SRI MATA'S ANXIETY ( Soundarya Lahari 29)

Sri Mata is “ Kamesa baddha mangalya sutra sobhitha kandhara”- Her neck shines by the Mangala sutra tied by her spouse Kameswara!  “ Kameswara prema rathna mani prathiprana”- sthani- Her breasts are symbolic of the Love of Kameswara! “Kamesajnatha soubhagya mardavoru dwayanvita”- She has very soft thighs known only to her husband Kameswara! During her fight with Bhandasura she creates Ganeswara by a mere look at the face of Kameswara! “ Kameswara mukhaloka kalpita Sri Ganeswara!” She is the Live Nerve of Sri Kameswara, grateful and worshipped by Manmatha, God of Love! “ Kameswara prema Nadi krutajna Kama pujitha”  Sri Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotra glorifies thus the Divine love of the Devi and Kameswara! They are “like Juno’s swans still coupled and inseparable.” Prakriti and Purusha have their divine sports and enjoy themselves! When the husband arrives after a long absence, it is but natural for the wife to become emotional and meet him with trepidation! She is extremely desirous of giving him very warm welcome by running to him! While it is so with the ordinary human beings, what should be the intimacy and love between the Ideal and the First Couple ( Adi Dampathi)?

Sri Sankara, being a poet par excellence, gives flight to his Imagination! He conceives a situation where in Sri Mata’s friends tell her how to cross the crowns of creator Brahma, Vishnu the protector, and Indra, king of Swargaloka that have prostrated themselves before Her! Kameswara is approaching Sri Mata and she is in a hurry to welcome him quickly! But on her   way are these Devas prostrating with their Crowns or Kiritas! These are the words of Sri Mata’s friends who caution her as she prepares to welcome Kameswara! “ O Mother! Please set aside the kirita of Brahma Deva! Be careful not to touch the rough and hard crown of Vishnu! This is the crown of Jambhari or Indra, king of Swargaloka! Cross it carefully! O Devi! This is how your friends caution you as your husband approaches your home”

Devi is Parabrahma Swarupini The Trimurtis are subordinated to Her! They wait upon her in the Sri Chakra along with their spouses! “MahaKamesa Nayana kumudahlada kaumudi”-She is the very eye of  Kameswara and is like the moonlight that pleases the Lily flower! She is “Pancha Preta manchadi sayini”- When she takes over the ‘Panchakrutyas’ She is the Lord of all! Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Iswara lose all their power and qualities and become lifeless! They form the legs of  pedatal which is Sadasiva!

It is interesting to note how Sankara imagines the state of Sri Mata! He visualises the Devi in her court surrounded by her maid servants! He wonders how She can advance to welcome Kameswara as the devas prostrate in front of her! He imagines that Sri Mata may stumble, in her hurry, against the Kiritas of the Devas! He then fancies that Her maids caution her to proceed slowly and carefully to welcome Kameswara! Wonderful indeed is the poetic imagination of Sankara!

Throughout his magnum opus, Soundarya Lahari, Sankara treats Sri Mata as his Mother! His description of Lalithambika is that of the wonder and supreme love or bhakti of a child for his mother! It is untainted and greatly spiritual! It is the enjoyment of the Divine Beauty of the Universal Mother by her child!

THE POWER OF DEVI'S THATANKA

 Virat Purusha or the Cosmic form is said to have the sun and the moon as his eyes! In the same way Sri Maha Vishnu is described as” Ravi sasi nayana”--having the two luminaries as His eyes! Sri Lalitha Sahasra Nama Stotra extols Sri Mata as one with “ Thatanka yugalibhuta thapanodupa mandala”--one with the sun and moon as her ear studs or rings! While Sri Mata is the embodiment of Iccha Sakthi, Kriya Sakthi and Jnana Sakthi as well as the Supreme Brahman, the angas or parts of Her body and the adornments she is decked with have a special power and significance! They become Divine with Sri Mata’s association and discharge the mandates of Sri Lalita Maha Tripurasundari to protect Her devotees! In the Bhagavata Purana when  Ambarisha, the great Vishnu bhakta was threatened by the spirit invoked by sage Durvasa, Sudarsana Chakra destroyed the Spirit and chased the sage! It did not leave the sage till he fell at the feet of Ambarisha and begged his pardon! The Trimurtis were unable to save the sage who had evil intentions on the great devotee of Vishnu! Sri Mata is also described as the core force of the region of the Sun. “Bhanu mandala madhyastha Bhairavi Bhaga Malini.”

