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Devi Nandni Mata

11/28/2012

GODDEESS NANDNI MATA

is a manifestation of Mother Durga. She is also known as Nandini Devi. Mother despite being said to be a folk goddess finds her place in the hearts of many bhaktas. ‘Nandni’ means daughter implying Goddess Durga. Nandini Mata is worshipped during the nine-days Navarathri celebrations. Nandni Mata is also called Nandore Ma in the Vagadi language. The Vagdi language is one of the Bhil languages of India that constitutes the primary language of southern Aravalli Range in Rajasthan and the western Saptpura Range in Madhya Pradesh, north western Maharstra and south Gujarat.

MYTHOLOGY: Legends hold it that Nandni Mata was a daughter of Yashoda in the Dvapara Yuga. Dvapara is the third of the four yugas coming after Treta yuga and followed by the present Kali Yuga. Yashoda was the wife of Nanda in the Puranic context. The Bhagavata Purana describes Mother Yashoda as the foster mother of Lord Krishna who was born to Vasudev and Devaki. Nanda Maharaja took Krishna into custody from the night of his birth to be protected against Kamsa, the King of Mathura and Devaki’s own brother.

Finally Yashoda is also killed by Kamsa. Yashoda also played an important role in the upbringing of Balarama, Krishna’s elder brother and the son of Rohini, Vasudev’s second wife. Nandavanshi is a term designating the claimed descendents of Nanda, who according to the Harivamsha and Puranas, the head of the Gopas. In Rajasthan the gopas are said to be found in the present Jaipur area.

DEVI MAHATMYAM:

Nandni Mata appears in several Vedic hymns. Mother is also described in the Devi Mahatmyam Durga Saptasati, Chapter 11. This is also called Durga Saptami. The hymns in the Mahatmyam associate Mother Nandni with Yashoda as her daughter.

MAHISHASURA MARDINI:

This song was composed by the greats sage Adi Shankaracharya sometime around the 8th century sung in praise of Durga’s manifestation Goddess Chamundeswari and describes the way She destroys the demons. Its opening lines are ‘ayi giri nandini, nandita medina, visva vinodini, nandinute….’

GUJARAT:

Nandni Mata has been regarded as Pavagh Devi or Mahakali Pavagadh of Gujarat. Pavadadh is a Hill Station near Vadorara in Gujarat. It is famous for its Mahakali temple which draws thousands of pilgrims everyday. This Kalimata temple is believed to be one of the 52 Shakti Peeths also.

GARBA:

The famous Adivasi folk dance called ‘garba’ is dedicated to Nandni Mata. The adivasis, despite being heterogeneous set of ethnic and tribal groups brought down many spiritual messages through their folk songs and dances.

NANDNI MATA TEMPLE is a famous temple in the Banswara district of Rajasthan. It is located on top of the hills near Barodiya village in Vagad. Many myths and rituals centre on the black stone statue here some centuries ago which was later destroyed by demolishers, and is now replaced by the new beautiful deity.

Jai Maa Durga

Yogi Ananda Saraswati

Another Rupa (form) of Kali DasaMukhi ten headed

11/28/2012

KALI as DASAMUKHI - EKAMUKHI.

‘Dasamukhi’ means ten headed. This image represents Dasa Mahavidya Mahakali and stands for the ten Mahavidya of Great Wisdom Goddesses. In this form, Mother has ten heads, ten arms, ten legs. Each of her hands carry various weapons representing the power of Devas and male Gods. Thus as Prakriti, the female of Purusha or Consciousness, she has the powers identical with the Ultimate Reality or Brahman.

Otherwise Mother Mahakali displays ‘Ekhamukha’ or single headed. Ekhamukhi also shares the ten-hand concept and the powers of the Gods to shower Her Grace. The Ekhamukhi depiction does not in any way compromise Mother's role as the manifestation of Adi Parashakti.

