purana?

Scholars can provide many meanings and interpretations of this term. Here’s one: A Purana is a genre of ancient Hindu texts that contains narratives of the history of the universe, cosmology, myths, legends, and religious teachings. The word “Purana” itself means “ancient” or “old” in Sanskrit. These texts often include stories about gods and goddesses, sages, kings, and heroes, along with philosophical and moral instructions.

There are 18 major Puranas and numerous minor ones, categorized into three groups: those glorifying Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti (the Divine Mother). Each Purana typically consists of five main elements:

1. Sarga (creation of the universe),
2. Pratisarga (re-creation after destruction),
3. Vamsa (genealogy of gods and sages),
4. Manvantara (cosmic cycles of time),
5. Vamsanucharita (legends of royal dynasties).

Why Should One Read Purana?

Puranas are important for understanding Hindu beliefs, practices, and mythology. They are written in an accessible style, often in the form of dialogues, and are meant to convey religious truths and ethical teachings through stories.

We need to keep in mind that they were all written after the documentation of the Vedas and Upanishads. Therefore, they contain extracts from the Vedas and Upanishads presented in an engaging storytelling style. They are written in such a way that any logically minded person of any age will recognize that all the characters, wars, and outcomes symbolize something. They are not literal truths but represent profound truths. Thus, if you are a logical thinker, you may become puzzled by the stories. Some dismiss these stories as myths, but the problem is that you may be throwing out the baby with the bathwater. One needs a lot of patience and a deep analytical mind to decrypt these stories. The beauty is that every thinking person will come up with their own interpretation.

Keeping this context of the Puranas in mind, I think there are ten kinds of people in society:

• Those who have never read any Purana but have heard good things about them.
• Those who have never read any Purana but heard from others that they are difficult to read and understand.
• Those who have never read any Purana but have heard negative things about them.
• Those who have read them partially and concluded that they are good.
• Those who have read them partially and concluded that they are bad.
• Those who have read them fully and concluded that others should not read them and waste their time.
• Those who have read them fully and concluded that they are complex and should be understood with the help of a Guru.
• Those who have read them fully and concluded that they are very profound, and even a Guru cannot help. If you have the desire to know the truth, you can understand the script, grammar, and context. With logical thinking ability, your own exploration will reveal something very profound, deep, and precious.
• Those who read these to criticize.
• Those who read these to appreciate blindly.

What kind of person are you, and what kind of person do you see and meet around you? You should reflect on that. What you should do, I leave upon you.

What is Durga Saptashati?

In Hindu Dharma and traditions, there are 18 Puranas, all written by Maharshi Ved Vyas. The Markandeya Purana is one of the 18 major Puranas in Hinduism, named after the sage Markandeya, who is the narrator of the text. It contains around 9,000 verses and covers a wide range of topics, including cosmology, dharma (righteousness), the duties of kings, and various rituals. The most renowned section of the Markandeya Purana is the Durga Saptashati (or Devi Mahatmyam), which glorifies the Goddess Durga’s victories over evil forces and highlights the power of the Divine Feminine. The Durga Saptashati contains only 700 verses. These 700 slokas are grouped into 13 chapters and they further grouped into three charitra (major sections). The first Chartira has only one chapter. It about killing of Madhu and Kaitabha by the Durga.

Who are Madhu and Kaitabha in Durga Saptashati?

In the Durga Saptashati (or Devi Mahatmyam), Madhu and Kaitabha are two powerful Asuras (demons) who symbolize the forces of ignorance and delusion. They were killed by Lord Vishnu, with the intervention of the Devi (Mahakali). Here are the key negative characteristics for which they were destroyed:

1. Ignorance and Delusion:

• Madhu and Kaitabha were born from the earwax of Lord Vishnu while he was in a deep sleep. This origin symbolizes the emergence of ignorance and delusion in the universe when one is not vigilant or aware, or when one is asleep.
• They embody the destructive and chaotic forces that arise from tamasic (dark, inert, ignorant) energy, which opposes divine order and wisdom.

2. Arrogance and Ego:

• After gaining power, because they were born from Vishnu, Madhu and Kaitabha became arrogant and filled with a sense of invincibility. They were under the delusion that they could kill only one person before him, Brahma, who represents Knowledge.
• When Vishnu woke up, the arrogance of these Asuras grew to the extent that they dared to challenge Vishnu to a fight, believing they could defeat him simply because they had been born from him.

3. Deception and Manipulation:

• In their arrogance, Madhu and Kaitabha tried to manipulate Lord Vishnu. After fighting him for thousands of years, they became overconfident and offered Vishnu a boon. Normally, when you become overconfident, you try to prove something you are not. Just because someone cannot defeat you in 5,000 years doesn’t mean you are more powerful. Perhaps some game is going on in the background, which you cannot see because you are too caught up in your own mind.
• Vishnu, with the guidance of the Devi, turned their arrogance against them by cleverly asking them for the boon of their own death.

4. Disturbing Cosmic Order:

• Madhu and Kaitabha threatened cosmic order. They sought to destroy Brahma, the creator, which would have caused the end of the universe. In our madness, we often want to change everything around us. Without understanding, we want to destroy what is available. This madness to become a hero, challenger, or revolutionary and destroy everything without thinking about what comes next is an attribute of Madhu and Kaitabha.
• By attacking the very source of creation, they represented a threat to the balance and harmony of the cosmos, which the Devi intervened to prevent.

Why Are Madhu and Kaitabha Considered Asuras?

Human life is full of dualities, and individuals often live in this duality. The two opposing tastes are sweet and bitter. You experience these tastes when you eat, see, listen, smell, and touch. Out of these senses, two ears are used for listening; they always seek to hear good news while avoiding bad news. When a listener is unable to transcend the duality of these two experiences, they give birth to Asura Shakti.

Who Are Surath and Samadhi in the First Chapter?

They represent the entire world. Surath is a king; he symbolizes power, rule, law enforcement, loyalty, struggle, and all human emotions. Samadhi is a businessman; he represents money, cleverness, crudeness, crookedness, and the prosperity of society. Both have their own problems of attachment to their kingdom and wealth, even after losing everything.

Who Is Medha Rishi?

He represents the enlightened presence in which all anger and violence dissolve. He embodies wisdom.

What Is There for Me in This Chapter?

Don’t get lost in the characters of this chapter; instead, ask yourself:

• Who are Surath and Samadhi within me, and who are attached and suffering every day?
• Who are Madhu and Kaitabha within me, when did they take birth, rise, and become strong?
• Who can kill my Madhu and Kaitabha? Do I need help of third person/power?
• Am I even interested in killing them, or do I feel they are good within me but should not be in others?
• Or do I want to kill the Madhu and Kaitabha in society and others while feeding my own Madhu and Kaitabha?

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