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On Love and Sanskrit, A case of do not through the baby out with the bath water.

10/29/2012

There are many branches on a Tree, one could say the roots of the tree are LOVE or Prema and the Universes are held together by love, Love is like glue and it binds us to another.. .. Love is God/dess .. God/dess is Love..

Love is everything, it is the Goal or the Holy Grail

Yogic Tantric Purnanic Vedic knowledge have many branches it's preserving language, the language of the knowledge and wisdom of LOVE in Mata Bharata (India) and the stories of Devata is called Devanagari or aka Sanskrit.. it is a programing code language used to DESCRIBE & PRESERVE what the ancient seers (Rishi's) heard, they heard the Mantra's, the poetry, this is why if one learns Sanskrit in the oral tradition they usually have great ears for MUSIC and extraordinary memories but one does not need to know Sanskrit to know Love

Yoga Tantra and Indian Philosophy use Sanskrit to remember and never forget the teachings of LOVE one does not need to know Sanskrit to Love.

All religions, all people know Love in their own way Love is Divine Sanskrit is the language of Mata Bharata and this is how all has been preserved all the Bhava's, all the Raga's, Rasa's, Shastra's, Mantra's for thousands of years, notice how these terms belong to Sankrit. Sanskrit is one branch of the tree, hmm lets say it is your ears... we should try to use all of faculties especially if one is interested or attached to India or Indian Yoga Tantra, ect....as we would use our eyes.

Jyotisha is considered the Eyes, Love is the heart of core of it all but we still like to use our arms, legs, feet, eyes and in Sanskrit our ears, yes all there is is Love but we are have Dharma's, Artha, Kama, and Moksha that we have to work our way through in this world and true mastery is developing all of us, if one can shine is blessed and can shine their Love Please Do and Enlighten all of US.

by Trishula Das Jai Ma Goddess Bless everyone to Pure Love.

Chottnikkara Bhagawati.

10/29/2012

GODDESS CHOTTNIKKARA BHAGAWATI.

Bhagavathi is a general reference to Mother Goddesses especially in Kerala, Maharashtra and Goa. In fact the term is pan-Indian. It refers mainly to Goddess Saraswathi, Lakshmi, Parvathi, Durga and Kali. Indeed it is a general reference to the Hindu pantheon of feminine deities. In these places their temples are known as Bhagavati Temple. For instance, some of the notable temples in Kerala are: Attukal Bhagavathy Temple, Chottanikkara Bhagavathi Temple, Kodungallore Bhagavati Temple, Kavaserry Bhagavathi temple and Mangottu Bhagavathi Temple.

Bhagavati is synonymous with Shakti, the female aspect of the divine, as conceptualized by the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. She is the female counterpart without whom the male aspect, which represents consciousness or discrimination, remains impotent and void. The general term for Bhagavathi is Devi, quintessentially, the core form of every Hindu Goddess.

As Prakriti, she is the female manifestation of the supreme lord, balancing the male aspect of the divine addressed Purusha. In Shaktam, Devi is the Supreme Being. In Vaishnavism, Lakshmi as Devi embodies the active energy and the power of the male deity, Vishnu. In Shaivism, Devi’s counterpart is Parvathi, the material energy of Shiva. In the Smartha tradition, Devi is one of the five primary forms of God.

CHOTTANIKKARA BHAGAVATHY TEMPLE: ‘

Chottanikkara’ is said to be the corruption of ‘Jyotiannakkara’. It is also said that Jagadguru Adi Sankaracharaya brought the Jyotis of Mookambika Devi from Mookambika to Chottanikara. Subsequently, the place became a place of veneration by the call name of Jothiyanikkara which over time seems to be pronounced as Chottanikara.

This temple is located near Ernakulam in Kerala and stands proud of its history and temple architecture by ancient vishwakarma sthapathis . Here, Chottanikkara Deity is Trikala Devi meaning, She is worshiped in three different forms at three different times: As Saraswathi in the morning all dressed in pure white; as Bhadra Kali at noon dressed in crimson and as Durga in the evening dressed in blue. Thus the two deities are presiding here which can be seen in Melekkavu and Keezkkavu. Rajarajeswari is presiding in Melkkavu. Keezhkkavu Bhagavathy is Mother Badrakali in ugra form. The chaithanyam here was believed to be worshipped by Saint Bhoga and many other Acharyas like ShankarAchArya, Vilvamangala Swamiyar, KAkkassri Bhattathiri etc.

MELKKAVU TEMPLE:

The sacred sanctum sanctorum is on the top of the hill. It is open at 4 am. This is the time Goddess Saraswathi manifests as Sree Mookambika Devi. It is for this reason that the Mookambika Temple in Kollur is open slightly later, as she is believed to be back from Chottinikkara Temple. The deity in Melkkavu Temple is four armed form of Devi. She holds the chakra, conch and shows the mudras in the other two hands. She is in Swayamvarabhava -Prakriti and purusha bhaava. She is worshipped as Bhadrakali at noon and as Durga at evening. The speciality is idol of the goddess is not fixed to the ground but mounted on sand. Deity is also known as Lakshmi Narayana because Lord Vishnu is seated on the same pedestal.

KEEZHKKAVU TEMPLE:

This temple is at the foothills. The idol at the Keezhkkavu Temple is in Roudra Bhava. The Guruthi puja is performed here in the night starting from 8:45PM every night. Many other deities are worshipped here. Vishnu’s idol is on the right side of Devi’s idol on the same base and hence called Lakshmi- Narayana. Brahma, Shiva, Subrahmania, Ganapathi, Sastha are inside the SriKovil. Inside the Nalambalam are Sastha with Prabhadevi and Sathyaki devi. Kapaleeswaran , Shiva with Ganapathi, Nagas are outside the Nalambalam.

Large number of devotees comes to Keezhkkavu Bbhagavathy to get rid of evil spirit. There are several true examples and history that goddess here protects her devotees from all evil spirit and prayogas. It is said that this temple saves people who suffer from mental illnesses. They come and seek refuge in Devi at Keezhkkavu. Guruthy pooja is special here. It is said that devotees should first visit Keezhkkavu and then visit Melakkavu. It is common for devotees to attend the 41 days Bhajan and prayers. During Sabarimala season, this temple is flooded the the Sabarimala Samis and Ayyappa bhaktas.

RAKTHAKKULAM.

‘Ratham’ means blood. ‘Kulam’ means pond. Events leading to this Kulam is traced in the Sthala Puranas. It points to Goddess Bhadrakali beheading the raksha Yakshi. Temple records dating back 250 years also confirm the Puranic events. Yakshis are female spirits. One Guptan Nambudri, given to tantric practive bypasses his guru, Achan Nambudri. He scoots off with a few tantric manuals and ventures into Vamachara. He performed rituals to invoke yakshis. He appeared to have failed, when a bloodthirsty Yakshi in the nearby forest was indeed awakened. This yakshi remained aloof in the dark waiting for the right time.

One night Guptan ventured to see a dance performance and on his way back, a maiden of bewitching beauty encounters his journey. Her smiles were tantalizing and the spellbound Guptan fall into the net of Ithuttu Varasyar, as she introduced herself. She requested his company on the way to town, whence Guptan had to stop by Achan’s house to return some books. Somehow Guptan did not make an issue even when he realized that he felt exhausted during the slow walk.

Seeing Guptan’s exhausted face and his hurry to hit the road, Achan learns of the yakshi Ithuttu and he comes out of the house. Seeing her, he becomes suspicious. He called Guptan, and asked him to touch him and look at the woman. Guptan did as he was told, and he froze. What he saw was an apparition: a fiendish, voluptuous woman, with fierce eyes and protruding teeth. While Achan chanted some mantras, Guptan was asked to run to the Chottanikkara Temple without turning back. Achan gave him a Devi Mahatmyam scribbled palm leaf amd a wet towel with mantric powers transferred to it. He was to throw it behind him once he stepped into the temple parikaram.

Now, the Yakshi was not surrendering to human beings, so she gave chase. She gave a competitive chase. According to Sthala Purana, the palm leaf saved Gupta so far but the Yakshi gave chase. There was the concern that she could subdue the mantric towel. Now it was only the Goddess that could save him. Reaching the Kiszhkkavu temple, he threw the towel behind him and was about to heave a sigh of relief, when the powerful Yakshi stretched her hands unnaturally and caught hold of his heels, just outside the temple.

On that night there was play organised by the temple Tantrics to portray how Goddess Bhadrakali was challenged by Yamaraja and is finally subdued. The play was over with the artists and tantrics gone home, but the lonely Goddess was still present outside the sanctum near the Pipal tree examining the nails driven by her devotees. She heard Guptan cryingg out for her mercy. Ever ready for a fight for the sake of her devotees, the benevolent goddess grabbed the Nandaka sword installed below the Paala tree and came to Guptan’s rescue. Yakshi, in her thirst for blood, failed to notice this. She was just about to insert her claws into Guptan’s neck when Bhadrakali confronted her.

Yakshi invoked her powers and slipped away from Bhadrakali to be in pursuit of Guptan. As Yakshi was about to enter the pond, Mother caught her and she was beheaded. The head was thrown into the pond, which turned red with Yakshi’s blood. Bhadrakali held on to Yakshi’s mundam-headless body for a while before throwing it to the ground. She then gave Guptan a sarcastic look, as if admonishing black magi and disappeared. The temple pond at Chottanikara is known as the ‘Raktakulam’ due to reddish water. Apparently with the killing of Yakshi, dreaded spirits in the area were done away with once and for all. Then again, Yakshi was also Mother Bhadrakali’s child. By her greatness and love for all her children, So she demands a small share of offerings to the slain Yakshi. Chottanikara Temple is thus well known to relieve victims from possession of spirits and negative influences due to rituals of abhicharam-black magic.

FESTIVAL:

‘Makom Thozhal’ mean ‘worship on the Makam day.’ The day is also known as Chottanikkara Makam. It is observed on the day when Makam or Magham Nakshatram falls in the Malayalam Month Kumbham. It is a day the temple gives special preference to women devotees who arrive in large numbers. On this day, Goddess Bhagavathi is taken on a ritualistic bath. Thereafter Lord Shasta and eleven caparisoned elephants, accompany Bhagavathi to the open ground known as Pooraparambu, where She stays there till noon. Then, She and Her entourage return to Her Sanctum Sanctorum. Later on the day, she gives darshan. This is the famous Makam Darshanam or Makam Thozhal.

MANTRA:

Sarva Mangala Mangalye, Shive Sarvardha Sadhike, Sharnye Thrayambake Gowri, Narayani Namosthuthe.

Hara Hara Mahadeva
Yogi Ananda Saraswathi.

Chaya Ma.. Chaya Devi... Goddess Ghhaya...

10/29/2012

GODDESS CHHAYA:

What does our own ‘shadow’ teach us? Chhaya means shade of shadow. Goddess Chhaya, as her name implies is the Goddess of Shadow. She is the consort of Lord Surya and the shadow-image of Surya’s first wife Saranyu also known as Sanjana. Sanjana abandoned Surya and replaced herself as Chhaya. There hangs the immortal tale of Surya’s wives.

VISHNU PURANA:

This Purana states that Vishwakarma deprived the Sun of an eighth part of his original brilliance. Why? Vishvakarma’s daughter, Sanjana was married to Surya. After bearing him three children, she found his brilliance too oppressive. The heat was unbearable and she could not intimate him. She transformed into a shadow, Chhaya to take her place and left for the forest. Chhaya did not disclose her identity and Surya did not notice the difference. He did not realize that Samjna had left. He took Chhaya to be his wife, and Surya .

Chhaya had two sons and two daughters from Surya. The sons were Savarni Manu, the progenitor of mankind and the ruler of the Manvantara period; Shani-Saturn, the feared graha. Their daughters were Tapati and Vishti. Tapati or Tapti is the personification of the river Tapti. The second daughter Vishti, does not get mentined very much in the Puranas.

Now, like all step-mother stories, Chhaya was clearly fond of her own children. Somewhere along the line, Samjna's children get neglected. This did not bother Vaivasvata Manu too much. As the eldest of Surya’s children he was more collected and balanced. However, Yama resented Chhaya’s favouritism of Chhaya's. One day, in a fit of petulance, he raised his foot to kick Chhaya. Retaliating, Chhaya cursed Yama. I curse you that your foot may be devoured by worms, she said. May it be infected with pus and blood. The curse started to take effect. This alarmed Yama and he rushed to his father. My mother has cursed me, he told Surya. I am only a child. Even if I did commit a sin, does a mother ever curse her children? I have serious suspicion that she is not our mother at all.

This brought a shock to Surya, for a mother’s curse would not affect her children. When Surya presented Chhaya with this, she came out with the truth and Surya learnt that Samjna had left. He drove Chhaya away and went in search of Sanjana. He goes to father-in-law, Vishvakarma to find out if he knew anything of Chhaya's whereabouts. Indeed, I do, replied Vishvakarma. When Samjna left your house, she came to me in the form of a mare. But I refused to let her live in my house, since she had left her husband's house without seeking his permission. She is living at the moment in the desert.

Surya’ relentlessly searched Sanjaya. He found her in the forest in the form of a Mare. There was no way he could approach her in the present form. So he transformed himself into a stallion. There, in the forest environment, the stallion and the mare get attracted to each other. In the passionate moments they make love. Nature was full of divine bliss of their yoga. It brought realization to both Surya and Chhaya. After a lapse of time, Surya revealed himself. They both then transformed to their original status and returned home.

The legend goes on that, Vishwakarma, to avoid a repetition of the constructive dessertion incident, deprived the Sun of one eighth part of his brilliance. “But Sanjana did what she did because she could not bear to stand your energy and radiance. If you permit, I shall shave off some of the excess energy, so that people can look at you” he said. Surya’s heat was reduced, thus enabling Sanjana to intimate Surya and be close with him at all times. Vishvakarma, used the chipped of parts for developing the discus of Vishnu, the trident of Shiva, and the lance of Kartikeya.

SURYA:

Since the dawn of civilization, both human and animal life have been dependent on the creative and destructive powers of of the Sun God. Man therefore showed great reverence. Spiritually the Sun played the symbolic role of the male, with Mother Earth as the female receiving the seed, nourishing and nurturing growth. The Sun’s importance is reflected in all Vedic hymns such as Rig Veda. Some hymns of the Rig Veda indicate that he is the only god. The musical lines of the Sama and Yajur Vedas personify the flaming deity. Worship of the Sun is very ancient; several religions had their origin in Sun-worship.

In the Hindu way of life, the Sun is present in all the Vedic hymns. The solar orb signifies the hymns of the Rig Veda, and Vedic Aryans loved the brighter side of life and the Sun with his dazzling light formed an important object of worship. He is described as the giver of all life on the earth, and the upholder of Dharma. He is ever traveling in his chariot keeping a vigilant eye on the good and bad deeds of mortals and celestials alike. In one place in the Rig Veda, Surya is mentioned as Savitri, wife of the moon. This is an exception, as generally, the Sun is considered a male deity.

Vedic Sun is also translated as three bodied, the Trinity is also traced to the Sun. He has triple capacity for "producing forms by his heat, preserving them by his light, or destroying them by his concentrated force of heat. In the Puranas, the Sun is mentioned as Aditya, son of the sage Kasyapa and Aditi.

VEDAS:

The Rig Veda contains the earliest narrative about the Chhaya prototype. Here, after the birth of twins from Vivasvan-Surya, Saranyu . Vishvakarma’s daughter, abandons him and flew away in form of a mare. Saranyu is replaced by ‘Savarna’ which means ‘same-kind.’ The difference between the Vedas and the Puranas is this: In the Puranas, Chhaya is the shadow of Sanjana; in the Rigveda Savarna is the ‘same kind’ as Saranyu but mortal.
Originally Rig Veda makes no mention of Surya’s children. So Savarna is made to have no children from Surya. But later, sage Yaksa, in his ‘Nikuta’, a 500 BCE addition, says Manu, referred to as Savarni Manu, was born to Savarna. The later Puranas also state Manu to be the progenitor of mankind. Then while the original text says Savarna substituted Saranyu, the Nikuta states that Saranyu created Savarna and substituted her. In the Vedic version, therefore, is an implication that the gods played a role in the substitution while the later Puranas place Saranya in the maker position. There is also the ‘Sadrisha’ the look alike woman in the likes of Saranyu. Sadrisha is to have begot Manu by Surya.

Puranic legends carry the proto-types in various roles and stories. She was Samjana in one Yuga, then Chaya and in the present Kali yuga. Another legend has it that Chhaya, the mare did intense penances in the forest till the stallion turns up as answer to her prayers. She appears as the fierce Mother goddess Kali.
Of the Sun, the Mahabaratha states "The Sun is the gateway to the path of the gods". Taittiriya Upanishad: “He who dwells in man and who dwells in the sun is one". Chandogya Upanishad: “The sun thus represents the supreme Principle, first non-manifest, then manifest".

CONCEPT OF SHADOW:

Shadow is the part of us that we fail to ‘see or know’ or even try to disown sometimes. Are we responsible for our shadows and what does it tell us about Doership and Non-Doership – who is really responsible for one’s shadow? The one from light is only the external manifestation of shadow. We drag a shadow throughout our life and despite all efforts it cannot be disowned. To acknowledge the shadow and to integrate is to become whole.

The shadow is often the animal part of man. Greed, arrogance, violence, human flaws and frailties; krodha-anger, his prejudices and taboos; excessive sexuality, hero-worship, blind faith etc are projections of the disinherited divinity. But man is given to see the projection of another’s shadow while his or her own fall behind conveniently. Man tries not to acknowledge is his or her shadow, his trade-mark that follows him perennially. Hidden demons are not lost or vanquished; suppressed shadows also wait to lurk at the opportune moment.

Metaphysically, one’s shadow is his or her unconscious projection of himself. We try to project it on others also, for example one spouse projects his or her shadow on the other; or parents on their children, even pets. But in life’s game, one can fight by not only refusing another’s shadow, but fight his own. Even if it is unavoidable, it can be devalued and disowned metaphorically. Can one’s shadow be integrated? “Erumburra kallum theyum” is a Tamil cliché. It means even an ant can pave a way through a rock by constancy of effort. Technically, it means ‘eating up the shadow’ over time; make holes by eating into habits pertaining to the pancha-indriyas. In the end one has more holes in sour tasting cheese. There would be more energy that becomes constructive when you acknowledge your own shadow and accelerate eating it up.

What does Chhaya’s story tell us. Shadow has been an integral part of Sanjaya which she acknowledges. She uses it for her benefit. She did not chose to ignore it but determined what will become of it when it is acknowledged and embraced. The shadow was not hidden in her as maya but the part in her, the little piece of herself that may grow into jnana. She becomes the shadow-Chhaya to kill it. That is a tough inner resolve and determination to take up the challenge leaving her husband and children, a temporary giving up of sankalpa.

She does not transform herself into a human maiden with complexities of karya-karana-sanghata, the body mind complex. Chhaya transforms into an innocent mare and lands in the more peaceful, the more blissful Prithvi, the nature clad forest. She is the female together with Mother Earth to receive the seed, nourishing and nurturing growth. Spiritually the Sun plays the symbolic role of the male but how will there be Yoga between a Vedic being and an immortal horse? So he transforms into stallion, a point to emphasizing the need for change in attitude and mentality. The mare and stallion make love with and in nature to seek inner tranquility. There is no need to discuss Tantra here....

Change is the law of life states the Gita. Yoga is not just the end; it starts with the preparatory stage. This is not washing legs by the lake-side but a commitment to drown completely in the effort. There was then the physical union between the stallion and the mare; the spiritual symbiosis and ultimate Yoga. In the story, it brought realization to both Surya and Sanjaya nee Chhaya.

This leads to further jnana. The guru comes in the form of Visvakarma to bring this jnana. He removes darkness symbolically by ‘removing brightness’. Surya agrees to chip off the part in him, the egoistic heat; the shadow within. Now, the ‘Master Architect’ of the world speaking in the name of Vishvakarma has one more lesson for us. The chipped part of the Sun, the chipped off ego is not part of the destructive forces. With buddhi it can also become constructive, for Visvakarma made three powerful tools – Shiva’s Trishula, Vishnu’s discus and Kartikeya’s lance.

In Hindu’s thoughts, therefore, the meeting and acknowledging one’s shadow is indeed the meeting with one’s Self. Its purpose is to provide the opposition and tension to develop a better inner resolve and determination and achieve clarity of mind. That is progression in the spiritual path to be in Yoga with God.

Hara Hara Mahadeva

Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

Devi Viashno Devi.

10/22/2012

GODDESS VAISHNO DEVI: Devi, Vaishnodevi is the Divine Mother of Hinduism. Mother is also called Jai Mata Di and Mata Rani. “'Vaishnavi' means the one who is related to lord "Vishnu''. Goddess Vaishnavi is the manifestation of the collective spiritual strengths of Mata Maha Kali, Mata Maha Lakshmi and Mata Maha Saraswati. It is described in Durga Sapatshati that the Goddess Vaishni Devi was born as a young girl of extraordinary beauty and strength, out of the collectively pooled 'Tejas' of various 'Devtas' and three lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar.

Mother is known as the Goddess of Strength, the female aspect of divinity, and Shakti, the driving force without which the male aspect, which represents consciousness or discrimination, is impotent. Mother Devi is the consort of Lord Shiva, Lord of Generation and Destruction. Mother Vaishnodevi's main temple is situated in Jammu region of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

SHAKTAM: Most Hindu traditions believe that the Vaishnodevi Temple is the holiest of all the ‘Shaktipeeths’ – places of worship dedicated to Goddess Shakti. Vaishnodevi Temple is also said to be the second most visited temple in India after the Tirumala Venkateshwara Temple in Andhra Pradesh. The most famous festival dedicated to Her is Navratri. There is a separate tradition within Hinduism devoted to her worship called Shaktam or Shaktism. Hindu Tantra is practically inseparable from Shaktism. In Shaktam, Devi is visualised in three forms as Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Shaktam recognises the feminine energy to be the material energy necessary to mobilise the Lord’s spiritual energy. Otherwise He lies dormant.

DEPICTION: All Hindu goddesses may be viewed as different manifestations of Devi. In some forms she is benign and gentle, while in other forms she is dynamic and ferocious, but in all forms she is helpful to her devotees. Mother Vaishnodevi has eight arms. She holds many items including a sword, bow, shield and conch. She sits on a tiger who is in a passive position. She comes in many aspects. Devi is the mother of all living things. Her right hand holds joy and pain and her left hand holds life and death. She is a goddess of fertility, rain, health and nature, and holds the entire universe in her uterus. She is also a goddess of death.

VAISHNO DEVI SHRINE: Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine or Vaishno Devi Mandir, is one of the oldest shrine of India, on the holy Trikuta Hills of the Shivalik Hill Range. This is near the town of Katra, in the Reasi district in the Jammu and Kashmir regions. This place is boosted with spiritual vibrations. It is said that the the Holy cave is 13 Kms from the Base Camp Katra. The Goddess Mata Vaishno Devi's abode is in 100 feet long cave with a narrow opening. The holy cold and crystal clear water washes the lotus feet of the Mata's "Pindian". There are three natural pindies representing Maha Sarswati, Maha Lakshmi, Maha Kali, which represent creative, preservative, and destructive aspects of the Super Power. It is an ancient shrine whose reference is found in the Vedas and ancient scriptures.

MYTHOLOGY: According to Devi Baghavatam, the immediate purpose of the creation of the goddess was the annihilation of Asura Mahishasura. However another purpose of her creation was that she might usher on earth an era of pious and ascetic life so that the peace could prevail upon the world and she through her penance could rise to higher levels of spirituality and ultimately merge with Vishnu.

The 'Goddess' having been created by the Devtas and the three lords ordained the human form, in South India, in the house of one Ratnakar Sagar. She was named as Vaishnavi but her household name was Trikuta. At nine years of age, Trikuta sought her father’s permission to do penance on the seashore. Subsequently, Vaishnavi started looking into her inner self for knowledge and soon learned the art of meditation and realized that meditation and penance only could bring her close to her greater objective. Vaishnavi thus relinquished all household comforts and continued Tapasya or deep meditation in the forests.

LORD RAMA: Trikuta prayed to Lord Vishnu in the form of Rama. During his search for Sita, reached the sea-shore with his army. His eyes fell on this divine girl. She recognized him immediately as no ordinary being but the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. So she asked him to merge her into himself so that she could become one with the supreme creator. However Lord Rama, knowing that it was not the appropriate time, dissuaded her by saying that he will visit her again after the end of his exile and at that time if she succeeded in recognizing him, he will fulfill her wish.

Trikuta told Sri Rama that She had accepted Him as Her husband. Sri Rama told Her that during this Incarnation He had vowed to be faithful to only Sita. However the Lord assured Her that in Kaliyuga He would manifest as Kalki and would marry Her and that he would visit her again. True to his words, Rama visited her again after being victorious in the battle, but this time he did so in the guise of an old man. Unfortunately, Vaishnavi was unable to recognize him this time and was distraught. Upon this, Lord Rama consoled her that the appropriate time for her being one with the creator had not come and he will eventually do so in 'Kaliyug' in his incarnation of 'Kalki'. Rama also directed her to meditate and set up an Ashram at the base of Trikuta hills to elevate her level of spirituality so as to bless the mankind and rid the poor and destitute of their sufferings and only then will 'Vishnu' merge her into himself.

Mother decided to observe the ‘Navratra’ for the Victory of Shree Rama against Ravan. Hence one reads the Ramayana during the 9 days of Navratra, in remembrance of the above connection. Shree Rama promised that the whole world would sing Mother Vaishno Devi’s praise. Trikuta was to become famous as Vaishno Devi and would become immortal forever.

GORAKH NATH: “As the time passed, a Tantrik named Gorakh Nath who had a vision of the episode between Lord Rama and Vaishnavi in the retrospective time frame, became curious to find out whether Vaishnavi has been able to attain a high level of spirituality or not. He, therefore, sent his most able disciple 'Bhairon Nath' to find out the truth. Bhairon Nath on locating the ashram started observing Vaishnavi secretly and realised that though a 'Sadhvi' she always carried bow and arrows with her and was always surrounded by langoors or apes and a ferocious looking lion. Bhairon Nath was enamored by Vaishnavi's extraordinary beauty and losing all good sense he began to pester Vaishnavi to marry him.

Meanwhile a staunch devotee of Mata Sridhar organised a Bhandara, community meal in which the whole village and Guru Gorakh Nath along with all his followers including Bhairon were invited. During the course of Bhandara Bhairon Nath attempted to grab Vaishnavi but she tried her best to daunt him. On failing to do so, Vaishnavi decided to flee away into the mountains to continue her 'Tapasaya' undisturbed. Bhairon Nath however chased her to her destination. The goddess after halting at Banganga, Charan Paduka, and Adhkwari, finally reached the holy cave Shrine. When Bhairon Nath continued to follow her despite the goddess trying to avoid a confrontation, the goddess was compelled to kill him.

Bhairon Nath met his ultimate fate when the goddess, just outside the mouth of the cave, beheaded him. The severed head of Bhairon fell with a force at a distant hilltop. Bhairon Nath upon death realised the futility of his mission and prayed to the deity to forgive him. The almighty 'Mata' had mercy on Bhairon and gave him a boon that every devotee of the goddess shall have to have the Darshans of Bhairon after having the Darshans of the goddess and only then shall the yatra of a devotee be complete. Meanwhile, Vaishnavi decided to shed off her human form and assuming the face of a rock she immersed her self into meditation forever.” Devi Baghavatam.

WORSHIP: The puja procedures as given by the Temple begins with Puja of Goddess Vaishnodevi in the wee hours before dawn when the Goddess is bathed in water, milk, ghee, honey and sugar and is dressed-up in a saree, chola, chuni and ornaments – all along chanting various ‘Shlokas’ and Mantras. Then the ‘Tilak’ is placed on the forehead of the deity and ‘Prasad’ is offered to her. A divine lamp – the Jyoti is lit and then the Aarti of the goddess is performed. The ‘Aarti’ of Goddess Vaishnodevi is performed twice a day at twilight – just before dawn and just after dusk. The Aarti is an elaborate Hindu ritual of worship where devotional ‘Aarti’ songs are sung while several lighted wicks are offered to the deity in a slow and graceful circulating manner. Once the Aarti inside the cave is done the Priests perform the same outside the cave at the entrance in the presence of the eagerly waiting pilgrims outside. After performing the ‘Puja’ and the ‘Aarti’, the Priests distribute ‘Prasad’ and the ‘Charanamrit’ (the holy water) to the devotees. The Priests take two hours to perform the ritual of ‘Aarti’ during which time the ‘Darshan’ of the Goddess Vaishnodevi is suspended. Interestingly, during this time when the cave temple is vacant, all maintenance work is done by the temple authorities as this is the only time they find the cave vacant in the whole day.

GAYATRI MANTRA: “Om taarksh yathwajaaya vithmahe; Chakra hasthaaya themahi; Thanno Vaishnavee prachothayaath.”

Hara Hara Mahadeva
Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

Usha Swarup via Veda Vijan Rishikulum

10/20/2012

Veda Vijnan Rishikulam
|| The Indian Concept of The Divine Mother ||

By Sri Swami Sivananda
(Navaratri Message delivered in 1953)

Since the dawn of civilisation, when primitive man lived in a matriarchal society, the worship of the Divine Mother has come into practice. Later on, as civilisation progressed, the matriarchal pattern gradually faded out, and the father became the head of the family unit, where he was treated as the man in authority and to whom every one looked for guidance and approval.
Consequently there was a change in the concept of God as such; the Fatherhood of God was established.

But Mother-worship persisted simultaneously, since this concept was psychologically more appealing to the devotee, the Mother being nearest in filial affection to the child.
Subsequently, a sympathetic harmony between the Motherhood and Fatherhood of God was developed by the Hindu religion; the people worshipped Sita and Rama, or Radha and Krishna, together.

The concept of the human mind is based on relative experience. Subjective idealism, therefore, in its initial stages, takes the AID of OBJECTIVE and RELATIVE analogies.

-God is neither limited to abstract or concrete concepts. --But it is easier to establish a conscious relationship with the Providence in terms of benevolent fatherhood or an affectionate, kindly motherhood ....than by the concept of an unfathomable void.
-God is devoid of qualities, in reality, ......but a relative superimposition of the positive ideals of goodness and virtue is essential for self-culture and spiritual progress of the aspirant.

A Mother is very kind to her child. You are freer with your mother than with anybody else. It is the mother who protects you, nourishes you, consoles you, cheers you and nurses you. She is your first preceptor. She sacrifices her all for the sake of her children. In the spiritual field also, the aspirant has very intimate relationship with the Divine Mother.

The Upasana or the worship of the Universal Mother leads to the attainment of the knowledge of the Self.

The Yaksha Prasna in KenOpanishad supports this view.
• Approach Her with an open heart.
• Lay bare your mind with frankness and humility.
• Let your thoughts be pure and sublime.
• Become as simple as a child. Pulverise your individual entity, the egoistic nature, cunningness, selfishness and crookedness.
• Make a total unreserved, ungrudging self-surrender to Her.
• Chant Her Mantras.
• Worship Her with faith and unflinching devotion.

Durga Puja or Navaratri IS THE MOST SUITABLE OCCASION for DOING ARE VERY SACRED to the Mother. Plunge yourself in Her worship.

It is an occasion symbolising the victory of the higher, divine forces over the lower, negative qualities that find their expression in injustice, oppression, aggrandisement, greed, selfishness, hatred and a host of other un-divine forces that add to the suffering of man.

Worship the Mother in all Her manifestations. She IS the CREATIVE ASPECT of the Absolute. She is symbolised as COSMIC ENERGY. Energy is the physical ultimate of all forms of matter and the sustaining force of the Spirit. Energy and Spirit are inseparable. They are essentially one.

• The five elements and their combinations are the external manifestations of the Mother.
• Intelligence, discrimination, psychic power and will are Her internal manifestations.
• Humanity is Her visible form. Service of humanity is, therefore, the worship of the Divine Mother.
• Feel that the Mother sees through your eyes, hears through your ears, and works through your hands. Feel that the body, mind,
• Prana, intellect and all their functions are Her manifestations. The one, universal life throbs in the heart of all. How can there be any room for hatred and selfishness, when by hating another you are but denying your own self.
• Drive deep this consciousness within your heart.

Always meditate and practise this ideal of divine oneness.

The Mother’s grace is boundless. Her mercy is illimitable. Her knowledge is infinite. Her power is immeasurable. Her glory is ineffable. Her splendour is indescribable. She gives you Bhukti (material prosperity) and Mukti (liberation) also. She is pleased with a little purity of heart.

The sacred Durga Puja is a very OPPORTUNE time for spiritual aspirants. Do not lose this glorious opportunity. Make a definite and sincere attempt to obtain the grace of the Mother. She will transform your entire life, and bless you with the milk of divine wisdom, spiritual insight and Kaivalya.

The Worship of the Divine Mother Devi is synonymous with Sakti or the Divine Power that manifests, sustains and transforms the universe as the one unifying force of Existence.

In fact, worship of Devi is not sectarian; it does not belong to any cult. By Devi or Sakti we mean the presupposition of all forms of existential power, the power of knowledge, of omniscience. These powers are the glorious attributes of God—you may call Him Vishnu or Siva or as you like. In other words, Sakti is the very possibility of the Absolute’s appearing as many, of God’s causing this universe.

Sakti and Sakta are one; the Power and the one who possesses the Power cannot be separated; God and Sakti are like fire and heat of fire.

Devi-worship or Sakti-worship is THEREFORE WORSIP of GOD'S GLORY, of God’s greatness and supremacy. It is adoration of the Almighty.

It is unfortunate that Devi is misunderstood as a blood-thirsty Hindu-Goddess. No, Devi is not the property of the Hindu alone. Devi does not belong to any religion. Devi is the conscious power of the Deva. Let this never be forgotten. The words Devi, Sakti etc. and the ideas of the different forms connected with these names are concessions given to the limi tations of human knowledge, human compre hension.

Bhagavan Sri Krishna says in the Gita, ‘This is only My lower nature Sakti; beyond this is my higher nature, the Original Sakti, the life-principle which sustains this entire universe’.

The Upanishad says, —The Para Sakti, the Supreme Power of this God, is heard of in various ways; this Power is the nature of God manifesting as knowledge, strength and activity.

Truly speaking all beings of the universe are Sakti worshippers, for there is none who does not love and long for power in some form or other. Physicists and scientists have proved now that everything is pure imperishable energy. This energy is only a form of Divine-Sakti which exists in every form of existence.

Since Sakti cannot be worshipped in its essential nature, it is worshipped as CONCEIVED of in its MANIFESTATIONS viz., creation, preservation and destruction.

Sakti, in relation to these three functions, is Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Kaali.

These, as is evident, are not three distinct Devis, but the one formless Devi worshipped in three different forms.
Durga Puja or Navaratri is the festive occasion of the ‘nine-day-worship of Maha-Kaali, Maha-Lakshmi and Maha-Sarasvati’, the Divinity of the Universe adored in three ways.
• Sarasvati is cosmic Intelligence, cosmic Consciousness, cosmic Knowledge. Worship of Sarasvati is necessary for Buddhi-Suddhi, Viveka-Vichara-Sakti, Jnana, self-illumination.
• Lakshmi does not mean mere material wealth like gold, cattle etc. All kinds of prosperity, glory, magnificence, joy, exaltation, greatness, come under the grace of Goddess Lakshmi. Sri Appayya Dikshitar calls even final Liberation as ‘Moksha-Samrajya Lakshmi’. Hence worship of Lakshmi means the worship of Divinity, the power that dissolves multiplicity in unity. The worship of Devi is therefore the explanation of the entire process of spiritual Sadhana in all its aspects.

• During Durga Puja or Navaratri observe strict Anushtana and purify your inner spiritual nature. This is the most auspicious time in the year for Mother- Worship.

• Read Saptasati or Devi Mahatmya and Lalita Sahasranama.
• Do Japa of the Mantra of Devi.
• Perform formal worship with purity, sincerity and absolute devotion.
• Cry for the Darshan of Mother Devi.

-The Divine Mother will bless you with the knowledge, the peace and the joy that know no end.
-May the Divine Mother Durga establish righteousness or Dharma in the World!
-May She destroy all dark hostile forces that disturb the peace of the world!
-May She remove all sorts of epidemics and famine from the land!
-May She bring supreme peace, prosperity and undying bliss to all Her children of this world!
-May She transmute the Asuras or the demons or people with diabolical tendencies into Sattvic men!
-May She annihilate the Asuric tendencies, such as lust, anger, pride, hypocrisy, etc. in human beings, which represent Madhu Kaitabha, Mahisha, Sumbha and Nisumbha!
-May She give the milk of divine wisdom to Her children and lift them up to the magnanimous heights of divine splendour and glory, the imperishable state of Kaivalya and eternal sunshine!

सर्वस्य बुद्धिरूपेण जनस्य हृदि संस्थिते ।
स्वर्गापवर्गदे देवि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥६॥
Sarvasya Buddhi-Ruupenna Janasya Hrdi Samsthite |
Svargaapavarga-De Devi Naaraayanni Namo[ah-A]stu Te //

Meaning:
(Salutations to You O Narayani) Who Abide in the Heart of All Beings in the Form of Intelligence ...
And Grants Enjoyment and Liberation; O Devi; Salutations to You O Narayani.

- from the desk of Usha Swarup

See beyond Appearances, this is an important spiritual teaching ..

10/19/2012

A fabulous picture of Mena Rani receiving Lord Shiva's Baraat.

Mena Rani did not approve of Shivji's appearance. But he had a vital lesson to teach her before he became her son in law-"What offends your sensibility may just be checking it." This has been a very important lesson of ancient seers of Hinduism.

Very often we think we are the standard setters of how things should be, even God!so God Himself, as Shiva with His hideous hobgoblins during his own wedding, or Kali Ma with her inexplicable appearance , and also chinamasta, and some other Mahavidyas ,put on certain'unconventional' appearances for our evolution in understanding, which have very spiritual secret significance. The bhakt who cannot 'see' beyond the appearance is not yet ready to Understand that God is everything, the manifest, and the unmanifest, all that has been and all that shall be.Nothing whatsoever, is out of his perview.

In fact the Rishis from early times knew about these things and this can be better understood as "Adhikari bheda" .

Daksha prajapati was a prime example of arrogance who thought he "knew it all" but failed to Recognize Lord shiva as supreme. Mena Rani was helped by parvati herself in asking shivji to show his Sunder roop, because she was not arrogant, but only full of motherly love for her daughter. Her position was very different from Daksha.
Aum Namah Shivaya!!! let us all love Shivji for his wonderful way of teaching.

Lord Shiva on Facebook..

Sri Sarada Maa .. Sri Parmahamsa Ramakrishna's Wife!!

10/18/2012

Rumours spread to Kamarpukur that Ramakrishna had turned mad as a result of the over-taxing spiritual exercises he had been going through at Dakshineswar. Alarmed, Chandra Devi brought him home and arranged that he might have the best medical care available in their village. The doctors who examined him declared that there was nothing abnormal about him. Chandra Devi who studied him closely also found he was absolutely normal. As he had always done, Ramakrishna sang songs, told stories, cut jokes and made people laugh. That is all. He was interested in everything except in the financial affairs of the family.

Chandra Devi's neighbours advised that if Ramakrishna could be persuaded to marry, he might then be more conscious of his responsibilities to the family and accordingly pay more attention to its financial needs. Chandra Devi started looking for a suitable bride. She did not want Ramakrishna to know anything about her plan , for she feared that he might see marriage as a hindrance to his spiritual progress. Ramakrishna, however, came to know, and far from objecting to the marriage, began to take an active interest in the selection of the bride. He, in fact, mentioned Jayrambati, three miles to the north-west of Kamarpukur, as being the village where the bride could be found at the house of one Ramchandra Mukherjee. The bride, six-year old and bearing the name, Sarada, was found. The marriage was duly solemnized in 1859; the bride went back to her father's house and Ramakrishna to Dakshineswar to resume his spiritual practices.

Years passed and the bride and the bridegroom seldom met. Sarada continued to live at her father's house, helping her poor peasant parents with the usual chores of feeding the cattle, carrying food to the paddy-fields for labourers working for her parents, cooking, cleaning, looking after the younger brothers, and so on. Once famine gripped Jayrambati and its surrounding areas. Starving people went about searching for food, but there was no food anywhere. It so happened that Sarada's parents had saved some food grains that year. They decided to cook some food everyday and distribute it to the starving people, fresh and hot. Sometimes, the hungry people would burn their fingers in eating hot food. Sarada, still a tiny girl, would fan the food to help it cool. She did it on her own.

As Sarada grew older. neighbours began to gossip about her misfortune. They would say that her husband had gone mad. Sarada overheard such remarks and was naturally very disturbed. She decided to go to Dakshineswar and see for herself the condition of her husband. She went and found her husband quite normal. She stayed with him for some time and then returned to Jayrambati. After some years, she permanently stayed with him .

In a way, Sarada Devi was Ramakrishna's first disciple. He taught her as much religion as philosophy. He taught her everything he had learnt from his various Gurus. Ramakrishna must have been pleased to see that she mastered every religious secret as quickly as he himself had done, perhaps even more quickly. Impressed by her great religious potential, he began to treat her as the Universal Mother Herself. Once she asked him what he thought of her. He said, 'I look upon you as my own mother and as the Mother who is in the temple.'

Before passing away, in 1886, Ramakrishna made Sarada Devi feel as if she was the mother of his disciples, nay of the entire humanity. At first, Sarada Devi was shy about playing this role, but slowly, she filled that role, and even became a religious teacher in her own rights.

For the thirty-four years or so that she lived after Ramakrishna's passing away, she inspired people, both monastic and lay, with the ideals that Ramakrishna himself had preached and practised. She did this in the same way as Ramakrishna - she lived those ideals. But her life was more testing and complicated than Ramakrishna's. Being an ideal monk, Ramakrishna always kept away from the cross-currents of a family life. He loved to watch the fun called life but was careful enough never to be drawn into its maelstroms. Sarada Devi, on the contrary, was at the very heart of it. She was the head of a large family comprising men and women, most of them not even distantly related to her. And what an assortment of characters they were! Some of them were great souls by any standard, but there were also some who were mean, jealous, and positively mischievous. She managed to keep them all together without losing her balance of mind. And each of them was convinced that she loved him or her the best. They were all of them dependent on her, not only spiritually but also materially. She was not only their 'mother' but also their guru. She gave them full satisfaction on both scores.

Sarada Devi had a hard life from beginning to end. As daughter, wife, and finally, as the beloved mother of a large community of people cutting across race and language, there were demands on her much more than a woman in her circumstances normally has to meet. She fulfilled them in a manner possible only for her. But what is remarkable is that, in the midst of all her cares, she maintained a degree of aloofness which Hinduism attributes to the highest and best among men and women. Through the skein of the varying situations which she faced, she remained absolutely calm and equipoised as if these were no concern of hers. Her fortitude, courage, and wisdom, tested again and again, amazed everybody.

But the most amazing thing about her was her renunciation. a quality she shared with her husband in a measure equal to, if not more than, his. She often found herself in a situation in which starvation seemed certain, but under no circumstances would she seek aid from any quarter. Even when her disciples had grown to a considerable number and there were people among them with means to keep her in comfort and also anxious to be of service to her, she would never so far as even drop a hint that she had any difficulty or she had any hankering.

But the trait of her personality, which used to draw innumerabable people, men and women, good and bad, rich and poor, young and old fowards her irresistibly was her Universal Motherhood. She would often say, 'I am as much the Mother of the good as of the bad. ...I shan't be able to turn away anybody if he addresses me as Mother...If my son wallows in the dust or mud, it is I who have to wipe all the dirt off his body and take him to my lap.'

She taught not by precepts but by examples. There were irritants galore in the way people around her behaved, but she was an indulgent mother who knew the best way to educate an erring child was to set an example before him, which she did. She had seen the worst side of man, but she never lost faith in him, knowing that, given affection, sympathy, and guidance, he could overcome all his limitations.

She was human, yet divine. Her divinity shone through everything she did, even if it was something entirely mundane. She was a simple woman, but in thought, speech, and action she was attuned to God. She was a true saint, but she never claimed she was. She passed as an ordinary woman, but everything about her was extraordinary.

[Courtesy: http://www.vedantany.org/holy-mother-sarada-devi/2010/8/5/holy-mother-sarada-devi-a-biography.html]

Narmada Devi... Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

10/18/2012

GODDESS NARMADA.

In the Tamil rendering Narmada means ‘Magnificent Mother’. The word ‘nar’ means sweet as in fragrance and ‘matha’ means mother. The holy river Narmada is the embodiment of Goddess Narmada,who like Ganga removes the sins of those who bath in her waters. So holy is Narmada that, to remove all sins of all lifetimes, one must bathe three years in the Saraswati, seven days in the Yamuna, one day in the Ganges, or mrely glance at the Narmada. She is said to be the consort of Yuvanasva, the son of Amarisa. The couple had a son by the name of Trasadasyu.

There are various myths surrounding Goddess Narmada. One says that she was born from the body of Siva. Goddess Narmada was slim and beautiful. Gods and demons wanted to marry her; she had to flee and dodge the prospects. However, she was able to disappear then they were in the proximity. She played hide and seek with them and one inference of Narmada is her playful attitude of dodging. Finally she surrenders herself to Lord Shiva. The Lord was pleased in her absolute devotion and saranagathi. Siva blessed her and said, "May you become a holy river, and may your waters always be full! This is not such a story but is the spiritual philosophy of the concealing and revealing aspects of Shiva himself. When the self surrenders to the Source, then one has the full blessings of the Lord. The key word is saranagathi or surrender.

Another legend states that, once Lord Shiva meditated so hard that he started perspiring. Shiva’s sweat accumulated in a tank and started flowing in the form of a river – the Narmada. Another legend has it that two teardrops that fell from the eyes of Lord Brahma, yielded two rivers – the Narmada and the Sone. Legends have it that, even Ganga bathes in Narmada waters, in the shape of a black cow. This event is witnessed as a holy day.

NAGAS: According to Vishnu Purana, Goddess Narmada is related to the Naginis, for her waters are held effective against snakebite. Myths have it that Naramada is the personified daughter of a Rishi Mekala as a daughter of the moon, as a mind born daughter of the Somapas and as sister of the Nagas. It was she who brought Purukutsa to the aid of the Nagas against the Ghandarvas,and the grateful snake-gods made her a charm against the Venom of Snakes. Thus she is also called Rava and Purva-ganga. As daughter of the Moon, she is called Indu-ja and Somobhava. According to Vishnu Purana, she had a son by Purukutsa. He was named Trasadasyu.

The story goes back to the solar dynasty, in which is Mandhatri, the son of Yuvanasva of the Ikshvaku family. According to Puranic accounts, Mandhatri, Yuvabasva and Aikshvaka were great chakravarthins. The Yadava empire under Sasabindu was rivaled by the Ayodhya kingdom under Mandhatri. Mandhatri was the son of Yuvanasva and Gauri, the daughter of Matinara of the Pauravas. He was considered the fifth incarnation of Vishnu. He married Bindumati, daughter of Sasabindu of the Yadavas. Mandhatri is said to be suckled by Indra, hence the name means ‘the child will suck me’. He is said to have obtained half of Indra’s throne and extended his sway conquering Purava and Kanyakubja realms. Purukusta continued the conquest of his father.

The Nagas induced Purukusta to destroy the Mauneya Gandharvas who had despoiled them. They are said to have given him their princess Narmada and he rescuded them from the Gandharvas. Thus the culture towards the Narmada and land of the Nagas were probably aborigines or primitive people. Muchukunda, the third son of Mandhatri, was a famous king. The fable connecting him with Kalayavana and Sri Krishna seems to be an anachronism. He built and fortified a town on the Narmada between Paripatra and Rishka mountsns. His glory lasted until the Haihaya king Mahishmant conquered and named it under him, The Ayodhya kingdom declined after Ourukusta and other Lunar dynasty kingdoms rose into prominence.

NARMADA RIVER: River Narmada is one of the most sacred of the seven holy rivers of India. Its origin is a tiny reservoir named as Narmada Kund situated on the Amarkantak Hills. Also known as Rewa, the Narmada River is associated with Amarkantak and Narmadakund. There is less mention of the Narmada in Vedic literature but addressed in the Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabaratha, Vashistha Samhita and Shatapatha Brahmana. It is said that the Puranic name of Amarkantak was Riksh Parvat. About six thousand years ago the Suryavanshi samrat Mandhata established a town in the Riksh parvat valley and called it Mandhata. The queen of samrat Purukutsa apparently gave the title Narmada to the river.

The Narmada rises in the Maikala ranges of the Amarkantak Hills of Madhya Pradesh and flows between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges before draining into the Arabian Sea. It is the fifth largest river in the Indian sub-continent and flows completely within India just as the Ganges and Godavari. Hindu God Lord Shiva Omkareshwar temple on the banks of Narmada river situated in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh. Here the Narmada branches into two and form the island Mandhata. In the ancient times it was known as Shivpuri. The Krishna river joins Narmada and the confluence or sangama is considered to be a very holy spot. It is said that the arial view of the island is shows a Om symbol. The island is dominated by the white Sikhara of the Sri Omkar Mandhata or ‘Bestover of Desires’, the Omkareswara Temple. It houses one of the twelve sacred Jyotir Shiva Lingas; natural rock which is miraculously emerged from light.

Ancient world history records mentions her as ‘Nammadus’. ‘Narma’ means ‘tenderness’ and Narmada is also described as the most sacred and best among the holy rivers in some scriptures. It is also a Sanskrit word meaning ‘the Giver of Pleasure”. It is believed that merely by seeing the Narmada, a man is freed from all his sins and becomes pure. Adi Shankaracharya met his guru Govinda Bhagavatpada on the banks of river Narmada.

MAJOR TEMPLES: The banks of Narmada are dotted with favourite temples and pilgrimage focus. Pilgrims perform a holy pilgrimage of a Parikrama or Circumambulation of the river. This is called the Narmada Parikrama.

(a) The Amarkantak (Neck of Shiva in Sanskrit language) or Teerathraj (the King of Pilgrimages)
(b) Maheshwar, Omkareshwar,
(c) Mahadev Temple at Anusya.
(d) Siddeshwar Mandir in the central portion of the river – all have derived their names from Lord Shiva
(e) Surpaneshwar Shiva Temple.
(f) Chaubis Avatar temple
(g) Chausath Yogini (sixty four yoginis) with attendents of Durga
(h) Narmada Udagam or the sacred source housing a stone state of Goddess Narmada.
(i) Bhrigu Rishi temple and Bhojpur Shiva temple in Bharuch
(j) Shri Ram Janki temple
(k) Vangeshwar Temple
(l) Shiv Pariwar
(m) Sri Radha Krishna temple
(n) Guru Gorakhnath temple
(o) Kartikey temple and many many more.

MYTHOLOGY: According to mythology, Lord Shiva once sat on the peak of Amarkantak Hills in a beautiful trance that gave birth to a female form. He named her "Narmada" since she had inspired "Narma" or tenderness in his heart. He also blessed her with lifelong freedom. However, the Gods tried to capture her and she slipped through their fingers taking the form of the River Narmada. It is also believed that the river is often called Shankari, meaning daughter of Shankar, a name attributed to Lord Shiva. The river then had pebbles rolling on its river bed to take the shape of his emblem the Linga with the inscription "Narmada Ke Kanker utte Sankar" which means in Hindi that ‘pebble stones of Narmada gets a personified form of Shiva’. These lingam shaped stones are called Banalinga or as Banashivalingas are much sought after for daily worship by the Hindus. One of the biggest Banalinga is placed in the Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. This temple was constructed by Rajaraja Chola.

The other myth is of Narmada falling in love with the Sonbhadra, another river flowing on the Chhota Nagpur plateau. Hence it earned the name Rewa for flowing through its rocky bed. Another legend tells us that Mandhata, a great Emperor of the Ishvaku clan, ruled and also did great penance here at this land. During one of his visit to the Vindyas, sage Naradar, sang the praise of mount Meru to Mount Vindhya. On hearing this, Mount Vindhya prayed to Lord Siva to gain in importance. Lord Siva blessed him and appeared at Omkareshwara and Amaleshwara and gave the boon of growing, but without hindering devotees of Lord Shiva. But Vindhya’s growth could not be hindered It obstructed the sun and the moon. This was subdued by the sage by saying Vindhya should not grow till he gets back there and he never returned.

SANCTITY: Four events are noted to have sanctified the Narmada River. Firstly, it is said that the Narmada flowed through the ancient Kingdom of Ayodhya. Secondly the banks of Narmada houses the ashrams of Bhirgu Rishi, Kapila Muni and Markandeya Rishi. Thirdly the Pandavas also resided along the Narmada riverbanks and gained benefits during their exile. Some of these details are found in the Mahabaratha. Fourthly, some three thousand years later, Adi Shankara who was born in 788 AD sanctified on the banks of the Narmada River.

ADI SHANKARACHARYA: The Pataleshwar Mahadev in Amarkantak at the origin of Narmada is attributed to Adi Shankaracharya. The bamboo bunches used by Shankara are said to be still in existence in a place known as Surajkund.

Adi Shankara met his guru Govinda Bhagavatpada on the banks of river Narmada. He travelled north from his village in search of a Brahman realised Guru. Having passed through several hermitages, he came to the banks of Narmada after a two month ardous journey through hazardous terrain. In Omkareshwar, he finds the hermitage of the Mahayogi, Govinda Bhagavatpada. His initial acquintances was to see the mahayogi in a state of samadhi.

On one occassion, he found the Narmada gushing forth into floods. By using his powers, he encapsulated the river in his Kamandal and released it in the banks of the river. In his enlightened state Govinda knew that Lord Shiva had incarnated in human form.

Notwithstanding, Shankara went through the guru-shisya rules of discipline and spent some three years to master Hatha, Raja and Jnana Yoga. After this spiritual yoga and a full understanding of advaita, Govinda Bhagavatpada asks Shankara to proceed to Kashi. There Adi Shankara wrote his famous commentaries on the Brahma Sutras, the Upanishads and the Gita. He also succesfully meets criticisms levelled against his teachings.

