Discourse of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji on Chandi Saptashati – Day 8 Navaratri Celebrations – Mysore – October 23, 2012
Jaya Guru Datta
“Yesterday we talked about the most important episode, the killing of Nishumbha and Shumbha.
The celestials extolled Parashakti for releasing them from the torment caused by the demons. Their prayer is known popularly as Naaraayani Stuti. The Lakshmi Tantra explains the greatness of this prayer.
Mother Goddess is only one. She herself takes different forms as the Sapta Maatrkas, the Seven Mothers, or the Ashta maatrkas, the Eight Mothers, or Nava Durgas, the nine forms of Durga, or the Ashtadasha Shaktis, the eighteen divine Energies and the 52 different syllables of the Sanskrit alphabet.
Why does she take so many forms? She does it to suit the circumstance, the time and the purpose when she incarnated to protect those who need her protection. Sometime the incarnations repeat in each Kalpa.
The demon Mahishasura incarnated three times and had to be killed by the Mother Goddess three times. Such was the boon that protected him. It is only the third time that he finally died.
Why so many forms, names, weapons, and ornaments for Mother Goddess? It is like specific incarnation for the killing of a specific demon. These have spiritual significance, of different aspects of weaknesses in us.
Just as saying at noon makes no sense, because every day there is noon; just saying on Friday, makes no sense, because every week there is a Friday; it does not make sense to say on the 4th, because every month there is a 4th, in makes no sense to say in January, because there is a January every year; so you have to also specify the year, in order to pinpoint the exact time. The same way to speak about an incarnation, you have to give the complete exact description. Only then Mother Goddess can be identified in that particular form.
Mother Goddess, in truth is formless and nameless. She is Parabrahman. She has no gender. Our soul has no gender. Only the body has such differences. There is no male soul, female soul or dog soul. Soul is all one. But the bodies are all different. The same way Mother Goddess is one and is formless. Only her incarnations are different. She creates the forms and she withdraws them again into herself.
She is described in this work in the female form because her main attributes here are compassion, forgiveness, patience, tolerance, sympathy, and endurance. Only a Mother has all of these qualities in great measure. A man does not have the same measure of compassion, patience, endurance, or sympathy.
When a child cries, a mother, even if it is not her own child, still attends to the child or worries about the child’s problem or discomfort. A man will only get irritated and wishes to quiet the child to stop the annoyance. Only a Mother endures the severe labor pains to give birth to each child. A man lacks such endurance. A mother forgets and forgives the faults of her child. A father does not do so that easily.
Hence, the qualities of Mother are emphasized in the Mother Goddess because when she kills the demons, she does it for their own benefit to release them from their Tamo Guna.
People with Satva Guna are peaceful and calm. Those with Rajo Guna begin to cause some disturbance. But persons with Tamo Guna trouble others.
Rather than completely destroy sins, Mother Goddess reduces them and their effects. For instance, if you consider anger, in situations it is required. So it is not completely destroyed in a person. But when angered unnecessarily, Mother Goddess, calms you down. That is why it is said, Shaantam Paapam when someone gets angry. You want the anger to subside like fire subsides.
There are different types of fire. They are all required. There is the fire of the ritual fire pit, of the kitchen for cooking, of the stomach for digestion, of the fire at the bottom of the ocean, Badabaagni, and so on. Anger is also compared to fire. It should be controlled and reduced to calm down once its purpose is served.
Sage Medho continued:
As soon as Chandika Devi killed that powerful demon, all the gods, led by Indra and Agni, praised Mother Goddess thus for fulfilling their desire.
“ ‘Devi! Prapannaarti hare! …charaacharasya.’
O Mother of Creation, who destroy the troubles of those who seek your refuge, O Devi! Please resume your pleasant form. O Mother, who directs the world! Please be happy. You protect the Universe. You rule this Creation. O Mother! You are the unparalleled support for this Universe. In the form of the Earth, you give steady support to all moving and unmoving entities in Creation. In the form of Water, you satisfy the needs of all Creation. No one can excel you in valor. O Devi! Your power is immeasurable. You are the power of Vishnu. You are the cause of this world. You drown the entire world in illusion. You alone are capable of showing compassion towards the earth and can grant liberation by removing the delusion.
O Devi! All types of knowledge are only your different forms. In all the three worlds, all women are your different forms. You have pervaded the entire world. How can we possibly offer you adequate praises?
You transcend all praises. You occupy an exalted position. You are the light that shines in everything. You alone can bestow heavenly comforts and salvation. There are no words that can describe and praise your form as Parabrahman that is without any attributes. Yet, we are making an attempt to praise you.
‘Sarvasya … namostute’
You reside in everyone’s heart as their intellect. O Devi! O Narayani! You grant us heaven and liberation. We offer our salutations to you. As Kala, Time or Death you are capable of destroying this Universe. You also have the power to re-create it. We offer you our prayers.
‘Sarvamangala maangalye Shive sarvaarthasaadhike
Sharanye tryambike Gowri Naaraayani namostute.’