In the twenty ninth sloka of Soundarya Lahari, Sri Sankara describes the efficacy of Sri Mata's thatankas or earrings. Says Sankara, “ O Mother! Brahma, Indra and all the other Devas in Swarga loka, despite drinking Amruta, the Divine nectar that annuls terrible old age and death, are not exempt from Death! How is it that in spite of swallowing the dreadful Halahala poison your spouse survives? It  is mainly because of the the effect of your thatankas or earstuds! While all the Devas are swallowed up by Time, Siva alone is exempted!” Why is it so? Your thatankas are the origin, status and end of Time! The inexorable effect of Time is ineffective in the presence of Sri Mata’s thatankas! Otherwise even Iswara would be in danger!

We are under the impression that the Devas are Immortal because of drinking Amruta! They have attained relative immortality! They are not exempt from death in times of the Mahapralaya or the great Deluge! They cannot remain in heaven forever! Life there is transitory. As enjoyment in heaven is over and their punya is experienced in toto, they have to come down to earth! “ Kshine punye marthya loke visanthi” Thatankas are the prerogative of a Sumangali. She is “ Sumangali sukhakari suveshadya suvasini, suvasin yarchina prita  sobhana suddha Manasa" She bestows happiness, is of pleasing personality,, is fond of worship by suvasinis, is radiant, and of pure heart!” She can never lose her thatankas until her spouse Sadasiva perishes! He is the Supreme Immortal being who is “Kalatita” - one who transcends Time! It is because of Her “Soumangalya” that Siva survived after swallowing the virulent poison Halahala!

Devi's thatankas are wonderful and powerful! They have a marvellous influence on the longevity of her husband. There is an interesting story about the miraculous effect of Devi’s thatanka  in the life of one Subramanya Iyer of Thrukadayur in Tamilnadu during the eighteenth century. He was a staunch devotee of Sri Amrutha Ghateswara, and was mad after Lord Siva. People mistook him for a real madcap but a few realized the intensity of his devotion.The ruling king Serfoji visited the temple on a day and heard about the ardent devotion of Subramanya Iyer.  Though many informed the king of the man’s insanity, he wanted to test the bhakti of the Brahmin. It was Amvasya on that day and the king questioned Subramanya Iyer what day it was. Iyer, who was lost in the dazzling radiance of Devi’s face, replied that it was a full moon day! The king was as much stunned as he was angry. He felt wronged at this answer and ordered that Subramanya Iyer would be beheaded if the moon didn't arise at six pm on that day!

Soon after the king left, Subramanya Iyer came to himself from hi trance and vision of Devi! He felt sorry for the grave mistake he had done in insulting the king by his answer! He surrendered himself to Goddess Abhirami and prayed her to save him! He prepared a platform under which fire was lit! He tied the platform with hundred ropes and started singing on the glory of the Goddess by composing beautiful stanzas in Tamil language. After every stanza he cut on rope to which the platform was connected! When he completed the seventy ninth stanza the Goddess could not contain Herself! She immediately threw one of Her dazzling and brilliant thatankas in to the sky! The whole sky was lit by the coruscating brilliance of the thatanka and the whole temple was flooded with light! The king who saw this incredible miracle was wonder struck at the true devotion the bhakta and fell at his feet! He called him henceforth “Abhirami Bhattar” by which name he was known later! The Tamil stanzas he composed are called “Abhirami Andadi” where one stanza begins with the end word of the previous stanza! Each stanza is pregnant with intense devotion, spirituality and sincere prayer. It is also a literary masterpiece, the pride of the Tamils!

ALL ACTIONS ARE YOUR WORSHIP (SOUNDARYA LAHARI 27)

Man is full of ego and arrogance! He thinks that he is the doer and takes pride in his achievements! He does not understand that there is a superior power above responsible for all his actions. As long as he thinks that he is the doer or kartha he is subjected to Papa or sin and punya. But when he offers all his actions to God, he is divested of all the effects of his actions. In the Bhagavadgita, Lord Krishna explains to the despondent Arjuna that he is, after all an instrument in His hands! “Nimitta matram bhava Savyasachin.” The Lord has already willed that the Kauravas should die. That Sankalpa can never be altered! Arjuna killing the Kauravas is like killing a dead snake! Performing all our actions and offering them to God is the only way to be absolved from all our sins! Total dedication to God and accepting everything as His will is the hallmark of a devotee or bhaktha! God takes over all the responsibilities of the devotee if he worships Him with single minded devotion and faith! “ Ananyas chintayanto mam ye janah paryupasathe thesham nityabhi yuktanam yoga kshemam vahamyaham.”

