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a. The masterpiece of Tamil Literature, The Universal Veda and The Universal Code of Conduct - Thirukkural, is one of the most widely translated works in the world.(40 languages)1. Tamil Nadu has given maximum number of Presidents.S.Radhakrishnan (1962-1967). He was also the first Vice-President of IndiaR.Venkataraman (1987-1992)APJ Abdul Kalam (2002 - 2007)2. Tamilnadu has four world heritage sitesGroup of monuments at MahabalipuramAiravateshwarar Temple, Darasuram,Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur (This should have been one of the world wonders.)Nilgiri Mountain Railway (2005) Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India3. We speak one of the oldest language in the world that dates back to 200 BC and is the only classical language that has survived all the way through the modern world! it's also one of the official language in Singapore and Sri Lanka.4. 4th highest in the country in Tax Revenues next to Maharashtra, AP & Telangana and Karnataka. 2nd highest in CGST collection (5739 crores) next to Maharashtra (13654 crores), 5th in IGST(7605 crores) next to Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana and Gujarat, 2nd highest in SGST (8739 crores) next to Maharashtra, 5th in CESS (2062 crores)* Based on data available till Nov 30,2017CGST - Central GST, IGST - Integrate GST, SGST - State GSTSource: GST collection highest in Maharashtra: State-wise GST collections till date5. Kumbakonam is a city in Tamilnadu which has temple for all 9 navagrahas and you can visit all these temples in one day.1.Thingaloor (Chandran)2.Alankudi (Guru)3.Thirunageshwaram (Raghu)4.Suriyanar Kovil (Suriyan)5.Kanjanoor (Sukkiran)6.Vaitheeswaran Koil (Sevvai)7.Thiruvenkadu (Bhudhan)8.Keezhaperumpallam (Kethu)9.Thirunallaru (Sani)Source: Navagraha Temples | Navagraha temples | Navagraha Temple Route MapsKumbakonam is also the home of Vaishnava Navagrah Temples1. Sun (suryan) : Sri Sarangapani temple (Thirukudanthai-Kumbakonam)2. Moon(chandran) : Sri Naadan Kovil (Thirunandipura vinnagaram)3. Mars (sevvai) : Nachiyaar Kovil (Thirunaraiyur)4. Mercury(budan) : Valvil Ramar Kovil (Thirupullamboothangudi)5. Jupiter (guru) : Andallakummaiyyan (Thiruaadhanoor)6. Venus (shukran) : Valvil Ramar kovil (Thiruvelliyankudi)7. Saturn (sani) : Oppiliappan Kovil (Thiruvinnagaram)8. Raghu : Gajendra Varadan kovil (Thirukavithalam)9. Kethu : Jagat Rakshakan kovil (Thirukudaloor)6. Tamil actress Manorama acted in approximately 1000 films and she received Guinness World Record for that.7. Tamilnadu movie industry (referred as Kollywood) is the second largest after Bollywood.8. Tamilnadu has the 2nd highest movie theaters next to Andhra Pradesh9. Tamilnadu has the largest library - Anna Centenary Library, Kotturpuram, Chennai which has a built-up area 3.75 lakhs sq.ft, 9 floors, 5.5 lakhs books and seating capacity of 1250 users ay any given time.10. Tamilnadu has the 7th largest shopping mall - Phoenix market city in Chennai. It also stands 3rd in the number of malls per state. Karnataka - 21, Maharashtra - 18 and Tamilnadu - 1711. Tamilnadu stands 4th(11.5%) in India's overall export next to Maharashtra(22.3%), Gujarat(17.2%) and Karnataka(12.7%)- Based on Economic Survey 2018Source: Top 5 states make 70 percent of India's total exports; coastal states rule the list: Economic Survey 201812. Knitwear capital of India - Tiruppur is in Tamilnadu accounting for 90% of India's cotton knitwear export.13. Manchester of South India - Coimbatore, is in Tamilnadu14. Daily Thanthi is the only daily from Tamilnadu to be in the list of top ten dailes in India in terms of circulation and readership.15. Tamilnadu is one of the 17 states with 80% and above in literacy rate.16. Tamilnadu is the 4th largest producer of rice(7517 tonnes) next to Punjab(11823 tonnes), Uttar Pradesh(12501 tonnes) and West Bengal(15953.9 tonnes)17. Tamilnadu has the maximum number of factories in India - 37331 Units18. Tamilnadu stands first in nuclear power generation. With two operational nuclear power plants it generates 2440MW of power. Another two plants under construction can offer 2500MW of power. Another planned two nuclear plants can generate 1200MW of energy. If all these are operational Tamilnadu alone can generate 6140MW of power.19. The Robot 2.0 - the expensive movie ever made in India with a budget of INR 542 Crores (USD 75 million) is a Tamil film directed by Shankar.20. The Pamban Railway Bridge in Rameswaram, Tamilnadu is India's first cantilever sea bridge, which was opened in 1914. This bridge is known for it's immense strength which withstood a cyclone storm in 1964.21. Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple in Tamilnadu won the coveted place of honor as one of the Seven Wonders of India for its architectural importance. The temple has 15,000 visitors a day and receives more than 60 million rupees in donations. This temple has an estimated 33,000 sculptures in it.22. Chennai, Tamilnadu has a capacity to produce 3 cars every minute. It is also known as the Detroit of India. If you own a car, probably it would have been manufactured in Chennai23. The Indian firecracker industry is the second largest in the world, and Sivakasi a town in Tamilnadu is the main hub of it. This town has ties with Indian Army which provided customized alternatives to the army’s Ammunition and Ordnance factories. Sivakasi also has it's research center and development center in fireworks (FRDC).24. There are 55 operational SEZs in Tamilnadu which is the highest in India.25. Siruvani water from the Siruvani Waterfalls, Coimbatore is one of the tastiest water in the world and it is believed to be the 2nd tastiest in the world. Though this water is not available for public consumption now, you can visit Siruvani to taste it and you will acknowledge the fact. I had the opportunity to drink this water all throughout my childhood when I was in Coimbatore and unfortunately due to it's exploitation public supply was stopped.26. If you prefer chicken delicacies this fact is for you - Chicken 65 a popular dish is believed to be introduced by Buhari Hotels in Chennai Tamilnadu. They also offer Chicken 78, 82 and 90.27. Higgin Bothams, Chennai is the first and oldest book shop in India which was started in 1844.28. Snooker was invented in Oatacamund, Tamilnadu29. Since 1967, Tamilnadu has never been ruled by any national parties like Congress, BJP etc since Dravidian parties took charge of the state.30. Nadi Astrology and Siddha Medicine originated in Tamilnadu31. Tamilnadu has the maximum number of organ donors32. Tamilnadu has the maximum number of flowering plants (410 species)33. One of the unique transgender festival happens in Tamilnadu. Transgenders from across the country visit the Koothandavar Temple in Villupuram District of Tamilnadu to celebrate the Koovagam festival which runs for 18 days.34. The only ICAR Institute for Banana Research is located in Podavur (near Trichy), Tamilnadu.Website: nrcb.res.in35. Arignar Anna Zoological park also known as Vandalur Zoo located in Vandalur, Chennai is the largest zoological park in India. The zoo also provides an online streaming facility of it’s occupants. Watch it here - Animal Display Area - Live Streaming36. Pullella Gopichand Badminton Academy has a training facility in Salem, Tamilnadu. Website: Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy, Salem, Tamilnadu, India37. CODISSIA Trade Fair Complex in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu has been certified as a World Record holder in the Limca Book of Records as having Asia’s largest pillar free hall. This facility was constructed in a record time of 155 days.38. World’s 2nd largest mangrove forest is in Pichavaram, Tamilnadu, covering an area of almost 2800 acres, are among the healthiest in the world39. Gulf of Mannar - India’s first marine Biosphere Reserve is in Tamilnadu, which was established in the year of 1980. Total area of the park is 6.23 Km240. C Rajagopalachari - the only Indian-born Governor General of India is from Krishnagiri District, Tamilnadu.41. S.Radhakrishnan, C Rajagopalachari and C V Raman were the first Indians to receive highly prestigious Bharat Ratna award in 1954 and all the three are from Tamilnadu.Source: Bharat Ratna - Wikipedia42. C V Raman, the first Indian Scientist to win Nobel Prize was born in Thiruvanaikoil, Trichy District, Tamilnadu. He won the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking work in the field of light scattering. He won this award in 1930.43. First Indian to win Oscar for best original music score and best original song - AR Rehman is from Chennai, Tamilnadu. ARR shared oscar for best song with Gulzar.44. Aishwarya made her debut in a Tamil film titled ‘Iruvar’ director by Maniratnam.45. Vishwanathan Anand - the first grandmaster of India and also the winner of FIDE World Chess Championships is from Chennai, Tamilnadu.46. Ramanathan Krishnan was the first Indian to win Junior Grand slam title (Wimbledon 1954) and Ramesh Krishnan was the first Indian to win Junior French and Wimbledon (1979). Both these tennis players are from Tamilnadu.47. Chennai in Tamilnadu is popularly known as the ‘medical hub’ of India.48. Puzhal Central Prison, located in Tiuvallur District, Tamilnadu is one among the 5 largest prisons in India. It has a capacity of 3000 prisoners and became functional in 2006.49. Vasudevan Baskaran, captain of the Indian Hockey team that won gold in 1980 Moscow Olympics is from Chennai, Tamilnadu50. Narain Karthikeyan from Coimbatore, Tamilnadu was the first Formula 1 driver from India51. Srinivasa Ramanujan, famous mathematician was the first Indian to be elected a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge . He is from Erode District, Tamilnadu.52. Tamilnadu is the only other state to have 4 international airports, other being Kerala.Chennai (4th busiest airport in India and the first to have international and domestic terminals located adjacent to each other.CoimbatoreTiruchirapalliMadurai53. Kathipara flyover in Chennai is the largest cloverleaf interchanges in India54. Coimbatore, Tamilnadu has more than 700 wet grinder manufacturers, with a monthly output of 75,000 units per every 1,00,000 units produced in India.55. Coimbatore is also known as the Pump City of Asia. Pump and motor manufacturing sector is among the largest engineering activities in the city supplies over 40% of India’s requirements.56. Ilayaraja - the Maestro from Tamilnadu is the only composer to have won the National Award for best music direction for working in three different languages—Tamil (Sindhu Bhairavi, 1985) , Telugu (Rudra Veena,1983 & 1988) and Malayalam (Pazhassi Raja, 2009)57. K.V.Mahadevan, music composer from Tamilnadu won the first National Award for music direction in 1967 for the movie ‘Kandan Karunai’58. MS Subbulakshmi was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna Award and she is from Madurai, Tamilnadu. She was also the first Indian to perform at the UN General Assembly in October,1966.59. Some of the successful Tamil peoplea. Indra Nooyi and Sundar Pichai from Chennaib. Shiv Nadar is from Tuticorinc. Natarajan Chandrashekar is from Namakkal District60. Srirangam Temple in Trichy has a southern gopuram called the Rajagopuram which 239.5 feet tall and, as of 2016, is the tallest in Asia.61. Madurai in Tamilnadu is the only South Indian city to have a Gandhi Museum out of 6 musuems in India. Others museums are in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Patna and Wardha. It was established in 1959 and preserves an original letter written by Mahatma Gandhi to Subrmanya Bharathi, a poet and freedom fighter.Source: Welcome to National Gandhi Museum Delhi62. Kallanai Dam in Trichy was built around 2000 years ago, by King Karikalan Cholan of the Chola dynasty is one of the oldest irrigation systems in the world that is still in use. This dam is still functional and irrigates millions of acres, spans 329m in length and 20m in width. This is also India's first dam.63. The Government Museum in Egmore, Chennai which was started in 1851 is the second oldest museum in India after the Indian Museum in Kolkata. It has the largest collection of Roman antiquities outside Europe.64. Salem District in Tamilnadu produces 25-30 T/ha of tapioca which is the highest in the world. National average is 19 t/ha and world average is 10 T/ha. Tapioca is the raw material for Sago Industries engaged in the production of Sago Foods and Starch. Salem is called the 'land of Sago'.T/ha - tonnes per hectare.65. Out of the 108 Divya Desams or Vaishnava Diya Desams, 85 are in Tamilnadu. Others are in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. A Divya Desam is a Vishnu temple that are mentioned in the works of Alvar saints.66. Krishnamachari Srikkanth from Chennai, was the first Indian cricket player to score a half-century and pick-up 5 wickets in an ODI. He achieved this feat against New Zealand at Visakhapatnam in 1988. He also scored the highest runs in the 1983 World Cup final which India won against the mighty West Indies.67. South India Industrial Ltd. in Chennai was the first cement factory in India which was established in 1904.68. Mylswamy Annadurai from Pollachi, Coimbatore District was the Program Director of India's first mission to Mars, the Mars Orbiter Mission or Mangalyaan, India's first mission to the Moon Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2.69. Out of the 8 Railway Museums in India, Tamilnadu has two - In Chennai and Trichy.70. The Slowest train in India is the Metupalayam Ooty Nilgiri passenger train that runs at a speed of 10Km/h. Nilgiri Mountain Railway in Tamilnadu is a single track and only rack and pinion rail system operates in India.71. G.D.Naidu is an inventor and engineer from Coimbatore District, Tamilnadu who manufactured the first electric motor in India. He also developed independently internal combustion four stroke engine. He is also referred as the ‘Edison of India’.72 . Guindy Race Course in Chennai is the oldest race course in India which was setup in 1777. The club now has about 625 horses in station, three stands and boasts of the best race track in the country.73. The Presidency College in Chennai, Tamilnadu is one of the oldest government arts colleges in India. It is one of the two Presidency colleges established by the British in India, the other being The Presidency College Kolkata.74. University of Madras in Chennai is one of the oldest and premier universities of India which was established in 1857. University of Madras is the alma mater of two Indian Physics Nobel Laureates, including Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, five Presidents of India, including A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and several notable mathematicians including Srinivasa Ramanujan. The University of Madras has a historical monument – Senate House – which is one of the landmarks of the city of Chennai.75. Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary located in Kancipuram and Mathuranthagam District is one of the oldest water bird sanctuary in the country. More than 40,000 birds (including 26 rare species), from various parts of the world visit the sanctuary during the migratory season every year.76. Royapuram Railway Station in Chennai is the first railway station of south India opened in 1856, and is today the oldest surviving railway station of the Indian subcontinent.77. San Thome Basilica, a Roman Catholic minor basilica in Santhome, Chennai is one of the only three known churches in the world built over the tomb of an apostle of Jesus, the other two being St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City and Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Galicia, Spain. It was designed in Neo-Gothic style, favoured by British architects in the late 19th century.78. Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) in Koyambedu Chennai is the largest in Asia.79. The Six Abodes of Murugan (அறுபடை வீடு) are six temples situated in Tamil Nadu. The six abodes are Thiruthani, Swamimalai, Palani, Pazhamudircholai, Thirupparankunram and Thiruchendur.80. Dr.Kamala Selvaraj, is an obstetrician and gynecologist from Tamil Nadu, who commissioned the first test tube baby of South India in August 1990.81. Joshna Chinappa, squash player from Chennai was the first Indian to win the British Squash Championship title in 2003 in the under 19 category and was also the youngest Indian women's national champion. At the 2014 Commonwealth Games Chinappa along with Dipika Pallikal Karthik won the squash women’s doubles gold medal, making it India's first ever Commonwealth Games medal in the sport.82. The Madras Light House on the Marina Beach in Chennai, is one of the few lighthouses in the world with an elevator. It is also the only lighthouse in India within the city limits.83. Tamilnadu has the maximum number(3) of ports in India. They area. Chennai Portb. Ennore Kamarajar Portc. V.O.Chidambaranar Port, Tuticorin84. Aircel Chennai Open tennis played at the SDAT complex in Chennai was the only ATP tournament played in India. The last edition was played in 2017 and later it was moved to Pune and was renamed as Maharashtra Open.85. The Adyar Banyan tree (Adyar Aala maram) is located in the campus of Theosophical society, in Adyar, Chennai, is believed to be around 450 years old and is thought to be one of the largest banyan trees in the whole world. The total area occupied by the tree and its offshoots, is estimated to be around 40,000 square feet86. Tamilnadu is the largest egg producer in India (based on 2015 - 16 data). Namakkal district attributes 65% of total egg produced in Tamilnadu. It has an astounding 29.3 million fowls and can produce 32.4 million eggs every day. It is also known as the ‘Egg City’.87. Elite School of Optometry is the first and leading college of optometry in India offering a four year professional degree (B.S.Optometry). The college is run by Sankara Nethralaya, a tertiary eye care hospital, Chennai, in collaboration with SASTRA University, Thanjavur, India.88. Tiruchengode in Namakkal District, Tamilnadu, has the pride of having the country's first Gandhi Ashram a tribute to India's great leader Mahatma Gandhi and opened by country's then viceroy Rajaji (Rajagopalachari).89. Madras Motor Race Track in Irungattukottai, Chennai is India’s first circuit. It has a full length 3.74 kilometers permanent race track that was built in late 1980’s.90. The Madras Boat Club, in Chennai is one of the oldest rowing centres in India.91. Tamil was the first Indian language to be declared a classical language by the Government of India in 2004. The two earliest manuscripts from India,acknowledged and registered by UNESCO Memory of the World register in 1997 and 2005, are in Tamil. Tamil is an official language of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka and Singapore.92. Connemara Public Library at Egmore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, is one of the four National Depository Libraries which receive a copy of all books, newspapers and periodicals published in India.93. Arunachalam Muruganantham (Padman) a social entrepreneur from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu who invented the low-cost sanitary pad-making machines which can manufacture sanitary pads for less than a third of the cost of commercial pads. Pad Man, is a hindi film based on Muruganantham's life.94. LIC Building in Chennai was the first tallest building to be constructed in India which was inaugurated in 1959.95. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has setup an excavation site in Keeladi, between Madurai and Sivagangai districts in Tamil Nadu which reveals a Sangam era settlement dated to the 2nd century BCE by radiocarbon dating. The Roman artifacts found at the site add to the evidence of ancient trade relations between the Romans and the Pandya kingdom. In 2017, the ASI sent two samples from Keeladi to Beta Analytic, a Miami-based radiocarbon dating laboratory. The laboratory dated the samples between 2,160+30 years ago and 2,200+30 years ago.96. Mariyappan Thangavelu from Salem District, Tamilnadu is India's first Paralympic gold medallist since 2004.97. The Chennai Municipal Corporation (officially the Greater Chennai Corporation), formerly known as the Corporation of Madras is the oldest municipal body of the Commonwealth of Nations outside Great Britain.98. INS Rajali, also informally known as Arakkonam Naval Air Station in Tamilnadu has the longest military runway in Asia.99. About 60 per cent of the total epigraphical inscriptions found by the ASI in India are from Tamil Nadu, and most of these are in the Tamil language.100. In 1578, the Portuguese published a Tamil book in old Tamil script named 'Thambiraan Vanakkam', thus making Tamil the first Indian language to be printed and published.101. Tamil Lexicon, published by the University of Madras, is the first among the dictionaries published in any Indian language.102. Hotel Saravana Bhavan founded in 1981 with headquarters in Chennai is the largest South Indian vegetarian restaurant chain in the world.103. Saravana Stores is a chain of retail stores in Chennai, is the largest family owned business retail chain in India. According to retail billionaire Kishore Biyani of BigBazaar, it is India’s No.1 retail store in one locality.104. Madras Veterinary College also known as Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Vepery, Chennai established in 1936 became the first college to offer the bachelor's degree in Veterinary Medicine in India. In 1989, the first veterinary university in India, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS), was formed.105. Avinashilingam University in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu is the largest institution in the country for imparting home science education.106. Vivekanandar Illam, known as Ice House is a historical building in Chennai where Swami Vivekananda stayed when he visited the city in 1897 and was later renamed in his honor.107. Madras Rubber Factory(MRF) Limited, with its headquarters in Chennai, is the largest manufacturer of tyres in India and the fourteenth largest manufacturer in the world.108. Royal Enfield manufactured in Chennai is the oldest global motorcycle brand in continuous production. Royal Enfield with the Bullet model enjoying the longest motorcycle production run of all time.109. Tube Investments of India Limited (Initially established as TI Cycles of India Limited, Madras) is a Murugappa Group company is the first largest cycle manufacturer in India and number one manufacturer in special segments like mountain bikes, sports lite roadsters, racing bikes etc. TI Cycles is the maker of brands like Hercules, BSA and Philips cycles.110. Titan Company Limited was started in Chennai (1984) under the name Titan Watches Limited. It owns the famous watch brands like Dash, Timex and Fasttrack.111. In 1980, TVS 50, India's first two-seater moped rolled out of the factory at Hosur in Tamil Nadu.112. TVS Motors in Chennai- is the only Indian motorbike manufacturer with motor-racing expertise .- first Indian company to deploy a catalytic converter in a 100 cc motorcycle and the first to indigenously produce a four stroke 150cc motorcycle- India’s first 2-seater moped – TVS 50- India’s first indigenous scooterette - TVS Scooty- India’s first Digital Ignition - TVS Champ- India’s first fully indigenous motorcycle - Victor- First Indian company to launch ABS in a motorcycle - Apache RTR Series- The first scooter with Body-Balance Technology – TVS Wego- India's first oil-cooled chamber construct with Ram-Air assist- TVS Apache RTR 200 4V- India's first connected scooter TVS NTORQ which claims to be India's first Bluetooth Connected Scooter with features like Call Assistance, Navigation etc.113. Ashok Leyland headquartered in Chennai,is the second largest commercial vehicle manufacturer in India, fourth largest manufacturer of buses in the world and 12th largest manufacturer of trucks globally.114. Vyjayanthimala Bali, born in Chennai is the "first female superstar" of Indian cinema. She was the first South Indian actress to become a Bollywood star and "paved a way" for other south Indian actresses to foray into Bollywood. She received her first Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 4th Filmfare Awards, where she refused to accept the award citing that hers was not a supporting role, being the first person to refuse a Filmfare Award. She was also the youngest dancer to be conferred the President’s award of Padmasri.115. Alarmel Valli born in Chennai, Tamilnadu was the second youngest dancer to be conferred the President’s award of Padmasri after Vyjayanthimala.116. Padma Subrahmanyam born in Chennai, Tamilnadu is known as the developer and founder of the dance form Bharata Nrithyam. She is also a research scholar, choreographer, music composer, musician, teacher, Indologist and author.117. Valliappan Olaganathan Chidambaram also known as Kappalottiya Tamizhan from Thoothukudi District, Tamilnadu was a tamil Freedom fighter and leader of Indian National Congress. He launched the first indigenous Indian shipping service between Tuticorin and Colombo with the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company, competing against British ships.118. The Government Rose Garden in Ooty is the largest rose garden in India. This garden has one of the largest collection of roses in the country with more than 20,000 varieties of roses of 2,800 cultivars.119. Vijay Amritraj, born in Chennai a former tennis player, was the first Indian to turn fully professional in sport and is often considered amongst the greatest in the history of Indian sport.120. Achanta Sharath Kamal a professional table tennis player from Tamil Nadu, is the second Indian table tennis player to become 8 times national champion after Kamlesh Mehta.121. South India’s first permanent theatre, Variety Hall Talkies is in Coimbatore.122. Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) and Indian Bank were established and have their headquarters in Chennai, Tamilnadu.123. YMCA College of Physical Education, the first college for physical education of Asia, was established in Chennai (1920).123. The Government College of Fine Arts in Chennai is the oldest art institution in India which was established in 1850.124. The World Bank Chennai office building located at Taramani measuring 128,000 sq ft area, is the largest bank-owned building outside its headquarters in Washington, DC.125. Cancer Institute is the first medical school in India to offer degrees in various subspecialties of oncology recognized by the Medical Council of India.126. Spencer Plaza which was reconstructed in 1985 is the oldest shopping mall in India and one of the biggest malls in South Asia when it was built.Thanks for reading!!Edit1: Removing V.V.Giri from the list of Presidents as he was born in Berhampur, Odisha, which was a part of Madras Presidency. Thanks to all who highlighted this point.

