Source: here.
devAmR^ita-varShiNI – देवामृत वर्षिणी
A note on the adhikAra for the recital of 13 adhyAya-s from the mArkaNDeyapurANa.
athavAda
It is well known that the 13 chapters of the mArkaNDeya purANa which form the core of the durgA saptashatI are divided into 700 shloka-s and collectively termed as the durgA saptashati or chaNDI saptashati. The shloka-s aren’t exactly 700 but so divided to arrive at the number 700 for unknown reasons. There is speculation that the division of 700 is done to arrive at the same number as the shloka-s in the bhagavadgIta, but we will not get into that discussion now.
The devI mAhatmya is primarily a paurANika AkhyAna if one examines the style, approach and the ideas presented within along with the context. There is a view advanced by some shAkta tAntrika-s that the recital of the 13 adhyAya-s is to be done only as per the dictats of the shAkta tantra and that those not initiated into shAkta tantra incur the curse of yoginI-s on attempting to recite (only the 13 adhyAya-s) even as a paurANika AkhyAna. It must be summarily stated that here the shAkta steps into an area where he has no authority. The dictats of the tantra regarding the D700 are meant only for those in the particular tAntrika path and are not binding on the non-shAkta populace. Few claims by Agama and tantra are to be seen as arthavAda i.e. an exaggeration to discourage those in the path from possible deviations and not necessarily meant to be taken literally and applied without boundaries.
nArAyaNa aShTAkShari
This will be further illustrated with other examples. As an example, a pA~ncharAtrika cannot hold that the japa of the nArAyaNa aShTAkShari (N8) be done only as per the pA~ncharAtrika vidhi and he cannot say that the smArta or vaikhAnasa must adhere to the pA~ncharAtrika vidhi. At the most, he can hold a view that the proper japa of N8 as per the pA~ncharAtrika vidhi alone awards a greater siddhi that cannot be achieved by adhering to the smArta or a vaikhAnasa methods. It is an altogether different matter if and when the claim has to be put to test, but we will not get into a discussion on that. There are specific mantra-s for example in some pA~ncharAtrika saMhita-s which are unique to the system. Clearly a non-pA~ncharAtrika does not benefit from these mantra-s and at times could be counterproductive or even harmful without the right initiation from a proper pA~ncharAtrika AchArya. On these specific mantra-s and methods related to the same, a pA~ncharAtrika initiate or an AchArya alone has an authority and none other. However this authority cannot extend to nArAyaNa aShTAkShari which precedes any visible crystallization of the pA~ncharAtrika tradition.
kAlI vidyA
To cite another example, a vaidika does not have authority to say that the kAlI vidyA is meant only for dvija-s as it is expounded in the kAlI “upanishat”, though in reality no vaidika would say something like this. The said kAlI vidyA most likely precedes the seeing or composition of the upaniShad.
paurANika recital
In a similar vein, no shAkta tAntrika has the authority to declare non-initiates as not being eligible for paurANika recital of the 13 adhyAya-s, which in all possibility precedes the rules and details of the tAntrika D700 pArAyaNa, wisely and skillfully woven into and around the core DM. The rules are meant to be followed by the initiates and those who aspire to be initiated into the relevant tAntrika mArga but it might be erroneous to see them as binding on everyone else. What can be said rather, is that those who perform only the paurANika pArAyaNa of the DM are unlikely to reach (or nowhere close to) the level of siddhi or shakti of someone properly trained in the tAntrika D700 pArAyaNa.
Quacks
However note must also be made about contemporary quacks who belong to no proper tAntrika tradition but adopt rules of genuine tAntrika traditions as per their whims and convenience and end up being nowhere in addition to misleading others into harmful/unpleasant consequences. When someone from a proper shAkta background warns about consequences of such whimsical acts by quacks like above, those dedicated to the traditions will be in agreement on the warnings issued about the wrath of yoginI-s or the devata.
This entry was posted on September 19, 2022 at 7:51 am and is filed under durgA - daurgAgama, shAkta.