Markandeya Purana: Difference between revisions
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== Durga Saptashati (''700 Verses'') == | == Durga Saptashati (''700 Verses'') == | ||
Thirteen of the Markandeya Purana's chapters (81-93) are known as the <big>Durga Saptashati</big> (English: ''700 Verses''). The Durga Saptashati is also called the "Devi Mahatmya", "Chandi Paath", or "the Chandi".<ref name=SDS1 /><ref name=SDS2 /> The Durga Saptashati is a repetition by Markandeya of information what he had learned from a sage named Medhas | Thirteen of the Markandeya Purana's chapters (81-93) are known as the <big>Durga Saptashati</big> (English: ''700 Verses''). The Durga Saptashati is also called the "Devi Mahatmya", "Chandi Paath", or "the Chandi".<ref name=SDS1 /><ref name=SDS2 /> The Durga Saptashati is a repetition by Markandeya of information what he had learned from a sage named Medhas. The Durga Saptashati describes the victory of the Goddess Durga (symbolic for a person's innermost, secret power) over various evil influences. Because all of it is in verse, the Durga Saptashati has been referred to as a divine song, and a ritualistic reading of the it is part of the annual Navratri celebrations in [[India]]. | ||
The Durga Saptashati describes the victory of the Goddess Durga (symbolic for a person's innermost, secret power) over various evil influences. Because all of it is in verse, the Durga Saptashati has been referred to as a divine song, and a ritualistic reading of the it is part of the annual Navratri celebrations in [[India]]. | |||
Chapter 8 of the Durga Saptashati (chapter 88 of the Markandeya Purana) is the well-known [[32 Names of Durga]] [[Mantra|mantra]]. | Chapter 8 of the Durga Saptashati (chapter 88 of the Markandeya Purana) is the well-known [[32 Names of Durga]] [[Mantra|mantra]]. | ||
Revision as of 11:42, 9 April 2023
The Markandeya Purana is one of eighteen major collections (Maha Puranas) of ancient Hindu texts dealing with Indian history, philosophy and traditions.[1] The Markandeya Purana is believed to have been composed between 250 CE and 550 CE. The collection is divided into 137 chapters, all of which are narrated by a sage called Markandeya.
The Markandeya Purana is written in Sanskrit and is considered to be "Smriti" (remembered by ordinary human beings and attributed to an author). Other Hindu scriptures such as the Vedas are considered to have been heard and transmitted through direct knowledge by accomplished and enlightened sages and seers (called "rishis"); those texts are not "Smriti" but instead are categorized as "Śruti".[2]
Durga Saptashati (700 Verses)
Thirteen of the Markandeya Purana's chapters (81-93) are known as the Durga Saptashati (English: 700 Verses). The Durga Saptashati is also called the "Devi Mahatmya", "Chandi Paath", or "the Chandi".[3][4] The Durga Saptashati is a repetition by Markandeya of information what he had learned from a sage named Medhas. The Durga Saptashati describes the victory of the Goddess Durga (symbolic for a person's innermost, secret power) over various evil influences. Because all of it is in verse, the Durga Saptashati has been referred to as a divine song, and a ritualistic reading of the it is part of the annual Navratri celebrations in India.
Chapter 8 of the Durga Saptashati (chapter 88 of the Markandeya Purana) is the well-known 32 Names of Durga mantra.
The Durga Saptashati also includes the Devi Argalā Stotram (Hymn to Goddess to Remove Impediments), whose first verse is known in Western yoga practices as the Om Jayanti Maṅgalā Kālī mantra.
Notes
- ↑ The eighteen Maha Puranas are: Vishnu, Naradiya, Padma, Garuda, Varaha, Bhagavata, Matsya, Kurma, Linga, Shiva, Skanda, Agni, Brahmanda, Brahmavaivarta, Markandeya, Bhavishya, Vamana, Brahma.
- ↑ Shruti on Encyclopedia Britannica online, last access 12/28/2022.
- ↑ Shri Durga Saptashati, a description of the "700 Verses", as well as the full text for its 13 chapters, on drik Panchang©, Hindu Calendar for the World; last access 12/28/2022
- ↑ How a centuries old epic shaped the spiritual backbone of Navratri, an article about the "700 Verses" on Firstpost.com, an online media website in Mumbai; last access 12/29/2022