Lalitha Sahasranamam - 132

132 Niradhara – She who does not need any support to herself.

In other words we can say she is independent of everyone and everything in this universe.This reminds me of Devi in the form of Durga.Goddess Durga is the mother of the universe and is the power behind the work of creation, preservation, and destruction of the world. Since time immemorial she has been worshipped as the supreme power of the Supreme Being and has been mentioned in many scriptures - Yajur Veda, Vajasaneyi Samhita and Taittareya Brahman. There are many incarnations of Durga: Kali, Bhagvati, Bhavani, Ambika, Lalita, Gauri, Kandalini, Java, Rajeswari, et al. Durga incarnated as the united power of all divine beings, who offered her the required physical attributes and weapons to kill the demon "Mahishasur". Her nine appellations are Skondamata, Kusumanda, Shailaputri, Kaalratri, Brahmacharini, Maha Gauri, Katyayani, Chandraghanta and Siddhidatri. Durga is depicted as having eight or ten hands. These represent eight quadrants or ten directions in Hinduism. This suggests that she protects the devotees from all directions.Like Shiva, Mother Durga is also referred to as "Triyambake" meaning the three eyed Goddess. The left eye represents desire (the moon), the right eye represents action (the sun), and the central eye knowledge (fire). durga has many weapons in her hands.

• The conch shell in Durga's hand symbolizes the 'Pranava' or the mystic word 'Om', which indicates her holding on to God in the form of sound.
• The bow and arrows represent energy. By holding both the bow and arrows in one hand "Mother Durga" is indicating her control over both aspects of energy - potential and kinetic.
• The thunderbolt signifies firmness. The devotee of Durga must be firm like thunderbolt in one's convictions. Like the thunderbolt that can break anything against which it strikes, without being affected itself, the devotee needs to attack a challenge without losing his confidence.
• The lotus in Durga's hand is not in fully bloomed, It symbolizing certainty of success but not finality. The lotus in Sanskrit is called "pankaja" which means born of mud. Thus, lotus stands for the continuous evolution of the spiritual quality of devotees amidst the worldly mud of lust and greed.
• The "Sudarshan-Chakra" or beautiful discus, which spins around the index finger of the Goddess, while not touching it, signifies that the entire world is subservient to the will of Durga and is at her command. She uses this unfailing weapon to destroy evil and produce an environment conducive to the growth of righteousness.
• The sword that Durga holds in one of her hands symbolizes knowledge, which has the sharpness of a sword. Knowledge which is free from all doubts, is symbolized by the shine of the sword.

Durga's trident or "trishul" is a symbol of three qualities - Satwa (inactivity), Rajas (activity) and Tamas (non-activity) - and she is remover of all the three types of miseries - physical, mental and spiritual. Anote worthy hymn of goddess durga is:

"Ya devi sarvabhuteshu, shakti rupena samshthitha Namasteshwai Namasteshwai Namasteshwai namo namaha".

As I have mentioned earlier durga exists in nine forms at different times.let us see the nine forms.

Durga Shailputri (Daughter of Mountain) She is a daughter of Himalaya and first among nine Durgas. In previous birth she was the daughter of Daksha. Her name was Sati - Bhavani. i.e. the wife of Lord Shiva. Once Daksha had organized a big Yagna and did not invite Shiva. But Sati being obstinate, reached there. Thereupon Daksha insulted Shiva. Sati could not tolerate the insult of husband and burnt herself in the fire of Yagna. In other birth she became the daughter of Himalaya in the name of Parvati - Hemvati and got married with Shiva. As per Upnishad she had torn and the egotism of Indra, etc. Devtas. Being ashamed they bowed and prayed that, "In fact, thou are Shakti, we all - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiv are capable by getting Shakti from you." Brahmacharini
The second Durga Shakti is Brahamcharini. Brahma that is who observes penance(tapa) and good conduct. Here "Brahma" means "Tapa". The idol of this Goddess is very gorgeous. There is rosary in her right hand and Kamandal in left hand. She is full with merriment. One story is famous about her. In previous birth she was Parvati Hemavati the daughter of Himvan. Once when she was busy in games with her friends. Naradaji came to her and predicted seeing her Palm-lines that, "You will get married with a naked-terrible 'Bhole baba' who was with you in the form of Sati, the daughter of Daksh in previous birth. But now you have to perform penance for him." There upon Parvati told her mother Menaka that she would marry none except Shambhu, otherwise she would remain unmarried. Saying this she went to observe penance. That is why her name is famous as tapacharini - Brahmacharini. From that time her name Uma became familiar.

Chandraghanta The name of third Shakti is Chandraghanta. There is a half-circular moon in her forehead. She is charmful and bright. She is Golden color. She has three eyes and ten hands holding with ten types of swords - etc. weapons and arrows etc. She is seated on Lion and ready for going in war to fight. She is unprecedented image of bravery. The frightful sound of her bell terrifies all the villains, demons and danavas.

fourth Durga is Kushmanda. The Shakti creates egg, ie. Universe by mere laughing .She resides in solar systems. She shines brightly in all the ten directions like Sun. She has eight hands. Seven types of weapons are shining in her seven hands. Rosary is in her right hand. She seems brilliant riding on Lion. She likes the offerings of "Kumhde." Therefore her name "Kushmanda" has become famous. Skanda Mata

Fifth name of Durga is "Skanda Mata". The daughter of Himalaya, after observing penance got married with Shiva. She had a son named "Skanda." Skanda is a leader of the army of Gods. Skanda Mata is a deity of fire. Skanda is seated in her lap. She has three eyes and four hands. She is white and seated on a lotus.

KatyayaniSixth Durga is Katyayani. The son of "Kat" as "Katya". Rishi Katyayan born in this "Katya" lineage. Katyayan had observed penance with a desire to get paramba as his daughter. As a result she took birth as a daughter of Katyayan. Therefore her name is "Katyayani" . She has three eyes and eight hands. These are eight types of weapons missiles in her seven hands. Her vehicle is Lion.
Kalratri Seventh Durga is Kalratri. She is black like night. Durga hairs are unlocked. She has put on necklaces shining like lightening. She has three eyes which are round like universe. Her eyes are bright. Thousands of flames of fire come out while respiring from nose. She rides on Shava (dead body). There is sharp sword in her right hand. Her lower hand is in blessing mood. The burning torch (mashal) is in her left hand and her lower left hand is in fearless style, by which she makes her devotees fearless. Being auspicious she is called "Shubhamkari."

Maha Gauri The Eighth Durga is "Maha Gauri." She is as white as a conch, moon and Jasmine. She is of eight years old. Her clothes and ornaments are white and clean. She has three eyes. She rides on bull She has four hands. The above left hand is in "Fearless - Mudra" and lower left hand holds "Trishul." The above right hand has tambourine and lower right hand is in blessing style. She is calm and peaceful and exists in peaceful style. It is said that when the body of Gauri became dirty due to dust and earth while observing penance, Shiva makes it clean with the waters of Gangas. Then her body became bright like lightening. There fore, she is known as "Maha Gauri" .

Siddhidatri Ninth Durga us Siddhidatri. There are eight Siddhis , they are- Anima, Mahima, Garima, Laghima, Prapti, Prakamya, Iishitva & Vashitva. Maha Shakti gives all these Siddhies. It is said in "Devipuran" that the Supreme God Shiv got all these Siddhies by worshipping Maha Shakti. With her gratitude the half body of Shiv has became of Goddess and there fore his name "Ardhanarishvar" has became famous. The Goddess drives on Lion. She has four hands and looks pleased. This form of Durga is worshiped by all Gods, Rishis-Munis, Siddhas, Yogis, Sadhakas and devotees for attaining the best religious asset.

With all these forms at hand it is no doubt that she is independent and she symbolizes courage,valour and godliness.

Let me end this post by saying

Durgashtakamidham punyam,Bhakthidho ya paden nara,

Sarva kamavapnothi,Durga lokam sa gachathi.

If this holy octet on Durga, is read by men with devotion,they would get all desires fulfilled,and attain the world of Durga.

Lalitha Sahasranamam- 131

131 Santhimathi – She who is peace personified

SHe is peace personified or we can say she is peace itself.The other day I was reading Indrakshi Sthothram in which i derived a sense of peace and serenity.as I write this I was thinking of it and my conclusion was she is peace and not peace personified.Here is how i came to the conclusion.

Sage Narada during one of his visits to Vaikunta asked Lord Narayana for the reason why whiles Devas and Asuras are healthy by nature, human beings suffer these numerous diseases. Then lord Narayana taught him the Indrakshi sthothra. He told Narada that by reciting this Sthothra, one can lead a disease free happy life. Sage narada taught it to Indra, who in turn taught it to Sage Purandara. It was Sage Purandara who popularized it among human beings.

Asya Indrakshi Sthothra Maha Mandrasya,
Sasi purandara rishi.
Anushtup Chanda.
Indrakshi Durga devatha,
Lakshmi Beejam.
Bhuvaneswari Sshakthi,
Bhavani Keelagam,
Mama Indrakshi prasad sidhyarthe Jape Viniyoga.

