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How to make Lakshmi Happy

8/26/2012

How to make “Goddess Lakshmi” Happy?

1. Should not sleep after sunrise and sleep only after sunset, if you do so Lakshmiji will come to you.

2. Should not itching head with both hands.

3. The lady who is cooking and serving food should not taste anything while doing so.

4. Lakshmiji doesn't like disharmony and never comes in homely discord so, create harmony at home.

5. Always respect wife and never show disrespect towards her, she is also Grih Lakshmiji (Lakshmi of Home). If she would be happy, Dhan Lakshmiji (Goddess of Money) has to come automatically.

6. Always sleep at clean place and neever sleep at messy place.

7. The people who take food only after bathing and worshiping in the morning, Lakshmiji always comes to their home.

8. Never use spit for counting money, Lakshmiji doesn't like it.

9. Always respect parents and have faith in God because in a reverse conditions, Lakshmiji will not come.

10. Those people who do not offer food to “Agni Devta” (God of Fire), cannot become prosperous.

11. Always offer food to your ancestors on the New Moon day before taking it, if you do so Lakshmiji will be happy.

12. Those who are having food and singing devotional music in secluded place, Lakshmiji becomes happy.

13. Always do Aarti (daily prayer) morning and evening with your family on daily basis, by doing this Lakshmiji becomes happy will stay at your place forever.

14. Never touch your plate of food, girl, wife, book and broom by feet; Lakshmiji does not like it.

15. Color the rice grains in red and then drop it in flowing water by remembering Maa Lakshmi, do it on every Friday of “Shukla Paksha” (Shukla paksha refers to the bright lunar fortnight or waxing moon in the Hindu calendar. Shukla (Sanskrit: शुक्ल) is Sanskrit for "white".Shukla Paksha is a period of 15 days, which begins on the Shukla Amavasya (New Moon) day and culminating Poornima (Full Moon) day and is considered auspicious.
). If you do so, you will get the benefit of money very soon…Shubham Bhavatu.

- Jay Mahalakshmi.
by and copied from Varun Padhey

Kamala Devi Jai Maaa!

8/26/2012

GODDESS KAMALA: The last of the Dasa Maha Vidyas, Goddess Kamala or Kamalatmika is the Goddess of Inner and Outer Prosperity. As the goddess of material wealth and beauty, Goddess Kamala is worshipped for her most revered power, that is the elimination of poverty and the grace of material wealth and prosperity. ‘Kamala’ means ‘lotus’, thus she is also called the Lotus Goddess of Delight. She isDevi revealed in Beauty and Grace. Kamalatmika meaning ‘she of the lotus,’ representing the unfoldment of Divine Nature and its manifestation in the physical world. Her epithets include Mahashakti, Mahamaya, Durga, Gauri and Sati.

Her other descriptions give a clearer perspective of Goddess Kamala: Mother of the World, Creator of all the Gods, Mistress of all, She who is situated in the middle of countless universes, Whose form is the creation, Who is the cause of creation, Who is without support, Who is the form of highest spiritual bliss, Who is the three gunas, Who creates all, Whose form is everything. Her connections with Lord Siva, Goddess Kali and Durga is evident from the descriptions: Slayer of Madhu and Kaitabha, Slayer of Sumbha and Nisumbha, She whose bliss is Siva, She who is dear to the one who does the Tandava dance, She who wears a garland of skulls, She whose form is very terrible. As with all Goddesses she shares some common names and attributes of other goddesses.

KALAMA – LAKSHMI: Goddess Kamala is a common epithet of Goddess Lakshmi, Consort of Vishnu. Lakshmi is adored for her calmness with her nature of supreme peace and luster of pure gold, whose form is radiant wearing gold and possessing exuberant ornaments. Kamala shares the three important attributes of Lakshmi - prosperity and wealth, fertility and crops, and good luck. As the consort of Vishnu, Preserver of the Universe, Kamala is the queen preserver of everything on earth.

They both rule over love, beauty and love. However Lakshmi rules over the subtle form of bliss of perception of the Self. Kamala governs the outer form of beauty, not merely as pleasure but as the unfolding of the Divine nature into the realms of action and creation. Kamala causes us to create forms in the outer world, while Lakshmi allows us to withdraw the outer world into our own consciousness. In this sense Mother Kamala relates to the Earth, which contains the maximum manifestation of the Divine in the material world. The earth Goddess, Bhuma Devi, is considered to be second consort of Lord Vishnu.

Goddess Kamala is addressed as Sri or Shri in her earlier references relating her to the positive qualities of energies. ‘Sri’ means auspiciousness. The Sri-Sukta elaborately reflects her positive qualities and auspicious nature. The Satapatha Brahmana relates the goddess with food, royal power, luster, fortune and beauty. Pre-buddhist hymns associated her with fertility and growth.

Mother Kamala nourishes and supports our worldly activities and aspirations. She promotes their fulfillment. Progressively she allows layer upon layer of Divine grace to reach us. She too can be propitiated both for ordinary and spiritual goals. However, worldly success of material wealth and success is to be part of seeking her Divine fulfillment. It should be towards the final end of the purusharta goals – Moksha as a process of evolution. Here is the difference: One pursues Goddess Lakshmi for the pursuit of pleasure, fortune, fame, wealth so on so forth but her highest form of devotion of self-realization is through Goddess Kamala. She is the last of the Wisdom Goddesses, the full unfoldment of the power of the Goddess into the material sphere.

She is the beginning and the end of our worship of the Mahavidyas. In the Mahavidya pantheon, Kamala is the Tantric manifestation of Goddess Lakshmi. She takes on the other qualities of the other Mahavidyas. As a Mahavidya, she represents the unfolding of inner consciousness into the fullness of creation. Her greatest power is the removal of poverty, both material and spiritual.

DEPICTION: Kamala is the most beautiful goddess of the Mahavidyas representing the unfolding of inner consciousness. She is shown as a beautiful young woman with golden shine complexion. She wears a heavily jeweled crown and that is dazzling. The goddess is immaculately dressed and puts on a silken dress. She also wears a kaustibha gemand and a resplendent waist-band.

Always smiling, She is shown as either as standing or seated in padmasana or lotus position to symbolize purity. Her personal charm is par excellence. She is being bathed by two or four large elephants. Elephants pouring nectar onto her are symbols of sovereignty and fertility. She has four hands. In her two hands, she holds two lotuses. These are symbols of purity and fertility. Her other two hands are in abhayamudra or the gesture of giving assurance and varamudra or gesture of conferring boons respectively. The palms are always expanded to bless. Kamala expounds and atmosphere of divine happiness, spiritual satisfaction and prosperity.

LOTUS and ELEPHANTS: Goddess Kamala’s mention as Sri in the Sri-Sukta associates her with lotus and elephant. These proved to be both central and reflect later significant aspects of her character. In Hindu thoughts, lotus is sacred. Lotus Goddess is advancement Goddess. This is why she, as Shree or Lakshmi, is called Shakti of Shiva. Lakshmi herself is born from the ocean representing the water of fulfillment, the flowering of Divine grace and love. The spiritual lotus, which is the basis of the universal energy, blooms in the void. It comes forth in the space of pure consciousness. On a cosmic level, the lotus represents the entire universe created by Gods.

Just as the lotus has its roots in mud and yet produces a beautiful flower, the beautiful soul emerges from the gross physical body. ‘Neeralave agumaam neer aambal’ is a Tamil spiritual cliché meaning lotus always elevates itself above the water level. Kamala nourishes and supports us in the elevation of our soul through our spiritual as well as worldly goals. She brings to the devotee abundance of worldly wealth as well as love and bliss.

Elephants: Elephants symbolize sovereignty. Kamala’s association with the elephants relate to prospects of her character that are ancient and persistent. Being flanked by two huge elephants that shower her with water or amrit with their trunks is the usual image. In Hindu thoughts, elephants are related to clouds and rains, thus signifying fertility. Generally elephants symbolize loyalty and wisdom. They are foretellers in that they have strong sense of hearing and smell.

