Ĭaṇḍī or Caṇḍika is the name by which the Supreme Goddess is referred to in Devī Māhātmyam. The text is called Saptaśati (literally a collection of seven hundred' or something that contains seven hundreds in number), as it contains 700 shlokas (verses). Sanskrit māhātmya-, 'magnanimity, highmindedness, majesty' is a neuter abstract noun of māha-ātman-, or 'great soul.' The title devīmāhātmyam is a tatpurusha compound, literally translating to 'the magnanimity of the goddess.'

The oldest surviving manuscript of the Devi Māhātmyam, on palm-leaf, in an early Bhujimol script, Bihar or Nepal, 11th century The booking for Yakshagana troupes, not months but years in advance proves the devotion and importance of Devi Mahatme storyline. Tulunadu, located in Coastal Karnataka draws inspiration from the Devi Mahatmyam for several plays in the form of Yakshagana that are conducted throughout the year at most of Shakti temples to depict the glorious powers of Devi to people of all generations since many centuries. It is recited during Navratri celebrations, the Durga Puja festival, and in Durga temples across India. The Devi Mahatmyam has been particularly popular in eastern states of India, such as West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Assam, Goa Īs well as Nepal. The Devi Mahatmyam is often ranked in some Hindu traditions to be as important as the Bhagavad Gita. The text is one of the earliest extant complete manuscripts from the Hindu traditions which describes reverence and worship of the feminine aspect of God. The verses of this story also outline a philosophical foundation wherein the ultimate reality ( Brahman in Hinduism) is female. In peaceful prosperous times, states the text, the Devi manifests as Lakshmi, empowering creation and happiness.

The Devi Mahatmyam describes a storied battle between good and evil, where the Devi manifesting as goddess Durga leads the forces of good against the demon Mahishasura-the goddess is very angry and ruthless, and the forces of good win. Along with Devi-Bhagavata Purana and Shakta Upanishads such as the Devi Upanishad, it is one of the most important texts of Shaktism (goddess) tradition within Hinduism. The text contains 700 verses arranged into 13 chapters. Devi Mahatmyam is also known as the Durgā Saptashatī ( दुर्गासप्तशती) or Shri Chandi (श्री चण्डी).

Durga saptashati path benefits