This Indrakshi sthothra was made known to the world by Purandara Rishi,has been written in Anushtup meter.The presiding deity for the sthothra is Indrakshi Durga.The kernel of the chant is Lakshmi,the strength behing the Manthra is Bhuvaneswari and its axis is Bhavani.I am chanting this manthra to get the blessings of Indrakshi.

Nethraanam dasapi sathai Parivrutham,
Athyugra sarmaambharam,
Hemaabham mahathim
vilambhitha sikam,
Ammuktha kesanwitham,
Kanda manditha pada padma yugalam,
Nagendra kumbha sthaneem.
Indrakshim parichindayami,
Manasa kalbhoktha siddhi pradham.
I salute that Indrakshi,Who has thousand eyes,Who has a strong skin,Who is golden in colour,Who has long open and black hair,Who walks with the soft sound made by her anklets,Who has pair of busts like the pot held by the king of snakes.

Devi protects her people and protects them from evil in her form as Bhuvaneswari.

Mythology tells us that in the beginning, Surya, the sun, appeared in the heavens. In order to create the world, the sages offered soma (a sacred plant) to the sun. The sun was pleased and through the power of Shakti, He created the three worlds (Bhuvanas). Having created the worlds, the goddess assumed the form of Bhuvaneswari and ruled and protected them.
We also find the name of Bhuvaneswari mentioned in the part of Hindu philosophy called Tantra, the religious literature expounding the worship of the Divine Mother. The tantric works describe ten aspects of Shakti (Mahavidya), the universal energy.Bhuvaneswari stands for the concept of space. Space has many levels of manifestation: The space of the physical Universe and the space of the mind. Just as there are many layers of space in the Universe, there are many layers in the higher levels of the mind. In our body, the heart is where the infinite space of the Universe resides, and this is the seat of the Divine Mother, Bhuvaneswari, who represents this Space. By creating space, we release ourselves from stress and tension. Those seeking the supreme peace should invoke and worship the Goddess Bhuvaneswari, who is the power of infinite expansion, peace and equanimity. Her sound-body is Hreem, which is as powerful as Aum. Hreem connects the space within the heart with the infinite, vast space of Consciousness. Like most of the aspects of the Divine Mother, Bhuvaneswari is associated with Maya. Maya comes from the Sanskrit root, “ma”, to measure. Maya is also a synonym for illusion. Thus, Bhuvaneswari symbolizes the dynamic power of God, which manifests itself in a multitude of visible and impermanent forms. In Hindu philosophy, the manifestation is ultimately considered as unreal because of its inconstancy and impermanence. But at the same time, the devotional scriptures say that Bhuvaneswari is also distinct from the illusion She creates because She controls it. But She is not caught in it. This quality of mastery over the worldly illusion gives Her the power to help human beings not to be involved in Maya and not to be bound by it but instead to go beyond it.

Bhuvaneshvari’s beauty is mentioned often. Her dhyana describes her as having a radiant vermilion complexion resembling the sunrise and a beautiful face, framed with flowing hair the color of black bees. Her eyes are broad, her lips full and red, her nose delicate. Her firm breasts are smeared with sandal paste and saffron. Her waist is thin, and her thighs and navel are lovely. Her beautiful throat is decorated with ornaments, and her arms are made for embracing. She is seated on a throne, adorned with a flower garland and anklets, bracelets of fine gems. She is also found seated on lions, also group of lions sit around her throne. A crescent moon adorns her forehead, resting atop a jeweled crown. She has three eyes and a pleasant, nurturing smile. She has four arms, in two of which she holds a noose and a goad. With her lower left hand, she makes the gesture (varada-mudra) of offering a boon, and with the lower right she signals fearlessness (abhaya mudra). She is a shakti present everywhere but not seen anywhere.Sometimes she is represented with a lotus and a jewel bowl in tow of her hands, and in other cases her left foot is placed on a jewel bowl.The Great Cosmic Power Bhuvaneswari is sitting on a bed resembling a throne, which consists in representing the five forms of manifestation of the God Shiva, as we described them in the article about the Great Cosmic Power Tripura Sundari.
From this throne, the Great Cosmic Power Bhuvaneswari controls and organizes the movement of the entire universe. Different gods and goddesses who serve her and immediately obey her orders surround the Great Cosmic Power Bhuvaneswari.
Meditating with great perseverance on this beautiful goddess’s form, the sincere practitioner may obtain her infinite grace, become even enlightened, and reveal his or her supreme Self.

This beauty and attractiveness may be understood as an affirmation of the physical world. Tantric thought does not denigrate the world or consider it illusory or delusory, as do some other abstract aspects of Indian thought. This is made amply clear in the belief that the physical world, the rhythms of creation, maintenance, and destruction, even the hankerings and sufferings of the human condition is nothing but Bhuvaneshvari’s play, her exhilarating, joyous sport.
She is also known as Om Shakthi or Adi Shakthi q.e one of the earliest forms of shakthi. She is capable of turning situations according to her wish. It is considered that even the navagrahas cannot stop her from doing anything.
Both Bhuvaneswari and Kali are intimately connected as representing time and space, which made creation possible. Kali arranges the timing of the cosmic dance while Bhuvaneshwari stands for the original space before creation in which Kali’s cosmic dance takes place. Devotional songs say that Bhuvaneswari is like Saraswathi, the goddess of learning, wisdom and knowledge. She is described as “Jnana Swaroopa,” the highest form of wisdom. It is also said that Bhuvaneswari has so much power that a mere glance from Her gives boons to the goddesses Lakshmi, Parvathi and Saraswathi. She confers confidence, sympathy, beauty and wisdom on them because all these qualities are within Her.so can there be any doubt in our minds that is peace erself because by giving us all the good things she ensures peace and prosperity in our lives.

Lalitha Sahasranama - 130

130 Satho dhari – She who has a thin belly
We come across this in several scriptures when devi's beauty is described.what does it imply are we talking only about the external beauty or is there an inner meaning to it.let us see how scriptures look at it.soundarya lahiri describes her thus:

Nisargha ksheenasya sthana thata bharena klamajusho

Namanmurthe narree thilaka sanakaii –sthrutayatha eva

Chiram thee Madhyasya thruthitha thatini theera tharuna

Samavasthaa sthemno bhavathu kusalam sailathanaye

Oh daughter of the mountain,

You who is the greatest among women,

Long live your pretty hips,Which look fragile,

Which are by nature tiny,Which are strained by your heavy breasts,

And hence slightly bent,And which look like the tree,

In the eroded banks of a rushing river.

Perhaps some of the most enthralling parts of the Lalitha Sahasranama are those, which describe the incredible beauty of the Devi, a Being so dazzling that in one of the opening stanzas, the splendor of her toe nails is described as so radiant that it dispels the darkness of ignorance in the devotees prostrating at Her feet. ‘‘Nakhadidhiti sanchhanna namajjana tamoguna.’’And so, the Lalitha Sahasranama extols Her as Sagara Mekhala, She whose girdle is the sea. Whose shapely nose is like a freshly blossomed Champaka bud. Whose lips outshine the redness of fresh coral and bimba fruit. Whose person is so fragrant with the scent of sandalwood paste that She is Chandanadrava dhighangi, whose smile is so radiant that it floods the mind of Kamesvara, Her consort.Who is sometimes Raktavarna or rosy complexioned, sometimes Shyamabha or of a shining darkness, sometimes Shuklavarna or white complexioned, sometimes even Pitavarna or golden yellow. Her eyes, like the petal of a lotus (Padmanayana) or of a doe (Mrugakshi), are so beautiful that She is Vamanayana and Kamakshi, the beautiful eyed One. Her form is so exquisite (Charurupa) and her smile so charming (Charuhasa), that She is Mohini, the bewitching beauty and Shobana, the radiant beauty.

We worship the Goddess Saraswati, one of the Devi’s five avatars (the other four being Durga, Savitri, Lakshmi and Radha) as the Goddess of learning and wisdom. She is Veda-Janani—Mother of the Vedas, who feeds not only our bodies but also our souls as Gyanada—the giver of Supreme Knowledge. She is Gayatri or the Gayatri mantra itself. Without her we would’ve been mute, because She is Gomata—the source of speech. She is Bhasharupa, the embodiment of language. She is Kalavati—the fountainhead, the presiding deity, the very embodiment of all art. She is Kavyakala—the art of poetry. From her springs rhythm and music because She is Layakari. She who is all knowing, has nothing more to know.

Perhaps, the Devi’s most beloved aspect is that of the Mother. And so the Lalitha Sahasranama is replete with names for the Devi in her most powerful but most benign aspect — the Divine Mother. Vishvagarbha or She who has the universe in her womb. Brahma-janani — the Mother of everything. Sri Mahi — Mother Earth. Pranada, the Giver of life, Pranesvari, the Queen of all forms of life.We fervently invoke her presence because She is Duhkhahantri, who ends all sorrows, but like a mother, doesn’t stop there and becomes Sukhaprada, enveloping us with peace and joy. There is room for all in her compassionate embrace, because She is Bhedanashini, destroying disparity and because She is Nirbheda — without any differences. Where She is, there is no fear. Because She is Mrutymathani, the destroyer of that terrible fear that haunts all who are born –– the fear of death.She is the mother who guides us through the right path. She is the mother who empowers us because She is Iccha-shakti-Gyana-shakti-Kriya-shakti- Svarupini, the power of will, knowledge and action. In her presence, obstacles melt away because She is Vighna Nashini. In her purifying radiance, we are freed from sin because She is Parampaapanashini. And so, She is Vandaru jana Vatsala — who loves her devotees like a mother. Or then, She is just simply — Mata.

