Devī Māhātmya in the Kūrma Purāṇa

This part of the Kūrma Purāṇa tells how Devī was born as Satī and then as Pārvatī. It then gives the Devī Māhātmya of this Purāṇa, the teaching of Śiva and Śakti. In it Parāśakti is the first source of all creation. Chapter 11 tells of the birth of Devī. Chapter 12 gives the teaching, Himavān’s vision of Devī’s cosmic form, and the stotra of 1008 names that he sang.

Devī is born as Satī (Chapter 11)

Brahmā was doing tapas (austerity) on the peak of Meru. From his own mouth he brought forth the first Rudra. Rudra appeared half man and half woman, blazing like fire, with a trident and three eyes. Brahmā told him to divide his own form. Rudra then divided it into a male half and a female half. He divided the male half again into eleven Rudras, Kapāli, Īśa and others. They were made rulers of the three worlds.

The female half of Rudra’s form became the many powers (śakti-vibhūtis) of the world, Lakshmī and others. These forms of Śakti are Śaṅkara’s female principle (strī-tattva) spread through the universe. This great Devī then divided herself again. At Brahmā’s word she was born as the daughter of Daksha. Daksha gave his daughter Satī in marriage to Rudra, who took her as his own.

After some time, at Mahādeva’s word, this same Śakti parted from Śaṅkara. She was born again from Menā, wife of Himavān, as Pārvatī. Himavān, the king of mountains, gave her in marriage to Rudra.

The Devī Māhātmya: the teaching on Śiva and Śakti (Chapter 12)

The munis asked about the nature of this Devī who carries half of Śaṅkara’s body. Bhagavān Vishṇu first quieted himself in meditation (dhyāna) on his own supreme place. Then he spoke. He said this is a secret (rahasya) that Brahmā himself taught on the peak of Meru. It is the truth of sāṃkhya (the count of the principles of creation) that alone rescues beings who are drowning in the ocean of saṃsāra (the cycle of birth and death).

Parāśakti, the first source

The power (śakti) joined with Maheśvara is of the nature of knowledge (jñāna-rūpiṇī). She is called ākāśa-saṃjñā and is the highest goal. She is Haimavatī. She is:

Śivasvarūpiṇī, the same as Śiva in her nature.
Vibhāga-rahitā, without division or breaking.
Nirguṇā, beyond the three guṇas.
Ekā, one, though she fills countless forms.
Paramātma-rūpiṇī, in her highest form the same as the supreme Self.

Her rule (aiśvarya) is anādi, without beginning. Because she is joined with Parameśvara and Rudra, she has no end. She sets all beings in motion and is Sarveśvarī, the ruler of all.

The four śaktis

Devī has four śaktis. They work through four supports (ādhāras), and show the four forms (caturvyūha) of Parameśvara.

Śānti, the śakti of peace, the base of liberation.
Vidyā, the śakti of knowledge, which lights up the knowledge of truth (tattva-jñāna).
Pratishṭhā, the śakti of standing firm, which holds up all creation.
Nivṛtti, the śakti of turning back, which leads to moksha.

Through these four śaktis Maheśvara holds himself in the four Vedas. These śaktis, and the holder of the śakti (śaktimān), are all born from the one Parāśakti.

Māyā as kāla

The text says that māyā is kāla (time). It says: “Kāla makes beings; kāla destroys beings; everything in the world is under kāla; kāla is under nothing.” The śakti of the supreme Purusha, known by the name māyā, shows the cosmic form (viśvarūpa) of Parameśvara forever. This māyā has no beginning and no end. She is the form of all śakti and cannot be overcome. Kāla itself has māyā. The one who makes kāla is the paramātman, Śiva.

The three chief principles (tattvas) are Pradhāna, Purusha and Māyā. Parameśvara’s chief śaktis are three: jñānaśakti (the power of knowing), kriyāśakti (the power of acting) and prāṇaśakti (the power of life). All of them are kalpita, brought into being by māyā.

Śakti and śaktimān

At the highest level of truth (paramārtha) the Kūrma Purāṇa tells śakti and śaktimān apart. Yogīs who examine the principles see that Śakti is Pārvatī, the daughter of Himavān, and that the śaktimān is Śaṅkara. Only yogīs can see that the two are not different (abheda). The text says there is only one śakti and one śaktimān, Śiva. All other śaktis and śaktimāns are born from this one source.

Himavān sees Devī’s cosmic form

When Pārvatī was born and her father Himavān first saw her, he saw her like this.

She shone like a thousand crore suns.
She had four faces, three eyes and eight arms.
She held a conch, a cakra (discus), lotuses and a trident.
The crescent moon adorned her.
She was both terrible, with fangs, and most gracious, with a calm face.
She filled the space inside and outside the egg of the cosmos (aṇḍa).

Her radiance overwhelmed Himavān. He fell trembling to his knees and folded his hands. In this state of holy awe he sang the stotra of 1008 names of Parameśvarī. It calls her Śivā, Umā, Maheśvarasambandhinī, Nityā, Śāśvatā, Kālarūpā, Sarvabhūtātmā, Vyāpinī, Mahāmāyā, Mūlaprakṛti, Īśvarī, Sāvitrī, Lakshmī, Gaṅgā, Sarasvatī, Mahākālī, Māhishamardinī, Bhavānī, Rudrāṇī and Ambikā, and many hundreds of other names.

Devī then spoke to Himavān herself: “Know me as the supreme Parāśakti who lives in Maheśvara. I am the Self (ātmā) of all beings, all-pervading, of the form of Śiva, with eternal rule and knowledge. I will give you a divine eye (divya-netra) to see my form that belongs to Īśvara.” She then gave Himavān the divine sight that shows her as the final reality.

The teaching

The chief teaching (upadeśa) of this part is that the whole universe is Devī’s manifestation. Parameśvara is not a cause in a limited sense, and Devī alone does all. Those who want moksha must give themselves to Parameśvarī Pārvatī, who is of the form of Śiva and is the Self of all living beings.

Sources

Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapter 11 (Devī as Satī and Pārvatī)
Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapter 12 (the Devī Māhātmya)