Durga Saptshati is a very popular and highly recited epic hymn. It is commonly believed that Durga Saptshati is a chandi stuti recited for the sole purpose of getting some outer and inner strength. Some people believe that it is equivalent to Vedas. Actually, Durga Saptshati is a story of battles, rather bloody battles and victory praise of the feminine shakti. But, if it is equivalent to the vedas, it has to be related with realization of the aatman, knowing and understanding of the subjects of psycho-spiritual explorations of the self.
If we explore history, then we find records, that, Durga Saptshati or chandi stuti comes in the era of Vedanta. The verbal meaning of Vedanta is ant (end) of the vedas. So, literally, it is giving a different meaning. But, actually, vedas tell us about the soul, the journey of the soul and the process undertaken during that journey. So, we can say that it covers the various stages of practical and psycho spiritual parameters undertaken during the process of journey of the soul. Vedas tell these things in detail with high amount of truth. So, if we consider Vedanta as the end of the vedas. But it is not the end of the vedas, but, actually it is the continuation of the journey of the teaching of the vedas with research and development in the area of human civilization which attracted negative characters. So, Vedanta is actually a journey forward from the vedas as per human thought process of that era.
Normally, what happens, is that when one reads the vedas, one gets academic know how of the inception of the aatman till getting salvation. But, how to get and reach to the logical achievements of the education given in the vedas is really a subject of practical understanding, real living. I the present scenario, human mind can get pseudo realizations because of its wrong self-beliefs as no guru or rishis are available to teach or correct. But the truth is, that the, vedas are more important and more close to reality than the Vedanta philosophy. But, there is a practical difficulty with vedas that it is written in difficult Sanskrit language whereas Vedanta philosophy is written in easy to understand language. So, chandi stuti or durga saptshati has gained popularity because of this simple reason.
Now, I will tell you the psycho spiritual analysis of durga saptshati/chandi stuti path. It is a story of King Surath; and a trader businessman (Vaishya) Samadhi; both of whom come to the ashram of Rishi Medha in a state of frustration from the harsh realities of the life i.e. their respective family’s had disowned them. Sage Medha told them the real teaching through the story of Durga/Chandi.
Surath means a good chariot (su + rath) and we can understand rath as a vehicle for the journey of life i.e. our physical body. Samadhi means a state of meditation or mental concentration. In Vedic shastras, the body is described as a chariot. Manas as the driver, pranas as the reigns and shvaas as horses and soul is the king enjoying the ride. So, actually, through the tale of Surath, Rishi Medha is telling us about our physical body. It is a physical body during the journey of life and there can be problems and frustrations during this journey for which a human being can seek help. As Samadhi is a subject of the manas working in concentration to derive a formula, to do some research work, to write something, to create something extra ordinary new, deciphering deepest philosophies of life or venturing to undertake spiritual journey for the sole aim of getting enlightenment/moksha. But, during this process, there has to be some association with material panchmahabhootas. So, we can say, that it is something like give and take from the point of view of the sage Medha. Here Medha is used as a metaphor - a business-oriented teacher, a different brain, involved in giving and taking. And, even during Samadhi/research there can be some stages of frustration, so any human can seek help.
Medha is actually your wisdom, your intellect or the dhi or buddhi. Medha is enriched by the process of learning. So, a person can become medhaavi (intelligent). Medha is actually the advisor, guide which can make the journey of life easy i.e. when the physical body and mind are properly guided or advised. The first story told by Sage Medha is about the killing of demons; Madhu and Kaitabh. Madhu means honey and Kaitabh is derived from the word keet, which stands for a hive of insects. Bees gather honey which is a result of their karma. Demonic nature of human beings is to collect,possess, retain, preserve it for a very long times. So, there can be fights, struggles for that accumulated honey. This indicates human lust for money, power and strength. We can easily see this in siblings, children, friends, family, spouse etc. and we can relate it to all the material possessions. Fighting with these demons is actually killing the negative human characteristics of rajas and tamas and safeguarding the satva guna which can be helpful during saadhana. Actually this is a victory over negative human sentiments of kaam, krodh, lobh, moh and ahankaar. So, it pertains to self-realization.
To reach that stage, it is told in the story that Vishnu was sleeping and he was awakened by devtas. This tells us that our good characters help us to overcome laziness & material attachments which help us in meditation. In this chapter of durga saptshati, one overcomes the lowest levels of keet like insectly instincts like laziness, complacency and learns to detach from material bonding. So, in a way this is the first stepping stone towards your spiritual journey.
Next chapter deals with the stuti and praises towards rajsik characters of human beings. But, definitely this stage is a little bit brighter stage as the era of darkness belonging to insects gets over. We clearly see good and bad coming out of power, strength, human valor and battle. In this part, Mahishasur, the symbol of physical strength, is actually a bull displaying the properties of 2nd house in a horoscope. Here with the power of meditation, one can reach and get the sidhhis of Indra, Varun etc. which are very close to manas (moon - water). Here if we want to overcome these demonic bondages, it (meditation) has to be performed with feminine Shakti principle coming from 7th house of shakti and 8th house of meditation & occult with the rising of Kundalini Shakti from the mooladhar chakra which has all the elements of Guru Shukracharya giving anand (comfort)/blissful state to a human being. But this feminine Shakti had all the characters of 8th house lord Mars and victory kaarak Saturn. Here jyotish can be understood even from the verse where Vishnu protects dharma from his shoulders. Agni coming from the eyes is also the subject of the 2nd house. That is why 2nd bhava is known as vrishabh; which, symbolically, is represented by a bull. So, here, manas takes the route of meditation and occult to get sidhhi and strengths to overcome the demonic instincts of materialistic nature so that the bull (Mahishasur) symbolizing power/strength can be controlled with the power of feminine Kundalini Shakti arising out of mooladhar chakra from the 8th house in the form of eda. So, definitely, from this chapter we come to know that now manas (mind) is little bit more developed and evolved.
So, overall it is the story of the stuti of feminine Kundalini Shakti which arises during the state of Samadhi (Saturn) under the able guidance of Medha (Mercury and Jupiter). By undertaking this path only, the human soul can be evolved and can overcome the materialistic bondages which block the development of the soul. So, this chandi stuti or durga saptshati is actually the battle of the 1st four houses of the horoscope, so that the aatman can express itself best in the mool trikon sign of 5th house becoming a mightiest Leo; which is symbolized by the lion on which goddess Durga destroys all the demonic forces.
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