Srimad Devi Bhagavatam (English Version - Prose) Set of 2 Volumes

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Srimad Devi Bhagavatham is composed by Veda Vyasa, wherein the Devi is glorified as the Paramatman (Supreme Soul)/Aadi Sakthi. The narrative of the Puranas is generally by giving answers to questions -Saunaka asking questions to Soota on behalf of the group of Munis assembled in Naimisharanya and Soota answering the same.

This book is in lucid English and is being published in 2 volumes. The first Volume covers the Devi Bhagavatha Maahaatmya in one part and 6 Cantos of the Devi Bhagavatham in another part. The second Volume renders the Devi Gita from Canto 7 to 12. Thus, this book brings out the spiritual gems in its entirety.

CP BALACHANDRAN NAIR born in the year 1950 at Kollam, had his school education in Infant Jesus Anglo Indian High School Thangassery, Kollam, once a British enclave. Presently he resides in Thiruvananthapuram, the land of Sri Padmanabha. (famous for his temple named Sri Padmanabha Swamy).

He is an MA in Economics from the University of Kerala and started his career as an Officer in the erstwhile Syndicate Bank. After leading a fruitful Banking career for 37 years, he now lives a peaceful retired life authoring religious books and contributing articles in Bhaktapriya, a magazine published by Guruvayoor Devaswam.

The Vedas and Puranas are amongst the vast genre of creations of the ancient Rsis.

The Vedas or the Srutis considered as the oldest Hindu scripture are composed in Vedic Sanskrit. It is said that the authority of the Vedas is indisputable and beyond questions, and whatever is stated in the Vedas must be accepted completely. Otherwise, one challenges the very authority of the Vedas themselves.

The Smrti or the Puranas include intricate layers of stories that speak of attainment of Dharma, Kama, Artha and Moksa in the course of successive Yugas. The receptacle of these Puranas are the Devas/Devis known as Visnu and Siva/ Bhagavatī or Sakti. The Puranas also depict the Karmas of Devas/Devis of lesser stature and also that of Rsis and Kings besides tracing their genealogies.

The Vedas and Puranas are attributed to BrahmarSi Vyasa, also known as Badarayana or Krsna Dvaipayana (the son of Maharsi ParaSara) who lived in the Dvapara Yuga. However, there is a school of thought that proclaims Vyasa as only a title. They opine that the various Puranas are the creations of Rsis who were bestowed the status of Vyasa. Nearing the end of every Dvapara Yuga a Vyasa arrives to divide the Vedas and compile the Puranas for the benefit of mankind in the Kali Yuga. Twenty-eight Dvapara Yugas are past and hence twenty-eight Vyasas.

Except for the Pundits, the ordinary mortals had found it arduous to assimilate the nuances of the Vedas. In the Srīmad Bhagavatam, Chapter 5, it is stated that Vyasa had noted that the intellect and memory of the human being would deteriorate. Therefore, he divided the Vedas into four and taught his disciples. Still, he was disquiet. He then proceeded to compose the Itihasa called Mahabharata. Not obtaining any contentment even thereafter, he sought the advice of Narada and as advised by him he produced the Purana named Srīmad Bhagavatam, which glorifies Visnu/ Krsna as the Paramatman and Devi as his Maya.

"Nihil boni sine labore", meaning nothing is achieved without hard work. This is especially true of this meticulous and laudable work of Sri C. P. Balachandran Nair, the English version of Srīmad Devi Bhagavatam, the fruit of his incessant labour for the last three years.

This highly revered text happens to be one of the eighteen major Puraņas of Hinduism, held sacred by the 'Sakteyas, the worshippers of the Divine Mother, the world over. It consists of twelve Cantos (Sections) with 318 chapters totalling 18000 slokas.

The Devi Bhagavatam loudly and without even the faintest trace of hesitation and doubt, proclaims and celebrates the primordial feminine divine energy as the creator of this Universe (or of all Universes, to be precise), the ultimate truth and reality, as also the preserver and destroyer of everything everywhere. She is also hailed as the entity empowering spiritual salvation. While the seventeen remaining Puraņas all reverentially refer to the Goddess, Devi Bhagavata Puraņa centres around the 'Devi Ma' as the omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent deity, deemed to be the focus and fulcrum of every movement of this mundane world. This text, along with all the Puraņas, Vedas and Mahabharata, is attributed to the Sage Veda Vyasa, son of Sage ParaSara and Satyavati (Matsyagandhi). Opinions by scholars differ as to the date of this text. Some say the text was composed before 6th century BC. Some date it between the 9th and 14th century. People like Rajendra Chandra Hazra puts it at 11th or 12th century. Tracy Pintchman, Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the International Studies Programme at Layola University of Chicago, dates this Puraņa to the period between 1000 and 1200 CE.