Lalitha Sahasranamam - 129

129 Sarat chandra nibhanana – She who has the face like moon in the autumn

The same thing is voiced in devi mahamatyam:
Ishath sahasam amalam paripoorna chandra
Bhibanukari kanakottama kanthi kantham
Athyathbutham prahruthamaatharusha thadhapi,
Vakthram vilokhya sahasa mahishasurena.

Gently smiling, pure, resembling the full moon’s orb, beautiful like the
splendour of excellent gold was Your face! Yet it was very strange that,
being swayed by anger, Mahiasura suddenly struck Your face when he saw
it.

such is her beauty but is it we compare her to a moon. what is the significance? I ask myself.

you will find the same thing echoed in soundarya lahiri as well.

Saraj-jyotsna-shuddham sasi-yuta-jata-juta-makutam

Vara-traasa-traana-sphatika-ghutika-pustaka karaam;

Sakrn na thva nathva katham iva sathaam sannidadhate

Madhu-kshira-drakhsa-madhurima-dhurinah phanitayah.

Sweetest words rivaling the honey, milk and grapes,

Can only Come to the thoughts of the devotee,

Who once meditates on your face,Which is like the white autumn moon,

On your head with a crown with the crescent moon and flowing hair,

And hands that shower boons and give protection,

Which hold the crystal chain of beads and books.

here i have mention about the history behind the verse which i just mentioned.There is always a debate on how adi shankara had written about devi. Adi Sankara's Soundaryalahari is an outstanding work on Devi Parasakthi. The first part of 41 verses called `Aanandalahari' is regarded a `Mantra Sastra' describing the gross and subtle form of Devi and mode of worship of the Divine Mother.
The remaining 59 verses contain an exquisite portrayal of the physical form of Devi from head to foot ending with a prayer for Her grace. The very first verse of Soundaryalahari points out that "Sakthi is supreme. Siva is able to create only when He is united with Sakthi. Otherwise Mahadeva cannot even move about!" Adi Sankara adds: "O Lady of the ever-smiling counternance and the limitless virtues".
The multicoloured sands found on the beach of Kanyakumari containing Thorium, which generates atomic energy represents the manifestation of the miraculous power of the Supreme. It is a symbolic representation of Sakthi which Adi Sankara describes as the "Matrix of the universe."
The life-like image of Devi Kanyakumari with a smiling face is a combination of innocence, purity and beauty. Here Devi who stands alone continues her eternal penance and radiates sanctity all around. The lines in Soundaryalahari which read "O Goddess Jagadambal, you have given me the faculty of speech. I compose this poem in your praise and offer it to you" confirm the view that Adi Sanakra standing at the feet of our Mother India, composed this outstanding work on Devi. There is no Siva shrine in the Devi temple. Adi Sankara exclaimed, "O Mother your right eye being the Sun creates day and your left eye being the Moon creates night". The rising Sun and the setting Sun can only be seen at Kanyakumari. On the full-moon days the rising Moon and the setting Sun can be simultaneously seen only at Kanyakumari and not elsewhere. Chithra Pournami is a scene of beauty par-excellence.
Having seen such marvellous environment Adi Sankara compared the right eye of the Devi as Sun and left eye as Moon. In all probability Adi Sankara might have visited Kanyakumari on the full-moon day of Chithirai and the natural beauty of the place, the delightful locale of the holy spot and the divine beauty of Devi Parasakthi at Kanyakumari inspired Adi Sankara to write the monumental work Soundaryalahari.

when we talk about the Mother and her beauty we always imagine her to be as cool as a moon and the radiance around her is illuminating and it appears like the dazzling moon.There is a story connecting abirami and the moon which gave rise to abirami ananthi.

It is said that Abirama Battar's original name was Subramaniyam. He was a great devotee of mother Abirami. Abirama Battar was a brahmin and a pundit engaged in the vocation of guiding people with the description of days, favourable and unfavourable times for commencing important events etc with the help of an almanac. A very virtuous person who was always lost in the thoughts of Mother Abirami, his speckless devotion attracted the envy of some. They thus to cause trouble for Battar, gave false informations to the then ruling king Saraboji. The king hence asked Battar the description of the day as to whether it was a full moon day or a no moon day. Battar whose mind was lost with Abirami came up with the wrong answer that it was a full-moon day which actually was a no moon day. The king in his fury commanded to slay Battar for coming up with the wrong answer. Hence Battar sat on a suspended platform supported by hundred ropes under which a huge pyre was raised. His only hope was Mother Abirami and his devotion took shape of hundred songs. At the completion of each stanza he cut a rope to end his life at the end of the hundredth song. Mother Abirami's heart melted for his devotion and she delayed not a moment to throw one of her earrings towards the sky that shone as the moon on a no moon day thereby saving the life of Her ardent devotee. Is She not the cooling radiance of the moon that lights our path darkened by despair and delusion? It was from henceforth that the devotee acquired the name Abirama Battar. Abirami Andhadhi is a wonderful composition written in the Andhadhi pattern with the commencing of each para with the ending word of the previous para.

கிளியே, கிளைஞர் மனத்தே கிடந்தது கிளர்ந்து ஒளிருமொழியே,

ஒளிரும் ஒளிக்கு இடமே, என்னில் ஒன்றும் இல்லாவெளியே,

வெளி முதல் பூதங்கள் ஆகி விரிந்த அம்மே!-

அளியேன் அறிவு அளவிற்கு அளவானது அதிசயமே…

Parrot you are oh mother,Light in the hearts of your devotees, you are,

The source of all light you are,Limitless empty space you are,

And Mother you are, who looks to us, as nature great,

Limitless you are chained in my limited mind, Is this not a great wonder.

Lalitha Sahasranamam - 128

128 Sadhwi – She who is eternally devoted to her husband

Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati talks about the secrets of shiva and sakthi thus:

Shiva and Shakti are one and the same.
There is no place that He is not.There is no place that She is not.They are one and the same.
She is in every thing.She is in every word.She is all there is.
See Her in all things.Hear Her in all sounds.Know Her in all thoughts.Feel Her in all feelings.She is all there is.
She is the one in the three worlds

Shiva and Shakti are one and the same.
That is the secret.