CHAKRA: Lotus represents chakras. Goddess Kamala as lotus goddess also represents development of a person by maintaining the dharma of keeping the seven chakras open. She upholds sadhana. She is located in the heart chakra in the body. She upholds sadhana. She is also the force who helps us to see the beauty and Divine quality in everything. Meditating on the rays of the Sun awakens the process of inner unfoldment which is Kamalatmika.

CAPITALISM vs SPIRITUALISM: Among the Dasa Mahavidyas, Goddess Kamala comes close to blessing those, the textbook narrow definition of wealth. She is linked to fertility, crops advancement and profits, material wealth and good luck in the forthcoming years. Of course this is open to one and all. She relieves one from famine and ensures prosperity. There is nothing to suggest that she is a ‘taking’ goddess; on the contrary, she blesses and gives her bhaktas generously. Neither is she ferocious with fangs and stuff or a threatening knife and spear. Gold pours out from her mudra abundantly. Could a ‘capitalist’ tag be pinned on her vis-à-vis her bhaktas? Could she be one prompting a violation of the purusharta goals of dharma, arta, kama and moksha?

This is to be seen in the context of the Mahavidyas in their entirety. In their strong associations with death, violence, pollution, and despised marginal social roles, they call into question such normative social needs such as worldly comfort, security, respect, and honor. Mahavidya worship would suggest that bhaktas experience a refreshing and liberating spirituality in all that is forbidden. Their central theme is both self-realization and God realisation. Thus one is to stretch consciousness from social norms and expectations. That would require a new and refreshing perspective to live one’s life according to the rules of purity and pollution, a question addressed by the Mahavidyas without compromising the purusharta goals.

MANTRA: Kamala’s seed-syllable or bija mantra is the same as that of Lakshmi, Shrim. Shrim is the great mantra of beauty, abundance, splendour, devotion, surrender, and refuge. Like Lakshmi it grants all the goals of life up to the highest liberation. Hence it is one of the most important, auspicious and generally useful of all bija-mantras

Om Shrim Shrim Kamalatmika Shrim svaha.

Yogi Ananda Saraswati

Sadasiva

8/24/2012

SADASIVA. Shaivism would differ from Advaita Vedanta as advocated by Adi Sankaracharya on the basis that it does not consider the manifest world as unreal. If maya is able to veil Brahman, then maya must be superior to Brahman. This does not make sense. In Shaivism, the world we live in is the projection of Siva’s dynamism as real as Siva himself. Aghoris apply the same principle to state that if God is pure, then there cannot be impurity in any of his material objects. God is real then everything that emanates from him must be as real. The Lord and his creation are inseparable as the reflection of one’s face in a pool of water.

Consciousness in Advaita Vedanta is classified as follows: Brahman-caitanya - absolute consciousness; Isvara-caitanya -cosmic consciousness; Jiva-caitanya - individual consciousness; and Saksi-caitanya - indwelling consciousness. However in advaita, these distinctions are due to limiting adjuncts or upadhis and are not intrinsic to the true nature of consciousness, which is by itself one and non-dual. Advaita Vedanta says that there is a substratum of this universe, even finer than energy-prana called Brahma Caitanya. Its very nature is Satchitananda – Absolute existence, Pure Consciousness and Bliss. The pure consciousness is the Self. As the rope could confuse you to believe it to be a snake, the snake cannot have an existence outside the rope. So the universe has no existence apart from Brahman. It is veiled by Maya and to lift it one seeks the testimony of the scriptures, illumined soul, do meditation, self-enquiry etc. When one transcends maya, then he successfully steers towards the highest union with Brahman. Shaivism would depart from this view.

SADASIVA – NIRGUNA BRAHMAN: At the highest level Lord Siva is Sadasiva, Para Brahman, Paramasiva or Paramesvara. In his Mirguna aspect, he is the transcendental formless reality. He is Brahman Himself without qualities and attributes. Para Brahman means the Highest Brahman or beyond Brahman. The Vedic reference is ‘tat’ or ‘that’ as opposed to the manifest universe which is ‘idam’ or ‘this’.

He is the Supreme Lord, the Eternal Truth, The Absolute, Infinite, Timeless, Indivisible, Subjective Truth beyond the senses and the mind. He is the end of spiritual practice, the experience of Pure Consciousness and Bliss in the state of Samadhi or Yoga. Kena Upanishad describes him as the Supreme Spirit and. As such he not to be chickened by maya.

SIVA – SAGUNA BRAHMAN: Siva also manifests as Maheswara or Mahasiva, the Lord of the Univers. As saguna Brahman, the Cosmic Lord, he is the awakened Supreme Self or Purusha, who combines himself with Prakriti, Shakti, in the roles of creation, maintenance, destruction, concealment and liberation. He is Purusha of the Vedas, the cosmic male, who creates Prakriti, the cosmic female. He projects the material and objective universe through Shakti, his dynamic power which he projects like a reflection in a mirror to manifest the objective reality through Shakti while he conceals himself. This is all not categorized as Maya, Illusory or False.

As Ardhanareesvara, as stated in Thirumoolar’s Thirumanthiram, He creates, He preserves, He destroys, He obscures and grants mukti. These are his functions. He is the source of all knowledge, the Agamas and the Tantras. These functions are performed through dynamic aspect of Shakti 1. Ananda-shakti or 2.Chit-shakti which is Pure Consciousness, 3.Iccha-shakti or will power, 4. Jnana-shakti-pure knowledge and 5. Kriya-shakti which is his dynamic power. As such the objective world or universe with its disparate objects that we perceive is the expansion of Shakti.

SHAKTI: Shaktas consider Adi Parashakti as the power of Sadasiva, Para Brahman. It is emphasized here that there is no separation or difference between Siva and Shakti. The difference is created by our own ignorance. In our limited mind we cannot comprehend Siva as Nirguna Brahman so we keep creating dualities. Sakta Agamas glorify Shakti as the Mother Goddess of the Universe. In her saguna way, She manifests as Siva's Consort. She is Bhavani; as the Mother of the world, She is Ambika or Jaganmata; as the daughter of Daksa and Virini, She is Uma; as the daughter of Himavat, She is Parvati; as the repository of powers of gods, She is Durga in Her warrior status; She is Sakti with Siva; She is Kali with Siva; As Sati, She was the daughter of Daksa; She is the ten Mahavidyas.

She also represents the three gunas; Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. This is personified as the material energy of Brahma, Vishnu, Brahma and Rudra, responsible for creation, maintenance and dissolution of the universe. As the personified energy of Sadasiva, who is the Supreme Being, she is Adi Parashakti, devoid of attributes she is called Nirguna. So actually it is Adi Parashakti who does anything: create, preserve or destroy. One can say that Para Brahman is static spiritual energy and Adi Parashakti is dynamic essence. The energies of Siva and Shakti, when coming together is Ananda or pure joy. Brihadaranayaka Upanishad 2.9.28 ‘Verily know the Supreme One to be Bliss.’

Aghora is a Tantric Shaivite sect tracing its beginning to rishi Dattatreya. The rishi is believed to have gone beyond the fourth state of consciousness, the Turiya. Aghoris have the ultimate aim of reaching Brahman; they dissolve in this Bliss. This is also explained in a different but affective way in the Siva-Shakti Tantric Maithuna Yoga. Perhaps you could seek guidance from your own gurus. Much of Tantra is not for written and published consumption.

ISVARA: Yet again in Advaita Vedanta, Isvara caitanya or Brahman united with maya explains the process of this universe’s creation, preservation, and dissolution, which is without beginning and without end. But Brahman can neither transform itself into the world nor create it, since that which is absolute reality, by definition, must transcend action and change. So Brahman plus Maya is Ishvara, God with attributes. In other words, Brahman appears as Isvara when viewed through maya.

In Shaivism, Isvara represents a functional aspect of Mahasiva, the performing role of destroyer. He is responsible for the regeneration and renewal of the material and objective universe and its components. In this functional aspect he facilitates the illusory movement of Kala-time and Yuga-phases.

In this saguna form, he is Parvathi’s husband with a whole range of entourage such as Devas, Gods, Siddhas, Siva ganas, Rishis, Yogis and devotees, all blessed with his darshan. He is there for our spiritual enlightenment. Through his anugraha or grace, one’s karma may be reduced or destroyed, impurities removed and pave the way for spiritual evolution. He facilitates our earth consciousness to Divine Consciousness and He acts as the conduit.

