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Radharani

12/31/2012

Radharani is also known as Sarva-kanti, which indicates that all beauty and luster rest in Her body. All the Lakshmis derive their beauty from Her. Sarva-kanti also means that all the desires of Lord Krishna rest in Radha. As Lord Krishna enchants the world with His beauty and charm, Sri Radha, on the other hand, enchants Him. If He is the mesmeriser, Madana Mohana, then She is Madana Mohana Mohini; the mesmeriser of the mesmeriser. Sri Radha is the full power, and Lord Krishna is the possessor of full power. Thus, the two are non-different, as the sunshine is non-different from the sun, or as the energy is non-different from the energetic or source of energy.

In this way, without Radharani there is no meaning to Krishna and without Krishna there is no meaning to Radharani. Because of this, one always pay respects first to the Lord's internal energy in the form of Radharani, and then to the Lord. She is the mediator without whom access to Krishna is not possible. Thus They are referred to as Radha-Krishna. In this way, Radha and Krishna are one, but when Lord Krishna wants to enjoy, He manifests Himself as Radharani. Otherwise, there is no energy in which Krishna can attain pleasure outside Himself. Om Om Om
Yogi Ananda Saraswati

Vinakyaki or Ganeshani Devi.

12/31/2012

GODDESS VINAYAKI or Ganeshani is the feminine form of Lord Ganesha. She is the ‘Mistress of Obstacles’. Vinayaki is also known as Gajanani, Ganeshwari Gajamukhi or Vigneshwari. Goddess Vinayaki worship is prevalent in the Tamil speaking south of India. In the Madurai area in Tamil Nadu, Vinayaki is referred to as Vyagrapada Ganapathy.In Tibet, an elephant headed goddess, Ganeshani, is worshiped in Tibet.

SHAKTI: Goddess Vinayaki is elephant-headed Goddess just as Ganesha is the elephant headed God of Obstacles. Her elephant head shares a female body. With such attributes, Vinayaki is assumed to be the Shakti of Vinayaka or the female form of Ganesha. The Agni Purana is the one of the first Purana that lists Ganesha’s shaktis. Linga Purana also list Vinayaki as a Shakti.

MATRIKA: In the Devi Purana and some Upapuranas, Gananayika or Vinayaki is identified as Ganesha’s Shakti. Here she is elephant headed and has the ability to remove obstacles. This places her as the ninth Matrika. Traditionally seven matrikas are mentioned. But the list seems to be extended to accomodate Mahalaskmi or Yogeshwari and Vinayaki as the eighth and ninth Matrika.

Vinayaka is mentioned in the Matya Purana to mean ‘belonging to Vinayaka or Ganesha’. There, she is one of the Matrikas considered as a Shakti of Shiva more than Ganesha. Here Vinayaki is associated to Ganesha by name only and she is created to by Lord Shiva to fight the demon Andhaka.

PURANAS: Mahapuranas and Upapuranas carry legends pertaining to Lord Ganesha’s marriage. Some religious scriptures put Ganesha on par with Hanuman to be a Brahmachari practicing celibacy. However, by Puranic accounts, he was married to Riddhi, Siddhi and Buddhi. Ridhi represents prosperity, Siddhi represents spiritual power and Buddhi represents wisdon. These consorts appear in human form and appear on either side. Vinayaka, seems to extend this list.

There are legends to state that Goddess Saraswathi, Goddess of knowledge and Goddess Lakshmi also married Lord Ganesha. Lakshmi and Ganesha are worshipped together, one removing obstacles in the path of wealth and the other gracing wealth. Lakshmi apparently turns up as Riddhi – material welfare and Siddhi – spiritual prosperity.

In Skanda Purna, Lakshmi is cursed to have an elephant head, which she gets rid of doing penance to Lord Brahma. In Skanda Purana there is no reference to Vinayaki. But the cursed elephant headed goddess seems to be remotely linked to Malini, Ganesha as mother or consort Lakshmi.

Both Ganesha and Saraswathi control Buddhi. Now, Vinayaki is also considered to be the wife of Lord Ganesha. Man makes God in his own image and it appears that they have given the elephant headed God an elephant headed consort.

The Vayu Purana, Skanda Purana and Harivamsa describe elephant faced Matrikas. Female ganas take names like Gajanana or elephant faced. There is mention of Gajamukhi, elephant faced matrikas. Jyeshtha, the Goddess of Misfortune is also described as elephant faced. Ganeshani and Vinayaki are one of the sixty four Yogini Shaktis or matrika goddesses. But there does not seem to be any rituals or pujas attributed to Vinayaki.

DEPICTION: The description in Gorakshasamhita is an elephant faced Vinayaki, pot-bellied, having three eyes and four arms. She holds a parashu and a plate of modakas. In Shilparatna, the 16th century iconographical treatise, there is a description of an elephant headed goddess residing in the Vindyas. This image has two trunks and body of a woman. She is vermillion complexioned with ten arms. She is pot-bellied with a full breast and beautiful hips. These are post Shaktism images depicting Shaktis of gods.

A Vinayaki sculpture is found in Chitrapur Math in Shirali. Here, Vinayaki is full-breasted, but slender, unlike pot-bellied Ganesha. Her two front hands are held in abhaya, fear not and vrada, boon giving mudras. She carries a sword and a noose. Her trunk is turned to the left. This image is said to be a Shakta Goddess.

There is a non-potbellied Vinayaki from Giryek in Bihar. She is a four-armed goddess carries a gada, ghata and parashu. An image from the Pratihara dynasty shows a pot-bellied Vinayaki, with four arms holding a gada-parashu combination, a lotus, an unidentifiable object and a plate of modaka held by the trunks.

BUDDHISM: In the Buddhist tradition, there is a female Ganesha called Ganapatihridaya – Heart of Ganesha. Aryamanjusrimulakalpa, a buddhist text describes Vinayaki as siddhi of Vinayaka. She shares various attributes of Ganesha, she removed obstacles and is also elephant headed. Here Vinayaki is described as the daughter of Ishana. That is a reference to God Shiva.

Hara Hara Mahadeva
by Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

Mother Lalla of Kashmir

12/31/2012

MOTHER LALLA OF KASHMIR: Lal Ded or Lallah Yogeshwari is a proud and prominent daughter of Kashmir and its long list of saints, poets and mystics. Among them, Lalla is very prominent. Based on available facts and figures Mother was born in 1326 A.D near Pampore, Kashmir. Her father was a devout Kashmiri Brahman named Cheta Bhat. Kashmiris consider her a poet, a holy-woman. Majority consider her a Shaivite yogini. She is sometimes believed to be a Parmahamsa by her devotees. Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims affectionately call her "Mother Lalla" or "Granny Lalla". She is also called "Lallayogeshwari". Some people call her Lalla, the mystic.

Mother was an illiterate but went on become a Kashmiri whose words, sayings and riddles are on the lips of every Kashmiri. Reading some of her works, one wonders if Mother is indeed a Paramahamsa. She seems to have spoken deeply about everything from life, yoga, and God to dharma and atma.

Mother was a religious minded child. She was wise for her young age but married at twelve years of age to a family in Pampur. The new family gave her new name, Padmavati. There suffered cruelty at the hands of a mother-in-law. She suffered not just lack of peace but also food. Despite some solace by the father-in-law, her life was miserable. This becoming intolerable, Lalla renounced family life and walked out of the house when she was twenty-six.

She wandered the quiet, honey suckled midows of Kashmir. Like Akka Mahadevi, Lalla walked around naked, her unclad form almost transparent against the treeless peaks she frequented. She became a mad devotee of Shiva but came to be recognized as Shaiva mystic of the highest order. Mother became a disciple of Sidh Srikanth. She cared not for gender difference and kept the company of sadhus. Mother composed poetry of such philosophical pith and eloquence many call her the maker of modern Kashmiri language and literature. It is said that Mother’s ‘God is in all’ teachings gave birth a long string of rishis in the Kashmiri valleys.

There is very little information on her death. Some claim that she died in Bijbehara. All said, Mother lives in the hearts through her writings and philosophy.”My guru gave me one precept; from without, withdraw your gaze within on inmost Self. With only this, naked I began to roam” Mother said. Some two hundred works are attributed to Mother Lalla.

“Man's preoccupation with acquiring and adding to his material comforts has assumed such proportions that his belief in God and his native divinity are dismissed as primitive, irrational and unscientific sentiments. He marches through life deeply committed to his material well-being and as deeply indifferent to and ignorant of his spiritual needs. Through its continual contact with the phenomenal world the mind, thus, keeps our consciousness tethered to the physical plane, identifying the material world outside, instead of the Self within, as the main focus of attention.

We identify ourselves as mortal bodies with great gusto and, unfortunately, ignore the immortal Life-Force, which brings this otherwise corpse of a body alive and gives it meaning, with extreme neglect. In spite of being the repositories of the priceless gem, we masquerade as beggars, unable to keep pace with our desires, associating ourselves with death rather than life and seeking tinsel and trash in the ever changing material world which is never likely to give us anything better than decay and death. This is typical of life in the current Kali age which is characterised by the decline in morality, prevalence of falsehood and upsurge of selfishness, greed and hatred” - Prof P.K. Paul. (Tribute to Lallah Yogeshwari)

SUNYA: Her guru, Sidda Srikanth was a Shaiva acharya who initiated Shaiva thoughts in Lalla. She was put on the path of higher ascension and had to achieve Sivahood through the Shaiva-yoga. As a Shaiva practitioner she experienced such states where she felt that she neither belonged to the world of objects nor had the spiritual flashes that would have satiated her yearnings of attaining identity with Shiva. She termed these conditions as ‘Sunya’. It was a state she had to experience before achieving the state of self-recognition.

Her Guru prescribed the Shaiva Yoga path in which a situation emerged when the external world appeared to get absorbed in her own self and the imbalance between subject and object appeared to disappear and all got merged into sunya or void.

It is a stage in her spiritual evolution and not the situation in which she finally attained Sivahood. She even ascended the state of sunya when she had felt that the world of name and form had risen to absorption. What was left was the state of anamaya which in Shaiva parlance means the condition of supremacy of the luminosity of consciousness.

AUM: In her poems Mother Lalla reveals herself through the bija mantra ‘Aum’. She was initiated into this by her guru who was a Shaivite to the core. To her, the manifesting word of Shiva or Brahman is Pranava Aum, Lord of living beings. Repeating Aum is the processes of concentrating her mind as a first step to march ahead on the spiritual journey that she had assiduously embarked upon.

Mother Lalla was a seeker, an instinctive seeker who meditated upon Aum. She reflected upon it as the most sacred syllable of the three Vedas, Rig, Sama and Yajur and immersed herself in the Shaiva-Yoga praxis to cognize her pristine nature of Shiva. She recognized Aum as a great spiritual and vedic symbol. In her vakhs, Lalla clearly says that she had read only one word Aum as the essence of Vedas and then placed it in her mind through its regular recitation with one-pointed mind. There was no necessity for any other mantra. Aum had the spiritual charm beyond which she felt no necessity to seek for other means.

Hara Hara Mahadeva
(Hindu Sages)
Yogi Ananda Sarswathi

Lakshmi

12/31/2012

LAKSHMI IN PURANAS (1). The Puranas depict Mother Lakshmi as a Goddesse not getting involved very much in any sectarian dispute. Shaivite mythology and doctrine, place Mother Parvati as one half of Shiva’s body, the Ardhanarishwara Tattva of ultimate yoga. In Vaishnavite belief, Mother Lakshmi is placed in the heart of Vishnu itself, as if it were a lotus, the Hridaya Kamala. This is the Vaishnavite depiction of the inseparable yoga of Universal Purusha and Prakriti, seed and field, or male and female.

VISHNU PURANA: According to the Vishnu Purana, Lakshmi is the daughter of Bhrigu and Khyaati and resided in Swarga but due to the curse of Durvasa, she left Swarga and made Ksheersagara her home. The reappearance of Lakshmi after Samudra manthan and her marriage to Vishnu thereafter, remain the same. Laxmi is the power and Maya of Lord Vishnu. In some places She is seen in two forms, Bhudevi and Sridevi, both either side of Vishnu. Bhudevi is the fertility form in which She is Mother Earth. Sridevi is the wealth and knowledge of Her which is seen with Narayan. Contrary to popular belief, Bhudevi and Sridevi are manifestation of the same Lakshmi.

VISHNU PURANA: As soon as Lakshmi emerged from the ocean of nectar, she became the consort of Vishnu. She was of unparalleled female representation of Beauty and Wealth. She had eight forms dwelling in her: Dhanalakshmi - provides wealth, Dhaanyalakshim - provides crops, Dhairyalakshmi - provides courage, Shauryalakshmi - provides valour, Kirtilakshmi - provides fame, Vinayalakshmi - instills modesty, Raajyalakshmi - provides kingdom and Santaanlakshmi - provides children. Thus Mother Lakshmi signifies property, happiness, radiance and fame.

PADMA PURANA: It is believed that Tulsi is an incarnation of Goddess Laxmi, consort of Lord Vishnu. She is often called with the name of ‘Vishnupriya’ literally meaning ‘the beloved of Vishnu’. Tulsi vivah is a traditional marriage of the Tulsi plant to the Lord Vishnu. The legend behind the Tulsi Vivah is mentioned in the Padma Purana. This day is usually observed on the eleventh or the twelfth lunar day of the Kartik month. It is a grand festivity that has a lot of significance for the Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi devotees.

According to the texts mentioned in the Padma Purana, Tulsi was a woman named Vrinda or Brinda. She was married to a demon king, Jalandhar. She used to worship Vishnu and offered prayers to protect her husband from being killed by any God. All other Gods reached Lord Vishnu and convinced him to cohabitate with Tulsi in Jalandhar’s disguise without telling her the truth. Vishnu was convinced and started living with her Tulsi under one roof. When the Jalandhar was killed, the truth became apparent to Tulsi. She cursed Lord Vishnu to be transformed into a Shaligram. After that, Tulsi collapsed and from her body, whereupon, a Tulsi plant appeared.

It is believed that Vishnu Pooja is believed to be incomplete without the presence of leaves of the Tulsi plant. It is said that who performs the ritual of Tulsi Vivah and give away the Tusli to Lord Vishnu as a daughter of her own, is believed to earn the virtue of performing Kanyadana – giving away of a virgin daughter.

LAKSHMI PURANA: This Purana was written by Balram Das in the 15th century. Das belonged to the age of Panchaksakha, the age of Oriya spiritual literature. In this Purana, the character, Shreeya, is an untouchable woman. She is viewed as a scavenger from the low class. But Shreeya is given to Goddess Lakshmi worship. She observes vrats and festivals devotedly. Being much moved by her devotion, Goddess Lakshmi, came out of Her permanent abode, the temple which is situated inside the Shriketra or Puri of Lord Jagannatha and visited Shreeya's house. It is one of the most sacred Dham or pilgrimage spots.

This visit comes to the knowledge of Lord Balabhadra, the elder brother of Lord Jagannatha. Lakshmi was declared defiled. She was not allowed to come back into the temple. Deeply hurt by this, Lakshmi leaves the Shriketra. She avenged the insult by cursing Vishnu and Balabhadra to go through a prolonged ordeal without food, water and shelter.

This curse materialized. With Lakshmi’s exit, all wealth in the temple started vanishing. Later the Gods Balabhadra and Jagannatha couldn't find food to sustain themselves. They came out of the temple in the attire of Brahmin beggars in search of food. Ultimately they landed at the door of the Goddess Lakshmi. Balabhadra apologised for the mistake and all of them returned to the temple.

Lakshmi Purana ultimately teaches all to pay extreme regard to Goddess Lakshmi and the person who disregards Her is sure to fall on evil days. This means that wealth should be well protected and properly used and misutilisation of wealth is sure to make a person suffer. The inherent message in the Purana are issues of untouchability and importance of feminism.

Hara Hara Mahadeva
(Lakshmi in Puranas – contd) /by Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

LAKSHMI IN THE PURANAS (2) Traditionally, sage Markandeya is linked to Lord Shiva and Shaivite worship. By Shiva’s grace, the sage lives eternally and even survives the Mahapralaya, the end of the cosmic cycle. In Narada Purana, his birth as the son of Rishi Markandu is said to be the grace of Lord Vishnu. By Linga Purana and accounts , the sage popularly believed to have been saved from very early death, by the grace of Lord Shiva.

The was a previous posting explaining Markandeya embracing the Shiva Linga and escaping the wrath of Yamaraja. What makes this particular story different in Skanda Purana, is that Markandeya, according to the is saved by Vishnu and is then granted immortality. The dialogue between Goddess Lakshmi and Yamaraja catches this diversion. But towards the end, Markandeya pays his gratitude to Lord Shiva.

SKANDA PURANA: Markandey eulogizes Vishnu -Lord Brahma sits down to meditate, soon after reaching Purushottam kshetra, Vishnu’s abode. He remained so engrossed without sense of time. Now, Lord Yamaraj found that his power of causing death had no effect on people living in Purushottam kshetra. It was all chaotic so Yamaraj rushed towards Neelachal mountain. Yamaraj had to seek Lord Vishnu's intervention as he too had the duty to preserve.

Lord Vishnu smiled and signaled goddess Lakshmi to say something to Yamaraja. Goddess Lakshmi said 'O Suryanandan! Anybody residing at this holy place is freed from the vicious cycles of birth and death after becoming absolved of all his sins. This is the reason why you are experiencing this unusual problem. The whole world except this holy place will come into your jurisdiction.'

