Navaratri « YOGA
DEVI ATHARVA SHEERSHAM
The hymns of Devi from Atharva veda:
1. Om sarve ve deva devi upatasthuh kasi twam mahadeviti. 1. Amen, all Gods asked the Goddess “O Mahadevi (Great Goddess) who are you?” She answered thus,
2. Sabraveeta -aham braham swaroopini. Mattah prakriti purushatmakam jagat. Shoonyam cha ashoonyam cha. 2. I am of the form of Brahma. The world made of Prakrati and purusha has emanated from me. I am the shunya (nothingness) and beyond the shunya.
3. Aham ananda-anando. Aham vigyana-vigyane. Aham brahma – brahmani veditavye. Aham Panchbhutani apanchbhutani. Aham akhilam jagata. 3. I am joy and beyond the joy. I am knowledge and beyond the knowledge. I am the Brahman that everyone should Know and also the illusion. I am the world made of five elements and also beyond the world. I am this entire visible world.
4. Vedoaham, avedoaham. Vidyaaham avidya -aham. Adhashcha urdhavacha tiryakcha aham. 4. I am the vedas and beyond the Vedas. I am the pure knowledge and the illusion. I am born and unborn. I am above and below, at the front and back.
5. Aham Rudrebhih vasubhishcharami. Aham aditya rut vishwa devaih. Aham mitravaruno ubho bibharami. Aham Indragni aham ashvino ubho. 5. I move about as Rudras and Vasus (a class of deities who are eight in number). I move about as Aditya and Vishwadeva (a class of deities, Adityas are 12 in number, one of them is the sun). I am the one who supports the sun, Varun, Indra, Agni and Ashwani kumar (they are two in number and doctors of Gods)
6. Aham somam, twashtaram pooshanam bhagam dadhami. Aham vishnu urukramam. Brahmanamut prajapati dadhami. 6. I support soma, Twashta, Poosha, and Bhag (a class of deities). It is I who supports Vishnu, Brahmadeva and Prajapati whose feet have pervaded the three lokas.
7. Aham dadhami dravinam havishmate supravapye yajmanaya sunwate. Aham rashtri sangmani vasoonam chikitushi prathma yagnyiyanama. Aham suve pitarmasya moordhanmam yonirap swantah samudre. Ya avum veda. Sa devi sampadam aapnoti. 7. It is I who receives oblations offered in the sacrificial fire (Havana). It is I who give wealth to the devotees of God all over the world. I am the chief of all deities to whom are offered oblation in the sacrificial fire (Havana) I create all five elements from my own form. My place is in the intellect that is enlightened with the light of Atma. One who understands this, receive divine wealth.
8. Te deva abruvana -Namo Devyai mahadevyai shivai satatam namah. Namah prakrutyai Bhadraya niyatah pranatah sma taama. 8. the Gods spoke thus, Salutations to the Great Goddess, the bestower of auspiciousness. ‘We all humbly surrender and obeys to the Prakruti (mother of entire creation). One who bestows benedictions and rules over the entire world.
9. Tamagnivarna tapasa jwalanti. Vairochanim karma faleshu jushtam. Durga Devim sharanam prapadya mahe asurannash yitraye te namah. 9. 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. Salutations to the destroyer of demons.
10. Devim vacham ajanyanta devastam vishwaroopah pashvo vadanti. Saa no mandreshmoorja duhana dhenuvargasmanupa sushtutaitu. 10. 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 be always with us.
11. Kalaratri Braham stutam vaishnavi skanda mataram. Saraswati-aditi-daksha-duhitaram namamam pavnamshivam. 11. 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.
12. Mahalaxamya cha vidyahe. Sarvashaktaye cha dheemahi. Tanno Devi prachodayata. 12. We want to know more about Shri Mahalaxmi, we meditate on Shri Saraswati. May the Goddess encourage us to meditate more on her.
13. Aditiharya-janishta daksha ya duhita tava. Tam deva anvajayanta bhadra amrut bhandhavah. 13. O Daksha, your daughter Aditi has given birth to Gods who are immortal and auspicious.
14. Kamo yonih kamala vajrapani gruha hamsa matrishva bhramindrah. Punagruha sakala mayaya cha puruchayasha vishwamata-vividyoma. 14. Kaama, yoni, Kamalaa, Vajrapani (Indra), Guhaa, hamsa, Maatarishwa, Abhra, Indra, Punarguhaa, Sakala, Maya, are the mantras (Vidya) of the Mother of the universe who herself is verily the Brahma.
15. Aisha-atmashaktih. Aisha -vishwamohini. Pasha -ankush-dhanur-bana dhara. Aisha-Shri mahavidya. Ya avem veda sa shokam tarati. 15. She is the power of Atma. She is the one who is enticing the universe, weilding noose, goad, bow and arrow, the great knowledge (maha vidya). One who knows this, is liberated of all the grief.
16. Namaste astu bhagawati matarasmana pahi sarvatah. 16. Salutations to you O Bhagawati. O Mother! always look after us.
