Devīmāhātmya

A māhātmya text that is part of the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, praising the Mother Goddess (Devī). Though this text belongs to the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, it is also regarded as an independent work known as the Durgāsaptaśatī. The Durgāsaptaśatī text includes the Devī-argalāstotra and Kīlakastotra at the beginning. However, The present manuscript begins from the Madhukaiṭabhavadha episode. This portion of the text is dedicated to the eighth phase of the cosmic cycle; according to Hindu mythology, this phase corresponds to the eighth primordial human, Sāvarṇika Manu. The chapters in the manuscript are arranged as follows: Madhukaiṭabhavadha (f.1b–8b); Mahiṣāsura-sainyavadha (f.9a–14b); Mahiṣāsuravadha (f.14b–17b); Śakrādistuti (f.17b–22a); Dūtavākya (f.22a–29a); Dhūmralocanavadha (f.29a–30b); Caṇḍamuṇḍavadha (f.30b–33a); Raktabījavadha (f.33a–38a); Niśumbhavadha (38a–41a); Śumbhavadha (f.41a–43b); Nārāyaṇīstuti (f.43b–48a); Devīvākya (f.48b–51b); Surathavaiśya-vara pradāna (f.51b–53b). (Written in 6 lines per leaf.; 54 leaves foliated , middle left verso. Mistakes covered over in yellow or blacked out; some corrections and additions in margins; significant syllables, words, or phrases highlighted in red throughout. Floral and triangle patterns on back folio in red and black ink.)