The story of Shiva's marriage is symbolic of the perfect fusion of the male and the female principles which, according to a Hindu view of life, are the moving powers behind the universe. Shiva (the male principle), the Supreme Consciousness, will acquire the power to create and destroy the elements only in conjunction with Shakti ( the female principle). That was why Vishnu and others were keen to see Shiva married. Though the word Shiva rarely occurs in the Vedas (it does in the Yahurveda) there are adequate references to show Rudra(another name for Shiva) as the Supreme Consciousness. The Kenopanishad mentions UMA as the maya or the manifestation of the Supreme Consciousness. The story of Sati brings home to us in simple terms, the truth and beauty of a lofty vedic concept.
ati Devi, the wife of Shiva, observed numerous airplanes carrying heavily ornamented beautiful women along with their spouses. Evidently they were all going to attend some festivities. On enquiry it was revealed that her father Daksha had organized a huge Yajna (Vedic sacrifice), and all were invitees going there. Much excited on hearing of the festivities going on at her father's house, she turned to address Shiva:
"My Lord, I have heard that your father in law King Daksha has organized a big round of sacrificial festivities at his house. See, all the gods are going there. If you wish, we too can go there. My other sisters will definitely be going there along with their husbands. I too wish to receive the gifts offered by my parents. I am eager to see my mother and aunts gathered there. In addition, we will also able to witness the great Vedic sacrifice conducted by great sages. My dear Lord, you are beyond the vagaries of Nature and hence have no desire to go or meet anyone. However, I am but a poor woman, unaware of these spiritual niceties. I therefore long to see my birthplace. Look at these other women richly adorned and going with their husbands in droves, with their white swan-like airplanes beautifying the skyline."
"Dear Lord, which daughter can remain unmoved on hearing of a festival in her father's house? Remember, the scriptures say that one can go uninvited to the houses of their friends, husbands, gurus and parents. Therefore, O' Great Compassionate One, you, who have given me space in half portion of your body, do grant me this desire."
Thus earnestly entreated by his beloved wife, Shiva was painfully reminded of the bitter words of his father in law; however, he replied to her with a smile: "O' charming lady, you are right when you say that one can go to one's loved one's even uninvited. However, this is the case only when their viewpoint is not clouded by their powerful ego. Learning, wealth, beauty, high birth etc are exalted qualities in the case of the good, but for the wicked, they are the means of degradation, since they get puffed up with pride and are therefore unable to appreciate the glory of the great. Thinking them to be their 'relatives,' one should never go the houses of those who look upon the visitor with a frown and angry looks."
"O'Devi, the arrows of an enemy do not wound one as much as the harsh words of one's crooked relatives because in the former case at least one can find rest in sleep, but the latter suffers day and night with a tormented heart. I know that you are the favorite of your father, even then dear one, you will not get proper attention at your father's house because he is envious and harbors a grudge against me."
"O' lady with a slender waist, you may wonder why I did not honor Daksha in that ill-fated assembly? The answer is that those established in the Absolute Truth pay obeisance only to the Supreme Person Vaasudeva enshrined in the heart of all. A pure heart is called Vasudev (father of Krishna), in it is made manifest Vaasudeva (Krishna). Hence, it is to that Absolute Person, who unveils himself in pure hearts do I perform my Namaste. Therefore my beloved, he who abused me even though I was not at fault, even though he is the one who has given birth to your body, you should not consider seeing him because he breeds enmity towards me. If you go there ignoring my advice, it won't bide good for you because when a reputable individual suffers insult from his or her relatives, that indignity becomes the immediate cause of their death."
Having said this much Lord Shiva became silent. He realized that whether Devi Sati goes or not, in both cases there was a chance of her giving up her life. Meanwhile Sati, intensely eager to meet her relatives, sometimes went outside the door, and sometimes returned fearing Shiva would get upset. Thus oscillating like a pendulum and undecided she burst out into copious tears and with her body trembling looked askance at Shiva as if to burn him down. Then she lost her judgment and becoming captive of her essentially feminine nature, did the unthinkable. She defied him, who out of affection had given half of his body to her, and taking long breaths set out towards her parents house.
Seeing her go alone, several of Shiva's followers set out to accompany her. It was not long before the entourage reached her father's residence, which at that time was reverberating with sacred Vedic Chants. Contrary to her expectations, she was treated with indifference by Daksha. Only her mother and sisters welcomed her openly and embraced her. The rest of the assembly, afraid of upsetting Daksha, made no signs of welcoming her.
Devi Sati, not at all welcomed by her father, did not accept the seat of honor respectfully offered to her by her mother and maternal aunts. Nor did she pay attention to her sister's affectionate enquiries about her health etc. Not only that, she observed that in that sacrifice, even though seats had been reserved for the gods, there was none reserved for her husband, the Great Lord Shiva. This greatly agitated Sati and it seemed that she would destroy the world with the fire of her anger. Shiva's followers forming her entourage too observed the dishonor meted out to their master and were about to kill Daksha when they were restrained by Sati. With all the assembled gathering hearing her words, she censured Daksha, her voice faltering with the intensity of her anger:
"Father, who else but you would behave inimically towards Lord Shiva, who is above enmity? There is nobody superior to Lord Shiva in the world. He is the beloved soul of all beings, he neither favors nor disfavors anyone. Hence, he has no differences with anyone. Jealous people like you discover faults in the virtues of others. Great people not only do not see any defect, they view the minutest merit in others with a large magnifying glass. You are indeed inauspicious because you hate the supremely auspicious Shiva, whose very name, uttered incidentally by the tongue even once, destroys all sins. The bee-like hearts of eminent sages hover around his lotus feet ever eager to taste the bliss of Brahmananda (bliss of being absorbed in divinity)."
"You say that Shiva is Ashiva. Perhaps the other gods do not know this because they feel honored in adorning their heads with flowers fallen from the same Shiva who dwells in the cremation grounds and beautifies himself with ashes and skulls lying there. When unrestrained people criticize the Supreme Lord Shiva, protector of Dharma, one should shut one's ears and leave the place. Or if one has the power he should cut off the tongue of the person, and if the need arise one should even lay down one's life if necessary to prevent such slander."
"Therefore, I will not retain this body which is born of you, because wise people say that the remedy for eating impure food is to vomit it out. Vedic injunctions do not apply to those who revel in the Supreme Self enshrined in all. The Vedas prescribe two paths -
1). Pravritti Dharma: The path of karma,
2). Nivritti Dharma: The path of renunciation.
These two cannot be simultaneously followed by the same person. However, Shiva, being the Supreme God, does not need to follow any of these two paths. Father, our affluence is unmanifest, to be enjoyed only by Avadhutas (those who have renounced everything). People like you, following the path of smoke (generated by the sacrificial fires) can never appreciate this absolute wealth. I feel ashamed of my unworthy father. It is a disgrace to be born from a parent who commits an offence against the great. When in a light mood Lord Shiva will call out to me "O' daughter of Daksha", then, forgetting the light-heartedness behind it, I will become extremely pained. Therefore, I shall give up this corpse-like body begotten from you."
Having vented her feelings thus, Devi Sati, wearing a yellow garment, sat down on the ground with her face to the north. She closed her eyes and entered the yogic path for casting off her material body. Concentrating on the lotus feet of her beloved Lord Shiva, she became completely absorbed and lost track of everything else. The intense heat of her yogic powers then set ablaze her body, the same body, which at many times, Shiva had lovingly placed in his lap.
Immediately there arose in the gathering an enormous uproar of grief: "Alas, provoked by her father, Sati the beloved wife of Shiva has given away her life. Look at the enormous wickedness of Daksha, his pure-hearted daughter who ever deserved honor, had to give up her life due to the insults inflicted by him. This intolerant Daksha will reap great infamy in this world. He did not even care to prevent his daughter while she was preparing to end her life."
While the people were thus lamenting, Shiva's attendants who had accompanied Sati, on seeing her miraculous self-immolation, rose with weapons in their hands to kill Daksha. Seeing their aggressive vehemence, Bhrigu, from Daksha's side, created out of the sacrificial fire numerous divine beings who rushed out and drove back the followers of Shiva.
Soon Shiva learnt of his wife's humiliation and subsequent death. Enraged, he plucked a hair from his matted locks and with a loud laughter dashed it on the ground. Immediately there arose a being of colossal size, touching the skies by his stature. He had sharp fangs and his locks of hair were red like dazzling flames. He was holding aloft various weapons. Shiva then ordered this manifestation of his wrath named Virbhadra, to go and destroy both Daksha and his sacrifice.
When the thundering approach of Virbahdra was heard in Daksha's sacrificial ground, the women there murmured amongst themselves: "Surely this is the consequence of the sin committed by Daksha, when he slighted his innocent daughter Sati and also offended Lord Shiva. What good can ensue for someone who enrages Lord Shiva?"
Much perturbed and fearful, the assembly in Daksha's sacrifice sat speculating and looking at each other. In the meanwhile Virbhadra, along with other followers of Shiva, reached the venue and immediately set about destroying the Yajna. Some broke the pillars supporting the whole structure, some the sacrificial utensils, and some destroyed the kitchen and storeroom. Many sacrificial fires were put out and supporters of Daksha were threatened. Virabhadra himself caught hold of Daksha and seating himself on his chest tried to cut off his head with a sharp sword. However, even after a lot of effort he was unable to behead him. Much surprised, Virbhadra then proceeded to cut the head of Daksha in the same manner that the latter used to sacrifice animals in his yajnas. As soon as he succeeded, there arose a cry of "well done" "bravo" from amongst the followers of Shiva. Virabhadra then threw Daksha's head into fire and proceeded to burn down the whole structure. Having accomplished what he had been ordered to do, he then returned to Lord Shiva's abode, Mount Kailash.
The assembled gods, sages and priests were overwhelmed with fear on thus being defeated by the accomplices of Shiva. They collected together and hurried over to Lord Brahma, requesting his help. Brahma and Lord Vishnu both knew that the Yajna was doomed from the beginning because it had not reserved a place of honor for Lord Shiva. Hence, they had prudently taken the precaution of not attending it. Now hearing all what had happened, Brahma replied to them:
"All of you have committed an offence against Lord Shiva by excluding him from the sacrificial offerings. Now with pure hearts go and take refuge in his lotus feet, because he is one who gets propitiated very easily. You should immediately beg his pardon, much bereaved as he is with the loss of his wife's life. Otherwise, his rage is bound to destroy the world."
However the gods and sages were still fearful of facing Shiva by themselves. Therefore, Brahma took the initiative and went along with them to Shiva's abode. There they saw Shiva seated with his left foot on his right lap, and his left hand on the left knee. A rosary of Rudraksh was on wrapped around wrist. He was discoursing on the Supreme Absolute Truth, and many saints were listening to him in rapt attention.
Seeing Brahma , Lord Shiva immediately sprung to his feet and bowed to him with respect. The host of saints around Shiva also did the same. Brahma then smilingly addressed Lord Shiva:
"I know you are the Lord of the Universe (even then you pay homage to me). You yourself have created the institution of Yajna for the protection of Vedic Dharma. Anger cannot overwhelm those who surrender to your lotus feet (then how can it affect you?). Exalted ones like you do not kill even those wicked one who constantly burn with jealousy at the prosperity of others and are naturally disposed to hurt others feelings, knowing very well that they doomed by providence itself. If someone, deluded by Lord Vishnu's powerful Maya, offends the great, righteous ones like you consider the offence an act of providence and do not try to stop whatever is trying to happen."
"You are untouched by Maya, you should therefore show grace on those who, affected by maya, are attached to karma. O' Lord, please revive the sacrifice of Daksha, which remained incomplete due to the petty mindedness of those performing it. May Daksha come to live again and may also all those dismembered by your followers be restored to health. O' Shiva, whatever shall remain after the completion of a Yajna from now on will be your share. O' destroyer of sacrifice, let this Yajna now be completed."
Lord Shiva heard out Brahma patiently and then replied smiling: "I do not pay attention nor think about the offences committed by people like Daksha, who are under the spell of Lord's Maya. I only chastise them slightly (much less than what their conduct deserves) as a punishment. The head of Daksha has been burnt; he may now live with the face of a goat. All the rest of the priests, sages etc, too may be restored to health."
Hearing Shiva's soothing words, all present there were satisfied and shouted out in unison: "Glory to Lord Shiva." Then they cordially invited Shiva to accompany them to the venue of the sacrifice, to which he complied. They followed Shiva's instruction to the letter and joined the head of the sacrificial goat to Daksha's trunk. While the head was being joined, Shiva cast a gracious look at it, and lo! Daksha got up though from sleep and saw Shiva in front of him. He was however not the same Daksha of before. Shiva's compassionate glance on him had purified him, and the same heart which once harbored intense hatred against Shiva, was now restored to its pristine purity like a pool in autumn. He tried to address Shiva but, remembering his deceased daughter, he was overwhelmed with emotion and affection. However, he controlled himself and with a choked throat said:
"O' Venerable Lord, Even though I disrespected you, you showed a great favor by meting out a corrective punishment to me. I did not know your essence and hence pierced you with my sharp words in the assembly. However, you compassionate one did not pay heed to my mistake. Due to my offence, I was destined to fall down into dark hells, but you saved me with your compassionate glance."
Having thus apologized to Lord Shiva, Daksha then set out to restore the sacrifice, with the help of the priests and sages.

