AMBA

GLORY OF THE DIVINE FEMININE PRINCIPLE

evidenced as
 

BHAGAVATI VISHNUMAYA CHARITATRAYI
 

The Fully Endowed and All pervasive Goddess
 

As revealed through her Three Glorious Stories
 

PART ONE
 

RISHI  DHYAANAM – Contemplation on Shri Markandeya Rishi
 

Om dvibhujam jatilam soumyam subuddham chiranjeevinam maarkandeya nato bhaktyaa poojayet prayatah sadaa. Aayushprada mahaabhaaga somavamsha samudbhava. Mahaatapo munishreshta maarkandeya namostutey.
 

Om, I bow to markandeya, illustrious sage, the great tapasvin,*
 

Who has two hands, with hair matted, of a pleasant countenance
 

Who is enlightened and is always alive,
 

Bestower of life span, fully qualified, born of the lunar race
 

To whom I pray always with a head bowing in devotion.

 

*tapasvin -one who is adept at focusing his energy effectively to achieve the goal.
 

SARVEY  ATMASVAROOPA  BHAKTEBHYO NAMAHA
 

I bow to all of you who are devotees and are as my own Self.
 

INTRODUCTION to the HIDDEN TRUTHS OF THIS TEXT
 

1. So here we are at this place, at this time, occupying space with this particular body. This body that we have got, is an interest on a deposit. It is this body that houses the indwelling Atman, our Core-Self. This serves as a Wonderful Instrument for the Indweller, is it not?  So for the next 9 days we shall address this Body, this Wonderful Instrument, this Body Complex which is composed of the Physical, the Mental, the Intellectual and the Psychic.   
 

2. We will also be honoring, glorifying while getting close to  MAAYAA by acquainting ourselves with the Devi Mahatmyam. A very important thing to keep in mind is that MAYA here is based on the concept of Maya as evidenced in the Vedas prior to the inception of Upanishadic revival , that we now know today as Vedanta. MAYA APPEARS PROMINENTLY AS AN ILLUSION ONLY AT THE TIME OF THE BUDDHA.  IT WAS LATER REAFFIRMED BY SHANKARA  AND OTHERS. Therefore, it is very important to know that here Maya is not an illusion. It is a Power to be reckoned with.  It is also better to consider it as a Veiling as well as an All Pervasive Power.  Tirodhaana Shakti is the veiling power of maya.  
 

3. MAYA is defined as MEEYATEY iti MAYA . The power by which all is measured. The power by which a Bheda buddhi, a sense of differentiation exists. This Bheda buddhi facilitates us to see things as different from me.
 

4. MAYA is intrinsic to Ishvara, the Cosmic Divine. It is the Aavarana ( Veiling) and Vikshepa ( Projecting) Power that results in Creation being the Srishti Kalpana of Ishvara i.e.  it is the projected aspect of Ishvara in the form of Creation. This entire creation is itself the divine and thus viewed as a whole, cannot hold concepts of evil and good. It is only through the lens of Maya that indeed we can classify the transient, everchanging concepts of good and evil.
 

5. I am going to give you the meaning and then quote a beautiful question from  the text, Sadhana Saamraajyam---We should be asking this again and again too!!The great Shri Kapali Sastriar says-
 

So okay, Let the Paramaatmaa Bhagavan be with or without Maya. But why does he start this world, so called futile, again and again??
 

Amaayee maayaa vaa bhavatu paramaatma sa bhagavaan.
 

Katham bhooyo bhooyo jagadidam anartham prakuruthaam??
 

Therefore we shall take a special attitude towards MAYA
 

Indeed as the world plays divinely before us, we shall look with eyes blooming and face smiling and know that this creation, is the home of the Lord of the world, and therefore fit to be adored.
 

Hasannetrey vaktrey sphurati sati daivasya lasitey . Jagatraajyam poojyam bhavati jagadeeshasya bhavanam.
 

6. We shall learn to look upon Maya therefore as a Mother.
 

Vishnumaayaa Gaayatri Group Chanting
 

OM BHOOR BHUVAH SVAH- Each one of us and thus all of us ,evidenced by our very existence here and now,  have accessed the planes of bhooloka, bhuvarloka and svarloka.
 

TAT MAARKANDEYAAYAA VIDMAHEY – We now wish to know the Principal Deity known as MAARKANDEYEE , the deity conceived by Rishi Maarkandeya.
 

VISHNUMAAYA DHEEMAHEE- For that purpose we contemplate on the all pervasive yet veiling divine force known as VISHNUMAAYAA.
 

TANNO DEVI PRACHODAYAAT - To make that possible may the feminine divine source of illumination, the DEVI, propel us.
 

