In Praise of the Goddess: The Devimahatmya and Its Meaning [Paperback]

Devadatta Kali (Editor, Commentary)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2003

This spiritual classic, written about 16 centuries ago by author or authors unknown, weaves into a verbal tapestry the central text for worshippers of the Hindu Devi, the Divine Mother. The Devimahatmya addresses the perennial questions of the nature of the universe, humankind, and divinity. Written in the form of a narrative of a dispossessed king, a merchant betrayed by the family he loves, and a seer, this classic presents a trilogy of myths concerning the all-powerful Divine Mother, Durga-, and the fierce battles she wages against the throngs of demonic foes. These allegories represent our all-too-human impulses toward power, possessions, and pleasure. This easy-to-read translation of the Devimahatmya combines sound scholarship with an insider’s perspective based on 35 years of spiritual practice within the Hindu religion. Includes Sanskrit text with transliteration. For scholars, devotees, and readers looking for a thorough introduction to Hinduism as well as insight into goddess worship.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"A brilliant, heartfelt translation that has retained with great sensitivity the poignancy of the original. A must for all who love the Goddess."—Priya Mookerjee, Artist and author of Pathway Ikons, the Wayside Art of India "Devadatta Kali’s translation of the Devimahatmya is a welcome text for Westerners doing lectio in wisdom birthed in the Hindu tradition. Our yearning heart is ever-inclined to name the felt desire that is ever-nourished, never satiated. His work is just in time for this lifetime!" —Mary Margaret Funk, Executive Director of Monastic Interreligious Dialogue "Few aspects of India's timeless spiritual tradition have been as misunderstood in the West as the worship of the Divine Mother. David Nelson's splendid edition of the Devimahatmya, In Praise of the Goddess, will go a long, long way toward setting things straight. It is a wonderful thing when the warmth of a real devotee fuels the passion for accuracy and the sheer lucidity that characterize the best sort of scholarly work, and this is exactly what the author has given us."—Carol Lee Flinders, author of Rebalancing the World and Enduring Grace. "Devimahatmya is the fundamental text of the Shakta Tantric tradition manifest in its most vibrant form. Devadatta Kali's effort to bring an authentic translation fulfills the needs of an increasing number of devotees of the Mother for an accurate manual for practice. His presentation of one of the most ancient cultures of the goddess worship illuminates an essential primary source for the growing scholarship on Tantric studies and provides a lucid analysis that ably meets scholarly purposes. With reliable translation, English transliteration, and the original Sanskrit text in the beautiful Devanagari font on one hand, and with his commentary full of insight and rigorous scholarship directed towards specific textual issues on the other, Devadatta Kali's In Praise of the Goddess bridges practice and scholarship in unassailable form."—Sthaneshwar Timalsina, Lecturer, Dept. of Asian & Near-Eastern Languages & Literature, Washington Univerity St. Louis

About the Author

DEVADATTA KALI is a spiritual initiate of Swami Prabhavananda, who was also the spiritual guru of Christopher Isherwood and Aldous Huxley. He has been a resident at the Vedanta Society of Southern California and has worked for the Society’s publishing house, Vedanta Press. He currently serves on a panel of editors for Vedanta Press in connection with a forthcoming edition of the Prabhavananda-Isherwood translation of the Bhagavadgita. He belongs to several human rights organizations and is committed to social service as a volunteer helping the homeless and people with HIV/AIDS.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Nicolas-Hays (December 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089254080X
• ISBN-13: 978-0892540808
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 21 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #782,871 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful !, March 15, 2006

By 

Kanti (Heartland, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Praise of the Goddess: The Devimahatmya and Its Meaning (Paperback)

This is an insightful, lovely translation.
Very Inspirational.

The Introduction is quite informative and delightfully written.
Included in the text is the "Armor of the Devi" along with all of the shorter hymns and texts that accompany the recitation of the Devi Mahatmya. The comentaries of the different verses are very thought provoking

The only problem I had with the book is that the transliteration is VERY small. If a person wants to recite the text using the Sanskrit transliteration...they may find it difficult..it was for me. Also, the transliteration is separate from the translation. A benefit of having the 2 together is that over time, one does acquire an understanding of meanings of Sanskrit words if a text is chanted on a regular basis when the translation and transliteration are together

If you are looking for a excellent translation and commentary..this is your book..

As a chanting text, I would recommend the "Chandi Path" by Swami Satyananda Saraswati as the transliteration type face is much easier to read...

Truly a treasure for any serious collector of Devi texts...It is a joy to read... outside of this problem I had with the transliteration..I would highly recommend it

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful translation, introduction, and commentary!, November 8, 2004

By 

Timothy Conway "Ph.D." (Santa Barbara, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Praise of the Goddess: The Devimahatmya and Its Meaning (Paperback)

This is a superb translation and presentation of the Devi Mahatmya, complete with a long introduction, insightful commentary sections after each of the Devi Mahatmya's chapters, endnotes, the original devanagiri Sanskrit text, and transliteration of that script into English lettering for easy chanting by those not (yet) adept at reading the ancient sanskrit lettering.

Devadatta Kali (David Nelson) has not only translated the 13 original chapters of the Devi Mahatmya or Candi (inserted circa 6th century into the Markandeya Purana), but also the 6 ancillary short texts including the 3 "rahasya" secret texts on Sakta theology. He has also translated and explained two ancient hymns from the Rg Veda (x.125, 127), the Ratrisukta and Devisuktra, that are chanted to open and close recitation of the Devi Mahatmya.

This is a work to have and to cherish-- transparent for the Divine Mother's mysterous power, beauty, and love.

--Timothy Conway, Ph.D., author, *Women of Power & Grace: Nine Astonishing, Inspiring Luminaries of Our Time*

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to the Devadatta, May 25, 2004

By 

Hayward H. Siegel (East Meadow, New York United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Praise of the Goddess: The Devimahatmya and Its Meaning (Paperback)

Enjoyed reading this book. It is my first experience reading a complete poem about Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Read some excerpts of poems in other books, and became quite confused after reading them. The commentaries in this book cleared up alot of questions regarding Hindu mythology, and what can be learned from it. It will now be easier for me to read other books on Hindu mythology and the sacred books of Hinduism. The translation was easy to follow. I especially found interesting and helpful the comments regarding the history and development of the worship of the Devi from the earliest periods of civilization, to the present time.