Shri Devi MahaPuran.

Acquire wisdom from Shri Devi MahaPuran

Excerpt from Shri DeviMahaPuran and its Essence

|| Shri Jagdambikaayae NamH ||
Shri Mad′ Devi Bhagwat

“Excerpt from Third Skand” 

King Parikshit inquired of Shri Vyas Ji about the creation of the Brahmand. In response, Shri Vyas Ji recounted, “I posed the same question to Rishi Narad Ji. I will share that account with you. I asked Shri Narad Ji, ‘Who is the creator of one Brahmand? Some believe it to be Shri Shankar God, others attribute it to Shri Vishnu Ji, while some claim it is Shri Brahma Ji. Additionally, many refer to Aacharya Bhavani, the Aadi Maya MahaShakti, as the one who fulfills all wishes. She is the Prakriti, working alongside the Param Purush, and has an inseparable bond with Brahm’” (Page 114).

Narad Ji replied, “Vyas Ji, this doubt once arose in my heart during ancient times. I then went to my father, the immensely brilliant Brahma Ji, to seek clarity on the matter you’re inquiring about. I asked him, ‘Father, from where did this entire Brahmand originate? Did you create it, or was it Shri Vishnu Ji or Shri Shankar Ji? Please reveal the truth.’”

Brahma Ji said, “What answer can I provide to such a complex question? In ancient times, water covered everything, and I emerged from a lotus. While sitting on the pericarp of that lotus, I pondered, ‘How did I come to exist in this unfathomable water? Who is my protector?’ Grasping the lotus stem, I descended into the water and saw God Vishnu reclining on Shesh, enveloped in deep slumber due to Yognidra. At that moment, I remembered Bhagwati Yognidra and prayed to her. She then emerged from Shri Vishnu Ji’s body in an inconceivable form, adorned with divine ornaments that enhanced her beauty. Once Yognidra separated from Vishnu, he awakened, and soon, Rudra also appeared. The Devi addressed the three of us—Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwar—saying, ‘Become alert and immerse yourselves in your respective duties: creation, preservation, and destruction.’ Just then, a magnificent aircraft descended from the sky, and the Devi instructed us, ‘Gods, fear not, and willingly enter this aircraft. Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra, I will show you a marvelous sight today.’”

Upon seeing the three of us gods aboard, the Devi used her power to make the aircraft soar into the sky.

Our aircraft swiftly ascended to the divine abode of Brahmlok, where we encountered another Brahma. God Shankar and Vishnu were astonished by his presence. They turned to me and asked, "O four-faced one, who is this immortal Brahma?" I replied, "I have no knowledge of him; who is this controller of nature? I find myself lost in confusion about who I am and our purpose."

Meanwhile, the aircraft, swift as thought, swiftly transported us to the beautiful summit of Kailash. Upon our arrival, a three-eyed God Shankar emerged from a magnificent palace, seated atop the bull Nandi.

In an instant, the aircraft swiftly soared from the summit, like the wind, and reached Vaikunth Lok, home to the luxurious palace of Bhagwati Lakshmi. Son Narad, the wealth I witnessed there is beyond description. Overwhelmed by the splendor of that divine city, Vishnu's heart was filled with astonishment. There sat lotus-eyed Shri Hari, adorned with four arms.

The aircraft then ascended into the air and swiftly flew onward. Ahead of us lay an ocean with sweet, nectar-like waters, accompanied by a charming island. On that island was an auspicious bed, upon which sat a divine and beautiful woman. We began to wonder among ourselves, "Who is this enchanting woman, and what is her name? We are entirely unaware of her identity."

Narad! In this state of uncertainty, we stood there, when God Vishnu, perceiving the lovely goddess, recognized her as Goddess Jagdambika. He then declared, "This goddess is the primary cause of all of us. She is known as MahaVidhya and MahaMaya, the embodiment of Purna Prakriti. She is also called 'Vishweshwari,' 'Vedgarbha,' and 'Shiva'."

She is the same divine lady I encountered during the Pralayarnv, when I was just a child. Back then, she rocked me in a cradle, laying me on a firm bed made of a banyan leaf. I would suck on my toe with my lotus-like mouth while playing, and she sang to me as she rocked me. There is no doubt—she is our mother, and upon seeing her, memories of the past flooded back to me.