Yamaraj was amazed by this revelation so he asked Lakshmi why such a privilege is being given to this place?' Lakshmi replied, 'O Ravinandan! At the time of deluge when the whole world was submerged in the water sage Markandeya was struggling to find a secure place for his survival. Although he was blessed with an unusually long life of seven kalpas but still he needed a place to live in. He started swimming and finally managed to reach Purushottam kshetra, which had remained unscathed by the turbulence of the deluge.

There he saw a divine tree called 'Akshay Vat'. Markandeya continued to swim along the coast wondering how that place had managed to remain unaffected by deluge when the whole world had been submerged. Suddenly he heard a voice, which appeared to be coming from the direction of the Akshay Vat, O Markandeya! Don't worry! Take my refuge and you shall be protected.' Markandeya was very surprised and looked all around. He kept on swimming and saw Lord Vishnu, who was engrossed in his yoga nidra in Ksheer Sagar. I was also present there, (Goddess Lakshmi). Markandeya eulogized Vishnu in the following way, 'Salutations to the supreme lord- the source of all creations! O Jagannath! Protect me from getting drowned.'

Lord Vishnu opened his eyes and found Markandeya gasping for breath. On realizing the gravity of the situation he said, 'Raise your head and look at the top of this Kalpa Vat. You would find an infant sleeping on a leaf of the Kalpa Vat. The infant is none other than Kal himself. You should enter inside Kal’s body through his opened mouth and live peacefully as there is no other place for you to live in.'

As instructed by Vishnu, sage Markandeya entered into Kal's body. He was amazed by the expanse of his belly, which appeared like a bottomless pit. He also saw all the fourteen Bhuvans existing within Kal's belly including all the creatures-deities, sages, siddhas, gandharvas, flora and fauna.

Sage Markandeya wandered all over the place and after getting tired came out through Kal's opened mouth. He found Lord Vishnu was still present there accompanied by his consort, Lakshmi. Markandeya made salutations to both of them and narrated his experiences he had inside Kal's belly. Lord Vishnu blessed him and made a revelation, 'The place you had visited few moments ago is beyond the limits of creation or deluge. The name of this holiest place is Purushottam kshetra and it is my permanent abode for I do not leave it even for a moment.'

The sage was very impressed and requested Lord Vishnu to allow him to live there. Lord Vishnu replied, 'O Brahmarishi! I shall remain at Purushottam-kshetra till the end of this kalpa. I shall also create a sacrosanct place, which would enable you to become immortal.'

Sage Markandeya then dug up a reservoir with the help of Vishnu's chakra. He did an austere penance to please lord Maheshwar as the result of which he was indeed blessed with immortality. In course of time, this reservoir became famous as 'Markandeya kund'.

Hara Hara Mahadeva
(Lakshmi in the Puranas)
by Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

Maya Devi Maa

12/29/2012

GODDESS MAYA

is considered to be the birth mother of Buddha of the Gautama gotra. According to the Hindu scriptures Goddess Maya is known as the Mahamaya which means great Maya, or Mayadevi. She is also popularly known as Queen Maya of Sakya. In literature the meanings of Maya is illusion of interaction of essence and Energy that gives an emotion stay something is "there". Actually the Mahamaya stands for grandest dishonesty. Maya also means enchantment. Together with Shakti and Prakriti, Goddess Maya makes the dominant combination of the three "incarnate" as great goddesses. In the Tibetian tradition, Queen Maya is called Gyutrulma.

Yasodhara was a Koliyan prince. Maya and Pajapati were his sisters together with a brother Dandapani. As the mother of Buddha was Queen Maya, so he became the father in law to the Buddha. Queen Maya also gave birth to Mahapajapati Gotami, the first Buddhist nun to request ordination from the Buddha. She was also the first woman to join the Sangha.

KALI:

Maya is to be considered as the maiden-aspect of Goddess Kali. Hence she is the also known as Mahakali and symbolizes the giver of awareness. ‘I, my, mine and thine’ are the work of Maya adding egoism to reality. Mother Kali is out to destroy this covering power of illusion. Goddess Maya always creates the unawareness of individual self. Hence goddess Maya Shakti is the celestial power which brings out the evolution of this present world. This makes possible by a relationship of the three gunas: sattva, rajas and tamas. Extraterrestrial awareness becomes entity realization by its own Maya.

Life is unimaginable without Goddess Maya but maya is not the goddess of illusion. Maya means illusion which in turn is defined as that thing which appears to be real but not real. In Sanskrit ‘maya’ means that which cannot be explained. In order to declare something to be real, it has to be experienced and it has to be explained. Illusion is available only for experience and cannot be explained. The illusion by a magician can be experienced but not explained. If that can be explained then, it is no longer an illusion.

The young Kali in the name of Maya, embodies all three aspects of the maternal trinity. Her colors were white, red, and black, the colors of the Gunas, or the Virgin-Mother-Crone. Like every other form of Kali, she was Creator, Preserver, Destroyer. She was also a spirit dwelling perpetually in women.

MYTHOLOGY:

Some two-thousand five hundred years ago, King Suddhodana married a beautiful Koliyan princess named Maha Maya. They ruled over the warrior tribe called the Sakyas. The kingdom was next to the Koliya tribe, in the north of India. This is the present day Nepal. Kapilavastu at the foothills of Himalayas was the capital of the Sakya country. Queen Maha Maya was the daughter of King Anjana of the Koliyas.

Maya was a beauty so the name Maya, meaning "vision" was given to her. But it was Maya's virtues and talents that were her most wonderful qualities, for she was endowed with the highest gifts of intelligence and piety. King Suddhodana was indeed worthy of his lovely wife. He himself was called "King of the Law" because he ruled according to the law. There was no other man among the Sakyas more honored and respected. The king was admired by his nobles and courtiers, as well as by the householders and merchants. Such was the noble family from which the Buddha was to arise.

Soon Maya became pregnant and her womb became transparent like a crystal basket. One full moon night, sleeping in the palace, the queen had a vivid dream. She felt herself being carried away by four devas to Lake Anotatta in the Himalayas. The devas clothed her in heavenly cloths, anointed her with perfumes, and bedecked her with divine flowers after the bath.

Then a white elephant, holding a white lotus flower in its trunk, appeared and went round her three times, entering her womb through her right side. Finally the elephant disappeared. Maya awoke. Elephant is a symbol of greatness in Nepal and Maya knew a message has been delivered to her. The next day, early in the morning, the queen told the king about the dream. All this puzzled the King and he sent for the council of wise men to interprete the dream.

It was the conceited thoughts of the wise men that the devas have chosen Maya as the mother of the Purest-One and the child will become a very great being. This pleased the royal couple. In anticipation, the whole kingdom celebrated the news. They eagerly for the birth of the new prince, and Queen Maya enjoyed a happy and healthy pregnancy.

The child was born in awareness and looking like a young Sun, he leapt on to the ground. Wherever he touched, a lotus sprang up. He looked to the four cardinal points, to the four half-points, above and below and saw deities and mortals acknowledging his supremacy. He made seven steps northwards, a lotus appearing at each footfall. His birth was greeted by Asita, a sage from the Himalayas who likened him to Skanda, son of Agni. Astrogers predicted his greatness to come. He was named Siddharta. There are accounts to say that Mahamaya, filled with joy, died two days after birth. Her sister Prajapati, another of Suddhodana’s wives, took charge of the infant.

Hara Hara Mahadeva.
(draft Budhism)
by Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

Maha Lakshmi.

12/29/2012

Photo of Durga.

GODDESS MAHALAKSHMI: The legend according to Vishnu Purana states that Lakshmi is the daughter of Bhrigu and Khyaati and resided in Swarga but due to the curse of Durvasa, she left Swarga and made Ksheersagara her home. The reappearance of Lakshmi after Samudra manthan and her marriage to Vishnu thereafter, remain the same. Laxmi is the power and Maya of Lord Vishnu. In some places She is seen in two forms, Bhudevi and Sridevi, both either side of Vishnu. Bhudevi is the fertility form in which She is Mother Earth. Sridevi is the wealth and knowledge of Her which is seen with Narayan. Most people are mistaken that they are separate beings although they are one, Laxmi.

DEVI MAHATMYAM: ‘Glory of the Goddess’ is the text that describes Goddess Durga’s victory over Mahisasura. Devi Mahatmyam is part of Markandeya Purana. It was composed around 400-500 CE by Markandeya Rishi. The Mahatmya is central text to Shaktam philosophy, doctrine and ritual. It is also an attempt to unify the Male pantheon of Hindu gods with Mother Goddess worship. It defined Feminine Energy with authority and sythasized various beliefs and principles.

Defining Shakti, it was the forerunner text of Goddesses standing independent and not as consorts to male gods. It gave birth myths glorifying Shakti principle. Goddess Mahalakshmi is the presiding Goddess in the middle episode of Devi Mahatmya. In line with Shaktism, Mahalakshmi, more than being Vishnu’s consort, appears as a manifestation of Surpreme Mother Goddess Devi. She takes Durga form as the effulgence of several gods to annihilate Mahishasura.

