Two Big Commentaries on the Devi Mahatmya (Set of 6 Books)

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Sadhan Samar: Battles in a Sacred Quest:About the Author

Brahmarsi Satyadeva (Saratcandra Bandhopdhyaya), was born in 1883, in the village of Navagram in Bari?al district in what is presently Bangladesh. He was given the honorific Brahmarsi for his exalted spiritual attainment. Brahmarsi passed away in 1932. Sadhan Samar is an enlightened and much-admired spiritual interpretation of Devi Mahatmya in Bengali. It was written by Satyadeva in the early 1900s and first published from Calcutta in 1920.

Preface

To look for the source, one has to travel to Varanasi, the land of Siva, where in the loving arms of Mother Annapurna, a blissful child lives in immense bliss. One has to go to the banks of the river Ganges, into its water, where a sentient being swims and floats in its depths, where truth-beneficence-beauty is immersed in the samadhi of yoga. We have to travel to the feet of Visvanath where he has taken mobile form, to the lotus feet of the great yogi Trailanga Swami, where in silence he explains the principles of Brahman, where he is distributing his infinite yogic energy for the benefit of humanity. Slowly, coming to the final act of his own human drama, he tenders his divine body into the heart of the Ganges. It was an offering by Visvanath of his love and affection for the world. In the distant past, Mahadeva had borne the divine river Ganga on his matted locks. This time, the auspicious Ganga accepted the human form of Siva Mahesvara, carrying yoga-sakti of the lord of yogis towards union with the ocean.

But, he did not reach his destination. In a section of the great awareness of this knowledgeable soul, appeared the grief of this world. Viewing this nature of ignorance on earth, the heart of Visvanath melted with mercy. Touched by sorrow, he landed at a quay at Haora'. Wisdom (prajña) materialized in a divine birth. Self-realized from birth, appeared yogi Acarya Bijayak???a. 'I am your disciple, instruct me, I seek refuge in you". To enlighten the prostrating Visvarupa, he recited the nondual, ambrosial words of courage of the Gitä. He propounded the eternal mystery of yoga, in a yogic commentary of the Gita. At the conclusion of the yoga of liberation, Bijayak???a took up all burdens of the surrendering disciple, desiring to reveal the intense, deep secrets of the principles of sakti. There were obstacles at every step, but the fearless spiritual aspirant, ignored all warnings and went forward. By an electric contact with an immense force, gross configuration dissolved into luminous form.

But the wish of this sage was not in vain; it waited for the right time and place. His spiritual work wanted to flow downstream. That is why, leaving the river, we have to board a train at Hãora station. We reach a secluded room in Karmatar, where the paternal Bijayak?spa has taken new form as an affectionate mother, where the charioteer of Pärtha has become the Mother of this universe, where Brahmarsi Satyadeva is reaping the principles of the energy of the serene, where the Gita has ended and the tune of Candi has begun to play, where the 'yogic explanation of the Gita being completed, the 'sacred conflict has directly appeared. In this battle, the force of the guru is carrying the infant awareness of this universe towards its total nature. The knots of worldly existence are being torn, one after another. The eternal hunger of the five shells of worldly person are being satisfied by the grace of Mother, the darkness of ignorance is being removed. That is why the Mother of this universe is sometimes the warrior Durga and sometimes the bestower of knowledge and renunciation, Annapurna. Traveling on the path of Gita and Candi, the power of the guru wanted to uncover dharma of truth of the Upanisads. This great maternal spirit, overwhelmed by love for the children, attracted the illness of a favored disciple. The material body of truth-natured Brahmarsi dropped off untimely.

Introduction

Sadhan Samar, a commentary in Bengali on Devi Mahatmya, was written by Brahmarsi Satyadeva in the early 1900s and first published from Calcutta in 1920'. It is an enlightened interpretation of the original scripture. Sri Satyadeva was born Saratchandra Bandhopdhyaya, in 1883, in the village of Navagram in Barisal district in what is presently Bangladesh. He was given the honorific Brahmarsi for his exalted spiritual attainment. Brahmarsi was initiated by Sri Bijay Krishna Chattopadhyay (1875-1947) who was popularly known as 'Haorar thakur. Satyadeva authored several books such as Puja Tattva, Satya Prati??a, and Matr Darsan. Brahmarsi passed away in 1932. One of his disciples, Sri Narendra Nath Brahmacari was the founder of Dev Sangha Asram, which has a monastery in Deoghar, Jharkhand, India. This English translation is based on the three volumes of Sadhan Samar published by Dev Sangha Asram, Deoghar in 2006.