Both as Dasamukhi or Ekhamukhi, Mother is always depicted standing on inert or shava of Shiva. In that Mother represents Shakti, the power of pure creation in the universe and Shiva represents pure Consciousness. Shava means corpse, hardly a representation of Lord Shiva, the Supreme Godhead in Shaiva Siddhanta. What is represented here is Mother balancing prakriti, nature by stepping on to the Lord’s unlimited spiritual energy or ego. It is the killing of the ego that She depicts symbolically so that balance of life is not run over by wild nature. Mahakali means maha-prema, greatest Love. Jai Maa Maha Kali.

by Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

Shakti Pith Jawal Maa, where the tongue of Sati fell in Himanchal Pradesh.

11/25/2012

Maa Jwala Devi, Jwala Ji, Jwalamukhi is the most famous Shakti Peetha where it is said that the “Tongue” of Maa Sati fell and the idols are Devi Maa as Siddhida (Ambika) and Lord Shiva as Unmatta Bhairav. This is located in Disst. Kangra of Himanchal Pradesh. Jwalamukhi is famous temple, 30km south of Kangra valley of the Goddess Jwalamukhi with flaming mouth also known as Flaming Goddess.
These flames are worshiped as the manifestations of the diffrent forms of Goddess Jwala Maa. The nine flames have been named after Goddesses – Maha Kali, Maa Annapurna, Maa Chandi, Maa Hinglaj, Vindhyavasini, Maha Lakshmi, Maha Saraswati, Maa Ambika and Anjana Devi, continuously burning without any fuel or assistance, may be seen erupting from a rock-side. Now housed in the shape of nature is worshipped as a Goddess, know as Maa Jwala or Jawalamukhi. It is one of the 51 Shakti-Pitha temples. The great Mughal Emperor Akbar had visited this place to test its originality.

The temple belongs to the golden period when the gods roamed the Earth. Ancient legend speaks if a time when demons lorded over the Himalaya Mountains and harassed the Gods. Led by Lord Vishnu, the Gods decided to destroy them, they focused their strengths a huge flames rose from the ground. From that fire, a young girl tooks birth. She is regarded as Adishakti the first ‘Shakti’ known as Sati or Parvati, she grew up the house of Prajapati Daksha and later became the consort of Lord Shiva.

Once her father insulted Lord Shiva and unable to accept this, she killed herself. When Lord Shiva heard of his wife’s death his range knew no bounds and holding Sati’s body he began stalking the three worlds. The other gods trembled before his wrath and appealed to Lord Vishnu for help. Lord Vishnu let fly a volley of arrows which struck Sati’s body and severed it to pieces. At the Places where the pieces fell, the fifty-one sacred ‘shaktipeeths’ came into being. Sati’s tongue fell at Jwalaji and the Goddess is manifest as tiny flames that burn flawless blue through fissures in the age-old rock. Even the Pandavas are regarded to have visited this sacred place.

According to another legend, the Goddess appeared in a dream to a Brahmin in faraway South India, and directed him to proceed to the hills of Kangra in the shadow of the Dhauladhars and search for small tongues of flame leaping from the ground. The Brahmin, it is said responded discovered the sacred spot and in due course of time, erected a temple. Some people believe that Jwalamukhi represents the flaming mouth of Jalandhara, the demon whom Lord Shiva crushed to death by placing on him a huge mass of mountains.

Dhyanu Bhagat is well known devotee of Maa Durga. It is him who spread Devi Mata’s name. He lived at the time of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. Dhyanu Bhagat was going to Jwalaji with a group of pilgrims. Akbar summoned him to his court to inquire into the nature of their Goddess. Dhyanu Bhagat told him She is all powerful and answers the prayers of Her devotees.

To test Her power Akbar cut off the head of Dhyanu’s horse ordering him to have the Goddess put it back. Dhyanu went to Maa Jwalaji and prayed day and night to no avail. Out of desperation he cut of his own head and offered it to Devi Maa. She then appeared to him riding a lion. She reconnected both his head and that of the horse. Devi Maa also offered Dhyanu Bhagat a boon. He requested that it should not be so difficult for pigrams to show their devotion. Mata said that in the future if someone offered a coconut she would accept it as if they had offered their own head. To this day people continue to offer coconuts to the Goddess in Her temples all over the world. After the knowing that the head of horse is reconnected, Akbar the great Mughal Emperor visited the temple. The water course which today drips into a tank in the temple premises is said to have been constructed by Akbar in an attempt to douse the jets of flames in the temple.

