| Devi Bhagavata Purana | |
|---|---|
 A manuscript of Devi Bhagavata Purana | |
| Information | |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Author | Vyasa |
| Language | Sanskrit |
| Chapters | 318 |
| Verses | 18, 000 |
TheDevi Bhagavata Purana (Sanskrit:देवी भागवतपुराणम्,devī bhāgavatapurāṇam), also known as theDevi Purana or simplyDevi Bhagavatam, is one of the majorPuranas ofHinduism. Composed inSanskrit, the text is considered aMahapurana forDevi worshippers (Shaktas), while others classify it as anUpapurana instead.[1][2][3] It promotesbhakti (devotion) towardsMahadevi, integrating themes from the Shaktadvaitavada tradition (a syncretism ofSamkhya andAdvaita Vedanta). While this is generally regarded as a Shakta Purana, some scholars such as Dowson have also interpreted this Purana as aShaiva Purana.[4]
The Purana consists of twelve cantos with 318 chapters.[5] Along with theDevi Mahatmya, it is one of the works in Shaktism, a tradition withinHinduism that reveres Devi orShakti (Goddess) as the primordial creator of the universe, and asBrahman (ultimate truth and reality).[6][7][8] It celebrates the divine feminine as the origin of all existence: as the creator, the preserver and the destroyer of everything, as well as the one who empowers spiritual liberation.[1][9] While all major Puranas ofHinduism mention and revere the Goddess, this text centers around her as the primary divinity.[10][11] The underlying philosophy of the text is Advaita Vedanta-stylemonism combined with the devotional worship of Shakti.[12][13][14] It is believed that the text was spoken byVyasa to KingJanamejaya, the son ofParikshit.[15]
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The title of the text, 'Srimad Devi Bhagavata or 'Devi Purana'', is composed of two words, which together mean "devotees of the blessed Devi". Johnson states the meaning as the "ancient annals of the luminous goddess".[16]
TheSrimad Devi Bhagavata Mahapurana has been variously dated.[23] A few scholars suggest an early date, such as Ramachandran, who suggested that the text was composed before the 6th-century CE.[23] However, this early date has not found wide support, and most scholars date it between the 9th and the 14th century.[23][24] Rajendra Hazra suggests 11th or 12th century, while Lalye states that the text began taking form in the late centuries of the 1st millennium, was expanded over time, and its first complete version existed in the 11th century.[23][25] Tracy Pintchman dates the text to between 1000 and 1200 CE.[26]
The last ten chapters (31 to 40) of the seventh canto consist of 507 verses, a part which has often circulated as an independent volume, just like theBhagavad Gita of theMahabharata circulates independently.[27] This text, from Book 7 of this Purana, is calledDevi Gita.[28] This text may have been composed with the original text, or it might be a later interpolation, according to C Mackenzie Brown.[28] He suggests that this portion of the text was probably composed by the 13th century; it may be later, but was set down before the 16th century.[28]
The ninth canto contains many verses that referenceMlecchas (barbarians) andYavanas (foreigners).[29] These words may just refer to hill tribes, but the details contained in the description ofMlecchas within these verses, according to some scholars like Hazra, suggest that the writer of these parts knew about Islam and its spread in India, leading scholars to date these parts of the ninth book to the 12th to 15th centuries, compared to the older core of the ninth book.[29]
TheDevi Bhagavata Purana is not the earliest Indian text that celebrates the divine feminine. The 6th century CEDevi Mahatmya, embedded in theMarkandeya Purana, asserts the divine superiority of the Goddess.[30][31] Archaeological evidence inMathura andBengal suggests that the concept of the divine feminine was in existence by about the 2nd century CE.[32][27] Both theDevi Mahatmya andDevi Bhagavata Purana have been very influential texts within the Shakta tradition, asserting the supremacy of the female and have made the Goddess a figure of devotional (bhakti) appeal.[33]
This text, along with all the Puranas,Vedas and theMahabharata has traditionally been attributed by Hindus to the sageVeda Vyasa.[citation needed]
This table shows the notable incarnations of Devi mentioned in the Purana.