Such was the love for shiva that sati gave up her life to makethings right shiva in his own right punished daksha and mourned the death of his wife.Here shiva and sati sets an example of how couples should be devoted to one another.

Lalitha Sahasranamam - 127

127.Sreekari – She who gives all forms of wealth and happiness

When we say she gives all forms of wealth we are speaking of devi as the giver of wealth and prosperity and it can be said it is in the form of lakshmi that we worship,so let us understand her forms and how she showers her love and affection on us.

Lakshate sarvah anayaa ithi Lakshmi According to Amarakosha the word Lakshmi etymologically means the goddess who watches over every Man. The details of this Goddess can be obtained from Vyvartha puraana, Devi Bhagavatha and Vishnu Puraana. During the initial stages of creation she was born along with Brahma. That is why Lakshmi and Brahma have a reddish complexion. Shiva and Saraswati were born of a lotus. That is why they have white complexion. Parvati and Narayana were born of another lotus and they have bluish dark complexion. That is why Parvati is called 'Narayani'.

Ashta Lakshmi (Aṣṭalakṣmī, lit. "eight Lakshmis") are a group of eight secondary manifestations of the goddess Lakshmi, who preside over eight sources of wealth and thus represent the powers of Shri-Lakshmi. Actually Goddess Mahalakshmi presides over eighteen forms of wealth, but the most popular are the following eight forms of wealth only, which are governed by Ashta Lakshmis as they are most sought after by humans in the mundane and material world. The other ten forms of wealth includes, the eight great siddhis called as AshtaSiddhis, the spiritual knowledge or Gnana and teaching or imparting the spiritual knowledge to the entire world without any class difference. Goddess Mahalakshmi is also known to preside over 16 forms of wordly wealth excluding Ashta siddhis, gnana and imparting gnana. They are as follows: (1) Fame; (2) Knowledge; (3) Courage and Strength; (4) Victory; (5) Good Children; (6) Valor; (7) Gold, Gems and Other Valuables; (8) Grains in abundance; (9) Happiness; (10) Bliss; (11) Intelligence; (12) Beauty; (13) Higher Aim, High Thinking and Higher Meditation; (14) Morality and Ethics; (15) Good Health; (16) Long Life.

The eight forms of lakshmi is:

Adi Lakṣmi,The First manifestation of Lakshmi
Dhanya Lakṣmi,Granary wealth
Dhairya Lakṣm,Wealth of courage
Gaja Lakṣmi,Elephants, symbols of wealth
Santana Lakṣmi,Wealth of continuity, progeny
Vijaya Lakṣm,Wealth of victory
Vidya Lakṣmi,Wealth of knowledge and education
Dhana Lakṣmi,Monetary wealth

1. Adi Lakshmi: Mother Lakshmi resides with Lord Narayana in the Vaikuntha, the abode of Lord Narayana. She is known as Ramaa, means bringing happiness to the mankind. She is also known as Indira (who holds lotus or purity in the hands or heart.) Divine Mother’s this form is normally seen serving Sri Narayana. Lord Narayana is omnipresent. Adi Lakshmi or Ramaa Lakshmi serves Sri Narayana is symbolic of her serving the whole creation. Though Sri Narayana is attended by innumerable devotees, still she personally loves to serve the Lord. Actually mother Adi Lakshmi and Narayana are not two different entities but one only. Many a place we see her form sitting in the lap of Sri Narayana.

2. Dhanya Lakshmi: Dhanya means grains. This includes all kind of purified food containing all essential vitamins, minerals, protein, calcium, carbohytrade and so on. With the grace of mother Dhanya Lakshmi one gets all essential nutrients grains, fruits, vegetables and other foods.

3. Dhairya Lakshmi: This form of mother Lakshmi grants the boon of infinite courage and strength. Those, who are in tune with infinite inner power, are always bound to have victory. Those who worship mother Dhairya Lakshmi they live and lead a life with tremendous patience and inner stability.

4. Gaja Lakshmi: In the holy book of Srimad Bhagavata the story of the churning of the ocean by Gods and demons is explained in detail. Author, the Sage Vyasa writes that Lakshmi came out of the ocean during the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan). So she is known as a daughter of the ocean. She came out of the ocean sitting on a full-bloomed lotus and also having lotus flowers in both hands with two elephants by her sides, holding a beautiful vessels filled with milk and pouring it over Sri Lakshmi. Many a time we see Sri Lakshmi standing in the lotus and elephants are pouring nectar over her. During the festival of the lamps or the Deepavali along with Sri Lakshmi the Ganapati or the Elephant God also gets worshipped; that signifies the protection from evils as well as abundant grace and blessings for additional prosperities!

5. Santan Lakshmi: In the family life, the children are the greatest treasure. Those who worship this particular form of Sri Lakshmi, known as a Santan Lakshmi, are bestowed with the grace of mother Lakshmi and have wealth in the form of desirable children with good health & long life. 6. Vijay Lakshmi: Vijay is victory. Vijay is to get success in all undertakings and all different facets of life. Some are strong physically but weak mentally while others are economically rich but poor in their attitude and cannot exert any influence. Vijay is to have all encompassing victory. Vijay is to rejoice glory of our real nature – Vijay is to conquer the lower nature. Vijay is the victory in external and internal wars and of course eternal wars! Hence those, with grace of mother Vijay Lakshmi, have victory everywhere, at all time, in all conditions. Victory to Vijay Lakshmi !!

7. Dhana Lakshmi: Dhana is wealth. But as per Rigved’s Purush Shukta Dhana is not only a wealth in coins and currency. Even Sun and moon, fire and stars, rains and nature, oceans and mountains, rivers and streams, all these are our wealth, so are the progeny, our inner will power, our character and our virtues. With the grace of mother Dhana Lakshmi we will get all these in abundance.

8. Vidya Lakshmi: Vidya is education. Serenity, Regularity, Absence of Vanity, Sincerity, Simplicity, Veracity, Equanimity, Fixity, Non-irritability, Adaptability Humility, Tenacity, Integrity, Nobility, Magnanimity, Charity, Generosity and Purity are the eighteen qualities imbibed through proper education that only can give immortality.

It must be kept in mind that the type of Ashta Lakshmis differ with every yuga and thus one would not find uniformity in the names of Ashta lakshmis in Hindu sacred texts. Actually speaking there are more than crores of manifestations of Mahalakshmi and without Goddess Mahalakshmi nothing in this world would survive as She forms the basis of the entire gamut of creation. Without her grace there will be nothing to eat, no air to breath, no progeny in continuation etc. At a minor level, one cannot survive without monetary wealth in this wide world, if one has not developed spiritualism. Even if one were to beg, one would not get even a dime without the grace of Goddess Mahalskhmi. It is only through the grace of Goddess Mahalakshmi that even King of Gods Devandra, gained wealth, when he was cursed by the famous Sage Dhurvasa for disrespecting the garland offered to him.
Goddess Mahalkshmi is also said to exist in several other forms. The most famous amonsgt them are 1. Sridevi, 2. Bhoodevi, and 3. Neeladevi. The famous Vaishnavite Saint Aandaal who was born in Srivilliputhur about 5050 years ago is an incarnation of Goddess Mahalakshmi Herself. Goddess Sridevi represents moveable assets, while Goddess Bhoodevi represents immoveable assets. Actually moveable assets in Sanskrit is called Chanchala, while immoveable is called Achanchala. It is only because of this mountains are prefixed with Achanachala in India, eg, Arunachala, Himachala etc. The term Chanchala also denotes fickleness and that is why we do not find people always wealthy. Everything in this world operates only with the grace of Goddess Mahalakshmi.

