Law, Power and Malice – a key in Durga Saptashatee

Nowadays the people are in  festive mood and worshipping  the Goddess of Power.  Most of worshipers who chant the verses of  Durga Saptashatee, necessarily chant the Argala strotram. One of the prayers in this strotra stands for elimination of malice. The verses is: “Roopam dehi, jayam dehi, yasho dehi, dvisho jahi.” This prayer has been repeated 21 times (verses 3 to 23).

      The dominant idea and object in the  shakti pooja is to attain power and victory. Commonly, it is interpreted that ‘dvisho jahi’ means elimination of enemies or those who are malicious to me / the worshiper. Further, this interpretation is natural for a human mind while worshiping and meditating for attaining the power. But, I think, this  interpretation  is wrong and dangerous to worshiper himself because, when he is thinking about elimination of some others, he himself is malicious. Neither there is any word in this verse nor is there any indication by context, showing that  user of the ‘dvisho jahi’ weapon is excluded from it’s target area. Wordings are simple and clear but psychologically, there would be hardly any likelihood that the worshiper would think so in the zeal of attaining the power. To my mind ‘dvisho jahi’ in the context of persons, simply means - ‘ O devi ! eliminate malicious deeds’ and in the context of thought process, thought vibrations and social relations it means elimination of hostility. This point is more explicit in verse 13 of the same strotra where it is prayed that:

“Vidhehi dvishtam nasham vidhehi balmuchchakaih

 Roopam dehi, jayam dehi, yasho dehi, dvisho jahi.”

Here, ‘Vidhehi dvishtam nasham’ is also commonly interpreted in same manner and it may sound like praying for elimination of those who are thinking maliciously against the worshiper. But, the user/worshiper also is not beyond the range of this weapon. It simply means that ‘O Devi, provide for elimination of those who are thinking and acting maliciously’. I would submit my conclusion  in hindi language  on both prayers thus- ‘ He Devi! dvesh ka nash karo, dveshyukt karm ka nash karo tatha dvesh karne wale ka nash karo’. Interpreting otherwise would be twisting the simple words that would not be free from risk in shakti upasna.

Thus first eligibility criteria for Devi upasna is that a person must be clean hearted and free from malice. It is not only prescribed but has been reminded and warned 22 times at the door (argala) itself.

Application of above prayer to Law and administration :  I have tried to submit in above lines that, if the worshiper is not clean hearted and malice free, then he is asking for destruction of himself. Now, the main object of  Devi pooja is to obtain power, strength and energy. When a person is granted power to do something, it is presupposed that he will use the power without malice. A malicious action is liable to be set aside. By ‘Dvisho jahi’ we pray for nullification of malicious actions and hostility, and by ‘Vidhehi dvishtam nasham’ we pray for making provisions for destruction of those who would be thinking and acting maliciously. Thus, the power can not stand with malice. If an authority has acted maliciously, the action will be quashed or nullified and if he continuously does so, he is making arrangement for destruction of his power as well as himself . It is also significant that in the argala strotra the prayer ‘Dvisho jahi’ has occurred  21 times the prayer ‘Vidhehi dvishtam nasham’ has occurred  once in verse 13 i.e. in the middle of verses 3 to 23. The frequency of prayers signifies that the former is indicative of many malicious actions of a person and the later is indicative of that person. The first eligibility criteria for having power is that a person must be clean hearted and free from malice. It is not only prescribed but has been reminded and warned 22 times at the door (argala) of the house of the power.

      Let us be clean hearted and free from malice before attaining and exercising the power.