Parashakti Durga – the Antaryami of the Trimurtis – Silappadhikaram

“ஆனைத் தோல் போர்த்து, புலியின் உரி உடுத்து, கானத்து எருமைக் கருந் தலைமேல் நின்றாயால்-

வானோர் வணங்க, மறைமேல் மறை ஆகி,
ஞானக் கொழுந்து ஆய், நடுக்கு இன்றியே நிற்பாய்!(வேட்டுவ வரி, சிலப்பதிகாரம்)

Having draped the elephant skin, with the tiger skin as garment, you stood victorious on the head of the demon buffalo – Mahishasura, with the gods saluting you, you are the Truth taught in the Vedas, the Pure Consciousness, immutable. The expression மறைமேல் மறையாகி – in the above text finds correspondence in Upanishadic lore, as for example:  गुह्यादपि गुह्यतरं – मुद्गलोपनिषत् , नमो गुह्यतमाय च – मैत्रायण्युपनिषत्. परमं रहस्यम्  etc.

This stuti brings to the fore that even in the early times of the fifth Century, Durga, the Parashakti, was worshiped as the Supreme Brahman, knowable through the Veda.

உரை:

With the sword in hand you stand victorious having killed the Mahishasura, you are the Consciousness that rests in the heart-lotus of Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma.

From the above sample of the very ancient Tamil work, we see that:

1. Parashakti Durga was worshiped as the Supreme Brahman

2. This power was admitted as the antaryami of the Trimurtis

3. From the mention of the Mahishasuramardini episode, which is popular in the puranas such as the Brahmanda, it is clear that the basis for the episode in that Tamil work is a Purana, in whatever name and form, it might have existed.

This also brings to the fore that there is no basis for the claim that ‘the texts such as the Devi Bhagavatam is a concoction of recent times by Shaktas, that it was not cited in the works prior to four hundred years from now, etc.’ There are countless works of the very ancient times that have cited the Mahatmyam of Devi in one form or the other.

Om Tat Sat