Devi Gita (Class 41): ”The Cause of Causes” by Swami Bhajanananda

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 2, verses 22-26, given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 28 May 2025.

स पुनः कामकर्मादियुक्तया स्रीयमायया |

पूर्वानुभूतसंस्कारात् कालकर्मविपाकतः || २२ ||

sa punaḥ kāma-karmādi-yuktayā srīyamāyayā |

pūrvānubhūta-saṃskārāt kāla-karma-vipākataḥ || 22 ||

22. "This Self, however, by its own power of Maya conjoined with desires, actions, and the like, through the influence of prior experience ripening in time in accord with the law of karma, ..."

 

अविवेकाच्च तत्त्वस्य सिसृक्षावान् प्रजायते |

अबुद्धिपूर्वः सर्गोऽयं कथितस्ते नगाधिप || २३ ||

avivekāc-ca tattvasya sisṛkṣāvān prajāyate |

abuddhi-pūrvaḥ sargo'yaṃ kathitaste nagādhipa || 23 ||

23. "And by confounding the primal elements, being desirous to create, begins to bring forth. The resulting creation, devoid of intelligence, will be further described to you, O Mountain King."

 

एतद्धि यन्मया प्रोक्तं मम रूपमलौकिकम् |

अव्याकृतं तदव्यक्तं मायाशबलमित्यपि || २४ ||

etaddhi yanmayā proktaṃ mama rūpa-malaukikam |

avyākṛtaṃ tadavyaktaṃ māyāśabalamityapi || 24 ||

24. "This extraordinary form of mine which I have mentioned is unevolved and unmanifest, yet becomes segmented through the power of Maya."

 

प्रोच्यते सवशास्त्रेषु सर्वकारणकारणम् |

तत्त्वानामादिस्भूतं च सच्चिदानन्दविग्रहम् || २५ ||

procyate sava-śāstreṣu sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam |

tattvā-nāmādis-bhūtaṃ ca sac-cid-ānanda-vigraham || 25 ||

25. "All the religious treatises declare it to be the cause of all causes, The primal substance behind the elements, and as having the form of being, consciousness, bliss."

 

सर्वकर्मघनीभूतमिच्छाज्ञानक्रियाश्रयम् |

ह्रीङ्कारमन्त्रवाचयं तदादितत्त्वं तदुच्यते || २६ ||

sarva-karma-ghanī-bhūtam-icchā-jñāna-kriyā-śrayam |

hrīṇ-kāra-mantra-vācayaṃ tadādi-tattvaṃ taducyate || 26 ||

26. "It is the condensation of all karma; it is the seat of will, knowledge, and action; it is expressed in the mantra Hrim; it is the primal principle—so it is said."