| Avatar (Incarnation) | Description | Canto |
|---|---|---|
| Bhuvaneshvari | ThirdMahavidya form of Devi, queen ofManidvipa | 3 |
| Durga | Goddess of protection, strength, motherhood, destruction and wars | 5, 7, 9 |
| Parvati | Consort ofShiva, Goddess of love and fertility, who resides uponKailasa. | -- 5,7,9 |
| Kali | Goddess of time and destruction | 5, 9 |
| Lakshmi | Consort ofVishnu, Goddess of wealth and purity | 1, 3, 9 |
| Saraswati | Consort ofBrahma, Goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning | 3, 5, 9 |
| Radha | Consort ofKrishna, Goddess of love, compassion and devotion, Queen ofGoloka | 9 |
| Savitri | Personified form ofGayatri Mantra and mother ofVedas | 9 |
| Shakambhari | The one who nourished mankind with fruits and vegetables. | 7 |
| Bhramari | The Goddess of bees | 10 |
| Tulasi | Personification of the Tulasi plant | 9 |
| Manasa | Goddess of Serpents | 9 |
| Mangala Chandika | A form of goddess Chandika | 9 |
This table shows the devotees of the Goddess according to the Purana.
| Name | Description | Canto |
|---|---|---|
| Ila / Sadyumana | The king was named Sadyumana and later became the mother of theBudha | 1 |
| Anuha | The son of Vibhraja; He married the daughter of Shuka named Kirti. | 1 |
| Pratipa | Father ofShantanu and grandfather ofBhishma | 2 |
| Shringi | The young sage who cursed Parikshit | 2 |
| Kunti | Mother ofPandavas and wife of kingPandu | 2 |
| Suta | Son of Lomaharshana and a disciple ofVyasa | -- |
| Vasudeva | Father ofKrishna,Balarama, andSubhadra; The king of theVrishnis and aYadava prince. | 2 |
| subahu | The king of Kashi | 3 |
| Sudarshana | The son of king Dhruvasandhi | 3 |
| Indra | The king of devas, God of weather | -- |
| Prahlada | Son ofHiranyakashipu | 4 |
| Nimi | The son ofIkshvaku | 6 |
| Sachi | Consort of Indra, Queen ofdevas | 6 |
| Himavan | Personification of the Himalayas, He is the guardian deity of theHimalayas, The Goddess preached the Devi Gita to him. | 7 |
| Sukanya | Daughter of King Sharyati | 7 |
| Satyavrata | A prince cursed by sageVasishtha | 7 |
| Janamejaya | King ofKuru kingdom, Son of Parikshit, Vyasa preached the Devi Bhagavata Purana to him. | -- |
| Savarni | The eighth Manu ofHinduism | 10 |
Many demons (villains) are mentioned throughout the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam
| Avatar (Incarnation) | Description | Canto |
|---|---|---|
| Madhu-Kaitabha | Two demons who originated from the earwax within the god Vishnu's ears. | 1 |
| Asura Hayagriva | Son ofKashyapa andDanu who Slain by LordHayagriva | 1 |
| Takshaka | One of the sons ofKadru, Murderer ofParikshit | 2 |
| Ravana | Multi-headedrakshasa king of the island ofLanka, | 3 |
| Mahishasura | The son ofMahisi (Buffalo) and the great-grandson ofBrahmarshiKashyapa, He was ultimately killed by goddessDurga | 5 |
| Tamra | One of minister's of Mahishasura | 5 |
| Durmukha | One of minister's of Mahishasura, killed by goddessDurga | 5 |
| Ciksura | General of Mahishasura, killed by goddess Durga | 5 |
| Shumbha and Nishumbha | Two Asura brothers, sons of Kashyapa and Danu, GoddessKaushiki killed them both | 5 |
| Dhumralochana | The asura who was the general of the demon king Shumbha | 5 |
| Raktabija | One of minister's of the demon king Shumbha | 5 |
| Vritrasura | A great demon (asura) killed by Indra | 6 |
| Nahusha | A king of theChandravamsha (Lunar dynasty), Nahusha was made the ruler ofSvarga during Indra's absence | 6 |
| Hiranyaksha | He is slain by theVaraha (wild boar) avatar ofVishnu | 8 |
| Hiranyakashipu | Younger brother of Hiranyaksha, Slain byNarasimha | 5,10 |
| Durgamasura | A powerful demon who was killed by Goddess Durga | 9 |
| Shankachuda | Sudama who was lord Krishna's friend in his previous life | 9 |
| Arunasura | A powerful demon who was killed by the goddess Bhramari | 10 |