Once Shreeya, an untouchable woman, worshipped Goddess Lakshmi by observing Manabasa Gurubar or lakshmi puja festival. Being moved by her devotion, Lakshmi left her permanent abode, the temple that is situated inside the campus of the temple of Lord Jagannatha, and visited Shreeya's house. When Lord Balabhadra, the elder brother of Lord Jagannatha, came to know about this, she was declared defiled and was not allowed to come back into the temple. Lakshmi was deeply hurt and went to her father, Sahara.
When Lakshmi went out of the temple, all wealth in the temple started vanishing. Later, the Gods Balabhadra and Jagannatha could not find food to sustain themselves. They came out of the temple in the attire of Brahmin beggars in search of food. Ultimately, they landed at the door of the Goddess Lakshmi. Balabhadra apologised for the mistake, and all of them returned to the temple.
The Purana ultimately teaches all to pay extreme regard to Goddess Lakshmi, and the person who disregards her is sure to fall on evil days. This means that wealth should be well protected and properly used, and misutilisation of wealth is sure to make a person suffer.

There are innumerable Slokas in praise of Goddess Mahalakshmi. Some of the most famous prayers for worshipping Goddess Mahalakshmi are: Sri Lakshmi Sahasaranama Sthothra by Sanathkumara, Sri Stuti By Sri Vedantha Desikar, Sri Lakshmi Stuti by Indra, Sri Kanakadhara Sthothra by Sri Aadhi Shankaracharya, Sri Chatussloki by Sri Yamunacharya, Sri Lakshmi Sloka by Bhagavan Sri Hari Swamiji and Sri Sukta which is contained in the Vedas. The famous Lakshmi Gayathri Sloka " Om Mahalakshmichae Vidmahe sri Vishnupathinichae Dhi-Mahi Thanno Lakshmi Prachodayat" is a powerful prayer contained in the Vedic Sri Sukta, which when chanted everyday 108 times is known to grace the chanter with immediate grace of the Goddess within 90 days.
There is another famous prayer pronounced by the great sage Agastua:Agastya Lakshmi Storta. Although Mother Lakshmi is worshipped as the goddess of fortune, when she is worshipped with Narayana, the worshipper is blessed with not only wealth but also peace and prosperity. They can be worshipped in various forms, such as Lakshmi Narayana, Lakshmi Narasimha, Sita Rama,Radha Krishna or Vithal Rukmini.

Lalitha Sahasranamam - 126

126 Sankari – She who is the consort of Sankara

Shiva and sakthi marriages are celebrated in different ways in different parts of India. The concept of marriage is stressed.

Parvathy wanted to marry Shiva in an earthly marriage with all religious rites on the earth; To bless the devout multitude on earth Lord Shiva and Parvathi got married in five different types. The celestial wedding that took place and was performed according to the sastras followed by human beings.

When Shiva and Parvathi were in a happy mood in their abode in MT Kailash a strange idea struck Parvathi. Instead of the usual fight that separates the couple after which they unite in wedlock , Parvathi thought it correct and logical to request Shiva to marry her another time.Parvathi requested Shiva to marry her again which he accepted with joy and also informed the time of their wedding. Parvathi became impatient as there was a fairly long time for the marriage. She became callous and cold shouldered Shiva.Shiva watched her behavior and in a fit of anger cursed her to be separated from him and take the form of a cow. Parvathi incarnated as a cow and roamed in the jungle. She was always thinking of her spouse while loitering in Asukadau( forest) he divine cow -Parvathi spotted a Lingam and showered it with milk from its udder. Shiva was overjoyed to see the devotion of his consort.Shiva happy with Parvathi’s (cow)deeds and granted Mukthi to her Thiruvavaduthurai. He was contemplating as to how Parvathi could be born on earth so that he can marry her quickly.Bharatha Maharishi was conducting a yaga and Shiva thought it apt to make Parvathi appear from the yaga kundam. Thus a divine damsel emerged from the yaga kundam and the sage Bharatha was happy to see her and considered as a holy girl. He was worried about finding a suitable groom for her. The Lord appeared in his dream and assured him that he -Shiva would marry her as she is none other than Parvathi. Shiva also wished that the sage should perform the wedding in a grand mannerLord Shiva appeared in the dream of Sage Bharatha, that he will enter into wedlock with the celestial who appeared from Sage Kundam.Thus the Sage meticulously looked after the wedding arrangements. The divine wedding took place in Thirumananjeri which was witnessed by celestial beings. Since the Thirumanam (Wedding) took place at Thirumananjeri, this place is called Thirumananjeri.

