What the Saptashati is
The Durga Saptashati — also called the Devi Mahatmya and the Chandi Path — is a text of seven hundred verses in thirteen chapters, forming chapters 81 to 93 of the Markandeya Purana. It is the central scripture of Devi worship: the sage Medhas tells a dispossessed king, Suratha, and a merchant, Samadhi, how the Devi arose three times to restore order. Reciting it is the heart of Navratri.
Navratri puja in Ujjain: Maa Lakshmi Puja
In many traditions the nine nights are kept in three parts — the first three for Durga, the middle three for Lakshmi, the last three for Saraswati. For families who want a puja performed in their name this Navratri, Maa Lakshmi Puja is a private puja: performed for your family alone, with the sankalp in your name and gotra, on the date you choose.
The three charitras
- Prathama Charitra — chapter 1. The Devi as Mahakali wakes Vishnu from his sleep so that he can slay the demons Madhu and Kaitabha.
- Madhyama Charitra — chapters 2 to 4. The combined radiance of the gods takes form as Mahalakshmi, who slays Mahishasura. Chapter 4 is the gods’ hymn of thanks.
- Uttama Charitra — chapters 5 to 13. The Devi as Mahasaraswati destroys Dhumralochana, Chanda and Munda, Raktabija, Nishumbha and Shumbha; chapter 11 is the Narayani Stuti, and in chapters 12 and 13 she declares the fruit of the recitation and grants the king and the merchant their boons.
The order of a full recitation
A complete path is more than the thirteen chapters. The traditional order is:
- Sankalp, and worship of the book
- Devi Kavach — the armour
- Argala Stotra — the bolt
- Kilak Stotra — the pin
- Navarna mantra japa (Om Aim Hrim Klim Chamundayai Vichche)
- Ratri Sukta
- The thirteen chapters
- Navarna japa again, then Devi Sukta
- The three Rahasyas, and the Kshama Prarthana — the prayer asking pardon for errors
Dividing the chapters over Navratri
Read in one sitting, the full text takes about three hours. Over Navratri it is commonly divided across seven days so that it is complete before Ashtami: Day 1 — chapter 1; Day 2 — chapters 2 and 3; Day 3 — chapter 4; Day 4 — chapters 5 to 8; Day 5 — chapters 9 and 10; Day 6 — chapter 11; Day 7 — chapters 12 and 13. Others read the whole text every day. A charitra is never left half-read: stop only at the end of a chapter.
Rules of recitation
Bathe and sit facing east or north on a clean asana; keep the book on a stand, not in the hand or on the floor. Read at an even pace, aloud but not loudly, with correct pronunciation — the Saptashati is treated as mantra, and care matters more than speed. Do not speak of other things in the middle of a chapter. If Sanskrit is difficult, reading a faithful translation with attention is better than a hurried recitation, and the Kshama Prarthana at the close asks pardon for what was missed.
From one path to nine
One recitation is a Chandi Path. The same text recited nine times, with a havan in which the verses are offered as ahutis, is Navchandi — the work of several pandits reciting together for hours, described in Chandi Path, Navchandi and Shatchandi. Families who want it performed in their name during Navratri can arrange it here: Navchandi Durga Puja in Ujjain. For a far larger anushthan in your name, at any time of year, there is 1,100 Chandi Paths.