Mahalakshmi is depicted as eighteen-armed, bearing a string of beads, battle axe, mace, arrow, thunderbolt, lotus, bow, water pot, cudgel, lance, sword, shield, conch, bell, wine cup, trident, noose and the discus Sudarshana. She is seated on a lotus and is also known as Ashta Dasa Bhuja Mahalakshmi.

BHUDEVI – SRIDEVI: Here, Goddess Mahalakshmi manifests in two forms. Both, Bhudevi and Sridevi are Vishnu or Sri Venkateshwara’s consorts and appear on either side. Bhudevi represents the material world or energy, called the aparam Prakriti. That implies that she is Mother Earth. Sridevi is Prakriti or the spiritual world or energy.

SHAKTAM: In the bhakti path, Mahalakshmi's presence is also found on Lord Venkateshvara’s heart or chest. She is the embodiment of love and this is the base essential for the bhakti path. It is through this channel that the jivatman reaches the Paramatma. Mahalakshmi is also the personification of the spiritual fulfillment embodying Vaikuntha, the abode of Lakhsmi Naayana. She is Gods’s superior spiritual feminine energy, or one of main forms of Adi Parashakti or Param Prakriti, which purifies, empowers and uplifts the bhakta. Thus she is called the Goddess of Fortune.

Mahalakshmi is believed to be the Mother of the Universe due to her motherly feelings and being the consort of Narayan. She is Adi Shakti, possessing Sattva guna with which Vishnu is able to preserve. Vishnu becomes dormant without Mahalakshmi, Vishnu is dormant. Mother Mahalakshmi is all encompassing, omnipresent, omnipotent. She is the eternal force of Adi Parashakti, the Supreme Mother. According to Bhagawata Purana, Adi Shakti brings forth Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Mahalakshmi also manifests as Goddess Bhuvaneshwari, the Lady Goddess of the of the universe. It is Bhivaneshwari that commands Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma.

The first mention of Goddess Mahalakshmi was found in 250 BC as Gajalakshmi, Lakshmi bedecked with jewellery seated on lotus and flanked by two white elephants, seen on stupas. These stupas were constructed by Emperor Ashoka in Sanchi and Bodh Gaya. It is popular opinion among scholars that his form was derived from figures of Goddess Mayavati in Budhdhist caves and figures of Goddess Padmavati in Jain caves and temple that come in to being in 1st century A.D.

Goddess Mahalakshmi was consecrated in various temples during 4th and 5th century A.D. The temple of Goddess Mahalakshmi in Kolhapur which was first constructed in the Chlukya Era has an idol of the deity that has been sculpted with four arms, wearing a saree in Karnataka style. Worship of Mahalakshmi continued over several centuries. In his notes, Swami Chakradhar of Mahanubhav Sect of the 12th century, mentions that there were 27 temples of Mahalakshmi in that era. The idols in these temples seem to be similar to that found in Kolhapur. It was in this epoch that temples of Mahalakshmi were built in Anhilwada in Gujarat, In Dogadvallis in Karnataka and Anantpur in Telangana. King kadamba of Goa also worshipped Goddess Mahalakshmi.

MAHALAKSHMI ASHTAKAM: Mahalakshmi Astakam is the Hindu devotional stotra address to Goddess Lakshmi Devi, the divine consort of Lord Vishnu. It is said that chanting Mahalakshmi Ashtakam with great devotion elevates a person spiritually, financially and with blessings of Mahalakshmi.

Namosthesthu Maha Maye,
Sree Peede, Sura Poojithe,
Sanka, Chakra, Gadha Hasthe,
Maha Lakshmi Namosthuthe 1

Salutations and salutations to Goddess Mahalakshmi,
Who is the great enchantress,
Who lives in riches,
Who is worshipped by Gods,
And who has conch, wheel and mace in her hands.

Namasthe Garudarude,
Kolasura Bhayam Kari,
Sarva Papa Hare Devi,
Maha Lakshmi Namosthuthe 2

Salutations and salutations to Goddess Mahalakshmi.
Who rides on an Eagle,
Who created fear to Kolasura,
And is the goddess who can destroy all sins

Sarvagne Sarva Varadhe,
Sarva Dushta Bhayam Karee,
Sarva Dukha Hare Devi,
Maha Lakshmi Namosthuthe 3

Salutations and salutations to Goddess Mahalakshmi
Who knows everything,
Who can grant anything,
Who appears fearsome to bad people,
And is the goddess who can destroy all sorrows.

Sidhi Budhi Pradhe Devi,
Bhakthi Mukthi Pradayinee,
Manthra Moorthe Sada Devi,
Maha Lakshmi Namosthuthe 4

Salutations and salutations to Goddess Mahalakshmi,
Who grants intelligence and occult powers,
Who grants devotion to God and salvation,
Who can be personified by holy chants,
And who is Goddess for ever.

Adhyantha Rahithe Devi,
Adhi Shakthi Maheswari,
Yogaje Yoga Sambhoothe,
Maha Lakshmi Namosthuthe 5

Salutations and salutations to Goddess Mahalakshmi.
Who neither has an end nor beginning,
Who is the primeval power,
Who is the greatest Goddess,
Who is born out of hard penance,
And who can be personified by meditation.

Sthoola Sukshma Maha Roudhre,
Maha Shakthi Maho Dhare,
Maha Papa Hare Devi,
Maha Lakshmi Namosthuthe 6

Salutations and salutations to Goddess Maha Lakshmi,
Who is micro and also gross,
Who is most fearsome ,
Who is the greatest strength,
Who within her holds the worlds,
And is the Goddess who can destroy sins.

Padmasana Sthithe Devi,
Para Brahma Swaroopini,
Para Mesi, Jagan Matha,
Maha Lakshmi Namosthuthe 7

Salutations and salutations to Goddess Mahalakshmi,
Who is the goddess who has the seat of Lotus,
Who is the personification of the ultimate truth,
Who is Goddess of all,
And who is the mother of all the worlds.

Swethambara Dhare Devi,
Nanalankara Bhooshithe,
Jagat Sthithe, Jagan Matha,
Maha Lakshmi Namosthuthe 8

Salutations and salutations to Goddess Mahalakshmi,
Who wears white cloth,
Who wears variety of ornaments,
Who is everywhere in the world,
And who is the mother of all the worlds.

Phala Sruthi

Maha Lakmyashtakam Stotram,
Ya Padeth Bhakthiman Nara,
Sarva Sidhi Mavapnothi,
Rajyam Prapnothi Sarvadha.

Hara Hara Mahadeva.

By Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

Padmavati Padmavati Padmavati

12/29/2012

GODDESS PADMAVATI IN JAINISM:

Mother Padmavati is a popular Jain goddess. Among the Yakshis to the 24 Tirthankara, Yakshi Chakreshwari, Kushmandini, Jwalamailini, Ambika and Padmavathi are popular. Of these Goddess Padmavathi happens to be one of the most popular and most worshiped Yakshi in the Jain community. She is also described as Shasan-devi of the 23rd Tirthankara, Lord Parshva.

Humbaj is a hamlet located in Shimoga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is also known as known as Humcha or Hamchawadi. It is famous for being home to an ancient temple of Goddess Padmavati, and to the Humbaj Matha meaning seminary or monastery. This is an important institution of the Jain community. Apparently the lake here never dries up and a tree that likewise always remains green. Humca contains one of the most popular Padmavati shrines in the world.

The worship of the Yaksha and Yakshi’s in Jainism varies in different sects and different regions. Yakshi worship predominates the Southern states of India. It is said that the worship of Goddess Padmavathi as yakshi is prominent with the Bispanthy sub sect of Digambars. Digambar means skyclad. Murthipujak sub sect among the Shwetambars also worship Goddess Padmavathi as yakshi.

HUMCHA TEMPLE: Karnataka is rich with ancient temples. Temples with Jain heritage are said to belong to the 5th and 6th century A.D. Jain Goddess in Karnataka is widely worshipped in Karnataka. Mother has a large audience of bhaktas from all sects. Usually, pujas are conducted in Padmavathi temples on Fridays and during festivals. Her birthday in accordance with Mula Nakshatra is followed by grand annadana or food offering. Special puhas are observed during Friday’s of Shravana month.

Deities of Goddess Padmavathi and Lord Parshwanatha glorify the main temple complex at Humcha, Shimoga district, Karnataka, India. The main features are the temple Complex, Jain Mutt, Panchakuta Basadi, Muttina, origin of river Kumudvati and Parshwanatha Idol

DEPICTION: In Jainist religious practice, Tirthankara idols look similar with standard symbolism. One finds snake hoods above the head of Dharanendra Yaksha and Padmavathi Yakshi. This is symbolized with a diamond studded crown. Like wise Lord Parshwanatha is identified with the symbol of a snake and usually we find hoods of snake above the idol.