Once Devendra (King of Gods, also known as 'Indra') had killed a demon name "Vruddha' when he was in 'samadhi'state of yoga. Though this demon had not harmed in any way or troubled anyone, Devendra killed him just to earn name and fame of killing demon, and just to add number to his list of killing demons. One should not kill or speak or disturb those who are in meditation or yoganidra. Even those who are asleep, one should not wake them suddenly. Nidra (sleep) is a gift. Because 'indriyas' get tired and hence they sleep to relieve the tension. It is good to sleep only during night times and not in the afternoon. Because Indra killed this demon who was in yoganidra, he became accursed, lost his 'tejas' and becoming a sinner he came down and kept wandering .Indra, wandering here and there he comes to a forest viz. Kadamba in the country of Pandya. He sees a tree. As soon as he came to the shelter of that tree, the trouble/the suffering he was having in his body left him immediately, he became alright and all sins got destroyed. He was wondering at this and looked around and he sees a Shivalinga and he prays to Shiva. Swamiji sings 'Namah Parvathi Pathaye Hara Hara Mahadeva Shambho'.
After worshipping Shiva, he builts a small temple for that Shivalinga, in gratitude for getting his sins destroyed at the sight of that Shivalinga. Then he leaves. Seven miles away from this place, a small city called'Manavur' Pandya king was ruling. A rich merchant who belonged to that Manavur, named Dhananjaya on his business tour passes through this forest and sees this special Shivalinga and wondering how this new shivalinga came there, he comes and tells about it to Pandya King. The King's name was Kulashekara. As the King was thinking of this, he had a dream and Lord Shiva gives Darshan in the dream and asks him to build a big temple for that Shivalinga in Kadambavana. The King builts a temple around it and also builds a big beautiful city and shifts his residence there itself, naming that city as Madhura. And a few days after worshipping Shiva he gets a child named "Malayadhwaja'. He gives his king dom to his son and he leaves for tapas. Malayadhwaja was a Shiva devotee as well as Shakti devotee. After sometime, as he did not have progeny, Malayadhwaja along with his wife Kanchanamala performs a Yaga. In the middle of that great yaga, a three year old girl comes out of the fire. The child was 'Ayonija' (means that which was not born out of the womb) . It had three breasts. An he was afraid seeing this foreseeing something bad for the country. As he was thinking like this, he hears a "Ashareeravani" (words were heard from above the sky) "Don't fear. Whatever has taken place is for good only. You bring up this child like a man. Whatever education and training is given for a man, all such education may be given to this child.
Whoever sees this girl and when She sees the man who is to be her husband, the third breast will disappear. Everything will be auspicious. You will join the Devathas." Further nothing was heard. After sometime, since She had the eyes like fish (Meena) she was called Meenakshi. She grew to be a very beautiful young woman. Only three breasts she had. She had great powers. She was a staunch Shiva devotee and worshipped Him daily. Like a man she ruled the country herself after her father's demise. She protected the country and the people herself. She goes to Himalya and visits Kailasa where she had darshan of Lord Shiva. As soon as she sees Shiva, the third breast will disappear. After the third breast disappeared, she realised that Shiva was her husband. Mother is always fulfiller of wishes. This Mother who is now in the form of Meenakshi, who has come to uplift Pandya king and is looking after the Madhura city, She requests Shiva saying that you are my husband, you are my 'pati''gati' and 'mati' (i.e. I have surrendered to you and you have to show me way). Then Shiva asks Her to leave to her city and He promised that He would come to Her city within 7 days. And as promised He goes to Madhura on the 7th day. This Shiva is called 'Sundareshwara'. He is very beautiful.Sundareswara comes to Madhura and the marriage of Meenakshi and Sundareswara takes place in the city of Madhura. All the Devathas were present of the marriage occasion. Vishnu Himself looks after the marriage preparation and He gives Her in marriage to Sundareswara (Lord Vishnu is the younger brother of Devi,Mother Goddess).
In the meantime, Maharshis, Patanjali and Vyghrapada also come to witness the marriage. At the time of serving the food after the marriage, these two yogis refuses to take food. Till they saw the dance in the Chidambara in the Kanaka sabha, they did not want to take food. Then Lord Shiva says that He will show the dance here itself. Then the great wonderful dance of Lord Sundareswara in the Sannidhi (presence) of Meenakshi, take place in that temple. All were happy and blissful. Then after the marriage, food in large quantities are left over. Then Meenakshi asks Shiva as t o what should be done with the left over food. Then Shiva calls one of His Gana called Kundodara. He eats all the food and he says he is still feeling hungry and wants more. For his sake, Shiva creates a river, Ganga river itself. Then Kundodara satisfies with the water of Ganga
Then one day Meenakshi's Mother expresses her wish to take bath in the 7 seas (saptha samudra). Then Shiva brings the 7 seas here itself. The Shiva says" I will call your father-in-law also and let him also have bath." The King and father of Meenakshi who had died already, was called by Lord Shiva and the King takes bath in the 7 seas and Shiva bestows 'Moksha' on him and her mother.. They both will stay here on the earth in the human form and Sundareswara also rules the Kingdom of Pandya. Lord Kumaraswamy, with his 'Amsa' is born to Meenakshi and Sundareswara, but was born as 'Ayonija' (not from the womb). He is the first progeny and carries the lineage of Pandya king. After sometime, Lord Sundareswara, merges in the Shivalinga and Meenakshi to bless all the devotees stays there in the idol form. This is the story. In the meanwhile, one Serpent, elephant and a cow come to test them. They were cursed and were transformed as 3 hills around the city of Mdhura. These three hills are called "Anemalai', "Nagamali' and "Pashumalai". So Even today Meenakshi stays there in the idol form blessing all the devotees.
"Srimatsundara Nayikam, Bhayaharam, Jnanapradam Nirmalam
Syamambam, Kamalasanarchita padam Narayanasyanujam
Veena Venu murdanga vadya rasikam nana viradambikam
Meenaksheem Pranathosmi Santhathamaham Karunyavaraam nidhim"
Verses from Scripture on Marriage:
May the Provident One lead you, holding your hand! May the two Ashvins transport you on their chariot! Enter your house as that household's mistress. May authority in speech ever be yours! Signs of good fortune attend the bride. Congregate, one and all, to see her! Wish her joy and return to your homes.
Rig Veda 10.85.26 & 33. VE, 255-256
We offer praise to the Friend, the kindly marriage arranger. Like one who plucks a cucumber, I release you from here, not from yonder. Love, children, happiness and wealth will come to answer your hopes. Devoted to your husband's needs, be girded for immortality!
Atharva Veda 14.1.17 &42. VE, 259
Here do I fix my dwelling. May it stand firm, flowing with melted butter! May we approach you, O House, with all our people, sound in heart and limb. Here do you stand, firm dwelling, rich in horses and cattle, pleasantly resounding, wealthy in food abundant, ghee and milk. Stand erect for great good fortune!
Atharva Veda 3.12.1-2. ve, 288-289
May Prajapati grant to us an issue, Aryaman keep us till death in holy marriage! Free from ill omens, enter the home of your husband. Bring blessing to both humans and cattle. Not evil-eyed nor harmful to your husband, kind to dumb beasts, radiant, gentle-hearted, pleasing, beloved by the Gods, bring forth heroes. To menfolk and beasts alike bring blessing. Bless now this bride, O bounteous Lord, cheering her heart with the gift of brave sons. Grant her ten sons; her husband to make the eleventh.
Rig Veda 10.85.43-44. VE, 257
Act like a queen to your husband's father, to your husband's mother likewise, and his sister. To all your husband's brothers be queen.
Rig Veda 10.85.46. VE, 257
I hold your heart in serving fellowship; your mind follows my mind. In my word you rejoice with all your heart. You are joined to me by the Lord of all creatures. You are firm and I see you. Be firm with me, O flourishing one! Brihaspati has given you to me, so live with me a hundred years bearing children by me, your husband.
Paraskara Griyha Sutra 1.8.8; 19. VE, 263-264
The Lord brings us riches, food in daily abundance, renown and hero sons to gladden our hearts. So, like a father to his sons, be to us easy of entreaty. Stay with us, O Lord, for our joy.
Rig Veda 1.1.3 & 9. VE, 329
May our minds move in accord. May our thinking be in harmony -- common the purpose and common the desire. May our prayers and worship be alike, and may our devotional offerings be one and the same.
Rig Veda 10.191.3. RVP, 4739
With seven steps we become friends. Let me reach your friendship. Let me not be severed from your friendship. Let your friendship not be severed from me.
Hiranyakeshi Griyha Sutra 1.6.21.2.; VE, 263
The gift of a daughter, after decking her with costly garments and honoring her by presents of jewels, to a man learned in the Veda and of good conduct whom the father himself invites, is called the Brahma rite.
Manu Dharma Shastras 3.27. LM, 80
Endowed with the qualities of beauty and goodness, possessing wealth and fame, obtaining as many enjoyments as they desire and being most righteous, they will live a hundred years.
Manu Dharma Shastras 3.40. LM, 82
Women must be honored and adorned by their fathers, brothers, husbands and brothers-in-law, who desire their own welfare. Where women are honored, there the Gods are pleased. But where they are not honored, no sacred rite yields rewards.
Manu Dharma Shastras 3.55-56. LM, 85
The foremost duty of family life is to serve duly these five: God, guests, kindred, ancestors and oneself. When family life possesses love and virtue, it has found both its essence and fruition.
Tirukural 43; 45. WW
Father and mother are Siva. Dear brothers and sisters are Siva. Matchless wife is Siva. Precious children are Siva. Rulers and kings are Siva. All the Gods are Siva. The whole universe is Siva.
Natchintanai, "All Is Siva" NT, 237

Lalitha Sahasranamam - 125

125 Sarmadhayini – She who gives pleasures

Here sakthi the godess is looked upon as the female counterpart of every man.so when we say she gives pleasures means she sets us into the path of family life and leads the man to moksha.At times, Hindu texts reduce our aspirations to three: dharma (“virtue”), material gain, and love or pleasure. Dharma is the one that provides the underpinning for the others, for the concept of dharma establishes an ideal of behavior, religion, and ethics. As such, if we are living appropriately at the various stages of life, we are always doing our dharma. Etymologists might be interested to find that the word comes from the root dhr, meaning “to sustain.” This is fitting; dharma is the moral law that sustains the individual and, ultimately, human society. The great Hindu epic Mahabharata states the essence of its teachings: “With uplifted arms I cry, none heeds; from dharma, material gain and pleasure flow; then, why is not dharma pursued? Neither for the sake of pleasure, nor out of avarice, no, not even for the sake of one’s life should one give up dharma; dharma stands alone for all time; pleasure and pain are transitory.” The passage is meaningful on several levels.When the Mahabharata states that fulfilling ethical duties will lead to material rewards and pleasures, it means not only in this life, but in heaven, too. In the epic Ramayana, attributed to the sage Valmiki, it says, “From dharma issue profit and pleasure; one attains everything by dharma; it is dharma which is the essence and strength of the world.” Even those who live large lives of outsized pleasure are called upon to follow the duties of dharma. Kings must observe dharma and enforce it among their subjects. A king who follows the injunctions of dharma is called a royal sage, for his rule is based on moral principles. The Lawbook of Yajnavalkya states that where there is a conflict between righteousness and material advantage, dharma, and artha, dharma comes first. According to Hinduism, our many loves and or pleasures (kama) are also subject to dharma. A well-known passage in the Bhagavad Gita (7.11) shows that desire is consistent with dharma. Lord Krishna speaks, “I am the power of those who are strong when this power is free from passions and selfish desires. I am desire when this is pure, when this desire is not against righteousness.” The Hindu ideal does not preach abstinence from pleasure; but love should be chaste, regulated by considerations of morality and material well-being.

such a regulated moral pleasure is what is described here as dharma of life and in marriage every sakthi (woman) is the lalithambika or the concept of devi. so what is marriage according to hinduism.The Hindu marriage is not really a social contract but a religious sacrament. It results in a more or less permanent relationship between a man and woman. Their aim is not nearly physical pleasure but spiritual advancement. It is not merely an individual function but has a serial enjoyment of sexual pleasure. It exhibits unintegral approach to this serial institution. The main aim of Hindu marriage can be summarized as follows.

(i)Fulfillment of dharma or religions duties: According to the Hindu scriptures marriage is a basic of all religion activities. In the words of K.M Kapadia”marriage is primarily for the fulfillment of duties; the basic aim of marriage was dharma”.
(ii) Procreation: In Hindu families the child is given a very important place. According to Riga Veda, the husband accepts the palm of wife in order to get a high breed progeny. According to manu, the chief aim of marriage is procreation Mahabarat has also maintained the same view.
(iii)Sexual pleasure: The Hindu scriptures have compared the sexual pleasure with the relation of divine bliss. According to vatsyanyan sexual pleasure is the chief in aim marriage.

