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.

देव्याः स्वरूपम् ॥ Nature of Devi

The text begins with all the deities asking Devi about her true nature. They ask,

काऽसि त्वं महादेवि ॥१॥ kā'si tvaṁ mahādevi ॥1॥

Meaning: Who are you, O great Goddess ? As a reply to this, Devi expounds on her true form as follows. She says,

अहं ब्रह्मस्वरूपिणी । मत्तः प्रकृतिपुरुषात्मकं जगच्छून्यं चाशून्यं च । अहमानन्दानानन्दाः विज्ञानाविज्ञानेऽहम् । ब्रह्माब्रह्मणी वेदितव्ये । इत्याहाथर्वणी श्रुतिः ॥२॥

अहं पञ्चभूतान्यपञ्चभूतानि । अहमखिलं जगत् । वेदोऽहमवेदोऽहम् । विद्याऽहमविद्याऽहम् । अजाऽहमनजाऽहम् । अधश्चोर्ध्वं च तिर्यक् चाहम् ॥३॥

ahaṁ brahmasvarūpiṇī । mattaḥ prakr̥tipuruṣātmakaṁ jagacchūnyaṁ cāśūnyaṁ ca । ahamānandānānandāḥ vijñānāvijñāne'ham । brahmābrahmaṇī veditavye । ityāhātharvaṇī śrutiḥ ॥2॥

ahaṁ pañcabhūtānyapañcabhūtāni । ahamakhilaṁ jagat । vedo'hamavedo'ham । vidyā'hamavidyā'ham । ajā'hamanajā'ham । adhaścordhvaṁ ca tiryak cāham ॥3॥

Meaning:

• I am of the nature of Brahman.
• From Me (has proceeded) the world, of the nature of Prakriti and Purusha, void and non-void.
• I am bliss and non-bliss. Knowledge and ignorance are Myself.
• Brahman and non-brahman are to be known (as Myself) - says the scripture of the Atharvan-s.
• I am the five elements as also what is different from them ie. apanchabhutas or the fundamental forms of the five elements, earth, water, fire, air and akasha in their uncompounded state; known also as Panchatanmatras.
• I am the entire world.
• 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.

देव्याः सर्वधारकत्वम् ॥ Devi as the Substratum of All

Following the description of her true form, Devi describes herself as the substratum of all. She says,

अहं रुद्रेभिर्वसुभिश्चराम्यहमादित्यैरुत विश्वदेवैः । अहं मित्रावरुणावुभा 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॥

ahaṁ rudrebhirvasubhiścarāmyahamādityairuta viśvadevaiḥ । ahaṁ mitrāvaruṇāvubhā bibharmyahamindrāgnī ahamaśvināvubhau ॥4॥

ahaṁ somaṁ tvaṣṭāraṁ pūṣaṇaṁ bhagaṁ dadhāmyaham । viṣṇumurukramaṁ brahmāṇamuta prajāpatiṁ dadhāmi ॥5॥

ahaṁ dadhāmi draviṇaṁ haviṣmate suprāvye yajamānāya sunvate । ahaṁ rāṣṭrī saṅgamanī vasūnāmahaṁ suve pitaramasya mūrdhan ॥6॥

mama yonirapsvantaḥ samudre । ya evaṁ veda sa devīpadamāpnoti ॥7॥

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 yajna-karta 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.

Here, the inner sea or 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 devi's svarupa.

Text & Meaning

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.

महाचण्डीनवाक्षरविद्या ॥ The nine-syllabled science of Mahachandi

वाङ्मया ब्रह्मभूतस्मात्षष्ठं वक्त्रसमन्वितम् । सूर्यो वामश्रोत्रबिन्दुः संयुताष्टकतृतीयकम् ॥ २२ ॥ नारायणेन संयुक्तो वायुश्चाधरसंयुतः । विच्चे नवार्णकोऽर्णः स्यान्महदानन्ददायकः ॥ २३ ॥ हृत्पुण्डरीकमध्यस्थां प्रातःसूर्यसमप्रभाम् । पाशाङ्कुशधरां सौम्यां वरदाभयहस्तकाम् । त्रिनेत्रां रक्तवसनां भक्तकामदुघां भजे ॥ २४ ॥ नमामि त्वामहं देवीं महाभयविनाशिनीम् । महादुर्गप्रशमनीं महाकारुण्यरूपिणीम् ॥ १६ ॥ यस्याः स्वरूपं ब्रह्मादयो न जानन्ति तस्मादुच्यतेऽज्ञेया । यस्या अन्तो न विद्यते तस्मादुच्यतेऽनन्ता । यस्या ग्रहणं नोपलभ्यते तस्मादुच्यतेऽलक्ष्या । यस्या जननं नोपलभ्यते तस्मादुच्यतेऽजा । एकैव सर्वत्र वर्तते तस्मादुच्यत एका । एकैव विश्वरूपिणी तस्मादुच्यते नैकाऽत एवोच्यतेऽज्ञेयानन्तालक्ष्याजैका नैका ॥ २६ ॥ मन्त्राणां मातृका देवी शब्दानां ज्ञानरूपिणी । ज्ञानानां चिन्मयातीता शून्यनां शून्यसाक्षिणी ॥ २७ ॥

