Mangala Navraatri
Gayatri Ramanan
Dubai (U.A.E)
Humble Pranaam at Maaji’s Lotus Feet!
What an auspicious occasion to listen to Maaji’s Holy words! Maa’s Talk was very meditative, and as Maaji said, the topic itself is so intense “Earn, Yearn and Learn”. It was a real learning of the deep meaning of these simple and attractive words.
Maaji started with a couplet from Argala Stotram
ॐ नमश्चण्डिकायै
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
ॐ जयन्ती मङ्गला काली भद्रकाली कपालिनी ।
दुर्गा क्षमा शिवा धात्री स्वाहा स्वधा नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
The names of the Goddess in different forms, pleasant and terrifying.
Earn - The strength of devotion can be earned by the blessings of Maa Durga. Many a times, when we earn for our livelihood, we become too materialistic and lose track of Spirituality. So we spend all that we earn towards worldly activities with no trace of divinity. When we think what our purpose in life should be, it definitely can’t be to earn just a livelihood. Great devotees from our Puranas, who are known for their Bhakti have never worried about earning their next meal in their pure devotion to the Supreme. Our scriptures have always advised us to do our Spiritual sadhana while we undergo our material pursuits. In fact, this only will help us excel in whatever field we are into. Devi Durga is the manifestation of Vishnu Maya, the Sustainer. So my needs will be taken care of by the Lord, whom I worship and I will have no anxieties of future. That was the firm faith of those devotees! Maa chanted few verses from ‘Tantrokta Devi Sooktam’, which also appears in ‘Sree Durga Saptashati’- Panchamodhyaayah, through which we earn the strength of Devotion.
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु छाया-रुपेण संस्थिता |
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु शक्ति-रूपेण संस्थिता।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु तृष्णा-रूपेण संस्थिता।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः॥
Devi Durga is established in all beings as the ‘Shadow’ (Chhaya) of the Supreme Reality in the whole of Creation. We earn the strength of devotion from Devi Maa. With this ‘Strength’ of devotion, we hold on to the Realit,y and understand that this Creation is only Maya, even while performing our worldly duties. With this strength of devotion, I develop deep desire to attain the Supreme by gaining vairagya over my desire for materialistic life (Trishna).
Yearn – I yearn for purity of my intentions from Maa Lakshmi to annihilate my Rajasik tendencies, so that there is integrity between my intentions, thoughts, words and deeds.
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु लक्ष्मी-रूपेण संस्थिता।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु वृत्ति-रुपेण संस्थिता |
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु स्मृति-रुपेण संस्थिता |
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः॥
Dur-vritti belongs to my ego-centre, which plays havoc in my thoughts, words and deeds. I should hold on to sat-vritti in which only the Goddess is established. This egocentric being always prefers “preyas” to “shreyas” (pleasure to Righteous). I pray to Maa Lakshmi to bless me with sat-vritti. The Goddess is also established as the memory faculty, ‘Smriti’ in us. Only with this pure memory, firm faith and devotion, purity of intention is possible.
Learn - This I should develop by learning the Spiritual secrets with the blessings of Mata Saraswati, so that I understand correctly, what the Rishis have conveyed through the Scriptures. Here Maa chanted 3 more verses
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु चेतनेत्यभिधीयते।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु बुद्धि-रूपेण संस्थिता।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु निद्रा-रूपेण संस्थिता।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः