Sri Mata is the dynamic force behind every activity! She is the primum mobile, the root cause of everything in the universe! She is “Akhilandakoti Brahmanda Nayaki.” Nothing moves without her concurrence! Kenopanishaad describes how Againi, Vayu, Indra and other Devas were humiliated and lost their inherent power because of their ego and arrogance before the Light that stood before them! Agni could not burn the straw that was placed before him and Vayu couldn't blow away the blade of grass paced before him! Indra wondered at this and was told by Uma that it was by Her Grace and will that the Devas could achieve victory over the asuras and not by their inherent strength! Sri Mata is “Parabrahma swarupini!” Nothing lights up without her Light! Khatopanishad proclaims the primary significance of the BRAHMAN! “ Na tatra suryo bhati na chandra tarakam ne mo vidyuto bhanti ku toya magnihi tameva bhanti manubhati sarvam tasya bhasa sarvamidam vibhati” The sun, the moon and the stars, lightning, even fire do not shine there! it is only after your shine that they all begin to shine! The absolute necessity of the BRAHMAN is thus establihed! Sri Mata is ‘Sarva Sakthi mayi, Sarveswari Sarvamayi Sarva mantra swarupini- She is the under current of all energy and the embodiment of all mantras!
She is the Mother of all starting from the lowest of beings, the worms! The Vedas are Her mandates! She doles out fruits according to the good and bad deeds of individuals! ”Nijagnarupa nigama punyapunya phalaprada.” She is the dear spouse of Maha Kamesa! She is none other than MahaTripurasundari! She is the spouse of creator Brahma as well as his mother! She is of many forms and worshipped by the wise! She is very strict and exacting and demanding! She has established her form very well! She is the very life breath of all and grants life to everyone! She is the form of one hundred and five Sakthi Peetas! “ Brahmani Brahma Janani bahu rupa budharchita prasavitri prachandagna prathishta prakatakrutihi Praneswari pranadatri Panchasat peeta rupini” She is capable of creating the universe and destroying it by the batting of Her eyelids! In other words, when she opens her eyes universe is born and when She closes Her
eyes everything is destroyed! “ Unmesha nimishotpanna vipanna bhuvanavalihi Sahasra Sirsha vadana Sahasrakshi Sahasra path!”--She has thousand Heads, faces, eyes and feet! We find 🐃🐐such a description at the beginning of the famous “Purusha Suktha where the Viratpurusha is being described! In short, Sri Mata is Viratpurusha or the BRAHMAN and Viratpurusha is Sri Mata or the BRAHMAN!
After describing Sri Mata's eyes in various ways, Sankara points out that the white, red and black colors of Her eyes have brought the perennial rivers Shona, Ganga and Yamuna to this world! It is for the peace and prosperity of the human beings and other creatures inhabiting the earth! Sankara continues and says, “ O Mother, the daughter of the Himalayas! Elders, sages and saints proclaim that the closure and opening of your eyes result, respectively, in the destruction and creation of the universe! I know why you are not closing your eyes permanently! It is because You don't want to destroy the universe that You yourself has created!”
Sri Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotra has already indicated the glory of Sri Mata in the sixty sixth Sloka! “Unmesha nimishotpanna vipanna bhuvanavalihi”- the One capable of creating and destroying the world by opening and closing Her eyes. Mother is the embodiment of compassion! How can She destroy Her own children or creation! Otherwise she is not entitled to be called a mother! She is ever careful that Her children are safe and protected always. If ordinary mothers are so kind and compassionate to their children what should be the love of the Divine Mother for her innumerable children? Sankara builds upon the idea expressed in the sloka cited above in the Sahasra Nama Stotra!
Sankara's lmagination and smartness comes into play here and he gives a very pleasant twist and turn to the idea conveyed in the sloka of the Sahasranama! The Devas are different from the human beings as their feet do not touch the ground! Another very important quality of the Devas is they do not bat their eyelids! In short their eyes are always open and because of this quality they are called “Animishas”- those who do not bat their eyelids! Naturally all Gods and Goddesses have their eyes open always! But Sankara says that Devi has specially kept her eyes open lest the world She has created may be destroyed! That is the poetic twist that Sankara gives! To great bhaktas, normal things related to the Divine appear unnatural and abnormal!
No comments:
Post a Comment