1. Are there parts of other Puranas which are used/chanted in the same manner as the Chandi Path from the Markendaya Purana or is this practice of chanting the Chandi unique?

The Devi Gita is an excerpt from Shrimad Devi Bhagavatam, the Bhagavad Gita is an excerpt from Mahabharat, the Guru Gita comes from Skanda Purana.

2. Why are Madhu and Kaitabha called “Too Much” and “Too Little”, respectively?

The dictionary meanings for Madhu mean specifically honey, sweet, pleasant, charming, delightful. In excess it is intoxicating. The extension with poetic license is Too Much.

Kaitabha in the dictionary means as insignificant as an insect: Too Little.

Together they stand for every extreme which keeps us from maintaining our balance.

3. If one has taken sankalpa to chant say the Devi Gita and the Chandi Path for a certain amount of time and due to one’s life situation one cannot chant the Chandi along with the Gita can the sankalpa to chant the Chandi and the Devi Gita be changed in mid stream or does the cycle need to be completed?

We want to strive to complete our sankalpas. Sometimes it is not possible. When it is not possible, we ultimately must surrender and try to accomplish our goals again the next time. We will also want to be forgiving; to others as well as to ourselves.

4. Do we have to do the full kushandika as in the book, or would it be ok to offer a light and a flower if we are pressed for time and then chant for instance the Sapta Shloki Durga, as a kind of preparation for chanting the Chandi more regularly?

Each according to his or her capacity. There is a viddhi called Seedha Path, which is described in the book on Pronunciation.

5. In the Chandi Path, when do we add “svaha” at the end of each verse, and when do we not add that?

When we are doing a Homa, we do not add svaha after the verses in the Kushandika, Kavacham, Argala Stotram, Kilakam, and the Dhyanams. We do not add swaha after any of the verses, unless the verses contain swaha, if we are not at the fire.

Also in the book on Pronunciation is a description of the homa viddhis.

6. Do verses 2 and 3 of siddha kunjika stotram (na kavacam nargala…) proclaim the superiority of that stotram or that of the Navarna Mantra?

Actually the Navarna Mantra is the root mantra of the Chandi.

7. What is a stotram?

It is a specific song about a particular form of divinity.

8. I was taught that the act of clapping e.g. while saying phat (“cut the ego�) assists in clearing mind, banishing thoughts. How does that happen, energetically?

The clap is a starling sound which demands that the mind pay attention.

9. Do raktabija, seed of desire, and vasana mean the same thing?

Yes.

At Devi Mandir, the fire was consecrated for the Sahasra Chandi Yajna on January 24th 2005, and has been burning continuously 24 hours a day since that date. What is the Sahasra Chandi Yajna, the vow to recite the Chandi Path daily for a thousand days? Why would we want to remain in one rhythm of worship without going outside the temple for three years? What could we possibly hope to achieve?

We answer these questions in the video and audio classes below.

Our video shows how the fire was invited and inaugurated, established and energized, and how it is being worshipped. To watch the video, click here:

Sahasra Chandi Yajna

In our audio classes we quote the Chandi itself to describe the tradition of a thousand day yajna. It is the most amazing experience that we can attain in life! The ability to cloister our senses so that we want nothing more than to sing and chant to the Divine Mother Goddess in worship throughout the day and the night.

This is what we propose to do. This discussion tells us from where the tradition has emanated, and what are the possible effects that it can have in our lives.

To hear the classes below you should have the quicktime or real audio players.

Sahasra Chandi Yagna: high res