On Durgasaptashati

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Dear Jyotisas,

 

I am forwarding a letter on Durga saptashati written by my colleague. An interesting nimitta occurred when I was about to type this letter...another colleague came with sweets to invite me for his sister's wedding! All spelling mistakes are mine...please excuse and correct.

 

 

Enjoy.

 

regards

Hari

 

|Om Gurave Namah|

|Om Saraswataye Namah|

 

A very good account and explanation of Saptashati has been presented by Sri Narasimha. The deeper meaning is something very thought provoking. While I agree to all that is given, I wish to add a few things which were taught and told to me by my late father Pandita Shastri Gita Ram, who was an ardent believer in the shakti of Chandi and was a learned man in vedas, shastras and puranas (he studied at Lahore).

 

 

1. He always addressed the saptashati as Bhagavati which as per the Vaikritika Rahasyam (1st shloka) is the satvika rupa of the Goddess. The other rupas are triguni (chandi rupa) and tamasi (Durga rupa).

 

 

2. For general well being, it is always better to concentrate on satvika rupa. However other rupas have their own significance.

 

3. Chandi patha is chanting of triguni rupa and must be done with due procedure as given below, particularly for shanti karma:

(a) Shapodhara - Beeja mantra 7 times

(b) Utkeelna - 21 times

© Kavach patha

(d) Argala stotram

(e) Keelkam

(f) Tantrokte Ratri Suklam

(g) Navarna (Dhyana, nyasa, japa (108))

(h) Patha (1st to 13th chapter)

(i) Navarna (Dhyana, nyasa, japa (108))

(j) Devi suklam

(k) Rahasya trayam - Pradhamtrau Rahasyam, Vaikritika Rahasyam, Murty Rahasyam

(l) Shapdhara - 7 times

(m) Utkeelna - 21 times

 

4. The above procedure is one chandipatha.

 

5. Done 9 times, it is Nav chandi; done 100 times, it is shat chandi; done 1000 times it is sahasrara chandi.

 

6. On completion of the patha (9, 100 or 1000 times as the case may be), the following be performed

(a) Homam 1/10th of patha (1, 10, 100 patha with every shatoka)

(b) Tarpana 1/10th of homam

© Marjanam 1/10th of tarpana

(d) Brahmana bhoga 1/10th of marjana

 

7. A a regular routine (without elaborate procedure), saptashati may be chanted as under:

(a) if sufficient time (1.5 - 2 hours) - full patha (1 to 13 chapters)

(b) if less time ( < 1 hour) - 1st adhyaya & 3rd adhyaya

© if very less time (1/2 hour) - Madhyama adhyaya (2nd chapter)

 

8. Every shloka of saptashati is to be treated as mantra

 

9. Chandipatha is the ultimate remedy in shanti karma

 

||saptajanmarjite ghore brahmhatyasame api patha matren mantranam uchyate savekilvishe||

 

" sanchita papakarma from last seven births (even if like brahmahatya) can be remedied by chandipath mantra "

 

About deities

 

Tamoguna Mahakali - Dasabhuja/dasavaktra (10 arms/organs)

Triguna Mahalakshmi - Astadasabhuja (18 arms)

Satviki Mahasaraswati - Astabhuja (8 arms)

 

All above with respective aayudhas as explained in Vaikritika Rahasyam.

 

11. I have lot of other information for which I shall revert later.

 

||Sarva rupa mayi devi sarv devi mayam jagat alo aham vishava rupam tam namami parameshvrini||

 

Brig (Ret'd) S.P. Ghrera

 

Side note: Sri Ghrera has been reciting the Durga saptashati daily on the advice of his father for a long period of time ( > 10 years) and has been in search of a Astadasabhuja Mahalakshmi idol for worship. However he has not been able to obtain one so far in spite of searching everywhere. In this context, it is interesting to note that Sri Narasimha got one gifted to him after 40 days of reading!