Devi Bhagavata
The Devi Bhagavata ( Sanskrit , n., देवी भागवतपुराण, devī bhāgavatapurāṇa , roughly: "the old book of the goddess"; also Devi Bhagavatam Purana ) is one of the most important writings of the Shaktas in Hinduism , the worshipers of the divine in female form.
It is one of the Puranas , works that are important to certain faith groups. The text describes Devi , the goddess, as the foundation of the world and being identical with Brahman . In it, the Divine Mother reveals her cosmic form (Book 7, Chapter 33) and communicates how she would like to be worshiped: in particular with yoga practice, meditation (Book 7, Chapter 35), and rituals (Book 7, Chapter 35) . 39). Furthermore, it is about spiritual knowledge, social and personal ethics as well as holy places. The work with twelve chapters and 18,000 verses is attributed to the mythical sage Veda Vyasa , who is also considered the author of the Mahabharata and is said to have divided the Vedas into four parts. Although the Devi Bhagavata is one of the subordinate Puranas, the devotees of the goddess Maha Purana (English: Great Purana ) call it .
The most popular part of this writing is the fight of the goddess Durga against the buffalo demon Mahishasura (Book 5, Ch. 2-18), which is also described in the Devi Mahatmya . This story is the mythological background of the festival Durga Puja , which the believers celebrate enthusiastically every autumn, especially in Bengal .
An excerpt (Book 7, Chapter 33)
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I am Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara (Shiva) ..., am the Brahman,
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I am the sun, the moon and the stars
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I am the beast, the bird, the lowest among men and
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I am the thief as well as the cruel hunter
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i am the righteous person and
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I am female, male and also the hermaphrodite ...
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Wherever you see or hear something, I am always there, whether inside or outside.
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Nothing moving or immobile can exist without me.
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Just as a rope is mistakenly seen as a snake or a garland
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so I am the One Brahman (the formless Supreme) and appear as Isvara (personal deity).
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There is no doubt about that.
- The universe cannot be without a foundation, and that foundation I am.
- Nothing else can be .
In chapter 35 the Devi is addressed directly: 1. Himâlayâ said: "O Mahes'varî! Now teach me yoga with all its amgas (limbs) and give me the knowledge of the highest consciousness so that I know myself when I do practice according to these instructions.