SADASIVA - FACES: The Four Faces of Sadasiva are said to have revealed the Vedas. The Fifth Face, Isana, revealed the Agamas. Each of the faces represent the Amnayas or doctrines thad lead one to liberation. It is said that one who knows all the Amnayas is Lord Siva himself. Each mantra has its guardian deity, who confers benevolence to the chanter. All the lesser gods and goddesses are the emanations of Siva and Sakti. Urdhavamnaya of the Isana face is the most exalted doctrine and Law of all doctrines.They are of five colours but there are varied accounts on the colours attributed to the heads of Sadasiva. In Manickavaasgar’s Thiruvaasakham Verse 48-49 it is stated ‘enggal Peruman niranggal orr aiynthu’ meaning Sadasiva, Our Lord, is of five colours:

EAST FACE: Is called Tatpurusa and is of golden colour. It is of pearly lustrous complexion with three eyes and a crescent moon on the crown. This is the face of Mahesvara. It stands for Obscuration and represents Air. This face blessed the Devis, Annapurna, Bhuvanesvari, Lakshmi, Lalita, Mahalakshmi, Nitya, Padma, Sarasvati, Shulini, Triputa, Tvaita, Vagvadini, Vajraprastarim with mantras and rites. Doctrine attributed to this face is Purvamnaya concerned with creation, the 24 tattvas and Mantra Yoga Marga.

SOUTH FACE: Is called Aghora and is of blue colour. The South Face has three eyes. This is the face of Rudra. It stands for Sublation and represents Fire. This face revealed Mantras and rites to Bhairva, Dakshinamurti, Mahaprasadamantra, Manjughosa, Mritasanjivanividya, Mrityunjaya, Prasadasadasiva, Vatuka. Doctrine attributed this face is Dakshina-amnaya concerned with maintenance, 25 tattvas and Bhakti Marga.

WEST FACE: Is called Sadyojata and is of white color. The West Face of the complexion of clouds. This is the face of Brahma. It stands for Creation and represents Earth. This face revealed the Mantras and rites to Agni, Candra, Dikpalas, Ganesha, Garuda, Gopala, Hanuman, HariHara, Krishna, Narayana, Nrishimha, Ramacandra, Suras, Surya, Vamana, Varaha, Vishnu and Yama. Doctrine attributed with this face is Paschima-amnaya concerned with Karma Marga and 32 tattvas.

NORTH FACE: Is called Vamadeva and is of red colour. This is the face Vishnu. It stands for Maintenance and represents Water. It represents the Compassion of Sadasiva. This face revealed mantras to Bhadrakali, Bagalamukhi, Chhinnamasta, Dakshinakalika, Dhumavati, Durga, Ekajata, Gauri, Guhyakah, Jayadurga, Katyayani, Mahakali, Mahishamardini, Matangi, Navadurga, Nilasarasvati, Pratyangira, Smashanakalika, Taritni, Ugratara, Vashuli, Vishalakshi their rites and Mantras. The doctrine attributed to this face is Shaivite Jnana Marga and the 36 Tattvas.

SKY FACE: Is called Isana and is of Crystaline color. This is the face of Sadasiva, the Revealer of Grace. It revealed mantras to Annapurnabhairavi, Bhairavi, Bhuvaneshibhairavi, Malini, Pancami, Shodashi, Shatkutabhairavi, Shrimattripurasundari, Smashanabhairavi, Tripurabhairavi, Tripureshi and Valavala. The doctrine attributed to this face is the Urdhva-amnaya, High Doctrine which extols of Brahman’s fullness. Unlike the Vedas, Puranas and Sastras, it is kept secret and is one for a Guru-disciple.

SYMBOLISMS: Sadasiva is the Ever Auspicious Lord. The Hooded Snake represents Wisdom and Temptation. It symbolizes that we exercise caution, use wisdom, resist temptation, move carefully and use discrimination. The Third Eye is the Eye of Wisdom. It is the path way to the inner guru, antar guru. The Five Faces are symbolic of Omniscience, Omnipotence, Omnipresence, Sublimation of five senses, Revealer of Grace. The Ten Arms consummate ability to tackle difficulties. The Tiger Skin obtunds the earth vibrations which keep bhaktas earthbound. The Abhaya Mudra means have no fear and a blessing to attain liberation.

While the Supreme Sadasiva has no form whatsoever, thanks to the sculptors and image makers, He exhibits these features for the benefit of bhaktas who cannot comprehend Him in His incorporeal form: Isaana as His head; Tatpurusha as His mouth; Aghora as His Heart; Vaamadeva as His secret parts and Sadyojaata as His feet. This body is self-created by Lord Siva, the cause of five functions of the Supreme – Frace, Obscuration, Destruction, Preservation and Creation.

PANCHABUTHAS: The five faces of Sadasiva represent five elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Ether. The body represents five elements: From the foot to the knees, it is earth; from the knees to the navel, it is water; from the navel to the throat it is fire; from the throat to the mouth it is wind; from the mouth to the crown it is ether.

YOGA: Jivas are the deluded aspect of Sadasiva. There is no difference between the two. Jivas are subject to Anava or finiteness, Maya or delusion and Karma of egoistic actions. In Shaivite thoughts Jivas are the same in terms of essence and Pure Consciousness just as Sadasiva. When the clouds of ignorance are removed through the Lord’s anugraha, the Jiva becomes liberated and reunites with the Source. At that state there is no bheda or difference or only Ananda or Pure Joy.

The relationship between Sadasiva and Jiva is certainly not of master and servant. To one that realizes they are of equal and essential identity. One may take the Jnana path of Self realization by embarking on the 36 Siva Tattvas and Agamas. The Isvara tattvas are 1.Shiva-chit, 2. Shakti –Kriya 3.Sadasiva –Jnana and Kriya, Iswara – Jnana and Kriya and 5. Sidda-Vidya – Jnana and Kriya. The Shakti Tattvas are 6. Kaala-time, 7. Niyati – space, 8.Vidya –material knowledge, 9. Raga-passion and 10. Kala-power. The Atma Tattvas are 11. Maya 12. Purusha 13. Buddhi-wisdom 14.Ahankara-ego 15. Manas and 16. Prakrithi. Tattvas 17-21 are Five Gnanendriyas, 22-26 are Five Karmendriyas, 27-31 are Five Tanmatras, 32-36 are Five Mahabhutas. Beyond the 36 Tattvas is Atattva or Para Siva or formless absolute Brahman who is symbolized by the Shiva Lingam.

Saiva Agamas came to us through Sadasiva’s five faces. This was revealed by Lord Siva to Parvathi and the guru-parampara starts for the transmission of wisdom. Agamas are called Sadhana Shastras, anyone can be in yoga of bliss by following Agamic prescriptions. These Agamas were and are open to all as opposed to the ancient prohibition of caste based Vedas and Upanishads of the Brahmanic schools. The Agamas were written in Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. The Nayanmaars further facilitated the Tamil speaking population further elaborations and stories. There are 28 Shaivite Agamas and 108 Upagamas or minor agamas. The Shakta school of Mother Goddess worship has 77 Shaktagamas. The Tantras have three parts being Sadhana, Siddhi and Darshana. Mohenjo-daro excavations give credit that the Shaivite Pati-Pasu-Pasa trilateral relationship existed from Vedic times, if not earlier.

The Bhakti or devotional worship may be suitable for nearly all types of personalities for God realization. This is the beautiful and practical devotional approach of faith, surrender and trust. Sadasiva is Brahman himself, who descends into lower planes to manifest himself in different forms and aspects. He does for his own Ananda and for us to discover this Truth and thereafter discover our own infinity. Bhakti path is the path of love which does not exclude anyone irrespective of his status in life. It suits the theory that belief, faith, prayers, rituals and personal Gods are individual business. In Shaivism we are to know ourselves as Him. This path of realization emanates from one’s own heart and one can fall in love with God. Sadasiva is the Absolute, Supreme Lord, beyond which there is nothing else. Sivoham Sivoham.
Om Nama Sivaya
Copied from Yogi Ananda Saraswathi's facebook.. Hinduism Today

The Story of Santoshi Maa!

