- The Inner Meaning of the Devi Mahatmya by Swami Krishnananda
- The Esoteric Significance of The Devi-Mahatmya by Sri Swami Krishnananda
- Decoding the Chandi (Devi Mahatmya) | Swami Harinamananda
- Tripura Rahasya
Devi Mahatmyam and Advaita
The Devi Mahatmyam (Devi Mahatya/Chandi Path/Durga Saptashati) is deeply connected to Advaita philosophy, even though it is a central scripture of the Shakta (Goddess-oriented) tradition. While on the surface it recounts the battles of the Goddess against various demons, its underlying philosophy often integrates and expresses nondual (Advaita) principles, asserting the unity of the Divine Mother with ultimate reality (Brahman).
Advaita Foundations in Devi Mahatmyam
- The text identifies the Divine Mother (Devi) with both the manifest and the unmanifest, stating she is the creator, sustainer, and destroyer—effectively the totality of existence, equated with Brahman, the nondual absolute of Advaita Vedanta.
- The Devi is described as both saguna (with form and attributes) and nirguna (formless and attributeless), a dual-aspect also found in Advaita, where Brahman is both immanent and transcendent.
- Hymns such as the “Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu” emphasize her presence as the consciousness within all beings, echoing Advaita’s insight that the same ultimate reality pervades everything.dlshq+1
Integration of Samkhya and Advaita
- The text explicitly references the three gunas (qualities)—sattva, rajas, tamas—corresponding to the three major forms of Devi (Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati, Mahakali), and transcends them by asserting the Goddess as the upholder and substratum of all, thus integrating the duality of Samkhya into the nondual vision of Advaita.
- This philosophical movement from duality (prakriti/purusha, Devi as manifest) to nonduality (Devi as Brahman) is a central feature of the Devi Mahatmyam’s deeper message.
Liberation and Nonduality
- The concluding stutis and esoteric commentaries view the Goddess not merely as an object of external worship but as the very Self (Atman), guiding the soul to liberation through the realization of its own identity with the infinite.
- The journey described in Devi Mahatmyam—from entanglement in illusion (maya) to awakening—mirrors the Advaita path from ignorance (avidya) to self-knowledge and unity with Brahman.dlshq
Shakta Advaita Tradition
- Many Shakta scriptures, including the Devi Mahatmyam, openly refer to Shaktism as Advaita philosophy in its own right, sometimes termed “Shakta Advaita,” where the Divine Mother is the ultimate nondual reality, similar to the advaitic Brahman.
- The Advaita realization within the Devi Mahatmyam is not just abstract but is experienced through devotion, worship, and inner contemplation of the Goddess as one’s own true Self.
The Devi Mahatmyam thus bridges the paths of worship, meditation, and direct realization, leading to nondual awareness where the worshiper, the act of worship, and the Goddess are ultimately seen as one.