A snakes hood also covers Mother Padmavati’s head, and she sits on a lotus flower. Often a small image of the Tirthankara is placed in her crown. In addition to this Goddess Padmavathi is said to have four hands. This is called as Chaturbhuje. Her color is golden and her vahana is the snake.

MYTHOLOGY: Jinadatta, the prince of Mathura, fled to south India leaving his home town due to family reasons. Jain monk Muni Siddhantakeerthi advises Jinadatta to carry the idol of Goddess Padmavathi on the horse back and tour the southern parts of India. Reaching Humcha, he took shelter under a Lakki tree. There he is inspired by a dream.

Goddess Padmavathi graces him with thoughts that if she is installed in Humcha, then he may get local support. She too would stay in Humcha. She further instructed him that when iron is touched to the feet of Padmavathi deity, it will be converted into gold. With this wealth, Jinadatta could make Humcha as the capital city.

This prompts Jinadatta to construct a temple dedicated to Goddess Padmavathi and Lord Parshwanatha. His Guru Siddanthakeerthi and his mother settled at Humcha also. Further he married princess Manoradhini of the Kingdom of South Mathura. Humcha is made the capital of his new kingdom.

Everything is moving smoothly but Mother Padvati wanted to test Jinadatta’s devotion. She created two Muttu or pearls at a pond located a few meters away from the temple. Since then this pond is called as Muttina Kere. Kere means tank in Kannada. Of the two pearls one of them was pure and the other was stained a bit. One of persons in the kingdom who found the pearls handed them over to the king.

Now, Jinadatta made two nose rings. The one with pure pearl was given to his wife; Padmavati was given the one with the stained pearl. Later when Jinadatta visited the temple, he was astonished to find the Goddess adorned with pure pearl nose-ring. Padmavati’s divine voice was then heard. The deity was to l loose its divine power of converting the iron into gold. It was to land itself into the well besides the temple.

Jinadatta realized his mistake and pleaded the Goddess for forgiveness. The all-merciful Mother decreed that Jina should install another idol at that place. He was also promised to have her presence felt, Goddess Padmavathi would ensure, the Lakki Tree and the Muttina will never dry; water will be constantly oozing out from the point of origin of Kumudavati River and that when bhaktas are blessed by Goddess Padmavathi, flowers will fall from the right side of the deity..

YAKSHIS: The feminine form of Yaksha is Yakshi. This concept is an ancient Indian Indian tradition referring to a class of natural spirits who are caretakers of the natural treasures hidden in the earth and tree roots. This concept of Yaksha and Yakshi or Yakshini is existent in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

TIRTHANKARAS: The essential goals to human life in Jainist belief is free oneself from worldly sufferings, inner passions and attain liberation. A Jina, Arihanta or Tirthankara is a liberated soul that is freed of the worldly sufferings and inner passions. He or she resides in Siddhaloka or the top of the world. Tirthankaras are worshiped in Jainism as they have liberated themselves by conquering their inner passions and attained moksha. They have expounded the path of liberation and to get an inspiration to attain their state.

Yakshas and Yakshis are referred to as the Shasanadevatas and Shasanadevis. There is a general belief that Yaksha and Yakshi’s were entrusted by Lord Indra to provide protection to the Tirthankaras.

Yaksha and Yakshis are found in pairs flanking the Tirthankara idol with the Yaksha on the right and Yakshi on the left as guardian deities. They are regarded as the devotees of the Jinas with supernatural powers. Just like humans they too go through the cycles of birth and deaths but have supernatural powers. As they have renounced the world, they cannot reward devotees. But since they do have supernatural powers, Jains give them a place in the temple as some Yakshis were known for bestowing worldly desires. Progressively, the concept of Yaksha and Yakshi’s became very popular in Jainism.

Hara Hara Mahadeva. By Yogi Ananda Saraswathi
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MOTHER PADMAVATI LEAVES VAIKUNTHA: In Tamil, Vaikuntha is described as Divvya lokham, the Divine Land of Bliss. It is said to be even beyond Brahma’s comprehension and the devas as it cannot be described adequately. Vaikuntha is also known as Parama Vyoma, Paramapada and Paramakasa. It contains the fourteen lokhas divided into two andas of seven above and seven below the earth. We will deliberate the greatness of Vaikuntha in another a lot. Once, Mother Padmavati left Vaikunta. Maharishi Bhrigu is said to be the cause of this move.

TIRUMALA STHALA PURANA: Once a grand yagna was planned by Devas and the Gods for Vishwa Shanti. Vishwa Shanti means world peace. So it was to be decided Who among the Trinity was supreme to be considered the considered the best and made the Chief of the Yagna. This was assigned to Bhrigu. He first travels to Brahma’s abode, Satya Lokha.

Creation left Brahma preoccupied with his own self-importance, so Bhrigu was not received according to protocol. But it would have been incumbent for Bhrigu to greet or pay respects to the Creator Lord. You see, the apple does not fall far from the tree. Bhrigu shared his father’s (Brahma) rajo guna. It did not take long before sage Bhrigu cursed his father.

Thereafter, he went to Kailasa. Bhrigu was not welcomed by Shiva as He was engaged in divine yoga with Parvathi. We can call this the cosmic dance to imply Siva’s sexual engagement with Parvathi. Kindly see these physical engagements in a spiritual context vis-à-vis rising of the Kundalini. For instance, when the Puranas mention that when Vishnu was massaging Bhrigu’s feet, he squashed the extra eye that was present in the sole of sage Bhrigu’s foot. This is symbolic of Bhrigu’s false egotism and not Vishnu’s unkindness.

Lord Siva also ignored Bhrigu as the divine couple’s cosmic dance and ultimate yoga is not to be interrupted. Thereafter there are differing versions. One states that instead of according Bhrigu some respect, Siva was given to phallus pleasure and continued his thunderous cosmic dance. So Siva’s was cursed. ‘Since your phallus is enjoying more attention than me, a Maharishi, henceforth you shall be worshiped as a Lingam.’

This is the usual story highlighted by those not given to Shiva worship. Nowadays one has commercial tantra capitalizing on this aspect of the Lingam and Yoni. In a way, not seeing the wisdom behind Maharishi Bhrigu and Lord Shiva is sheer ignorance. You, one has to go beyond pictures, images and Purana story lines. The Maharishi took this opportunity to give all lokhas of the very essence of the Unmanifest via Linga worship. It is not that Lord Siva needs a Linga for worship. All that has happened is the symbolic manifestation of the manifest progressing into the unmanifest, the understanding comprehended as saguna Lingam.

Another version states that Bhrigu interrupted Siva’s sexual dalliance due to his rajo-guna. Siva halted the dalliance and got Parvathi irritated Bhirgu’s interference of her golden moments. Apparently, Shiva came to greet and embrace Bhrigu. But the sage did not reciprocate due to Siva’s non-Vedic Vamachara leftist conduct. There were earlier posts on how Brahma’s lustful fifth head got severed and finally got stuck to Siva’s hands. This later gave us the Kapalikas, skull bearers. Now, seeing the cold-treatment, an enraged Siva ran after Bhrigu with His Trishula to finish him off. But he was pacified by Mother Parvathi.

Now Bhrigu reached Vaikuntha. Vishnu had known the happenings in Satya lokha and Kailasa. After-all this is supremacy contest to decide who would preside the yagna. The ensuing story is told in the Sri Venkateshwara Mahatmyam.

SRI VENKATESWARA MAHATMYAM. Vishnu’s lilas are exposed in this Mahatmyam. Sri Vishnu was in relaxed mode with Mother Lakshmi. His eyes were closed and to get Vishnu’s attention, Bhrigu kicked him in the ribs. Now, the greatest lila of all times, Vishnu does not get angry. He immediately gets up to seat the Maharishi on a throne and messaged his foot on the basis that it could have been hurt while kicking him! It is said that Vishnu’s chest was hard like diamond or he was diamond studded ornamentally so there was a chance of the impacting kick bringing injury, you see.

Apology was tendered formally for his not noticing the arrival of a maharishi. Indeed, the rajo-guna of Bhrigu was pleased with the satvik nature of Vishnu. As penalty, Lord Vishnu removed Bhrigu’s extra eye in one of his soles. Bhrigu was proud of this eye but when it was removed, as this Mahatmyam claims, the spiritual eye of Bhrigu opened. It was then Bhrigu realized the satvic Vishnu and declared to the assembly of devas and Gods of Vishnu’s supremacy. It is left to the individual to accept or reject the spiritual eye story, for Maharishis imply extreme jnana with or without eyes, spiritual or otherwise.

