📖 Markandeya Purana — Durga Saptashati
Verse 1
देव्युवाच ।
पाठाद् ध्यानाद् इदं माहात्म्यं श्रोष्यति च समाहितः ।
तस्य सर्वाणि पापानि मत्प्रसादाद् भविष्यन्ति ॥
Devyuvacha |
Pathad dhyanad idam mahatmyam shroshyati cha samahitah |
Tasya sarvani papani matprasadad bhavishyanti ||
पाठाद् ध्यानाद्
through reading and meditation
इदं माहात्म्यम्
this Mahatmya
श्रोष्यति समाहितः
listens to with full attention
मत्प्रसादाद्
by my grace — the Purana's own traditional phrasing
The Devi spoke: whoever reads, meditates on, or listens to this Mahatmya with full attention — the tradition describes them as being recipients of my grace.
Verse 2
न मे प्रियतरं किञ्चिद् इह लोके परत्र च ।
यस्मिन् देशे ऽपि पठ्यते मन्महात्म्यमिदं सदा ॥
Na me priyataram kinchid iha loke paratra cha |
Yasmin deshe api pathyate manmahatmyam idam sada ||
न मे प्रियतरम्
nothing is more dear to me
इह लोके परत्र च
in this world or the next
यस्मिन् देशे
in whatever place
मन्महात्म्यम्
this Mahatmya of mine
सदा पठ्यते
is recited always
The Devi said: wherever this Mahatmya is recited — in any land, in any age — that place is dear to me beyond everything else.
Verse 3
तत्र सन्निधिमात्रेण मम तेजः समागतम् ।
न क्षुधा न च पिपासा नाऽऽलस्यं तत्र जायते ॥
Tatra sannidhimatrena mama tejah samagatam |
Na kshudha na cha pipasa naalaasyam tatra jayate ||
सन्निधिमात्रेण
by my mere presence
न क्षुधा न पिपासा
neither hunger nor thirst — traditional description
The Purana describes: wherever this Mahatmya is recited, the Devi's radiance is felt to be present there.
Verse 4
पूजयिष्यन्ति ये भक्त्या मां भवित्री च मे प्रिया ।
त्रिभिः सप्तभिर्दिनैर्वापि माहात्म्यं श्रुणोति यः ॥
Pujayishyanti ye bhaktya mam bhavitrri cha me priya |
Tribhih saptabhirdina irapi mahatmyam shrunoti yah ||
पूजयिष्यन्ति भक्त्या
who worship with devotion
भवित्री मे प्रिया
will be dear to me
त्रिभिः सप्तभिः दिनैः
in three or seven days
माहात्म्यं श्रुणोति
who listens to the Mahatmya
The Devi said: those who worship with devotion, who listen to the Mahatmya — taking three or seven days to do so — are dear to me.
Verse 5
इत्युक्त्वाऽन्तर्दधे देवी दैव्यं रूपमास्थिता ।
देवास्ते विस्मिताः सर्वे हर्षनिर्भरमानसाः ॥
Ityuktvaantardadhe devi daivyam rupamasthita |
Devaste vismitah sarve harshanirbaramanasah ||
दैव्यं रूपम् आस्थिता
having taken her divine form
विस्मिताः सर्वे
all stood in wonder
हर्षनिर्भरमानसाः
their hearts overflowing with joy
Having spoken these words, the Devi disappeared in her divine form. The devas stood in wonder, their hearts full of joy.
Verse 6
पुनर्वन्दे महादेवीं या कृपाऽऽत्मनः शर्मदा ।
भक्तानुग्रहकर्त्री च नित्यं स्यात् सुखदा सदा ॥
Punarvande mahadevim ya kripa atmanah sharmada |
Bhaktanugrahakarrti cha nityam syat sukhada sada ||
कृपात्मनः
full of compassion
भक्तानुग्रहकर्त्री
the one who graces her devotees
The sage bowed once more to the Mahadevi — full of compassion, gracious to her devotees, the giver of joy.
Verse 7
इदं माहात्म्यं विधिना प्रदाता परमेश्वरी ।
श्रोता भक्तः समाहितः शृणोति यन्महात्मनाम् ॥
Idam mahatmyam vidhina pradatа Parameshvari |
Shrota bhaktah samahitah shrunoti yanmahatmanam ||
इदं माहात्म्यम्
this Mahatmya
विधिना
according to tradition
परमेश्वरी
of the Parameshvari
श्रोता भक्तः
the devoted listener
समाहितः
with full attention
The tradition of listening to the Parameshvari's Mahatmya with full attention and devotion has been cherished across generations.
Verse 8
या श्रीः स्वयं सुकृतिनां भवनेष्वलक्ष्म्याः ।
पापात्मनां कृतधियां हृदयेषु बुद्धिः ।
श्रद्धा सतां कुलजनप्रभवस्य लज्जा ।
तां त्वां नताः स्म परिपालय देवि विश्वम् ॥
Ya shrih svayam sukritanam bhavaneshu alakshmyah |
Papatmanam kritadhiyam hridayeshu buddhih |
Shraddha satam kulajanaprabhavasya lajja |
Tam tvam natah sma paripalaya devi vishvam ||
या श्रीः
the one who is Lakshmi
सुकृतिनां भवनेषु
in the homes of the righteous
पापात्मनां हृदयेषु बुद्धिः
the wisdom that steers away from wrong
श्रद्धा सतां
the faith of the good
लज्जा
the dignity of noble families
परिपालय विश्वम्
protect this world
The closing shloka of this chapter is among the most complete visions of the Devi in the entire text. She is Lakshmi in the homes of the righteous, wisdom in the hearts of those who err, faith in the good, and dignity in noble families. O Devi, we bow — protect this world.
References
According to the Markandeya Purana, in the twelfth chapter the Devi herself describes the significance of the Mahatmya. She said: wherever this text is recited, that place is dear to me.
The closing shloka — 'Ya Shrih svayam sukritanam bhavaneshu' — is one of the most complete visions of the Devi across the entire Durga Saptashati. She is Lakshmi for the righteous, wisdom for those who struggle, faith for the good, and dignity for the noble. It is the text's most all-encompassing portrait of the Devi.
Durga Saptashati · 12 / 13