यस्याः परतरं नास्ति सैषा दुर्गा प्रकीर्तिता ।

[दुर्गात्संत्रायते यस्माद्देवी दुर्गेति कथ्यते ॥ १८॥

प्रपद्ये शरणं देवीं दुंदुर्गे दुरितं हर ॥]

तां दुर्गां दुर्गमां देवीं दुराचारविघातिनीम् ।

नमामि भवभीतोऽहं संसारार्णवतारिणीम् ॥ २८ ॥

Meaning: Fashioned by speech; born of Brahman; the sixth with face equipped; the Sun; the left ear where the point is; the eighth and the third conjoint.

The air, with Narayana united, And with the lip; vicce, the nine-lettered;

(The nine-syllables science or vidya takes the form: aim hrim klim chamundayai vicche; verses 22 and 23, in elliptical and symbolic phrases, describe the evolution of this mantra.)

The letter, shall delight the lofty ones.

Seated in the lotus-heart, resplendent as the morning sun, goddess, bearing noose and hook, with gesture granting boons, dissolving fears; tender, three-eyed, red-robed, granting devotees their heart' desires, Thee I adore.

I bow down to thee, goddess, thou dispeller of gravest fears, vanquisher of obstacles; thou wearer of great Mercy's form.

Brahmana and others know not Her essence; so is she called the unknowable. She has no end; so is she called endless. She is not grasped and so is she called the incomprehensible. Her birth is not known and so is she called the unborn. She alone is present everywhere, and so is she called the One. She alone wears all forms, and so, is she called the Many. For these reasons is she called the unknowable, the endless, the incomprehensible, the unborn, the one and the many.

The Goddess is the source of all mantras: Of all the words the knowledge is Her form. Her conscious form transcends all cognitions; She is the witness of all emptiness.

Beyond her is nothing; renowned is She As unapproachable; afeared of life, I bow to the inaccessible One, Bulwark against all sins; the Pilot who steers me across the sea of worldly life.

विद्याजपस्तुतिः ॥ Praise of repeating the science

इदमथर्वशीर्षं योऽधीते

पञ्चाथर्वशीर्षजपफलमवाप्नोति ।

इदमथर्वशीर्षं ज्ञात्वा योऽर्चां स्थापयति ।

शतलक्षं प्रजप्त्वापि सोऽर्चासिद्धिं च विन्दति ।

शतमष्टोत्तरं चास्याः पुरश्चर्याविधिः स्मृतः ॥ २०॥

दशवारं पठेद्यस्तु सद्यः पापैः प्रमुच्यते । महादुर्गाणि

तरति महादेव्याः प्रसादतः ॥ २१॥

प्रातरधीयानो रात्रिकृतं पापं नाशयति ।

सायमधीयानो दिवसकृतं पापं नाशयति ।

तत्सायं प्रातः प्रयुञ्जानः पापोऽपापो भवति । निशीथे

तुरीयसन्ध्यायां जप्त्वा वाक्सिद्धिर्भवति ।

नूतनप्रतिमायां जप्त्वा देवतासांनिध्यं भवति ।

प्राणप्रतिष्ठायां जप्त्वा प्राणानां प्रतिष्ठा भवति ।

भौमाश्विन्यां महादेवी संनिधौ जप्त्वा महामृत्युं तरति

। य एवं वेदेत्युपनिषत् ॥ २२॥

Meaning: He who studies this Atharva Upanishad gains the fruit of repeating five (other) Atharva Upanishads; he who, having mastered this Atharva Upanishad, persists in worship. Of this vidya ten million chants Are less than the worship's fruit. Eight and hundred recitations thereof make but this rite's inauguration. Who reads it but ten times, Is released at once from sins; Through the grace of the Goddess great, Tides he over obstacles great. Reading it in the morning one destroys the sins of the night; reading it in the evening one destroys the sins committed by day. Thus, reading both in the evening and morning, the sinner becomes sinless. Reading it at midnight, too, the fourth 'junction', there results perfection of speech. Its recitation before a new image brings to it the presence of the deity. Its recitation at the time of consecration (of an image) makes it a centre of energy. Reciting it on Tuesday under the asterism Ashvini, in the presence of the great Goddess, one overcomes fell death - one who knows thus. This is the secret.