This thoughtful and profound rendering of a foremost ancient classic of Divine Mother must be approached with reverence, and indeed, love. Swami Satyananda gives any person with sincere love of God and devotion to spiritual practice a true gift--a way to the heart of God, and therefore to the heart of our true selves.

First of all, Swami Satyandanda's deep grasp of Sanskrit, and his wonderful translations, (with clear and useful transliterations in the roman script), gives us in the West a greater clarity of the path of the Divine Mother than perhaps we have ever had. Our task, then, with our teachers, is pure devotion to the deeper meaning of the text of Chandi Path: discovered through reading of the text, through chanting the transliteration (and one day, perhaps, the actual Sanskrit), and through study and meditation upon text and meaning.

The grace comes through these actions of pure devotion to this practice: an awakening and surrender to the Divine and to balance in our lives, destruction of the illusions of ego and attachments in this world, uncovering of Truth or True Knowledge, stillness beyond thought, and union with the Divine. She becomes our very own. This is the path of Divine Mother, ancient and eternal. The Chandi Path is the story of Divine Mother, and that then becomes our own story.

Deep thanks to Swami Satyananda for this knowledgeable and loving gift, definitely of work of pure devotion in itself.

J. Teece, Ph.D., California, USA

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Swami Satyananda Saraswati of Napa Valley, CA is both a scholar and a true son of his beloved Divine Mother. He and Shree Maa have brought the traditions of puja (ceremonial worship) and path (recitation of Sanskrit scriptures) to the West in a big way.

The Chandi Path, also called the Durga Saptashati, part of the Markendaya Purana, holds a central position in the Shakta tradition, though it is relatively unknown to Western yoga practitioners and those interested in Hindu practices.

In this Story, Divine Mother manifests in various forms to do battle with ashuras (demons) like lust, anger, passion, too much, and too little. Of course, she wins in the end and there is great celebration.

The magic of Chandi recitation (at the very least), is that as one chants the mantras of the text the activity of the mantra shakti corresponds to what occurs in the story -- so the story of the Chandi is really the story of you (and me).

This book contains the original sanskrit in devanagiri, an English transliteration (Sanskrit in English alphabet), and an English translation.

Though the sheer size of the text is daunting at first, if one is serious about experiencing its profound nature, one may begin small and work up to the full text. It does get easier over time.

Chris Kirner, Pacific Northwest

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The Chandi Path, by Swami Satyananda Saraswati of the Devi Mandir Ashram in Napa Valley, is both an incredible story and a path of discovery of and worship to the Divine Mother. The story is an incredible epic of how the Goddess in numerous forms battles the "Great Ego" and his forces of negative thoughts, such as "Too Much" and "Too Little," "Self Conceit" and "Self Deprecation," Pride, Confusion, etc. ~ all negative thoughts.

It is a fearsome battle that takes place over many chapters, but eventually, the Goddess wins and a great celebration ensues. But the Chandi Path is more than an epic story; it is also a path of worship and discovery. I found much to identify with in the negative thoughts and much to be greatful for because, though they were defeated, they were ultimately accepted by the Goddess and taken up to the heavenly realms.

One chapter in particular, Chapter 11, identifies many of the qualities of the Goddess such as "the instrinsic nature of earth," "the Energy of Consciousness Which Pervades All," the "Source of Refuge," "the Eternal Energy of Creation," "Faith," "Self-sustenance," "Constancy," "She Who is Beyond all Time," and others. What is given through this ancient sacred text is a method of achieving clarity through the removal of negative thoughts and replacing them, as we identify with the Goddess in all Her forms, with positive qualities most of us would seek to achieve.

Each time I chant the Chandi Path, my experience of it becomes deeper and richer; I discover more meaning ~ nuances that become clearer with each chanting; and my love for the Goddess, in all Her forms, becomes greater. What Swami Satyananda Saraswati has done in his translation of this and other ancient texts is made them fresh and new for the present. This is tremendous gift, that the Chandi Path is made accessible to all, including westerners, in the present time.

Linda R. Talbott, Silver City, NM

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Godsend - even better if you can find a CD with original chanting and follow both together as even if you do not know the meaning the energy creates a truly a remarkable unique experience!

M. Parekh

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One of my very favorite scriptures is The Chandi Path! In Bengal [and many other places, as well,] the Chandi Path [also known as "Devi Mahatmyam", And "Durga Saptasati"], is considered the "Bible" of many Mother Worshipers.

