All the gods went to the goddess and asked her in the chorus, "O' goddess Mahadevi, Who are you? What is your nature?"
The goddess (Devi) replied, " I am the brahman itself. From me originates the universe of the form and the non-form. The universe of prakriti and purusha."
" I am the bliss. I am the form & expression of bliss. I am all that is science. I am non-science. I am the brahman that every soul should know of. I am the non-brahman too. I am the five elements. I am the universe that is beyond these five elements. All that universe which is visible, which has form; is me!" The Goddess continued.
She says further, " I am the Vedas, I am that knowledge too which may not have incorporated in the Vedas. All that takes birth is me. All that doesnot take birth (permanant) is me too. I wander in the form of all Rudras, Vasus, Adityas, and Vishwadevas. I feed, take care of the Sun and the Rain God (Mitra & Varuna), also of the King of gods and Fire god (Indra & Agni) and of both the Ashwini Kumars (the doctors of gods). I take the form of Soma, Twashta, Pushan, and Bhaga, the early Vedic deities. I appear in the form Vishnu, Brahma and Prajapati."
" I am all that wealth which the performer of Yagya possesses in the form of the havi (the items offered in the yagya). I am the goddess of the whole universe. I give wealth and prosperity to my worshipers, I am the form of brahman, I am the main deity among various gods for whom the yagya
and worship is performed. I create the sky as an impression over my transperent soul. I reside in that intellect and mind which recognises the nature of brahman. The one who understands this nature of mine, he is entitled to earn the divine wealth and prosperity."
and worship is performed. I create the sky as an impression over my transperent soul. I reside in that intellect and mind which recognises the nature of brahman. The one who understands this nature of mine, he is entitled to earn the divine wealth and prosperity."
When the gods listened to this expression of her own nature by the goddess, they started singing in chorus in the praise of the goddess, "we bow before the goddess. We bow before the Mahadevi who ensures our welfare. We bow before the prakriti form of the goddess who has gone beyond the volatility and attained the supreme stillness. We bow before such giver of auspiciousness, following all the rules of respect and regard for her!"
They further continued the praise of the goddess, " we bow before the one who is of the colour of the fire. We bow before the one who has earned an enormous flow out of her tapas. We surrender to the shining goddess who is worshipped to gain the fruits of karma. O' goddess, the destroyer of the demons, we prostrate before you."
"The gods of Prana created the light of speech. The speech which is used by the creatures for communication. Such goddess of speech, Vagdevi, who grants the bliss like the kamdhenu - the make a wish cow, gives food and strength to her devotees, my she give us the darshan after getting satisfied of our worship and devotion to her." Said the gods.
We bow before the Kalaratri, the goddess who conquers the death, Vishnushakti, whi is praised by the Vedas, Skandamata (Shivshakti), Saraswati (Brahmashakti), mother of gods Aditi, and the daughter of Daksha, Sati. We bow before the goddess who washes away our sins and brings welfare to us.
Te gods said, "we know the form and nature of Mahalakshmi, and we meditate upon her, who gives us the strength. May this goddess guide us on the path of good."
(Definition and the nature of the goddess and her praise by the gods - as it appears in the Devi Atharvashirsha)
