Lalitha sahasranamam 116

116 Bhadra moorthy – She who is personification of all that is good.
For me goodness is mother and mother is goodness.The rig veda takes the mother goddess on two lines:The traditional line , which perceived the Divine Female as Mother Goddess. The Rigveda calls the Female power Mahimata (R.V. 1.164.33), a term which literally means Mother Earth. At places, the Vedic literature alludes to Her as Viraj, the universal mother, as Aditi, the mother of gods, and as Ambhrini, the one born of Primeval Ocean.
The Rigveda takes a mystic line, when it perceives the Proto Female as Vak or Vani, which, as the creative speech, manifests the cosmos and all existing things. In Vedic mysticism the cosmos and all things pre-exist but are unmanifest. The Vak, or Vani makes them manifest.

The Vedas and Upanishadas weave around Devi a body of mysticism, but, in popular tradition, as suggests Harivansha Purana, a 4th-5th century religious treatise, when it alludes Her as the Goddess of jungle and hill tribes, She was yet the same simple unmystified puritan Mother Goddess. Her ties with the primitive man were emotional and relatively strong. However, there also emerged, in simultaneity to this worship cult, and obviously inspired by Upanishadas' mysticism, a body of metaphysics, which perceived the Divine Female as Shakti, the guided cosmic energy and the transcendental source and support of all creatures and all created things. The Mahabharata, keeping in line with the Vedic mysticism, alludes Her as the source of all things, the spiritual as well as material. The epic enunciates that all things, material and abstract, manifest and unmanifest, are only the manifestations of the Divine Female. According to the Mahabharata, this metaphysical Being, the Mother Goddess of the primitive man, is the basis, the root and the root cause of everything. She is the eternal upholder of Dharma and truth, the promoter of happiness and the giver of salvation and prosperity but also of sorrows, grief and pain. She removes obstacles and worries and renders Her devotees' path detriment free.

Lalitha Sahasranamam -115

115 BHADRA PRIYA

She who is interested in doing good to her devotees.

This sentence clearly states that God does good to her devotees,but our understanding on this is very much limited or sometimes we do not understand this at all. we often blame god for the bad things that has befallen on us. do we ever think that this is what happens when we overdo things many times she does stop us but we pay no heed to it or try to ignore it. so is it her fault or ours?The term good according to many of us is getting things done or favours that we want.

From ancient times the great GODDESS appeared as the source of the three aspects of existence by being worshiped as the UNIVERSAL, OMNIPRESENT MOTHER, full of wisdom. She knew her children well, loved them and wished one day to gather them once again to Herself, to become part of the spiritual elite who not only entered into eternal paradise, but would go the aid of those devotees who needed her power to overcome the material difficulties of this world and other planets.
With her omniscience, she sees and knows everything, visible and invisible. Her energy can penetrate everything - our past, present and future. As Lakshmi, she has the power to intervene to grant our prayers and change treacherous circumstances.
Her second power is to open our consciousness. This is the hidden gift of love, the fundamental virtue of all good mothers. The goddess not only gives and shares her bountiful KNOWLEDGE, (Sarasvati), but she is also the internal guiding wisdom of our microcosm. This wisdom gives us the power to oppose the forces of evil.
Her third power is happiness. She sees with her heart, smiles, pardons and consoles; she cures the miseries and wounds to the spirit and inspires love. She represents interior happiness, which shines forth and communicates itself to us all. She is also called : the three wisdom's (Trayividya), the goddess of language (Bhasha), the Mother of the world (Jagadmata), the giver of life (Bhavani), the youngest (Avara), Like a Bee (Bhramani) and the giver of abundance (Anna-purna).

Bahvricha Upanishad says:

It is She that gives us life: she is their origin:
Water, the egg and the womb, plants and animals;
SHE gave birth to men, it is she who IS,
The One who give s the highest energy...

Rig-Veda says:

Born in the primordial waters (ap)
I filled the entire universe.
I touch the Sky and the Earth…

Karapatri:

She is Omniscient,
All-powerful, The Mother of the World,
Present in every corner of the universe...

Thus the Brahmins express the words of the goddess:
I wander with "the Elements of Life" (the Rudras),
"The Spheres of existence, (theVasus),
The "Sovereign Principles" (the Adityas),
The "UNIVERSAL God", ( the Visve-devas.)

Thus speaks the Great Goddess in the Devi-sukta of the Rig-Veda, (where she is described as the supreme immanent Goddess) :
" I am the kingdom which gives prosperity to all. I know all and my empire is immense. The gods have given me numerous dwellings and I live everywhere (Devi-sukta of the Rig Veda). From me is born everything that eats, sees, breathes and hears. Those who ignore me are destroyed, so meditate carefully on what I say: I am the joy of the gods as well as of men. I can give everyone that which he desires, I fight for the people, I am present in the earth and sky and give birth to the father. " (Rig-Veda)
Thus spoke the Great Goddess, mother of men :
" Here I give voice to my thoughts, they call me : the invisible idea, the voice that never changes."
"I am Unique and without sin." (Nirmala) All consciousness is in me, I speak through all creatures and I am known by the "All-Powerful One."
Son of thought, listen to the voice of your mother, for it is you who are worthy of this mystery (the inner spiritual life). This has been hidden since Eternity, so that you may become perfect.
I am the image of the invisible Spirit, it is from me that the "All-Powerful One" received his being; it is the light from the Mother that illuminates the Virgin, who is inaccessible and whose voice is imperceptible and immeasurable.
I alone am the ineffable, immaculate, incomprehensible Word of God. I am the hidden light giving the fruit of life, bringing forth "living water from an Invisible Source." I am " the Source of All", the beginning of the energy of life, the breath of power, and the eye of the three homes of the body…(The Adi Shakti)