TRIPATI TEMPLE: This is not the end of the Bhrigu visit. Mother Lakshmi was annoyed that Vishnu brought himself to ground level to seek the yagna chiefdom chair. And for Vishnu to massage Bhrigu’s foot was demeaning in Her eyes. So, Lakshmi left Vaikuntha on the basis that Her residence was defiled by Vishnu’s conduct and she could not stay there anymore. She comes down to earth to take residence in Kolhapur. Vaikunta had lost its sheen and glory. Now, there was a long absence and Vishnu does not seem to give company down here on earth. So Lakshmi invokes Lord Shiva and does severe penance for His aid and contribution to be relieved of the pangs of separation. At the instance of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu came down to Tirupathi in the Trimala area. The Sri Venkateswara Temple owes its origin to this event.

Hara Hara Mahadeva by Yogi Ananda Saraswathi
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MOTHER PADMAVATI IN SKANDA PURANA: This is considered the largest of the Mahapuranas. It contains eighty eight thousand and one hundred Shlokas and seven parts as Maheshwar, Vaishnava, Brahma, Kashi, Avanti, Nagar and Prabhasa. Skanda Purana derives its name from Skanda or Kartikeya, the son of Lord Shiva. The Purana holds commentaries on Lord Shiva, Vishnu in a geographical succession. The story of Samudra-manthan is also contained in Skanda Purana.

Circumstances of Skanda’s birth his lilas are the main themes. The demon Tarakasura creates havoc in all three lokhas. The Gods ask of Siva for a warrior God son. Kartikeya becomes the Commander of the gods’ army and slays Tarkasura. Maharishi Veda Viayasa is considered to be the author of all the Puranas. It was recited by Lomaharshana in the Maimisharanga forests.

PADMAVATI: Lord Varaha narrated the tale of Padmavati’s manifestation to Prithvi. He also revealed to her that Padmavati was the reincarnation of Vedavati and had manifested so that she could become his (Vishnu) consort. Lord Varaha said—Once upon a time there lived an emperor named Akash. One day he ordered his men to get the land situated at the bank of Arani ploughed so that a grand yagya could be organized there. As the land was being cultivated, the plough suddenly struck against something.

People ploughing the field dug up that place and were surprised to find an infant girl, crying loudly. The news of girls’ manifestation spread like a wild fire. The emperor became extremely happy since he had no progeny. He brought up that child as his own daughter. This way the baby girl was brought up like a princess. She was named Padmavati. Padmavati proved very lucky for the emperor, as the emperor, who was still sonless till then was blessed with a son. This male child was named Vasudan.

One day, Narada visited the palace and met both the children. He was impressed by Vasudan’s intelligence but Padmavati appeared to be shy and absorbed in her own thoughts. Narada lovingly called her and instructed her to spread her left palm. Narada was amazed to find signs, which predicted Padmavati’s marriage to Lord Vishnu. Everybody living in the palace became happy after getting this news. Narada then went away.

PADMAVATI BECOMES LORD HARI’S CONSORT: Continuing with the tale, Lord Varaha said– One day, while Padmavati and her companions were playing in the garden, they saw an equestrian approaching them. He held a bow and arrows in both his hands. The stranger asked all the girls whether they had seen a wolf. Apparently the stranger was on his hunting spree. Padmavati angrily reminded the stranger that hunting was strictly prohibited in that area and hence he should go back home. The stranger was stunned by Padmavati’s beauty and said ‘I am Ananta from Venketachal mountain. People also call me Veerpati. Can I have this beautiful lady as my wife.’

Padmavati’s companions angrily rebuffed Ananta who then galloped back on his horse. These unfortunate girls were unable to recognize Lord Vishnu who had come disguised as Ananta. After reaching his palace, Ananta found it very difficult to concentrate on his work. His mind was occupied by the thoughts of Padmavati. One day, while he was sitting in a thoughtful mood, Vakulmalika, a maid servant arrived there and requested him to come down for lunch. But, Sri Hari was lost in the thoughts of Padmavati. On being asked by Vakulmalika, Sri Hari narrated the following tale to her:

In Treta Yuga, when I had incarnated as Ram, Ravan had deceit- fully abducted my consort–Sita. But fortunately she was not Sita but Agni’s consort Swaha. Before this incident could occur,Agni had already taken Sita to Patalloka and kept his own wife ‘Swaha’ in her place. Indra’s act had special purpose behind it–to avenge Swaha’s death, who was Vedavati in her previous birth and who had committed suicide after being touched by the same demon.Actually, Agni’s consort ‘Swaha’ was ‘Vedavati’ in her previous birth.

So, in reality Ravana had abducted Vedavati instead of Sita. Later on, I thanked Agni and promised him that I would make Vedavati my consort in Kaliyuga. The same vedavati has taken birth as Padmavati. You must go and convince Padmavati to become my consort. Vakulmalika went to Narayanpur and informed the king about Sri Hari’s desire. Emperor Akash was extremely delighted at the prospect of having Sri Hari as his son-in-law. An auspicious day was chosen for the marriage and thus, Lord Sri Hari got Padmavati as his consort.

Hara Hara Mahadeva. by Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

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GODDESS PADMAVATI. Alemelu, Alemelmangai, Alarmelmagnai, and Padmavathi are manifestations of Goddess Lakshmi. Padmavati means ‘Lady seated on a lotus. Padmavati is the consort of Lord Venkateswara. It is believed that the goddess Padmavati, an avatara of Lakshmi, was born the daughter of Akasha Raja, the ruler of this region, and wed Venkateshwara of Tirupati. It is to be noted that Padmavathi is also another name for Goddess Manasa.

CONSORTS: Lord Vishnu temples are deemed incomplete unless it also contains a shrine to His Consort Lakshmi. She plays a secondary role as consort and wife. Traditionally the deity is smaller than those of the Lord but her presence is considered mandatory, for without Her, the presiding deity of the temple would lack divine splendour. Often She manifests in the human form. By marrying her, the male god gets the right to be in that area. Good examples are Vishnu marrying Padmavathi in Tiruchanur, Indradevi in Koiladi, Vanjualvalli at Nachiar Koil, Cenkamalavalli at Tereluntur etc.

There would be rich folklore behind the circumstances leading to the marriage. In some temples, Lakshmi stands separate from the temple of the Lord as in Pandharpur, Maharashtra and Dwarka, Gujarat where Rukumani’s shrine stands at a distance from Panduranga. Padmavathi stands separate due to a misunderstanding. The separation yet close relationship between the two shrines is a sign of interdependence yet independence of the God and Goddess.

TEMPLE: Goddess Sri Padmavati main abode is Thiruchanoor which place is also known as Alemelu Mangapuran. This is a suburb of Tirupati City. It is a tradition that pilgrims venerating Lord Venkateshwara at Turupati-Tirumala Balaji, should also offer obeisance to Goddess Padmavati at Thiruchanoor. In Tiruchanoor, Goddess Padmavati manifests as Goddess Sri Padmavathi Devi. Her temple is one of the highly venerated places in the South. It attracts thousands of devout pilgrims daily.

Tiruchanoor occupies a very important place in the ancient scripts. This was a part of Tiruvengadakootam under the Pallavas. Later under the Cholas it became a part of Rajendra Chola Mandalam. In the eighth century, the village was totally a Sri Vaishnava settlement. As the temple of Lord Venkateshwara at Tirumala was not of easy access, a new temple called Tiruvalankoil was constructed at Tiruchanoor to have a representative idol of Lord Srinivasa. Later over a period of time Shaivism, followers of Lord Shiva gained support and importance. Thus a temple of Lord Shiva was erected at Jogimalleswaram. Again following the decline of the Chola’s and the rise of Yadava Rayas, Sri Vaishnavism regained support and a temple was constructed for Goddess Padmavathi.

VENKATACHALA MAHATYAM: Legends have it that Goddess Padmavati is the inexhaustible source of compassion and love. Mother Goddess manifested in the Pushkarini called Padmasarovaram in a golden lotus. That had not blossomed. The Mahatyam states that Lord Suryanarayana was instrumental in blossoming the lotus in full splendour. Thus a temple dedicated to Lord Suryanarayana is found on the eatern side of Pushkarini.

PADMA PURANA: The Padma Purana gives a vivid description of the advent of the Goddess and subsequent wedding with Lord Srinivasa.The manifestation of Sri Padmavathi Devi occurred in the month of Karthika on Sukla Paksha Panchami when the star Uttarashada in the ascendent. The Brahmotsavam of the Goddess is celebrated with all pomp and glory to commemorate the auspicious occasion of Her avatara. This resplendent festival celebrated for ten days attracts devout pilgrims from far and wide.

The Panchami Tirtham marks the highlight of Tiruchanoor Brahmotsavam. Turmeric, Tulasi, Silk Saree and other sacred presents are brought from Tirumala Temple in an impressive procession on this occasion and offered to the Goddess. In an exquisitely decorated mandapam built on the banks of Padma Sarovaram, Sacred bath is offered to Goddess Padmavathi Devi and Sri Sudarsana Chakra amidst vedic chants. The ten-day Brahmotsavam at Tiruchanoor is a spectacular event witnessed by her myriads of devotees. It is also an occasion for all devotees to receive Her benign grace in divine abundance.

