I will be posting the most beautiful parts of the Devi Mahatmyam (Glorification of the Goddess, also known as Durga Saptashati, and as Chandi), which are generally hymns and prayers. I'll begin it now, at Chapter I, verse 73:

त्वं स्वाहा त्वं स्वधा त्वं हि वषत्कारः स्वरात्मिका
सुधा त्वमक्षरे नित्ये त्रिधामात्रात्मिका स्थिता ||73||

tvaM svAhA tvaM svadhA tvaM hi vaShatkAraH svarAtmikA
sudhA tvamakSharE nityE tridhAmAtrAtmikA sthitA ||73||

You are svaha (propitiatory mantra) and svadha (propitiatory mantra for ancestors),
You are verily the vashat-kara (vedic sacrifice) and the embodiment of svara (the heaven to be attained)
You are the nectar (of immortality), oh eternal and imperishable one,
You are the embodiment of the threefold matra (the OM sound).


Devi Mahatmyam (Glorification of the Goddess) I.75:

त्वयैतद्धार्यते विश्वं त्वयैतत्सृज्यते जगत्
त्वयैतत्पाल्यते देवि त्वमत्स्यन्ते च सर्वदा ||75||
tvayaitaddhAryatE vishvaM tvayaitatsRRijyatE jagat
tvayaitatpAlyatE dEvi tvamatsyantE cha sarvadA ||75||

By you this universe is borne,
By you this universe is created,
By you it is protected, oh Devi,
And you always consume it at the end.


Devi Mahatmyam (Glorification of the Goddess) Ch. I, vs. 74:

अर्धमात्रा स्थिता नित्या यानुच्चार्याविशेषतः
त्वमेव सा त्वं सावित्री त्वं देवजननी परा ||74||
ardhamAtrA sthitA nityA yAnuchchAryAvishEShataH
tvamEva sA tvaM sAvitrI tvaM dEvajananI parA ||74||

You are half a matra (a syllabic foot in poetry), though eternal,
You are verily that which cannot be expressed specifically,
You are Savitri (the Savitri hymn in the Rig Veda) and
The supreme Mother of the devas.


Devi Mahatmyam (Glorification of the Goddess) I.77:

महाविद्या महामाया महामेधा महास्मृतिः
महामॊहा च भवती महादेवी महासुरी ||77||
mahAvidyA mahAmAyA mahAmEdhA mahAsmRRitiH
mahAmohA cha bhavatI mahAdEvI mahAsurI ||77||

You are the supreme knowledge as well as the great nescience,
The great intellect and contemplation,
As also the great delusion,
The great devi (goddess) as also the great asuri (demon).


Devi Mahatmyam (Glorification of the Goddess) I.76:

विसृष्टौ सृष्टिरूपा त्वं स्थितिरूपा च पालने
तथा संहृतिरूपान्ते जगतॊऽस्य जगन्मये ||76||
visRRiShTau sRRiShTirUpA tvaM sthitirUpA cha pAlanE
tathA saMhRRitirUpAntE jagato.asya jaganmayE ||76||

Oh you who are of the form of the whole world, at the time of creation
You are of the form of the creative force, at the time of sustaining
You are of the form of the protective power, and at the time of the dissolution
Of the world, you are of the form of the destructive power.


Devi Mahatmyam (Glorification of the Goddess) I.78

प्रकृतिस्त्वं च सर्वस्य गुणत्रयविभाविनी
कालरात्रिर्महारात्रिर्मॊहरात्रिश्च दारुणा ||78||
prakRRitistvaM cha sarvasya guNatrayavibhAvinI
kAlarAtrirmahArAtrirmoharAtrishcha dAruNA ||78||

You are the primordial cause of everything
Bringing into force the three gunas (qualities of which all is composed),
You are the dark night of periodic dissolution.
You are the great night of final dissolution, and the terrible night of delusion.


Devi Mahatmyam (Glorification of the Goddess) I.79:

त्वं श्रीस्त्वमीश्वरी त्वं ह्रीस्त्वं बुद्धिर्बॊधलक्षणा
लज्जापुष्टिस्तथा तुष्टिस्त्वं शान्तिः क्षान्तिरेव च ||79||
tvaM shrIstvamIshvarI tvaM hrIstvaM buddhirbodhalakShaNA
lajjApuShTistathA tuShTistvaM shAntiH kShAntirEva cha ||79||

You are SrI (goddess of good fortune), the ruler,
Modesty, knowledgeable intelligence,
Bashfulness, nourishment, contentment,
Tranquility, and forbearance.


Devi Mahatmyam (Glorification of the Goddess) I.80:

खड्गिनी शूलिनी घॊरा गदिनी चक्रिणी तथा
शङ्खिनी चापिनी बाणभुशुण्डी परिघायुधा ||80||

khaDginI shUlinI ghorA gadinI chakriNI tathA
shaN^khinI chApinI bANabhushuNDI parighAyudhA ||80||

Armed with sword, spear, club, discus,
Conch, bow, arrows, slings, and mace, You are terrible


Devi Mahatmyam (Glorification of the Goddess) I.81:

सौम्या सौम्यतराशेषसौमेभ्यस्त्वतिसुन्दरी
परापराणां परमा त्वमेव परमेश्वरी ||81||

saumyA saumyatarAshEShasaumEbhyastvatisundarI
parAparANAM paramA tvamEva paramEshvarI ||81||

(and at the same time) you are pleasing,
You are more pleasing than all the pleasing things and exceedingly beautiful
You are indeed the supreme Ishvari (Ruler), beyond high and low.