Let me illustrate one example which shows to what extent devi could go to please her devotees.One day Parvati went to bathe in the Mandakini River with her two attendants, Jaya and Vijaya. After some time, her two attendants asked her, "Give us some food. We are hungry." She replied, "I shall give you food but please wait." After awhile, again they asked her. She replied, "Please wait, I am thinking about some matters." Waiting awhile, they implored her, "You are the mother of the universe. A child asks everything from her mother. The mother gives her children not only food but also coverings for the body. So that is why we are praying to you for food. You are known for your mercy; please give us food." Hearing this, the consort of Shiva told them that she would give anything when they reached home. But again her two attendants begged her, "We are overpowered with hunger, O Mother of the Universe. Give us food so we may be satisfied, O Merciful One, Bestower of Boons and Fulfiller of Desires." Hearing this true statement, the merciful goddess smiled and severed her own head. As soon as she severed her head, it fell on the palm of her left hand. Three bloodstreams emerged from her throat; the left and right fell respectively into the mouths of her flanking attendants and the center one fell into her mouth. After performing this, all were satisfied and later returned home. (From this act) Parvati became known as Chinnamasta.

There is another instance where the goddess is controlled by the devotee which shows her love and affection for her subjects.one day, Ugraswarupini (Kali) slipped out of the temple at night and caused maelstrom and mayhem in the city. The people of Kanchi were very apprehensive at the destruction. Sankara prayed to Kamatchi and received assurance that she would not leave the temple and wander into the town without his express permission. The curfew worked and people were happy. This is one of the very few curfews imposed by man on goddess. The tradition continues even to this day in that Kamatchi receives permission from Sankara before she ventures out of the sanctum.

Asking devi for boons and benefits is liking asking the mother for what we want but remember the boons alone does not make us happy.

Here is a verse from soundarya lahiri which when read will give everyone the benefits they are seeking for:

Smaram yonim lakshmim trithayam idam adau tava manor

Nidhay’aike nitye niravadhi-maha-bhoga-rasikah;

Bhajanti tvam chintamani-guna-nibaddh’aksha-valayah

Sivagnau juhvantah surabhi-ghrta-dhara’huti-sataih.

Lalitha Sahasranamam - 114

114 BHAVARANYA KUDARIGA –

She who is like the axe used to cut the miserable life of the world.

when we think of sakthi or devi we always think of her as a divine force who removes our miseries, but we never wait to ask ourselves a simple question.when is the person's misery removed?The answer is when we start realizing the atman within ourselves, so it means that when we say she removes our miseries it only means that she makes us understand ourselves.

We do not understand why we are born, when we are going to die or whether any part of our mental conciousness survives us after death. The physical form and name with which we are endowed at birth continues right up until the end of our lives. After this disappears as it inevitably must, what happens? The Vedas give many answers. Rebirth is certain for everyone and is irrevocably linked with previous actions and accumulated karma.However, those who have been fortunate to gain the wisdom of the infinite have no rebirth. They merge into the unchanging, attributeless, ever present conciousness.

The energy force that activates the entire universe is Shakthi, the female counterpart of Shiva. In reality, there is no difference between God and his Shakthi just as there is no difference between the Sun and its heat energy. Without the energy of Shakthi, there is no manifestation principle.It is only through the grace of Shakthi and by continuous self introspection that an individual soul can free himself from all attachments that tie him down to the material world and attain spiritual insight.The Dasha Mahaa Vidyas or the Ten Great Cosmic powers of Knowledge are the ten fundamental aspects of the Supreme Cosmic Mother. Each have a specific function and each leads to a special realisation of the One Reality.The group of Ten Vidyas reflect the dynamic unity of existence in which all aspects of life- the darkest, purest, beautiful, ugly, forceful, and inert combine to form a unified whole. Worship of the Vidyas is to understand the true nature of each Deity as the indweller of the Self.The Ten Mahaa Vidyas reflect ten different ways of knowing ourselves and the universe through identification with the ten fundamental energies of the Cosmos.They represent a vast range of concepts pertaining to life. Each of them focus on a specific topic ; some are pleasant, some are frightening , but all of them are instructive and inspire seekers to delve deeper in their quest for knowledge beyond the realm of the physical limitations of the world they live in.

Kali represents the relentless passage of Time and transformation. Our lives are intextricably caught up in the movement through time. Birth is followed by death and this cyclical process is eternal like the never ending rise and fall of waves in the ocean. Kali represents the awesome power of death as well as the gentle , nurturing spirit of birth. She represents creation both in its fierce as well as gentle aspects , as well as destruction of all things material, pertaining to this world of sense pleasures. To worship her is to get rid of all the negative tendencies we possess. Each day we have to let go of the anxieties, worries, anger, hatred and even the love and attachments we have formed, in order to be reborn spiritually.

Tara represents the power of Sound ( Shabdha) as well as Prana ( life-force). The sound of breath as well as the primordial sound of creation, OM, originate in Her. As the supreme goddess, personification of unmanifest sound, worship of Tara implies worship of the very substratum supporting this universe. The mantra OM contains within it all possible sounds that can be uttered and the silence that both follows and precedes its utterance is the nature of pure conciousness; the attributeless, unchanging, everpresent witness or Sadashiva. In her manifest form, Tara is worshipped as Speech. The many nuances of sound produce words in many languages. Tara represents the power of mental faculties and the birth of knowledge. She is the saviouress who ferries her aspirants across the ocean of life filled with sorrows, miseries as well as happiness. For, it is only when ignorance about the impermanent nature of this world is removed and knowledge dawns , can an individual attain liberation.