MYTHOLOGY: Lord Venkateshwara is in deep penance at Padma Sarovar for twelve years. It is said that Goddess Padmavati appeared on a red lotus flower to give the Lord darshan. The Goddess’s temple origins are narrated in the in Padma Purana. In the supremacy of the Trinity ‘competition’ Bhrigu insults Mahavishnu by kicking him. Padmavati was not pleased at all with Vishnu’s subservient behaviour of forgiving Bhrigu. So she left Vaikuntha and goes to Patala Loka. Unable to bear the separation, Lord Vishnu came down to earth and wandered for days and months. During this wandering he reached Kolhapur, where he worshiped Lakshmi’s image in the temple, set up by sage Agasthya.

One day the aakasa vani, the divine voice told him to do penance for Goddess Maha Lakshmi at the bank of river Swarnamukhi for twelve years. She also directed him to offer lotus flowers for Goddess Maha Lakshmi so that she would grace him with her darshan and accept reunion. On hearing this Lord Vishnu reached Tiruchanoor and dug a tank, which is now called as Padma sarovar.

Lord Vishnu prayed Lord Satyanarayana and asked him to see that the lotus flowers don’t wither. Goddess Mahalakshmi appeared before Lord Vishnu on Karthika Sukla Panchami standing on a red lotus flower with lotus in two hands and offered her hand as a gesture to reunite with the Lord. This form of Goddess Mahalakshmi is still offered prayers as she gave darshan to Lord Vishnu in Padma or Lotus form. This is the tank which is dug by Lord Vishnu for his penance and where Lord Satyanarayana helped Lord Vishnu as Lord Balaji on Tirumala.

BRAHMOTSAVAM: The Brahmotsavam of the Goddess is celebrated with all pomp and glory to commemorate the auspicious occasion of Her avatara. This resplendent festival celebrated for ten days attracts devout pilgrims from far and wide. The Panchami Tirtham marks the highlight of Tiruchanoor Brahmotsavam. Turmeric, Tulasi, Silk Saree and other sacred presents are brought from Tirumala Temple in an impressive procession on this occasion and offered to the Goddess.

In an exquisitely decorated mandapam built on the banks of Padma Sarovaram, Sacred bath is offered to Goddess Padmavathi Devi and Sri Sudarsana Chakra amidst vedic chants. The ten-day Brahmotsavam at Tiruchanoor is a spectacular event witnessed by her myriads of devotees. It is also an occasion for all devotees to receive Her benign grace in abundance.

Hara Hara Mahadeva
By Yogi Ananda Saraswathi.. copyrighted material

Prajnaparamita

12/28/2012

PRAJNAPARAMITA is well known as the mother of Buddha's. The Gods and Goddesses of the Buddhist pantheon create many emanations to serve humanity. The most profound and touching emanations are those Goddesses and enlightened humans who embody the spirit of Prajnaparamita. She is the famous Buddhist goddess and most vital of all deities. Prajnaparamita is Female Buddha's elegance embodies and feminine aspect of the supreme Buddha.

It is said that the great Buddha meditated on Prajnaaparamita - the Mother of all the Buddhas, along with all others. She is the Adi Shakti, the Divine Feminine found in all the Holy Scriptures. In Tibet Prajnaparamita is known as Yum Chenmo or the ‘Great Mother’ and features prominently in the Chod dharma system created by one of the most well-known yoginis Machik Labdron.

Tara is perhaps the greatest and certainly the most accessible of the emanations of Prajnaparamita and is likewise known as the Mother of all the Buddhas. The meaning of her name in Sanskrit is Perfection of Wisdom’. Prajna means wisdom and Paramita means perfection. She is said to be the essence of Mahayana Buddhism and its practice to comprehend the inner spiritual workings of the Bodhisattva Path.

DEPICTION: Prajnaparamita is seen sitting in the lotus position, raised their hands in a sign symbolizing the revolving of Wheel of the Law. Goddess Prajnaparamita is decorated with a huge array of jewelry, including a caste cord, armlets, bracelets, finger and toe rings. She is sometimes depicted with many arms, and the items held are symbolic of her role as teacher. Meditation beads represent the eternal cycle of time; a rope is to retrieve those who have strayed from the path; fruit represents prosperity; lotus is purity; vase is abundance and most importantly, a book symbolizing wisdom. Hands that are not holding objects are in the mudra, or hand gesture, for teaching.

INDONESIA: Mahayana Buddhism took root in ancient Java Sailendra in the 8th century CE. Prajnaparamita was the first queen of Singasari, from whom all kings of Singasari and Majapahit move down. By the 13th century tantric Buddhism gained royal patronage of King Kertanegara of Singasari. Prajnaparamita is just similar in importance to liberator and Mother Goddess Tara. In the Mahayana tradition, the goddess Prajnaparamita denotes femininity.

PRAJNAPARAMITA SUTRAS: Researchers propose that Mahayana Prajnaparamita teachings were developed by Catikas. They were a subsect of Mahasamghikas. The Catikas were from Mathura and Andhra regions in India. There is evidence of the Mahasamighas orifinating in Mathura. The Cattkas also gave rise to Aaparasailas and Uttarasailas subsects. Together they comprised an important part of the Mahasamghika located in Southern India. The Prajnaparamita Sutra is said to have originated in the Andhra region along the Krishna river.

Apparently when the Buddha taught the Prajnaparamita, the Nagas had taken a portion back to their realm. Nagarjuna, a pioneer of the Mahayana tradition, he is said to have gone with nagas-dragons under the sea and discovered a vast treasure trove of Mahayana Sutras, among them the many versions of the Prajnaparamita Sutra. He is said to have studied the Sutra for fifty years and taught them throughout India. It is said that when Nagarjuna taught the Pranaparamita, six nagas came and formed an umbrella over his head to protect the sutra. Hence the iconographic portrayal of Nagarjuna. He later became the abbot of Nalanda University.

The original Prajnaparamita is the text called the Great Mother: the Prajnaparamita of one-hundred thousand lines. It purports to record the full audience give by Shakyamuni Buddha on Vulture Peak with the greatest explicitness and completeness ... Over the centuries various abridged versions have emerged. This Sutra suggests that all things are illusory. Tantric versions of the sutra were produced from the year 500 CE.

Hara Hara Mahadeva
(draft: Buddhism)
by Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

Kundalini Devi Maa Shakti.

12/28/2012

GODDESS KUNDALINI is the symbolic reference to Shakti, the primordial cosmic energy representing dynamic forces that are thought to move through the entire universe. Shakti is Lalita, Kundalini and Parvati. There is no difference between God Almighty and His Shakti, just as there is no difference between the sun and its light. Therefore Shakti is the personification of divine feminine energy and creative power. She is the Great Divine Mother. At the manifest level, Shakti is the female embodiment and creativity or fertility. Shakti’s cosmic existence as well as liberation is significant as being Kundalini Shakti.

SHAKTA ADVAITA: At the beginning of Creation Goddess Kundalini took form and set in motion the wheel of manifestation. She bestowed her healing spirit into the womb and regenerative energy of female species of the earth. A woman’s femininity cannot exist apart from her Shakti and she is a metaphor for womanhood.

This Shakti goes on to be the consort of male gods and later manifested as goddess. She is represented in all her Shakti Peeths. She becomes grama-devata to suit regional stations of bhaktas life. The ultimate Shakti is Adi-Parashakti, the Ultimate Shakti. She manifests as Goddess Devi. Her reference in Tantra is Tripurasundari who manifests as Ten Mother Shaktis.

SHAKTI ENERGY: Devi Prakriti in the context of Shaktis as forces unifies Kundalini, Kriya, Itcha, Prana, Jnana and Mantrika Shaktis. Each is in a chakra. Prakriti means nature. The Gita describes prakriti as ‘primal motive force’. Kriya commonly refers to ‘completed action’ technique or practice within yoga. Differing from place to place’ kriya is the outward physical manifestation of awakened kundalini. They are also spontaneous movements resulting from the awakening of kundalini energy.

Iccha-shakti means will power and it is a technical subdivision of Shakti. Pran means life force. Kundalini yoga consist active and passive pranayama, extension of life force. Mantrika shakti refers to mantras but it may mean more than shakti. For instance, a person who absolutely speaks the truth, a satyavaan, may ultimately possess the power materializing his words. In Tamil there is a cliché ‘karu-naakan’ literally having black dots in the tongue. Their words always materialize.

