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The Devi Mahatmya has thirteen adhyayas or chapters divided into three Charitras or major sections devoted to the exposition of the greatness of the three aspects of the Devi which are as follows:

The Devi Mahatmya has thirteen adhyayas or chapters divided into three Charitras or major sections devoted to the exposition of the greatness of the three aspects of the Devi which are as follows:

===='''प्रथमचरित्रम् ॥ Prathama Charitra ()''': Maha-Kali.<!-- Can we add a sentence in the structure on the attribution of chapters to the Tridevis ? -->====

====प्रथमचरित्रम् ॥ Prathama Charitra (Chapter 1): Maha-Kali<!-- Can we add a sentence in the structure on the attribution of chapters to the Tridevis ? -->====

Chapter 1 – where the demons Madhu and Kaitabha are slayed (Madhu-kaitabha-vadha). On a subtler level, Madhu and Kaitabha represent the Tamasika Ahankara. They are also considered as the Avarana (Concealing power) and Vikshepa (Projection) aspects of Avidya in Vedanta and also Rajas and Tamas guna according to the [[Samkhya Darshana (साङ्ख्यदर्शनम्)|Samkhya]] terminology<ref>Swami Jagadishwarananda (2003), ''Sri Sri Chandi,'' Kolkata: Udbodhan Karyalaya.</ref>.

Chapter 1 – where the demons Madhu and Kaitabha are slayed (Madhu-kaitabha-vadha). On a subtler level, Madhu and Kaitabha represent the Tamasika Ahankara. They are also considered as the Avarana (Concealing power) and Vikshepa (Projection) aspects of Avidya in Vedanta and also Rajas and Tamas guna according to the [[Samkhya Darshana (साङ्ख्यदर्शनम्)|Samkhya]] terminology<ref>Swami Jagadishwarananda (2003), ''Sri Sri Chandi,'' Kolkata: Udbodhan Karyalaya.</ref>.

Mother Kali has four hands bearing sword and skull in two left hands and the other two right hands bestow boons and fearlessness on the devotees.<!-- Is this description part of the content in the Prathama Charitra ? --> Thus, she is both peace and combat simultaneously. She wears a garland of fifty skulls which are actually the fifty alphabets of Sanskrit. So, the skull-garland is the symbol of powerful mantras. She has three eyes i.e. Moon, Sun and Fire, through which she destroys darkness and can perceive the past, present and future. Her red tongue implies the active Rajo-guna and white teeth are the symbol of placid Sattva-guna. So, the act of biting her tongue with her white teeth suggests that the practitioner should keep his Rajo-guna in check with the help of the Sattva-guna<ref>Mahanamavrata Brahmachari (1988), ''Chandi-chinta,'' Kolkata: Sri Mahanamavrata Cultural and Welfare Trust.</ref>.   

Mother Kali has four hands bearing sword and skull in two left hands and the other two right hands bestow boons and fearlessness on the devotees.<!-- Is this description part of the content in the Prathama Charitra ? --> Thus, she is both peace and combat simultaneously. She wears a garland of fifty skulls which are actually the fifty alphabets of Sanskrit. So, the skull-garland is the symbol of powerful mantras. She has three eyes i.e. Moon, Sun and Fire, through which she destroys darkness and can perceive the past, present and future. Her red tongue implies the active Rajo-guna and white teeth are the symbol of placid Sattva-guna. So, the act of biting her tongue with her white teeth suggests that the practitioner should keep his Rajo-guna in check with the help of the Sattva-guna<ref>Mahanamavrata Brahmachari (1988), ''Chandi-chinta,'' Kolkata: Sri Mahanamavrata Cultural and Welfare Trust.</ref>.   

===='''मध्यमचरित्रम् ॥ Madhyama Charitra (Chapters 2, 3 and 4)''': Maha-Laksmi====

====मध्यमचरित्रम् ॥ Madhyama Charitra (Chapters 2, 3 and 4): Maha-Laksmi====

Chapter Two – Mahishasura-sainya-vadha – Slaughter of the armies of Mahishasura

Chapter Two – Mahishasura-sainya-vadha – Slaughter of the armies of Mahishasura

Chapter Four – Shakradi-stuti – Praises by [[Indra (इन्द्रः)|Shakra]] and others. Maha-lakshmi is worshipped as Durga in autumn (mid September to mid November)<ref>Haridas Bhattacharyya (2001), ''The Cultural Heritage of India'', Volume IV – The Religions, Calcutta: The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture.</ref>.

Chapter Four – Shakradi-stuti – Praises by [[Indra (इन्द्रः)|Shakra]] and others. Maha-lakshmi is worshipped as Durga in autumn (mid September to mid November)<ref>Haridas Bhattacharyya (2001), ''The Cultural Heritage of India'', Volume IV – The Religions, Calcutta: The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture.</ref>.

===='''उत्तमचरित्रम् ॥ Uttama-Charitra (Chapters 5 to 13):''' Maha-Sarasvati====

====उत्तमचरित्रम् ॥ Uttama-Charitra (Chapters 5 to 13): Maha-Sarasvati====

Chapter Five – Devi-duta-samvada – Devi’s conversation with the messenger

Chapter Five – Devi-duta-samvada – Devi’s conversation with the messenger

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===विषयविस्तारः ॥ '''Contents'''===

===विषयविस्तारः ॥ Contents===

The first section starts with the story of a king, Suratha by name, and the merchant Samadhi, both of whom had been deprived of their wealth and possessions by their own near and dear ones. They met at the hermitage of the sage Sumedhas, to where they had come, seeking peace. After hearing from each other about the tragedies that had struck them, they approached the sage Sumedhas, with the question as to why they were still mentally attached to their possessions and their relatives even though the latter had deliberately wronged them. In his long reply, the sage described this blind attachment and infatuation as the direct result of the power of moha or maya, the spell cast by the Devi on all the living beings. When their curiosity to know more was aroused, the Sage started describing in detail, the stories related to her.

The first section starts with the story of a king, Suratha by name, and the merchant Samadhi, both of whom had been deprived of their wealth and possessions by their own near and dear ones. They met at the hermitage of the sage Sumedhas, to where they had come, seeking peace. After hearing from each other about the tragedies that had struck them, they approached the sage Sumedhas, with the question as to why they were still mentally attached to their possessions and their relatives even though the latter had deliberately wronged them. In his long reply, the sage described this blind attachment and infatuation as the direct result of the power of moha or maya, the spell cast by the Devi on all the living beings. When their curiosity to know more was aroused, the Sage started describing in detail, the stories related to her.