Devi Upanishad (देव्युपनिषत्)

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Devi Upanishad (Samskrit: देव्युपनिषत्) is one of the minor Upanishads listed as the 81st of the 108 Upanishads mentioned in the Muktikopanishad. It is a Shakta Upanishad (ie. an Upanishad extolling Shakti) belonging to the Atharvaveda. In this Upanishad, Devi declares that she is the all; the deities pray to her with Devi-Gayatri; and the Goddess is identified with Adi-vidya through whom sorrow is overcome.

शान्तिमन्त्रः ॥ Shanti Mantra

The Muktikopanishad mentions 'bhadram karnebhih' as the shanti mantra for Devi Upanishad belonging to the Atharvaveda.

प्रश्नमुंडकमांडुक्य...त्रिपुरातपनदेवीभावना...दत्तात्रेयगारुडानामथर्ववेदगतानामेकत्रिंशत्संख्याकानामुपनिषदां भद्रं कर्णेभिरिति शांतिः ॥५॥ praśnamuṁḍakamāṁḍukya...tripurātapanadevībhāvanā...dattātreyagāruḍānāmatharvavedagatānāmekatriṁśatsaṁkhyākānāmupaniṣadāṁ bhadraṁ karṇebhiriti śāṁtiḥ ॥5॥

The complete shanti mantra of the Devi Upanishad is as follows,

ॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिः शृणुयाम देवाः भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः । स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवाँसस्तनूभिर्व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः ॥

स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः । स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः स्वस्ति नो बृहस्पतिर्दधातु ॥

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

oṁ bhadraṁ karṇebhiḥ śr̥ṇuyāma devāḥ bhadraṁ paśyemākṣabhiryajatrāḥ । sthirairaṅgaistuṣṭuvām̐sastanūbhirvyaśema devahitaṁ yadāyuḥ ॥

svasti na indro vr̥ddhaśravāḥ svasti naḥ pūṣā viśvavedāḥ । svasti nastārkṣyo ariṣṭanemiḥ svasti no br̥haspatirdadhātu ॥

oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥

Meaning: Om, O worshipful ones, may our ears hear what is good and auspicious. Many we see what is auspicious. May we sing your praise, live our allotted span of life in perfect health and strength. May Indra (who is) extolled in the scriptures, Pushan, the all-knowing, Tarkshya who saves from all harm, and Brhaspati who protects our spiritual lustre, vouchsafe prosperity in our study of the scriptures and the practice of the truths contained therein. Om peace, peace, peace.

The first half of this mantra ie. 'bhadraṁ karṇebhiḥ... devahitaṁ yadāyuḥ' appears atleast, if not more, in Rgveda (sukta 1.89), Yajurveda (Maitrayani samhita, 4.14), Aitareya Aranyaka (1.1), Laugakshi Grhyasutra, etc. while the complete mantra is seen in Samaveda (Kauthumiya samhita, 2.9.3), Taittiriya Aranyaka (1.1), Apastamba Shrautasutra (14.16), Hiranyakeshi Shrautasutra (15.5), etc.

Text & Meaning

चिद् शक्तेः सर्वात्मरूपेण ब्रह्मत्वम् ॥ The Power of Consciousness, as the Self of all, is Brahman

सर्वे वै देवा देवीमुपतस्थुः । कासि त्वं महादेवि । साब्रवीदहं ब्रह्मस्वरूपिणी । मत्तः प्रकृतिपुरुषात्मकं जगच्छून्यं चाशून्यं च ।अहमानन्दानानन्दाः विज्ञानाविज्ञाने अहम् ।

Meaning: All the gods questioned the Devi : Who are you, O great Goddess ? She replied, I am of the nature of Brahman. From me is the world, of the nature of Prakriti and Purusha, void and non-void. I am pleasure and pain. Knowledge and ignorance.

All the gods waited upon the Goddess (and asked): 'Great Goddess, who art Thou ?'

She replied: I am essentially Brahman. From Me (has proceeded) the world comprising Prakrti and Purusha, the void and the Plenum. I am (all forms of) bliss and non-bliss. Knowledge and ignorance are Myself.

ब्रह्माब्रह्मणि वेदितव्ये । इत्याहाथर्वणि श्रुतिः ॥ १॥

Meaning: Brahman and non-brahman are to be known - says the scripture of the Atharvan-s.

अहं पञ्चभूतान्यपञ्चभूतानि । अहमखिलं जगत् ।

Meaning: I am the quintuplicated and non-quintuplicated elements. I am the entire world.

