The significance of Devi's feet is again and again stressed by Sankara! Though he has
described them earlier, he is not satisfied. Devi's feet have defeated the lotus by their radiance and brightness! “ Padadwaya prabhajala parakruta saroruha!” She has the royal and dignified gait of the female Swan. Her lotus feet are adorned with the jingling diamond studded “Manjiras!' She is the resident of “Chintamani” and seated on the pedestal of “Pancha Brahmasana!” She is situated among the extensive lotus forest and what is called “Kadamba Vana!” She is very proud that the great sages and seers as well as all Devas praise Her glory! “Devarshigana sanghata sthuyama natma vaibhava” She is scintillatingly brilliant like the flash of lightning! She is the deity on all the six Chakras! “Thatillatha sama ruchi shatchakropari samsthita!” She is called Narayani, the embodiment of the the primordial sound or ‘nada’ devoid of name and form! “ Naranh yani Nadarupa namarupa vivarjita!” She is like the moonlight that pleases those tormented by the ‘ Tapatrayas'--three types of sufferings!
Sankara has earlier pointed out the speciality of Devi's feet. They are not ordinary. The holy water of Ganga from the matted hair of Siva washes Her feet! They are praised by the Vedas and the Upanishads! The red color of Her feet is similar to the Kaustubha diamond of Vishnu! Sankara offers his obeisance to the lotus feet of Devi wet with the smear of “laksharasa!” He conjures up the vision of Siva being very angry because She went to offer “Dohada” to the barren Asoka tree neglecting Him! Interestingly Sankara visualizes how Siva, by a slip of the tongue, called the name of His other wife and how Devi hit him with her leg over the forehead! Manmatha, Siva's enemy, had a hearty laugh through the jingling sound of Devi's anklet!
Sankara is still not fully satisfied with the glorification of Lalithambika's feet! They are eternal, and offer prosperity for all who approach Her! says Sankara, “ O Mother! Your feet are at ease in the snow clad mountains! They are bright and radiant even during the night! They grant prosperity to the followers of “Samayachara!” They outsmart and defeat the lotus that withers at frostbite and folds up during the night though Lakshmi lives in it for sometime! There is no wonder in this!”
The “Kaula and Vamachara” path of worship of Devi dates back to the primitive ritual where the ‘terrible aspect of the Mother Goddess was worshipped in prehistoric times’. It is Sankara who rescued different schools including the Saktha path from those odious practises. He ‘established it in it's pristine Vedantic purity as “ Samayachara!!” This is the main practice in the monastic institutions established by Sankara. Sankara calls “Samayachara” as “Swatantra Tantra” in his Soundarya Lahari! It integrates ‘the yogas of Mantra, laya, bhakthi, Karma and finally Jnana! The sadhaka has to identify himself totally with Sri Vidya, Sri Mata, Guru and Sri Chakra.
‘Samayachara’ is the process of initiation by the Guru. Kundalini rises through Guru’s influence. It appears to the disciple in various Chakras. Finally after the union with ‘Sahasrara’ returns to ‘Muladhara’. Worshipping Sri Lalithambika in the Chakras of ‘Kundalini’ starting from Muladhara is called ‘Samayachara’. This is explained in “Rudra Yamala” an ancient scripture as told by Siva himself to Sakthi! The worship can be done only mentally! Among the celebrated Devi upasakas are Manu, Chandra, Kubera, Manmatha, Agasthya, Indra, Dattatreya, sage Durvasa and a host of others! Sloka thirty seven of Sri Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotra declares,“Kulangana kulanthastha kaulini kulayogini Akula samayantasta Samayachara tatpara.” Later the progress of Devi through various Chakras is described in detail.
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