Devi Upanishad: Verse 11
कालरात्रिं ब्रह्मस्तुतां वैष्णवीं स्कन्दमातरम् ।
सरस्वतीमदितिं दक्षदुहितरं नमामः पावनां शिवाम् ॥
महालक्ष्मीश्च विद्महे सर्वसिद्धिश्च धीमहि ।
तन्नो देवी प्रचोदयात् ॥
काल-रात्रिम् । ब्रह्म-स्तुताम् । वैष्णवीम् । स्कन्द-मातरम् ।
सरस्वतीम् । अदितिम् । दक्ष-दुहितरम् । नमामः । पावनाम् । शिवाम् ।
महा-लक्ष्मीम् । च । विद्महे । सर्व-सिद्धिम् । च । धीमहि ।
तत् । नः । देवी । प्रचोदयात् ।
kālarātriṃ brahma-stutāṃ vaiṣṇavīṃ skanda-mātaram |
sarasvatīm aditiṃ dakṣa-duhitaraṃ namāmaḥ pāvanāṃ śivām |
mahālakṣmīṃ ca vidmahe sarva-siddhiṃ ca dhīmahi |
tan no devī pracodayāt |
Wir verneigen uns vor Kālarātri, von Brahmā gepriesen; vor Vaiṣṇavī, der Mutter Skandas; vor Sarasvatī; vor Aditi, der Tochter Dakṣas — reinigend, glückverheißend, gütig. Wir erkennen Mahālakṣmī und meditieren über sie als die Vollendung aller Siddhis. Möge jene Göttin uns antreiben und erleuchten.
We bow to Kālarātri, praised by Brahmā; to Vaiṣṇavī, the mother of Skanda; to Sarasvatī; to Aditi, the daughter of Dakṣa—purifying, auspicious. We know Mahālakṣmī; we meditate on (her as) all-accomplishment. May that Goddess impel (inspire) us.
- ब्रह्मस्तुताम् → ब्रह्म + स्तुताम्
- स्कन्दमातरम् → स्कन्द + मातरम्
- सरस्वतीमदितिम् → सरस्वतीम् + अदितिम्
- दक्षदुहितरम् → दक्ष + दुहितरम्
- महालक्ष्मीश्च → महालक्ष्मीम् + च
- सर्वसिद्धिश्च → सर्वसिद्धिम् + च
- तन्नो → तत् + नः
About this Verse
- Central concept
- Devī as the one Brahma-śakti appearing as multiple deities (eka-śakti, aneka-rūpa); grace (anugraha) as the impetus for knowledge and siddhi
- The mahavakyas
- Indirect: the unification of many divine forms into one Devī supports non-dual purport consonant with ‘ahaṃ brahmāsmi’/‘tat tvam asi’ (identity realized when the many are known as one reality).
- Veda
- Atharva Veda
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh (first two lines); final invocation is Gāyatrī-style (not strict Vedic Gāyatrī meter in all recensions, but modeled on the gāyatrī mantra structure).
Yoga and practice
Dhyāna in a gāyatrī-style formula (‘vidmahe… dhīmahi… pracodayāt’) for buddhi-preraṇā (illumination of intellect); iṣṭa-devatā integration—meditating on diverse forms as one śakti; japa for śuddhi and focus.
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