Rhythm is to the Count of 4 times 9 = 36 represent the 36 tattvas. With this gayatri we are making the declaration of the intention i.e. the sankalpa for the parayana of this great text- The Devi Mahatmyam.
 


 

I. The Markandeya puranam
 

I am sure you all know who rishi Markandeya is. I say is because he is a chiranjeevi like Hanuman. In other words he is in an energy field that is accessible to us.  There is a puranam credited to him called the Markandeya puranam. What is the definition of a puranam? That which speaks of the old but will always be new or relevant. Why relevant?  Because it addresses our subconscious.  This is why one story may be slightly or greatly different in the various puranas but the thread that holds them will be the same. This is true also of various folk tales and legends worldwide. The thread is the dreamer. The dreamer in all of us has an amazing resemblance. There is a commonality of dreams throughout the world as studied by psychologists and mythologists. Unfortunately in this modern trend we Indians go to psychologists rather than to our puranas.  
 

All puranas have lakshanas or distinguishing features such as geographical, cultural, ritual and lineage details. Often one godhead may be highlighted. Puranas were actually composed by different authors at different times and they lived in different areas of modern India and a little more beyond. For instance scholars who have researched say that the Padmapurana was composed somewhere in the region of modern Orissa, the Brahmavaivaartapurana in the regions of Bihar and Bengal, the Skanda purana south of the Vindhyas and the Markandeya purana in modern Maharashtra.
 

Typical of all puranas,  the Markandeya puranam  too covers lineages such as the various manvantaras. After the section on Vaivasvata manu, the 7th manu  ( the period we are in now) we have next the period of Saavarni manu, the Eighth. This is the manu for the next kalpa. The person who becomes Saavarni, his story begins during the time of the 2nd manu, Savarochisha. This story then is the  Devi Mahatmyam. Each manu gains his kingdom by some upasana. Vaivasvata gained his manudom through the grace of Matsyamurti, an avatara of Vishnu... It is Saavarni while a king, by the name Surattha, who gains his manudom, through the grace of Bhagavati Vishnumaya.
 

The Devi mahatmyam  is found covering chapters 81 to 93 of the puranam. Those of you who are familiar with prayers such as Argala, Kavacha, Kilaka, Vaikriti and Murti rahasya and the Devi sukta, need to know that though they are all good, they are not in this puranam.  All these other than the Sukta have been developed for ritualistic and upasana purposes and are found in various tantric texts.  The Devi suktam of course is from the Rgveda.   There is nothing wrong in reciting them. As a matter of fact it is good to recite them. However it is also very good to know the sources. We Bharatiyaas are negligent in this respect. e.g. LALITASAHASRANAMA strangely is not found in the Brahmanda puranam yet we find that  our recitations contain the statement that books that it is there.  
 

It is very important to know that even though the popular Navarna mantra Om aim hreem kleem chaamundaayaiy vicchey is used during the Navaratri rituals, in my humble opinion after having done upasana of this text for over 36 years, I can tell you, that the Navarna mantra is not really based on the Devi Mahatmyam.  However, it is definitely applicable to a similar set of stories found in another puranam, the Devi Bhagavatam.  Chaamunda, in this mantra means the killer of asuras, Chanda and Munda. In the Devi Mahatmyam, the killer of Chanda and Munda is only an emanation from the main deity of this Mahatmyam. She is not the main dity as reflected in the Devi Bhagavatam, where Camunda is the main deity.The main deity in the Devi Mahatmyam is Vishnumaya or Chandi and the emanation is Kali. So Kali is Chaamunda, here. The Navarna mantra should not in reality be used here for the main deity is not Chamunda. You may repeat the mantra in connection with the Devi Bhagavatam, but if you used it with the Devi Mahatmyam it will not work!  


II. Navaraatri
 

1. Raatri =night
 

Why are the prayers from this text often called Chandi and Durgashaptashati, recited during the Navaratri?  To understand that we need to first learn, a little more about Navaratri itself.  Raatri which we often call night according to the Rgveda, is the Day-bringer of darkness. This is the time for us to lessen our extrovert activities, wind down and do some introspection. This has been so in the past when we did not have so much illumination such that even night looks like day! To add to that we also have many people working at so many jobs at night!
 

