This Devi- inspired book mainly deals with the Mahadevi in brief- that Great Chaithanyam which makes us move, see, think, speak, and act, that Supreme Mother who is worshipped by Brahma, Vishnu, Maheswara and all Gods; that Mahadevi, who is an Eternal, indestructible and invisible force which can creat preserve as well as destroy. It is that Atman, which Lord Krishna declares in Sreemath Bhagavath Geetha (Chapter 2 verses 23 and 24) cannot be cut or cleaved by weapons; fire cannot burn It, water cannot wet It, wind cannot dry It. It is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, stable and immovable. As Sree Ramakrishna Paramahamsa said “Pleasure and pain, virtue and vice or dual states such as these do not have sway on It. They affect the person identified with the body. Smoke tarnishes the walls, but not the space within them”. It is beyond description and definition. Words stand still before Its might and majesty.
The main title of the book clearly deals with the nature of the topic on which the book is written. But as days rolled by the following alternate titles - and not subtitles - emerged in the mind of the author in the order in which the same are given viz, Greatness and Glory of Shri Attukaal Devi/Attukaal Amma/ Attukaal Bhagavathy. Attukaal Bhagavatheeyam can be the alternate Titlle.
The first section of this Devi graced book opens with theoretical Mahathmyam of Mahadevi and concludes with Section 9 containing practical instances proving the Mahatmyam of Mahadevi.
Sage Vyasa has written, inter alia, two great Bhagavatha Puranas viz Vishnu Bhagavatham and Devi Bhagavatham. This book deals with Attukaal Devi at Attukaal where Devi has manifested Herself as a 12 year old charming ‘Thejaswaroopini’ ( the very embodiment of Thejus)
Sreemath Devi Bhagavatham has described in detail about the Adi Parasakthi (Jagadambika) in her “Pradurbhavam” and her role as the Creator, Protector/ Preserver of the good and Dharma and the destroyer of the wicked and Adharma. This purana contains 18 thousand slokas spread over 12 Skandams spread over 318 chapters. Devi herself has stated the gist of Sreemath Devi Bhagavatham in the following declaration.
“Sarvam Khalidamevaham, Nanya Dasthi Sanaathanam”
(I am everything; there is nothing other than Me. Noonam Sanaathanam). Reason for condensed version:-
In Kaliyuga the people have neither the time nor the patience to peruse the entire 18000 slokas (Verses) of Sreemad Bhagavatham. That may be one of the reasons why Lord has prompted Sree Melpathur Narayana Bhattathirippadu, the Vedic Scholar, about 400 years ago, to write his famous “Sreemanarayaneeyam” containing 1036 verses spread over 100 dasakams containing Mahatmyam of Sri Guruvayoorappan (Lord Narayana) for the cure of his own disease and the disease of the world (for Rogasanthi of person and Thapasanthi of the world).
Similarly to give devotees a smaller version of Sree Mahadevi Bhagavatham, considered the word form of Jagadambika in a condensed form for Bhakthas of the world, Brahmasree Prof. Paleli Narayanan Namboothiri, the famous Vedic Scholar Par excellence, and above all a true “Bhagavathan” who took premature retirement from Union Christian College Alwaye, to devote his life to the spreading of the story of Devi and Narayanan and other aspects of the Bharatheeya wisdom, wrote “Devi Narayaneeyam” with only 41 Dasakams and 480 verses. The full version of Srimad Devi Bhagavatham contains 18,000 verses spread over 318 chapters. (I have considered him a Guru This scholarly loving and lovable person with great humility and humanity does not pretend to be a Guru of mine on the plea that ‘”you have developed an insight of your own” However he used to explain the meanings of the Sanskrit terms whenever I sought the same from him . And it is his explanation of the term “Namasthe” that lighted a spark in me – a spark of curiosity to know more about the glorious Bharatheeya wisdom. And after seeing my 6th book on the “Concept of Personality development – unique contributions of Bharatheeya wisdom to this concept with versions from western wisdom “ he shuffled off this mortal coil. ( Before his demise he blessed me and told me that “we had some relations in the previous birth”. After seeing my performance and hearing my talks and views he used to tell that “the spark in you has become a big flame now” This last book he wanted to read for himself as it appears to have created a great interest in him) May his soul rest in peace..
Here in this book Shri B. Balakrihna Pillai, the author, has developed a new divine desire to condense still further the Mahatmyam of Sree Mahadevi, along with the glorious story of Shri Attukaal Mahadevi, Adi parasakhthi, ‘Swayambhoo’ at the holy place of Attukal, now sitting in the proximity of other important Deities like Lord Siva, Ganapathy, Nagar, Kiratha moorthy ( Madan Thamburaan)protecting the good and Dharma and destroying the wicked and adharma.
