To call on God as Mother is a characteristic featuer of Hinduism. Devi-Mahatmyam or Durga-Saptasati, also popularly known as Chandi, is one of the sacred texts chanted during the worship of The Divine Mother. This book presents to the readers the English edition of Chandi. This will make the chanting possible for those who have no access to Sanskrit. The original text has been transliterated in English accopanied by a lucid English translation. Footnotes have been added wherever necessary. Chandi is divided into 13 chapters and consists of 700 mantras and hence it is called the Saptasati. Three aspects of the Divine Mother have been depicted in the book and they are (1) Mahakali (Chapter I), (2) Mahalaksmi (Chapters II to IV) and (3)Mahasarasvati (Chapters V to XIII) and meditation on each of them has been added with English translation. The whole of Devi-Mahatmyam is chanted on sacred occasions, especially during the Durga-Puja (Navaratri).
After every happiness comes misery; they may be far apart or near. The more advanced the soul, the more quickly does one follow the other. What we want is neither happiness nor misery. Both make us forget our true nature; both are chains--one iron, one gold; behind both is the Atman, who knows neither happiness nor misery. These are states, and states must ever change; but the nature of the Atman is bliss, peace, unchanging. We have not to get it, we have it; only wash away the dross and see it.
-Swami Vivekananda
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