Devi Speaks II

Himavan, Lord of the mountains said, “Bhagavati, if you are pleased with me, show me your cosmic Self, show me your Virata Rupam.”

The Devas echoed his wish, and the Goddess stood revealed before them, and she was everything that existed, or ever did, or shall. Upon the crown of her head, the highest worlds of Satyaloka, the realms of truth and bliss existed. The Sun and moon were her eyes, the quarters her ears, the Vedas issued from her as sacral speech, the universe was her pulsing heart, the earth was her loins, Bhuvarloka was her navel, the Nakshatras were her thighs, the Maharloka her neck, the Janarloka her face, the Taparloka her brow, just below Satyaloka Indra and the Devas and their Swargaloka were her arms, the Aswins were upon her nose, Agni was her face, day and night were her wings.

Four-faced Brahma sat upon her forehead, between her eyebrows, the ocean of purity flowed from her mouth as her saliva, Yama was her teeth, Maya was her smile, all gross creation was her sidelocks, modesty her upper lip, covetousness her lower lip, adharma behind her. Prajapati was her vagina, the gross seas her bowels, the mountains were her bones, the rivers her veins, and trees and plants her body hair and down. Youth, virginity and old age are masks she wears, the two sandhyas are heir raiment; the Moon is her mind; Vishnu is her vijnana Shakti, and Rudra her apocalyptic power. The beasts of nature are her loins; the nether worlds, Atala, Patala and the others are her legs and feet.

The Devas and the Mountain gazed upon her, they were within her as well, and were rooted with wonder. She contained everything within herself, all the worlds and all creatures, and she was irradiant as a million suns. As they watched they saw her smile, they saw her begin to lick up the universe with her crimson tongue. She chewed all creation with fangs as long as time, and the sounds she made doing this were awful. Her soft eyes grew fierce and spewed flames longer than imagination.

Before the Devas terrified eyes, before Himavan’s shocked, staring gaze, she became an apparition of absolute dread. She had a million arms and hands, all bearing horrible weapons; she had a million heads and faces, each one savage and dark. Her demented, scarlet eyes were everywhere, numberless suns and awesome gashes of lightning shone and played across her faces. Galaxies erupted and died upon her velvet skin, her brilliant pores. The Devas began to scream in terror. The Mountain roared in fear, and, in a moment, Himavan and all the gods swooned at the Devi Bhagavati’s feet.

In a while, the embodied Vedas roused them with soft mantras, and the immortals and the Mountain prostrated themselves at the Goddess’ feet, and hymned her in awe, in fervor.

Obeisance to thee, Mother of words, of the nature of Pranava. Ameyaa, who can measure your greatness, when you are all there is, all place, all time, and the great peace beyond these? You are the one of whom the Vedanta speaks, you alone. Obeisance, O Hriim, without whom nothing would be. You are the self of all the living, from you the fire and the sun, the moon and the earth have flowed. From you the healing herbs have come, why, from you all the gods were born.
You are the source of all the worlds and their creatures, from the smallest to Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. We tremble to see your cosmic form Mother. We beg you, be as you were before, so we can bear to look at you. Be soft and lovely again, ah, dreadful, unbearable One!

And she stood before them, exquisite and kindly again. She was four-armed, and held the noose and the goad in two hands, and the others were formed in the mudras that dispel fear and grant boons. She was gentle and smiling, and her presence was of such grace that their minds were washed with a wave of relief and joy to see her like that.

[Reproduced without permission from Devi: The Devi Bhagavatam Retold, by Ramesh Menon. Please drop me a line in case copyright regulations require this posting to be removed.]