The theosophy in the text, state Foulston and Abbott, is an encyclopedic mix of ancient history, metaphysics andbhakti.[34] This history, states C Mackenzie Brown, is of the same type found in other Puranas, about the perpetual cycle of conflict between the good and the evil, the gods and the demons.[35] These legends build upon and extend the ancient Hindu history, such as those found in theMahabharata.[36] However, this Purana's legends refocus the legends around the divine feminine, integrate a devotional theme to goddesses, and the Devi is asserted in this text to be the eternal truth, the eternal source of all of universe, the eternal end of everything, thenirguna (without form) and thesaguna (with form), the supreme unchanging reality (Purusha), the phenomenal changing reality (Prakriti), as well as the soul within each living being.[36][37][38]
There are two Bhagavatas in Hindu puranic literature, the VishnuBhagavata and Devi Bhagavata. There are some doubts between genuine of these two puranas, as an example in Uma Samhita ofShiva Purana Mentioned Srimad Devi Bhagavatam as fifthMahapurana called Srimad Bhagavatam.[39] Devi Bhagavata as it is called in itself,Bhagavata orSrimad Bhagavata confirms to the definitions ofBhagavata contained in other Puranas including Matsya Purana.[40]
From J. L. Shastri's translation:[41]
Where the stories of the goddess Durga are mentioned, it is said to be Bhagavata Purana as well as Devi Purana.
— Shiva Purana Uma Samhita, Chapter 44, verse 129
As mentioned in theMatsya Purana, the Bhagavata Purana is contain 18,000 slokas and begins with the Gayatri and glorifies the Sarasvata Kalpa.[42] Vyasa mentions in Devi Bhagavatam that it was composed in Sarasvata Kalpa.
Farquhar mentions that devotees of Devi accept this Purana as the original Bhagavata Purana, the fifth among all the Puranas, and the Vishnu Bhagavata Purana is believed to have been composed by Vopadeva around A.D. 1300. He points out that Sridhara remarks on this claim in his (Vishnu) Bhagavata Purana commentary, a claim apparently common during his day, thus making it clear that Devi Bhagavata is posterior to the Bhagavata Purana and prior to Sridhara, who lived about A.D. 1400.[43]
Winternitz mentions that there are three polemic treatises discussing whether Devi Bhagavata should instead be considered a Mahapurana.[44]
Hazra mentions that there is a band of scholars, both European and Indian, who hold that the Devi Bhagavata is the real Bhagavata and that the Vaishnava Bhagavata is a spurious work, which he views their opinion as untenable and elaborates on eleven reasons why in his book.[45]
Vishnulok Bihari Srivastava states that in Sanskrit literature, both Srimad Bhagavatam and Devi Bhagavatam are accepted as Mahapuranas, while theVayu Purana, Matsya Purana and Aditya Upa Purana accept Devi Bhagavatam as a Mahapurana.[46] Vanamali, in her book "Shakti", states that Devi Bhagavatam is classified as a Mahapurana.[47] Puri states that in the Devi Bhagavata Purana it is entitled as the Bhagavata Mahapurana and the Vaishnava Bhagavata as an upapurana.[48] Sanyal states that in the Saura Purana and the revakhanda ofSkanda Purana, the Bhagavata Purana is mentioned as being divided into two parts. He further points out that the Vaishnava Bhagavata Purana is not so divided and that the Devi Bhagavata Purana is divided into two parts of six chapters each, so it may be the Devi Bhagavata Purana.[49]
Wilson states that It is acceptable to include the Bhagavata among the eighteen Puranas, but it is said that it can only be the Devi Bhagavata as the circumstances apply more precisely than the Vaishnava Bhagavata.[50]
As aSattvicShakta Purana the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam has five characteristics.