8/23/2012

♦♦♦ The Story of Santoshi Mata Ji ♦♦♦

There was an old woman, she had seven sons. Six of them were working hard and one was lazy and not working. The old woman would make food and feed the six sons, whatever remnants were there she would serve the seventh son. The younger son was innocent and was not aware of this.

One day he told his wife - "See, how much my mother loves me?" She said - "Why not, she gives you the remnants of everyone to eat." He said, "What, how can such a thing be? Till the eyes see, I cannot believe what you say. The wife laughed and said, " Will you believe once you see yourself?"

After a few days there was a festival in the house. Seven types of food and laddoo [sweet dish] were prepared. To check out the truth he made an excuse of headache and went to the kitchen and laid down covering his face with a thin cloth, through which he was watching everything. The six brothers came into the kitchen for food. He saw his mother had spread beautiful seats for them and served them the seven varieties of foods. She was serving them the food with love. He kept on watching. The six brothers ate their food and got up. The mother took from their plates the leftovers and from the pieces of the ladoo, made a ladoo out of it.

After clearing the leftovers, the mother called out to the son- " Get up son, the six brothers have eaten and gone. You are left, get up. When will you eat?" He started saying, "Mother I do not wish to have food. I am going out of the country." The mother said, "If you are planning to go tomorrow go today." He said, "Yes, Yes. I am going today only."

Saying this he left the house. While leaving the house he remembered his wife. She was in the cow stable making cakes of cow-dung. He went there and said, "I am going away to another country for some time. You stay in peace and do your duty." She said, " Go in peace do not worry about me. I will stay in the care of Lord Rama, Lord be with you. Give me something of yours to remember, in all your worries and work do not forget me."

He said, " I have nothing, only this ring. You take this and give me something of yours as a remembrance." She said, " What do I have? I have only this hand full of cow-dung." Saying thus she put her hands filled with the cow-dung as a mark on his back. And he went away.

Thus walking and walking he reached a far land where he reached the shop of a merchant. Going there he said, " Brother, keep me as your servant." The merchant needed one so he asked him to stay. The boy asked him. "How much salary he would give?" The merchant replied, "You will be paid after I see how you work."

He got the job from the merchant. He used to work from morning 7am to 2pm in the afternoon. In a few days, he managed the transactions, accounts, selling of the items to the customers and managed all the work. The merchant had seven to eight servants and they were all astonished. He was very intelligent. The businessman seeing his work made him his partner sharing 50% of the profits within 3 months. In 12 years he became a famous businessman and the owner left all the work on his shoulders and went out of the country.

Now what happened to the daughter-in-law, kindly listen?

The mother-in-law and father-in-law started troubling her a lot. The complete household burden was put on her and she was also sent to collect wood from the forest. During this time, the grain from which the rotis [chapathi] are made- the husk [bhoosa] was removed and the roti was made and kept for her and in the broken coconut shell water was kept. This way the days passed by.

One day, while when she was going to collect the wood on the way, she met many women who were doing the Santoshi Mata Vrat [fasting]. She stood there and heard the story, then she asked them, "Sisters, you are doing this fast for which God, and doing this fast-what fruit do you achieve? What are the rules to perform this fast? If you can explain to me the steps to perform the rituals of this fast I would be highly obliged to you."

Then one of the women said to her, -"Listen, this is the vrat [fast] of Santoshi Mata. From this calamity, poverty is wiped out. Wealth comes in. All worries are removed. If there is happiness in the house, the mind is happy and peaceful. Barren woman begets a child. If the husband has gone out he will return immediately. Unmarried girls get their own choice of husbands. Court cases which are being on for long time would be resolved fast. If there are quarrels in the house, there will be peace and happiness, prosperity will be there in the house, money and land will be got, sickness would go away and thus whatever desire you have in the mind this Santoshi Mata's blessings will fulfill them. There is no doubt about it."

She then started asking, "How is this fast kept? Could you please explain to me? I would be very grateful to you."

The woman began explaining- "Buy 1 ¼ Anna jaggery and grams (olden days we had Anna's and 16 Anna's made a rupee). If you desire you can buy for 5 ¼ Anna's or 1 ¼ rupee as per your capacity you can buy, without any botheration as per your devotion and love you should buy. Right from 1 ¼ paise to 5 ¼ Anna's upto your capacity of strength and devotion you can buy. Every Friday, keep a fast - do not eat food and listen or read this story. There should be no break, continuously follow the rules and keep the fast. If you do not get anyone to listen to the story, then light a lamp with ghee or keep the vessel with water in front of you and read the story but see that the rule is broken. Continue till the results happen following the rules and performing the fast. On the fulfillment of the desire do the Udyapan (final day).

Within 3 months the mother fulfills the desire - in between if one's stars (astrological) is not favorable, then too the mother fulfills the desire. On the fulfillment of the desire only should the Udyapan be done, not in between. On the Udyapan day one should make 2 ½ kg grounded cashew, kheer and gram curry. You must feed 8 boys with this food. As far as possible let the boys be from the close- immediate family members that is elder/younger broth-in-law's son, relatives and family. If they are not there, then you can get other relatives or from the neighbor's son can be invited. Give them food and as per your capacity give them gifts and complete the rules of the rituals of the Mata. On that day no one should eat sour items in the house.

After hearing this old woman's daughter-in-law went away. On the way she sold the wood she had collected and with that money she purchased jaggery and grams and prepared for the Mata's vrat (fast). Walking along she saw a temple and she started inquiring "Whose temple is this?" Everyone started saying, "This is the temple of Santoshi Mata (Mother)." Hearing this is the temple of the Mata she went in and fell at the feet of the Mother.

She started praying very sadly. "Mother, I am an ignorant woman, I do not know the rules to perform this vrat. I am very unhappy. Hey Mother! Goddess of the world please remove my unhappiness, I have come to your shelter."

Mother got compassion, one Friday passed and the next Friday somebody brought a letter from her husband and the third Friday she received the money sent by him. Seeing this, the elder brother-in-law and his wife made faces. In so many days so much money has come, what is so great? Boys started taunting her,"Money has started coming, now respect for Kaki (brother's wife) will increase, brother!"

"Letter comes, money comes it is good for all of us." Saying thus with eyes full of tears she went to the Santoshi Mata's temple and at the feet of Mateshwari (Goddess Mother) she started crying. "Mother! When did I ask for money? What work do I have from money? I have only work with my husband. I have prayed to see my husband again and serve him."

Then the Mother being pleased said, "Go daughter! Your husband will come." Hearing this she became happy and returned home and started doing her work.

Now Mother Santoshi started thinking, " I said this to the innocent woman. But from where will her husband come? He does not even remember her in his dreams! I will have to go to him to remind him." In this way, Mataji went in the dreams of the old woman's son and began saying.

"Wealthy man's son, are you sleeping or awake?" He replies, "Mother I am neither sleeping nor awake. Kindly tell me what do you wish to instruct to me?" Mother started saying, " Do you have a family - Yes or No?" He replied, "I have everyone, Mother! Mother-father, wife I have nothing less." Mother said, "Innocent son! Your wife is taking lots of trouble, your father - mother is giving her plenty of trouble. You should inquire about her."

He said, "Yes, Mataji, I know about it but how do I go back? This is another country, there is no limit of buying and selling transactions, there is no road for going which I can see." Mother started saying, listen to me, "In the morning after having taken bath, take the name of Santoshi Mata, burn a lamp with ghee. Then go and sit in the shop. Slowly your liabilities will be over. Your stores will be sold. By evening heaps of wealth will be formed."

Now he got up early and shared his dream with his friends. They all told him, "Do any dreams come true?" One old man said, " Listen to me, instead of doubting the truth or falsehood of the dream, following what God has instructed what will you loose? Now listen to the old man. After bathing, pray to Santoshi Mata, light a lamp of ghee, and go and sit in the shop."

In a short while what does he see, the borrowers started returning the money and the lenders started taking back their money? People started buying the stocks in cash only. By evening he had collected plenty of wealth. In his mind he continuously took the name of Mata and watched the miracle. Being happy he purchased jewelry, clothes and things to take to his house. Having completed the work here he immediately left for his hometown.