During Vasanta navaratri, which is what we are celebrating here, it is customary in some parts of India to dress Ambaji in yellow, to offer yellow flowers and yellow colored sweets, for yellow is the colour of the Advent of Spring,  not green. You see even the sprouts are first yellowish before they turn green. Yellow is the color of Peetaambara , the lower garment of Lord Vishnu too. Yellow is the colour of Satisfaction, of a Joyful Contentment. This attitude we shall try to develop in ourselves during these 9 days. So to remind us of this I have here yellow colored raksha threads that have been sanctified. Anyone who wishes to have them may come one by one in an order and take one to tie to your wrist. Have the person next to you to tie it for you. While this goes on you can join me in a stuti that I  composed to the the charamurti, DEVI VIDYA MUKAMBIKA whose presence was housed first in Westchester(LA), California, then Orlando, Florida followed by Eugene, Oregon and now she resides in Portland Oregon. The North American continent by the way is called the Turtle Island by the Native Americans.
 

Koormadveepa nivaasini vidya mukaambikey sreevidyamukaambikey………

 

2. Sandhya
 

During the 24 hour period in a day there are special times conducive for prayer and contemplation. These are the sandhyas. Technically there are three sandhyas, one before sunrise, one at midday and the other immediately after sunset. So too between seasons we have sandhi kaalas. Between spring and summer, between summer and fall, between fall and winter and between winter and spring. Navaratris are celebrated at these times. Thus we really have 4 navaratris, namely in the months of Magha, Chaitra, Ashaadha and Ashvina. Of these the Sharat navaratri that falls between autumn and winter when the cold sets in, is the most popular.  It is said that Shri Ram invoked the Devi at this time so that she may enter the weapon with which he killed Ravana. The next popular one is Vasant navaratri in April when the warmth sets in between winter and spring. That is what we are observing here.
 

3. Nava
 

Why the Nine nights? 9 is a renewable number. 9+9=18 +=8=9, 18+ 9= 27 2+7+9 and so on. This is a perfect number of days therefore to renew ourselves. Get rid of old habits, form better ones, understand our personality, turn inwards, disengage to whatever extent possible from the world outside and thus put quality time for ourselves. The process of renewal is best done when a disengagement precedes it.  
 

4. Parayanam
 

Those who wish to do parayanam I.e. Reading or listening to the text,  at home,  please note the order I am observing so you can do the same order in reading the chapters and get benefit
          

            1   2&3   4   5&6   7&8   9    10   11  12&13 Just one among the many sampradayas.
 

If you can read Devanaagari script then the text is available on the net www. sanskrit.safire.com
 

4. Devata/Devi/Deva
 

Let me digress al little here and get you all pondering over the word DEVATA/DEVI/DEVA. All these words are defined as Deeyatey iti = ..  That which shines or, is a source of illumination. Thus in the Vedas, the Divine was recognized everywhere.They observed it first in Agni, the fire, in  Ratri, the night, in Ushas, the Dawn, in Sarasvati, the river, in Rudra, the Cosmic Inflictor, in Marut, the Wind and Storm etc. They not only observed outside in the environment but also connected it to occasions and attributes to do with mankind. There is the absence of a Puranic Bhagavan concept, for the Divine in the Vedas had no birth, no particular gender, no lineage, no history etc. In the puranas however we see devatas, devis, devas clearly as ones with births, families, lineage and history. All puranic deities have their seed origin from concepts in the Vedas. The  word god when it is used to translate the word deva or devi or devata becomes incredibly inadequate.
 

5. Why the Devi/ Why the Feminine Source of Illumination?
 

So why then is the Feminine Divine Principle, Devi so important during Navaratri ?  In our personal lives who do you think can, inspite of our failings, continue to have faith in us and therefore give us chances to renew ourselves again and again?  Our mothers who gave us birth, is it not?  If so what then should we say about the Mother of us all, the Universal Mother, Devi, Ambaji?  Our physical mother carried us for 9 months in her womb and nourished us. For 9 nights therefore we turn towards our Universal mother to nourish us in her womb and give us strength. Therefore let us resort to the Universal Mother in each one of us. Let us ask her help in this Renewal process that first begins with Shuddhikaranam or Cleansing.
 
 

III. The Devi Mahatmyam
 

36 years of UPASANA on this text has resulted in me taking it up in 3 graduating levels. During these pravachans I will be taking up only Level I.
 

This Devi mahatmyam or Glories of the Devi is an allegory. It has 3 major stories covering 3 major and several minor battles. It is an allegory because it represents our battles in life through our personal experiences. Aasuric forces inside and outside of us are always confronting Daivic forces inside and outside of us. This is the process of true human evolution into the Spirit.
 

Tell me do we need help in times of battle? Where all do we need help? In 3 main areas.
 

A. Help in making the right choice of action.
 

B. Gain strength and support i.e. energy and human or service support.
 

C. In getting the proper weapons.
 

PLEASE REMEMBER THESE 3 TYPES OF HELP WE NEED, AS IT WILL BE REFLECTED IN THE STORY.
 

