Among the Eighteen Maha Puranas, ten are termed as Saiva Puranas, four Brahma Puranas, two Sakta Puranas and four Vaisnava Puranas as mentioned in the Kedara Khanda of Skanda Purana. The Saiva, Bhavisya, Markandeya, Linga, Varaha, Skanda, Matsya, Kurma, Vamana, Brahamanda are the ten Saiva Puranas Visnu, Visnu, Bhagavata, Naradiya and Garuda are four Vaisnava Puranas whereas Brahma and Padma describe the glory of lord Brahma and hence are called the Brahma Puranas.
The Markandeya Purana is one of the oldest Puranas. It is a very popular and most important work of the Indian. tradition. This Purana has 137 chapters. A study of the treatise reveals three stages of its developments. Chapters 1 to 44 are represented as narrated by four wise birds living Vindhya Mountain. Chapters 45 to 80 nominally a dialogue between Jaimini and Dharma birds, but in reality the interlocutors are Markandeya and his pupil Kraustuki who starts the real discussion on the Puranic content s. Chapters 81 to 93 constitute the Durga saptasati or Devi Mahatmya, popularly known as Candi or Durga Saptasati . Presently, Durga saptasati is well recognized as a separate sacred text like Bhagavad Gita and it is being Chanted everyday by a number Hindus, i.e. the worshippers of Devi Durga. In order to satisfy the Supreme Goddess Durga the devotees used to chant the sacred verses of this holy text.
It is known that Devi Durga is the Divine Supreme Power. She is the mother who creates the world and all creatures. Sakti is symbolized as a women or the mother. In the Mahanirvana Tantra , Sakti has been addressed as Kill, Tarini, Durga, Sodasi, Bhuvanesvan, Dhumavati, Bagala, Bhairavi, Chinnamasta, Annapurna, Vagdevi, Kamalalaya and Siva. In the Saundaryalahari , Sakti has been called Aruna, Parvati, Candi, Uma, Bhavani, Sati, Samaya, besides Janani, Matr, Devi and Amba. In the Lalita Sahasranama, Sakti has been named as Kali, Karali, Kalavati, Kamala and Kalidarpaghni. These names have occurred due to their various functions, qualities and forms.
Lord Siva is commonly said to be the male principle and Sakti is the female principle. As a matter of fact they are neither male nor female, nor are they neuter. The person, who worships the wisdom (jnana) aspect of reality commonly called the male principle, is a Saiva and he worships the power aspects, or the female principle, is called a Sakta. When Lord Siva is worshipped, his consort is also worshipped, as these two are inseparable. For the same reason when Sakti is worshipped, Siva is also worshipped. Sakti is an imminent principle of Siva. Without Sakti, Siva is inactive. Devoid of Sakti, Siva would be insentient (jada) and, consequently, as good as dead (sava). Siva knows Himself only through His Sakti. But Sakti also depends upon Siva for its functioning. Both are essentially dependent upon each other. Sakti is symbolically represented as the spouse of Siva and hence she is the immanent principle of Siva.