Tripurasundari or the goddess of the beauty of the three worlds, is synonymous with all that is perfect, harmonious and beautiful in creation. Yet, it is the perception of divinity in beauty that is emphasised by the worship of this goddess, not just the appreciation of the mere outward, physical forms of beauty that can fade away with time or get destroyed. The inner beauty we perceive shining through objects is in fact nothing but the reflection of our own awareness. To be aware of beauty in nature as divine manifestation is the symbolism of Tripurasundari. As the provider of wisdom or Cit Shakthi, Sundari reveals the identity of the individual atma with the Supreme conciousness or Paramatma ( Brahman). The three worlds she represents relate to the waking state ( sense perceptions), dreaming state ( senses are absent but the mind still functions), and the state of deep sleep ( where the mind does not exert itself and what remains is just awareness). Beyond these three states , Tripurasundari is the goddess of the fourth state of Turiya or Samadhi which is the state of unending bliss or the merging into absolute conciousness.Tripurasundari is also called Shodasi (a young girl who is eternally 16 years old), and symbolises the energy and exuberance for life in all its `aspects. She is worshipped by meditating on the famous Sri Chakra and by a mantra containing 16 syllables . These 16 syllables can be taken to represent the 16 vowels of the sanskrit alphabet as well as the 15 digits of the moon during the waxing period of the lunar month. In fact, each day is represented by a deity called Nitya ( eternal), and the 16th Nitya is Tripurasundari who is the support and substratum of all the 15 Nityas.

Bhuvaneswari is the Queen of the whole universe and the goddess of Space. She provides the very atmosphere for objects , both animate and inanimate to come into existence. She is the primal support base that brings the universe into a functioning reality , while remaining uninvolved with the interplay of the creative forces and elements. Bhuvaneswari rules over not just the external, visible space filled with objects but also the hidden spaces in the depths of our minds and hearts as well as the total void or emptiness. She fills the heart with love when worshipped sincerely and allows us to find God within ourselves as well as in every aspect of the marvellous creation.

Tripura Bhairavi represents the terrifying energy of transformation and change. She symbolises divine anger and wrath that is focused on removing all the negative tendencies and impurities in individuals. As Chandi or Durga, this warrior goddess fights the demons within each jiva rooting out the ego, and slaying anger, greed and hatred.Tripura Bhairavi is worshipped in her three fold aspects as heat energy; in Fire, Lightning and the Sun. She is the goddess of Sound ( like Tara), within each individual, but in the unmanifest , subtler form of NADA or vibration of heat energy before sound or words can be produced. She is the Kundalini that dwells at the base of the spine which can be raised through the chakra centers of the body as a purifying force. However, this can only be effected through intense concentration and by the total withdrawal of the mind from all thoughts and emotions. Worship of this powerful goddess is to understand the importance of annihilating all negative tendencies completely, even in the deepest recesses of our minds.

The disturbing image of Chinnamasta holding her severed head in one hand and yet blissfully drinking her own blood signifies going beyond body- conciousness or identification with either the body or thought- ridden mind. At one stoke her image represents both the insignificance of all material and world related objects as well as the eternal bliss resulting from transcending this state.She is the goddess of perception.Chinnamasta , like Tripura Bhairavi, is a terrifying form of Shakthi ( energy form). Like a bolt of lightening, her image jolts us into examining more closely our negativities and impurities. The severing of the head symbolises the death of the ego and all impurities of the mind. Similar to Tripura Bhairavi, Chinnamasta enables those who have attained complete mastery and control of their senses and mind to further their spiritual growth. Worship of this goddess is essential to awaken the Kundalini spirit lying dormant in every individual. Just as Tripura Bhairavi helps the aspirant tap this divine stock of energy within, Chinnamasta plays an active role in directing the vital prana shakthi through the central nadi or sushumna , upwards, into the realms of pure conciousness.

Dhumavati :Dhuma means smoke and this goddess is represented as an old woman, a widow, or potential without the masculine (Shiva) principle to activate it. Her nature is not to enlighten but to hide and obscure. What she causes is poverty, destitution, misery, disease and unhappiness. She represents all the negative aspects of life : disappointment, humiliation, defeat, loneliness, etc. However, it is only when our lives are filled with misery and unhappiness that many of us turn to religion, or have faith in God to help us and strengthen our flagging spirits. This is exactly what Dhumavati teaches us. She creates obstructions and causes miseries in some areas of our life, yet, she also gives us the impetus to discover our hidden potential in other areas and allows us to grow spiritually while giving us the strength to find practical solutions to our problems.She helps us to forget the miseries of samsara and revert to the blissful state of conciousness that existed before the very creation of the universe- As the goddess of darkness, and ignorance, Dhumavati represents both the the veiling power of maya or illusion and at the same time exposes our ignorance so that we can begin the process of learning .

Bhagalamukhi is the force that stuns and paralyzes. She is a goddess of Speech. However, while Tara represents the spoken word, Bhagala symbolises the power of silence and stillness. While Tara represents the divine word OM, Bhagalamukhi is that divine force that stills our minds and forces us to embark on on a quest of finding our own true nature without any distractions from thoughts and emotions. While Chinnamasta uses her lightening bolt energy to remove all our negative habits and impurities, Bhagalamukhi has the power of completing freezing them or stopping them in their tracks. She shatters the ego completely and crushes vagrant thoughts and false perceptions in the mind so that the process of self- enquiry can begin.Like a warrior queen using her powerful vajra or weapon to overcome hostile forces, Bhagala enables us to attain complete mastery over our thoughts and senses, and liberates us from the grip and allure of the material world. This she does by completely silencing our minds, putting an end to all conflict and confusion, and hypnotising us with the greater power of spiritual knowledge.