There the wife has gone to the forest to collect wood, on the return she rested at the Santoshi Mata Temple. This was her regular everyday place of halt to rest. Seeing the dust flying from far she asked Mataji, " Oh Mataji, Why is this dust flying? " Mother says to her, " Oh daughter! Your husband is coming. Now make three bundles from the wood. One you keep on the bank of the river, one in the temple and the third keep on your head. Seeing the bundle of wood your husband will have desire and he will stop at the temple, make some snacks. And then go to the mother". Then carrying the burden of wood remove it from your head and in the center of the lane cry out three times loudly, " Take, mother-in-law! Take the bundle of wood, give me the roti of husk and in the coconut shell give me water! Today which guest has come? Listen to the Mother, daughter-in-law."

The daughter-in-law said, "Ok, Yes Mother!" Then happily made three bundles from the wood. She kept one at the bank of the river, one in the temple of Mataji and at that time one traveler reached there. Seeing the dried wood the desire to rest and make some food came in his mind. After resting he went to the village. He met everyone with love.

At the same time the wife comes along with the bundle of wood. Keeping the heavy bundle of wood in the compound, she cried out loudly, "Take mother-in-law, take the bundle of wood, give me the husk roti, give me in the broken coconut shell water. Today who has come?"

Hearing this the mother-in-law to hide her trouble says, "Daughter-in-law! Why do you say thus?

Your Lord (husband) has come. Come in have sweet rice meal, wear clothes and jewelry!"

Meanwhile hearing the voice the husband comes out and seeing the ring gets astonished. He asks his mother, " Mother, Who is this lady?" The mother says, "Son, she is your wife. Today 12 years have passed, from the time you left she roams about like an animal in the whole village. She does none of the household chores. Four times she comes and eats, seeing you she is asking for husk roti and water in the coconut shell."

Being ashamed he said, " It's alright mother! I have seen her and seen you also. Now give me the keys of the other house so I can live there." Then the mother said, "It's alright son! As you wish." Here is the bundle of keys, which she threw forcefully on the floor.

He picked the keys and went to the next house. Opening the room on the third floor he kept all the things. Within one day the house was decorated like a King's palace.

Now what happens? The wife started enjoying happiness; meanwhile the next Friday comes. She told her husband, " I want to do the Udyapan of Santoshi Mata Vrat." Her husband said, " Very good! Do it happily."

Immediately she started preparing for the Udyapan. She went to invite the sons of her elder brother-in-laws for lunch. She accepted the invitation but the other middle sister-in-law teaches her son, " See! All of you ask for sour item by which her Udyapan would not be completed."

The boys came for the lunch; they ate stomachful helpings of Kheer. But remembering the words of the mother began saying, "Give us something sour, we do not like eating Kheer. Seeing it we are feeling uneasy." The daughter-in-law started saying, " No one will get any sour item. This is the prasad of Santoshi Mata." The boys stood up and said, "Give money!" The innocent daughter-in-law knowing nothing gave them money. The boys at that moment stubbornly purchased imli (tamarind) and started eating.

Seeing this the Mother cursed the daughter-in-law. The soldiers of the King arrested her husband and took him away. The brothers and sister-in-law started falsely making statements, "Always looting, he has collected this wealth." The soldiers of the King took him away. Now everything will be known once he gets beating in the jail. The wife could not bear to hear this statement. Crying she went to the temple of Mataji.

She began saying, " Mother! What is this you did? Why did you make me cry?" Mother said, "Daughter, you have done the Udyapan and spoiled the Vrat. So soon you forgot all the talks."

She started saying, "Mother I have not forgotten, nor committed any sin. The boys made me forget and forgetting I gave them money, forgive me Mother!" Mother said. " Does one forget thus?" She said,"Mother please forgive me, I will do your Udyapan again." Mother said, " Now make no mistake". She says, " Now no mistake will be committed. Mother please tell me now how will he come." Mother said, " Go daughter, you will find your husband coming on the way."

She went from there and on the way she found her husband. She asked him, "Where did you go?" Then he started saying, " He had earned so much of wealth so the King wanted him to pay the taxes, he had gone to pay the taxes." Being happy she said, "Good thing happened, let's go home."

They went home.

After few days once again Friday came, she said to her husband- "I want to once again do the Udyapan of Mataji." The husband said, "Do it."

She again went to invite the sons of her elder brother-in-laws. The sister-in-laws taunted her and started teaching the sons, " You all in the beginning only ask for sour item." The boys started saying, " We do not like eating Kheer, we get uneasy, give us something sour to eat." She said, "You will get no sour item, if you desire then eat only." Then she got the Brahmin's sons and started feeding them. As per her capacity in place of money she gave each one -one fruit. This pleased Santoshi Mata.

With the blessings of the Mother in the New Year she got a moon-like son. Taking her son everyday she went to the Mataji's temple. Mother thought, "She is coming everyday, today why should I not go to her house and see her on this pretext." Thus thinking, Mata made a fearful form. With jaggery and gram made a thin face and on top made horns and mosquitoes were hovering around. Putting her foot on the doorstep the mother-in-law shouted. "See, some wicked witch is coming. Boys drive her away, otherwise she may eat anyone." The boys got frightened and started closing the windows.

The daughter-in-law saw through one peephole. Happily in a maddening voice she was screaming. " Today my Mataji has come to my house." Saying thus she moved her child whom she was feeding milk. Meanwhile the mother-in-law got angry.

She said, " Prostitute, why are you getting excited?" She banged the child. Meanwhile with the aura of the Mother everywhere there were boys standing. She said, " Mother, the fast which I am keeping this is the same Santoshi Ma". Saying thus she opened all the doors and windows of the house. Everyone caught the feet of Mataji and prayed to her, "Hey Mata, [dear mother] we are fools, sinners, we do not know the rules of your fast, spoiling your fast we did very big mistake. Hey Jagatmata- Mother of the world! Forgive our mistake." This way the Mother became happy.

How Mother rewarded the daughter-in-law in the same way reward everyone. Those who read the story their wishes are fulfilled.

Say Santoshi Mata ki Jai.

Bagla mukhi

8/23/2012

GODDESS BAGALAMUKHI DEVI. The Goddess is also known as Valgamukhi or Bagulamukhi. She is the eighth of the Dasa Mahavidyas mothers. She is the power or Shakti of cruelty. She is said to be the ultimate weapon to destroy all the enemies of the universe. Mother is described as the super power which paralyses evil forces. In this sense she is the helper of Parabraham and the controller of speech, movement and knowledge. In may therefore be unfair to brand her as goddess of black power or magic. To Goddess Bagalamukhi, protection of the devotee is the inherent motive. Bagalamukhi, also known as Bagala. Generally she, pertains to control, nullify or destroy the enemy.

Bagalamukhi means ‘She whose face has the power to captivate and control.’ According to legends, she uses her beauty and voluptuous body as a weapon to ward off evil. The other translation of her name is ‘The Crane-Headed One’ implying a bird associated with deceit. The crane is known to swallow its pray whole. There is an allegorical legend in which Bagala deceived and swallowed Lord Shiva as a whole. She is also the ego-smashing Goddess and liberating one from maya or illusions. There are writings to the extent that the ‘crane’ interpretation is a corruption.

Bagalamukhi is on the one level a beautiful Goddess despite her ferocity. She uses trickery and illusion to unmask deeper truths. She is also, positively, the goddess of black magic, of poisons. She rules over the subtle perception which make us feel at a distance the death or misery of those we know. She enables one to conquer the tongue – 'sthambaya jihwa' and also the mind – 'keelaya buddhi' vinasa so that one attains supreme knowledge.This is used against ‘all bad people’ – 'sarva dhustanam'. It has to be conceded that nearly all of us carry an element of dhusta. Controlling the tongue is easier said than done, Hence the phrase ‘sarva dhustanam’ would include any person who is praying of his dhusta. We can all ask for forgiveness for our frailties. It is here that Goddess Bagalamukhi is prayed to for blessings. Mother Matrika Devi is the Mother of all speech. As such Bagala can be said to be the Bhairava manifestation to use her powers to overcome hostile forces and dissolve them.