In due course, Shri Vishnu began to extol the virtues of the goddess Bhuvneshwari.

God Vishnu said, "Salutations to goddess Prakriti and constant homage to Goddess Vidhatri. You are the pure essence illuminating the entire world. We—Brahma, Shankar, and I—exist by your grace, experiencing birth and death. Only you are eternal, the mother of the universe, Prakriti, and the everlasting Goddess Sanatani."

God Shankar said, "Goddess, if this fortunate Vishnu has emerged from you, then Brahma, who came after him, is also your child. Am I, Shankar, who embodies the Tamoguni leela, not your child as well? Your qualities are essential for the creation, preservation, and destruction of this world. Born of these three qualities, Brahma, Vishnu, and I remain devoted to our respective tasks. While traveling in the aircraft, we witnessed new worlds along the way. Bhavani, please tell us—who has created them?"

Refer to the evidence in Shrimad Devi Bhagwat MahaPuran, published by Khemraj Shri Krishna Das Prakashan in Mumbai. This text includes both the original Sanskrit and Hindi translation. You can find it in the Third Skand, Adhyay 4, Page 10, Verse 42:

Translation: "Oh Mother! Brahma, Shiv, and I are born from your influence and are not eternal; we are not immortal. Therefore, how can the other gods, like Indra, be eternal? Only you are immortal; you are Prakriti and the eternal Devi."

Page no. 11-12 Adhyay 5, Shlok 8: -

Translation: "God Shankar said, 'Oh Mother! If you are gracious to us, why have you made me Tamogun, Brahma Rajgun, and Vishnu Satgun? Why did you involve us in the cycle of birth and death of living beings?'"

Shlok 12: -

Translation: "You are always in union with your husband, Purush, the Kaal God, yet your true state remains unknown to all."

Brahma Ji said, "I too bowed at the feet of MahaMaya Jagdambika and asked her, 'Mother, the Vedas state, 'Ekamevadwitiyam Brahm.' Are you that singular divine power, or is there another God?'"

The Goddess replied, "I and Brahm are one; there is no distinction between us. Gauri, Brahmi, Raudri, Varahi, Vaishnvi, Shiva, Varuni, Kauberi, Narsinhi, and Vasbi are all my forms. Brahma Ji, make this Shakti your wife. This beautiful woman, known as 'MahaSaraswati,' will be your eternal companion. And to you, Vishnu, take this enchanting 'MahaLakshmi'; she will forever reside in your heart."

The Goddess said, "Shankar! You may accept this enchanting 'MahaKaali,' known as Gauri, as your wife."

"Now, to fulfill your tasks, board the aircraft and proceed immediately. When faced with challenges, remember me, and I will appear before you. Always keep both me and the Sanatan Parmatma in your thoughts. By doing so, you will eliminate any doubts in achieving your goals."

Brahma Ji says, "After saying this, Bhagwati Jagdambika bid us farewell. Among the pure-hearted Shaktis, she appointed MahaLakshmi as the wife of God Vishnu, MahaKaali as Shankar's consort, and MahaSaraswati as mine. We then left that place."

Essence:

Even Maharishi Vyas Ji, Maharishi Narad Ji, Shri Brahma Ji, Shri Vishnu Ji, and Shri Shankar Ji remain unaware of the true nature of the Brahmand. It is evident that Shri Durga, also referred to as Prakriti, has a husband-wife relationship with Brahm (Jyoti Niranjan/Kaal). This underscores the inseparable bond between Prakriti and Brahm, much like a wife is considered the other half.

Shri Brahma Ji himself is uncertain about his origin. He searched for Earth in the waters for a thousand years without success. Following a voice from the sky, he meditated for another thousand years. Upon descending with the lotus stem, he found God Vishnu unconscious on the bed of Shesh Naag. At that moment, a goddess emerged from Shri Vishnu's body, adorned with beautiful ornaments, and positioned herself in the sky. It was then that Shri Vishnu Ji regained consciousness, and Shankar Ji also arrived.

This account demonstrates that the three gods were initially kept unconscious before being awakened. An aircraft then descended from the sky, and the goddess instructed the three gods to board. She piloted the aircraft into the sky, where they encountered another Brahma, Shiv, and Vishnu residing in Brahmlok.