Sri Sankara in the twenty seventh sloka of Soundarya Lahari touches on this point of offering all our actions to God! Every thought word and deed has to be offered to Devi here who is the Mother of all Gods and Goddesses! Says Sankara, “ O Mother! All chanting of mantras offered to the Brahman, painting of pictures and other handicrafts, various mudras that create confusion and conflict in others, independent movement, performing ‘pradakshina’ in temples, eating, offering ‘havis’ to one’s chosen deity, offering obeisances, rolling on the floor, happiness and pleasures enjoyed through the Senses, including the opening and closing of the eyelids---let all these be considered as worship for you in the place of regular worship!”

 In short, Sankara points out that whatever action is done as an offering to the Brahman should be taken as the worship of Sri Mata. The same tattva is brilliantly explained in Sankara’s excellent Siva Manasa Puja Stotra. What is the worship that I offer you? Says Sankara, “ puja te vishayopa bhoga rachana nidra samadhi stithihi” -The pleasures that I experience through the Karmendriyas, the vishaya sukhas are my worship for you My Lord! The samadhi experience is the regular sleep that I have each and everyday! It does not stop there.

 What is the ‘pradakshina’ that I do for You? “ Sancharah padayo pradakshina' vidhihi”--my walk throughout this world is the ‘pradakshina’ that I offer you! The entire universe is the manifestation of God and hence movement anywhere in the world is equal to circumambulation of the temple! The world becomes the temple as it is the manifestation of God! Sankara voices the noblest philosophy of Advaita in the Stotra when he says that Siva Himself is his Atma! Girija, Devi Parvati is his intellect! Friends that move with him are the five vayus or Pancha pranas!

 “Sareeram gruham” Sankara emphatically says that his body is the home of Lord Siva! The body is the temple of God.” Deho Devalayam proktva jeevo devas sanatanaha” The Upanishad proclaims the same established truth. “Atmanam rathinam viddhi sareeram ratha meva tu buddhimtu sarathim viddhi manah pragraha mevacha” The. Atma is the charioteer; the body is the chariot; intellect is the driver of the chariot; Manas is the bridle that controls the running horses that are the Senses! If the Manas fails to control the senses it will be disastrous and may end in fatal accidents! Hence the body chariot has to be run cautiously remembering that the Lord as Atma is embedded there.That realization has to come to every person! Finally Sankara says in the stotra, “yadyat karma karomi tattadakhilam Sambho tavaradhanam.” O Lord! Sambho! Whatever action I perform is exactly your worship alone and nothing else! This sloka in Soundarya Lahari echoes the same thought of Sankara in his Siva Manasa Puja Stotram!

TRIMURTIS ARE NOT IMMORTAL

Man is called mortal because he is destined to die one day or other! There is no escape from death for any creature as what is created has to lose its existence at some time! That is natural law! The Sanskrit saying, “ Jatasya maranam dhruvam”- that which is born is certain to die-confirms the state of all creatures including human beings! The Devas or gods are called Immortals meaning thereby that they have no death and are eternally full of joy and enjoyment! We are totally mistaken! When their punya or the effect of their holy deeds gets exhausted they have to come down and fall on to the earth! “ Kshine punye martya loke visanthi” So even for the celestials life is uncertain and limited! They cannot remain eternally in heaven or swarga! Thus we can feel a satisfaction that the Devas are no better than the mortals that we are! There is no exception to this rule and all the Gods including the Trinity have to obey the rule of law! Sri Sankara, in the twenty sixth sloka of Soundarya Lahari, dwells on this important aspect of the transient nature of the Immortals! Sri Sankara, says “O Mother! Creator Brahma reaches the state of death; the same fate is reserved for Vishnu the Protector; the lord of Death himself is unable to escape death; the lord of wealth, Kubera is in no way different as he too dies! Indra, king of Gods with all his train has to suffer death! In this great Samsara, O Devi! it is your spouse, Sadasiva alone that plays his Divine sport freely and steadily with his closed eyes.!” Sri Mata is described as “ Pancha krutya Parayana”- capable of performing the five acts of Srushti creation, sththi protection, Samhara destruction, Tirodhana hiding, and Anugraha or blessing! She is also described as “Pancha Pretasanaseena” seated on the five pretas or lifeless bodies! Who are these “ Pancha Pretas? They are the Trimurtis, Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Iswara and Sadasiva. As Sri Mata and Sri Maha Ragni, She has delegated her powers to these Devas directing them to look after the working of the entire universe. They are thus energized by the power of Sri Mata to perform their duties. But at times, Sri Mata Herself takes over the duties of creation, protection, destruction, hiding, and blessing! Then the responsible Gods lose their dynamism and become lifeless! It is then they are called “ Pancha Pretas or disembodied souls! It is said that during the great deluge or Maha pralaya, the Trimurtis, Yama, Kubera and other Devas lose their existence! They are all absorbed in Sadasiva! When even Yama the Lord of Death dies , there is only one entity called Sadasiva, Sri Mata’s Lord that exists! He is the unchanging eternal or otherwise called the “ Kutastha.” Sri Mata or Parasakthi can never be separated from Her spouse Sadasiva or Paramasiva! He is Ardhanareeswara and she's the owner of half of His body! We are under the impression that there is only one Brahma and that he is eternal! It is not true. After every pralaya a new universe is created and new Brahma is appointed by Sri Mata! Sri Lalitha Sahasranamas Stotra clearly points out how the Trimurtis are subordinated to Sri Mata! During her fight with Bhandasura, Devi brought out the ten avatars of Narayana through the nails of her ten fingers! “ Karanguli nakhotpanna Narayna dasakrutyai namo namah” There is nothing that Sri Mata cannot do >