17. Sa-ishta-ashto vasawah sa aisha ekadasha rudrah. sa aisha dwadash-adityah. Sa aisha vishwadevah somapa asompash cha. Sa aisha yatudhana asura rakshansi, pishacha yakshah sidah. Sa aisha sattva rajah tamansi. Sa aisha brahma, Vishnu, rudra roopini. Sa aisha prajapati Indra manavah. Sa aisha graha nakshatra jyotish. Kalakashthadi kalapini tam aham pranomi nityama. Papa aapharinim devim bhuktimukti pradayinim. Anantam vijayam shuddham sharanyam shivdam shivam. 17. She is the eight Vasus. She is eleven Rudras. She is twelve Adityas. She is the Vishwadevas autorised and unauthorised to have somas (vibrations). She is Yatodhan, Asuras, Rakshasas, Pishacchas, Yakshas and siddhas (all astral beings). She is the Sattwa, Raja and Tamo Gunas. She is Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. She is Prajapati, Indra and Manu. She is stars and planets and constellations. O Devi, who is also of the form of Kala, Kashtha and Kala, (small units of time), the dispeller of sin, bestower of fulfillment and liberation unending, victorious, pure, the only one to be surrendered, the bestower of benevolence, of the form of auspiciousness, my salutations to you.
18. Viyadikar-samyuktam vitihotra samanvitama. Ardhendulasitam devya beejam sarvarth sadhakama. 18. The Beeja mantra of Devi which is the combination of Viyat i.e. Ether (Ha) and ‘ee’ and fire (Ra) bedecked with crescent moon, fulfills all desires.
19. Avum aekaksharam braham yatathah shuddha chetasah. Dhyayanti parmanandamaya. Gnyanambuh aashayah. 19. This Beeja mantram (Hrim) 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.
20. Vangmaya brahmasoostastmata shashtham vaktrasamanvitam. Sooryoavam shrotrabindu Samyuktashta triteeyakah. Narayanen samishro vayuh cha adharyukah tatah. Vicchey navarna koarnah syanamahad -ananda-dayakah. 20. The Mantra (Aem Hrim Kleem, Chamunda vicche) gives great joy to the devotees of the Devi and leads them to the Brahma realization.
21. Hrutpundareek madhyastham pratah surya samprabham. Pasha-ankush-dharam saumnyam varda-bhaya -hastakama. Trinetram raktavasanam. Bhakta-kama dudham bhaje. 21. 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 protection, who is three eyed and has put on red clothes and is fulfilling the desires of her devotees.
22. Namami twam mahedevim, Mahabhayavinashineem, Mahadurga prashmaneem, mahakarunya roopineem. 22. I salute to that great Goddess (Mahadevi) who destroys great fears, who removes great calamities and who is the great compassion personified.
23. Yasyah swaroopam brahmadayo na jananti tasmat uchyate agyeya. Yasya anto na labhyate tasmaduchyate ananta. Yasya laxyam nopelaxyate tasmaduchyate alakshaya. Yasya jananam nopelabhyate tasmattuchyate aja. Aekaive sarvatra vartate tasmaduchyate aeka. Aekaive vishwaroopini tasmaduchyate naika. Ata aevochyate agyeya ananta-alakshya-aja-aeka -naika iti. 23. 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 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 the names as Agnyeya, Ananta, Alakshya, Ajaa, Aika, Naika, etc.
24. Mantranam matraka devi shabdanam gnyanroopini, gnyananam chinmaya teeta shoonyanam shoonyasakshini, yasyah parataram nasti saisha durga prakritita. 24. That Devi, is ‘Matruka’ (i.e. letters which make mantras) in mantra, she is knowledge in words. In the knowledge she is beyond pure intelligence. In the nothingness, she is the witness. There is nothing beyond her, hence she is described as Durga.
25. Tam durga durgamam devi, Durachara vidhatineem, Namami bhavabheetoaham samsar arnavatarineem. 25. I, who is afraid of the ocean of worldly affairs, salute to that Durga, who is inaccessible, who is the destroyer of all wickedness and saviour of the people from the ocean of illusion.
20. The Mantra (Aem Hrim Kleem, Chamunda vicche) gives great joy to the devotees of the Devi and leads them to the Brahma realization.
this is how, I was told, the pristine purity of the Vedas had been preserved. Sounds plausible I would say.
I must now say something about the structure of the Vedas. It is usually said that there are four Vedas. Yes there are, but this classification came after several thousands of years. Before that, it was, shall I say, a period of discovery? Revelations came to people belonging to different times, and these were encapsulated into Vedic hymns. There were thousands and thousands of hymns but unfortunately, most of them have been lost in time. What has survived is only a small part. Even so, they are not only grand in themselves, but tell, in their own way, the story of the evolution of human thought. I shall come to that aspect a little later but for now, I shall stay with the topic concerning the structure of theVedas.
The above brief introduction to the Vedas also enables me now to comment on the evolution of Vedic thought. If one goes carefully through the Vedic texts that span the ages, one can see a clear line of evolution. The very early hymns are in the Rig Veda, and they not only express ancient man’s sense of wonder but also reveal how he identified specific deities like Indra, Agni, Vayu and so on with forces of Nature. About all this, Sathya Sai says,
decided to probe further beyond the Devasand concluded, in the first instance, that there must be an overlord for these deities. The deities were like Viceroys, and there must be a Rex or a King who ruled over them. Thus it is that they convinced themselves about a Power superior to the deities. That power was called God.
In short, step by step, the seekers realised that there is a Supreme One who is beyond this world, beyond the Universe in fact, and beyond Space and Time too. The seekers also realised that this Supreme One who was beyond Space and Time itself, could not be described in words, and could not be cognised by the Mind too. We have heard so many speakers quote this Vedic phrase:
