DURGAA CHANDRAKALAA STUTI
JAI SHANKAR
The above hymn is by the famous scholar Shri Appayya Dikshita (1520-1593 CE). He lived in Tamilnadu and was a polymath.His interests were vast and varied and he adorned all that he touched. He was a great devotee of Shiva and Devi. His immense literary output ranges from monumental works on philosophy to a popular book, Kuvalayaananda on Figures of Speech (Alankaara). He composed many hymns like AatmaarpaNa Stuti and Durga Chandrakalaa Stuti. The former is addressed to Shiva and the latter to Devi Durgaa.
Durgaa Saptashati (700 verses) is very wellknown as a narrative of Durgaa’s exploits.Its paaraayaNa is very meritorious. For the benefit of those who are unable to read the full text, there are abridged versions, condensing the text . Thus we have ekashloki (one verse), saptashloki (7 verses) and a Trayodashi(13 verses).
Appayya Dikshit’s hymn is also a summary. But, it is unique because he has cast his net far and wide. Durga’s exploits are also in Harivamsha, Bhaagavata and Varaaha PuraaNa, apart from Durga Saptashati. Appayya has taken an overview of all these sources in this hymn.
This hymn is revered as a very potent piece of mantra-shaastra. Devi upaasaks (votaries) swear by its efficacy in warding off malefic effects of planets and trials and tribulations of every kind. The poet has himself written a commentary on it.
This hymn has 18 verses. First one is an invocation and the last one is phalashruti (telling us the benefits of its chant). The Intervening 16 deal with Durga.
The 16 verses are compared to the 16 digits (kalaa) of the moon. The moon has 16 digits, of which 15 are visible and the 16th invisible. Just as the moon showers its soothing rays and blesses mankind, these 16 verses, if chanted with faith and sincerity, will heal the agony of every type, a devotee may be prey to. Hence its name Durga CHANDRAKALAA Stuti.
Yesterday the auspicious Purushottama Maasa (Adhika Aashwija) has begun. “Adhikasya adhikam phalam” goes the saying. It means Adhikamaasa confers more merit. It is meritorious to recite/study the above hymn even in normal times. It will be more so during this Adhika Maasa, presided over by Purushottama Himself.
As always, dear Satish Kulkarni of Goregaon has set aside a web page and the link is:
https://bhanapcorner.online/durgack.
I shall give my annotations from 20th September 2020.
V.RAJAGOPAL BHAT
19-9-2020
JAI SHANKAR
दुर्गाचन्द्रकलास्तुतिः
वेधोहरीश्वरस्तुत्यां विहर्त्रीं विन्ध्यभूधरे ।
हरप्राणेश्वरीं वन्दे हन्त्रीं विबुधविद्विषाम् ।। 1 ।।
अभ्यर्थनेन सरसीरुहसंभवस्यत्यक्त्वोदिता भगवदक्षिपिधानलीलाम् ।
विश्वेश्वरी विपदपागमने पुरस्तान् माता ममास्तु मधुकैटभयोर्निहन्त्री ।।2।।
प्राङ्निर्जरेषु निहितैर्निजशक्तिलेशैःएकीभवद्भिरुदिताखिललोकगुप्त्यै ।
संपन्नशस्त्रनिकरा च तदायुधस्थैःमाता ममास्तु महिषान्तकरी पुरस्तात् ।।3।।
प्रालेयशैलतनयातनुकान्तिसम्पत्कोशोदिता कुवलयच्छविचारुदेहा ।
नारायणी नमदभीप्सितकल्पवल्लीसुप्रीतिमावहतु शुम्भनिशुम्भहन्त्री ।।4।।
विश्वेश्वरीति महिषान्तकरीति यस्याःनारायणीत्यपिच नामभिरङ्कितानि ।
सूक्तानि पङ्कजभुवाच सुरर्षिभिश्चदृष्टानि पावकमुखैश्च शिवां भजे ताम् ।।5।।
उत्पत्तिदैत्यहननस्तवनात्मकानिसंरक्षकाण्यखिलभूतहिताय यस्याः ।
सूक्तान्यशेषनिगमान्तविदः पठन्तितां विश्वमातरमजस्रमभिष्टवीमि ।।6।।
येवैप्रचित्तपुनरुत्थितशुम्भमुख्यैःदुर्भिक्षघोरसमयेन च कारितासु ।
आविष्कृतास्रिजगदार्तिषु रूपभेदाःतैरम्बिका समभिरक्षतु मां विपद्भ्यः ।।7।।
सूक्तं यदीयमरविन्दभवादिदृष्टम्आवर्त्य देव्यनुपदं सुरथस्समाधिः ।
द्वावप्यवापतुरभीष्टमनन्यलभ्यन्तामादिदेवतरुणीं प्रणमामि देवीम् ।।8।।
माहिष्मतीतनुभवं च रुरुं च हन्तुम्आविष्कृतैर्निजरसादवतारभेदैः ।
अष्टादशाहतनवाहतकोटिसंख्यैःअम्बा सदा समभिरक्षतु मां विपद्भ्यः ।।9।।
एतच्चरित्रमखिलं लिखितं हि यस्याःसम्पूजितं सदन एव निवेशितं वा ।
दुर्गं च तारयति दुस्तरमप्यशेषंश्रेयः प्रयच्छति च सर्वमुमां भजे ताम् ।।10।।
यत्पूजनस्तुतिनमस्कृतिभिर्भवन्तिप्रीताः पितामह रमेश हरास्त्रयोsपि ।
तेषामपि स्वकगुणैर्ददतीं वपूंषितामीश्वरस्य तरुणीं शरणं प्रपद्ये ।।11।।
कान्तारमध्यदृढलग्नतयावसन्नाम्मग्नाश्च वारिधिजले रिपुभिश्च रुद्धाः ।
यस्याः प्रपद्य चरणौ विपदस्तरन्तिसा मे सदास्तु हृदि सर्वजगत्सवित्री ।।12 ।।
वन्धे वधे महति मृत्युभये प्रसक्तेवित्तक्षये च विविधे च महोपतापे ।
यत्पादपूजनमिह प्रतिकारमाहुःसामे समस्तजननी शरणं भवानी ।।13।।
बाणासुरप्रहितपन्नगबन्धमोक्षःतद्बाहुदर्पदळनादुषया च योगः ।
प्राद्युम्निना द्रुतमलभ्यत यत्प्रसादात्सामे शिवा सकलमप्यशुभं क्षिणोतु ।।14।।
पापः पुलस्त्यतनयः पुनरुत्थितो माम्अद्यापि हर्तुमयमागत इत्युदीतम् ।
यत्सेवनेन भयमिन्दिरयाsवधूतंतामादिदेवतरुणीं शरणं गतोsस्मि ।।15।।
यद्द्ध्यानजं सुखमवाप्यमनन्तपुण्यैःसाक्षात्तमच्युतपरिग्रहमाश्ववापुः ।
गोपाङ्गनाः किल यदर्चनपुण्यमात्रान्सामे सदा भगवती भवतु प्रसन्ना ।।16।।
रात्रिं प्रपद्य इति मन्त्रविदः प्रपन्नान्उद्बोध्य मृत्यवधिमन्यफलैः प्रलोभ्य ।
बुध्वाच तद्विमुखतां प्रतनं नयन्तीम्आकशमादिजननीं जगतां भजे ताम् ।।17।।
देशकालेषु दुष्टेषु दुर्गाचन्द्रकलास्तुतिः ।सन्ध्ययोरनुसन्धेया सर्वापद्विनिवृत्तये ।।18।
दुर्गाचन्द्रकलास्तुतिः
Durgaa Chandrakalaa Stuti
वेधोहरीश्वरस्तुत्यां विहर्त्त्त्रीं विन्ध्यभूधरे।
हरप्राणेश्वरीं वन्दे हन्त्रीं विबुधविव्दिषाम्।। 1 ।।
(Vedhohareeshvarastutyaam vihartreem vindhya bhoodhare/hara praaNeshvareem vande hantreem vibudha vidvishaam.)
“I bow down(vande) to Durgaa who is praised(stutyaam) by Vedha(Brahma), Hari
and Ishvara, who strolls(vihartreem) in the Vindhya mountain(bhoodhara),who is the
darling(praaNeshvari) of Hara(Shiva) and
who slays(hantreem) the enemies(vidvishaam) of gods and godly persons(vibudha)”.
Kailaasa, Vindhya and Mandara mountains are Her favourite resorts, say the PuraaNaas.
This is mangalaacharaNa, invocatory verse.
In the Devi Atharvasheersha, the gods ask Devi: Who are You, Devi?(kaasi tvam devi)
and She replies:I am of the nature of Brahman(aham Brahma-swaroopiNee).She
is the Shakti of Brahma and hence,identical with Brahman.
Vibudha signifies gods and godly people.
She slays demons, the enemies of gods.
Her protective shield is also available for godly people who are tormented by the
wicked and the vicious.
At the end if ch.11 in DS, Devi declares assuringly:
इत्थं यदा यदा बाधा दानवोत्था भविष्यति ॥५४॥
तदा तदावतीर्याहं करिष्याम्यरिसंक्षयम् ॥५५॥
“Thus, whenever affliction is caused by demons, then and there I will come down
and annihilate them”.(verse 54/55).
She is praised by the Trinity. The seer(rishi) of Devi Kavacha is Brahmaa. VishNu is the
seer for Argalaa Stotra and Shiva is the
Rishi for Keelaka. This is known to those who do Navaratra NityapaaTha.
likewise, the seer(Rishi) for Prathama
Charitra(chapter 1) in Durgaa Saptashati is
Brahmaa. The Madhyama Charitra(ch.2,3,4)
has VishNu as the seer. The Uttara Charitra
(from ch.5 onwards has Rudra(Shiva) as the
Rishi(seer).
Appayya Dikshita says in his Sanskrit
commentary that we have Brahmaa’s stuti in Ch.1 of DS as Tantrokta Raatri Sooktam, VishNu’s stuti, he says, is in Harivamsha and Shiva’s stuti in Varaaha PuraaNa..
Thus, the statement that Devi is praised(stutyaam) by the Trinity is validated
by above references.
We are passing through very troubled times
now and badly need a shower of the soothing moonbeams of Devi Durgaa’s grace.
अभ्यर्थनेन सरसीरुहसम्भवस्य त्यक्त्वोदिता भगवदक्षिपिधानलीलाम् । विश्वेश्वरी विपदपागमने पुरस्तात् माता ममास्तु मधुकैटभयोर्निहन्त्री।।2।।
(abhyarthanena saraseeruha sambhavasya
tyaktvoditaa bhagavadakshi pidhaanaleelaam।
vishveshvaree vipadapaagamane purastaat
maataa mamaastu madhukaiTabhayornihantree।।2।।)
“Heeding the prayer(abhyarthanaa) by Brahma, the lotus(saraseeruha) born
(sambhavasya), Devi manifested(uditaa) by
making VishNu to give up His playful(leelaa)
closure (pidhaana) of eyes(akshi).Devi,the empress of the world(vishveshvaree), the
slayer(nihantree) of Madhu and KaiTabha – may She, the Mother, manifest(astu) before(purastaat) me to ward off(apaagamana) the calamities(vipad) I am
facing.”.
This verse is a summary of the first chapter
of DS. The first chapter is also called the
Prathama Charitra. Madhu and Kaitabha were trying to attack Brahma, seated in the
lotus emerging from VishNu’s navel. VishNu
was in Yoga-nidraa and could not help Brahmaa. So,Brahmaa prays to Devi to awaken VishNu and the awakened VishNu slays the two demons.
Madhu and Kaitabha met their doom at the
hands of VishNu, but, the credit goes to Devi
and She is praised in the verse as the slayer
(nihantree).Why? VishNu was just a nimitta,an instrument in the drama. It was She who awakened Him, inspired Him and
lent Him Her shakti to kill the duo.
Howsoever fearful a child may be, his fear is replaced with boldness and courage as soon as his mother looms in sight. Her very sight,leave alone her presence, is a tonic to
his soul.This explains Appayyaa’s poignant
prayer to the Universal Mother to show up before him.
Appayya Dikshita knows full well that Devi cannot be expected to come down physically and ward off whatever crisis(vipad) has befallen him. If She could awaken VishNu and impart shakti to Him to ward off the calamity in the shape of the two demons, can’t She do the same magic to Appayya – representing lay devotees like us – and boost his energy and self-confidence to face the odds in life cheerfully, with Her name on his lips?This is the implication(dhvani) underlying his prayer.
There is a saying in Mahaabhaarata: “gods
do not protect one like a cowherd with a cane in hand. To him who needs protection, they awaken his buddhi.”
What we need is this awakening. To accomplish this, the same divine shakti comes to us as Gurushakti!
प्राङ्निर्जरेषु निहितैर्निजशक्तिलेशैः एकीभवद्भिरुदिताऽखिललोकगुप्त्यै। सम्पन्नशस्त्रनिकरा च तदायुधस्थैः माता ममास्तु महिषान्तकरी पुरस्तात्।।3।।
Praangnirjareshu nihitairnija shaktileshaih
ekee bhavadbhiruditaakhila lokaguptyai/
sampanna shastranikaraa cha tadaayudhasthaih
maataa mamaastu mahishaantakaree purastaat//3//
“May Mother Durga(maataa), the slayer of Mahishaasura(mahishaantakaree), be(astu) before(purastaat) me.She had deposited(nihita) Her own shaktis in fragments(nija shakti lesha) in gods(nirjareshu) long back(praak). Now, She took them back and consolidated them
(ekeebhavadbhi). With those weapons(tadaayudhasthai) lent by gods individually (and which contained Her own
shaktis delegated to them long back), She became fully empowered(sampanna) with a
stockpile of weapons(shastra nikara).May Durga, who thus manifested(uditaa) for the
protection of the world(loka guptyai),reveal
Herself before(purastaat) me(mama astu).
This verse is a condensation of Madhyama Charitra in DS (ch.2,3,4).
As long as Devi Durgaa’s shaktis lay scattered in the gods, they could not be of much use for Her. Strength lay in their unification, consolidation and integration.
Once this was done, She was matchless.
She had now a formidable stockpile of
weapons to draw upon.This is a lesson to us
– Unity is Strength.
Atharva Veda(10-2-31) says: our body is an impregnable sanctuary of gods(devaanaam
poorayodhyaa). Our body is hailed as Ayodhyaa, impregnable and invulnerable.
Aitareya Upanishad gives the details of entry
of gods into human body. Agni entered our
mouth and became speech.Vaayu entered our nostrils as PraaNa. Sun entered as eyesight.The directions entered our ears,
becoming the faculty of listening……………(passage no.4 in this Upanishad). When we
perform Nyaasa during Pooja we invoke
these divinities. What is the purpose? To assure ourselves that our body is a temple
(deho devaalayah proktaha) . Nyaasa
raises the body in our esteem. It is Ayodhyaa. DS teaches us to be mindful of our legacy, consolidate and integrate our
potencies and then march forth to slay
Mahisha(he-buffalo), the symbol of sloth,
laziness and inertia. A subhaashita says that
laziness(aalasya) is our great enemy, lurking within us. No meaningful saadhanaa is
possible unless we overcome this Mahisha in us and who can help us better in this task than the Mahishaantakaree Herself?
प्रालेयशैलतनयातनुकान्तिसम्पत् कोशोदिता कुवलयच्छविचारुदेहा । नारायणी नमदभीप्सितकल्पवल्ली सुप्रीतिमावहतु शुम्भनिशुम्भहन्त्री ॥४
praaleya shaila tanayaa tanukaanti sampat
koshoditaa kuvalayaccha vichaarudehaa
naaraayaNee namadabheepsita kalpavalli
supreetim aavahatu shumbha nishumbha
hantree/4/
May NaaraayaNee, the slayer(hantree) of Shumbha and Nishumbha, the wish-fullfilling
creeper(kalpavalli) who fulfills the wishes
(abheepsita) of those who bow down(namad) to Her, be loving(preetim aavahatu) towards me. (How is She?) She has a charming(chaaru) body(deha) with the complexion(chhavi) of a water-lily(kuvalaya). She has emanated (uditaa) from the treasure-trove(kosha) of the lustrous body(tanu-kaanti sampat)
of the daughter(tanayaa) of the snow(praaleya) capped mountain(shaila)i.e. Himaalaya.
This verse is a summary of chapters 5 to 10
of DS.
The RgVeda says: (6-47-18) God assumes many many forms with His Maayaa(Indro maayaabhih pururoopa eeyate).Durgaa is Herself Maayaa. During Her long-drawn battles with the demons Shumbha,
Nishumbha and their companions, Durga assumes many names and forms
like Kaali, Shivadooti,Kaumaari, BrahmaaNi and Maaheshwari and Vaaraahi(Ch.9 of DS)
and Raktadantikaa, Shakambharee, Durgaa, Bheemaa, Bhraamaree etc(ch.11 of DS)
The tenth chapter of DS deals with the slaying of Shumbha and Durga gives rise to
NaaraayaNi, refered to in the verse no.4
by the poet.
The very fact that She assumes Names like
BrahmaaNi and NaaraayaNi – She is Shivaani
– proves that it is One Shakti that inspires the
trinity(Brahmaa, VishNu and Maheshvara).
The adjective ‘namadabheepsita kalpavalli”
is significant. God or Goddess becomes our
wish-fulfilling creeper/tree when we bow down(namad) in surrender.
Shri KrishNs is hailed as ‘prapanna paarijaata’ in the Gitaa Dhyaana Shloka. It means He is a Kalpavriksha to those who have surrendered(prapanna).
In NaaraayaNee Sookta(verse 11), we read: “sharaNaagata deenaarta paritraaNa paraayaNe”. What does it mean? Devi is committed (paraayaNaa) to give Her protection to whom? To those who surrender(sharaNaagata), who are helpless(deena) and are distressed(aarta). SURRENDER is the key word.
It is only when we learn to say, “not I, but Thou, O Lord”, God or Goddess will listen to us and come to our rescue.
“May the Devi bear(aavahatu)love(supreeti)
for me” highlights the nature of the Divine.
Love is God and Mother is love incarnate.
Her love is perpetually pouring down on us.
What we sorely need to do is to learn to be worthy of that love.
विश्वेश्वरीति महिषान्तकरीति यस्या नारायणीत्यपिच नामभिरङ्कितानि । सूक्तानि पङ्कजभुवा च सुरर्षिभिश्च दृष्टानि पावकमुखैश्च शिवां भजे ताम् ॥५॥
Vishveshvareeti mahishaantakareeti yasyaa
naraayaNeetyapi cha naamabhirankitaani
sooktaani pankajabhuvaa cha surarshibhischa
drishTaani paavakamukhaischa shivaam bhaje taam।।5।।
I serve(bhaje) the spouse of Lord Shiva(Shivaa) whose hymns(sooktaani) have
been ‘seen'(drishTaani) by the lotus-born
(pankaja bhuvaa) Brahma, gods and sages
(surarshibhischa) and gods led by(mukhaani) by Agni(paavaka) and are
named(naamaankitaani) respectively as
Vishveshvaree, Mahishaantakaree and
NaaraayaNee.
Here the poet refers to three famous hymns
found in DS. First one is TANTROKTA RAATRI SOOKTAM by the lotus-born Brahmaa, found in the first chapter of DS. It
begins: Vishveshvareeti.
The second is MAHISHAANTAKAREE SOOKTAM. It is in the 4th chapter of DS and is an offering by gods and sages.
The third is NAARAAYANEE SOOKTAM in chapter 11 and is by Agni(paavaka) as the group leader.
Devi is refered to as Shivaa. It not only means She is the spouse and shakti of Shiva, but also that She gives peace and makes our
life auspicious.
Bhaje in the verse means service. The root
bhaj means sevaa. The ninefold(nava vidha)
devotion is included in its ambit.
Two important words in the verse deserve our attention: sookta and drishTa. Normally the word sookta is only for Vedic hymns.For them we don’t say stuti or stotra. Sooktam means “well said” (sushTu uktam). The hymns in DS are on par with Vedic hymns.The DS is not an ordinary text. It is
as holy as the Vedaas. Every Sookta in the Veda has a Rishi who is the seer(drishTaa).He did not compose it. It was
REVEALED to him. It is a revelation. Hence Appayya says these Sooktaas in DS were seen by Brahmaa, gods & sages and Agni etc. They are ‘apourusheya'(not composed by any purusha) as it were.
This verse teaches us NOT to treat DS as just
another book on the shelf,but revere it as we do the Vedaas.
उत्पत्तिदैत्यहननस्तवनात्मकानि संरक्षकाण्यखिलभूतहिताय यस्याः। सूक्तान्यशेषनिगमान्तविदः पठन्ति तां विश्वमातरमजस्रमभिष्टवीमि।।६।।
Utpatti daitya hanana stavanaatmakaani
SamrakshakaaNyakhila bhootahitaaya yasyaah/
Sooktaanyashesha nigamaantavido paThanti
taam vishvamaaytaram ajasram abhishTaveemi//6//
Her, the Universal Mother(vishva maataram), I constantly(ajasram) visualise before me(abhi) and praise(shTaveemi), whose hymns(sooktaani) are recited(paThanti) by
scholars well-versed in Vedaanta(nigamaanta-vidaha) for protection
(samrakshakaaNi) and wellbeing of all(akhila)living beings(bhoota hitaaya), hymns which deal with Her manifestation(utpatti), slaying(hanana) of demons(daitya) and praise(stavana).
There are three Charitraas in DS -. prathama
(ch.1), madhyama(ch.2, 3,4) and uttara(ch.5
onwards). Every Charitra consists of Devi’s
appearance(utpatti), slaying of demons(daitya hanana) and hymns(stuti).
These hymns, says Appayya, are conducive
to universal protection and wellbeing. They
are powerful tools and it behoves us to chant
them and benefit from them for the sake of
one and all.
All these hymns are in our Stutimanjari and form part of Navaraatra NityapaaTha.
By saying that these hymns are chanted by Vedaantins(nigamaantavidaha), the poet
once again conveys his firm conviction that
the various hymns in DS are on par with the
hymns in the Vedaas, like Shree Sookta, Durga Sookta, Devi Atharvasheersha etc,
which are addressed to Her. Thus, he wants
us,too, to treat the entire DS with utmost
reverence. It is as if the entire DS is Devi’s
‘grantha shareera’, literary embodiment.
The poet says ‘abhishTaveemi’ to say he is praising (stuti) Her. ‘abhi’ means ‘abhimukha’
– face to face. Appayyaa’s is not a routine chant. He visualises Her form (roopa) and
then sings Her praise. Here is a hint for all
saadhakaas.When we chant, let us visualise Her(goDa tujhe roopa, in the words of Tukaaraam) and chant. Let the benign form of Shree Durgaa Parameshwari of Karla be enshrined in our mind when we chant . Then our chant will be very very fruitful.
The word ‘samrakshaNa’ needs attention.
In ch.5 of DS, the gods, tormented by Shumbha and Nishumbha, remember the assurance given to them by Devi:
तयास्माकं वरो दत्तो यथाऽऽपत्सु स्मृताखिलाः।
भवतां नाशयिष्यामि तत्क्षणात्परमापदः।।६।।
“She has granted us a boon that no sooner you remember me during any crises than I will ward off the same instantly”(6).
In verse no.37, in ch.11 of DS,Devi says I am Varadaa(bestower of boons) and asks the gods to seek any boon. Then, the gods implore Her as under:
सर्वाबाधाप्रशमनं त्रैलोक्यस्याखिलेश्वरि
एवमेव त्वया कार्यमस्मव्दैरिविनाशनम्।।39।।
“O Empress of the three realms(svarga, mrityu, paataala),You ought to do this for us
– warding off all sorts of afflictions and annihilation of our enemies.”(39)
In ch.12 of DS, Devi gives the assurance:
एभिः स्तवैश्च मां नित्यं स्तोष्यते यः समाहितः।
तस्याहं सकलां बाधां नाशयिष्याम्यसंशयम्।।२।।
“Whosoever chants daily these hymns with
a tranquil mind, I will ward off all his afflictions. Let there be no doubt about it”.
Appayya Dikshita obviously has these verses
in mind when he talks about the protection
(samrakshaNa) we receive from Her.
ये वैप्रचित्तपुनरुत्थितशुम्भमुख्यैः दुर्भिक्षघोरसमयेन च कारितासु। आविष्कृतास्रिजगदार्तिषु रूपभेदाः तैरम्बिका समभिरक्षतु मां विपद्भ्यः।।७।।
Ye vaiprachitta punarutthita shumbha mukhyaih
durbhiksha ghora samayena cha kaaritaasu/
aavishkritaah trijagadaartishu roopabhedaah
tairambikaa samabhirakshatu maam vipadbhyah//7//
May that Ambikaa, who revealed (aavishkritaah) various forms (roopa
bhedaah) for annihilating Vaiprachitta and
the reborn Shumbha and Nishumbha and also during the immense distress (aarti) caused (kaarita) to the three worlds (trijagat)by calamitous times (ghora samaya) in the shape of drought and famine (durbhiksha) protect me in every way (sam abhirakshatu)
from various crises (vipad).
The reference here is to the 11TH CHAPTER of DS. Mother Ambikaa assumes various names and forms to slay various demons
as under:
Raktadantikaa to kill Vaiprachitta clan
Vindhyaavaasini to kill the reborn Shumbha
and Nishumbha
Durga. to kill Durgama
Bheemaa. “. ” unnamed demons
Bhraamaree. to kill demon called AruNa
When severe drought and famine afflicted
mankind, Devi became Shataakshi (having
hundred eyes) and Shaakambhari. She brought about rainfall and plentiful harvest
of crops and vegetables (shaaka).
Appayya says that Devi could do all the above acts, beneficial to mankind, and prays
she does the same to him, besieged as he is
by various crises.
Today we are witnessing the macabre dance of death by the demon Corona. Let us all pray to Mother Durga to shower Her boundless KaruNaa and kindly rid humanity of this scourge of Corona!
सूक्तं यदीयमरविन्दभवादिदृष्टम् आवर्त्य देव्यनुपदं सुरथस्समाधिः। व्दावप्यवापतुरभीष्टमनन्यलभ्यम् तामादिदेवतरुणीं प्रणमामि देवीम्।।८।।
Sooktam yadeeyam aravindabhavaadidrishTam
aavartya devyanupadam surathah samaadhih/
dvaavapyaavapatuh abheeshTam ananyalabhyam
taam aadideva taruNeem praNamaami devim//8//
I bow down (praNamaami) to the youthful
(taruNeem) spouse of the first (and foremost) Deity(aadi deva) (Shiva), whose hymn (sookta) ‘seen’ (drishTam) by the lotus-born (aravinda bhava) (Brahmaa) and others, containing the word Devi repetitively
(devyanupadam) was chanted again and again(aavartya) by the duo (dvau) Suratha and Samaadhi ,who then obtained (avaapatuhu) their objective (abheeshTam), impossible to obtain
otherwise (ananyalabhyam).
The word used to describe Durgaa is taruNi
(youthful) because God or Goddess is ageless.
The Sookta ‘seen’ by Brahma etc, here refered to, is the Devi Sooka(5th ch. of DS) also called Aparaajitaa Stotra. In this hymn, the word Devi comes up again and again.. “yaa devi sarvabhooteshu………”
is a recurring refrain.This hymn was ‘seen”
(revealed to) by Brahmaa and other gods.
This hymn is so powerful that the king Suratha and the merchant Samaadhi fulfilled their desires by constant chanting of same.
This is mentioned in the 13th ch. of DS.
They did this under the guidance of the sage
Sumedhaa.
The first chapter of DS tells us about these
two distraught persons. Suratha, the king, was disheartened because he had lost the
kingdom and needed divine help to regain his throne.
Samaadhi was a prosperous merchant, but was shown the door by his own wife and children after taking away all his wealth! He, too, crestfallen, comes to the sage Sumedhaa.
Sumedhaa guides them in Devi Upaasanaa.
They chant Devi Sookta(Aparaajitaa) constantly. Devi manifests before them and asks them to seek a boon. Suratha seeks Her boon by way of getting back the throne. She grants it.
Samaadhi was not enamoured of Artha and Kaama. He yearned for Jnaana. MaarkaNDeya (narrator of Devi Maahaatmya
in MaarkaNDeya PuraaNa) says about him:
:
सोऽपि वैश्यस्ततो ज्ञानं वव्रे निर्विण्णमानसः ।
ममेत्यहमिति प्राज्ञं सङ्गविच्युतिकारकम् ।।XIII- 18)
“The wise merchant,full of vairaagya, sought Jnaana which will put an end to attachment and rid him of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ complex.”
In the words of Gita( 7-16), Suratha, the erstwhile king, turned out to be an Arthaarthi
(materialistic) devotee. Samaadhi, the dispossessed merchant, bloomed into a
Jijnaasu Bhakta. Same God or Goddess – the truth is, at the end of the day, we get what we deserve!
माहिष्मतीतनुभवञ्चरुरुञ्च हन्तुम् आविष्कृतैर्निजरसादवतारभेदैः। अष्टादशाहतनवाहतकोटिसंख्यैः अम्बा सदा समभिरक्षतु मां विपद्भ्यः।।९।।
Maahishmatee tanubhavam cha rurum cha hantum
aavishkritaih nijarasaad avataara bhedaih/
ashTaadashaahata navaahata koti sankhyayh
ambaa sadaa samabhirakshatu maam
vipadbhyah//9//
May Mother(ambaa) Durga afford me always(sadaa) allround protection(samabhirakshatu) from calamities(vipadbhyah). How is She? She, who incarnated in eighteen and nine different forms(koTi, class,kind,variety) by
Herself(nijarasaat) to slay(hantum) the demon Mahishaasura, son(tanubhavam) of the demoness Maahishmati and(cha) his son Ruru.
Appayya Dikshita covered in eight verses
the gist of DS. Verse no.9 refers to Durgaa’s
exploits narrated in VARAAHA PURAANA.
We have seen that Mahishaasura was killed by Devi and that’s why She was named
Mahishaantakaree. But, these demons have a tendency to reappear in another Kalpa(cycle of time). So, Mahishaasura rears his head again. To add to the woes of gods, his son Ruru, with his city located in the
depth of an ocean, goes on rampage. The
beleaguered gods make a beeline to Devi.
Devi listens to their tale of tears and starts
laughing in guffaws. From Her peals of
laughter, emerge a host of shaktis, all looking different, and they slay Ruru as well as Mahisha.
There is much food for thought in this laughter therapy of Mother Durgaa. We should learn to laugh more and laugh away
our petty problems before they drain away our zest for life. Several shaktis emanated from Durgaa’s laughter. If we,too, learn to
laugh more, we will have more shakti to play the game of life with more verve and vigour. Let this be our takeaway from this tale.
एतच्चरित्रमखिलं लिखितं हि यस्याः सम्पूजितं सदन एव निवेशितं वा। दुर्गञ्च तारयति दुस्तरमप्यशेषं श्रेयः प्रयच्छति च सर्वमुमां भजे ताम्।।१०।।
Etat charitram akhilam likhitam hi yasyaah
sampoojitam sadana eva niveshitam vaa/
durgam cha taarayati dustaram apyashesham
shreyah prayacchati cha sarvam Umaam
bhaje taam//10//
I serve (bhaje) Devi Umaa, whose complete
(akhilam) chronicle(charitram) written down
(likhitam), worshipped properly(sampoojitam) and/or kept(niveshitam) at home(sadana), ferries us
(taarayati) across all(ashesham) problematic situations (dustaram durgam) and confers allround(sarvam) spiritual wellbeing(shreyas).
This verse glorifies Durga Saptashati and says in how many ways it confers merit.
It is a chronicle(charitra) of Uma. For the first time, the poet names Devi as Uma.
Uma – this name is interesting. ‘maa’ means
‘don’t’. ‘u’ is sambodhana or addressing. When Paarvati was pining for the hand of Shiva through very gruelling penance, Mena, Her mother was getting disturbed. When
Paarvati resolved to give up eating even one leaf a day( AparNaa), Mena calls Her(u) and
pleads “don’t do it”(maa). Hence Paarvati is called Umaa.
She is also PraNava(Aum) swaroopiNi.
UMA – the letters are same as AUM. We meet
Her in Kenopanishad where She gives gods an unforgettable lesson in humility. She cuts
the bloated ego-s of Agni, Vaayu and VaruNa
to size( who could not burn, blow away and
moisten even a blade of grass, respectively)
and tells Indra that their egoistic jubilation over victory in a battle with the demons, was
misplaced and it was She who imparted
shakti to them and they should not forget it.
Appayya takes pains to highlight the holiness of DS. It is meritorious :
to copy down the entire book(for daana);
to just worship it;
to just treasure it at home(sadana).
It goes without saying how meritorious its
paaraayaNa will be.
.
The merit DS confers is Shreyas(spiritual welfare). It confers Preyas(material welfare)
also. This is indicated by the words: it
ferries us across difficult situations. Thus,
our Abhyudaya(Preyas) and Nishreyas
(Shreyas) – material welfare and spiritual
wellbeing – are both confered by DS .
In ch.26 of our Shree Chitrapura Guruparamparaa Charitra we read that Pujya
Swami KrishNashram swamiji blessed Shri
Durgappayyaa Naagarkatti with a copy of DS
and advised him to do its paaraayaNa to get
over his problems. His descendants,too, continued the paaraayaNa, says revered Arur Umabai.
Now this sacred copy is securely kept in the
garbhagriha of Shri DurgaaDattamandir,
Mallapur.
यत्पूजनस्तुतिनमस्कृतिभिर्भवन्ति प्रीताः पितामहरमेशहरास्त्रयोऽपि। तेषामपि स्वकगुणैर्ददतीं वपूंषि तामीश्वरस्य तरुणीं शरणं प्रपद्ये।।११।
Yat poojana stuti namaskritibhirbhavanti
preetaah pitaamaha ramesha haraastrayo(pi/
teshaamapi svakaguNairdadateem vapoomshi
taam eeshvarasya taruNeem sharaNam prapadye//
I surrender to the ever-youthful(taruNi) spouse of Ishvara(Shiva), by whose worship(poojana), praise by hymns(stuti) and salutations(namaskriti) Brahmaa(pitaamaha) VishNu(Ramesh) and Shiva(Hara), all the three(trayopi), are pleased(preetaah) and who makes them assume forms(vapoomshi) in keeping with Her three GuNaas(svaka guNaih).
Pitaamaha means paternal grand-father.
It is an epithet of Brahmaa, He being the eldest of all. Ramesh is VishNu, consort of
Ramaa(Lakshmi). Shiva is Hara because He wipes out(harati) all evil lurking in us.
Durgaa is Prakriti, Maayaa, the complex of three guNaas – satva, rajas and tamas. All creation is Her play. When attributeless
(nirguNa) Brahman becomes Trimoorti(trinity) – Brahmaa, VishNu and
Maheshwara – their guNa and karma becomes Her province. Brahmaa is endowed
with satvaguNa and is assigned the karma of
creation. VishNu is endowed with rajoguNa and looks after preservation. Maheshwara
is endowed with TamoguNa and does
dissolution(laya).
Durgaa as shakti is ageless, hence her epithet taruNi, the youthful.
Prapadye – “I bow down in a mood of utter
surrender.”. Appayya Dikshita loses no
opportunity to highlight the virtue of
surrender, sharaNaagati. It is the soul of
Bhakti – Aatmanivedana.
कान्तारमध्यदृढलग्नतयावसन्नाः मग्नाश्च वारिधिजले रिपुभिश्च रुध्दाः। यस्याः प्रपद्य चरणौ विपदस्तरन्ति सा मे सदास्तु हृदि सर्वजगत्सवित्री।।१२।।
Kaantaara madhya driDhalagnatayaavasannaah
magnaascha vaaridhijale ripubhischa ruddhaah/
yasyaah prapadya charaNou vipadastaranti
saa me sadaastu hridi sarva jagat savitree//
12//
“May She, who has given birth(savitree) to the entire universe(sarva jagat), be(astu) always(sadaa) in my heart(hridi). How is She? By surrender(prapadya) to whose(yasyaah) feet(charaNou) they cross over(taranti) all calamities(vipadah).Who? They who are stranded(driDha lagna) in the middle(madhye) of a dense jungle(kaantaara) and are distressed(avasannaah), they who are drowning(magnaah) in a sea(vaaridhi jale)
and those who are held captive(ruddhaah) by the enemies(ripubhih).
As I said in the introduction, Appayya Dikshita does not want to exclude any major literary source from his purview if it sings the glory of Devi Durgaa. From verse 2 to 8,he
covered DS. Vide verses 9 to 11, his focus
was on Varaaha PuraaNa and Harivamsha
(a supplement to Mahaabhaarata, called Khila Parva). In verses 12 to 14 his source is only Harivamsha. He gives the sum and substance of the hymns scattered in it.
In the above verse, the poet gives many
instances of distress in which Devi Durgaa
has rushed to rescue.
If Devi Durgaa could come to the rescue of so many hapless and hopeless victims of distress, will She not do the same to Appayya and also to us? She will, if we are
fortified with faith like Appayya.
This verse is very much like verse no.4 of
Durgaa Aapad UddhaaraashTakam, in our
Stutimanjari.
“prapadye” – I surrender – this word invariably occurs in Appayyaa’s verses. Did not Shri KrishNa tell Arjuna – “maam ekam sharaNam vraja?
बन्धे वधे महति मृत्युभये प्रसक्ते वित्तक्षये च विविधे च महोपतापे। यत्पादपूजनमिहप्रतिकारमाहुः सा मे समस्तजननी शरणं भवानी।।१३।।
Bandhe vadhe mahati mrityubhaye prasakte
vittakshaye cha vividhe cha mahopataape/
yatpaada poojanamiha pratikaaramaahuh
saa me samasta jananee sharaNam bhavaanee//13//
I, surrender(sharaNam) to Her(saa), Devi Bhavaani, the Universal Mother(samasta jananee), adoration(poojanam) of whose feet
(paada) is here(iha) acclaimed (aahuh) as a counter-solution(prateekaara) to impending(prasakte) imprisonment(bandha),death by murder(vadha), a great(mahati) fear of death
(mrityu bhaya), loss of wealth(vittakshaya) and many other(vividha) misfortunes
(calamities)(mahopataapa).
Bhava is a. Name of Shiva. It means He is the source of all being and becoming. His
spouse is Bhavaani, His shakti.
The verse needs no annotation and is self-
explanatory. Surrender(sharaNam),here too, is the key word.
बाणासुरप्रहितपन्नगबन्धमोक्षः तद्बाहुदर्पदलनादुषया च योगः। प्राद्युम्निना द्रुतमलभ्यत यत्प्रसादात् सा मे शिवा सकलमप्यशुभं क्षिणोतु।।१४।।
baaNaasura prahita pannaga bandhamokshah
tadbaahu darpa dalanaad ushayaa cha yogah/
praadyumninaa drutam alabhyata yat prasaadaat
saa me shivaa sakalamapyashubham kshiNotu//14//
By whose grace(yat prasaadaat), Aniruddha,son of Pradyumna(praadyumninaa) was swiftly(drutam) released from the
serpentine bondage(pannaga bandha mokshah), the arrogance(darpa) of demon
BaaNaa’s mighty arm(baahu) was quelled
(dalana) and Aniruddhaa’s marriage with
Ushaa(Ushayaa cha yogah) was
accomplished(alabhyata), may that spouse
of Shiva(Shivaa) wipe out(kshiNotu) all(sakalam) that is inauspicious(ashubham).
Appayya Dikshita quotes an episode from Harivamsha in this verse.
BaaNa was the son of Bali. Bali’s father was
Virochana, who was Prahlaada’s son. He was
a demon. His daughter Ushaa falls in love with Aniruddha, son of Pradyumna and Rukmaavati and grandson of KrishNa and RukmiNi. BaaNa did not approve of this ‘love affair’ and makesAniruddha captive. He is bound hand and foot in Naaga-bandha – twist one leg over the other and also one hand over the other – tied up by BaaNa. Aniruddha, so the story goes, implored Devi Durgaa incessantly. She grants him vision and assures him that very soon Shri KrishNa will come and slay BaaNa who, the story goes, had one thousand arms (hands) and was arrogant because of this monstrous physique.
As assured by Devi, Shri KrishNa arrives and with His Sudarshana Chakra cuts off Baanaa’s arms, leaving only four intact. Aniruddha is set free. With Shri KrishNaa’s blessings,
Aniruddha ties his knot with Usha and the
couple lives happily ever after.
पापः पुलस्त्यतनयः पुनरुत्थितो माम् अद्याऽपि हर्तुमयमागत इत्युदीतम्। यत्सेवनेन भयमिन्दिरयाऽवधूतं तामादिदेवतरुणीं शरणं गतोऽस्मि।।१५।।
Paapah pulastya tanayah punarutthito maam
adyaapi hartumayam aagata ityudeetam/
yatsevanena bhayam indirayaavadhootam
taam aadideva taruNeem sharaNam gatosmi//
Sinful,(paapah) son of Pulastya (RaavaNa)(pulastya tanaya) has risen again(punarutthitah) and even now(adyaapi) he(ayam)has come(aagata) to kidnap me(hartum) – this fear(bhayam) which had arisen(ityudeetam) was shaken off(avadhootam) by the ever youthful(taruNee) spouse of the first and
foremost deity(aadi deva) due to the worshipful service(yat sevana) by the reborn
Lakshmi(Indiraa)(RukmiNi). To Her I have surrendered(sharaNam gatosmi).
Appayya refers to Devi as taruNi .She is ageless. One of the names of Lalita in Her
Sahasranaama is ‘nitya youvanaa'(ever young)(no.430).Another is ‘nitya shoDashikaa'(always 16 years old)(no.391).
Appayya Dikshita now turns to the last sacred book – Shrimad Bhaagavatam. He has covered Durgaa Saptashati, Varaaha. PuraaNa. and Harivamsha.
RaavaNa is reborn as the wicked Shishupaala and Seeta(who was Indiraa’s(Lakshmi’s)incarnation) is now RukmiNi. Rukmi, brother of RukmiNi,has nursed a grudge against KrishNa. He is aware that his sister has set her heart on KrishNa and he is hellbent on ensuring RukmiNi does not wed KrishNa. So, he invites the notorious Shishupaala, who is the reborn RaavaNa. Aware of her brother’s dubious intention, RukmiNi sends a loveletter this is the first loveletter in history – to Shri
KrishNa with a Braahmin emissary, pleading for her rescue. Frightened to the core, she prays to Gauri to bless her sothat KrishNa becomes her consort.(,Ref.Bhaagavatam,
X-53-43/46)
भूयात् पतिर्मे भगवान् कृष्णस्तदनुमोदताम्।
Devi Durgaa,remover of every type of hurdle(durga), grants her prayer.
Shri KrishNa stages a ‘commando-type operation’ as it were and spirits away RukmiNi with Him. Rukmini thus chose her own(svayam) consort(vara). Saint Eknath has made this a theme of his long poem. It is also a favourite with Kirtankaars.
All this fairy-tale turn of events takes place due to the intervention of Mother Goddess.
That’s why Appayya Dikshita invokes Her in this verse. My surrender to Her, says he
(sharaNam gatosmi).
यत् ध्यानजं सुखमवाप्यमनन्तपुण्यैः साक्षात्तमच्युतपरिग्रहमाश्ववापुः। गोपाङ्गनाःकिल यदर्चनपुण्यमात्रात् सा मे सदा भगवती भवतु प्रसन्ना।।१६।।
Yat dhyaanajam sukham avaapyam ananta
puNyaih
saakshaat tam achyuta parigraham aashu avaapuh/
gopaanganaah kila yadarchana puNyamaatraat
saa me sadaa bhagavatee bhavatu prasannaa//16//
The joy(sukham) of meditation(dhyaanaja
sukham) is obtainable(avaapyam) by us due
to infinite(ananta) merit(puNya).The maidens of Gokula(gopaanganaah) quickly (aashu) obtained(avaapuh) this joy directly
(saakshaat) because Achyuta(KrishNa) accepted(parigraham) them as His. These
maidens were blessed thus due to the merit
(puNyamaatraat)accruing from Devi’s worship(archanaa). May that(bhagavatee)
Goddess Durgaa be(bhavatu)always(sadaa)
propitious(prasannaa)) towards me(me).
Appayya Dikshita refers to Kaatyaayani Vrata
performed by the KrishNa-conscious maidens of Gokula in this verse. It is in the tenth skandha of Shrimad Bhaagavata PuraaNa.
What is the difference between japa and dhyaana(meditation)? In japa, we focus on
name(naama) while in dhyaana we focus on
form(roopa). Everything has a name and a form. We clothe God also in name and form.
The meditator yearns for the vision of the form of God enshrined in his mind. If he gets
it, Appayya says, this vision and the resultant happiness is the result of immeasurable puNya garnered by him. How blessed are the damsels of Gokula! They did not need
long spells of meditation. Shri KrishNa confers on EACH ONE of them the privilege of His intimate company in RAASA LEELAA.,
described at length in the 10th canto(dashama skandha) of Bhaagavatam.
How did these maidens(kumaari is the word
used) accomplish this feat? They performed
Kaatyaayani Vrata. They incessantly prayed
to Her as under:
कात्यायनी महामाये महायोगिन्यधीश्वरी।
नन्दगोपसुतं देवि पतिं मे कुरु ते नमः।।
“O Kaatyaayanee, Mahaamaaye,foremost among the great yoginees, pray make the son of Nandagopa(KrishNa) my husband!
Salutations to Thee!”. (X-22-4,5).
Shri KrishNa appears with each one of them in Raasa-leelaa,holding the hand and letting
each one to feast her eyes on His lovely
form.
It was Devi Durgaa as Kaatyaayanee who showered Her grace and prompted Shri
KrishNa to be at the disposal of these lovebirds of Gokula.
May She be propitious to me too, always,
prays Appayya.That is our prayer too!
रात्रिं प्रपद्य इति मन्त्रविदः प्रपन्नान् उब्दोध्य मृत्यवधिमन्यफलैः प्रलोभ्य। बुद्ध्वा च तव्दिमुखतां प्रतनन्नयन्तीम् आकाशमादिजननीं जगतां भजे ताम्।।१७।।
Raatrim prapadya iti mantravidah prapannaan
udbodhya mrityavadhim anyaphalaih pralobhya/
budhvaa cha tadvimukhataam pratanam nayanteem
aakaasham aadijananeem jagataam bhaje taam//17//
I serve the first and foremost Mother(aadi
janani) of the universe(,jagat). It is She who
takes (nayanteem) the devotees to the eternal(pratanam) Brahman(aakaasha). How are the devotees? They know(vidah) and chant the mantraas wherein “I surrender
(prapadye) to Raatri Devi(Raatrim)” occur and then surrender(prapannaah).When Devi appears before them, She enlightens them(udbodhya) about the likely moment
of their death(mrityavadhi) and tempts them
with various allurements(anyaphalaih pralobhya). When She realises(budhvaa) they
are disinterested(tad vimukhataa), then She leads them to realisation of Brahman( In the
Upanishads, Aakaasha is a synonym of God)
(aasamantaat kaashate iti aakaashaha – that which shines allround is aakaasha i.e God).
“Raatrim prapadye” – this is how a Saama Vedic chant begins. Saamavedins may chant
that hymn. Others may chant many other
hymns from Durgaa Saptashati. Some may chant Raatri Sookta fromRgVeda(10-10-127)
beginning with: Aum raatree vyakhyadaayatee….and some, Devi Atharva
-sheersha. All these are addressed to Devi, who is Raatri. Why is She RAATRI?
Raatri conventionally(rooDhi) means night and mostly Her worship is low-key during the day and very elaborate at night.Her other
epithets also have Raatri in them like Kaala
Raatri(the dark night of dissolution, praLaya), Moharaatri(night of delusion). Brahmaa
says(in Tantrokta Raatri-sooktam) She is
Mahaa Maayaa, Mahaa Mohaa. In Tantrokta
Devi Sookta(popularly Aparaajitaa Stotra), we
read: “yaa devi sarvabhooteshu BHRAANTI
roopeNa samsthitaa…..”. Mental confusion
that gives rise to illusion and delusion is
Bhraanti. That is also Her handiwork. All this negative aspect goes by the name of Avidyaa Maayaa, to quote Sri RamakrishNa.
As Avidyaa Maayaa, the above verse says, She gives the devotee an inkling of his span of life and tempts him(to TEST him) with
so many allurements. In the first chapter of DS we find the sage Sumedhaa telling how this Mahaa-maayaa distracts even the so
called wise(jnaani) and plunges them into
the vortex of I and mine(ममतावर्ते मोहगर्ते ).
Why does She give the devotee an inkling about his life-span? To test him: whether he chooses shreyas(spiritual weal, the good) or preyas(material wellbeing, the pleasant) to sweeten the remainder of his life.
But, when Her devotees pass the test with
flying colours(as said in the above verse)
She becomes Brahmavidyaa. To quote Sri
RamakrishNa, She is now Vidyaa Maayaa and leads Her devotees to Brahma-
saakshaatkaar.
In the conventional(rooDhi) sense, Raatri is
night. In the etymological(yougika artha)
sense, Raatri is: One who gives(raati) and
protects(traayate). Turn to Aparaajita hymn:
you will exclaim: wow, how much does She
give! Turn to Mahishaantakaree and NaaraayaNi Sookta and you will
exclaim: Oh my God, in how many ways does
She brood on me like a doting Mother! This
is the real reason why She is hailed in the Vedaas and elsewhere as RAATRI. It is most
important we should grasp the full meaning
of this word aright. Even on a mundane level, every mother is a Raatri – she knows only to
give (raati) selflessly to her kids and ensure
their protection(traayate). Is it not?
देशकालेषु दुष्टेषु दुर्गाचंद्रकलास्तुतिः । सन्ध्ययोरनुसन्धेया सर्वापद्विनिवृत्तये ॥१८॥
Deshakaaleshu dushTeshu durgaachandrakalaa stutih/
sandhyayoranusandheyas sarvaapad
vinivrittaye//18//
When space(desha) and time(kaala) are not
propitious(dushTeshu), one should resort to
Durgaa Chandrakalaa Stuti by any means – recitation, contemplation etc – ( anusandheyaa) for getting rid of(vinivrittaye) all(sarva) crises(aapad).
This is the concluding phalashruti by Shri
Appayya Dikshita. In his hymn, he drew upon several sacred books – Durgaa Saptashati,
Varaaha PuraaNa, Harivamsha, Shrimad
Bhaagavatam and a Saama-vedic Sookta to give us instances where Devi Durgaa comes
to the rescue of Her devotees in distress.
Hence, his appeal in this concluding verse
to us all to chant this hymn with faith and
be blessed whenever(kaala) and wherever(desha) we find the circumstances are not propitious(dushTa). As I said in my
introduction, countless devotees have vouched for the salutary benefits of its chant. Now that we know the meaning of the verses, we will benefit even more.
Appayya was a towering figure in his days
among the scholars and the devotees. Our
salutations to him for giving us this gem of a hymn.
Our salutations to Devi Durgaa! May the gentle glow of Her sixteen kalaas of Grace be ever upon us.