Sankara points out that all those blessed with the grace of Goddess Saraswathi are called ‘Saraswathipathis!’ In the same way all the rich can be called ‘Laksmipathis’! In other words, they are considered as Lords of Saraswathi and Lakshmi! Names of these Goddesses are linked to the the poets and scholars and the rich! But then the name of Parvati is never associated with any mortal! Her embrace is only for Her spouse Kameswara and not even for the ‘Gorinta’ plant which is barren and requires the ritual ‘dohada!’
Lalithambika is called by several names like Saraswathi, Lakshmi and Parvati! These Goddesses are only the other manifestations of Her! She transcends all these forms and is the “Chandrakala” of Sadasiva who is the very form of Parabrahman, the Absolute Reality! She is Sri Vidya Herself and Maha Maya or the great Illusory power that cannot be broken by time and place! Devi is called by different names though She is the only one Reality!
Sankara the philosopher is not enamored of power and pelf! He is after Self realization! Though he is a realized Soul, he considers himself as wanting in that rarest of the rare possessions! He beseeches Lalithambika for that prized possession! Says Sankara, “ O Mother! Desperately thirsting for Brahmajnana, when can I drink deep the water from Your lotus feet reddened by the “Laksharasa” applied to them? It is the cause of all poetic fervor and very nice like the “thamboola” of Goddess Saraswathi!
What is Brahmajnana? It is otherwise called as the realization of the Self enshrined in our body! Under the illusion of Maya we think that we are the body! We identify the Soul or Atma with the body! We should realize that the body is totally different from the Soul within! Atma or Soul is indestructible, eternal,can never be cut by any instrument! Neither can it be made wet or dried by air! When the body becomes old and perishes the Soul leaves the body and takes a new and fresh body! It is like our discarding worn out clothes and putting on fresh, new clothes! The bane of Man is the identification of the Soul with the body! When Man realizes that Soul is different from the body, he is freed from the bondage of Samsara, from the tragic cycle of birth and death! He is liberated from all worries and sorrows!
Sankara says that the water of Devi's feet is the origin of inspiration for all great poets for poetry and fine arts cannot come for the mere asking! It requires Divine Grace! It was this Grace of Devi that made the innocent and ignorant wood cutter the celebrated Sanskrit poet Kalidasa! It is believed that the ‘thamboola’ of Goddess Saraswathi is capable of turning any ignorant and innocent person into a poet and a great scholar! Though a great “Brahmajnani” himself, Sankara does not accept that he is qualified! That is the humility of very great people which we have to follow! We should not blow our own trumpet but remain humble whatever our achievements be!
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