Einstein was asked for his “formula” for success.Most expected an answer long and sour, but he kept it short and sweet: “If A is success in life, then A = x + y + z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut.”The TOP STUDENT CODEI. EINSTEIN’S ALGORITHM for GENIUSFor almost a century now, people have marveled at Einstein’s intellectual feats. In fact, if not in name, if you look up the word genius, notice that listed among its synonyms is one rather “peculiar” addition.Think about that for a second. …Indeed, it borders on unbelievable that the last name of an actual flesh and blood person serves as a nickname for Genius.Listed along with the usual suspects—brilliance, mastermind, etc—all of which are abstract nouns, there’s one name that stands out like Shaquille O'neal in a room of gymnasts.Think about it. …To put it plainly, so far as intelligence goes, Einstein was the Paul Bunyan of intellects.Einstein is single-handedly responsible for the most famous equation in history—E = mc2. But his marvels doesn’t stop there. …Einstein’s paper on the photoelectric effect (E photon = hv) serves as the very foundation of quantum physics. Now, ponder if you will: one man’s genius is single-handedly responsible for both major fields of physics (relativity and quantum mechanics).It’s a safe bet, then, that genius personified also knew the formula for studying like a top student.Whereas Einstein generally scribbled equations on a chalkboard, in the following case, he uses thin air for the board and his tongue as a piece of chalk!And so, if indeed your heart is set on absorbing Einstein’s vitamins for thought, which, if applied, is guaranteed to make you a top student, simply PAY with currency made of attention to this real-life encounter with the mind of genius.A few months ago I came across an old article from “the New Yorker” titled "The Great Foreigner." In the classic piece, the writer Niccolo Tucci replays a memorable visit to Einstein's home in Princeton.Apparently Tucci's mother-in-law and Einstein were old pals. Tucci, to his credit, does a masterful job of painting a brief word-portrait of what it felt like to enter the home of genius personified.But what stands out most is the diamond hidden in the rough of a seemingly casual chat between two old pals.After exchanging pleasantries, Tucci's mother-in-law casually asks Einstein a fairly routine question. Apparently her brother, Michele, was a contemporary of Einstein’s. Both men started out on the same career path as promising mathematical physicists.Tucci recalls the classic exchange as follows."Herr Professor," said the mother-in-law (Tucci makes sure to note the entire conversation took place in their native German language), "this I really meant to ask you for a long time—why hasn't Michele made some important discovery in mathematics?"“Aber, Frau Bice,” replied Einstein, chuckling, “this is a very good sign. Michele is a humanist, a universal spirit, too interested in too many things to become a monomaniac. Only a MONOMANIAC gets what we commonly refer to as results."II. The TOP STUDENT CODEWhen Galileo—the Father of Modern Science—famously declared that “mathematics is the language in which the book of nature is written,” he in effect revealed the language of the gods.Mathematics, you see, when stripped of all its pageantry and obscure notation is nothing but a collection of algorithms.An algorithm, you see, is a recipe . . . a mere formula. In other words, just as pouring formless liquid into a mold results in a form that reduplicates the pattern, the same holds in this case.To put it simply, the mathematician, no different from the metalworker when casting, isn’t concerned with the formless liquids per se. Whether it be red wine or black Pepsi is irrelevant to the metalworker. So long as the mold, which determines the very form of the output, is intact—it is all the same.For the above reason, when Socrates noted that “the beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms,” whoever truly grasps what is meant by algorithm, insofar as it relates to being a top student, will in effect gain access to the Top Student Code.The word algorithm simply means a “set of rules used to support a predetermined end/goal.”Think about it. …Given the goal stated in the question, it’s apparent the set of rules sought merely must support the stated aim. Such a fact ties into the very definition of rationality.When Aristotle called us “rational animals,” it’s important to remember this was the same fella who also discovered logic.Why is that important?Rationality derives from the mathematical term ratio. And because every mathematical proof is constructed with pure logic, well, this “trinity” all ties into the yet to be unveiled Top Student Code.Rationality is always relative to a standard.Why?For the same reason the set of rules of each algorithm is always relative to its predetermined goal/end.Bingo!This need for conforming one’s set of rules to an objective standardizes the algorithm. For this reason, it has long been said that wisdom is knowing the best end at which to aim . . . rationality is knowing which means best support that end . . . and discipline is actually putting such knowledge to good use.Or as Aristotle spelled out the formula:In that order. …And so, given the above three slots, each of which must be input in order to output a top student, the wisdom slot has already been filled in—namely, to become a top student by mirroring the habits of top students.Excellent!As for the rationality slot, i.e., the set of rules, genius personified has already given us the algorithm—monomania. As for the discipline slot, ahem, like fingerprints, each person has his or her own disciplinary threshold.In short, the Top Student Code is stated as follows:M = ts2. … That is, “m” stands for monomania, “t” for top and “s” for student.III. TSC (TOP STUDENT CODE) in APPLICATIONTo again make use of the Socratic method, let’s set our sights on rendering a brief definition of monomania.Monomania, simply put, means to be “obsessed with doing a particular thing.”Or, to put it in another way, a monomaniac is someone preoccupied with one thing. Sure, words like “obsession” border on cringe-worthy, yet it nevertheless sheds light on, shall I say—“Genius without her makeup on.”Speaking of the above terms “makeup” and “obsession,” no different from the obsessive celebrity stalker who lurks in the bushes—just hoping to catch a glimpse of Scarlett Johansson makeup free—when all the hyperbole has been scraped away from genius, this highest expression of intellect boils down to one word: WORK.The only thing that separates the dreamer from the dream is a bridge called WORK! Or as Vince Lombardi frankly put it, “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”Remember, our algorithm here specifies monomania, i.e., preoccupation. If one’s occupation consists of being a student, well, to add that “top” to student equally entails adding pre + occupation.“Pre-” simply means before. As in simulating the test-taking conditions, with which the student will be occupied when the actual exam comes = preoccupied.Indeed, anytime you see someone awarded the magna cum laude, or any top class distinction for that matter, you’re literally witnessing someone who has applied the TSC.Take for instance Terence Tao.Tao, a math whiz who started high school at just 7-years-old, grew up in a home where his parents freshened the air with TSC spray.Just as Mozart’s father was a music teacher and thus sprinkled the TSC on top of the infant’s formula, the same held true for Tao. After all, not only does Tao’s father hold a PhD but, most importantly, his mother received a first-class honors degree in physics and mathematics.Think about it. …No wonder when Ken Clements visited Tao’s home, the former found himself left astonished by the “environment” specifically designed to nurture Tao’s potential.... [Terence] sitting in the far corner of a room reading a hardback book with the title 'Calculus'. Terence was small, even for a seven-year-old. After meeting his two brothers, I was accompanied by Terence to his father's study, where, after a brief chat, I began my usual assessment procedure for exceptionally bright primary school-age children.Like Tao, from morning to night Mozart’s father played drill sergeant. By no other means could the elder Mozart’s tuition have resulted in the boy’s intuitive grasp of the TSC.Given Mozart’s preoccupation with classical music, it’s no wonder his account of the TSC echoed Einstein’s take on it:In short, the question begs to be posed: Why was childhood ideal for the likes of prodigies such as Mozart and Tao to apply TSC?The philosopher Schopenhauer answered best:After all, what play is to the child, work is to the genius. Both rely heavily on isolation, imagination and tenacity.Now, you must wonder: Does application of the TSC entail Fate must first supply you with the ideal environment?Nope!Take my case for example.My mother had me when she was 14 and my father was illiterate. Yet, just as having an illiterate father didn’t hamper Sir Isaac Newton’s application of the TSC, neither did it mine. Which leads to the next section—namely, how Newton and I both employed TSC to our respective desired ends.IV. ATTENTION IS THE MOTHER OF LEARNINGOn a sunny day, if you were to dangle a magnifying glass over an ant for a second or two, only to move the glass to some other object the next moment, you’d squander the magnifying power.Ahhh, but if you were to hold steadily that magnifying glass over the ant—allowing the light beam to concentrate on one point—let’s just say in less than a minute you’ll have barbecued ant for a snack!And it is this rarefied capacity to focus with extreme intensity that ramps up the student’s learning from merely normal speeds to genius-level—pedal to the metal learning.Here’s a real-life case in point.In college I played basketball for Texas A.M. … Well, to keep it real: I kept the bench extra warm for the stars of the team. At the end of games, fans seated in the stands and I had one thing in common: we all had 0 points!Nevertheless, what I lacked athletically, I compensated for academically.The converse held true for my buddy Rob, aka the star of the team.Rob was—shall I say—big, bad King Kong on the basketball court but lil, meek Simba in the classroom.To make a long story a dwarf, Rob, in fear of losing his eligibility, one day asked me for the secret sauce.The convo with something like this.Rob: Bro, how ya keep getting As like that? Sprinkle me real quick with the magic juice?Me: Say no more, bro! Ahhh, think of it like this, when you’re out there hooping . . . ya know, doin your thang—fans screaming and such—are you worrying about your problems? Or you thinking about what ya gonna do later? Or are you thinking—Rob: No way, bro! Mannn, when I’m out there hoopin’ . . . it’s like . . . nothing else matters!Me: Aha! So you’re pretty much . . . hmmm, meditating out there, huh?Rob: Never thought of it like that, but—yep!Me: Okay. Well, when the professor hands me the syllabus at the beginning of each semester coupled with all the accompanying lectures . . . . guess what?Rob: What?Me: She is literally telling me in advance what’s going to be on the exams. Think about that bro. … And so, just as basketball is the only thing that matters to you in the world when you’re out there hooping, when I’m in the classroom—I become ONE with the lesson, ya feel me?After all, the teacher can only teach and therefore test the student on what has already been taught.Bingo!Because wisdom is born from definitions, look up the word student and the returned Latin meaning is simple: ‘applying oneself to’,To apply one’s self is the same as the above-noted preoccupation, monomania, or as Newton put it—thinking about it all day!Insofar as the syllabus states the goals from the outset, the teacher can only fill in the algorithm with the required specifications.V. A FEW TIPS on HOW to MASTER the TSCMy sprinkling of TSC powder on my buddy gave him cause to pause for reflection. “You’re right, bro,” said Rob, “I waste too much time daydreaming in class.”Of course, my old pal overlooked one of life’s greatest secrets: it’s impossible to “waste” time.We mortals can no more waste time than can players of the Monopoly game “waste” the pretend money. Rather, at most, in the Game of Life, each player can only SPEND time at his or her choosing.Because time is money . . . money is power . . . just as you can only PAY your bills with money, you can only PAY attention with time. After all, your time and attention has to go somewhere.Aye, there’s the rub. …Because each day is a lifetime, at the start of each day’s Game of Life, all players start with the same temporal currency. The Terence Taos of the world only differ from most other students insofar as how they elect to spend that currency printed in time.Confucius put it best:Here lies