To this day, Narmada River is considered the mother and giver of peace. Narmada is home to many temples and spiritual bases, source of Hindu philosophy and a beautiful river in its own right. The mere sight of it is said to be enough to cleanse one’s soul as against a dip in the Ganga or Yamuna. Legends have it that the great Ganga visits the Narmada once a year in the guise of a black cow to cleanse herself of all her collected sins! Om

SOURCE: Narmada Udgam is the source of the sacred Narmada River where a temple has been dedicated to the goddess Narmada. It contains a colorfully decorated, black Basalt stone statue of Narmada. Thousands of devotees from all over the country visit the temple to pay homage to the goddess.

Hara Hara Mahadeva
(draft Gods and Goddesses)
Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

Rati Maa.. the Goddess of Love and Passion.

10/18/2012

GODDESS RATI:

Did we need a Rati to endorse the subject of passion and sexual pleasure? Rati is the Goddess of Love and Passion. In Hindu thoughts, she represents love, carnal desire, lust, passion and sexual pleasure. The name Rati in Sanskrit means ‘the pleasure of love, sexual passion or union and amorous enjoyment’, all of which she personifies, and that is, ‘to delight in’. Her other names will tell us who and what she is: Kama-kala, part of kama; Kama-priya, beloved of kama; Raga-lata, wine of love; Priti-kama, naturally sexy, Reva-kami, wife of Kama; Rati-priti; naturally aroused; Mayavati the, deceiver; Kelikila. As Subjangi, she is fair-limbed.Kama-kala is being part of Kama. As wife of Kama, she is Kama-patni. Rati is also symbolic of the female seed. She is the Venus of the Hindus.

Her beauty and sensuality described via mythology where She is depicted as a maiden who has the power to enchant the God of Love, Kamadeva. She also enjoys worship along with Kamadva. Rati is not only Kamadeva’s consort but a constant companion and his assistant, who arouses sexual feelings. Kamadeva is usually depicted with Rati along his side, in legends, temple sculptures and art.

Goddess Rati is often associated with the arousal and delight of sexual activity, and many sex techniques and positions derive their Sanskrit names from hers. She represents only the pleasure aspect of sexual activity and does not relate to child-birth or motherhood. She is said to enchant with a mere look with body parts that clearly demanded male attention, the Rati-parvai. It is known that once their sites were set in motion, there was nothing to resist, the Rati-mayakkam. Her spells have no biddings. Now, who happens to be the notable victim? The Siva Purana mentions that the husband Kama himself was pierced by her love-arrows upon seeing her auspicious body. The Purana goes on to describe her being filled with smiles, fair complexion in the name of Subhangi, plum breasts and describes her eyes, face, hair, legs, thighs and her glowing skin that made Kama kneel. Unlike Apsaras, Rati works alone or in collaboration with Kamadeva. She could also beguile multiple men at one time.

She is the daughter of Prajapati Daksha. As usual, there are differing versions of her being. The usual is one emanating from the sweat of Daksha to become the wife of Kama. Another, Vishnu reincarnated Sandhya, as Rati. Notwithstanding, she is generously pictured as being born from the sweat of Love’s passionate embrace.

DEPICTION: Like Venus the Roman Goddess of Love for instance, we have Rati pictured with ripening breasts, a tiny waist and slim hips. It is as if she is in the most glorious moments of her sensuality. She is pictured the same way as the Apsaras, with creamy pale skin and long dark hair. As fair limbed, she is Subhangi. Artists however, have a field-day, as goddesses in this category have shape shifting abilities. They can become almost anything their heart desired. The common factor would be Rati’s undeniable beauty and unquestionable sensuality. Rati’s weapon is the sword and her mount is the parrot.

MYTHOLOGY:

Lord Shiva recuperates after Sati’s death and he is away. During His absence, the demon Tharakasura shakes up the universe. He is comforted by a boon that only Shiva’s son can kill him. The God’s need Shiva to attend to this but He is in deep meditation. Towards this Brahma breathes out Vasantha or Spring and Kama and Rati fly to Mount Kailash. They shoot their love-arrows at the Lord to invoke kama. Parvathi appears as Sati’s reincarnation.

Skanda Purana Chp 21: 64. At that time Sambhu was hit and pierced with the arrow called Mohana, ‘the Enchanter' suddenly. On being hit, Sambhu opened his eyes slowly. The lord saw Girija like the ocean view-ing the digit of the moon.......65-67. She had a beautiful delightful face. Her lips were like the Bimba fruit. Her eyes brightened with her smile. Her teeth were fine and excellent. She appeared as though she had come out of fire, just resplen¬dent. She had a slender body with a beautiful and wide face. Gauri had all the signs of pleasure within. She was capable of enchanting the entire universe. It was she who created the three worlds along with Brahma and others. Making use of the quali¬ties of Rajas, Sativa and Tamas, she caused the origin, sustenance and annihilation. That enchanting goddess, the sole cause of auspiciousness of all auspicious things, was seen in front by Hara who was awakened.

Now Shambu (Lord Siva) learns of Kama’s attempts but He is already wounded by Kama’s arrows. So he is reduced into a ash-heap by the gaze of Siva’s third eye. Rati smears this ash all over herself” Padma Purana.

Bhagavata Purana: Thereafter Rati goes mad. She begs the Lord and has him restored as a mental image to represent true emotional mental state rather than physical lust. Given the nature of Rati and her needs, this reborn Kama is hardly sufficient. She does severe penance: She plead Siva. Skanda Purana introduces a new thesis at this stage. It states that Parvathi is worried Siva could only be achieved by Kama’s assistance, ie to invoke desire.

Lord Siva assured Rati that Kamadeva would be reborn to Krishna and Rukumani as Pradyumna. Pradyumna is abducted and ends up in the demon, Sambrasura’s kitchen as a fish containing him within. Now, Rati had to be there for the union. So prior to this incident, she manifests as the maid Mayavati to avait Kama. Mayavati means ‘mistress of illusion’. Initially Mayavati aka Rati does not know that Pradyumna aka Kama is her husband. But the sage Narada tells her this secret. She nurtured the child as a mother would but after Narada’s revelation she looks at the child with passion burning her body. Now Pradyumna resents an older lady making advances. Her arrows hitting blind spots, Mayavati reveals their previous births and the boy falls into her trap. Mayavati trains Kama in the art of war.

During this time she has to shoot some kama arrows at Sambrasura so that he does not cast his eyes on the military training grounds. The Brahma Vaivarta Purana goes a long way to explain that Rati did not sleep with Sambrasura and that Rati set Goddess Maya into action. So that would make the demon making love to the illusionary Mayavati! The texts stress her pativrata, purity that does not allow another man to touch other than the husband . Anyway, the martial training is over while the demon Sambrasura has lost his mind. He gets slain….shades of Mohini reducing Bhasma into a heap. They never learn, do they? Thereafter Kama and Rati return to Dwarka as husband and wife in their original forms. They are said to have lived as a couple for 63,000 years as Rati enriches kama literature.

PADMA PURANA:

Like mother like daughter…..This Purana is voluminous. It contains 5 sections, Sristi-Creation, Bhumi-Earth, Svarga-heaven, Patala-Netherland and Uttara Kanda-end section. It was composed in 800 AD containing 51,000 verses. It is a Vaishnavite scripture with Benagali and South Indian recensions. Chp 88-85 tells the story of King Yayati.

Yayati ruled his kingdom for eighty-one thousand years and is known for his righteousness. Seeing the rigorous observances of Yayati’s virtuous life, Indra, God of the Heavens began to be alarmed. So he sends his charioteer Matali to bring Yayati to Indraloka. The King refuses that he would not go to Indraloka with his physical body. Now in Yayati’s kingdom, he practices and instructs his subjects to be righteous to avoid early death. Indra consults Lord Yama to engineer a plan.

They then send the gandharvas and apsaras to enact Vamanavatara drama beyore King Yayti. Rati gives her best sensuous performance and Yayati’s mind flies out of the palace windows. He is enchanted with Rati beyond redemption and starts losing interest with his clean habits. Health deteriorates and old age sets in. One fine day he goes hunting in a forest where he finds a spell-binding lady sitting on a lotus. On enquiry, Yayati is told that she was Asrubindumathi, daughter of Rati.

Yayati’s mind flies out again through the forest trees. Like Bhasma, Yayati proposes marriage on the spot. She places a condition that she would oblige if Yayati can become young again. He had to marry. Simply had to, so he calls up all his four sons and requested them to exchange their youth. Well all refused except the youngest son, Puru. He exchanges his youth and Yayati married Asribindumati. Ultimately Yayati thoroughly enjoys his sex life, returns his youth to his son and ascended to heavens with Asru. It is said that Asrubindumathi is Rati’s maya in action including kala, the time factor that Yayati thought he was having an extended nocturnal life. Anyway Indra has had his way in dragging Yayti to his lokha.

