In the fourteenth sloka of Sri Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotra, Vasinyadi Vagdevatas, after describing the features of Devi's physical form, point out the nature of Her breasts! They are symbolic of the eternal love of Kameswara for his spouse Lalita Maha Tripurasundari! The way the Vasinyadi Vagdevatas describe the breasts is interesting. The breasts are the fruits borne by the creeper like hair originating from Her navel! “ Nabhyalavala romali lathaphala kuchadwayi” Sankara is inspired by this sloka in his description of the breasts of Devi! As a poet and a great upasaka of Devi, he digresses into the different aspects of those Divine breasts and conjures up different images! Devi is like a flash of lightning in its coruscating brilliance and a resident of the six Chakras! She is ‘Maha Sakthi’- greatest energy; Bhavani, transcending all thoughts and the sledge hammer for the wild forest of samsara or family and material life! “Thatillatha sama ruchi shatchakropari samsthita Bhavani bhavnagamya bhavaranya kutarika!”
Sankara hopes that the breasts of Devi, feeding Her children Vinayaka and Kumaraswami should ward off all our difficulties and dangers! In his childishness, looking at the breasts, Vinayaka suspects if his mother has stolen his elephant head! He feels to assure himself if his head is safe and secure! Sankara asserts that both Vinayaka and Kumaraswami remain celibate because they are fed with the Divine nectar of breasts that are actually “Amritaokalasas” studded with rubies!
The poetic psyche of Sankara brings fresh and surprising ideas! Says Sankara, “ O Mother! Your breasts wear on them the white garland, strung with the pearls from the head of the Gajasura! That white Garland is reddened by the color of your nether lip of the hue of the Bimba fruit! The garland shines in amazing multicolors! It is similar to the (red) terrible heroism mixed with the white (pure) renown of Iswara!” We find Sankara devoting four slokas on the Divine breasts! Different thoughts come to him as he visualizes them. The childhood of Vinayaka and Kumaraswami comes in handy to Sankara! The description that Vinayaka mistook Devi's breasts as his head is far-fetched and exaggerated! That is the poetic way of inducing surprise and amazement in the readers!
Gajasura is he Elephant Demon. According to Kurma Purana the demon assumed the form of an elephant and terrorized the brahmins worshipping the Linga. Lord Siva emerged from the Linga and slew the demon! He removed the elephant skin and wore it on his upper body. Another version says that the demon performed severe penance and obtained boons but became proud and arrogant! He robbed and killed people. He once attacked devotees of Lord Siva in Varanasi when the Lord ripped his body and draped himself with the elephant skin! Thus Lord Siva is called Gaja Samhara Murthy, Gajantaka, Matangari! There is a temple dedicated to Gajantaka at Vazuvur in Tamil Nadu. The icon is of eight armed bronze!
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