Matangi is the goddess who rules our thoughts before they can be expressed . Like Tara and Bhairavi, Matangi is related to the power of Speech. However, she also symbolises the ultimate expression or paraa- vak, i.e. the expression of speech in an intuitive state where the employment of mental faculties is not required. Indeed, accomplished writers, orators, poets, artists and musicians are Matangi in manifestation.Matangi is an aspect of Saraswathi, the goddess of wisdom, except that Matangi refers to the inner knowledge or spritual growth. She is the guru or teacher who has the power to guide us and like Lord Ganesha has the power to remove onbstacles in the path of self- knowledge. Her form is the Vedas and her power can be realised through the chanting of mantras. In her highest role, Matangi is the supreme silence that is the nature of the Self. She is the essence and power behind all thoughts, ideas and words.
Kamalatmika is the last of the ten Wisdom Goddesses. Her nature is that of a lotus, a symbol of birth, regeneration, beauty and love. She is the goddess of wealth, beauty, prosperity, and fertlity and is perhaps the most popular deity to be worshipped. As human beings we are constantly seeking gratification from sense objects to provide happiness. We first approach the Divine for a quick fulfillment of all our normal human needs like health, money, family happiness, etc. However, Kamala bestows more than this. She guides the aspirants to search deeper within themselves to discover their real nature, the divine nature that exists covered by layers of accumulated bad habits and negative qualities. In this aspect, she reveals the darker side of this illusory world.The worship of Kamala is the recognition of divinity at play in the entire universe. It involves worship of every aspect of the physical world starting with the greatest source of life-giving energy, the Sun. Kamala herself is effulgent and glowing like the sun. The lotus she holds in her hands symbolises inner awakening and unfoldment. The water denotes spiritual grace and the flowing of love. She bestows boons with one hand while dispelling fear with another. The elephants signify fertility and Kamalatmika reigns supreme as the goddess of all wealth, prosperity and abundance in all forms.

So in all these forms she teaches us a way of life and helps us to remove or axe the miseries.on many occasions i have stressed this point when people ask me whether devi would resolve their problems,she never resolves any problems she guides you to resolve your problems which is nothing but miseries that you have brought upon yourself because of untimely actions on your part.so by understanding her you understand yourself.

I would like to end with the verse from soundarya lahiri:

Japo jalpah shilpam sakalam api mudra-virachana

Gatih pradaksinya-kramanam asanady’ahuti-vidhih;

Pranamah samvesah sukham akilam atmarpana-drsa

Saparya-paryayas tava bhavatu yan me vilasitam.

Let the mutterings that I do,

With the sacrifice in my soul.

Become chanting of your name,

Let all my movements become thine Mudhras,

Let my travel become perambulations around thee,

Let the act of eating and drinking become fire sacrifice to thee,

Let my act of sleeping becomes salutations to you ,

And let all actions of pleasure of mine,

Become parts of thine worship.

Lalitha Sahasranamam - 113

113 BHAVANA GAMYA – She who can be attained by thinking

when we think of this term it leads us to another inportant word called bhakthi.you may ask how bhakthi and thinking is associated. Thinking of the supreme leads us to bhakthi.so if she likes us to think about her then what are we supposed to do?how can we think of her and how should we practie bhakthi?Every act must be done that awakens the emotion of Bhakti. Keep the Puja(worship) room clean. Decorate the room. Burn incense. Light a lamp. Keep a clean seat. Bathe. Wear clean clothes. Apply Vibhuti (sacred ash) or Bhasma, and Kumkum on the forehead. Wear Rudraksha or Tulasi Mala. All these produce a benign influence on the mind and elevate the mind. They generate piety. They help to create the necessary Bhava or feeling to invoke the Deity that you want to worship. The mind will be easily concentrated.
Practice of right conduct, Satsanga, Japa, Smarana, Kirtan, prayer, worship, service of saints, residence in places of pilgrimage, service of the poor and the sick with divine Bhava, observance of Varnashrama duties, offering of all actions and their fruits to the god, feeling the presence of the Her in all beings, prostrations before the image and saints, renunciation of earthly enjoyments and wealth, charity, austerities and vows, practice of Ahimsa, Satyam and Brahmacharya - all these will help you to develop Bhakti. There are five kinds of Bhava in Bhakti. They are Shanta, Dasya, Sakhya, Vatsalya and Madhurya Bhavas. These Bhavas or feelings are natural to human beings and so these are easy to practice. Practice whichever Bhava suits your temperament.
In Shanta Bhava, the devotee is Shanta or peaceful. He does not jump and dance. He is not highly emotional. His heart is filled with love and joy. Bhishma was a Shanta Bhakta.
Sri Hanuman was a Dasya Bhakta. He had Dasya Bhava, servant attitude. He served Lord Rama whole-heartedly. He pleased his Master in all possible ways. He found joy and bliss in the service of his Master.
In Sakhya Bhava, God is a friend of the devotee. Arjuna had this Bhava towards Lord Krishna. The devotee moves with the Lord on equal terms. Arjuna and Krishna used to sit, eat, talk and walk together as intimate friends.
In Vatsalya Bhava, the devotee looks upon God as his child. Yasoda had this Bhava with Lord Krishna. There is no fear in this Bhava, because God is your pet child. The devotee serves, feeds, and looks upon God as a mother does in the case of her child.
The last is Madhurya Bhava or Kanta Bhava. This is the highest form of Bhakti. The devotee regards the Lord as his Lover. This was the relation between Radha and Krishna. This is Atma-Samarpana. The lover and the beloved become one. The devotee and God feel one with each other and still maintain a separateness in order to enjoy the bliss of the play of love between them. This is oneness in separation and separation in oneness. Lord Gauranga, Jayadeva, Mira and Andal had this Bhava.

In the Srimad-Bhagavata and the Vishnu Purana it is told that the nine forms of Bhakti are
Sravana (hearing of God's Lilas and stories),
Kirtana (singing of His glories),
Smarana (remembrance of His name and presence),
Padasevana (service of His feet),
Archana (worship of God),
Vandana (prostration to Lord),
Dasya (cultivating the Bhava of a servant with God),
Sakhya (cultivation of the friend-Bhava) and
Atmanivedana (complete surrender of the self).
A devotee can practice any method of Bhakti which suits him best. Through that he will attain Divine illumination. so if one practices bhakthi he is loved by god but what the benefits or the fruits of bhakthi Bhakti softens the heart and removes jealousy, hatred, lust, anger, egoism, pride and arrogance. It infuses joy, divine ecstasy, bliss, peace and knowledge. All cares, worries and anxieties, fears, mental torments and tribulations entirely vanish. The devotee is freed from the Samsaric wheel of births and deaths. He attains the immortal abode of everlasting peace, bliss and knowledge.