Devi Mahatmyam (Glorification of the Goddess) I.82:

यच्च किञ्चित्क्वचिद्वस्तु सदसद्वाखिलात्मिके
तस्य सर्वस्य या शक्तिः सा त्वं किं स्तूयसे मया ||82||

yachcha kiJNchitkvachidvastu sadasadvAkhilAtmikE
tasya sarvasya yA shaktiH sA tvaM kiM stUyasE mayA ||82||

And whatever or wherever a thing exists, real or unreal,
Whatever power all that possesses is yourself.
Oh you who are the soul of everything,
How can I praise you (more than this)?


Devi Mahatmyam (Glorification of the Goddess) I.83:

यया त्वया जगत्स्रष्टा जगत्पातात्ति यॊ जगत्
सॊऽपि निद्रावशं नीतः कस्त्वां स्तॊतुमिहेश्वरः ||83||

yayA tvayA jagatsraShTA jagatpAtAtti yo jagat
so.api nidrAvashaM nItaH kastvAM stotumihEshvaraH ||83||

By you, even he who creates, sustains, and devours the world
Is put to sleep. Who here is capable of (sufficiently) praising you?


Devi Mahatmyam (Glorification of the Goddess) I.84:

विष्णुः शरीरग्रहणमहमीशान एव च
कारितास्ते यतॊऽतस्त्वां कः स्तॊतुं शक्तिमान् भवेत् ||84||

viShNuH sharIragrahaNamahamIshAna Eva cha
kAritAstE yato.atastvAM kaH stotuM shaktimAn bhavEt ||84||

Who is capable of praising you,
Who have made all of us, Vishnu, myself (Brahma), and Shiva,
Take our embodied forms?


Devi Mahatmyam (Glorification of the Goddess) I.85:

सा त्वमित्थं प्रभावैः स्वैरुदारैर्देवि संस्तुता
मॊहयैतौ दुराधर्षाव् असुरौ मधुकैटभौ ||85||

sA tvamitthaM prabhAvaiH svairudArairdEvi saMstutA
mohayaitau durAdharShAv asurau madhukaiTabhau ||85||

Oh Devi, being lauded thus,
Bewitch these two unassailable asuras,
Madhu and Kaitabha, with your superior powers.


Devi Mahatmyam (Glorification of the Goddess) I.86-87:

प्रबॊधं च जगत्स्वामी नीयतामच्युतॊ लघु ||86||

prabodhaM cha jagatsvAmI nIyatAmachyuto laghu ||86||

बॊधश्च क्रियतामस्य हन्तुमेतौ महासुरौ ||87||

bodhashcha kriyatAmasya hantumEtau mahAsurau ||87||

Let Vishnu, the master of the world,
Be quickly awakened from sleep
And rouse up his nature to slay these two great asuras.

((')) She

         (('))

She is life.
She is the source
and the fountain of life.
Just tell her Yes

She has no name
and all names.
Just tell her Yes.

She is earth.
She is air,
She is fire,
She is water,
She is spirit.
Just tell her Yes.

She is north,
She is east,
She is south,
She is west,
She is movement,
and She is rest.
Just tell her Yes.

She is above,
She is below,
She is ebb,
and She is flow.
Just tell her Yes.

She is sun,
and She is moon,
She is late,
and She is soon,
She is beyond
all time
and all space.
Just tell her Yes.

All women are
manifestations of her,
and you cannot own
any of them
Just tell her Yes.

She is darkest night,
She is brightest gold.
She is young,
and She is old.
Just tell her Yes.

She is war,
and She is peace,
in her we commence,
in her we cease.
Just tell her Yes.

She is the dark womb of the universe.
from which all this has come.
Just tell her Yes.

Just tell her Yes.
Just tell her Yes.

Dhuni (Hindi)

चिमनी मेरे आग-गड्ढे है,
और मैं नग्न हूं
किसी भी नग्न साधु के रूप में
लेकिन मैं एक शिक्षक नहीं हूँ,
सिर्फ एक रक्षक
पवित्र अग्नि का

Abolla - Dhuni

The fireplace is my dhuni,
and I am as naked
as any nanga sadhu.
But I am not a teacher,
just a tender
of the sacred fire.

Palimpsest - A minha desnudez

A minha desnudez é
a minha terapia, y
a minha amante.
Ela dorme comigo
y comparte as minhas
comidas.
Bailamo junto.
Mas quando salgo
a la cashe
ou quando vo
ao centro
tenho que enropá me
no incómodo disfarce
dos feridos.

My Nakedness

My nakedness is
my therapy, and
my lover.
She sleeps with me
and shares my meals.
We dance together.
But when I go out
into the street
or when I go
downtown
I have to put on
the uncomfortable disguise
of the wounded.

Dhuni

The fireplace is my dhuni,*
and I am as naked
as any nanga sadhu.**
But I am not a teacher,
just a tender
of the sacred
fire.

* ritual firepit
** naked ascetic

Commentary on Gymniad - VI and Preceding

There is a photographer, Spencer Tunick, who uses (many) naked bodies in his art. He gets ever-larger crowds of naked people to pose for him. I'm sure he's broken several Guinness records. Almost invariably, the people who pose say it was an enjoyable and liberating experience, and they often say that they'd like to do it again. (This in spite of the fact that he often requires them to strip off before 5:00 a,m., even on cold mornings). This tells me that people really need nudity, it has been kept away from them too long. Let's work to normalize nudity, and enjoy life the more! It's essential.

Photo by Spencer Tunick Models: the people of Hull.