DEPICTION: The Kamakhya Temple is dedicated to different forms of the Mother Goddess more precisely the Dasa Mahavidya. It is also an important pilgrimage spot for those embarking on Tantric worship. Goddess Bagala’s sacred color is yellow. Indeed her temples are also painted with vivid and shocking yellow, as in Kamakhya Temple. She is therefore called Peethambri. She bears the gadha or mace which is an attribute of Lord Krishna. Hence Krishna is called Peethambar and Gadadhari.

Bhaktas dress in yellow wearing malas made from turmeric beads. At the famous Kamakhya, Mother Balga is offered yellow flowers. Indeed, Bagala puja is a secret affair. Bagala sits on a yellowish golden throne. This is in the midst of an ocean of nectar. Yellow lotuses are found in abundant. As Dwi-bhuja or two handed, she holds a club in her right hand while the left pulls the demon’s tongue. This symbolizes ‘Stambhana’ or the power to paralyse the enemy’s power of speech. In this Bagala shares the Mahavidyas who have special powers respectively.

MYTHOLOGY: Somehow, in our mythologies, demons seem to be getting their boons quite generously, which is misused. Then someone has to go out and kill them...! Bagala's common imagery is based on similar mythology. She is shown holding the tongue of the demon Madan. According to legends, Madan undertook austerities and won the boon of ‘vak siddhi’ or magical powers of the fruition of speech in that anything he uttered simply materialised. He misused it and began murdering people. People prayed to Bagala and the goddess confronted him, She grabbed his tongue and stops his rampage by stopping him from speaking. However she relented when the demon prayed to him.

TANTRA: Bagalamukhi is one of the Goddesses of Power. Her pujas are performed according to Tantrik rituals. These rituals are often secretive. According to Balamughi Rahasya, she is known as Valaga Mukhi. This simply means that she is the remover of bad effects of other mantras. This is the view in Bagalasuktham in the Atharva Veda. This is extreme element in Tantra. The name was twisted to maintain secrecy. Valaga became Balaga and later as Bagala. This is name changes are quite typical in various tantric texts.

In the Hindu pantheon of Gods and Goddesses, fulfillment of a particular desire is related to a particular energy. There are related tantra, yantra and sadhana which are highly specialized. Yantra and Tantra gives relief from the effect of other mantras. Mantra is compared to Brahmasthra the ultimate weapon. Thus Bagala is also known as Brahmashtra Vidayai or Brahmastra Roopini.

This implies that Mother turns things in the opposite direction. Thus speech is turned to silence; knowledge into ignorance; power to impotence and defeat into victory. In time each thing becomes its opposite. Goddess Bagala is the secret presence of these opposites whereby each thing is dissolved back to the Unborn status.

MAHAVIDYAS: Dasa Maha Vidya temples are based on Mantras. Vedic and Tantric tradition was not based on Idol or Deity worship. By and large, Vedic rituals were based on Homam and Mantras. Correspondingly Tantra worship had Yantra and Mantra. The mantras were representative of deities. Later Shilpa Sashtra gave the Dhyana Slokas and idols were made by sculptors according to the slokas. Over time Mahavidya goddesses and their manifestations took a stable shape with their attributes. It is said the rishis who wrote the Dhynana Slokas had visions of the deity. For instance, Rishi Mathanga is said to have seen and prayed Mother Mathangi.

Bagalamukhi is said to be the invincible Mahavidya whose powers are manifested in sixteen ways. These are also considered as divine weapons to subdue the most formidable foes. 1.Mangla 2.Stambhini 3.Jiribhni 4.Mohini 5.Vasya 6.Bala 7.Achala 8.Bhudhra 9.Kalmasa 10.Dhatri 11.Kalna 12.Kalakarshini 13.Bhramika 14.Mandgamana 15.Bhogastha. 16.Bhavika.

GOSSIP AND ENEMIES: Bagalamukhi is said to rule magic for the suppression of an enemy's gossip. So this is not to be interpreted negatively as in black magic. That would be wrong. In the social context we are bound to have misunderstanding with others. In the absence of compromise some end up as bitter enemies. They start having their own inner mandates. They could be silent but they are planning something ahead. Their words have double or inner meanings. Mother Bagala pegs their tongue and paralyses it. The enemy is said to gasp for words.

Speech and words can mean many things. They are deceitful. Mother’s power of speech renders others silent. Many pray to Bagalamukhi to help them with court cases, legal matters, and to defeat their enemies. The mantra ‘Mama sathrun seegram maraya maraya’ meaning ‘kill my enemies quickly’ implies that the enemies’ tongue be immobilized. Hence the mantra is said to litigation in courts where the opposition counsel’s tongue ought to be ‘tied.’ But let there be a reminder that mantra is a twin bladed knife and one is best advised to seek a Tantric master before embarking on such route.

In the previous post ‘Mind your own business’ we discussed the power of the tongue and the nasty habit of gossiping. Bhaktas appeal to Bagalamukhi when they are victimized by gossip mongers. Bagala stops verbal attacks, threats from gossips. But then one has to set his or her own example in not engaging in gossip before invoking the Mother.

GAYATRI MANTRA: Om Bagalambayai Vidmahe, Brahmasthra Vidyayai deemahi, Thannah stambini praochandhayat

Om hleem bagalamukhi namah.
Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

Goddess Kali - 1770 Print, Colored etching on paper

8/23/2012

August 23rd, 2012

8/23/2012

Procession of the Goddess Kali - Calcutta October 1841

Lithograph by L.H. de Rudder (1807-1881) after an original drawing of October 1841 by Prince Aleksandr Mikhailovich Saltuikov of the procession of the Goddess at Calcutta published in Paris in 1848. In Hindu tradition, Kali 'the black one' is the most terrifying of all the manifestations of Shiva's concort the Great Goddess. In this image, Kali is performing the dance of death on the body of Shiva. She wears a necklace of skulls and holds the heads of sacrificial victims in her hands. It is popularly thought that the name Calcutta derived from the Kalighat temple in the city that is dedicated to the goddess.

800 years old deity Dhakeshwari, Dhaka Bangladesh

8/20/2012

Did you know that the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, gets its name from the Dhakeshvari Temple, which was built 800 years ago by King Ballala Sena.

Photo: 800 years old deity of the Divine Mother Dhakeshwari, who gives her name to the capital city of Bangladesh - Dhaka.

Devi Vishnupriya

8/20/2012

(This is a wonderful post although it is missing the story or Sri Nityananda of Ekkchakra he is the one who introduced Sri Chaitanya to the Bhakti Movement... and it is his lineage that had been singing and dancing as Bauls for thousands of years in the villages of Bengal..)

From the oral tradition of Bengal.. Sri Nityananda was a Vaishnava Baul, he was from a long lineage of Bhakti Yogi's in Bengal. He was older than Sri Chaitanya they became great friends and he inspired Chaitanya to Baul singing as Chaitanya was a scholar and saw the Vaishnava Baul singing Hare krishna and Baul Kirtan was a great way to wake up the people. Thus it was Nitai a Vaishnava Baul and his lineage who were the pioneers if one could even use that term 'pioneers' for a people who had been Bhakti Yogi's for thousands of years in Bengal. Chaitanya was perhaps the pioneer of Gauidya Vaishnavism in Bengal but not Bhakti in Bengal.

GODDESS VISHNUPRIYA DEVI: In Vaishnavite writings, Goddess Sathyabama is said to be reborn as Vishnupriya Devi. Sri Krishna’s, eight principles wives, the Ashta Bharyas are Rukumani, Sathyabama, Jambhavati, Kalindi, Mitravrinda, Nagnahiti, Bhadra and Lakshna. Legends have it that Sathyabhama had undergone misery and suffering in her previous mortal life. After death, she sought refuge in Vaikuntha where she relentlessly served Lord Vishnu as his care-taker. The Lord, in all his mercy, promises to take her as his wife in her rebirths to assure a happy life. Thus she is re-born as Satrajit’s daughter in Krishnavatara. While Sathyabama being reborn as Vishnupriya Devi may not have a verifiable scriptural source, her service to Lord Hari is never doubted.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s story is sometimes told through Vishnupriya, his second wife and vice-versa. He was the daughter of Pandit Sanatan Mishra and Lakshmi. Saci Mata was on a look out for a bride after the death of his first wife for Nimai. That was his birth name. The first wife died being unable to bear the separation caused by her husband’s long travels in the company of his fellow Vaishnavites.