Ramanuja, a great teacher of bhakti yoga, speaks of the preparations necessary for the development of genuine love of God:
One wishing to cultivate love of God should discriminate about food; for, as the Upanishads say, when the food is pure the mind becomes pure. The gross part of food helps to build up the body, and the subtle force lodged in it manufactures thought. The influence of food on thought is easily observed; a heavy meal induces mental indolence; and after drinking a large quantity of liquor one finds it difficult to control the mind. Certain kinds of food excite the mind and the senses, and other kinds dull them; a vegetarian diet is helpful. Dirt and dust must be removed from food, which also should be free from any contact with the saliva of another person. Lastly, food cooked or served by an impure person adversely affects the devotee’s mind. Therefore a lover of God who develops a sensitive mind should be careful about food.
(Sankaracharya gives a wider meaning to food: it means not only what goes into the mouth, but also what is taken by the other sense organs besides the tongue. The objects of the senses should be conducive to the cultivation of the spiritual life; therefore discrimination should be applied to what we see, touch, hear, smell, and eat.)
Second, the devotee should control extreme desires for material objects. Objects are helpful only in so far as they further the spiritual life. They are means to an end, and not an end in themselves. The desire to possess them should be suppressed if they lead to enlargement in the world.
Third, the devotee of God should practice devotion unflaggingly. As progress is never made at a constant level, he should remain undisturbed by the ebb and flow of his spiritual life. During the period of ebb, he must hold to the progress he has already made, and during the flow he should move forward swiftly. What a person does or thinks now is the result of his past practices, and thus he can build for the future through his present practices. By practice the mind can be made to flow uninterruptedly toward God, as oil flows uninterruptedly when it is poured from one jar to another. Love for the ideal makes practice easy and pleasant. If the devotee feels dryness of heart, he can remove it with the help of devotional music.
Fourth, one should learn unselfishness by doing good to others. The selfish man can never cultivate divine love. The Hindu scriptures speak of five unselfish actions, called the ‘fivefold sacrifices,’ to be performed by a pious householder. The following are the five great duties of a householder:
The study and teaching of the Vedas
Daily worship of the gods through appropriate rituals
Gratification of the departed ancestors by offering their spirits food and drink according to the scriptural injunctions
Kindness to domestic animals, and
Hospitality to guests, the homeless, and the destitute.
Fifth, one should always practise purity, which comprises truthfulness, straightforwardness, compassion, non-injury, and charity. God is truth and reveals Himself to the truthful; it is said that if one never deviates from the truth for twelve years, one’s words become infallible. Straightforwardness means the simplicity and the guilelessness of the innocent child, who is specially favoured of God. By means of compassion, a man controls his greed, and selfishness. A devotee abstains from injuring others by thought, words, or deed. There is no virtue higher than charity; he who goes to the extent of hurting himself while helping others receives divine grace.
Sixth, one should avoid despondency. Religion is not gloominess; one does not find a melancholy saint. The cheerfulness of a devotee comes from his faith in God.
Seventh, a devotee should avoid excessive merriment, which makes the mind fickle and is always followed by sorrow. Laughter and tears are inseparable companions.
The devotee who practices these seven disciplines acquires genuine love for God.

There are two forms of divine love: preparatory and supreme. During the preparatory stage certain forms of external help are necessary. Needless to say, the aspirant must be ready for the spiritual life; he must feel a true yearning for God. Sometimes momentary impulses are mistaken for such yearning. One may feel a desire for the spiritual life when struck by a blow from the world, in the shape of the death of a near and dear one, or loss of money. But one generally recovers from such a shock. He is a true devotee of God who, though he may possess all kinds of material goods, is not interested in them because he is aware of their impermanent and unsubstantial nature. Such an aspirant, pure in thought, word, and deed, seeks the help of a spiritual teacher. God no doubt dwells in all men and is their inner guide. But since at the outset a man’s impure thoughts usually distort the divine voice, he needs a guide to show him the right path. The teacher quickens the spiritual awakening: a candle is lighted from another lighted candle. Religious history shows that even the greatest saints and mystics have taken help from a qualified teacher; the mere study of books is not enough.
A teacher must be properly qualified and should possess knowledge of the scriptures in order to dispel students’ doubts. He must have direct experience of God, the most important qualification. Free from sinfulness and selfish motives, he must be ‘like an ocean of mercy, which knows no reason.’ With infinite patience and infinite love he unfolds the disciple’s heart, and the breeze opens the buds at the advent of spring. The father provides one with the physical birth, but the teacher with the spiritual birth. The student should approach the teacher with respect, in a spirit of service, and ask him intelligent questions. The meeting of a qualified student with a God-like teacher- as when Peter met with Christ, or Vivekananda with Ramakrishna- is a wonderful event in the spiritual world. The ideal teacher here described is indeed rare. But one may also derive benefit from a less perfect guide. As the mind of the pupil becomes purer, he finds that God- who dwells in everyone’s heart- is guiding him on his spiritual path.

Lalitha Sahasranamam - 112

112. BHAVANI – She who is the consort of Lord Shiva

This fusion of Shiva and Shakthi representing the male and female halves transcends the distinction between and limitation of male and female and takes the Lord to the level of beyond-gender manifest Brahman, realization of which means liberation.
Shakthi part is golden, while Shiva part is snow-white. She is substrate and He is substance.. Shiva is static; Shakthi is dynamic and creative. Shiva is Being and Shakthi is Becoming. He is One; She is many; He is Infinite and She renders the Infinite into finite; He is formless and She renders the Formless into myriad forms; But both are one. Shiva and Shakthi exist in Nirmala Turiya state (Stainless Purity).Shiva is viewed as the Holder of Power, though he is inert. Shiva is Shava (dead body) without Shakthi. All that power in creation, maintenance, and dissolution rests with Shakthi. But the Great Mother does not exist without Shiva.
When they become one Ardhanarishvara becomes a being of generative and constructive force. Ardhanarishvara it seems shows us just what can be done when we embrace the opposite in ourselves.
Philosophically, this form portrays the boundless Grace of God. The formless God is called parashiva. On Its own free-will for the benefit of pashus (souls), which are drowned in pAsha (bondage), It thinks to create the worlds. Its dynamism of creation thus springs out of It, which is called Shakthi. Now Shiva and Its power Shakthi create everything. This is the form of their togetherness that makes every existence active. Shiva and Shakthi are one and the same Supreme may also act independently. They are associated like the person and the action of the person. They are one and the same like the ice and the water - one becomes the other. Poet Kalidasa hails them as inseparable like the word and its meaning, the letter and pronunciation!!
"VAk arthA viva samprakthau vAkartha pprathipathayae jagatha: pithrau vandhe parvathi parameshwarau "

A variety of images and metaphors are used to express the harmonious interdependence and close identity of Parvati as sakti and Siva as saktiman, the possessor of sakti.