The conglomeration of the Daivic forces in us is the Devi herself. The 700 shlokas contained within this mahatmyam are considered as 700 mantras. Therefore this text is a Maala mantra I.e. A mantra garland.  It is very good to do an akhand ( non stop)  reading of this text during Navaratri. This takes about one and a half hours. In Kerala among the Nambudiri families even young children have the entire text committed to memory!
 

1. Mantras
 

A mantra is a very powerful tool that yields results. It is a technology that can be used by anyone. It does not discriminate the yielding of its results from a bad person or a good person.  In a way it is very mechanical in its result. There are plenty of examples in our puranas where rakshasas and asuras have gained boons from doing mantric tapas. An excellent example of this is seen in the Puranic Story of the ASHTAVINAYAKAS. Please refer www.ambahouse.org under Homestudy Courses-Ganapati Upanishad- Ashtavataras of Ganesh.
 

A mantra is a sound body or shabdaartha of a devata. It is the commodity, product or grossification of the deity produced by the sounds in context. It is indeed very specific. Om namo bhagavatey vaasudevaaya  has a different result from Om namo naaraayanaaya. The first is to the son of Vasudeva, who is Krishna and the other is to Narayan.
 

So here by reciting the entire Devi Mahatmyam as the 700 mala mantras, we bring into our lives the presence of the deity of that text, who is  Vishnumaya, not Durga as popularly thought of. Do you know how important this specificity is?? It is as useless as a son who calls in Gujarati, his mother Ba as Bahenji or  say you call your Mother as hey sister!. !!!  Durga is the Devi as mentioned in this text itself as the killer of Durgamaasura. Her other names being Shataakshi and Shaakambari. To call the Main Deity of this text, CHANDI, is fine but how come this text is called Durga shaptashati, is a whole different discussion that will take time. It all boils down to lack of consistency and a failure on our part to check the sources.
 

2. Why Sanskrit?
 

There is a beauty and sweetness  to bhajans when sung in regional languages. Is it not ? Ghazals are best sung in Urdu. Tevarams in Tamil . Prabhaatiyas in Gujarati. Devaranama in Kannada etc. The best language for business in this world is English, the vyaapaara bhaashaa. The best language to explain and formulate for us the divine is Sanskrit, the Devabhaashaa.
 

3. What this recitation will do for us.
 

Think what happens to the body when we take a bath? How do we feel afterwards? Same way this recitation will start a process of purification and thus prepare it for refining. What are we purifying? The three stories contained within are used for cleaning our Shareera traya, three shareeras. These are the three bodies which has resulted in our embodiment! They are Kaarana ( Causal, that we don’t know about ), Sthoola ( gross, the more visible as we can see it occupy space) and   Sookshma (Subtle, that we know is there ) bodies. The three stories are also geared towards our three states of being, that is Avastthaatraya, our Sushupti (Deep Sleep), Svapna (Dreaming)  and Jaagrat (Waking) states. Please note that there are cosmic equivalent states corresponding to these.  We also use these three stories to regulating our Gunatraya, three basic gunas that operate as our varying nature throughout living. These are then Tamas ( Inertia),  Rajas ( Passion) and Sattva (altruistic). When associating with the psychic chakras  then the stories are  connected to the untying of psychic knots our Granthi traya  such as Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra. So much for the Number 3.
 

Now the significance of number 13.  The thirteen chapters are to be deeply connected to the components of our total shareera such as the 5 karmendriyas, systems of action, our 5 jnaanendriyas our systems of perception , and the 3 antahkaranas such as  our manas, buddhi and chitta. They are also connected to the thirteen psychic centers or chakras namely moolaadhaara, svaadhistaana, manipoora, hrit, anaahata, vishuddhi, taalu or lalanaa, agnaa, manas, indu, nirvana, guru and sahasraara.

The question may be asked as to why we should bother to purify ourselves. Well at some point or other we all have asked the question, why am I here? The simple answer is, that I am here only for one reason and that is to TRANSFORM MY NATURE. Evolution is possible for us only by Transformation of our nature The first thing to bear in mind is, that no transformation is possible without a regular cleansing. When something is wrong with an equipment, we like it to be fixed. Once we know what the problem is, then we clean it and then fix it well. EXAMINE -CLEAN -FIX,  This is the order then. These are 3 magic words. All the components of our shareera mentioned earlier have intrinsic limiting conditions or doshas. These have to be swept or cleaned from time to time. One time cleaning is not enough.  Therefore, as I do the recitation,whether you know Sanskrit or not it does not matter. Pay close attention to the words as I read. Let them imprint your mind via the ears. We can thus allow the Purification process to begin.

 

END OF PART ONE