The story goes that when the flames refused to be vanquished by the water channel specially constructed for the purpose, Akbar with utmost humility, became a devotee of the Goddess, and overcome by emotion, presented a chattra (umbrella) of gold to the Goddess. But when leaving, the Emperor looked back with immense pride at the valuable gift that he had made to the Goddess, and was mortified to find that the gold had turned into copper! Later Akbar’s son Jahangir invaded the Kangra valley and after seeing Jwalamukhi, wrote in his Tuzk (memories) near the temple and on the slope of the hill there is a sulphur mine and its heat causes flames to continually burst forth. They call it Jwalamukhi(flaming face or fiery mouth), and regard it as one of the idol’s miracles. Jahangir goes on to relate the legend of Shiva and Parvati and other stories connected with Jwalamukhi.

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Nanda Devi

11/25/2012

GODDESS NANDA DEVI.

Nanda Devi is the second highest mountain in India. Nanda Devi means bliss giving goddess. It is near the border with Nepal, her mountain rises 25,645 feat near peaks called Nanda Ghunti (Nanda’s Veil) and Nanda Kot (Nanda fortress). It is part of the Garhwal Himalayas and is located in the state of Uttarakand between the Rishiganga valley on the west and the Goringa valley on the east. The eastern summot earlier called Nanda Devi East is now called Sunanda Devi. There is a Goddess by that name also.

Goddess Nanda Devi is an aspect of Parvati. Nanda Devi is the Goddess of Bliss and resides in Uttarakand. The region around Nanda Devi is intensely sacred, visited by tens of thousands annually to honor the goddess and her many temples and shrines. She is the patron goddess of the Uttarakand Himalaya.

Goddess Parvathi Ma, the daughter of Hills and the consort of Lord Shiva, is known as Nanda in Garhwal and Kumaon areas. Mother is affectionately known as Shail Putri in these parts of the world. The popularity of the Goddess is understandable, as the highest peak of the district has been identified with the name of the deity, also several Nanda temples are situated at all the prominent places in Garhwal and Kumaon like Nauti, Chandpur,Kurur, Devrada, Kulsari, Nandkesri, Lohajang, Shila Samudra, Nandakot Vaidini, Srinagar, Sink, Devikhet, Nandprayag, Gopeshwar, Helang, Lata Niti and Badrinath. Similarly the Kumaon region include Nanda Devi temples located at Nainital, Almora, Baijnath, Shuwbhgash, Munsiyari, Doonagiri, Jageshwar, Bageshwar and Ranikhet.

Some people associate the Goddess with YogaMaya, the daughter of Nanda, who replaced the eighth issue of Vasudev, father of Krishna and who escaped from the hands of her assailant, Kansa and forewarned him of his impending death at the hands of Lord Krishna. There is no mention of Nanda in the Puranas or other scriptures. However, certain later inscriptions mention a Goddess with names similar to Nanda. The Goddess finds mention in Sanskrit literature. Some very old statues found in Mathura show one Goddess as Eknansha. Accordingly, some people believe that the same Goddess was subsequently regarded as Nanda.
Naini of Nainital and Naina of Himachal Pradesh also appear to be variants of the same Goddess. There are ancient temples of the Goddess at about twenty places all over Garhwal. Similar temples are found in Almora region also.

NANDA DEVI RAJ JAT: This is a world famous festival of Uttarakand. People from Garhwal division-Kumaon divison as well as other parts of India participate in this Yatra. Every twelve years, a pilgrimage, many of them barefoot, accompany palanquins to bring an image of Nanda Devi to the mountain. The Yatra starts from Nauti village near Kamprayag and goes up the heights of Roopkund and Homekund. This is taking her home to the mountain bearing her name. At this time a decorated four-horned ram is released into the snowy wilderness. This also marks the annual Nanda Jaat. The Raj Jaat procession goes from all villages, where there us a Nanda Devi temple of recognition, specially at Koti a night halt of the participants is planned, where throughtout the night worship and celebrations goes on. This yatra is said to be very tough on account the landscape it goes through between the yatra there comes a Lake Roopkund.

The goddess was said to have offered solace to human when, at the dawn of time, the world was flooded. Only the sage Manu and his family were saved when Vishnu took the form of a fish and towed their boat to the peak of Nanda Devi, from which Manu and his wife descended to repopulate the earth.

