Abstract Book Review

[Swami Satyananda]

Dear Fellow Scholars:
		Below is an abstract of a Book Review for the 
Chandi Path, recently published by Motilal 
Banarsidass in India and Devi Mandir in the US. We 
invite your comments.

		Scripture is most highly regarded within 
literature because of its capacity to communicate 
inspiration and information pertaining to man's 
quest for personal transformation. The primary task 
of the translator is to communicate the bhava, what 
we would call the attitude of awareness or intensity 
or debth of feeling, of the original propounders.  			
		With this understanding, the Chandi Path is a road 
map from the confusions of duality into the heart of 
divine reality, which in this text is termed as the 
Divine Mother. The key to the understanding and 
application of this allegory is the interpretation 
of the proper names utilized throughout the 
scripture.  
		The root chand means to tear or to cut, the suffix 
i means the female personification of cause, and we 
have translated Chandi as the cause of cutting 
through duality, She Who Tears Apart Duality, She 
Who Tears Apart Thought.
		In the Chandi Path, as we understand it, the 
battle which is being fought is not a far-off 
history which took place in another time, in another 
location. Rather, it is an internal battle which 
each of us is facing continually as we perceive 
every new set of circumstances, as we encounter 
every new form of thought.  
		We define dharma as the highest ideal of 
perfection, and in every circumstance, in every 
action, each of us is striving to manifest that 
highest ideal of perfection. Throughout our 
experiences in life, continually voices speak up 
within us proclaiming that it is possible for us to 
do a little bit less than perfection in any given 
circumstance. These voices are the thought forms of 
asuras, the forces which increase the selfishness of 
the individual and lead him or her in the path of 
divisive action. The Gods or Devas or Shining Ones 
are the forces of unity, which inspire the surrender 
of selfishness and expand into cohesive expressions 
of divinity.  
		The Chandi Path describes the story of how the 
Gods unite in prayer to the divine energy of the 
universe, in response to which, the Divine Mother 
puts Too Much and Too Little into balance, bestows 
the wisdom which destroys Self-Conceit and 
Self-Deprecation, the armies of the Great Ego 
commanded by such generals as Anger, Passion, Greed, 
Irresistible Temptation, Arrogance, Blindness, 
Foul-Mouth, Memories; and thereafter, ultimately 
causes the surrender of the Great Ego, who now 
becomes a servant of God. No longer need the Ego 
tolerate the burdens of life, but now rejoices in 
the privilege of demonstrating pure love through 
every action.  
		We believe that the spirit of such translations 
are in keeping with grammatical authority, and also 
are in accordance with the oral traditions of the 
Sanskrit Parampara.  
		The Chandi Path, ISBN 1-877795-00-3, is published 
by Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited 
and Devi Mandir Publications. It is available 
through bookstores around the world and through book 
distributions such Book People, New Leaf, Baker and 
Taylor, etc., or by ordering directly from the Devi 
Mandir. The book consists of 425 pages with each 
mantra of the text written in the original Devanagri 
Sanskrit, a Romanized transliteration, and an 
English translation and commentary. The book retails 
for $15.00, and we will make it available at 
wholesale cost for all members of the Indology list 
who may have an interest. Special arrangements can 
be made for teachers who may wish to use the book 
for class studies. 
		We are privileged to invite you into the bhava of 
the Devi Mandir Web Site from which we wish to share 
with you the melodic voice of Shree Maa's bhajans, 
and previews and abstracts of other works which we 
have translated, as well as information about the 
meaning and method of worship according to the 
various Sanskrit traditions.  To visit the Devi 
Mandir site or to send us a personal email, please 
click here. 
http://www.shreemaa.org/

Devi  Mandir
5950 Highway 128
Napa, CA 94558  USA
Communications : Phone and Fax 1-707-966-2802
E-Mail shreemaa at napanet.net


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