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Durga stotram-Mahabharat reference

From the Bhakti List Archives

Tatachar • September 26, 1996 


Sri Krishna Prasad said: 
>>>It is not enough to state that "Some Upanyasam" referred to  "Krishna
DurgaIncident".  the original work or scripture should be found out first.
 <<<<

Sanjaya said: 

Oh! Dhritarashtra, having looked at the immense army of your children, for
the sake of Arjuna's well being, Srikrishna instructed him thus. 

Sri Bhagavan uvacha:

ShuchirBhootva mahabahO sangraamaabhimukhe sthitaha I
Paraajayaaya shatroonam Durgastotramudeeraya II
(Bheeshma Parva, 23 Adhyaya, verse 2)
Oh! MahabahO! Arjuna! For the sake of your victory over your enemies, cleanse
yourself and utter the most holy Durga stotram.

Sanjaya said: Oh! Great King, having heard thus from the glorious Vasudeva,
Arjuna immediately got out of the chariot and with holded palms praised Durga
(Durga Dozen) thus: ( Bheeshma Parva, 23 Adhyaya, Verses 4-16).

These 12 verses are simple and beautiful. These are followed by Phalashruti
also in the original Mahabharatham. I will post them soon.

(I found this in the Volume 12 of the 36 volume series on translation of the
Vyasa Mahabharatha into Kannada, with original Sanskrit verses in Kannada
lipi,  by Sri Kaushik -a great soul whom I had the bhagyam of meeting this
February. This program of Bharatha Darshana publishers was heralded by Sri
Rangapriya swamigal. As usual, his preface for each volume itself can be
regarded as SHASHTAMO VEDAM. I hope to translate to English his prefaces in
due course. I also had the paramabhagyam of His darshanam as well with little
effort on my part as he showed up at the Andavan swamy established Andal
Rangamannar temple near my house in Bangalore).


Sincerely,

K. Sreekrishna (Tatachar)

PS: One way of looking at why would Krishna ask Arjuna to pray to Durga?

Durga is a manifestation of energy- Narayana may be source.
Just as Narayana takes forms to exert his power (Dashavatarams), likewise,
all the energie swere poured into forming Durga during Mahishasura Mardhanam.

Another speculation is: This episode is prior to Githopadesham. Arjuna has
yet not FULLY realized who Krishna is.  Instead of elaborating that, Krishna,
being a spragmatic as He is, instructed Arjuna to pray to Durga- who perhaps
is already established as an enabling power in Arjuna's mind.  It is just
like we stopping for a quick shot of caffein ( at McDonalds), although we can
make a better coffee ourselves at home.