She is the primary benevolent deity, but at times she can take on the form of Durga, the wrathful goddess. Villagers are said to sacrifice goats and buffalos to her on certain festivals or when they want to atone their sins. This is to protect dharma. Otherwise Goddess Nanda is a kind, compassionate and caring Goddess Shakti.

The most famous temple dedicated to Nanda Devi is located at Almora. Another important temple is in the Naina Devi Temple at Nainital. In certain temples, Mother Nanda Devi is worshipped along with Goddess Sunanda. Legends have it that the Saptarishis or seven sages reside on the Nanda Devi Mountain praying to the Goddesses. They are not to be disturbed and therefore many attempt to reach the peak by civilians has failed.

NANDPRAYAG: Once King Yasodhwal brought with some dancing nayikas for his lighter moments. He knew these mountains were sacred but human frailty got the better part of him. So it snowed heavily and many people died. The dancers got transformed into stone and this is said to be still seen in Patarnachonia. Subsequently the streams leading into Nandakini river are contaminated of the sins of the king. There is another myth that says that King Yasodhwal's wife was pregnant. While she was giving birth to her child, her placenta flowed down to Roopkund and this in turn caused the death of the people on that place. Apparently this is the reason why the river Nandakini lost her significance. The Nanprayag is not considered sacred as the other Panch Prayags such as Devprayag and Rudraprayag.

NANDA AND SUNANDA: Nanda Devi worship took the shape of a fair during the period of Chand Kings. Previously only Nanda Devi was worshiped. Prior to this Nanda Devi was being worshipped, but at that time only an idol of Nanda Devi used to be worshipped. By the time of the reign of Baj Bhadur Chand, it was customary two idols; one for Nanda and the other for Sunda Devi. Even today only one idol is prepared in the remote villages.

Local folklore is that it appears that the goddesses Nanda and Sunanda together took birth as princesses in the royal family and to mark this new reincarnation, the practice of celebrating a festival for both sisters together was introduced in which a story of from their life is enacted. While walking in the forest a bull chased them. They hid themselves behind a banana tree. They become visible when a goat comes there and eats all the banana leaves. The bull kills both the sisters. So now symbolically a bull is sacrificed during Nanda-Sunda Devis worship who take their individual abodes in Nanda Devi and Sunda Devi Mountains. This is said to be visible from most of Kumaon division of Uttarakand.

Hara Hara Mahadeva
(draft Gods, Goddesses, Minor Deities and Sages)
cf Mountains in the Hindu Way of Life

by Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

Mansa Devi ... Kali Ghat School Painting from Calcutta

11/25/2012

19th century Kalighat painting of Manasa Devi
holding two snakes Aligi and Viligi.

Mansa Devi is a Hindu folk goddess of snakes, worshipped in Bengal and other parts of North and northeastern Bharat , chiefly for the prevention and cure of snakebite and also for fertility and prosperity.

Manasa is the sister of Vasuki , king of Nāgas (snakes) and wife of sage Jagatkāru (Jaratkāru).

She is also known as Vishahara (the destroyer of poison), Jagadgaurī , Nityā (eternal) and Padmavati.

Mrityu Devi.. Goddess of Death..

11/25/2012

MRITYU, GODDESS OF DEATH:

One normally refers to Lord Yamarajah as the God of Death. Death, according to Hinduism, is a series of changes through which an individual passes. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad describes thus the passing of a soul: When the soul departs from the body, the life-breath follows: when the life-breath departs, all the organs follow. Then the soul becomes endowed with particularized consciousness and goes to the body which is related to that consciousness. It is followed by its knowledge, works, and past experience. Just as a leech supported on a straw goes to the end of it, takes hold of another support, and contracts itself, so does the self throw this body away and make it unconscious, take hold of another support, and contract itself. Change is the law of life. There has to be destruction for creation to take place. Mrityu, Goddess of Death was the forerunner to Lord Yama. Let us see if we can put some coherent notes together.

