Tradition hands the pen over to Vyasa, the legendary sage often credited with compiling the Vedas and penning the Mahabharata. Within its own verses, the Devi Bhagavata Purana bows to his authority, presenting itself as the masterwork of that very Veda Vyasa. Yet historical sleuthing tells a richer story: the text most likely crystallized centuries later, in the thick of India’s medieval Shakta revival.

Scholars generally peg its composition somewhere between the 9th and 13th centuries CE, with a strong whisper around the 11th century. That “give or take a century” window reflects lively debates over linguistic style, doctrinal content and manuscript evidence scattered from Bengal’s temple archives to South India’s palm-leaf collections. Certain chapters brim with tantric imagery and echoes of sectarian discussions—hallmarks of a time when worship of the Divine Mother surged into fresh philosophical territory.

Variants in dating arise because the Devi Bhagavata evolved in different regions, picked up local embellishments and was copied by generations of devotees hungry for a text that placed the Goddess at the universe’s very heart. Its twenty-four skandhas (books) weave mythic narrative, devotional hymns and metaphysical discourses—an intricate tapestry that mirrors the diverse spiritual landscape of medieval India.

Today, as Navaratri celebrations light up streets from Chennai to Chicago, digital humanities projects are even turning up previously unknown manuscripts. Each new discovery nudges that composition date by a few decades, but the consensus remains solid: it isn’t Vyasa’s “iron-age” original so much as a medieval masterpiece that channels his authority. This blend of ancient attribution and medieval crafting gives the Devi Bhagavata Purana its unique sparkle—a scripture both timeless and very much of its moment.