Siva is said to be the male principle throughout creation, Parvati the female principle,

Siva is the sky, Parvati the earth,

Siva is subject, Parvati object,

Siva is the ocean, Parvati the seashore,

Siva is the sun, Parvati, its light,

Parvati is all tastes and smells,

Siva the enjoyer of all tastes and smells,

Parvati is the embodiment of all individual souls,

Siva the soul itself,Parvati assumes every form that is worthy to be thought of,

Siva thinks of all such forms,

Siva is day, Parvati night,

Parvati is creation, Siva the creator,

Parvati is speech, Siva meaning.

There are various stories which tell us about the origin of Siva as Ardhanarisvara. Appar, a great devotee of Siva in one of his hymns, tells us about the circumstances under which Siva became Ardhanarisvara. The daughter of Himavan, Himavati did severe penance when she was separated from her Lord. Siva married her and incorporated her as part of his body, as the rare form of “arum thirumeni”.
There is a story in the Siva Purana that when Brahma first begot a number of Prajapatis and commanded them to create various other beings, they were unable to do so, and Brahma, feeling uneasy at the slow pace of creation contemplated on Maheshwara. The latter appeared to him in the composite form of male and female, as Ardhanarisvara and asked him to cease feeling distressed. Till now it did not occur to Brahma to create females, and the sight of Maheswara, in the form of Ardhanarisvara made him realise his error. Thereafter he prayed to the female half of Mahesvara, Uma, to give him a female to proceed with the act of creation. Brahma’s request was complied with and the process of creation started ever since.
Yet another story which centres around the concept is from the Sivamahimanastava of Puspadanta, composed in the first century A.D. The 24th verse tells us how Kama, the God of love came to fight with Siva. Kama in order to show his valour, came armed with an arrow of sugarcane and panchpushpa. On his arrival Siva transformed himself into a most beautiful feminine form of Parvati in himself. Seeing the beauty of Parvati, Kama, who was so vain about his beauty, died of shame.
In the Kallika Purana there is another story. The consort of Siva, being Kali, was dark, with Siva being fair. After strict penance she became fair and became Gauri. Then she noticed the reflection of a lady on the left side of Siva’s chest. So inspite of turning Gauri from Kali, she became jealous and angry when she noticed the reflection, at which Siva told her that “you have not realised that I cannot exist without you and it is your reflection that you can see on the left side of my body”. Gauri then asked him to prove it by letting her be one half of his body and he being one half of her body. Gauri [Parvati] agreed to be one half of Siva’s body on the condition that she could leave that half of the body, which was feminine, whenever she wanted to retain her identity.
The Skanda Purana also has a story pertaining to Ardhanarisvara. The demon Andhakasura, being invincible by the boon given to him by Brahma, grew so conceited and vain that he wanted to possess everything which was dear to the Gods. He thought of winning the consort of Siva, Parvati, as his wife and proceeded to Kailasa to take possession of Parvati. Getting to know of the wicked move of the demon, Vishnu quickly spirited away Parvati to Vaikunta, the abode of Vishnu. When the demon reached Vaikunta, after having made a futile search for Parvati in Kailasa, he saw Parvati standing in front of the gateway. She multiplied herself in similar appearance. The demon was confused and bewildered as he could not identify who among the appearances was Parvati herself. The story has it that then Parvati created her Ardhnarisvara form and stood firmly at the gate. The demon seeing an appearance which was neither male or female lost interest and went back. Vishnu who saw the phenomenon was surprised not only at the sight of the form but also that he saw himself represented in the female half of the form.
In the Amrkandeya Purana is a story where Markandeya says that Rudra and Vishnu are the creators of the Universe and they form the Ardhanarisvara aspect of the former deity. Here the allusion is to the Haryardha form of Siva, in which the female generative principle is identified with Vishnu. That the male and the female principles are inseparable and are ever together in cosmic evolution is the real import of the Ardhanarisvara or Haryardha forms of Siva. The same idea is also conveyed in a brief way by the symbols of the linga and the yoni.
In the Vamana Purana, Vishnu is reported to have said to a Rishi that he andsiva were one and that in him resides Siva also. Vishnu then manifests himself to the Rishi in this dual aspect of His, in the Ardhanarisvara form, the left half occupied by the Devi or Prakriti, the right half by Him or Purusha. Purusha and Prakriti are united with each other for the purpose of generating the universe, the same idea represented by the Linga and the Yoni.
The Linga-Purana also has a story about the form of Ardhanariswara. In the Linga-Purana it is said that Ardhanariswara came into existence through the union of the Linga and the Veda and the result was its son Brahma, who has four mouths.
This Ardhanarisvara Siva, who is supposed to be omnipresent and the embodiment of knowledge, bestowed the real knowledge to his newly born son - Brahma.
Then Siva saw the newly born Brahma, or “Hiranyagarbha” and in turn Brahma saw Siva in the form of Ardhanarisvara. Seeing Siva in such a form, Brahma started praying to him in eight-fold speeches. Brahma prayed intensely and requested him to divide his body in two forms, male and female and accordingly Lord Siva created a `goddess’, his wife, from the left side of his body, who was just like him. This primeaval body became the consort of Siva and this very lady became the daughter of `Daksha’ as desired by God i.e. Lord Siva. As a daughter of `Daksha’ she was named Sati and restored to Lord Siva, as husband, and in due course having condemned Daksha, she became Goddess Maina.
There is yet another account of the appearance of Siva in the Ardhanarisvara form. On a certain occasion when Siva was seated with his consort Parvati on the top of the top of the Kailasa mountain, the devas and rishis went there to pay their homage to Him. All of them except the Rishi Bhringi went round Siva and Parvati in their circumambulations and also bowed to both. This Rishi had made a vow of worshipping only one being, that is Siva, and in conformity with his vow, he declined to go around and bow down to Parvati. Parvati growing angry with Bhringi, desired in her mind that all his flesh and blood should disappear from his body and instantly he was reduced to a skeleton covered with only the skin. In this state he was unable to support himself in an erect position. Seeing his pitiable plight Siva gave him a third leg so as to enable him to maintain equilibrium. Bhringi became pleased with his Lord and out of joy danced vigorously with his three legs and praised Siva for his grace. The design of Parvati to humble Bhringi thus failed and that failure caused great annoyance to Parvati who in turn did penance for obtaining a boon from Siva. At the end of the penance, Siva, pleased with his consort, granted her wish of being united with his own body. Thus the Ardhnarisvara form was assumed by Siva, making it difficult for Rishi Bhringi in circumambulating or bowing to Siva alone. But, undaunted by this impediment Bhringi assumed the form of a beetle, pierced a hole through the composite body of Siva and circumambulated Siva alone, to the great wonder and admiration of even Parvati, who became reconciled to his vow and bestowed her grace upon the pious Rishi for his steadfastness to his vow.