As marriage is said to be sacred it is irrevocable, other parties to the marriage can’t dissolve it at will. Each is bound to the other until the death of either of them and the wife is supposed to be bound to her husband even after his death. Concept of marriage, that it is, indissoluble, is a lofty one because it means that the husband and wife after marriage age to adjust their tastes and temper their ideas and interest, instead of breaking with each other when they find that these differ. Hindu marriage, thus viewed, is not an ordinary affair where in the weakness of flesh plays a dominant part. On the contrary, demands of personal gratification and pleasures are subordinated, and the individual is called upon to make marriage a success by means of compromise and adjustment. Despite the fact that marriage was considered to be irrevocable the two partners were not regarded as beings equal in their obligations, privileges there was obvious discrimination made in their responsibility towards each other and in responsibility for succession of marriage.

this is illustrated during the rituals in the marriage ceremony.Among the five Pancha Bhootas, all the elements are purifying by nature. But Agni or Fire is exceptional, because all the elements can be polluted but not fire. This means, water can purify but it can inturn be polluted , same with air and earth, but fire alone cannot be polluted. This is why Agni is considered the most sacred. In all Vedic ceremonies fire is used and especially in Marriage rituals.
Fire is the symbol of Knowledge. Circambulating Fire or Agni during marriage is to symbolically depict that married life should be a joined event to keep main focus on knowledge. In the "four stages" of life we discussed that in Youth we grow and mature our body. In married life, the next stage we have to have growth and Emotional maturity. Emotional maturity can happen only through understanding or knowledge. This is the reason why the couples circle the Agni during the marriage ritual. The couple walk together seven steps (Saptha padhi) around the fire. The Vedic texts says if you walk with a stranger minimum seven steps you become friends. So the Husband and Wife become friends by walking seven steps together.

Mâangalyam tantunânena mama jîvanahetunâ

kantheh badhnami subhage! sañjîva śaradah śatam

This is a sacred thread. This is essential for my long life. I tie this around your neck, O maiden having many auspicious attributes! May you live happily for a hundred years (with me).

Thread is to tie or to restraint , here the restraint is for the wandering mind. Through this the wife commits to the husband that she will focus her mind and body energy for the goal of God Realization, through the marriage life. The husband wears a toe-ring as his part of commitment to the wife. He also commits that his mind will be in the ring of married life and through that he goes steadfast in his goal to the higher Self along with her. When the couple one or both starts to show un-conditional love, Marriage then becomes a blissful experience (Romantic) at the body level, mind level and Intelligence level. This is not a fiction but a reality that can be lived and experienced. Once the couple experience this , the life becomes a life of Awareness, which is called divinity.
In Vedic tradition the couple is considered as the representation of God and Goddess, the Purusha and Prakrithi , the Consciousness and Matter. In Vedic tradition Marriage and Sex is considered as sacred and not considered as a sinful act.
The Romantic "Love" experienced in marital relationship as a husband and wife is experienced by transcending the ego. "Love" is "Unconditional" and is opposed by Ego, which seeks only conditional relation. In Romantic "Love" there are no conditions, a person is accepted as the person is. This is real "Love". Rest of the love, that we think as love is not love, it is only a "business" relationship. We get something for paying for it. A husband and wife in Romantic love, accepts the person as he or she is and looks beyond the body and mind and transcends to the pure Awareness state. In such a state the "Love making" they enjoy is also blissful. In Bharath, "Radha and Krishna" is considered as the model of un-conditional Romantic Love.

Lalitha Sahasranamam - 124

124 Sarvani – She who is the consort of Lord Shiva in the form of Sarvar.

We have come across this concept throughout in the earlier verses,but here i would like to quote from literature.

Parvati the consort of shiva is regarded as the mother Goddess Shakti, a personification of cosmic energy.

Legend has it that Shakti took birth as Daakshaayani or Sati - the daughter of the mythological Daksha who was entrusted with the task of propagating the human race. Sati married Shiva against the wishes of her father and the vain king performed a great yagna with the sole purpose of insulting Shiva. To this yagna, Daksha invited all of the gods and goddesses with the exception of Shiva. Against Shiva's wishes Sati attended this sacrifice, was insulted by father; unable to bear the insult Sati immolated herself in the sacrificial altar.Enraged at the insult and injury Shiva through Veerabhadra destroyed Daksha's sacrifice, severed Daksha's head and replaced it with that of a goat and restored him to life. Crazed with grief, he picked up the remains of Sati's body and engaged himself in the dance of destruction throughout the Universe. The disk of Vishnu cut through Sati's corpse and scattered her remains throughout the Indian subcontinent at sites that are now known as the Shakti Peethams.Sati was reborn as Parvati, the daughter of the mountain king Himavat and after rigorous penance married Shiva. To this couple was born Kumara orskanda the would-be destroyer of Tarakasura and other demons. All of these legends are woven around Shakti, Shiva and Skanda, the trinity that constitute Somaskanda, the symbol of prosperity and propagation of life.Parvati in the form of Gowri is the gentle consort of Shiva and is representative of the caring benevolent, matronly aspects of nature. South Indian Saivite shrines inevitably have a shrine dedicated to Parvati. Iconographic portrayals of Shiva in the form of Somaskanda, Chandrasekhara etc., portray Parvati adjacent to Shiva. Thus, Sivakaami is the consort of ShivaNataraja;Meenakshi is the consort of Sundareswara and so on. In certain Saivite temples, an image of Bhoga Sakthi is enshrined within the sancta enshrining presiding deity Shiva in the form of a ShivalingamSomaskanda thus depicts Shiva as a householder while Dakshinamurthy - yet another manifestation of Shiva depicts him as a yogi.Further more, the Ardhanaareswara manifestation of Shiva is symbolic of the interconnectedness of matter and energy, wherein Parvati is portrayed as being a part of Shiva,; Ardhanaareeswara is portrayed as being half male and half female.

She is able to be devoted to her Consort Siva, but to maintain the independence she needs to lead her army to war. She is fierce in her battles, but her most powerful weapons and warriors are created from her laugh and jubilance. Kamatchi shows people the way to deal with problems in their everyday lives. Her being is not an example for those who intend to lead an isolated life. Kamatchi shows how to live in balance, for people with numerous responsibilities. She demonstrates that it is possible to honor the family and other responsibilities, without disappointing anyone.

The Supreme Lord is represented as Siva, and His power is represented as His wife—Sakti, Durga, or Kali. Mother Durga is the energy aspect of the Lord. Without Durga, Siva has no expression; and, without Siva, Durga has no existence. Siva is the soul of Durga. Durga is identical with Siva. Lord Siva is only the Silent Witness. He is motionless, absolutely changeless. He is not affected by the cosmic play. Durga does everything.
Siva is omnipotent, impersonal, inactive. He is pure consciousness. Sakti is dynamic. The power, or active aspect, of the immanent God is Sakti. Sakti is the embodiment of power.
Siva and Sakti are related as Prakasa and Vimarsa. Sakti or Vimarsa is the power that is latent in the pure consciousness. Vimarsa gives rise to the world of distinctions. In other words, Sakti is the very possibility of the Absolute’s appearing as many, of God’s causing this universe. God creates this world through Srishti-Sakti, preserves through Sthiti-Sakti, and destroys through Samhara-Sakti.
There is no difference between God and His Sakti, just as there is no difference between fire and its burning power. Sakti is inherent in God. Just as you cannot separate heat from fire, so also you cannot separate Sakti from God, the possessor of Sakti. Sakti is Brahman Itself. Siva and Sakti are one. Siva is always with Sakti. They are inseparable. Worship of Durga or Parvati or Kali is worship of Lord Siva.

Sakti [shakti] means “power”; in Hindu philosophy and theology sakti is understood to be the active dimension of the godhead, the divine power that underlies the godhead’s ability to create the world and to display itself. Within the totality of the godhead, sakti is the complementary pole of the divine tendency toward quiescence and stillness. It is quite common, furthermore, to identify sakti with a female being, a goddess, and to identify the other pole with her male consort. The two poles are usually understood to be interdependent and to have relatively equal status in terms of the divine economy.The term shakti refers to multiple ideas. Its general definition is dynamic energy that is responsible for creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe. It is identified as female energy because shakti is responsible for creation, as mothers are responsible for birth. Without shakti, nothing in this universe would happen; she stimulates siva, which is passive energy in the form of consciousness, to create. Ardhanarishvara, a Hindu deity who is half male and half female, is an iconic representation of this idea. The deity is equally male and female, illustrating that the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe is dependent on both forces.Shakti also refers to the manifestations of this energy, namely goddesses. Some goddesses embody the destructive aspects of shakti, such as death, degeneration, and illness, while other goddesses embody the creative and auspicious powers of shakti, such as nature, the elements, music, art, dance, and prosperity. Shakti may be personified as the gentle and benevolent Uma, consort of Shiva, or Kali, the terrifying force destroying evil, or Durga, the warrior who conquers forces that threaten the stability of the universe. Goddess worshippers often view their deity as the all-powerful Supreme Being, second not even to a male god. There are enduring goddess traditions all over India, especially in West Bengal and south India. Goddesses symbolizing various aspects of power very often predominate in village culture. Village men, women, and children, when they pray for immediate needs, address a female, not a male.