My very favorite translation of it is by Swamiji Satyananda Saraswati of the Devi Mandir. He desribes all the "Armies of the Great Ego" and names them, since knowing who our "enemies" are is half the battle. Some of them have names like, "Too Much" and "Too Little"; "Self-Conceit" and "Self-Deprecation"; "MEMORIES"! Do these asuras sound familiar" They should... As Swamiji Satyananda says in his introduction, "Every character mentioned in the Chandi is within us: the forces which impel us to realize our own divinity, filling our lives with Love and Joy, and a sense of meaningful purpose; as well as the forces which incline to diminish that perception."

Describing the Goddess, the Mother of the Universe, He says: "In one sense She resides in the image, the photo or idol of worship. In another application, She manifested in the body of the Worshiper. And again, 'Her feet cover the earth, and Her crown extends to the farthest reaches of the atmosphere.' On every level the scripture is a commentary on the evolution of consciousness."

Towards the end of his wonderful intro to the Chandi Path, Swamiji Satyananda says:
"Saptasati is a Way. Daily reciting the verses, we offer to Mother all our troubles, afflictions, and all manner of thoughts and perturbations -- even the very Ego itself; and one by one She cuts them down, purifies them with the vibrations of Her mantras, until we, too, become the 'One of Intuitive Vision [Known in the Chandi as Samadhi]' who only desires the Highest Wisdom which removes the attachments of the Ego."

i consider the Chandi Path, translated by Swamiji Satyananda Saraswati, one of the greatest spritual tools that any devotee of the Goddess could possibly have. i cannot praise this wonderful scripture, enough; and especially this particular translation. i had read other translations, but it wasn't until reading this particular translation, that i really FELT it...deeply and profoundly, and absolutely knew i had a spiritual tool that i would carry with me and practice throughout my life! Jai Maa! Blessings to all who read this!

MuktiMaa

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The Guru and the Goddess is really three separate books under one cover. I was surprised to see such a wealth of knowledge in one book. I found this rare culmination of Hindu wisdom to be extremely illuminating.

The author's treatment of the Kasyapa Sutras is quite unique in that it is the only series of classes by Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda that is currently in print. Swami Satyananda is a student of Vedic philosophy who has actually lived these ancient teachings. His twenty years studying with various Gurus and the fact that he spent his formative years growing up in California have made him a unique translator of eastern wisdom. In this series of classes, Swami explains the Kasyapa Sutra's to a group of western students. His practical, accessable teaching style allows the students and therefore the reader to apply these ancient teaching to our hectic, western life. In addition, questions from the students and comments and songs from the Swami's Guru, Shree Maa make this a most delightful and informative work.

The second section of the book is comprised of Swami Satyananda's translation of the Guru Gita. As in all his sanskrit translations, Swami has the ability to make sanskrit scriptures comprehensible to the western reader. The Guru Gita is the most important scripture for understanding the relationship between Guru and disciple and is a crucial text for anyone who is interested in the Guru disciple relationship.

The Lalita Trishati is a joyful rendition of the three hundred names of this playful Goddess.This is a very engaging scripture for any lover of the Divine Mother. It is very rare to find an english translation of these mantras. The combination of sanskrit and Roman phonetic transliteration allows the reader to utilize this scripture immediately as one of
the foundations for their spiritual practice.

This incredible book contains such a wealth of spiritual wisdom. There is so much to absorb that you could literally work with this one book for the rest of your life and be completely satisfied. I would recommend this book highly.

A Reader

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This book contains an enlightened commentary of the Kashyapa Sutras, a transliteration and translation of the Guru Gita, and the Lalita Trishati, a beautiful and powerful method of Shri Vidya worship.

The Guru Gita and Lalita Trishati are offered as part of the tradition
of pathah, or repitition of scriptures. This type of practice, while
daunting at first, is powerful and rewarding.

Swami Satyananda Saraswati of Napa Valley, CA is a spiritual master
presenting a tradition largely unknown outside of India, a Sanskrit
scholar and a true lover of God.

Chris Kirner, Pacific Northwest

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Although I have many of Swami Satyananda Saraswati's books, this is one of my favorites. It is a spiritual powerhouse...and it is actually three books in one! Packed with lots of amazing information, it's a "must have." A real blessing of a bargain.

Ms. Read

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