Such is the relationship between shiva and sakthi that is why sakthi is referred as Bhavani.

Lalitha sahasranamam 111

111 BISA THANTHU THANIYASI

She who is as thin as the thread from lotus

This sentence reminds me of the lines in soundarya lahiri where she is considered to have a thin body.here it is:

Kvanat-kanchi-dama kari-kalabha-kumbha-stana-nata

Pariksheena madhye parinata-sarachandra-vadana;

Dhanur banan pasam srinim api dadhana karatalaii

Purastad astam noh Pura-mathitur aho-purushika.

With a golden belt,Adorned by tiny tingling bells,

Slightly bent by breasts like the two frontal globes

Of an elephant fine,With a thin pretty form,

And with a face like the autumn moon,Holding in her hands,

A bow of sugar cane , arrows made of flowers,

And the noose and goad,She who has the wonderful form,

Of the ego of the God who burnt the three cities,

Should please come and appear before us.

The magnificence of Devi is expressed through these slokas from the Saundarya Lahari wherein it is stated:
Jagathsuthe Dhatha Hariravathi Rudraha Kshapayathe;
Thiraskurvan Ethath Swamapi Vapureeshasthirayathi;
Sada Poorvaha Sarvam Thadidamanugrunhathi Cha Shivaha;
Thavajna Malambya Kshanachalithayor Bhrulathikayoho
“Brahma brings into manifestation the entire Universe; Hari (Vishnu) protects and sustains it; Rudra destroys it; and Isha (Maheshwara) absorbs all (deities and the entire Universe in involution) back into Himself and then merges into Sadashiva (the ultimate). When it is then time for a new cycle of creation to pour forth, Sadashiva, upon receiving permission from Devi by way of a subtle movement of Her creeper-like brows, blesses (i.e. brings forth and reinstates) these deities into activity (as they were in the previous cycle).”
Virinchihi Panchatvam Vrajathi Harirapnothi Virathim;
Vinasham Keenasho Bhajathi Dhanado Yathi Nidhanam;
Vithandree Maahendree Vithathirapi Sammeelithadrisha;
Mahasamharesmin Viharathi Sathi Tvathpathirasou
“Virinchi (Brahma) is reduced into elements; Hari (Vishnu) withdraws into a state of passivity; Kinasha ( Yama the god of death) brings death upon himself; Kubera (the god of wealth) dies; and Indra, together with all those who follow him, closes his eyes in destruction. O Sati, most chaste consort of Shiva, when this is the state of all beings upon the occurrence of total dissolution of the entire Universe, only Sadashiva, Thy Husband, is sporting.”
Here we are informed of the whole hearted faithfulness of Devi to Her husband, the indestructibility of Shiva, and the dominant role of Shakti in bringing forth the new creative cycle. At the beginning of creation, Adishakti evolves from the Supreme as the First and is known by the seed names of Rajarajeshwari (the reflection of Rajarajeshwara), Chidrupi Paradevatha, Lalitha Tripurasundari, Parameshwari (the Supreme Maya), and Maha Kundalini Devi. During the process of creation there is no dissolution, and during the process of dissolution there will be no creation. Adi Shakti assumes two forms, one during the command of creation and existence (Rajarajeshwari) and the second during the command of dissolution and non-existence (Durga). However, this is done without being divided into two! Rajarajeshwari is Durga – Durga is Rajarajeshwari.

