Chandi Path [Paperback]

Swami Satyananda Saraswati (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1997

The Seven Hundred Verses of Praise to the Goddess Durga, also known as the Devi Mahatmyam and the Durga Saptashati. The complete text includes the story of the balancing of Too Much and Too Little, the death of Self-Conceit and Self-Deprecation, and the surrender of the Great Ego. It also includes the mantras and explanations of the systems of worship to the Divine Mother, presented in the original Sanskrita mantras, Roman phonetic transliteration and English translation.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

When Swami Satyananda's guru invited him to trek into the Himalayas, he asked what he should bring along. "Nothing," came the reply. Fifteen years later, Swamiji knew the mountain pathways as well as the Hindu systems of worship. His numerous books and translations of ancient Sanskrit texts are available all over India, as well as in the United States, and he is widely regarded as a Master of the ancient Vedic fire ceremony and other systems of worship. Now Swamiji invites us to trek into the Himalayas and listen and learn from the sadhus of the mountains. Chandi Path

Product Details

• Paperback: 425 pages
• Publisher: Devi Mandir (1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1877795003
• ISBN-13: 978-1877795008
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,104,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sanskrit scriptures presented as they should be, November 9, 2005

By 

Dharmananda (Northern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chandi Path (Paperback)

Though I am posting this review under the title "Chandi Path," it really applies to all of the wonderful books of Swami Satyananda Saraswati of Napa, California (as distinguished from the identically named Swami who wrote many books on yoga -- which are also great books, by the way). These books will probably appeal most to those who perform traditional Hindu ceremonial worship, called puja. However, this review is to call attention to another aspect of these books which is worth noting, and is indeed highly praiseworthy. Personally, I do not perform formal pujas, but I love Sanskrit and all the wonderful traditional mantras and hymns of that sacred language. I repeat mantras and recite hymns in my own informal way. As a source for Sanskrit mantras and hymns, there is nothing better than the books of Swami Satyananda Saraswati. I have taught myself to read Devanagari script, so I greatly appreciate its inclusion in these books. Above all, the script is large, clear, and easy to read. These books are typeset to allow easy reading of either the Devanagari script, or the transliterated text, while performing puja. A great deal of attention has obviously been paid to making the script easily readable, even while holding the book at arm's length. This is a huge advantage. I'm not so great at reading Devanagari that I enjoy working my way through the tiny, blurred script found in so many other books, especially Indian publications. These books, by contrast, are a pleasure to read.

The transliterations of the Sanskrit mantras and hymns follow the precision international system which uses diacritical marks. This system, originally developed by European scholars in the nineteenth century, has long been the "gold standard" for transliteration of Sanskrit texts due to the direct one-to-one correspondence with the Sanskrit alphabet. (I have been glad to see that this system has become more and more universally used for transliteration of Sanskrit.) It is here employed with great accuracy, and in a typeface of unsurpassed readability. I have many versions of some of the Sanskrit hymns and mantras in this book, and in the many other books of Swami Satyananda Saraswati, but I always choose to read the versions in Swami Satyananda Saraswati's books because I can always count on them to be the most accurate and readable versions available.

Besides the Sanskrit texts in both Devanagari script and in Romanized transliteration using the international system, one is also treated to Swami Satyananda Saraswati's highly accurate, but also energetic and enthusiastic English translations. Without deviating from the precise meanings of the texts, the Swami manages to include and convey his own love and enthusiasm for this ancient and sacred literature. I rarely look elsewhere for definitive translations.

Also, when perusing the catalog of Swami Satyananda Saraswati's books, don't be misled by the titles into thinking that they convey the full range of the contents. The books are always crammed with "extras," often mantras only peripherally related to the main topic, but in this way one gets a spectacular collection of the greatest Sanskrit mantras in existence.

For those dedicated to the performance of puja, these books are indispensible. For those who just love Sanskrit and all the wonderful hymns and mantras, these books are a treasure trove. I don't recite every mantra in ever book -- not by any means -- but there are some in every book that I love to sing and recite. And I buy all the books also just as a way of saying "thank you" to Swami Satyananda Saraswati for rendering this wonderful service to all Sanskrit lovers, and doing so in such a conscious and conscientious way. Thank you, Swamiji! We've never met, but I'm one of your silent (until now!) fans and admirers.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Supreme Goddess is Within, December 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Chandi Path (Paperback)

The Chandi Path is not a book to be picked up casually. It is a roadmap to the Divine, within and without. It should be approached as one would approach the Goddess Herself, with a sacred attitude and a deeply sincere effort. This work comes down to us from milleniums past through the dedication of Markandeya and the spiritual teachers who followed him, originally passed down through the oral tradition, then through written versions in Sanskrit and now in this English translation by an American Hindu who is both a scholar and a devout sadhu. Swami Satyananda Saraswati has worshipped the Goddess most of his life. He describes the Chandi Path as a training manual. I see it more as a roadmap to the Divine. It helps us to discover Divine Reality in the form of the Goddess who is Herself created from the combined light of all the gods and goddesses. It helps us to examine our own thoughts and motivations and to see how they prevent us from seeing the divine in ourselves and others. To perform the Chandi according to the ancient tradition takes great self discipline. It is in itself a purifying austerity, a deep sadhana. But the Goddess wants us to start where we are, not to judge ourselves. Learn to sit correctly and comfortably, to pay attention to the text and start the grand adventure of going step by step towards union with Her.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chandi-The Goddess who Tears Apart our Thoughts, June 15, 2000

By 

Jumpha - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chandi Path (Paperback)

Chandi is the Goddess who tears apart our inner demons (asuras). The most formidable of these is the Great Ego who attempts, at every turn, to enslave the potential divinity within us all. The Great Ego has an entire retinue of followers including Self Conceit, Self Deprecation, Hypocrisy, Too Much, Too Little, and Want of Resolution, who aid him in stymieing our spiritual aspirations. The Chandi Path is literally the Path to recognizing our own spark of divinity. It is the story of how the great Goddess manifests in the lives of Her devotees to teach them to live life with devotion, love, respect and meaning. Swamiji's meticulous and lucid translation brings the very essence of the Goddess to life.