BRAHMAVAIVARTA PURANA: When Lord Brahma first opened his eyes, He was filled with the fear that comes with the awareness that one exists and that one exists alone. As he longed for company, he created children; the manasputras molded out of his thoughts, Brahman asked his mind-born sons to multiply, but they refused and disappeared. The four mind-borns created asexually are referred to as Sanat-kumaras. They are visualised as four prepubescent boys. Their male gender indicates that they are like Brahma. They are innocent of sexual thoughts. Sex presupposes the existence of two beings: oneself and the others. The Sanat-kumaras could not oblige Brahma to produce for they did not know how to split. Moreover Brahma’s creations are not sexual. Therefore Brahma proceeded to create seven more. They were willing to produce. How?

SHIVA PURANA:

Brahma’s seven sons were willing to populate but did not know how. As Brahma pondered this question, he saw the vision of Lord Shiva in His Ardhnarishwara form and his left was a woman. Brahma was inspired so he split himself in two. From his left half he created woman. Such was the beauty that desire rose in the heart of Brahma and his sons. Desire took the form of Kandarpa, the God of Lust, who rode a parrot and aroused the five senses by shooting the five flowered-tipped arrows with his sugarcane bow. Overwhelmed by yearning to embrace this woman, Brahma and his sons spurted semen and began to multiply.

The sexual act is a metaphor for acknowledging the material reality that is perceived as a woman. That the material reality exists within Brahma indicates that creation is a subjective phenomenon, not an objective event. God and Goddess, spiritual and material realities, always exist. But creation happens only when God perceives the Goddess. Goddess exists to help Hod know himself. She is born of him. He knows himself because of of Her. Each needs the other.

By acknowledging material reality all jivas are drawn into the matrix of existence. Inside samsara all things change. All that comes into beings cease to be. Brahma, the creator, thus creats Mrityu, the Goddess of death and the embodiment of change.

MAHABARATHA:

Brahma’s children multiplied but did not die. Soon the cosmos was overflowing with jivas, which alarmed Brahma. So Mrityu’s creation was justified. When informed of her duty, Mrityu ran away.

BIRTH: Mahabharata, Book 12, Chapter 249, Verses 15 & 16: After the Self born had withdrawn and suppressed that fire, there came out, from all the outlets of his body, a lady attired in robes of black and red, with black eyes, black palms, wearing a pair of excellent ear-rings, and adorned with celestial ornaments. This Goddess of Death was reluctant to kill infants, youths, and aged ones who have done her no injury.

TAPAS:

Mrityu, did tapas for fifteen billions of years first. Brahma repeated what he said earlier. Then she did tapas for standing upon one foot for twenty billions of years. Then she led a life in the woods with the deer for another long period consisting of ten thousand billions of years. She passed another twice ten thousand years, living upon air only as her sustenance. She observed the excellent vow of silence for eight thousand years, passing the whole time in water.

Proceeding thence to the summit of Himavat where the deities had performed their great sacrifice, she stood there for hundred billions of years, supporting her weight upon only the toes of her feet with the object of gratifying the Grandsire with such an act of austerity.

BRAHMA'S BOONS:

Brahma finally said Mrityu, Goddess of Death, “Living creatures shall be afflicted by disease, and dying never cast the blame on you, Goddess of Death and the blame is attributed to the disease: 12.250.29b.

ETERNAL RIGHTEOUSNESS:

Mrityu, Goddess of Death is Eternal righteousness, dharmah sanatanah - Mahabharata, 12.250.28: Brahma said to Goddess of Death: 'Eternal righteousness shall now take refuge in you. Myself and all the deities shall always be employed in seeking your good.'

Mrityu relented only when told that whose she would kill would be reborn. “When you strike, there will be desire and anger in the heart of the dying man that will ensure his rebirth” said Brahma. She would kill only the material and hence mortal, component of Jiva. Mrityu being elevated as goddess, then Brahma goes on to create Saraswathi, his daughter, who is also pursued for lust. She takes asylum in Kaliash.

Mrityu, Goddess of Death was said to be unhappy from the moment she was born from the scowl of high God Brahma. She was assigned the test of destroying life. She wept until her eyes were red as sari but Brahma convinced her that because human would fear her, they would be captured once again for the wheel of desire, esnsuring that they would be reborn.