One of the oldest Indian scriptural texts, the Marke??eya Purana is said to have been compiled in the Gupta period in its present form. Devi Mahatmya, (also known as Durga Saptasati and Sri Sri Candi) is the portion of the Purana, comprising chapters 81 to 93. Devi Mahatmya now exists as an independent, sacred scripture. It plays a key role in Säkta philosophy, just as the Bhagavat Gita does in Vedanta. Devi Mahatmya is recited on a daily, seasonal and annual basis for ceremonies in temples and homes in many parts of India and now all over the world. There are many Samskrta commentaries on Devi Mahatmya. Brahmarsi refers several times to one named Tattva Prakašika. Other available ones are Durgapradipa, Guptavati, Caturdhari, Santanavi, Nagojibhatti, Jagaccandracandrika and Damoddhara.

Introduction

1. Sadhan Samar

The text of Sadhan Samar, by my Paramguru Brahmarsi Satyadeva, is a resource for all spiritual seekers. In the context of a spiritual commentary of Devi Mahatmya or Sri Sri Candi Brahmarsi has composed a beautiful, harmonized interpretation of the three scriptural paths. Many seekers have collected fabulous jewels from the three volumes of this precious book and benefited in their lives. Stringing together a small garland of gems will clarify the beauty of these spiritual paths towards liberation. This is the purpose of this introduction.

2. Brahman is Real, the world is unreal

The word 'granthi' means a knot. Just as a tangled or knotted piece of string or rope is not of much use the knots of worldly existence keep sadcidananda' Brahman nearly functionless. If one were to begin tugging around, without looking at the knots, they will get more tangled and tighten. If one attempts to take oneself on a path of liberation without having a general idea about the knots of life, the results are opposite to those desired. In some cases, by tugging around, the knots do loosen or come apart. But, a spiritual seeker no longer has to go forward with uncertainty in his life, because previous teachers have analyzed the principles of these knots very beautifully and directed a way towards liberation. With the blessings of Brahma?si, a figure of intellect of our revered sages, a path that is as difficult as walking on the edge of a razor, is now much easier.

**Contents and Sample Pages**

Only Her Grace-Metaphorical Explanations of Devi Mahatmya With Notes from Shri Lahiri Mahasaya
About The Book

"Is it humanly possible to analyze the uniqueness of the Divine Mother's desire and make observations about it? Paramahamsa Prajnanananda has given a suitable reply to this question through his metaphorical interpretation of the verses of the Chandi. Paramahamsaji's interpretation of the characters of the Chandi, Suratha and Samadhi (both are disciples) and Medha (preceptor) is unique, making readers aware of the importance of both life in matter and life in eternal consciousness....this voluminous work, Saptashati Chandi, is an outcome of the blessings of the Divine Mother. Paramahamsa Prajnanananda is an elevated soul who has reached the highest stage of superconsciousness because of his indescribable devotion to the Divine Mother. Needless to say, this book bears the signature of his enlightenment and wisdom."

Foreword

When His Holiness Paramahamsa Swami Prajnanananda referred to his three-volume manuscript on the Chandi and asked me to give my observations, I deemed it a divine dictate and immediately swung into action. I was able to glance through the manuscript through the grace of His Holiness and his disciples. and was surprised and stunned to see such a voluminous, well documented research work on the Saptashati Chandi spanning 1300 pages. Nothing moves in this universe without Her desire.. No creation is possible without Her divine intervention and involvement. Hence, after going through the book, along with an exhaustive introduction by Swamiji, I concluded that it is not only his unparalleled wisdom, but the wish of the Divine Mother that manifested in each and every sentence, nay words, of the book.