FromSwami Vijnanananda translation:
Thus, the Mahatma Veda Vyasa has divided thisBhagavata Purana into so many Skandhas and into so many chapters; and that the number of verses is eighteen thousand is already stated. That is denominated as Purana which contains the following five characteristics: (1) Sarga (creation of the universe), (2) Pratisarga (secondary creation), (3) Vamsa (dynasties), (4) Manvantaras, (5) Vamsa nuchararita (the description of Manus and other kings).
— Srimad Devi Bhagavatam First Canto, Chapter 2, Verse 17:18
Srimad Devi Bhagavatam consists of 12 cantos with 318 chapters.[5] Although the number of originalSanskritshlokas ('verses') is stated to be 18,000 by the Devi Bhagavata itself.[51] The actual text, in different versions, is close.[28]
| Srimad Devi Bhagavatam Chapters and Verses | ||
|---|---|---|
| Swami Vijnanananda Translation | ||
| Canto | Chapters | Verses |
| 1 | 20 | 1,185 |
| 2 | 12 | 723 |
| 3 | 30 | 1,746 |
| 4 | 25 | 1,426 |
| 5 | 35 | 2,086 |
| 6 | 31 | 1,885 |
| 7 | 40 | 2,251 |
| 8 | 24 | 793 |
| 9 | 50 | 3,563 |
| 10 | 13 | 508 |
| 11 | 24 | 1,239 |
| 12 | 14 | 964 |
| Total | 318 | 18,369 |
| Difference (Sanskrit) | +369 | |
For ease of reference, Swami Vijnanananda's complete 18-volume translation of the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam in wisdomlib is cited. It also provides originalSanskrit verses,transliterations,synonyms, and purports.
Consisting of 20 chapters, the first book (skandha) like other major Puranas, states Rocher, presents the outline, the structure of contents, and describes how in the mythical Naimisha forest, theDevi-Bhagavata Purana was first recited among the sages.[5] It also asserts that all of Reality was initiallynirguna (without form, shape or attributes; in other words, there was nothingness except Truth).[5] However, asserts the text, thisnirguna Reality was aBhagavati (woman), and she manifested herself as threeShaktis - Sattviki (truth, creative action), Rajasi (passion, aimless action) and Tamasi (delusion, destructive action).[5] It also includes:
In chapter fifteen chapter of the 1st canto, Devi reveals her true identity toVishnu who is lying on a banyan leaf.
All this that is seen is I Myself; there is existent nothing other that is eternal
— Srimad Devi Bhagavatam, Canto 01, Chapter 15, Verse 52
Consisting of 12 chapters, this canto is short and historical.[5] It weaves in the characters well known in the Hindu epicMahabharata, states Rocher, and introduces in the key characters that appear in remaining books of theDevi-Bhagavata Purana.[52] It also includes:
Consisting of 30 chapters, this canto mentions the glory of DeviBhuvaneshvari and her worship, at the beginning of the universeBrahma,Vishnu andShiva see the Goddess reside in Manidvipa and praise her. It also weaves in legends from theRamayana.[52]
Consisting of 25 chapters, this fourth canto presents more legends, including interactions between avatars ofHari,Krishna andShiva andKashyapa's birth asVasudeva. It also introduces tantric themes and presents yoga meditation.[52]
Consisting of 35 chapters, the canto mentions the glory of Devi (Devi Mahatmya), fight betweenDurga andMahishasura, killing ofSumbha and Nisumbha and other demons.