Mrityu grew into her job, becoming a goddess who killed children in the womb and grooms on their wedding nights. She lived in the cremation grounds outside the village, where food was offered her in hopes that she would stay on the periphery and not wander into the village homes.

LORD YAMA:

The Hindu pantheon expanded from Vedic Gods and Goddesses to Puranic Gods and minor deities. Later when the Sun God Surya married Saranya, she gave birth to a pair of twin, Yama and Yami. Yama later becomes the God of Death. Manu was the Lord of the living. The idea that life and death, fortune and misfortune, creation and destruction are twin aspects oif the same material reality is consistent in Hinduism.

MRUTHYUNJAYA HOMAM is dedicated to Lord Shiva to avoid untimely death. The Mruthyunjaya Homam is performed to achieve Jaya or Victory over Mritya or death. The object of worship of this homa is Lord Shiva. One of the synonyms of Lord Shiva is Mrityu. Mrityu which means death of the death or the destroyer of death. During this homa one chants 21 mantras. The prominent offerings in this homa are durva grass and an herb called amrita.

Hara Hara Mahadeva

Yogi Ananda Saraswathi.

The Vaishnava Bauls always worship Radharani first !!

11/23/2012

She is most always seen with Lord Krishna. It is described that She is the chief associate and devotee of Lord Krishna, and topmost of all goddesses. Her name means that She is the most excellent worshiper of Lord Krishna. However, She is also an expansion of the Lord's energy. Since She is also an extension of Krishna, She is the feminine aspect of God.

God is both male and female. They are one, but Krishna expands into two, Himself and Radharani, for the sake of divine loving pastimes. If They remained as one, then there is no relationship, there are no pastimes, and there can be no dynamic exchange of love. (Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila, 4.55-56)

In the Brihad-Gautamiya Tantra, Radharani is described as follows: "The transcendental goddess Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krishna. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all the attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord."

Srimati Radharani is the source of the other goddesses. Just as Lord Krishna is the source of all other manifestations and incarnations of God, Radharani is the source of all expansions of the energies of God - the shaktis, or other goddesses. Thus, Vishnu, Rama, even Shiva are all expansions of the one Supreme Being, Krishna, and similarly Lakshmi, Sita, and even Durga are all expansions of this Supreme Feminine form of God, Radharani.

Radha’s love towards Krishna in the terrestrial or customary meaning is not just the relation between a man and woman. The feeling of this love is divine and phenomenal which gives this love a pious form. The philosophical side of this reduces the distance of the support and supportive, also the difference between the worshipper and worshipful is not there. Krishna is the life of Vraj; Radha is the soul of Krishna. That is why, it is said, “Atma Tu Radhika Tasya” (Radha, you are His soul). One form of Radha is, she is a devotee, worshipper of Krishna and in the second form she is the worshipful, devoted by Krishna. ‘Aradhyate Asau itii Radha.’ Radha – Krishna’s love is the symbol of the feeling of being united. When two souls are united, the difference of the other or the second vanishes

Radharani has many names according to Her qualities and characteristics. Some of the names that Radharani is known by include:

Govinda-anandini--She who gives pleasure to Govinda [Krishna];
Govinda-mohini--She who mystifies Govinda;
Govinda-sarvasa--the all-in-all of Lord Govinda;
Shiromani Sarva-kanta--the crown jewel of all the Lord's consorts; and...
Krishnamayi--the one who sees Krishna both within and without.

The descriptions of the beauty of Radharani are wonderfully poetic and descriptive. Actually, the residents of Vrindavana care more for Radharani than they do for Lord Krishna. They know that Krishna can be influenced through Radharani. They know that Radha can bring one to Krishna. She is also the compassionate nature of the Lord, and thus more easily approached than trying to reach Lord Krishna directly. And when we read these descriptions of Radha, it is no wonder why they are devoted to Her. For example, it is explained that Srimati Radharani has unlimited transcendental qualities, of which twenty-five are principal

These include:
1) She is very sweet.
2) She is always freshly youthful.
3) Her eyes are restless.
4) She smiles brightly.
5) She has beautiful, auspicious lines.
6) She makes Krishna happy with Her bodily aroma.
7) She is very expert in singing.
8) Her speech is charming.
9) She is very expert in joking and speaking pleasantly.
10) She is very humble and meek.
11) She is always full of mercy.
12) She is cunning.
13) She is expert in executing Her duties.
14) She is shy.
15) She is always respectful.
16) She is always calm.
17) She is always grave.
18) She is expert in enjoying life.
19) She is situated in the topmost level of ecstatic love.
20) She is the reservoir of loving affairs in Gokula.
21) She is the most famous of submissive devotees.
22) She is very affectionate to elderly people.
23) She is very submissive to the love of Her friends.
24) She is the chief gopi.
25) She always keeps Krishna under Her control.

