History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.629

v6.c81.629

³⁹⁶ Modern scholars generally hold that the Devīmāhātmya, of which the oldest known ms is dated in 998 A. D (as stated in Winternitz's 'History of Indian Literature, English Translation, 1927, p. 565 note 2) was later inserted in the Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa. Though the Devīmāhātmya is called Saptaśatī (collection of 700 verses), the total number of verses therein is only about 573 to 590 in different mss and editions The Venk. press edition in chap. 78–90 has 589 and K. M. Banerjea's in chap. 81–93 has 573. Nāgojibhaṭṭa in his com. on सप्तशती remarks (folio 55 b) 'अष्टसप्तत्युत्तराणी श्लोकानां शतपञ्चकम् । प्रोक्तं सप्तशतीस्तोत्रं तत्सङ्ख्यासंरख्यया ॥'. The number 700 is made up by looking upon words like उवाच as मन्त्रs and half verses as full verses and so on. The 13 chapters are divided into three parts, chap. I being प्रथमचरित, chap 2–4 being मध्यमचरित and 5–13 being उत्तमचरित The 77 or 78 verses of the 1st chapter (प्रथमचरित) are made into 104 mantras viz. उवाचमन्त्राः 14, अर्धमन्त्राः 24, श्लोकमन्त्राः 66. The सप्तशती is treated as if it were a Vedic hymn or verse with ऋषि, metres, प्रधानदेवता, and विनियोग (for जप) 'अस्य श्रीसप्तशतीमन्त्रस्य मार्कण्डेय-ब्रह्मेन्द्र-वासुदेव-रुद्रा ऋषयः। गायत्र्युष्णिगनुष्टुप् छन्दांसि। मधुकैटभमर्दिनी-महिषासुरसेनान्यहिषासुरमर्दिनी — धूम्रलोचनचण्डमुण्डरक्तबीजशुम्भनिशुम्भमद्दिर्न्यः प्रधानदेवताः। Besides, some verses are described as कवच (armour), others as अर्गल (bolt for fastening) and still others as कीलक (pin, the inner syllables of a mantra); पठित्वा कवचं चादौ अर्गलं कीलकं तथा। जपेत्सप्तशतीं चण्डीं क्रम एष शिवोदितः ॥' These three (कवच, अर्गल and कीलक) are outside the देवीमाहात्म्य. The महिषासुरवध in वराहपुराण chap. 95 is to some extent different from the description in the other Purāṇas It appears to be the earliest Paurāṇika version of the slaughter of Mahiṣāsura.