the root meaning of all such clichés as “good study habits” and such. To put it simply, life boils down to this truism: YOU can have anything you want but not everything!Aye, there’s the rub.And so, if indeed becoming a top student is your aim, here’s how you habituate use of the TSC.Build up the power of attention! Because the brain is a muscle, you build attention-muscle by daily lifting. Such “lifting,” of course, comes in a number of forms. Take something as mundane as washing dishes. While engaged in the act, will yourself to focus exclusively on the act itself. The sound of splashing water . . . the glistening soapsuds . . . etc.Incorporate meditation. Tip #1 spills over into this one. Whether it be the classic meditation of simply following the flow of your breath, or one-pointed meditation, or mindfulness, in every such case the root is the same: the attempt to ground the attention in the present. Hence meditation is a form of asceticism ("exercise, training"). In short, until you learn to tame that Monkey Mind that swings from thought to thought during lectures . . . daydreaming while studying . . . you’ll never fully apply TSC. Here’s the most “effective” meditation in my view.Smart drugs! Not “drugs” in the sense of heroin or something but as in all-natural brain-boosters. Take a trip to any Ivy League campus and you’re bound to hear about nootropics. From Modafinil (the “Limitless Pill”) to L Tyrosine & L Dopa (increases dopamine; best taken sublingually) to Ginkgo Biloba Energy Now (healthy, sustainable energy), all of these “brain steroids used for cheating,” as a professor once remarked, will literally boost your IQ. Welcome to the Information Age!Learn to absorb the MOST knowledge in the LEAST time! After all, given that knowledge is the Empire State Building and life is but a dwarf, it’s safe to say those grains of sand are precious indeed. For tips on learning how to study at genius-level—I got ya covered!Here’s the secret to unlocking a photographic memory. To again apply the Socratic method, when the word photograph(ic) is added to memory, the resultant photographic memory means simply the ability to “think in pictures.” Bingo! For this reason, every memory “champion” points to this same age-old hack. Skip to 14:30 of this doc on “genius brains,” and listen closely as a memory champion shares his algorithm, within a matter of minutes.VI. IN CLOSINGBecause the mind is essentially a computer, which is to say, our brain is the hardware and our minds are the software that run the programs, well, I’ve in effect passed along the “Genius Program.”Sure, I’m well aware that because knowledge is power and money is power, it follows that knowledge = money + power, or as my uncle crassly puts it, “Nephew, the game is to be sold and not to be a told!” Ahhh, but thankfully for both of us—I’m no hu$tler but a holy man . . . or at least aspire to be.Besides, unlike my uncle, I fully grasp the universal truth that giving is receiving turned inside-out.And so, if your heart is truly set on attaining top student level, simply input the Top Student Code into your information processing system (mind) and it’ll with mathematical exactitude output the intended results.After all, insofar as genius boils down to removing the letter ‘K’ from what people Knew yesterday and repackaging it as NEW today—ahem—I’ve simply “repackaged” Einstein’s insights.The result?M = ts2Bingo!Of course, ol’ Albert is somewhere in the heavens smiling right now at his clever, if not original, fellow Pisces. It was Einstein, after all, who whispered in my third ear: DOG fo DNIM ehT

सृष्टिस्थितिविनाशानां शक्तिभूते सनातनि ।गुणाश्रये गुणमये नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥९॥Srsstti-Sthiti-Vinaashaanaam Shakti-Bhuute Sanaatani |Gunna-[A]ashraye Gunnamaye Naaraayanni Namo[ah-A]stu Te ||9||Meaning:9.1: (Salutations to You O Narayani) In Whom is Present the Power of Creation, Maintenance and Dissolution and Who is Eternal,9.2: Who is the Support of the Gunas and the Embodimentof the Gunas; Salutations to You O Narayani.शरणागतदीनार्तपरित्राणपरायणे ।सर्वस्यार्तिहरे देवि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥१०॥Sharannaagata-Diina-[A]arta-Paritraanna-Paraayanne |Sarvasya-[A]arti-Hare Devi Naaraayanni Namo[ah-A]stu Te ||10||Meaning:10.1: (Salutations to You O Narayani) Who is Intent Upon Rescuing the Distressed and the Oppressed who Take Her Refuge,10.2: And Remove All their Sufferings; O Devi; Salutationsto You O Narayani.शिवदूतीस्वरूपेण हतदैत्यमहाबले ।घोररूपे महारावे नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥१८॥Shivaduutii-Svaruupenna Hata-Daitya-Mahaa-Bale |Ghora-Ruupe Mahaa-Raave Naaraayanni Namo[ah-A]stu Te ||18||Meaning:18.1: (Salutations to You O Narayani) Who Assuming the Form of Devi Shivaduti Killed the Demons with Great Strength,18.2: Who has a Terrific Form and a Loud Roar; Salutations to You O Narayani.Can anyone be stronger than a Mother? Who can protect a child from evil better than its Mother? That too the Ultimate Divine Mother Maa Durga who embodies the Absolute Truth? I don’t quite understand why we should even beat around the bush about the obvious.OF COURSE DEVI SHAKTI IS THE STRONGEST. What do you think the epithet ‘Durga’ means? INVINCIBLE. Devi Adya Shakti is the Eternal unborn (Aja)Energy Who’s unmanifested as Avyakta and manifested as all Her Shaktis (Nav Durga, Saptamatrikas and 10 Mahavidyas). Since She’s Parashakti and the Supreme Brahman, She’s the Universal Mother of every creation. She’s the Primordial Creatrix, The Great Goddess and Divine Mother, worshiped forever by the great trinity and all the Deavas and sages. During the time of Maha Pralay everything dissolves into Mahakali except Mahakal.Now I am mentioning the auspicious, sin destroying names of these S’aktis :-- Vidyâ, Hrî, Pusti, Prajñâ, Sinî vâlî, Kuhû, Rudrâ, Viryâ, Prabhâ, Nandâ, Posanî, Riddhidâ, S’ubhâ, Kâlarâtri, Mahârâtri, Bhadra KâIî, Kaparddinî, Vikriti, Dandi, Mundinî, Sendukhandâ, S’ikhandinî, Nis’umbha s’umbha mathanî, Mahisâsura marddinî, Indrânî, Rudrânî, S’ankarârdha sarîrinî, Nârî, Nirâyanî Tris’ûlinî, Pâlinî, Ambikâ, and Hlâdinî. Never there is any chance that they will be defeated anywhere. Hence if all those S’aktis get angry at any time, this Brahmânda ceases to exist. [12.12.31-51 (Devi Bhagavad Puran)]Bhuveneshwari Bhagwati Sri Sri Devi Durga is the STRONGEST AND THE SUPREME SUPER SOUL. She is called MAHASKATI MAHADEVI for a reason. She represents ENERGY itself. She is the Divine Mother of the Universe from whom everything begins and everything ends. She’s Herself the Eternal and Invincible Parashakti or Para Brahman that creates, preserves and destroys the universe at Her own will. Her Highest form is Sri Lalitha Tripura Sundari. I can easily keep lauding Her with variegated epithets all day but my words are sadly not canon. So just like the aforementioned excerpt from Devi Bhagavad Puran, let’s delve into what’s considered canon and corroborate my claim.DEMON MURA DEFEATS THE DEVAS & LORD VISHNU. DEVI EKADASHI SLAYS MURA SINGLE HANDEDLY_PADMA PURAN [UTTARA KHANDA, CHAPTER 38]:-76­-84. “O demon, O you of a bad conduct, see the power of my arm.” Then Lord Vishnu struck all the wicked demons that were before him with divine arrows. They were overcome with fear. O Pandava, Lord Krishna i.e. Lord Vishnu discharged His disc against the forces of the demon. Hundreds of demons were cut off by it, and many died. Only one demon fought there repeatedly. He made all the devas flee and vanquished Lord Vishnu. Then of him who was vanquished by the demon, a close fight with the demon took place. He fought that close fight for a thousand divine years. Lord Vishnu became thoughtful. All devas had fled. Lord Vishnu was vanquished. He went to Badarikashrama. There was a cave named Simhavati. Lord Vishnu slept there in that cave. O Pandava, it was twelve yojanas in length and had one door only. He entered it and slept there. The demon was bent on killing Him. He was tired due to that great battle, and had slept there through His divine power. The demon pursued Him. He then entered that cave. Seeing Lord Vishnu asleep there, the demon was delighted. Thinking Lord Vishnu to have been vanquished like this and to have been entered by fear, he thought: 'I shall undoubtedly kill Him, the cause of fear to the demons.'85­-90. O Yudhishthira, then a maiden came out of Lord Vishnu's body. She was beautiful, very auspicious, and had divine missiles and weapons. She, of a great might and valour came up from a portion of Lord Vishnu's luster. O Dhananjaya, that lord of demons, Mura by name, saw her. He directed a fight there. The maiden skilled in all kinds of battle, fought there. The great demon by name Mura was reduced to ash due to her humkaara sound. When the demon was killed, Lord Vishnu woke up. Seeing the demon fallen dead He was amazed: 'who has killed this fierce and very cruel enemy of Mine? That person has done a very ferocious deed through compassion for Me.'The maiden said: 91­-93a. He having conquered devas, Gandharvas, yakshas and goblins, so also Lord Indra and others, expelled them from heaven. I saw Lord Vishnu asleep, and Mura had pursued Him. I thought: 'He will destroy the three worlds when Lord Vishnu is asleep.' Hearing those words of her, Lord Vishnu, spoke (these) words: "How is it that you vanquished him too who had defeated me?"Ekadashi Devi said: 93b. O Lord, due to Your favour I killed the great demon.Although, it is the navel of Lord Vishnu Himself from where Devi Ekadashi transpired and that there is no explicit implication in the text that Devi Ekadashi is the Great Shakti Herself (especially when She’s crediting Lord Vishnu for Her triumph). However a close analysis of the account can help us identify Her as Shakti, who in this case is Sri Mahalaxmi. Goddess Laxmi is Lord Vishnu’s consort and His active energy without which Lord Vishnu turns inert. So naturally, when He was taking a break being exhausted with the fight with demon Mura, it is Goddess Laxmi, His active energy who sensed His immediate danger and manifested Herself in the avatar of Devi Ekadashi. She clearly exhibits Her superior martial skills as She defeats the mighty demon so easily. That very demon who couldn’t be conquered by Lord Vishnu Himself. I had to use this exemplary instance of Devi Shakti’s superior prowess since Whenever someone tries to establish Devi Shakti’s supremacy over the trinity in the context of slaying demons by citing Her deeds in Devi Mahatmyam , loud objections pop up saying Mahishasur couldn’t be killed by any man by the virtue of his boon and hence Devi Durga had to step in. Then what about the subsequent Shumbh-Nishumbh arc? Another pathetic answer I came across in this thread says that She is actually weak since She’s a woman and so She became powerful only through the power of the Devatas. Wow. Applause. As if that was the first time She had manifested Herself. She who is Para Shakti, the Supeme Brahamnd. She who is eternal and the reason why She’s called Durga is because She destroyed probably the most powerful demon mentioned in any Puran, Durgamasura, who had rendered every God impotent by robbing all the Vedas. Only Devi Shakti was immune to his malice Since Her Power is Limitless and Eternal and not dependent on the Vedas.I encourage everyone to read the Devi Satakshi-Shakambari arc [Ch 28, 7th Canto of Devi Bhagavatam] to get a taste of the Supreme Devi’s unbelievable power. Not only did She slay the wicked Durgamasur but the mighty Goddess massacred his army of 100 ‘Aksauhini’ with Her own power. One ‘Aksauhini’ consists of 21,870 elephants, 21,870 chariots, 65,610 horses and 1,09350 foot soldiers. Do the math and kiss Her holy lotus feet. The only way one can choose to be in denial of Her UNMATCHED POWER is by depriving himself of the recognition of the extraordinary valor and unparalleled martial skills of Devi Ma and thereby expose his blatant misogyny if not his sheer ignorance. In fact, this is the very male ego that She tramples upon. And oh btw, DEVI HAS NEVER LOST A FIGHT. EVER. She is the Ultimate Embodiment of Power. To one who’s SHAKTI, war is but a pastime. So yah like…bring it on. She SPECIALIZES in kicking demon butt. Big time.SOME OF THE MOST PROMINENT ASURAS SLAIN BY DEVI :-As Mahakali/Mahamaya: Slew Madhu & Kaitabh,a making Lord Vishnu instrumental.As Mahalakshmi (Durga): Slew Mahishasur, Massacred the powerful commanders of his army viz. Udagra along with his 60,000 chariots, Asilioma along with his 15,000,000 chariots, Baskala with 6,000,000 chariots, Durdhara, Durmukha, Vidalaksha, Mahahanu, Chikshura, Chamara and Vaskala along with Privarita with his thousands of elephants and horses, and encircled by 10,000, 000 chariots. (Crunch the numbers again)As Kaushiki/Ekamamsha/Chandika: Smoked Dhumralochana with a mere humkara, butchered Raktabija, annihilated Sumbha and Nisumbha.Satakshi/Shakambhari: Mutilated Durgamasura along with his 100 Akshaunis (refer to aforementioned description).As Chamunda/MahaKali: Decapitated Chanda, Munda and Ghora. Drained the blood of Raktabija and Andhakasura, pushing them to their death.As Prachanda Chandika/Chhinnamasta: Held back Asuras while Vishnu as Mohini distributed Somarasa to Devas.As Tara/Neelasaraswati: Culled Darukasura.As Bhramari: Crushed Arunasura.As Sri Chakrarajasvarupini/ Shodashi/ Lalita Mahatripurasundari/ Rajarajeshvari Devi: Killed Bhandasura.As Bagalamukhi: Thumped Madanasura.As Parvati/ Raktadanti: Tore up Ruru Daitya.As Kamakhya: Put an end to Narakasura by making Shri Krishna instrumental.As Parvati: Slew Vidala and Utpala.As Aindri : Slew Vritra by empowering Indra.As Bhadrakali : Destroyed Sahsra Ravaan, Darika and Danavendra.SHAKTI - THE ETERNAL BOUNDLESS ENERGYWhat is that S’aktî? Which you mentioned to us before; as well by whom Visnu is conquered? Whence is She born? What is the power of that S’aktî and what is Her nature? O Suvrata! explain to us these fully. [18.8-30(Devi Bhagavad Puran)].In this whole Universe, whoever he may be, all are incapable of any action if he be deprived of his force; what more than this, if S’iva be deprived of Kula Kundalinî S’aktî, He becomes a lifeless corpse; O great ascetic Risis! She is present everywere thus in every thing in this universe from the highest Brahmâ to the lowermost blade of grass, all moving and non-moving things. Verily everything becomes quite inert, if deprived of force; whether in conquering one's enemies, or in going from one place to another or in eating -- one finds oneself quite incapable, if deprived of force. Thus the omnipresent S’aktî, the wise call by the name of Brahmâ. Those who are verily intelligent should always worship Her in various ways and determine thoroughly the reality of Her by every means. In Visnu there is the Sattviki S’aktî; then He can preserve; otherwise He is quite useless; so in Brahmâ there is Rajasi S’aktî and He creates; otherwise He is quite useless; in S’iva, there is Tamasi S’aktî and He destroys; else He is quite useless. Thus, arguing again and again in one's mind, everyone should come to know that the Highest Âdya S’aktî by Her mere will creates and preserves this Universe and She it is who destroys again in time the whole Brahmânda, moving and non-moving; no one is capable to do his respective work be he Brahmâ, Visnu, Mahes'var, Indra, Fire, Sun, Varuna or any other person whatsoever; verily all the Devas perform the respective actions by the use of this Âdya S’aktî. That She alone is present in cause and effect and is doing every action, an be witnessed vividly. The intelligent ones call that S’aktî twofold; one is Sagunâ and the other is Nirgunâ. The people, attached to the senses and the objects, worship the Sagunâ aspect, and those who are not so attached worship the Nirguna aspect.That conscious S’aktî is the Lady of the fourfold aims of life, religion, wealth, desires, and liberation. When She is worshipped according to due rules, She awards all sorts of desires. The worldly persons, charmed by the Mâyâ of this world, do not know Her at all; some persons know a little and charm others; whereas some stupid and dull-deaded Pundits, impelled by Kali, start sects of heretics, Pâsandas for the sustenance of their own bellies. O highly fortunate Munis! In no other Yugas were found acts as prevalent in this Kali Yuga, based on various different opinions and altogether beyond the pale of the Vedic injunctions. Behold again, if Brahmâ, Visnu and Mahes’a be the supreme Deities, then why do these three Devas meditate on another One beyond speech, beyond mind and practise, for years, hard austerities; and why do they perform Yajñas (sacrifices) for their success in creation, preservation, and destruction? They know, verily, the Highest Supreme Being, Brahmâni Devî S’aktî eternal, constant and therefore they meditate Her always in their minds. Therefore the wise man, knowing this firmly, should serve in every way the Highest S’aktî. O Munis! This is the settled conclusion of all the Sâstras. I have heard of this great hidden secret from Bhagavân Krisna Dvaipâyan. He heard it from Nârada, and Nârada heard it from his own father Brahmâ. Brahmâ heard this from Visnu. O Munis it is well that the wise even should not hear or think anything to the contrary from other sources; they should with their concentrated heart serve the Brahmâ Sanâtanî S’aktî. It is clearly witnessed in this world that if there be any substance wherein this conscious S’aktî does not exist, that becomes inert, quite useless for any purpose. So know this fully that it is the Highest Divine Mother of the Universe that is playing here, residing in every being. [18.8-31–50(Devi Bhagavad Puran)]Devi Sooktam(by Vak), Rig Ved (10.125.3 – 10.125.8)1. I TRAVEL with the Rudras and the Vasus, with the Ādityas and All-Gods I wander.I hold aloft both Varuṇa and Mitra, Indra and Agni, and the Pair of Aśvins.2 I cherish and sustain high-swelling Soma, and Tvaṣṭar I support, Pūṣan, and Bhaga.I load with wealth the zealous sdcrificer who pours the juice and offers his oblation3 I am the Queen, the gatherer-up of treasures, most thoughtful, first of those who merit worship.Thus Gods have established me in many places with many homes to enter and abide in.4 Through me alone all eat the food that feeds them,—each man who sees, brewhes, hears the word outspokenThey know it not, but yet they dwell beside me. Hear, one and all, the truth as I declare it.5 1, verily, myself announce and utter the word that Gods and men alike shall welcome.I make the man I love exceeding mighty, make him a sage, a Ṛṣi, and a Brahman.6 I bend the bow for Rudra that his arrow may strike and slay the hater of devotion.I rouse and order battle for the people, and I have penetrated Earth and Heaven.7 On the world's summit I bring forth the Father: my home is in the waters, in the ocean.Thence I extend o’er all existing creatures, and touch even yonder heaven with my forehead.8 I breathe a strong breath like the wind and tempest, the while I hold together all existence.Beyond this wide earth and beyond the heavens I have become so mighty in my grandeur.SRIMAD DEVI BHAGAVAD PURAN (2.1.1–5)S'rî Sûta said :-- “I am highly fortunate; I consider myself blessed and I am purified by the Mahâtmâs (high souled persons); in as much as I am questioned by them about the highly meritorious Purâna, famous in the Vedas. I will now speak in detail about this Purâna, the best of the Âgamas, approved of by all the Vedas and the secret of all the S’âstras.O Brahmins! I bow down to the gentle lotus feet, known in the three Lokas, of the Devî Bhagavatî, praised by Brahmâ and the other devas Visnu, Mahes’a and others, meditated always by the Munindras and which the Yogis contemplate as their source of liberation. Today I will devotedly describe, in detail and in plain language, that Purâna which is the best of all the Purânas, which gives prosperity and contains all the sentiments (Rasas) that a human being can conceive, the S’rimad Devî Bhâgavatam.May that Highest Primal S’akti who is known as Vidyâ in the Vedas; who is omniscient, who controls the innermost of all and who is skilled in cutting off the knot of the world, who cannot be realised by the wicked and the vicious, but who is visible to the Munis in their meditation, may that Bhagavatî Devî give me always the buddhi fit to describe the Purâna!I call to my mind the Mother of all the worlds who creates this universe, whose nature is both real (taking gross, practical point of view) and and unreal (taking a real point of view), preserves and destroys by Her Râjasik, Sâttvik and Tâmasik qualities and in the end resolves all these into Herself and plays alone in the period of Dissolution - at this lime, I remember my that Mother of all the worlds.Para Shakti is the mother of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva,Maheswara and Sadashiva collectively called Pancha Brahma. When she retrieves her power from them they become a corpse and are often referred to as Pancha Pretas. i.e Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Maheswara and Sadashiva cannot function without her power. Thus, she is considered the supreme Goddess and primary deity in Shaktism.DEVI PUNISHES LORD VISHNU AND LORD SHIVA FOR THEIR ARROGANCEVeda Vyâsa said :-- O King! Hear. I am telling you this wonderful secret. You are greatly devoted to the Devî; so nothing there can be that I cannot disclose to you. Since the time the Great Mother gave over to Hara, Hari and Brahmâ, Gaurî, Laksmî and and Sarasvatî, respectively, these three Devas, Hara, etc. were performing their tasks, preserving, etc. O King! Once on a time, certain Dânavas, named Halâhalas were born. In time, they became very powerful and in a short time conquered the three worlds. What more than this, that they being elated with the boon granted to them by Brahmâ, took their forces and invested the Mount Kailâs’a and the Vaikuntha regions!Seeing this, Mahâ Deva and Visnu both made preparations for war. A terrible fight ensued between both the parties. For sixty thousand years the battle lasted incessantly but the result was stalemate. Gradually there was a great cry of consternation in the two parties. When S’iva and Visnu with great effort destroyed the Dânavas. O King! S’iva and Visnu then returned to their own houses and began to brag of their powers before their own S’aktis Gaurî and Laksmî; whereas the Demons were killed on account of the S’aktis of Gaurî and Laksmî. Seeing them boast, Gaurî and Laksmî laughed not sincerely whereon the two gods were very much angry. They under the magic spell of the Prime Mâyâ insulted them and even used offensive languages. Gaurî and Laksmî quitted them and disappeared. A great uproar then arose in the worlds.Both Hari and Hara became lustreless due to their insulting the two S’aktis. They become powerless and unconscious and turned out mad. Seeing this Brahmâ became very anxious. Hari and Hara are the two chief Deities; how then these two have become unable to perform the actions of the world! What is the cause? Why this calamity has sprung up out of season? Will there be a Pralaya (a general dissolution) of the world out of some offence, when no actions are being done! I know nothing about this. So how can I find a remedy! Being thus very distressed, he began to meditate with his eyes closed in the fourth dimensional space in the heart. O King! The Lotus born Brahmâ then found out by his meditation that this calamity was brought about by the great wrath of the Parâ S’akti. He then tried to find out the remedy until Hari and Hara did not regain the former natural position. Brahmâ began by his own S’akti to carry on the functions of them both, viz., that of preservation and destruction for some time. The religious-minded Prajâpati quickly called his son Manu and Sanaka, etc., the Risis, for bringing peace on the two great Gods! When they came to him, the great ascetic four-faced Brahmâ told them :-- “I am now busy with many more works; so I am unable carry on my tapasyâ? By the wrath of the Highest Force, Hari and Hara have become somewhat distracted; so for the satisfaction of the Parâ S'akti I am performing the three functions, i.e., those of Creation, Preservation and Destruction. So you both practise this hard tapasyâ with the greatest devotion and bring about Her satisfaction. O sons! Do such as Hari and Hara gain their former states and then be united with their own S’aktis respectively. Your fame will increase thereby, no doubt. Rather that family where the two S’aktis will take their birth, will purify the whole world and that man himself will be crowned with success.” [(7.29.23–44) Devi Bhagavatam]TRIMURTI SEES THE UNIVERSE IN DEVI BHUVANESHWARI’S TOE-NAILS; LORD VISHNU’S HYMN TO THE GREAT GODDESSBrahmâ said :-- Thus speaking, Bhagavân Janârdana Visnu spoke to me again :-- “Come, let us bow down to Her again and again and let us go to Her. We shall reach at Her feet fearlessly and we will chant hymns to Her; Mahâ Mâyâ will be pleased with us and will grant us boons. If the guards at the entrance prevent us from going, we would stand at the gateway and we will chant hymns to the Devî with one mind.”Brahmâ said :-- When Hari addressed us in the above way, we two became choked by intense feelings of joy; our voice became tremulous and we waited there for some time; our hearts were elated with joy to go to Her. We then accepted Hari's word said “Om” and got down from our car and went with hastened steps and with fear to the gate. Seeing us standing at the gateway, the Devî Bhagâvatî smiled and within an instant transformed us three into females. We looked beautiful and youthful women, adorned with nice ornaments; thus we greatly wondered and went to Her. Seeing us standing at Her feet in feminine forms, the beautiful Devî Bhagâvatî, looked on us with eyes of affection. We then bowed to the great Devî, looked at one another and stood before Her in that feminine dress. We three, then, began to see the pedestal of the great Devî, shining with the lustre of ten million Suns and decorated with various gems and jewels. We next discerned that thousands and thousands of attendants are waiting on Her. Some of them are wearing red dress; some blue dress, some yellow dress; thus the Deva girls, variously dressed were serving Her and standing by Her side. They were dancing, singing on and playing with musical instruments and were gladly chanting hymns in praise of the Devî. O Nârada!We saw there another wonderful thing. Listen. We saw the whole universe, moving and non-moving within the nails of the lotus feet of the Devî. We saw there myself, Visnu, Rudra, Vâyu, Agni, Yama, Moon, Sun, Varuna, Tvastâ, Indra, Kuvera