Consider this: In Brahmlok, the second Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiv that they encountered are tricks played by Jyoti Niranjan (Kaal). He manifests in three forms, residing in Brahmlok within three secret realms—one dominated by Rajogun, another by Satogun, and the third by Tamogun—while keeping Prakriti (Durga/Ashtangi) as his wife.

In the Rajogun-dominated realm, Kaal is referred to as MahaBrahma, and Durga is called MahaSaraswati. Their union produces a son, born in this realm, who is also Rajogun-dominated and named Brahma. They keep him unconscious, nurturing him until he reaches maturity, after which they place him on a lotus flower and awaken him.

When they reside in the Satogun-dominated realm as MahaVishnu and MahaLakshmi, their offspring, born from their union, is Satogun-dominated and named Vishnu. They similarly keep him unconscious, letting him sleep on the bed of Shesh Naag until he matures, then bringing him to consciousness.

In the Tamogun-dominated realm, their son, born from the union of Durga and MahaShiv (SadaShiv), is Tamogun-dominated and named Shiv. He too remains unconscious until he reaches maturity, at which point they awaken him.

After assembling all three, they are seated in an aircraft and shown views of the higher loks to prevent them from becoming egotistical. To illustrate the influence of the guna-dominated realms, consider a house with three rooms: one decorated with pictures of patriotic martyrs inspires thoughts of heroism; another adorned with images of saints fosters calmness and devotion; while a third, featuring indecent depictions, provokes lewd thoughts. Similarly, Brahmlok is structured into three distinct realms, each dominated by a different guna.

How do the three gods—Rajgun Brahma Ji, Satgun Vishnu Ji, and Tamgun Shiv Ji—exert their influence through their respective gunas?

Consider an example: if a vegetable dish in the kitchen is seasoned with chilies, the pungent quality of the chilies can cause people in other rooms to sneeze, even if they are far away from the source. Similarly, while residing in their respective loks, the three gods (Brahma Ji in Rajgun, Vishnu Ji in Satgun, and Shiv Ji in Tamgun) exert their influence over the beings in the three worlds: Earth, the Netherworld, and Heaven.

Just as a mobile phone operates within a specific range, the three gods, through the invisible effects of their qualities, manage the Nature created by their father, Kaal, to sustain his needs. Durga, too, has her own separate abode (lok), where she grants audience in her true form.

When their aircraft arrived at Durga’s island, Jyoti Niranjan (Kaal-form Brahm) awakened Vishnu’s childhood memories. He recalled being rocked in a cradle by Durga while she sang lullabies. Vishnu ji then acknowledged, “O Durga, you are our mother. Brahma, Shankar, and I take birth (aavirbhaav) and face death (tirobhaav); we are not eternal. You are the goddess Prakriti.”

Shiv Ji also affirmed this, stating, “I, Shankar, who performs Tamoguni leela, am likewise your son. Both Vishnu Ji and Brahma Ji have originated from you.”

Durga then arranged the marriages of the three gods. Through her divine word power, Prakriti Devi (Durga) manifested three additional forms: Savitri, Lakshmi, and Uma (Kaali). She married Shri Brahma Ji to Savitri, Shri Vishnu Ji to Lakshmi, and Shri Shiv Ji to Uma. Afterward, she placed them in the aircraft and sent them off to their respective loks (realms).

Jyoti Niranjan (Kaal/Brahm), through his breath, concealed the four Vedas in the ocean. When the ocean was churned for the first time, the Vedas surfaced. On Jyoti Niranjan’s command, Durga handed over the four Vedas to Shri Brahma Ji. Brahma, curious, asked Durga (his mother) whether the Brahm (God) mentioned in the Vedas was her or some other divine being.

Durga, fearing Kaal, attempted to conceal the truth by saying, "Brahm and I are one; there is no difference between us." However, she couldn't fully hide the reality. She then instructed the three gods, "Always remember both me and Brahm. If you do so, I will appear before you whenever faced with a difficult task."

Upon the completion of their lifespans, Kaal also kills and consumes the three gods—Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiv. He then births new sons from virtuous beings to continue his cycle. The previous Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiv, based on their deeds, continue to revolve through the 84 lakh life forms and the cycles of heaven and hell. This is also evidenced in the Shiv MahaPuran, Rudra Sanhita, Pratham (Srishti) Khand, Adhyay 6, 7, 8, and 9.