Durgaa Sapt Shatee, is the part of Maarkandeya Puraan, one of the earliest Puraan, chapters 81-93, and contains the description of the victory of Durgaa on Mahishaasur and some other Daitya. Durgaa Sapt Shatee is known as simply "Sapt Shatee", or "Devee Mahaatmya", or "Chandee Paath. The title Devee Māhaatmya is a Tat-purush compound, literally translating to "the Magnanimity of the Goddess". The text is called Sapt Shatee as it contains 700 Shlok. (sapt = 7, and Shat = 100, Sapt Shatee means 7 x 100 = 700) verses. This count includes even one line sentences which are not strictly verses. There is another opinion that the name should be Sapt Shatee as it deals with the story of seven Satee or "pious persons". The seven mothers are Braahmee, Maaheshwaree, Kaumaaree, Vaishavee, Vaaraahee, Indraanee, and Chaamundaa.

Contents of Durgaa Sapt Shatee
Maarkandeya Puraan is a set of stories told be Maarkandeya Jee to Maharshi Jaimini and his disciples who are in the form of birds. Its 13 chapters are divided in three Charitra (episodes). At the beginning of the each episode the a different presiding Goddess is invoked, none of whom is mentioned in the text itself. There is a dispossessed King, a merchant betrayed by his family, and a sage whose teachings lead them both beyond existential suffering. The sage tells them the three different battles between Devee and demons. These three stories are related to the following Devee - Mahaa Kaalee in Chapter 1, Mahaa Lakshmee in Chapters 2-4, and Mahaa Saraswatee in Chapters 5-13. Among all the three stories the most famous story is of Mahishaasur Mardinee - "Devee slayer of the Buffalo Demon". And the most famous form of Devee is Kaalee - one of the most popular images of Devee worshipped in India, Sapt Maatrikaa.

In its first episode, Devee is depicted in her universal form. She is the key to the creation, who slumbers Naaraayan on the waters of the cosmic ocean, before the creation started. Later it became the cycle of manifestation, dissolution and re-manifestation. When Naaraayan was sleeping on His bed of Aadi Shesh Naag, two demons appeared from Vishnu's earwax and attempt to kill Brahmaa Jee who is preparing to create next creation. Brahmaa Jee prays to the Great Goddess (Yog Nidraa) to withdraw from Vishnu, so that Vishnu can wake up and kill thos demons. Devee withdraws from Vishnu, and Vishnu wakes up. He kills them, and thus Devee allows Brahmaa to create the world.

The second episode is about the great warrior goddess. The world is under attack of Mahishaasur, the most evil demon in the world. He can take many different forms, even as buffalo. Male gods endow Durgaa with all kinds of powers. She rides the lion in the battlefield slays the buffalo by cutting off his head. His spirit emerges from his body and gets absorbed in Devae. Kaalee overpowers both Chand and Mund Raakshas, beheads them and gives their heads to Devee and gets the name as Chaamundaa.

In the last episode, Kaalee may be taken as the darker side of Devee. Kaalee emerges from the eyebrows of Devee as a burst of psychic energy. She killed Raktbeej (Chapter 8) whose every drop of blood if touches the ground, gets transformed in a new Raktbeej. So a new strategy had to be adopted to annihilate him. A dark omage bursts from Devee's 3rd eye, and with her huge mouth and tongue she ferociously takes up Raktbeej's blood drops before they touch ground, thus prevents uprising the demon in innumerable numbers. The story continues and Devee, Kaalee and some Maatrikaa destroy two more demon brothers - Shumbh and Nishumbh (in Chapter 9 and 10). In the final battle, Devee absorbs Kaalee and the Maatrikaa, and stands alone for the final battle.

Chandee or Chandikaa is the name of the Devee by which she has been referred to in Devee Mahaatmya. Chandee or Chandikaa means - "the violent and impetuous one", from the adjective Chand, meaning "fierce, violent, cruel". The epithet is unprecedented in Vaidik literature and is first found in a late insertion to the Mahaabhaarat, where Chand and Chandee appear as epithets.

Hymns in Durgaa Sapt Shatee
It contains 4 hymns --
(1) The first hymn is by Brahmaa Jee also known as Taantrik Raatri Sooktam (Chapter 1): In the first episode, when Brahmaa prays Yog Nidraa, requesting her to withdraw from Vishnu so that he can slay Madhu and Kaitabh Daitya.
(2) The second prayer is by Indra, Sakraadi Stuti (Chapter 4): At the end of the second episode, after the Goddess has vanquished demon Mahishaasur and his hordes, the Gods with their King Indra, praise her.
(3) the third prayer is The "Yaa Devee Sarv Bhooteshu..." Hymn also known as Aparaajitaa Stuti or Taantrik Devee Sooktam (Chapter 5): At the beginning of the third episode, when the beleaguered gods recall the Goddess's promise to assist them, they head to Mount Himavaan and there offer a hymn to the Goddess.
(4) the fourth prayer is Naaraayanee Stuti (Chapter 11): At the conclusion of the third episode, after the Goddess has disposed of Shumbh and Nishumbh. She is prayed by the Gods.