Consisting of 31 chapters, The sixth book continue these legends, states Rocher, with half of the chapters focussed on the greatness of Goddess, how male gods are befuddled by problems, how they run to her for help, and how she solves them because she is enlightened knowledge.[56][57] The text presents the feminine to whom all masculine deities are subordinate and dependent on.[58] Its also includeIndra killing ofVritra.
Consisting of 40 chapters, The seventh canto of theSrimad Devi-Bhagavatam shifts towards more philosophy, asserting its version of the essence of the Vedas.[59] This book contains the philosophical text calledDevi Gita, or the "Song of the Goddess".[59][60] The Goddess explains she is theBrahman that created the world, asserting the Advaita premise that spiritual liberation occurs when one fully comprehends the identity of one's soul and the Brahman.[59][61] This knowledge, asserts the Goddess, comes from detaching self from the world and meditating on one's own soul.[59][37]Chapter 28 of the seventh book contain the story of Durgamasur and his annihilation by goddess Sivaa (Parvati) in her form ofShakambhari.
This canto, states Rocher, also includes sections on festivals related to Devi, pilgrimage information and ways to remember her.[59] Her relationship with Shiva and the birth ofSkanda is also briefly mentioned in the 7th book.[59] The last ten chapters (31 to 40) of the canto 7 is the famous and philosophicalDevi Gita, which often circulates in the Hindu tradition as a separate text.[27]
Consisting of 24 chapters, The eighth book of theDevi-Bhagavata Purana incorporates one of the five requirements of Puranic-genre of Hindu texts, that is a theory of the geography of the earth, planets and stars, the motion of sun and moon, as well as explanation of time and the Hindu calendar.[62] Its include:
The largest canto is the 9thskandha Consisting of 50 chapters, which is very similar in structure and content of thePrakriti-kanda of theBrahmavaivarta Purana.[63][64] Both are goddess-focused and discuss her theology, but have one difference.[63] ThePrakriti-kanda of theBrahmavaivarta Purana also includes many verses which praise Vishnu and use various names (incarnations), which re-appear in the 9th book of theDevi Bhagavata Purana, with Vishnu's names substituted with Devi's names (incarnations).[63] It also mentionedKrishna as the male form of goddess.
Consisting of 13 chapters, This Canto of theDevi-Bhagavata Purana is one of the shortest, and integratesmanavantaras, another structural requirement for this text to be a major Purana, but wherein the Devi is worshiped in every cosmic time cycle, because she is the greatest, she kills the evil and she nurtures the good.[63][65]Chapter 13 of the tenth book describes the glory of goddessBhramri that how in the past she killed the demonArunasura.
Consisting of 24 chapters, This canto of the text discussesSadachara (virtues) andDharma to self as an individual, as belonging to aGrama (village, community) and to aDesha (country).[63] The text praisesSruti and asserts it to be the authoritative source, adding thatSmriti andPuranas are also sources for guidance.[63] This section is notable for adding that Tantra is also a source of guidance, but only if it does not conflict with theVedas.[63] Verses in the 11th books also describe sources forRudraksha as Japa beads, the value ofTripundra mark on the forehead, five styles ofSandhyas (reflection, meditation) and five types ofYajnas.[63]
The last and 12th canto of theDevi-Bhagavatam Consisting of 14 chapters, Its describes the Goddess as the mother of the Vedas, she as theAdya Shakti (primal, primordial power), and the essence of theGayatri mantra.[66] The verses map every syllable of the Gayatri mantra to 1008 names of reverence in the Hindu tradition.[66] These names span a spectrum of historic sages, deities, musical meters, mudras and the glories of the goddesses.[66] Also, from Chapter 10 to Chapter 12, a description is provided of the supreme abode of Devi calledManidvipa, which is aboveVaikuntha andGoloka.