and other Devas, Apsarâs, Gandarbhas, rivers, oceans, mountains, Visvâvasus Chitraketu, Sveta, Chitrângada, Nârada, Tumburu, Hâ Hâ Hû Hû and other Gandarbhas, the twin As'vins, the eight Vasus, Sâdhyas, Siddhas, the Pitris, Ananta and other Nâgas, Kinnaras, Uragas, Râksasas, the abode of Vaikuntha, the abode of Brahmâ, Kailas'a mountain, the best of all mountains; all were existing there. Within that nail of the toe were, reflected all the things of the Universe. The lotus whence I was born, the four faced Brahmâ like myself on that lotus, Bhagavân Jagannâth lying on that bed of Ananta, the two Demons Madhu Kaitabha, all I saw there.Seeing all these wonderful things within the nails of Her lotus feet, I became greatly surprised and thought timidly :-- “What are all these!” My companions Visnu and S'ankara were struck with wonder. We three, then, made out that She was our Mother of the universe.Thus full one hundred years passed away in seeing the various glories of the Devî in the auspicious nectar-like Mani Dvîpa; as long we were there, Her attendants, the Deva girls adorned with various ornaments gladly considered us as Sakhîs. We, too, were greatly fascinated by their enchanting gestures and postures. For that reason, we saw always their beautiful movements with great gladness. Once, on an occasion, Bhagavân Visnu, while He was in that feminine form, chanted hymns in praise of the great Devî S’rî Bhuvanes`varî.S’rî Bhagavân said :-- Salutation to the Devî Prakriti, the Creatrix; I bow down again and again to Thee. Thou art all-auspicious and grantest the desires of Thy devotees; Thou art of the nature of Siddhi (success) and Vriddhi (increase). I bow down again and again to Thee. I bow down to the World Mother, Who is of the nature of Everlasting Existence, Intelligence and Bliss. O Devî! Thou createst, preservest and destroyest this Universe; Thou dost the Pralaya (the great Dissolution) and showest favour to the created beings. Thus Thou art the Authoress of the above five fold things that are done; so, O Bhuvanes’varî, I bow down to Thee! Thou art the great efficient and material cause of the changeful. Thou art the Unchangeable, Immoveable Consciousness; Thou art the half letter (Ardhamâtrâ), Hrillekhâ (the consciousness that ever pervades both inside and outside the Universe); Thou art the Supreme Soul and the individual soul. Salutation again and again to Thee.O Mother! I now realise fully well that this whole Universe rests on Thee; it rises from Thee and again melts away in Thee. The creation of this Universe shews Thy infinite force. Verily, Thou art become Thyself all these Lokas (regions). During the time of creation Thou createst the two formless elements akâsâ and Vâyu and the three elements with form, fire, water, and earth; then with these Thou createst the whole Universe and shewest this to the Enjoyer Purusa, who is of the nature of consciousness, for His satisfaction. Thou again dost become the material cause of the twentythree Tattvas, Mahat, etc., as enumerated in the Sânkhya system and appearest to us like a mirage.O Mother! Were it not for Thee, no object would be visible, Thou pervadest the whole Universe. It is for this reason that those persons that are wise declare that even the Highest Purusa can do no work without Thy aid.O Devî! Thou createst and art giving satisfaction to the whole Universe by Thy power; again at the time of Pralaya Thou swallowest forcibly all these that are seen. So, O Devî! Who can fathom Thy powers? O Mother! Thou didst save us from the hands of Madhu and Kaitabha. Then Thou hast brought us to this Mani Dvîpa and shewed us Thy own form, all the extended regions and immense powers and given us exquisite delight and joy. This is the highest place of happiness.O Mother! When I Myself, S'ankara and Brahmâ or any one of us is unable to fathom Thy inconceivable glory, who else can then ascertain? O Bhavânî! Who knows, how many more than the several regions that we saw reflected in thy nails of Thy feet, exist in Thy creation. O One endowed with infinitely great powers! O Devî! we saw another Visnu, another Hara, another Brahmâ, all of great celebrity in the Universe exhibited by Thee; who knows how many other such Brahmâs, etc., exist in Thy other Universes! Thy glory is infinite. O Mother! I bow down again and again to Thy lotus feet and pray to Thee that may Thy this form exist always in my mind. May my mouth always utter Thy name and may my two eyes see always Thy lotus feet.O Revered One! May I remember Thee as my Goddess and may'st Thou constantly look on myself as Thy humble servant. O Mother! What more shall I say than this :-- May this relation as mother and son always exist between Thee and me. O World-Mother! There is nothing in this world that is not known to Thee for Thou art omniscient. So O Bhavânî! What more shall my humble self declare to Thee! Now dost Thou do whatever Thou desirest. O Devî! The rumour goes that Brahmâ is the Creator, Visnu is the Preserver, and Mahes'vara is the Destroyer! Is this true? O Eternal One! It is through Thy Will power, through Thy force, that we create, preserve and destroy. O Daughter of the Himalaya mountain! The earth is supporting this Universe; it is Thy endless might that is holding all this made of five elements. O Grantress of boons! It is through Thy power and lustre that the Sun is lustrous and becomes visible. Though Thou art the attributeless Self, yet by Thy Mâyic power Thou appearest in the form of this Prapancha Universe. When Brahmâ, Mahes'a, and I myself take birth by Thy power and are not eternal, what more can be said of Indra and other Devas than this that they are mere temporary things and created. It is only Thou that art Eternal, Ancient Prakriti and the Mother of this Universe. O Bhavânî! Now I realise from my remaining with Thee, that it is Thou that dost impart, out of mercy, the Brahmâ vidyâ to the ancient Purusa; and thus He can realise His eternal nature. Otherwise He will remain always under delusion that He is the Lord, He is the Purusa without beginning, that He is good and the Universal Soul, and thus suffers under various forms of egoism (Ahamkâra).Thou art the Vidyâ of the intelligent persons and the S’akti of the be­ings endowed with force; Thou art Kîrtî (fame), Kânti (lustre), Kamalâ (wealth) and the spotless Tusti (peace, happiness). Amongst men, Thou art the dispassion, leading to Mukti (complete freedom from bondage). Thou art the Gâyatri, the mother of the Vedas; and Thou art Svahâ, Svadhâ, etc. Thou art the Bhâgavatî, of the nature of the three Gunas; Thou art the half mâtrâ (half the upper stroke of a letter), the fourth state, transcending the Gunas. It is Thou that givest always the S’âstras for the preservation of the Devas and the Brâhmanas. It is Thou that hast expanded and manifested this whole phenomenon of the visible Universe for the liberation of the embodied souls (Jîvas), the parts of the pure holy Brâhman, the Full, the Beginningless, the Deathless, forming the waves of the lnfinite expanse of ocean. When the Jîva comes to know internally and becomes thoroughly conscious that all this is Thy work, Thou createst and destroyest, that all this is Thy Mâyic pastime, false, like the parts of an actor in a theatrical play, then and then only he desists for ever from his part in this Theatre of world. O Mother! O Destroyer of the greatest difficulties! I always take refuge unto Thee. Thou dost save me from this ocean of Samsâra, full of Moha (delusion). Let Thou be my Saviour when my end will come, from these infinitely troublesome and unreal pains arising from love and hatred. Obeisance to Thee! O Devî! O Mahâ vidyâ! I fall prostrate at Thy feet. O Thou, the Giver of all desires! O Auspicious One! Dost Thou give the knowledge that is All-Light to Me.[(3.4.1–43)Devi Bhagavatam]Chintamani Griha - THE HIGHEST OF THE HIGHEST THRONESVyâsa said :-- O King Janamejaya! The Ratnagriha, above mentioned, is the Central, the Chief and the Crowning Place of Mûla Prakriti. [The nine jewels are :-- (1) Muktâ, (2) Mânikya, (3) Vaidûrya, (4) Gomeda, (5) Vajra, (6) Vidruma, (7) Padmarâga, (8) Marakata, and (9) Nîla.] This is situated in the centre of all the enclosures. Within this there are the four Mandapas, i.e., halls built of one thousand (i.e., innumerable) pillars. These are the S’ringâra Mandapa, Mukti Mandapa, Jñâna Mandapa and Ekânta Mandapa; on the top there are canopies of various colours; within are many scented articles scented by the Dhûpas, etc. The brilliance of each of these is like that of one Koti Suns. On all sides of these four Mandapas there are nice groups of gardens of Kas’mîra, Mallikâ, and Kunda flowers. Various scents, and scented articles, for example, of musk, etc., are fully arranged in due order. There is a very big lotus tank here; the steps leading to it are built of jewels. Its water is nectar, on it are innumerable full-blown lotuses and the bees are humming always over them. Many birds, swans, Kârandavas, etc., are swimming to and fro. The sweet scents of lotuses are playing all round. In fact, the whole Manidvîpa is perfumed with various scented things. Within the S’ringâra Mandapa, the Devî Bhagavatî is situated in the centre on an Âsana (seat) and She hears the songs sung in tune by the other Devîs along with the other Devas. Similarly sitting on the Mukti Mandapa, She frees the Jîvas from the bondages of the world. Sitting on the Jñâna Mandapa, She gives instructions on Jñâna, and sitting on the fourth Ekânta Mandapa, She consults with Her ministers, the Sakhîs, Ananga Kusuma, etc., on the creation, preservation, etc., of the universe. O King! Now I shall describe about the main, Khâs, room of S’rî Devî. Listen. The Khâs Mahâl palace of the Devî Bhagavatî is named S’rî Chintâmani Griha. Within this is placed the raised platform, the dais and sofa whereon the Devî taketh Her honourable seat. The ten S’akti-tattvas form the staircases. The four legs are (1) Brahmâ, (2) Visnu, (3) Rudra, and (4) Mahes’vara. Sadâs’iva forms the upper covering plank. Over this S’rî Bhuvanes’vara Mahâ Deva or the Supreme Architect of the Universe is reigning. Now hear something about this Bhuvanes’vara. Before creation while intending to sport, the Devî Bhagavatî divided Her Body into two parts and from the right part created Bhuvanes’vara. He has five faces and each face has three eyes. He has four hands and He is holding in each hand speer, signs indicating do not fear, axe, and signs granting boons. He looks sixteen years old. The lustre of of His Body is more beautiful then Koti Kandarpas and more fiery than thousand Suns; and at the same time cool like Koti Suns. His colour is crystal white, and on His left lap S’rî Bhuvanes’varî Devî is always sitting. [(12.12.1–17) Devi Bhagavatam]SRIMAD DEVI BHAGAVAD PURAN (1.4.55–61)Lord Narayan to Lord Brahma :-I am always subservient to that Maha S’akti; (under Her command) I am engaged in Tapasyâ for a long time; (By Her command) some time I enjoy with Lakshmî; some time I fight battles, terrible to all the Lokas, with the Dânavas, involving great bodily troubles. O Know of Dharma! It was before Your presence that I fought hand to hand fight for five thousand years before Your sight on that one great ocean in long-past days with the two demons Madhu and Kaitabha, sprung from the wax of my ear, maddened with pride; and by the grace of the Devî, successfully killed the two Dânavas. [1.4.51–54(Devi Bhagavad Puran)]O highly fortunate one! you realised then the great S’akti, higher than the highest and the cause of all causes; then why are you asking again and again that question. By the will of that S’akti, I have got this idea of man and roam on the great ocean; in yuga after yuga, I assume by Her will, the Tortoise, Boar, Man-Lion, and Dwarf incarnations. No one likes to take birth in the womb of inferior animals (especially birds). Do you think that I willingly take unpleasant births as in the womb of boars, tortoise, i.e., certainly not. What independent man is there who abandons the pleasurable enjoyment with Laksmi and takes birth in inferior animals as fish, etc. or leaves his seat on the seat of Gaduda and becomes engaged in great war-conflicts. O Svayambhu! In ancient days you saw before your eyes that my head was cut off when the bowstring suddenly gave way; and then you, brought a horse's head and by that help, the divine artist Visvakarma, stuck that on to my headless body. O Brahmâ! Since then I am known amongst men by the name of “Hayagrîva”. This is well-known to you. Now say, were I independent, would such an ignominy have happened to me? Never. Therefore I am not independent; I am in every way under that S’akti. O Lotus-born! I always meditate on that S’akti; and I do not know any other than this S’akti”.SRIMAD DEVI BHAGAVAD PURAN (1.5.51–68)Brahma to Vedas :-“O Vedas! Now go on and chant hymns to the Sacred Highest Devî Mahâmâyâ, who is Brahmâvidyâ, who brings all issues to their successful issues, who is hidden in all forms.” Hearing His words, the all-beautiful Vedas began to chant hymns to Mahâmâyâ who can be comprehended by Jñân, and who pervades the world.The Vedas said :-Obeisance to the Devî! to the Mahâmâyâ! to the Auspicious One! to the Creatrix of the Universe! We bow down to Thee, who is beyond the Gunas, the Ruler of all the Beings! O Mother! Thou givest to S’ankara even His desires. Thou art the receptacle of all the things; Thou art the Prâna of all the living beings; Thou art Buddhi, Laksmî (wealth), S’obhâ, Ks'hamâ (forgiveness), S’ânti (peace), Sraddhâ (faith), Medhâ (intellect), Dhriti (fortitude), and Smriti (recollection). (1.5.51–54)Thou art the vindu (m) over the Prânava (om) and thou art of the nature of semi-moon; Thou art Gâyattri, Thou art Vyârhiti; Thou art Jayâ, Vijayâ, Dhâtri (the supportress), Lajjâ (modesty), Kîrti (fame), Ichchâ (will) and Dayâ (mercy) in all beings. (1.5.55)O Mother! Thou art the merciful Mother of the three worlds; Thou artthe adorable auspicious Vidyâ (knowledge) benefitting all the Lokas; Thou destroyest the Universe and Thou skilfully residest (hidden) in the Vîja mantras. Therefore we are praising Thee. O Mother! Brahmâ, Visnu, Mahes’vara, Indra, Sûrya, Fire, Sarasvatî and other Regents of the Universe are all Thy creation; so none of them is superior to Thee. Thou art the Mother of all the things, moving and non-moving.