Subsidiary Text Based on Durgaa Sapt Shatee
The following subsidiary texts come before the text of Durgaa Sapt Shatee
(1) Durga Sapt Shlokee also known as "Ambaa Stuti" - They are introduced as one-verse query from Shiv who asks about the means of achieving what is desired, and a one verse response from the Goddess who says she will proclaim the relevant discipline (Saadhanaa) by revealing Ambaa Stuti which consists of the 7 verses indicated.
(2) Devi Kavacham - The Devee Kavacham consisting of 61 Shlok is in Maarkandeya Puraan. This Kavacham (Armor) protects the reader in all parts of his body, in all places and in all difficulties. Maarkandeya Jee asks Brahmaa that "Whatever has not been told to anybody in this world, so tell me that." and Brahmaa Jee says that -"Such is only the Kavach of Devee only."
(3) Argalaa Stotram - Here Rishi Maarkandeya is telling his disciples in 27 inspiring couplets on the greatness of Devee. She has been described in all aspects and names and at the end of each Shlok, a prayer is offered to Devee for material prosperity, physical fitness, fame and victory - (Yasho Dehi, Jayam Dehi...)
(4) Keelakam - Here also Rishi Maarkandeya tells his disciples in 16 Shlok, the ways and means of removing obstacles faced by devotees, while reading Devee Mahatmya.
(5) Raatri Sooktam (Vaidik) - Raatri Sooktam (8 Shlok) has been taken from Rig Ved, 10th Mandal, 10th Anuvaak, 127th Sookt, which shows that Devi was worshipped from time immemorial. Devee is described as the all-pervading Supreme Lord of the Universe appearing in Omkaar. Here Raatri is the Goddess who fulfills our prayers.
(6) Kunjikaa Stotram is also a beautiful hymn, written in Durgaa Sapt Shatee, which is said to be the mixture of the 3 hymns ie Kavacham, Argalaa Stotram, Keelakam and also Rahasya Parvam (Moorti Rahasyam and Vaikritikaa Rahasyam). It is said that Lord Shiv had recited this Shlok to Paarvatee at her attainment of Bramh Gyaan. This Shlok plays an important role in Devee's Sapt Shatee. It is at the ending of the book.
(7) Raatri Sooktam (Taantrik) - The hymn in the first chapter is the Tantrik Raatri Sookt.
Either the Ratri Suktam (Vaidik) or Raatri Sooktam (Taantrik) is read depending upon whether the ritual is Vaidik or Taantrik.
(8) One of the texts recited by some traditions is the Devee Atharvaa Sheersh Upanishad (Devee Upanishad).

The following subsidiary texts are after the text of Sapt Shatee
(1) Pradhaan Rahasyam - "Deals with the process of creation. It is the secret about Mool Prakriti who is the cause of creation."
(2) Vaikritik Rahasyam - "Describes how the Godhead beyond change subjected Himself to change, how the Mool Prakriti (productive), became Vikriti (produced); hence the name Vaikritik Rahasyam."
(3) Moorti Rahasyam - "The incarnations, the Avataar Moorti of the Goddess are mentioned."
(4) Devee Sooktam (Rig Vedoktam) - According to Rig Ved : "The 8 Shlok composed by Vak, the daughter of Maharshi Ambharin, are from the Rig Ved, 10th Mandal, 10th Anuvaak, 125th Sookt. These Shlok express the truth realized by Vak, who identifies herself as Brahm Shakti, and expresses herself as 11 Rudra, 8 Vasu, 12 Aaditya and all the Devtaa including Indra, Agni and Ashwinee Kumaar - who are sustained by her and She is the source, substratum and support of the whole world. She is verily Brahm Swaroopinee (embodiment of Brahm)."
(5) Devee Sooktam (Taantrik) - The hymn in chapter 5 is Taantrik Devee Sooktam.

--The number and order of these depend on the Sampradaya (tradition).[33][34]
--Either the Devee Sooktam (Vaidik) or Devee Sooktam (Taantrik) is read depending upon whether the ritual is Vaidic or Taantrik.
--At the end of a traditional recitation of the text, a prayer craving pardon from the Goddess known as Aparaadh Kshmapan Stotram is also recited.

Devee Mantra
Bhaaskararaaya, in his commentary "Guptavatee", has noted that, among the Mantra related to the worship of Brahm vis a vis Shakti with attributes, the Navaarn Mantra and Sapt Shatee are preeminent. Sapt Shatee here is understood as constituting one very long Mantra. Navaarn Mantra has been explained in Devee Atharvaa Sheersh Upanishad (Devee Upanishad)

Some More Information
This is indicated by the early dates at which it was translated into European languages. It was translated into English in 1823, followed by an analysis with excerpts in French in 1824. It was translated into Latin in 1831 and in Greek in 1853.

It appears that Devee Mahaatmya is the centre of the great Shakti cult. The unique feature of Devee Māhaatmya is the oral tradition. Though it is part of the devotional tradition, it is in the rites of the Hindu that it plays an important role. The entire text is considered as one single Mantra though it is a collection of 700 Mantra. It is treated as if it were a Vaidik hymn or verse with sages (Rishi), meter, Pradhna Devataa, and Viniyog (for Jap)in the cultic context. It has been approached, both by Hindu and Western scholars, as scripture in and by itself, where its significance is intrinsic, not derived from its Pauraanik context.

According to Damar Tantra, like Ashwamedh Yagya is among Yagya, Hari is in Devtaa, in the same way Sapt Shatee is in hymns. And like the Ved; Durgaa Sapt Shatee is eternal" says Bhuvaneshwaree Sanhitaa.

Commentaries on Durgaa Sapt Shatee
There are many commentaries on Devi Māhaatmya.
Guptaavatee by Bhaaskararaya
Nagesi by Nagoji Bhat
Santhanavi
Puspanjali
Ramashrami
Dhamsoddharam
Durgapradeepam are some of them.
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