Dharma Katha · Season 2: Navratri · Episode 80

Most hymns are addressed to a god. This one is spoken by her. It does not say: you are great. It says: I am. I walk with the storm gods. I hold up the sky gods. I bend the bow for Rudra. When you eat, when you see, when you breathe, when you hear, it is through me. It is more than three thousand years old. And it is still recited, this week, at the end of the Durga Saptashati in many homes.

Missed the previous story? Listen to Episode 79 first.

Source note. Label: scripture, with one quotation. The Devi Sukta is Rigveda, book ten, hymn one hundred and twenty-five, eight verses. The Devanagari was read on sanskritdocuments.org. The third verse is quoted; the others are given in my own paraphrase, guided by published translations; translators differ, especially on the seventh verse. The seer's name, Vak daughter of Ambhrina, and Sayana's explanation that she praised herself as one who knew Brahman, are traditional. The custom of reciting this hymn after the Devi Mahatmya is common in printed editions but varies. The dating is approximate, and scholars differ. The reflections on Rudra's bow and on the hymn's place after the reading are my own. A Sanskrit reader should confirm the verse.

Note: this episode is narrated with an AI voice and the script was written with AI assistance. Sanskrit verses are checked against published editions; corrections are welcome.