Chaitanya was forced to marry a second time, a girl called Vishnupriya Devi. It was a time when he had gone far into spiritual mysticism and god-intoxication. As in the case of many saints, Chaitnya’s family life went awry. To be a good husband to Vishnupriya was very much wanting from the initial days of the marriage. He became a sannyasi at the young age of 24. He left Vishnupriya and their home.. He died at the age of 48 yrs.

Chaitanya was the pioneer of the Bhakti movement in Bengal. He became an ascetic at the age of 24 and travelled all over India from Bengal to Varanasi, South India, Dwarka and Mathura for 6 years. He advocated bhakti or pure love of Lord Krishna, which he considered as superior to knowledge, meditation, yoga and charity. He was against social inequities, caste system. His theistic movement admitted men from all stations.

For Chaitnya, devotion to Krishna was the ultimate in spiritual aspiration, not even the liberation or the union with the Supreme which the advaitins like Shankara propagated. The songs of Chaitanya are steeped in his god-intoxicated love for devotion to Sri Krishna and Radharani. His teaching was that the pure emotion of love is such a powerful force that it could transform human beings for the better and lead them on the path to ultimate bliss. Vaishnavite followers of Chaitanya, deem Radha and Krishna as one entity, assuming two different forms for the sake of the devotees. Hence, Chaitanya’s philosophy of devotion are, among the many, the means to worship Radha and Krishna.

EARLY YEARS: Vishnupriya was hardly 14 years at the time of marriage. The alliance was arranged through Kashinatha Pandit a well known match-maker. It was said that as Krishna and Rukumani were worthy of each other, so are Vishnupriya and Nimai Pandit. The bride-groom arrived in a palanquin at dusk and the wedding was performed according to both scriptural and popular traditions. The following day Vishnupriya joined her husband on the palanquin to return to his house.

But Nimai’s life was immersed in Krishna bhakti. Knowing the eternal pastime of the wedding of Sriman Narayana and Lakshmi, then one loses the desire for material relationship of enjoyer and enjoyed, for one comes to understand that Narayanan alone is the supreme enjoyer of the entire universe. For the materialistic person, the marriage of a man and woman is the source of bondage. When the Lord marries in imitation of ordinary mortals, it becomes something quite different. By chanting and hearing about the union of the Supreme Lord with his divine energy, one is liberated from the material energy.

He had earlier taken Harinama and Diksa initiation from Sri Isvarapuri in Gaya. Prabhu hardly spoke to the wife. His personality underwent a sea of change and he was no longer Nimai Pandita but Bhavuka Nimai, one who was always absorbed in his ecstatic moods of Krishna prema. It was hardly a year before Vishnupriya and Prabhu were separated.

SANNYASA: There is a sentimental story linked to the day Prabhu decided on sannyasa. Vishnupriya went to bathe in the Ganges, where she hurts her toe which started bleeding. She also lost her nose-ring. Despite great endeavour, it could not be retrieved from the moving waters. These were inauspicious events pinned to one’s fate. Sachi Mata observed her weeping when she returned and consoled her.

But events that unfold that night were surprising. Mahaprabhu, who practically paid no attention to her, gave a surprise. In the morning he had wandered about with his Vaishnavite associates and came home with some milk and vegetables. He told Sachi Ma "Mother, please make a preparation from these, adding sugar, ghee, camphor and other ingredients, and offer it to Krsna."

After praying, he later took some prasadam as usual. Thereafter he entered the room of Vishnupriya Devi. Then, with love and affection He decorated her, gave her a beautiful garland, placed betel nuts in her mouth. He engaged in a loving conversation. But her mind was not settled. Before extinguishing a candle light burns brightly. ‘I see now that my fate may be like this’ she thought as she gently sat and massaged His lotus feet, tears pouring from her eyes. Mahaprabhu opened his eyes when He felt her tears on His feet. She was unable to utter anything and wept uncontrollably. She held his feet and wept. Hugging and wiping her tears, he asked “O Goddess. You are most dear to Me. Why are you weeping?” With no response Mahaprabhu gently placed her on His lap and spoke sweet words to her and calmed her down.

She finally spoke in a voice choked with emotion, “My life, my beauty, youth, my service, my dress and adornment is only meant to please You. If You leave me, what will I, a worthless pile of ashes, do with my life?” she cried. The most munificent and merciful Lord was neither unaware nor indifferent to His dearest devotees' pain and grief. He also wept with her. Both wept with flood of tears. It was then that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu revealed the secret of His birth and mission.

Wiping her tears with his garment, He embraced her and told her that Lord Sri Krishna is the supreme Husband of all. "Your name is Vishnupriya, she who is dear to Lord Vishnu. Please make your name worthy of yourself. Please do not needlessly torment yourself with worries of the world or what they will say. Dedicate your mind and body to serving the Lord, Mahaprabhu said. She was calm and poised as if she understood the whole of his words. Mahaprabhu then gave her His special kripa, "O Goddess Vishnupriya, now hear my words. Whenever you think of Me, I will come to you. I solemnly promise you this. It is the truth." Thus they spent their last night together in embrace.

Vishnupriya fell asleep thereafter. Just before dawn, rising from his bed where Vishnupriya lay, Mahaprabhu finished his morning rituals. He glanced at her once, and then stood up to leave home and take sannyasa. He got blessings from his mother and left Navadvipa to cross the Ganga.

SEPARATION: Her life was changed drastically. The separation was agonizing to the core. It was in the shades of Radharani. 'The earth splits from the sound of Vishnupriya's crying: the birds and beasts, even the trees and stones shed tears when they heard it. Falling to the ground she would lament, crying out Why does my sinful life not end? In separation, her breath was like fire, drying her lips and her body trembled constantly' – Chaitanya Magala 2.14.15-6.

Other than the morning bath in the Gangga with her mother in law, she restricted herself to the house. She followed a strict spiritual life and it is said that devotees never heard her voice and could see nothing more than her feet. But it was never doubted that Vishnupriya served Sachi Maa and eating the remnants. Constantly shedding tears, she became pale and thin. She counted her chants by joyfully placing grains of rice from one mud pot to another. Each rice would mean chanting one mantra of sixteen names of the Lord. And she would chant this was until she fell asleep. The accumulated rice, drenched in her tears would be used for cooking the next day. She would offer it to the Lord first.

Thus she immersed herself in the Holy Name, chanting all day long in solitude. It is also said that once Vishnupriya Devi abandoned food and drink until Mahaprabhu appeared to her in a dream, telling her to have a deity of Himself carved from the wood of the margosa tree under which Sachi mata had sat to suckle Him.

When the deity was finished, Vishnupriya sang the verse of Chandi Das: ‘Here is the Lord of my life. I am finally able to see Him for whom the arrows of desire have caused me to burn and come to the point of dying’. She was thus the first to establish worship of a deity of Gauranga Mahaprabhu. The image of the deity she installed and worshipped is still worshipped to this day in Navadvipa.

GAUDIYA VAISHNAVISM: By her devotion and austerity, Visnupriya Devi, played a very important role in the preaching of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Through her acceptance of the mood of separation, her surrender to her Lord's mission, her showing of the pangs of separation, she helped in establishing the ideal of union in separation, the cornerstone of Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy.

She melted the hearts of many and did away with the jealousy or antagonistic feeling toward Mahaprabhu that many people harboured at the time. She glorified Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. It is commonly believed that Mahaprabhu was none other then Sri Krishna himself and Vishnupriya the manifestation of Sathyabhama. It is also believed that they were reborn to accept the mood and luster of Sri Krishna and Srimati Radharani. They both propagated yuga dharma or the religious practice of the day. This is ‘sri-nama-sankirtana’ the congregational chanting of the holy names. They distributed transcendental love. They made known the greatness of Srimati Radharani’s prema and Sri Krishna’s sweetness of His form through Radha.