I am the five elements as also what is different from them ie. apanchabhutani or the radical forms of the five elements, earth, water, fire, air and akasha in their uncompounded state; known also as Panchatanmatras.

I am the entire world.

वेदोऽहमवेदोऽहम् । विद्याहमविद्याहम् । अजाहमनजाहम् । अधश्चोर्ध्वं च तिर्यक्चाहम् ।

Meaning: I am the Veda as well as aveda ie. what is different from the Veda meaning, all non-scriptural work in all languages, including Sanskrit.

I am vidya as well as avidya (?)

I am the unborn; I am the born. Below and above and around am I.

चिद् शक्तेः सर्वधारकत्वम् ॥ The Power of consciousness is the ground of all

अहं रुद्रेभिर्वसुभिश्चराम्यहमादित्यैरुत विश्वदेवैः । अहं मित्रावरुणावुभौ बिभर्म्यहमिन्द्राग्नी अहमश्विनावुभौ ॥४॥ अहं सोमं त्वष्टारं पूषणं भगं दधाम्यहम् । विष्णुमुरुक्रमं ब्रह्माणमुत प्रजापतिं दधामि ॥५॥ अहं दधामि द्रविणं हविष्मते सुप्राव्ये यजमानाय सुन्वते ।

अहं राष्ट्री सङ्गमनी वसूनामहं सुवे पितरमस्य मूर्धन् ॥६॥ मम योनिरप्स्वन्तः समुद्रे । य एवं वेद स देवीपदमाप्नोति ॥७॥

Meaning: I move with Rudras and Vasus, with Adityas and Vishvedevas. Mitra and Varuna, Indra and Agni, I support and the two Ashvinas. I uphold Soma, Tvashtr, Pushan and Bhaga, The wide-stepping Vishnu, Brahma, Prajapati. To the zealous sacrificer offering oblation ANd pressing the Soma-juice do I grant wealth; I am the state, the Bringer of Wealth; Above it all, place I its protector. Who so knows my essence in the water of the inner sea, attains he the Goddess's abode.

The inner sea, antah samudra, is said to be the lotus of the heart in each living being; the divine essence present in it has been identified with mama yonih or svarupam.

देवकृतदेवीस्तुतिः ॥ The Gods glorify the Goddess

ते देवा अब्रुवन् ।

नमो देव्यै महादेव्यै शिवायै सततं नमः । नमः प्रकृत्यै भद्रायै नियताः प्रणताः स्म ताम् ॥ ८ ॥

तामग्निवर्णां तपसा ज्वलन्तीं वैरोचनीं कर्मफलेषु जुष्टाम् । दुर्गां देवीं शरणमहं प्रपद्ये सुतरां नाशयते तमः ॥ ९ ॥

देवीं वाचमजनयन्त देवास्तां विश्वरूपाः पशवो वदन्ति । सा नो मन्द्रेषमूर्जं दुहाना धेनुर्वागस्मानुपसुष्टुतैतु ॥ १० ॥

कालरात्रिं ब्रह्मस्तुतां वैष्णवीं स्कन्दमातरम् । सरस्वतीमदितिं दक्षदुहितरं नमामः पावनां शिवाम् ॥ ११ ॥

महालक्ष्मीश्च विद्महे सर्वसिद्धिश्च धीमहि । तन्नो देवी प्रचोदयात् ॥ १२॥

अदितिरिह जनिष्ट दक्षया दुहिता तव । तां देवा अन्वजायन्त भद्रा अमृतबन्धवः ॥ १३॥

Meaning: Those gods said:

Salutation to the Goddess, the great Goddess ! To Shiva, the auspicious, salutation, for ever more. To blessed Prakrti, salutation ! Ever to Her we bow.

Refuge I seek in Her who is the colour of fire, Burning with ascetic ardour, Goddess resplendent, Delighting in actions' fruits; O Thou, hard to reach, Dispel Thy gloom.

(te tamah is the darkness of ignorance concerning the supreme spirit, identified here with the Goddess).

The gods engendered divine speech; Her, beasts of all forms speak; The cow that yields sweet fruits and vigour - To us may lauded Speech appear.

(The cow is the vag dhenu yielding milk which is the fruit of actions, karmaphalatmakam payah. This cow has been identified with Sarasvati).

To holy Shiva, to Daksha's daughter, To Aditi and Sarasvati, To Skanda's mother, Vishnu's Power, To Night of death by Brahma lauded, We render obeisance.

(Kalaratri in the text is the night of death or destruction. The term denotes the Goddess who destroys the darkness of dual appearances, svatiriktabhanam).