(1.5.56–57)O Mother ! When Thou dost will to create this visible Universe, Thou createst first Brahmâ, Visnu and Mahes'vara and makest them create, preserve and destroy this universe; but Thou remainest quite unattached to the world. Ever Thou remainest constant in Thy one form. No one in this Universe is able to know Thy nature; nor there is any body who can enumerate Thy names. How can he promise to jump across the illimitable ocean, who cannot jump across an ordinary well. O Bhagavatî! No one amongst the Devas even knows particularly Thy endless power and glory. Thou art alone the Lady of the Universe and the Mother of the world. (1.5.58–61)The Vedas all bear testimony how thou alone hast created all this unreal and fleeting universe. O Devî! Thou without any effort and having no desires hast become the cause of this visible world, thyself remaining unchanged. This is a great wonder. We cannot conceive this combination of contrary varieties in one. O Mother! How can we understand thy power, unknown to all the Vedas even, when thou thyself dost not know thy nature! We are bewildered at this. O Mother! It is that thou dost know nothing about the falling off of the Visnu's head! Or knowingly thou wanted to examine Visnu's prowess. Is it that Hari incurred any heinous sin. How can that be! Where is sin to thy followers who serve Thee! O Mother! Why art Thou so much indifferent to the Devas! It is a great wonder that the head of Visnu is severed! Really, we are merged in great misfortunes. Thou art clever in removing the sorrows of Thy devotees. Why art Thou delaying in fixing again the head on Visnu's body. (1.5.68–68)Uma Samhita (Shiva Puran)Brahma to Prameshwari :O Mahamaya, save me, save me, O goddess favourably disposed to those who seek refuge in you, O mother of the universe, save me from the Daityas of hideous features.I bow to the Great Maya, the Yogis slumber, Uma, Sati, Kalaratri, Moharatri, Greater than the Greatest, the Mother of the three deities, the eternal, the bestower of the fruits of the cherished desires of the devotees, the protectress of the Gods and the ocean of mercy.It is by your power that Brahma creates the world, Visnu protects it and Siva destros it at the opportune time.Uma to Indra:Neither Brahma nor Vishnu nor Shiva the slayer of the Tripura demon can bluff before me. What about the other gods?The great Brahman, the great light in the form of the two Pranavas, I Alone am. I am All. There is none other beside me.Though devoid of form I possess forms. I constitute all principles. I am eternal and my attributes cannot be disputed. I am both the cause and the effect.Sometimes I have the form of a woman, sometimes of a man. Sometimes both. I am goddess assuming all forms.I am the Creator, the Protector and the Destroyer of the world. I am enchantress of the universe.All the Shaktis - Kali, Lakshmi and Sarasvati as well as others are born of my parts. So alo the arts originate from me.Due to my power alone the demons are conquered by you. Without knowing me of this nature you bluff as the lords of all.Just a as a magician makes the wooden doll of a woman dance so also I, the Goddess make all beings dance.Being afraid of me the wind blows, the fire-god burns and the guardians of the quarters carry on their duties.Independant that I am, I sportively bestow victory on the Gods sometimes and on the Daityas sometimes.It is from my form that is described in the Vedas as indestructible, the great abode, the one beyond Maya and that which is greater than the greatest.My form is two-fold-Saguna and Nirguna. One is mixed with Maya and the other is free from it.O Gods, endowed with devotion, realise this and eschew your arrogance, worship me, the eternal Prakriti.On hearing the merciful words of the Goddess, the gods eulogized her, with their shoulders drooping with devotion.O Goddess of the Universe, forgive us.O Goddess, be pleased. O Mother, let us not be arrogant again. Please be merciful.The eloquent Indra, and the crowd of Suras, after the death of the demons bowing their heads were delighted, and the hair of their beautiful bodies became erect.The Prayer of Devathas to Devi Durga in Devi Mahatmyam (1–37 which is also called ‘Devi Stuti’)( Chapter 84 of Markandeya Puran)1-2. When that most valiant but evil-natured Mahisasura and the army of that foe of the devas were destroyed by the Devi, Indra and the hosts of devas uttered their words of praise, their necks and shoulders reverently bent, and bodies rendered beautiful with horripilation and exultation.3. ‘To that Ambika who is worthy of worship by all devas and sages and pervades this world by her power and who is the embodiment of the entire powers of all the hosts of devas, we bow in devotion. May she grant us auspicious things!4. ‘May Chandika, whose incomparable greatness and power Bhagavan Vishnu, Brahma and Hara are unable to describe, bestow her mind on protecting the entire world and on destroying the fear of evil.5. ‘ O Devi, we bow before you, who are yourself good fortune in the dwellings of the virtuous, and ill-fortune in those of the vicious, intelligence in the hearts of the learned, faith in the hearts of the good, and modesty in the hearts of the high-born. May you protect the universe!6. ‘O Devi, how can we describe your inconceivable form, or your abundant surpassing valour that destroys the asuras, or your wonderful feats displayed in battles among all the hosts of gods, asuras and others?7. ‘You are the origin of all the worlds! Though you are possessed of the three gunas you are not known to have any of their attendant defects (like passion)! You are incomprehensible even to Vishnu, Shiva and others! You are the resort of all! this entire world is composed of an infinitesimal portion of yourself! You are verily the supreme primordial Prakriti untransformed.8. ‘O Devi, you are Svaha at whose utterance the whole assemblage of gods attains satisfaction in all the sacrifices. You are the Svadha which gives satisfaction to the manes. Therefore you are chanted (as Svaha and Svadha in Sacrifices) by people.9. ‘O Devi, you are Bhagavati, the supreme Vidya which is the cause of liberation, and great inconceivable penance (are the means for your realization). You ( the supreme knowledge) are cultivated by sages desiring liberation, whose senses are well restrained, who are devoted to Reality, and have shed all the blemishes.10. ‘You are the soul of Sabda-Brahman. You are the repository of the very pure Rig-veda and Yajus hymns, and of Samans, the recital of whose words is beautiful sith the Udgitha! You are Bhagavati embodying the three Vedas. And you are the sustenance whereby life is maintained. You are the supreme destroyer of the pain of al the worlds.11. ‘O Devi, you are the Intellect, by which the essence of all scriptures is comprehended. You are Durga, the boat that takes men across the difficult ocean of worldly existence, devoid of attachments. You are Shri who has invariably taken her abode in the heart of Vishnu. You are indeed Gauri who has established herself with Shiva.12. ‘Gently smiling, pure, resembling the full moon’s orb, beautiful like the splendour of excellent gold was your face! Yet it was very strange that, being swayed by anger, Mahisasura suddenly struck your face when he saw it.13. ‘Far strange it is that after seeing your wrathful face, O Devi, terrible with its frowns and red in hue like the rising moon, that Mahisasura did not forthwith give up his life! For, who can live after beholding the enraged Destroyer?14. ‘O Devi, be propitious. You are Supreme. If enraged, you forthwith destroy the (asura) families for the welfare (of the world). This was known the very moment when the extensive forces of Mahisasura were brought to their end.15. ‘You who are always bounteous, with whom you are well pleased, those (fortunate ones) are indeed the object of esteem in the country, theirs are riches, theirs are glories, and their acts of righteousness perish not; they are indeed blessed and possessed of devoted children, servants and wives.16. ‘By your grace, O Devi, the blessed individual does daily all righteous deeds with utmost care and thereby attains to heaven. Are you not, therefore O Devi, the bestower of reward in all the three worlds?17. ‘When called to mind in a difficult pass, you remove fear for every person. When called to mind by those in happiness, you bestow a mind still further pious. Which goddess but you, O Dispeller of poverty, pain and fear, has an ever sympathetic heart for helping everyone?18. ‘The world attains happiness by the killing of these (foes) and though these (asuras) have committed sins to keep them long in hell, let them reach heaven by meeting death eventually at he battle (with me)- thinking thus, that you, O Devi, certainly destroy our enemies.19. ‘Don’t’ you reduce to ashes all asuras by mere sight? But you direct your weapons against them so that even the inimical ones, purified by the missiles, may attain the higher worlds. Such is your most kindly intention towards them.20. ‘If the eyes of the asuras had not been put out by the terrible flashes of the mass of light issuing from your sword or by the copious lustre of your spearpoint, it is because they saw also your face resembling the moon, giving out (cool) rays.21. ‘O Devi, your nature is to subdue the conduct of the wicked; this your peerless beauty is inconceivable for others; your power destroys those who have robbed the devas of their prowess, and you have thus manifested your compassion even towards the enemies.22. ‘What is your prowess to be compared to? Where can one find this beauty (of yours) most charming, (yet) striking fear in enemies? Compassion in heart and relentlessness in battle are een, O Devi, O Bestower of boons, only in you in all the three worlds!23. ‘Through the destruction of the enemies all these three worlds have been saved by you. Having killed them in the battle-front, you have led even those hosts of enemies to heaven, and you have dispelled our fear from the frenzied enemies of the devas. Salutation to you!24. ‘O Devi, protect us with your spear. O Ambika, protect us with your sword, protect us by the sound of your bell and by the twang of your bow-string.25. ‘O Chandika, guard us in the east, in the west, in the north and in the south by the brandishing of your spear. O Iswari!26. ‘Protect us and the earth with those lovely forms of yours moving about in the three worlds, as also with your excludingly terrible forms.27. ‘O Ambika, protect us on every side with your sword, spear and club and whatever other weapons your sprout-like (soft) hand has touched.’ The Rishi said:28-30. Thus the supporter of the worlds was praised by the devas, worshipped with celestial flowers that blossomed in Nandana and with perfumes and unguents; and with devotion all of them offered her – heavenly incense. Benignly serene in countenance she spoke to all obeisant devas. The Devi said:31-32. ‘Choose all of you, O devas, whatever you desire of me. (Gratified immensely with these hymns, I grant it with great pleasure)’ The devas said:33-34. ‘Since our enemy, this Mahisasura, has been slain by Bhagavati (i.e you) everything has been accomplished, and nothing remains to be done. 35. ‘And if a boon is to be granted to us by you, O Mahesvari, whenever we think of you again, destroy our direct calamities.36-37. ‘O Mother of spotless countenance, and whatever mortal shall praise you with these hymns, may you, who have become gracious towards us, be also for his increase in this wealth, wife, and other fortunes together with riches, prosperity and life, O Ambika!’Suka’s soliloquy (occurs in Devi Bhagavad Puran 1.15.1–67)Oh! He, whose words are accepted by all, with great love and care as equivalent to the Vedas, who is the author of the Vedânta Dars'ana, and before whom nothing is veiled in ignorance, Oh! that greatest Pundit, the knower of all the Tattvas, is now deluded by Mâyâ? Oh! what is that Mâyâ who has been able to delude Vyâsa Deva, the son of Satyavati, so skilled in the knowledge of Brahmâ Vidyâ; I also do not know how, with what great care, one is to practise Sâdhanâ towards Her.Alas! He who has composed eighteen Mahâ Purânas and the great Mahâ Bhârata, who has divided the Vedas in four parts, the same Veda Vyâs has today been deluded by the power of Mâyâ! What to speak of other persons! Oh! Mâyâ has deluded Brahmâ, Visnu, Mahes'vara and others and the whole universe; then who is there in the three worlds that is not fascinated by Her influence! I therefore, take refuge unto the Internal Governess, the Devî Mahâ Mâyâ. Oh! what wonderful power She wields? By her own Mâyic power, She has kept God even under Her control, who is omniscient and the Controller of all. The Pundits, who know the Purânas say, that Vyâsa Deva is born of the part of Visnu; but, see the wonder, that he is today plunged in the sea of delusion like a merchant whose ship has been wrecked. Alas! How great is the wonderful power of Mâyâ! The all-knowing Vyâsa is today under the control of Mâyâ and is weeping like an ordinary man! So I have come to the firm conclusion that the wise Pundits are incapable to surpass the strength of Mâyâ. What a great error arises through the power of Mâyâ! See! indeed!! who is he and who am I? What for we have come here? There is no certainty, nothing whatsoever, about that. And, see, also, how he has got the nice idea of “father” on his body and the idea of “his son” in my body, that are composed of five elements.This is now quite evident to me that, when the Brâhmin Maharsi Krisna Dvaipâyan is weeping under the influence of Mâyâ, She is the strongest of all; even those who are skilled in the great Mâyâ fall under Her prey.Then S’ûka Deva bowed down mentally to the Devî, Mahâ Mâyâ, who is the Creatrix of Brahmâ and the other Devas and who is the Controller of them all.Hymn to Durga in Rudra Samhita (Shiv Puran)Narada:1.O Brahma, dear, of great intellect, please tell me, O most eloquent one. When Visnu went away what happened? O what did you do?Brahma :2.O Brahmin, best of my sons, listen attentitvely to what I did when Visnu went away.3.I began a continuous prayer of the Goddess Durga, the beloved of Siva, the creator of the universe, of the nature of Vidya and Avidya, and identical with pure supreme Brahman..4.I salute the Goddess who is omnipresent,eternal, for whom there is no support, who is never distressed,who is te mother of the three deities, who is the grossest of the gross and yet has no form.5.O Goddess of the devas, You are Perfect Knowledge, Supreme Bliss, identical with the Supreme Soul. Be Pleased. Grant me the fulfillment of my task. Obeisance to You.10.Obeisance, obesaince, to Thee, who art in the form of Pravrtti (Action) and Nivrtti (Abstinence); who wrt in the form of creation and sustenance of the universe. Thou are the eternal Energy of the movable and the immovable beigs capable of enchanting everyone.11.Thou hast manifested Thyself as Sri, a garland round Kesava's form, who in the form of Earth holdest everythig within, who art of yore the great Goddess causing creation and the destruction of the three worlds and art beyond the Three Gunas.12. Thou art present in everything even in the essential atom and who art charmingly honoured by yogis;who art perceivable in the hearts of the Yogis purified by restraints, as well as in the path of their meditation.15. Thou art the fourth to the three Gunas viz.(sattva,Rajas and Tamas); but devoid of their depravity though these irignate from Thee;Thou createst, protectest and devourest the whole universe within and without having three Gunas as its only cause.THE Virat Roop/ ‘Viswaroop’ of Devi Skati (Cosmic Manifestation) [7.33.21–41 of SRIMAD DEVI BHAGAVATAM]Vyâsa said:--"O King! Hearing the words of Girirâja, Visnu and all the other Devas gladly seconded him. Then the Devî, the Goddess of the Universe, knowing the desires of the Devas, showed Her Own Form that fulfils the desires of the Bhaktas, that is auspicious and that is like the Kalpa Vriksa towards the Bhaktas. They saw Her Highest Virât Form. The Satyaloka is situated on the topmost part and is Her head; the Sun and Moon are Her eyes; the quarters, Her ears; the Vedas are Her words; the Universe is Her heart; the earth is Her loins; the Bhuvarloka is Her navel; the asterisms are Her Thighs; the Maharloka is Her neck; the Janarloka is Her Face; the Taparloka is Her head, situated below the S'atyaloka; Indra and the Devas and the Svarloka is Her arms; the sound is the organ of Her ears; the As'vin twins, Her nose; the smell is the organ of smell; the fire is within Her face; day and night are like Her two wings. The four-faced Brahmâ is Her eyebrows; water is Her palate; the juice thereof is Her organ of taste; Yama, the God of Death, is Her large teeth; the affection is Her small teeth; Mâyâ is Her smile; the creation of Universe is Her sidelooks; modesty is Her upper lip; covetousness is Her lower lip; unrighteousness is Her back. The Prajâpati is Her organ of generation; the oceans are Her bowels; the mountains are Her bones; the rivers are Her veins; and the trees are the hairs of Her body. O King! Youth, virginity, and old age are Her best gaits, positions or ways (courses) paths, the clouds are Her handsome hairs; the two twilights are Her clothings; the Moon is the mind of the Mother of the Universe; Hari is Her Vijnâna S'âkti (the knowledge power); and Rudra is Her all-destroying power. The horses and other animals are Her loins; the lower regions Atala, etc., are Her lower regions from Her hip to Her feet. The Devas began to behold Her this Cosmic (Virâta) appearance with eyes, wide awake, with wonder. Thousands of fiery rays emitted from Her form; She began to lick the whole universe with Her lips; the two rows of teeth began to make horrible sounds; fires came out from Her eyes; various weapons were seen in Her hands; and the Brâhmanas and Ksattriyas are become the food cf that Awful Deity. Thousands of heads, eyes and feet were seen in that form. Crores of Suns, crores of lightnings flashes, mingled there. Horrible, Awful, That appearance looked terrific to the eyes, heart and mind. The Devas thus beheld and began to utter cries of horror and consternation; their hearts trembled and they were caught with immoveable senselessness. "Here is the Devî, our Mother and Preserver." this ides vanished away at once from their minds.At this moment the Vedas that were on the four sides of the Devî, removed the swoon of the Devas and made them conscious. The Immortals got, then, the excellant Vedas; and, having patience, began to praise and chant hymns in words choked with feelings and with tears flowing flowing from their eyes.THE HIGHEST SHAKTI [12.8.62–83 of SRIMAD DEVI BHAGAVATAM]This My Form is Brahmâ, the Cause of all causes, the Seat of Mâyâ, the Witness of all, infallible and free from all defects or blemishes. What all the Vedas and Upanisadas try to establish, what ought to be obtained, as declared by all the rules of austerity, and for which the Brâhmanas practise Brahmacharyam, I am all that. I have told you about that Brahmâ, of the nature of the Great Holy Light. The sages declare that That Brâhman is revealed by “Om” and “Hrîm”, the two Vîjas (mystic syllables) that are My two first and foremost Mantras wherein I remain hidden. I create this universe with My two parts (in My two aspects); therefore My Vîja mantra is two. “Om” Vîja is denominated as Sachchidânanda (everlasting existence, intelligence and bliss) and “Hrîm” Vîja is Mâyâ Prakriti, the Undifferentiated Consciousness, made manifest. Know, then, That Mâyâ as the Highest S’akti and know Me as that Omnipotent Goddess at present revealed before your eyes. As moonlight is not different from the Moon, so this Mâyâ S’akti in the state of equilibrium is not different from Me. (The powerful man and the power he wields are not different. They are verily one and the same.) During Pralaya (the Great Latency period), this Mâyâ lies latent in Me, without there being any difference. Again at the time of creation, this Mâyâ appears as the fructification of the Karmas of the Jîvas. When this Mâyâ is potential and exists latent in Me, when Mâyâ is Antarmukhî, it is called Unmanifested and when the Mâyâ becomes Kinetic, when the Mâyâ is Bahirmukhî, when She is in an active Kinetic state, it is said to be Manifested. There is no origin or beginning of this Mâyâ. Mâyâ is of the nature of Brahmâ in a state of equilibrium. But, during the beginning of the creation, Her form consisting of the several Gunas appears, when Mâyâ is Bahir Mukhî, She becomes Tâmas, in Her Unmanifested state. O Indra! For this reason Her state of abstraction, and becoming introspective, this is Her Antarmukhî state; it is known as Mâyâ and Her looking outward is Her Bahirmukhî state; it is denominated by Tâmas and the other gunas. From this comes Sâttva and then Râjas and Brahmâ, Visnu and Mahes’a are of the nature of the three gunas. Brahmâ has the Râjo guna in Him preponderating; in Visnu, the Sâttva guna preponderates and in Mahes’a, the Cause of all Causes, is said to reside the Tâmo guna. Brahmâ is known as of the Gross Body; Visnu is known as of the Subtle Body; and Rudra is known as of the Causal Body and I am known as Turîya, transcending the Gunas.DEVI MAHATMYAM [Verse 11 of Narayani Stuti] (Chapter 91 of Markandeya Puran)“Shrishti Sthiti Vinasham Shakti Bhute Sanatane, Guna Shaye (Devoid of all attributes i.e. Nirgun) Gana maye (Having all the attributes) Narayani Namaustute”Meaning: We bow to the first female (Narayani), The eternal energy who creates, sustains and destroys all the elements i.e. tatva and the one who is truly supreme spirit (Nirgun) at the time who encapsulate all the attributes for Generation, Observation and Destruction.“O Mother! Thou only destroyest the affliction of the human beings; those that want liberation worship Thee, and those that are ignorant and attached to worldly enjoyments do not worship Thee. What more can be said than this, that Brahmâ, Vishnu, Mahesha and the other Devas incessantly worship Thy adorable lotus-feet; but those men that are of dull intellect and are mistaken, they do not meditate Thy feet and, therefore, they come again and again into this ocean of world. O Chandika! It is through the grace of the dust of Thy lotus-feet that Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara are creating, preserving and destroying this universe.”_Devi Bhagavatam.“May Devi Durga Who gives victory and happiness, Dispeller of fear, Victrix of fortress and ill-fortune, Who had power to destroy the proud enemies of the Devatas (Gods), And Who strikes terror into the hearts of thousands (her foes) ever conquer. She it was Who, having severed the head of the Asura Mahisha, Crushed & killed under Her feet who assumed the form of a buffalo.”_Mahishasurmardini strotam.“Goddess worship does not belong to any particular cult. It is true that the Sakta places the feminine at centre stage. However the Goddess is worshipped by all irrespective of any distinction. In fact it is Shakti worship that is a common feature of most Hindu schools irrespective of whether they are Shaiva, Vaishnava, Shakta or Ganapatya. The Divine Mother is synonymous with Shakti, the unifying force of existence. Shakti is the Divine Power of creation, sustenance and transformation. In other words Shakti worship is nothing but worshipping the inherent Power of the Supreme Divine. Various forms like Durga, Chandi, Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Maha Saraswati are but Her divine forms. Each form of the Devi has a distinctive role meant for a definite purpose. Yet every form is also identified as the Ultimate Reality of the universe. Each form of the Divine Mother is thus an embodiment of the Supreme Divinity. “_Dr. Satya Prakash Choudhary.“O Goddess, who takes away the sufferings of those who take refuge in you, be gracious; be gracious, O mother of the entire world. Be gracious, O Queen of all; you are the queen, O Goddess, of all that does and does not move. You have become the sole sup-port of the world, for you abide in the form of the earth. By you who exist in the form of water, all this universe is filled up, O one of inviolable valour. You are the power of Vishnu, of boundless valour; you are the seed of all, the supreme illusion. Deluded, O Goddess, is this en-tire universe; you, when resorted to, are the cause of release right here on earth. All the various knowledges, O Goddess, are portions of you, as is each and every woman in the various worlds. By you alone as mother has this world been filled up; what praise can suffice for you who are beyond praise, the ultimate utterance? When you, O Goddess who has become everything, granting heaven and ultimate freedom, Are praised, what fine words could suffice for the eulogy?” On the one hand, given the fact that the image of deity in Western religion is so overwhelmingly masculine—the image of Michaelangelo’s bearded patriarch on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel comes quickly to mind—it is not surprising that some-one with a western background, who was today looking for a fresh way of thinking about deity, would be drawn to the Devi described in the passages I have just quoted. Surely it was partly the contrast with the familiar that so arrested me in front of the image of Durga. Many others, particularly western women, have also found important new and empowering spiritual insights in Hindu understandings of the Goddess.”_ Thomas Coburn.Ending this post with my obeisance to The Auspicious Supreme Mother Goddess.JAI MATA DI.