Devi Mahatmya

At a glance

History, context & interpretation

The text and its story

700 verses celebrating the Great Goddess, Durga, who slays the buffalo demon Mahishasura. It is recited during the Navaratri festival.

Traditional attribution

Told by the sage Markandeya.

Historical scholarship

Part of the Markandeya Purana, by unknown authors.

Context and curiosity

It is the earliest text to present the Goddess as the supreme reality.

Chronology and transmission

This text belongs to Hinduism & Vedic India (India). The catalogue gives its approximate dating as c. 400–600 CE and original language or script as Sanskrit. The dated manuscript witnesses and traditional claims may not refer to the same historical event.

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Sources and further reading

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devi_Mahatmya

Historical descriptions are educational summaries. Religious traditions, scholarly interpretations and unverified claims are distinguished where possible; imagery may be illustrative rather than an artifact photograph.