Shloka 9
Adhyaya 84 — The Gods’ Hymn after the Slaying of Mahishasura and the Goddess’ Boon
या मुक्तिहेतुरविचिन्त्यमहाव्रता त्वम् अभ्यस्यसे सुनियतेन्द्रियतत्त्वसारैः । मोक्षार्थिभिर्मुनिभिरस्तसमस्तदोषैर् विद्यासि सा भगवती परमा हि देवि ॥
yā muktiheturavicintyamahāvratā tvam abhyasyase suniyatendriyatattvasāraiḥ / mokṣārthibhirmunibhirastasamastadoṣair vidyāsi sā bhagavatī paramā hi devi
You are the cause of final liberation (mokṣa), and Your great vows are beyond thought. Sages who desire salvation—whose senses are perfectly restrained, who are devoted to the essence of Truth, and who have cast off all faults—practice and meditate upon You. You are indeed that Supreme Knowledge (Vidyā), O Divine Goddess.
FAQs
This verse elevates the Goddess from a warrior deity to the abstract principle of Brahmavidya (Supreme Knowledge). It asserts that She is the sole agent of Moksha (liberation), attainable only through the rigorous Yogic path of sense-control and the removal of internal impurities (doshas).
While the Markandeya Purana covers Manvantara (the reign of Manus), this section represents the theological expansion typical of later Puranic layers, integrating Vedanta and Samkhya philosophy into the narrative of the Goddess.
The verse draws a parallel between the external battle and the internal spiritual struggle. Just as the Devi destroys the external demon Mahishasura, as 'Vidya' she destroys the internal demons of ignorance and attachment within the Munis to grant liberation.