Main articles:Devi Gita
TheDevi Gita, like theBhagavad Gita, is a condensed philosophical treatise.[67] It presents the divine female as a powerful and compassionate creator, pervader and protector of the universe.[68] She is, states Brown, presented in the opening chapter of theDevi Gita as the benign and beautiful world-mother, calledBhuvaneshvari (literally, ruler of the universe, and the word is feminine).[55][67] Thereafter, theological and philosophical teachings become the focus of the text, covering chapters 1 to 10 of theDevi Gita (or, chapters 31 to 40 of this Purana's Canto 7).[68] Some of the verses ofDevi Gita are almost identical to theDevi Upanishad.[69]
The soul and the Goddess
[My sacred syllable हरीम] transcends,[note 1]
the distinction of name and named,
beyond all dualities.
It is whole,
infinitebeing, consciousness and bliss.
One should meditate on that reality,
within the flaming light of consciousness.
Fixing the mind upon me,
as the Goddess transcending all space and time,
One quickly merges with me by realizing,
the oneness of the soul andBrahman.
TheDevi Gita frequently explains Shakta ideas by quoting from theBhagavad Gita.[68] The Devi is described by the text as a "universal, cosmic energy" resident within each individual, weaving in the terminology ofSamkhya school ofHindu philosophy.[68] It is suffused withAdvaita Vedanta ideas, wherein nonduality is emphasized, all dualities are declared as incorrect, and interconnected oneness of all living being's soul with Brahman is held as the liberating knowledge.[73][74][75] However, adds Tracy Pintchman,Devi Gita incorporates Tantric ideas giving the Devi a form and motherly character rather than the gender-neutral concept of Adi Shankara's Advaita Vedanta.[76]
TheBhakti theology of theDevi Gita part of this Purana may have been influenced by theBhagavad Gita, and with Vaishnava concepts of loving devotion toKrishna found in theBhagavata Purana. All these texts highlight different types of devotion in a Samkhya philosophy framework.[77][78] The text asserts thatTamasic Bhakti is one where the devotee prays because he is full of anger and seeks to harm or induce pain or jealousy to others.[78]Rajasic Bhakti is one where the devotee prays not to harm others, but to gain personal advantage, fame or wealth.[77]Sattvic Bhakti is the type where the devotee seeks neither advantage nor harm to others but prays to purify himself, renounce any sins and surrender to the ideas embodied as Goddess to liberate himself.
Devi Bhagavatam mentioned number of Vedic mantras connected with observance. In eleventh canto describes certain rites, also Devi is identified withYajurveda andRudra. In the ninth canto mentioned various phase powers of Devi. Dhyana stotras of Lakshmi and Svaha are adopted fromSamaveda. Use of Rudrakshas mentioned in ninth canto is supported by theSruti.[79]
Devi Bhagavatam adopted some of the passages in the Upanishad. In the seventh canto of the purana, Devi describes her own form. These verses are identical with some verses of theDevi Upanishad. Also, in the fourth canto some famous expressions ofTaittiriya Upanishad are used to describe the nature of Devi.
Devi Bhagavatam belongs to the Shaktadvaitavada tradition (syncretism ofSamkhya andAdvaita Vedanta; literally, the path of nondualistic Shakti). The duality ofPrakṛti andPurusha in Samkhya is also acknowledged by Devi Bhagavatam as it covers wide range of different philosophies. In the text prakriti is identified with Parashakti. She is also called Mulaprakriti (root prakriti).