SRI MATA-GOD OF ALL GODS AND GODDESSES (Soundarya Lahari 25)

The very purpose of the avatar of Sri Mata is to destroy the terrible, invincible demon Bhandasura! She has equipped herself with all arms and ammunition in addition to those granted by all Devas! “ Bhandasura vadho dyukta Sakthi Sena samanvita" How many forms of Devi were created for effective fight with the Demon! Sampathkari, Aswaruda, Manthrini, Dandini, Bala, and Varahi, the second in command fought and engaged the Demon endlessly! She demolished the mines and yantras planted by Bhandasura through Ganesha whom she created by a mere look at the face of Kameswara! This was not enough to defeat the asura! She created from the tip of her nails the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu! “ Karanguli nakhotpanna Narayna dasakrutihi.” Finally She killed Bhandasura with Maha Pasupathastra and delghted all Devas! For any destruction, mere Satwa guna will not suffice! There should be a mixture of Rajo and Tamogunas! The Trimurtis, Creator Brahma, protector Vishnu and destroyer Rudra are in a position to do their job through these qualities alone! Sri Mata is the embodiment of Iccha, Jnana and Kriya Sakthis! She is capable of creation, protection and destruction at her will! In a few slokas earlier Sri Sankara has already described the efficacy of Her Padadhuli and how the Trimurtis carry on their respective activities through its power. Once again the poet and philosopher that he is, Sankara speaks of the worship that they offer her. He says that is the real worship. Says Sankara,“O Mother! Hari, Hara and Brahma the Creator are the products of Satwa, Rajas and Thamo gunas. The worship they offer at your lotus feet is the real worship and nothing else! For what reason do they stand with folded hands always by the diamond studded pedestal on which You rest your lotus feet?” Devi is “ Brahmopendra Mahendradi Deva sumsthutha vabhava”- She is prayed and worshipped by Brahma, Vishnu, lndra, king of Devas and others! All of them are obedient to Sri Mata and await her orders! They stand with folded hands and vie with one another to execute Her orders! Where is the need for worshiping Brahma, Vishnu and Siva who themselves are the worshippers of Sri Mata? By worshipping Her, we worship all the Devas in the other world! There is an interesting story in the Upanishad illustrating the greatness of Adiparasakthi and the futility of the powers of Devas. After their success in war against the Asuras, Devas became arrogant and egocentric! They gloated over their victory and celebrated it! Devi wanted to teach them a lesson! She called Vayu, placed a straw, and asked him to move it! Strangely enough,Vayu, despite his wild strength, could not move it even by a fraction of an inch! Crestfallen, he retired! It was the chance of Agni, God of fire. Adiparasakthi bade him burn the straw. Fire, despite his ever hungry tongues, couldn't burn it! He went back in shame! The others too failed miserably! They wondered at their loss of face. Adiparasakthi appeared as Uma before them and declared that it was her Shakti that had brought success for them and not their prowess! The Devas realized their folly and praised Devi! Sri Mata is “ Sarva saktimayi sarva mangala sadgati Prada” “ Maha Maya Maha Satwa, maha sakthir maha rathihi”--She is the owner of all energy, extremely holy, and the bestower of mukti or salvation! She is Maha Maya, the embodiment of illusion, Almighty, the great Enjoyer! Thus by praying and worshipping Sri Mata, we worship the entire range of celestial deities and derive the maximum benefit, peace of mind, and Devi’s GraceGrace