Devi Upanishad: Verse 25
हृत्पुण्डरीकमध्यस्थां प्रातःसूर्यसमप्रभाम् । पाशाङ्कुशधरां सौम्यां वरदाभयहस्तकाम् । त्रिनेत्रां रक्तवसनां भक्तकामदुघां भजे ॥
नमामि त्वामहं देवीं महाभयविनाशिनीम् । महादुर्गप्रशमनीं महाकारुण्यरूपिणीम् ॥२४–२५॥
हृत्-पुण्डरीक-मध्य-स्थाम् । प्रातः-सूर्य-सम-प्रभाम् । पाश-अङ्कुश-धराम् । सौम्याम् । वरद-अभय-हस्त-काम् । त्रि-नेत्राम् । रक्त-वसनाम् । भक्त-काम-दुघाम् । भजे ।
नमामि । त्वाम् । अहम् । देवीम् । महा-भय-विनाशिनीम् । महा-दुर्ग-प्रशमनीम् । महा-कारुण्य-रूपिणीम् ।
hṛtpuṇḍarīkamadhyasthāṃ prātaḥsūryasamaprabhām | pāśāṅkuśadharāṃ saumyāṃ varadābhayahastakām | trinetrāṃ raktavasanāṃ bhaktakāmadughāṃ bhaje ||
namāmi tvāmahaṃ devīṃ mahābhayavināśinīm | mahādurgapraśamanīṃ mahākāruṇyarūpiṇīm ||24–25||
ഹൃദയകമലത്തിന്റെ മദ്ധ്യത്തിൽ വസിക്കുന്നവളും പ്രഭാതസൂര്യസമമായ ദീപ്തിയുള്ളവളും; പാശവും അങ്കുശവും ധരിച്ച, സൗമ്യയായ, വരവും അഭയവും നൽകുന്ന കരങ്ങളുള്ള; ത്രിനേത്രയും രക്തവസ്ത്രധാരിണിയും ഭക്തരുടെ ഇഷ്ടം പകരുന്ന ദേവിയെ ഞാൻ ഭജിക്കുന്നു। ഹേ ദേവീ, മഹാഭയനാശിനീ, മഹാദുഃഖശമനീ, മഹാകരുണാസ്വരൂപിണീ—നിനക്കു ഞാൻ നമസ്കരിക്കുന്നു।
I worship her who abides in the middle of the heart-lotus, whose radiance is like the morning sun; who bears the noose and the goad, who is gentle, whose hands grant boons and fearlessness; who is three-eyed, clad in red garments, and who yields the desired objects of devotees. I bow to you, the Goddess, the destroyer of great fear, the pacifier of great distress, whose very form is great compassion.
- hṛtpuṇḍarīkamadhyasthāṃ = hṛt + puṇḍarīka + madhya + sthām
- prātaḥsūryasamaprabhām = prātaḥ + sūrya + sama + prabhām
- pāśāṅkuśadharām = pāśa + aṅkuśa + dharām
- varadābhayahastakām = varada + abhaya + hasta + kām
- bhaktakāmadughām = bhakta + kāma + dughām
- tvāmahaṃ = tvām + aham
- mahābhayavināśinīm = mahā + bhaya + vināśinīm
- mahādurgapraśamanīm = mahādurga + praśamanīm
- mahākāruṇyarūpiṇīm = mahā + kāruṇya + rūpiṇīm
About this Verse
- Central concept
- Saguna Brahman (Devī as immanent Brahman in the heart); Bhakti as a means toward mokṣa
- The mahavakyas
- Indirect: supports ‘ayam ātmā brahma’ by locating the Devī/Brahman as the indwelling reality in the heart-lotus; devotional framing rather than explicit mahāvākya citation.
- Veda
- Atharva
- Shakha
- Atharva-veda (Śaunaka tradition; Śākta Upaniṣad corpus)
- Chandas
- Mixed: predominantly anuṣṭubh-style devotional śloka with descriptive compounds (not strictly Vedic metrical mantra); partly prose-like cadence in transmission.
Yoga and practice
Hṛdaya-puṇḍarīka (heart-lotus) dhyāna; visualization of dawn-like tejas; cultivating abhaya (fearlessness) and karuṇā (compassion) as meditative bhāvas; mantra-japa with form-contemplation (saguṇa-upāsanā) leading toward inner stillness.
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