You bestow auspiciousness to all auspiciousness. You accomplish all tasks. You offer protection. O Gowri, with three eyes, O Naaraayani! We offer you prostrations.
O Mother! You have the power to create, sustain and destroy! O Narayani! You are the treasure house of all virtues. We bow down to you.
‘Sharanaagata deenaarta paritraana paraayane
Sarvasyaarti hare devi naaraayani namostute’
O Narayani! You are proficient in rescuing those who are in danger and who surrender to you. You destroy the grief of everyone. We offer you obeisance.
O Narayani! On the battlefield, in the form of Brahmaani, you rode on a swan and sprinkled with the sacred darbha grass, water that was energized with mantras. We worship you.
O Narayani! In the form of Maaheshwari, riding a bull, with serpents as ornaments and the moon adorning you, you wielded the trident. We offer you prayers.
O Anagha! You are sinless and pure. You destroy our sins. In the form of Kaumaari you rode the peacock and were surrounded by roosters. You held the weapon, Maha Shakti. O Narayani! Our prostrations to you.
O Narayani! In the form of Vaishnavi Shakti, you bore the weapons, conch shell, wheel, mace, and the bow on the battlefield. Please be pleased with our prayers. We offer you worship.
O Narayani! In the form of the great wild boar, you restored the Earth that disappeared underground into Paataala, by lifting it up with your fangs. Our prayers are offered to you.
In the form of Nrsimha, you protected all the three worlds by making a determination to kill the demons. Our salutations to you.
O Narayani! You wore a crown. You wielded the Vajra weapon. You glowed with a thousand eyes. You killed the demon Vrtra. O Indrani! We bow down to you.
In the form of Shivadooti, making frightening sounds, you annihilated the army of demons. We pray to you.
O Narayani! You assumed the form of Chaamunda, with a face that strikes fear, wearing a garland of skulls of demons, and killed the demons Chanda and Munda. Our prostrations to you.
You are Lakshmi, Lajja, Mahavidya, Shraddha, Pushti, Svadhaa, Nitya, Maharaatri, and Maha Maya. Our prostrations to you.
You are Medha and Saraswati. You are most exalted. You are the consort of Rudra. You grant lordship. O Mother! Please be favorable towards us. We offer you our prostrations.
You have your hands, legs, eyes, heads, ears, and noses in all directions. You are everywhere. Our prostrations to you.
O Durga Devi! Your form encompasses everything. You possess all the powers. Therefore, rescue us from fear. Our prostrations to you.
May this peaceful face of yours decorated with three eyes protect us from all fears! O Kaatyaayani! Our prostrations to you.
May your trident remove all our fears. Please treat us as your children and rescue us from our sins. May your sword be of benefit to us.
O Mother! When you are merciful, you remove all diseases. When you show anger, you snatch away all pleasures. Those human beings who seek your shelter will be spared from troubles. You are of the form of shelter to all.
No other woman can kill demons who oppose Dharma, the way you do. You are the one who spins this world around.
You remain permanently where demons, cruel serpents, enemies, thieves, and wicked souls are stationed, to protect the universe from them.
O Mother! Those who are devoted to you shelter the Universe itself. O Devi! The way you killed the demons to protect us, always offer us protection from our enemies. Please remove the calamities that strike the world through disasters caused by sins. Please grant boons to all those who remember you,” they prayed.
Mother Goddess then said, “O gods! I will grant you boons. Ask for such boons that will benefit all the three worlds.”
The gods then prayed, “O Mother! O Akhileshwari, the ruler of all! Remove the obstructions that trouble all the three worlds. Remove difficulties. Like this, keep destroying the enemies of gods. This is our wish.”
Parashakti said, “In the Vaivaswata Manvantara (the present eon) in the 28th Yuga, demons by the names of Shumbha and Nishumbha will be born. At that time, I will be born from the womb of Yashoda in Nandagokula. I will reside in the Vindhya Mountains and will kill them. I will also kill those who will be born in the family of Viprachitti.
In that incarnation, my teeth will be red like the pomegranate flowers. Hence, I will be addressed as Raktadantikaa.
In the future, there will be famine for one hundred years. There will be no rains. The sages will praise me then. I will be born, but not from a woman. With one hundred eyes, I will glance at the sages with mercy. I will then be addressed as Shataakshi.
To sustain the people, I will generate vegetables out of my body. I will then be called Shaakambhari. During that famine, I will kill the demon called Durgama and will become famous by the name, Durga.
Again, to protect the sages, I will assume a fearsome form in the Himalayas and will kill the demons. People will then praise me with the name Bheema Devi.
When the demon Aruna torments the three worlds, I will take the form of countless bees and will kill him. I will then become famous as Bhraamari Devi, because that is how people will address me.
In this manner, whenever gods face difficulties, I will incarnate in different forms to destroy their enemies.”
Such boons Mother Goddess bestowed.
Tomorrow we will talk about what else she said.”
Sri Guru Datta
Courtesy: Hira Duvvuri