“Durga,” in Sanskrit, means “Invincible.” The syllable “DU” is synonymous with the four demons of poverty, or daridra; suffering, or dukh; famine, or durbhiksha; and evil habits, or durvyasana. The “R” in Durga denotes diseases, or rogaghna, and “GA” represents sins, or papaghna (injustice, irreligion, cruelty, laziness, and other evil habits). Thus the Goddess Durga destroys all these evils, represented by DU, R, and GA. The worship of Durga has been popular since very ancient times. Lord Rama worshipped Mother Durga to attain victory over the demon King Ravana. The Mahabharata mentions that Arjuna worshiped Durga to obtain victory over the Kauravas. In Durga Sapthashathi, the most beloved scripture of Durga worshippers, She is mentioned by 108 names; thus She is all forms of the Divine Mother, or the Divine Mother Herself.
The origins of Durga are important to us, for they pertain to the glory and power of Adi Shakti. The following story reveals the status of Durga, She who was, from the very beginning, the source and essence of all forms. It is shown that by Her command, as the Shakti of Shiva, all is brought to pass. Her first appearance came in the very beginning, before creation had begun. It is said that Vishnu was sleeping and that during this yoga sleep the creator Brahma was created from Vishnu’s navel. Brahma was not conscious of the purpose of his birth, so he was meditating on Lord Vishnu as he slept. At that time, from the dirt of the ear of Lord Vishnu, two powerful asuras (demons, or destructive negative powers) were born. These demons, Madhu and Kaitabha, ran towards Brahma to kill him. Brahma was not powerful enough to destroy the demons, so he prayed to Shakti, or Mahamaya - the power of supreme consciousness (Parabrahman). With this invocation, the Divine Mother appeared before Brahma and woke Lord Vishnu to expose the mischievous intention of Madhu and Kaitabha. Vishnu fought with those asuras for 5000 Divine years, but he could not destroy them. Then the Divine Mother enchanted the demons and made them say, “Vishnu we have had enough fighting with you. Ask us for a boon.” Being bound by their own words, they had to grant Vishnu the desired boon, whereupon Lord Vishnu took out his chakra and cut their heads off.
Another story reveals the nature of Durga as She who steps forward to respond when the witnessing of consciousness (Shiva) reveals that the Truth (Mother) is being eroded and is in decline. This story speaks of a powerful demon called Mahish, or Mahishasura, who had obtained the boon that he would never be killed by anyone but a beautiful woman. After obtaining the boon he became invincible, defeating and dethroning Indra, the Lord of Heaven. Mahish won all the three worlds and turned all the gods out of their abode in heaven. All the gods and sub-gods, accompanied by Brahma and Vishnu, went to Lord Shiva and told Him of Mahish’s cruelty and brutality. Upon hearing of Mahish’s misdeeds, Shiva became angry. He knew, however, that He was as helpless as all the other gods because of Mahish’s boon. Only the Divine Mother could bring an end to this terrible drama.
In His anger, Shiva produced a beam of light from His mouth and joined with this were rays of light from all the gods. From the mouth of angry Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma, a large body of light was produced. At the same time, light issued from the body of other angry gods and amshas. In the end, all the radiance that came from gods and amshas was united and became one body of light. Its radiance spread in all directions and all the gods and amshas beheld a blazing ball of fire and radiance flaming with invincible vigour and power. This fire slowly converted itself into the form of the Goddess. Her face was formed from the radiance which came from the mouth of Lord Shiva. From the radiance of Ram came Her long dark hair, and from Vishnu’s radiance Her two arms were formed. From the Radiance of Indra, Her middle region was formed. Her thighs were produced by the radiance of Varuna (Lord of water) and Her Buttocks from the tejas of Prithvi (earth). From the radiance of Brahma, Her feet were created and Her toes from the radiance of sun. From the radiance of the Vasus (the guardian of eight directions) Her fingers were created and from the radiance of Kubera Her nose. The three eyes of the Goddess were produced from the radiance of three headed Agni (god of fire). Her ears were created from the radiance of Marut (lord of wind), and the rest of Her came from the radiance of Vishwakarma and other amshas.
All the gods provided Durga with powerful weapons. Shiva produced a trishul of His own trident and gave it to the Goddess. Vishnu produced a disk from his Chakra and presented it to Her. Varuna gave Her his conch. Pavan (Marut) gave Her the bow and arrow and Indra produced a Vajra (thunder bolt) from his own Vajra. Yama, the lord of death, gave Her a danda (sceptre) and Brahma gave his kamandalu (water pot). The sun god gave radiance to each and every pore of Her body and She received a sword and a shield from Kala (lord of Time). Vishwakarma presented Her with an axe and unbreakable armour. Thus did Durga become replete with all manner of weapons and decorations.
The Goddess made a sound that caused the three worlds to tremble and Mahishasura, hearing it, sent his commanders to destroy the newborn power. Chikshur, Chamar, Udagra, Mahahanu, Asilome, Vashikal, and Vidalaksh - all the great commanders of Mahishasura - came one by one with their armies to fight. All were killed by the Goddess, who was the Divine Mother Durga. After the death of all his powerful generals, Mahishasura himself came onto the battlefield and began to fight. Sometimes he fought as a buffalo, sometimes as a lion, and sometimes as an elephant. Sometimes he fought from the earth and other times he went up into space and fought from there. Then the Divine Mother stepped down from the lion and jumped on Mahishasura, beheading him and bringing an end to his reign of terror. His death created a wave of joy among the gods and they all worshipped Durga.
We must note here what these stories illustrate and what is true today. When the forces of darkness overwhelm the Divine force and Shiva witnesses that it is time for dissolution of evil, the Divine forces (all the gods), as witnesses within the three worlds, summon forth the Mother. They do so by projecting the rays of their combined light for Her Shakti to come forth. (This light from the above story represents the Shakti within each of the Divine forms of the gods which takes action as a result of the Will of the Witness, bringing forth the eternal form of the Goddess.) The Divine Mother, in Her form as Durga, issues forth from the Para-Bindu and asserts Herself in the battle of good and evil. It is here that Shiva, in His Divine Play, is calling for the re-creation of Durga, who issues forth in response to His witnessing of evil.
This story from Markandya Purana illustrates that Durga is the unified symbol of all Divine forces. She is produced from the radiance of all the gods: She is the essence in all and they are all present in Her. This unified force only manifests when the evil forces threaten the very existence of the Divine forces. Thus Durga represents a joint venture of Divine forces to destroy disharmony and establish harmony. Her birth is to establish the rule of Dharma (righteousness). Durga is accepted as the primordial Prakriti and Shakti in the Skanda Purana. In Bhavopanishad, She is praised as a Brahmarupini (one who is like Brahma). The Kurma Purana accepts Her as Nirguna Brahma (the Absolute God).