Is it humanly possible to analyze the uniqueness of the Divine Mother's desire and make observations about it? Paramahamsa Swami Prajnanananda has given a suitable reply to this question. in his book through his metaphorical interpretation of the verses of the Chandi, and through the characters like Suratha, Samadhi, and Medha in particular. The most vibrant way of communicating a message is believed to be an interactive mode. Several scriptures in India are in the form of dialogues between the teacher and the taught. Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is a glaring example of this effective system of imparting spiritual knowledge. It is a dialogue betweent Yogeswara Krishna, an eternal preceptor, and Dhanurdhara Partha, an ardent disciple. Both of them symbolize the eternity of an effective teaching-learning process. Kurukshetra is very often considered as the human body or life (??? ????? ??????? ???????????????????) as a whole, where the constant battle between good and evil is going on. The main purpose of the dialogue between the teacher and the taught is to show the proper path to the individual entities, so that they should not escape from the battlefield. On the other hand, after obtaining the divine instructions, one should get himself properly equipped to ensure a victory of divine properties over the evil forces, not for his personal benefit, but for the welfare of the entire human community. The Saptashati Chandi is another example of an effective dialogue for awakening a life in consciousness or life in spirit that gives us everlasting peace, prosperity, and bliss.

Introduction

When I was a child growing up in a village in India, which was surrounded by natural wilderness, I often observed all of the Divine Mother's beautiful creations. I happily watched the flowers bloom every morning or evening and contemplated how God could create such beautiful flowers of different types,colors, and fragrances. Plucking them and making garlands, I used them in the daily worship of the Divine in our family temple. This created a sense of gratitude in me. Today's flowers become tomorrow's fruits and vegetables. Understanding this slow growth and ripening helped me accept that life is a gradual process of growth and maturity.

As a child, I was awestruck by nature, amazed by the endless sky with its majestic appearances, and struck by the way its colors: changed at different times of the day and with the seasons. I not only enjoyed nature's entertainment, but also the vastness of the Divine Mother. The changing of the clouds and their movements gave me a picture of heaven. The rising sun dispelled the darkness of night. As the sun's brightness increased throughout the day, and until it faded and finally set. I watched and prayed as my parents had taught me in my childhood. The myriad twinkling stars at night and the cool light of the moon, waxing and waning, created a reflective mood in me. When the deep dark clouds of the monsoon covered the sky, the sun hid behind this veil, revealing the great and powerful manifestations of light and darkness and their unique power over us. I was filled with terror when the turbulent, devastating winds of tropical cyclones disturbed nature and living beings, bearing witness to Mother Nature's consuming state-her dance of destruction. At such times, I could sense the immense power of the divine universe.

Watching the chirping birds of many colors, seeing the play of domestic animals and also playing with them, looking for wild animals in the evening and sometimes experiencing a childlike fear of them. I thought about the power and weakness in each one. A mouse that was able to make holes in the ground with its tiny, sharp teeth could cut many things, but a snake could also devour it. All of these differences appeared to be the play of the Divine Mother.

In the course of time, I discovered that a tiny flower or a butterfly, a cool wind or a turbulent cyclone, an educated city dweller or an innocent villager, all have their own power, strength, abilities, and glory. Why is there so much diversity? It is the grace of the Divine in each form. As I have moved along the path of my life, I have gradually experienced the beauty of that power. At the same time, I have noticed that many people are hungry for power. People's greed and their oppressive nature caused me to ponder: What is this power? Why are people so eager to accumulate and possess more power in order to be powerful?

People consider the following qualities as very attractive and alluring: money power, status, manpower, political power, beauty as power, muscle power, thought power, the power of knowledge, the power of persuasion, the power to attract others, the power of manipulation, the power of creativity, the power of musical and other talents and skills, and the power of written expression. As the king has a sword, I have a pen in hand. The pen is mightier than the sword; it can create new light and life through right understanding of life and its problems. What is our proper relation to power?

When I was small, listening to my mother's stories, I asked her countless questions. Calm and composed, she answered me with love and described the natures of divine and demonic people. People with divine qualities are intelligent, and they use their accomplishments for the good of others, while the demonic ones love falsehood and power and tyrannize others. In the Bhagavad Gita, I found elaborate descriptions of divine and demonic natures. Slowly, I accepted a life of serving and loving instead of a life of grabbing and greed.

**Contents and Sample Pages**

Two Big Commentaries on the Devi Mahatmya
Sadhan Samar	Only Her Grace