In short, She possesses unlimited transcendental qualities, just as Lord Krishna does. (Ujjvala-nilamani, Sri-radha-prakarana 11-15)

"Although the effulgence of the moon is brilliant initially at night, in the daytime it fades away. Similarly, although the lotus is beautiful during the daytime, at night it closes. But, O My friend, the face of My most dear Srimati Radharani is always bright and beautiful, both day and night. Therefore, to what can Her face be compared?" (Vidagdha-madhava 5.20)

"When Srimati Radharani smiles, waves of joy overtake Her cheeks, and Her arched eyebrows dance like the bow of Cupid. Her glance is so enchanting that it is like a dancing bumblebee, moving unsteadily due to intoxication. That bee has bitten the whorl of My heart." (Vidagdha-madhava)

Durga Ma and Shakti's thrid eye...

11/23/2012

DURGA is the three eyed Ambika or Parvathi who takes the form of Ma Kali. Mother Durga is a Shakti manifestation representing the infinite power of the universe and symbol of feminine dynamism and potency of Siva. The manifestation of Durga is said to emerge from Her formless essence and she is inseparable from the Source. She is worshiped for her gracious as well as terrifying aspects. Durga’s story appears primarily in the Skanda Purana which is part of the Markandeya Purana. Durga is said to have projected Kali out of her third eye. When Goddess Durga is depicted having three eyes, she is referred to as Triyambake. These are similar to that of Lord Siva and symbolise knowledge that consumes ignorance. Symbolically Her left eye represent desire – the moon; the right action – the sun and the third eye represents knowledge or Fire.

Devi Mahatmyam, Sri Durga Saptasati – Chandi. Opening Sloka: 7:

Sarva Mangala Mangalye, Shive Sarvartha Sadhike, Sharanye Tryambake Gauri Narayani Namostute, Narayani Namostute, Narayani Namostute:

Meaning:

Oh Gauri Maa! Consort of Lord Shiva, You who bestows auspiciousness in all, And fulfill everyone's wishes, I prostrate myself before Thee, I salute you or take me under your care.

In Puranic literature, Goddess Parvathi is worshipped as Shakti. She is described as having many forms, including Durga, Chandi, Kali and Uma. While Siva symbolizes the efficient cause of the creation, Shakti symbolizes the material cause.
Jai Maa Durga

SHAKTI’S THIRD EYE:

Coconuts are a favourite offering to Hindu Gods and Goddesses as it has three ‘eyes’ and symbolises the breaking of ego. Exposing the purity of white copra is just that. The third eye refers to one’s inner vision. It is the gate of the inner realms of higher consciousness. Thus it metaphorically symbolises non-dualistic thinking. In Shiva Tattva it is the eye of higher perception. It is not physically present but everyone ‘has’ a third eye. Jnani’s and enlightened persons realise its presence.

According to the Puranas, the third eye symbolises wisdom and knowledge. Siva’s burning of Kama Deva by his third eye is symbolic of destroying desire and lust. As ‘Tryambaka’ Lord Siva is the ‘the three eyes’ God. There was a previous posting on Tryambakam. While this has vedic origins and mentioned in the Upanishads, the Mahabaratha states ‘ambaka’ denotes ‘the eye’ of Ambika meaning mother’s eye. Goddesses Parvathi, Saraswathi and Lakshmi, the consorts of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva are also collectively called Ambika. In the Baratha story, there is the saguna character of Ambika being the daughter of the King of Kashi. Her swamvara is interrupted by Bhisma who takes Ambika and her sisters Amba and Ambaliks. Om Shakti

Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

Mother, Devi, Shakti, Goddess...