Know we Great Lakshmi, Goddess of good Fortune; On all fulfilment do we meditate. May the Goddess inspire us !

Through You, Dakshayani, was Aditi born; She is your daughter; after her were born The gods auspicious, Friends of deathlessness.

आदिविद्योद्धारः ॥ The construction of the primeval science or adividya

कामो योनिः कामकला वज्रपाणिर्गुहा हसा मातरिश्वाभ्रमिन्द्रः । पुनर्गुहा सकला मायया च पुरुच्येषा विश्वमातादिविद्योम् ॥ १४॥

Meaning: Love, womb, love's part, the bearer of the thunderbolt

The cave, ha-sa, the wind, the cloud, Indra; Again the cave, sa-ka-la with maya - So runs the full primeval science begetting all.

Adividya is the primeval 'Science' made up symbolically of letters in the following way:

Love or kama is symbolized by ka; womb or yoni by e; love's part, or kamakala by i; the bearer of the thunderbolt or Vajrapani by la; the cave or guha by hrim; the wind or matarishvan by ka; the cloud or abhra by ha; Indra by la; Maya by hrim. The adividya thus constructed runs thus: kaeilahrim; hasakahalahrim; sakalahrim (c.f. the varivasyarahasya, Adyar library series 28, 1948 (1968)), pp. 9 ff.

आदिविद्यामहिमा ॥ The glory of the Primeval Science

एषात्मशक्तिः । एषा विश्वमोहिनी पाशाङ्कुशधनुर्बाणधरा । एषा श्रीमहाविद्या । य एवं वेद स शोकं तरति ।

Meaning: She is the Self-Power. She entices all, holding (in her arms) a noose, a goad, a bow and an arrow. She is the greatest wisdom. He who knows (her) thus crosses sorrow.

This is the power of Self, enchanting all, armed with the noose, the hook, the bow and the arrow. This is the great and holy Science. Who knows thus tides over grief.

नमस्ते अस्तु भगवति भवति मातरस्मान्पातु सर्वतः । सैषाष्टौ वसवः । सैषैकादशरुद्राः । सैषा द्वादशादित्याः । सैषा विश्वेदेवाः सोमपा असोमपाश्च । सैषा यातुधाना असुरा रक्षांसि पिशाचा यक्षाः सिद्धाः । सैषा सत्त्वरजस्तमांसि । सैषा प्रजापतीन्द्रमनवः । सैषा ग्रहानक्षत्रज्योतींषि कलाकाष्ठादिकालरूपिणी । तामहं प्रणौमि नित्यम् ।तापापहारिणीं देवीं भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायिनीम् । अनन्तां विजयां शुद्धां शरण्यां शिवदां शिवाम् ॥ १०॥

Meaning: Divine mother ! Salutation to you; protect us in all possible ways.

Here, sarvatah may mean from all ie. from all dangers; but the commentator takes it, pregnantly, to mean sarvatmana, in all possible ways.

She, here, is the eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras, the twelve Adityas, She is the all-gods, (those) who drink soma and (those) who do not; she is the goblins, the demons, the evil beings, the ghosts; she also, beings superhuman, the semi-divine. She is sattva, rajas and tamas. She is Prajapati, Indra and Manu. She is the planets, stars and luminous spheres. She is the divisions of time and the form of primeval Time.

In these terms the Goddess is being proclaimed as the sole Reality. This passage may be taken as a formal comment on the Upanishadic phrase, sarvam khalvidam Brahma - Brahman being replaced by the Goddess.

I salute Her ever: Goddess who banishes distress Grants pleasure and deliverance alike, Infinite, victorious, pure, Shiva, Refuge, the Giver of good.

भुवनेश्येकाक्षरीमन्त्रः ॥ The monosyllabic mantra of the Goddess of the World

वियदाकारसंयुक्तं वीतिहोत्रसमन्वितम् । अर्धेन्दुलसितं देव्या बीजं सर्वार्थसाधकम् ॥ ११॥ एवमेकाक्षरं मन्त्रं यतयः शुद्धचेतसः । ध्यायन्ति परमानन्दमया ज्ञानाम्बुराशयः ॥ १२॥ भुवनेश्येकाक्षरमनुमुद्धरति वियदिति । ह्रीमिति ॥ २०-२१ ॥

Meaning: Seed all-powerful of the Goddess' mantra,

(Akasha is symbolised by h and the fire by r. The formula worked out according to verse 20 is Hrim.)

Is sky, conjoined with 'i' and fire, with crescent moon adorned. On the single-syllabled mantra meditate the pure-hearted sages, supremely blissful; of wisdom the veriest oceans.