SEX IN HINDUISM:

Attachment to the opposite sex has more to do with Hindu faith, rather than the pleasures of physical sex. Hindus have considered sex as something more than mere pleasure while conceding that it is certainly a part of the equation. Every house-holder is to look at his purusharta goals as the aim of life. In his family pursuit of arta and kama, he also has to know love in its contexts. He is the hero that braves the trials and tribulations of life without compromising happiness in all forms. One only need to take a look (doesn’t mean memorise!) at the ‘Kama Sutra’ to comprehends that sex holds an important part within this belief system. All the seven act in the KamaSutra depict different the different phases of the hero’s life. 1.General idea of love and its involvement in the lives of men and women. 2.Beginnings of sexual techniques 3. Acquiring a potential wife and engaging in marriage 4.Proper conduct of the wife and her role in marriage 5. Seducing other women. 6. Exploration of various women and 7. Exploring aphrodisiacs and magic spells to attract women.

The other, ‘Ratirahasya’ does not mention Rati's adventures directly but the title says it all. She gives rise to phrases attached to her name, rati-kari; women prone to sexual pleasures; kama-rati, man stupefied by desire; rati-karman and rati laksha, sexual intercourse; rati-bhoga, sexual enjoyment; rati-shakti, virile power; rati-jna, skilled in the art of love and rati-yuddha, sex battle.

Rati seems to have inspired the many erotic positions depicted therein. It was written by Kokkoka Pandit, siddha patiya pandita – an ingenious among learned men, who was inspired by Vatsayana, the author of Kama Sutra. Ratirahsya, as opposed to Kama Sutra was written for the medieval Indian society which frowned premarital and extramarital sex. It dealt with different physics, lunar calendars, different types of genitals, characteristics of women of various ages, hugs, kisses, sexual intercourse, sexual positions and sex with strange women.

Ratirahasya also makes classification of women and describes the erogenous zones and women’s easy arousal. It is also said to be the first book to describe feminine beauty according to their appearance and physical beauty as 1. Padmini, lotus woman 2.Chitrini, art woman 3.Shankini, conch woman and 4.Hastini, elephant woman. In summary Kokkoka Pandit was concerned with how to enjoy sex and to keep a woman happy. One wonders why nothing was written about men for women’s consumption. Could we cursorily say it was a men’s world or there was nothing much to write about?

DUALITY IN SEX:

Love or lust? In Hindu thoughts, sex is about making love in the most pleasurable way possible and giving utmost respect. That would make Rati endorse the spirit of written expressions. Anything else is to be seen as animal instincts. One cannot envisage that Shiva and Parvathi made love for three hundred years to give us the Kama Sutra. And Nandi did not leak this knowledge to Vatsayana for nothing.

But love and lust can be two separate things. Rati seems to stand on a thin edge to be seen as a goddess of carnal pleasure than pure love. This duality is not easily separated from a spiritual point of view. The Shiva-Parvathi union of bliss is hardly seen as duality in the same sense as there may be two bodies but One Bliss in their physical union. Similarly Rati is the female counterpart propagating non-duality in sexual enjoyment and ultimate bliss.

CHINNAMASTA:

The Tantra Mahavidya Goddess Chinnamasta, depicts two kinds of female dominations. The usual depiction shows Kama and Rati symbolize ‘maithuna’ the ritual sexual union. But Rati engages the viparita-rati meaning female on top position dominating Kama. Here Rathi, the embodiment of sexual energy, is interpreted as a symbol of self-control of sexual desire. Next, Goddess Chinnamasta stands on the copulating couple to suggest her Female Domination over Kama and Maya. Hari Om

Hara Hara Mahadeva
(draft Gods and Goddesses)
Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

Goddess (Chitrangada)

10/17/2012

CHITRANGADA.

She is one of Arjuna’s wives. During his exile, Arjuna travelled the whole of India extensively. It was in one such trip that Arjuna went to the ancient town of Manipura, a mystic city known for its natural beauty. He meets Chitrangada, the princess of Manipura. She was such a pretty maiden. Monogamy was not on the score-charts. Anyway, Vyasa Bhagavan had to tell the story of a curse and we will come to that shortly. So Arjuna dressed himself as an ascetic and approached her for hand in marriage. Let us remind ourselves that this is a pre-Gita tale. You know, at this point, Arjuna is yet to receive spiritual lessons from Sri Krishna! Now, Chitrangada was also taken up by Arjuna,you know, macho and all, but her father was to call the shots. He approached the king and expressed his intentions. The King stipulates that children born of Chitrangada cannot be taken away from Manipur. Arjuna agrees that he would also not take Chitrangada away.

Chitrangada was fanciful and sentimental. Vide the promise made to the father, Arjuna’s further travels were solo. She was left behind. Being the only heir to the throne, she dressed like a man. She was a renowned warrior. She loved Arjuna immensely and often missed his absence. To Arjuna and Chitrangada was born a son, Babruvahana. He was to succeed the grandfather to become King of Manipura.

ULUPI: During another of his travels, Arjuna met Ulupi at Hardwar. She belonged to the Nagaloka caste. Indeed she was a widow Naga princess. Arjuna was attracted to her also. But it is also said that Ulupi induced Arjuna to take her in marriage. Becoming infatuated with him, Arjuna was caught unaware and intoxicated with a potent concoction. Neigh the pleasures of the flesh! Thus Ulupi masterminded the abduction and had him conveyed to her realm in the netherworld. An unwilling Arjuna gives in to Ulupi erstwhile. What could he have done confined under-water? The best of the worlds took precedence and to them was born Aravan.

CHILDREN: So now some statistics. Together with three other wives, Draupadi, Subhadra, Ulupi, Arjuna had four sons namely Srutakriti born of Draupadi, Abhimanyu born of Subhadra; Babhruvahana born of Chitrangada; and Iravan born of Ulupi. The sons were to be as good as Arjuna; irrestible as fire and unsurpassable as the ocean.

THE CURSE: Arjuna was spending his time with Ulupi. Chitrangada missed him as his wife and mother of his child. Learning of this, Ulupi restored Arjuna to the lamenting Chitrangada. Ulupi also went further to play a major part in contributing to Babruvahana’s welfare. She taught him the art of war. Her role in the Krukshetra war are related to Arjuna’s welfare. When pithamagaha Bhishmar was killed, his brother, the Vasus cursed Arjuna. It is also said that Ganga Devi also cursed Arjuna that he will be killed by his own son for treacherously killing Bhismar. It was Ulupi that redeemed him from the curse. In her own way, Ulupi was a loving wife and nothing has been said to the contrary.

During the battle, Babruvahan’s arrow hit Arjuna and he fell unconscious. Ulupi rushed to the scene to restore him to life. This knowledge was only available to the nagas. She firmly set on her own coils that her lower serpent part afforded. Holding a conch in folded hands, Ulupi commemorated the Mrat-sanjivi mantra, the life giving mystic hymn to restore Arjuna to life. It is commonly said as a cliché that Ulupi had him ‘killed and then brought him back to life’. Once for enabling him to keep his words that he had given Yudhisthrara, his eldest brother, and also marry her, and second time, when during Ashvamedha yajna he was killed by Babhruvahana, his own son. When the Pandavas started their final journey, Ulupi is said to have returned to the water kingdom in the Ganga River.

RABNINDRANATH TAGORE: Took the story of Chitrangada and turned it into a dance drama. Tagore’s, Chitrangada is a lyrical expression of love, illusion, and conquest, and ironically, one of strongest gender statements ever made in Indian literature of its time. He expanded Chitrangada’s character and gave her new life.

The story line is this: It is the time of the Mahabharata, the greatest of Indian epics. The place is Manipur, a beautiful kingdom hidden in the Northeast of India, fiercely guarded by Chitrangada – a princess, brought up as a "prince" fit to rule the land. A woman unparalled in archery, warfare, and governance all dressed up as a male.

The player is Arjuna, the greatest warrior of his time. While on a hard grueling penance for 12 long years, Arjuna reaches Manipur.
Arjuna is impressed by her fighting abilities but all along believes her to be a man. Chitrangada beholds him, falls in love at first sight, and appeals to him for marriage. But alas, Arjuna refuses. Spurned and rejected, Chitrangada is deep in sorrow. But then she rises again...she is not to be slighted… she cannot be defeated. Chitrangada fights back. Chitrangada believes Arjuna could never love her the way she is. In ways unfathomable to any human being. Will she win her battle? Will she conquer her love?

She receives a boon from Kamadeva, God of Love and transforms herself into a beautiful feminine woman. When she meets Arjuna again, he cannot help but fall in love with her. Though she believes that she has everything she wants in life, deep within Arjuna could not love Chitrangada for her true self. The mystery would unveil when the maurauders come into her kingdom. The subjects are worried and inform Arjuna of their princess, the greatest warrior around. They wondered why she was not around to protect them now.

Now, Arjuna is so impressed by the villager’s story. He wanted to meet the woman who could equal him in warfare. Chitrangada had no alternative but to appear and reveal herself. The ensuing plot is the obvious one. Arjuna is no longer in love with Chitrangada just for her beauty. She has proven to be wholesome. They consummate and soon enough the son Babruvahana appears in the scene. Unlike the original Mahabaratha story of the curse, in Tagore’s rendering, they live happily ever after.

(Art of the ascetic Arjuna meeting Chitrangada by Sri Ravi Varma acknowledged with thanks)

By Yogi Ananda Saraswathi..

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Rati Maa.. the Goddess of Love and Passion.

Goddess (Chitrangada)

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