SHAKTI YOGA: Shiva is omnipresent, impersonal and inactive. He is pure consciousness. Shakti is dynamic. Shiva and Shakti are related as Prakasa and Vimarsa. Shakti or Vimarsa is the power that is latent in the pure consciousness. Vimarsa gives rise to the world of distinctions. Shiva is Chit, Shakti is Chidrupini. Brahma, Vishnu and Siva do their functions of creation, preservation and destruction in obedience to Shakti. Shakti is endowed with Ichha, power of will, Jnana, power of knowledge and Kriya, power of action. Shakti-Tattva and Shiva-Tattva are inseparable. Shiva is always with Shakti. Shiva and Shakti are one.

Saktaism is not mere theory or philosophy. It prescribes systematic Sadhana of Yoga, regular discipline according to the temperament, capacity and degree of evolution of the Sadhaka. Sadhana means unfolding, rousing up or awakening of the power of Shakti. Shaktaism helps the aspirant to arouse the Kundalini and unite Her with Lord Siva and to enjoy the supreme bliss or Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

A Shakta does Sadhana which helps the union of Shiva and Shakti through the awakening of the forces within the body. He becomes a Siddha in the Sadhana when he is able to awaken Kundalini and pierce the six Chakras. The mode of Sadhana depends upon the tendencies and capacities of the Sadhaka.

KUNDALINI: All that is found in cosmos is also found in the individual, as the human being is a miniature of the universe. One way of realizing the Divine dwelling in the human body is by the Kundalini Sadhana. The word Kundalini is taken from Sanskrit word which stand for either "coiled up" or "coiling like a snake at the base of the spine".

It is described as a sleeping serpent. This word of Kundalini is more highlighted the serpentine nature as 'serpent power'. It is the ultimate energy of Mahashakti Prakriti. Generally this Shakti situated in the root of Mooladhaar Chakra, coiled in three and half circle around the Shivalinga.

Parvathi ever dwells with Shiva as His Shakti. She is the Divine Mother of this universe. The Kundalini is aroused and made to pass through the six lotus centers in the Spine, piercing each knot on its way up to the seventh center called Sahasrara – the 1000 petalled lotus on the head area, where it unites with Shiva. This is the realization of the Sakta – the goal of Sadhaka.

Puranas and legends metaphorically explain Goddess Kundalini travelling up the vertebrae just to meet her Divine Mate, Shiva. In meeting him, there is complete union of Spirit and Matter. Parvati tries to woo Shiva. The Lord is unmoved and sits atop mountains meditating. Parvati then went into the forest and performed rigorous tapas, wearing nothing to protect her tender body from harsh weather, eating nothing, not even a leaf. The forest ascetics admired her tapas and spiritual progress and named her Aparna.

Of this the sage Narada said that he saw Parvati as Kundalini rising across Shiva’s spine to the eternal Self. It was Parvati’s power of tapas that took Shiva out of is meditation. According to this mythological symbolism, when the goddess Shakti is awakened, she sweeps us up in her wildest passion to join up with her Lord Shiva in crown chakra. This Mystical Marriage symbolically represents Yoga or union of the male and female energies in our bodies which give birth to our multidimensional realization.

The Goddess Kundalini has been compared to a jungle fire which burns up an enormous jungle to ashes. The other assessment has been complete to an underwater which rises up in the ocean as fire and provides the ocean totally devoid of water. The causes of it are lead to an earthquake when central fire of land explodes. Goddess Kundalini cannot be memorized for interest or egotistical reasons.

SRI RAMANA MAHARISHI: Kundalini energy is nothing but the natural energy of the Self, where Self is Paramatma, the universal consciousness present in every being, and that the individual mind of thoughts cloaks this natural energy from unadulterated expression. Initial kundalini awakening is just the beginning of actual spiritual experience. Atma-vichara or Self-inquiry meditation is considered a very natural and simple means of reaching this goal.

Hara Hara Mahadeva
Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

Devayani Maa consort of Lord Murugan

12/28/2012

GODDESS DEVAYANI is the consort of Lord Murugan.

She is also called Deviyani or Deivanai. She is the daughter of Lord Indra, the King of Heaven. Goddess Deivayanai represents ‘Kriya Shakthi’ or the “Power of Actions”. Valli, Murugan’s second consort depicts ‘Ichha Shakti’ or Power of Aspirations. It is said that the celestial wedding of Lord Murugan and Deivayanai took place at one of the Arupadaiveedu, the Thirupparamkunram Murugan Temple at Madurai in Tamil Nadu. Panguni Uthram festival is celebrated in all Lord Murugan Temples to commemorate this auspicious occasion. It can be gainsaid that Valli’s vibrancy sometimes overshadows Deivanai’s role.

LORD MURUGA: He is affectionately called by several names such as Karthilkeya, Arumuga, Shanmuga, Guhan, Skanda, Subramanya and Kumara by his ardent devotees. He is the Tamil God or ‘Thamilzh Kadavul’ in the Tamil vernacular. He is also worshiped in Kerala, Karnataka and Srilanka. Worship of Subramanya was in fact one of the formal religious sects recognized and sanctified by Shri Shankaracharya and this sect was known as Koumaram.

Skandar is traditionally considered to be the warrior son of Lord Shiva and gets called the Hindu God of Distruction. His brother is the elephant headed Lord Ganesh. The Shiva pantheon is has special emphasis in six main temples in the South called the Arupadai Veedu. There are several puranic myths about Arupadai Veedu. They are Thruparamkundram, Thiruchendur, Palani, Swamimalai, Thiruthani, Pzhamudhicholai.

THIRUPARAMKUNDRAM is the place where he wed Goddess Deivanai, as a reward of being destroyed the asura Padmasuran, and his cruel brothers. Thiruparamkundram is also called "Alagar nagar". Tamil Sangam literature has it that Lord Muruga married Deivanai by winning the war against the asuras but he married Valli for her love. This was mutual.

This is all beautifully represented as Agam and Puran rationalisation. Puram means ‘outer or outside’ It refers to Deivanai as Murugan fought a war physically, the outer aspect of the Lord. Whereas Agam means ‘inner or internal’ symbolizing love that emanated from His inner being. It is a beautiful way of putting both the consorts in their places!

GODDESS DEIVANAI SANNIDHI. In the Thiruparamkundram Temple, there is a Goddess Devanai Sannidhi in the northwest corner. Other shrines found in this prakaram are Lord Sankara Narayanar, Lord Kasi Viswanathar, Vadhapuriswarar, Vedhapuriswarar, Ekambara Nathar, Mayuranathar who is facing north and Lord Chandeswarar facing south. There are also sannidhis for Lord Nataraja and Lord Baihravar. Lord Saneeswara is found facing south. Golden Kodi Maram is seen on the south.

SKANDA PURANA: When Lord Subrahmanya was having Kanda Verpu has his abode, Lord Maha Vishnu’s daughters, Amrita Valli and Sundara Valli, cherished the desire of becoming the consorts of Subrahmanya. So both of them proceeded to Saravana Poigai to commence austere tapas towards winning Subramanya’s heart. The Lord was pleased with the tapas. Lord Subrahmanya appeared before them and told Amrita Valli, "You will be brought up by Indra as his daughter and I shall marry you in due course." Her younger sister Sundara Valli was also graced with a similar blessing. She was born to sage Sivamuni and brought up by Nambi, the headman of Veddas.

The elder Amrita Valli took the form of a female child and went to Mount Meru, the abode of Indra, and told him, "I am the daughter of Maha Vishnu and the responsibility of looking after me has been entrusted to you." On hearing this, Indra became very happy and directed Airavatam, his white elephant, to take care of the child. Devayanai literally means ‘one who was brought up by the heavenly elephant of Indra’.

It was then that six sons of sage Parasara were cursed to become fishes in the Saravana Poigai. On request for redemption, these six boys were ordered to pray to Lord Subrahmanya. When they got his darshan, they could get redemption. It was also made known to them that Lord Subrahmanya would come to Tirupparankunram after vanquishing the demon Surapadma. Anxiously they waited for the arrival of Subrahmanya.

After Surapadma was vanquished at Tiruchendur, Lord Subramanya proceeded to Thiruparmkundra, with devas and heavenly beings whom he had released from the untold miseries caused by Surapadma. On his arrival at Tirupparankunram, the sons of Parasara received Subrahmanya and, at their request, he consented to stay there. He at once ordered Viswakarma to construct a beautiful abode for himself, for the devas and for others.

In gratitude for the war victory, Indra, the Lord of Heavens, desired to get his daughter Devayanai married to Subrahmanya. This desire was expressed to Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu who were present there. They were only too glad to hear the proposal. When they communicated the desire of Indra to Lord Subrahmanya he smiled “Devayanai has been praying at Saravana Poigai in the Himalayas for blissful union; now the time has come for the alliance to be solemnised."

A message was sent to Goddess Indrani to come to Thiruparamkundram together with Devayani. She was also awaiting eagerly at Mount Meru. The marriage was graced and blessed by Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati. But like all households, there is some smoke in the chimney. Valli was a thorn in her heart...but one is asked to look at all this metaphysically.

Hara Hara Mahadeva.
By Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

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