Devi Mahatmyam

This dedication has been undertaken as an offering to the lotus feet of Adi Parashakti, the Supreme Being and Divine Mother.

The aim is to share the sacred Durgā Saptaśatī (“Durgā’s 700”), which is also known as the Devī Māhātmyam (“The Greatness of the Goddess”) and the Caṇdī Pātha (“Caṇdī’s Text”) through the use of romanized Sanskrit with Devi devotees, who may not be proficient in Sanskrit.

The IAST transliteration adopted here is relatively easy to master, especially when simultaneously listened with the Devī Māhātmyam audio recitation. 

Special thanks and acknowledgement to Dr. Satya Prakash Choudary for his comprehensive and enlightening article; “The Glory of the Goddess-Devi Mahatmyam”.  

Special thanks and acknowledgement to Ajit Krishnan, Mahadeva S Sarma, PVR Narasimha and Rajarshi Nandy. Their invaluable commentaries sourced from various discussion forums have been incorporated in the notes. 

Please read the pronunciation guide section first, to familiarise with the basic nuances of Sanskrit vocal sounds. 

Some key transliteration characters have been color coded and also long words have breaks indicated to assist pronunciation.

Audio clips (available only with iBook applications) are also included for selected sections to help with vedic pronunciation.