Main articles:Bhakti andBhakti yoga
The Devi Bhagavata Purana addsPara Bhakti (Sanskrit: दवी) in Devi Gita as the highest level of devotion, states McDaniel, where the devotee seeks neither boon nor liberation but weeps when he remembers her because he loves the Goddess, when he feels her presence everywhere and sees the Goddess in all living beings, he is intoxicated by her ideas and presence.[77][78]
Advaita Vedanta concepts can be seen throughout the Devi Bhagavata Purana. One of the main Advaita concepts found in the Purana is the concept that the individual self and the Supreme Self are one. As P. G. Lalye states that the Advaita Vedanta concept most prominent in the Devi Bhagavata Purana is the non-dual unity of the Goddess.[80]
Lalye state that Devi Bhagavatam has described many events that directly affect karma. In purana Vyasa, Narada and Narayana are exponents of Karma theory. He further states that one's actions must be forgiven. As the action is, so is the result. In this narrative the theory of karma and the theory of destiny are mixed together in the Purana.[81]
The Devi Bhagavata Purana promotes devotion to the Goddess.[82] As Lynn Foulston states, the text was written to satisfy Shakti devotees. He further mentions that the Devi Gita in the seventh Canto is the Shakta alternative to the Bhagavad Gita.[83]
Devi Bhagavatam also mentions theNavaratri festival which is a special festival of Goddess and the rituals to be performed on that festival and about the Navaratri Puja performed byRama onAshtami night.[84]
In the thirteenth chapter of the Ninth canto mentions, the Hindu festival ofDola Purnima, celebrated duringHoli.[85]
Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan, a non-profit organization, performs the rituals of the Devi Bhagavatam and preaches its stories.[86]
WhenSwami Vivekananda talks about Para bhakti, the highest form of devotion to Brahman, he gives examples and definitions from the Devi Bhagavata Purana.[87]
Sanyal states that Devi Bhagavata Parayana is still popular inUttar Pradesh,Rajasthan,Maharashtra etc.[88]
The verses and ideas in theDevi-Bhagavata Purana, state Foulston and Abbott, are built on the foundation of theUpanishads wherein the nonduality and oneness ofBrahman andAtman (soul) are synthesized.[89][59] The text makes references to the philosophy and metaphors used in the Advaita Vedanta tradition ofAdi Shankara. However, those ideas are reformulated and centered around the Goddess in theDevi Bhagavata Purana, states C Mackenzie Brown, as well as other scholars.[34][61] InDevi Bhagavata text, states Tracy Pintchman, the Devi is not only Brahman-Atman (soul, interconnected oneness), she is also the always-changing empirical reality (Maya).[90]
The Goddess, inDevi Bhagavata Purana, is both the source of self-bondage throughAvidya (ignorance) and the source of self-liberation throughVidya (knowledge), state Foulston and Abbott.[34] She is identical to the Vedicmetaphysical reality concept of Brahman, the supreme power, the ruler of the universe, the hero, the hidden energy, the power, the bliss innate in everything, according to the text.[89][91][92] The Devi, states Kinsley, is identified by this Purana to be all matter, mother earth, the cosmos, all of nature including the primordial.[93] The Goddess is presented, states Brown, as "the womb of the universe", who observes the actions of her children, nurtures them to discover and realize their true nature, forgive when they make mistakes, be fearsomely terrible to the wicked that threaten her children, and be friend of all souls.[94]
Cynthia Humes compares the depiction of Goddess in the 6th-century Hindu textDevi Mahatmya, with that in this laterDevi-Bhagavata Purana text.[95] Both revere the feminine, states Humes, but there are some important differences.[95] Nowhere does theDevi Mahatmya state anything negative about women, and it is explicit in asserting that "all women are portions of the Goddess".[96] By contrast, states Humes, the portrayal of women inDevi-Bhagavata Purana is more complex.[96] It includes verses critical of the feminine, with the text stating that behavior of woman can be "reckless, foolish, cruel, deceitful" and the like. TheDevi Bhagavata also praises women and describes their behavior can be "heroic, gentle, tenacious, strong" and the like.[96]
As Hazra points out, in some parts of the Devi Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu is shown as the supreme deity, and in some parts Shiva is shown superior to Vishnu and Krishna. In the ninth canto, Krishna is shown as Para-Brahman. He further shows that the author of this Purana has composed it in such a way as to be consistent with all the Hindu sects, without contradicting the views of any sect.[97]
TheDevi-Bhagavata Purana is an important and historic Shakta Bhakti text, states June McDaniel.[77]
The Devi Bhagavata Purana has been translated into different languages.
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