Knowledge is of two kinds, apara vidya or material knowledge, and para vidya, or transcendental knowledge. Sri Krishna descends in his three manifestations - Childhood, the pastime of parental love; Boyhood, the pastimes of friendly love and Youth, the pastimes of amorous love considered to be the perfection of His being. Sri Krishna is the source of energy and Sri Radharani is the complete energy. She expands with Him and is inseparable as is musk from the fragrance. Goddess Vishnupriya Devi is the personification of such transcendental knowledge. Devotees worship her on her appearance day on the sukla pancami of the month of Marghizhi. Hari Om

(Draft: Gods and Goddesses.)
by Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

Bahuchara Mata

8/20/2012

GODDESS BAHUCHARA MATA. As a manifestation of Mother Goddess, Bahuchara Mata is the Patron Goddess of the Hijra community, meaning eunuchs or hermaphrodites. Civil rights advocate the current word ‘transgender’. By and large the Hjras adhere strictly to ahimsa or non-violence. They consider innocent killing of birds and animals as sin. Any form of unkind assault is also ahimsa. Thus Bahuchara Mata also stands for ahimsa in general. The word ‘hijra’ is said to be derogatory. Without the advantage of vernacular translation, it is used here without any imputation to character but with all due respect.

Legends have it that Bahuchara was born to Charan Bapal and Detha. One day, Bahuchara and her sisters were on a caravan journey. One Bapiya, a marauder attempts to attack them. Traditionally, charan men and women do not surrender when apprehended. They opt to take their own lives as opposed to falling in the hands of the enemy. So Bahuchara and her sisters announce ‘tragu’ then cut off their breasts to bleed to death. In charan belief, shedding the blood of charan was considered heinous sin. Due to this heinous crime, the marauder Bapiya was cursed to lose his manhood and become impotent. He was relieved of the curse much later when he repents. He prays to Bahuchara Mata by dressing and acting like a woman and is forgiven for his sins of indirectly spilling charan blood.

HIJRA COMMUNITY: In Hindu contexts, hijras belong to a special class or caste. They are usually devotees of Mother Goddess Shakti, Bahuchara Mata, Lord Siva or all. It is seen that hijra culture draws upon the traditions of several religions. Mention of the hijras is first made in the Kama Sutras re a third sex – tritiya prakriti. The same sex pair dressed up to appear as male and female for fellatio or cunnilingus. During the colonial era, the hijras were banned and stigmatized as as ‘criminal tribes’ by the occupiers who did not see their backyard of sexual morality. There is an initiation ceremony to be accepted into the hijrah community based on sexual physiology but it is not necessary to get into that, except to say it is called the ‘Niwaan’ ceremony. Now hijras are better protected in the name of civil rights and as god’s children. They are given better preferences in society. They are well organized with adoption programs for their own kind; even to be led by spiritual gurus. Regretfully some of them are also stigmatized as sex-workers for survival.

Hijras have an interesting spiritual backup. Ardhanarisvara, the symbolical merger of Siva and Parvathi, has a special significance in the hijra community. They identify themselves with the gender ambiguity by the Shiva-Parvathi union. Hijras are also said to confer boons. This is from the Ramayana. A devoted crowd follows Rama when he goes into exile. Before he entered the forest, many of them cry. Rama gave a speech and request that ‘men and women’ should return to Ayodya. Fourteen years later, while returning to Ayodya, he finds that the hijras have not left their place as no order was given to them as they were neither men nor women. Lord Rama was pleased with them and gave them the boon to confer blessings.

In South India, hijras claim one Aravan as their progenitor. These group calls themselves the ‘aravanis’. The story in the Mahabaratha is, Ahiravan or Aravan wants to ensure the victory of the Pandavas so he intends to give his lifeless body to Goddess Kali. That is a noble cause indeed. The Pandavas on the quiet want that too as sacrifice in the warfront was not uncommon. But Ahiravan also had a dream of getting married and enjoying sexual pleasures before giving his life for the Pandava cause. That seemed to be a fair wish but who would want a defective man in bed, more so when he was going to die? The clock was ticking in the Krukshetra.

So Lord Krishna manifests as Mohini, marries him, stays with him for few days until all human frailties are exhausted and Kama’s arrows are broken! Poor fellow, he did not know that his condition precedent was spent with an illusion! Later Aravan is venerated as Lord Aravan in his own right. In Aravan ceremonies, the entire Mahabaratha saga is reenacted in ritualistic dance and singing. In parts of Tamil Nadu, Aravan festival highlight is the breaking of bangles which is symbolic of the death of a husband. In the South, Goddess Renuka is also said to patronize the transgender. Here male devotees known as 'jogappa' dress like women to sing and dance. They are popular troupes during wedding ceremonies.

DEPICTION: Bahuchara Mata is depicted to hold a sword on her top right and a text of scriptures on her top left hand. The bottom right hand symbolizes the abhay hasta mudra or showering of blessings. She holds a Trishula or trident by her bottom left hand. The Mata wears a prominently ornamented crown. Her nose ring is circular and earrings are of the south-Indian thonggattan kundalas. Mata is heavily jeweled. An extended garland adorns her red saree-clad body. Pictorial depictions show her in a natural environment with flora and fauna.

VAHANA: Her vahana is the rooster, a territorial bird that proclaims it’s area by its crowing. Thus it heralds each dawn with a call to wake and arise. It also symbolizes innocence, imminence of spiritual unfoldment and wisdom. Incidentally the rooster is also depicted as ‘Seval’ in Lord Skanda’s battle flag. In many mythologies, rooster are seen as the intermediary of communication between gods and man. In Hindu ritualistic worship, spilling rooster blood is common among ‘Theyyam’ cults. Theyyam dance is traced to the sage Parasurama. In lighter vein, roosters symbolize undisciplined romantic fellows with no inking whatsoever about being monogamous.

SRI CHAKRA AND KUNDALINI: There is another version that states that her vehicle is ‘Kurkut’ the sepent with two mouths. This is an attempt to link Goddess Bahuchari to Sri Chakra and kundalini. Bahucharaji is said to be seated on low end of the spine and other end goes to Sahastrar, which means that Bahucharaji is the goddess of starting the awakening of kundlini which eventually leads the liberation or moksha. Thus she is claimed to be a manifestation of Goddess Durga and that her name in Tantrism is Bala Tripurasundari. The Bala here is said to bestow Virya or semen to man in Tantric worship. Impotent men are said to embark these prayers for abhaya, varad and vidhya, their desired boons and wealth as well. Her Yantra has Nine triangles symbolising that she is Durga. It would be interesting to know if there are verifiable scriptural writings to this effect.

MYTHOLOGY: (1) A king prostrates before Bahuchara Mata for the boon of an offspring. He gets a son. But the prince Jeta was impotent. The Goddess appears in his dreams to order that he cut of his genitals and wear women’s clothes. Thereafter he is to devote his life as her servant. The Goddess also identifies all impotent men in the region to chop off as well. Punishment for breaching this would be seven generations of impotency. This saga is said to have brought about the cult of Bahuchara Mata, whose devotees are required to self-castrate and remain celibate.

(2) In another intriguing myth associated with Bahuchara Mata. The goddess was once a princess with a deviant behavior husband. Now, he never comes to the bridal bed but prefers disappearing in the jungle where he ‘behaves like a woman.’ Well he undergoes punishment by castration!

(3) In another version, a man who attempted to molest Bahuchara Mata. He was cursed with impotence. As usual, he was forgiven when he agreed to ‘drop’ his masculinity, dressed as a woman, and worshipped the goddess. Footnote: One is reminded that in generality, folklore, defies ordinary rules of story- telling.

BAHUCHARA MATA TEMPLE: Said to be constructed in 1783 AD, the temple of Bahuchara Mata with its stone decorations, is located in Bechraji town in Mehsana district of Gujarat, India. The origin of Bahuchra Mata is situated at Varakhdiwala temple in Bechraji. There is another, the Toda Mata temple in Sankhalpur which is two kilometers away. Among the three Shakti Peeths in Gujarat , the Goddess is worshipped as Bala at Bahucharaji, as Ambika at Ambaji and as Kalika Mother at Pavagdah. At Bahucharaji, Mataji is residing as a young girl.

Hari Om
(Chp: draft Gods and Goddesses)
By Yogi Ananda Saraswati

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