11/23/2012

MOTHER DEVI. You are here because of a mother; you are reading this because of the Mother. Or at least one likes to believe so. Knowledge of Mother is not paroksa jnana-indirect knowledge. One who has gained the knowledge of atma has gained the knowledge of oneself. There is no separateness. So Mother cannot become paroksa to him or her. Mother is more than an astikah’s means of knowledge in the sastras. She is the realization in one’s self. She is known within.

In the Vedas, Mothers are referred and worshiped as Matrikas. She is said to play a minor role in comparison to male gods but Shaktam, Mother Goddess worship would not buy this classification. Mother Devi has strong independent nature. She is either a great warrior or domestic in nature and identified with Her male counterpart as wife, consorts, or Shakti.

Shakti is the Hindu concept developed to define the role of Mother Devi’s relationship with the God. Shakti symbolizes the animating energy of God; the male aspect of divinity is one of passivity and serenity while the female is the dynamic element of activating energy. Now, Shakti manifests both in a single benevolent and terrific form.

Mother Devi, the Great Mother, is the female aspect of the divine. She is the quintessential core form of every Hindu Goddess. Without her the male aspect remains powerless. She is the Supreme independent power. She is the wife of the God Shiva, and daughter of Himavat, the Hindu God of Mountains, the personification of the Himalayan Mountains.

Mother worship calls for focused devotion with extreme emotion. We like to give Her the best, even in clothing when she is dressed like a child-Bala or a bride like Radha. She appears as several Goddesses to care for Her children with several different forms and can be both loving and cruel. Devi manifests herself as the Trinity being the creator as Durga, preserver as Lakshmi, and destroyer as Kali. Om Shakti.
Yogi Ananda Saraswathi...

Jai Jai Kali Ma... Thank you Maa I love you..!

11/23/2012

DIVINE MOTHER KALI: Kali first appears in the Vedic texts as the tongue of Fire (Agni), in the Mundakopanishad, which dates around 800BCE. She is also the feminine of Time (Kala), lauded in Kala Suktas of Rig Veda.The Ratri Suktam of the Rig Veda Samhita is possibly the ﬁrst hymn or prayer to our eternal Divine Mother Kaali, that was Divinely revealed for the beneﬁt of all humankind, and passed from generation to generation through the oral tradition before being recorded in writing form.

A hymn that readily dissolves all the popular notions of any conﬂict between the Vedas and the Tantras, that Ratri, invoked in the Vedas, is the very same as Kaali, Who is recognized as being one and the same as the Supreme Absolute Brahman in the Tantras. The Rig Veda is accorded primacy among the four Vedas.

01. [Om.] O Divine Mother Ratri (Kaali), may you, who are the original primordial darkness, both the source and Final destination of all, omnipresent, controller of bondage and liberation alike, come forth to save us — may your presence, effulgent, right within us, be awakened now through spiritual
realization. Auspicious protectress of all, you see and pervade your entire creation, reigning everywhere, over everything, in all your glory.

02. Eternal divine mother, you ﬁll the vast celestial regions, and the earth. May you dispel all the ignorance of our embodied souls through your divine effulgence, the light of Truth.

03. Divine Mother, you alone can bring forth the dawn of the highest liberating knowledge to dispel all the darkness of our ignorance.

04. May you compassionately give us refuge from your own as‐if‐endless movements, bringing us home instead to rest in you, just as at nigh me, a bird re‐enters its nest upon a tree.

05. For all of humankind, for animals who traverse by foot, and for birds who ﬂy in the air — even for the ambitious hawk — your rest, liberation, is the only true object, of our desperate search.

06. Drive away the she‐wolves of confusion and the he‐wolves of egotism, the thieves — hunger, thirst, delusion, grief, decay, and death. Then, certainly, we will cross safely, to the other side.

07. Divine Mother, do not subject us anymore to this dark ignorance that has enveloped us. Please forgive our many debts, and come to us now instead as the dawning light.

08. O Divine Mother Ratri (Kaali), expression of the heavens — you are the milk‐giving cow, the source of Illumination. Please accept this, our prayer to You — and grant us Victory.

KALI – RATRI SUKTAM
RATRI SUKTAM
(Rig Veda Samhita 10.127)

Jai Maa Kali
Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

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