Both, the desire for artha and moksha are valid as long as they are achieved by following the dharmic path. The Indian tradition recognises that each one of us has a different goal based on the cosmic law of karma. There is a multiplicity of purusharthas (goals) at various stages of our existence. Kali devouring all of Raktabija’s blood to annihilate him. The arrangement of the episodes in the Saptashati symbolises the different stages of this elusive process of transcending the self.
We have to transcend our own nature - with all its wrong conceptions (the Mahisha within us) and move beyond the false sense of I ( aham) to reach and merge with the higher divine consciousness for happiness and bliss. The Saptashati reminds us that there is constant battle within us - a battle between our saintly and our demonic tendencies. We have to transcend the I ( aham) or ego to reach the Divine. The I within us is constantly engaged in a combat with good and bad. It assures us that we need not despair for She will protect and guide us. The Saptashati reiterates this in its narrative, proclaiming that while Shakti is eternal and unborn, She, the benign mother, manifests herself again and again to protect the world. One of the cornerstones of Indian thought is that the formless Divine manifests at the behest of the devotees to defeat the forces of evil and re-establish the forces of good.
Shakti is the benevolent Mother who reincarnates/appears to re-establish the reign of Good over Evil. There is no discord within the multiplicity of forms and paths that lead to the ‘One Truth’. The tejas is nothing but the primordial Shakti who is the epitome of that who is ‘One’ - the eternal ‘Brahman’. The formless ( nirguna) Devi assumes form ( saguna) when the various gods of the then well-established Hindu pantheon - Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma and the devatas combine their energy ( tejas). There is only Supreme Being - the Divine Goddess - Shakti, who is formless, but manifests in various forms.Īs discussed earlier, episode two of the Saptashati discusses the emergence of the Devi. Some of the takeaways relevant for our times are discussed here. This piece of poetry with its engaging narration and vivid imagery could suggest these tenets to those for whom the arcane and pithy language of the Upanishads was inaccessible. Part II: Durga Saptashati - Key Takeaways for Contemporary Timesĭurga Saptashati is a composition that weaves in many basic tenets of life and spiritual thought in its narrative.
#DURGA SAPTASHATI PATH IN NAVRATRI SERIES#
Read the introduction and part one of the series here. Editor's note: This is the second in a three-part series for Navratri, on how the Durga Saptashati shaped our knowledge of the goddess.
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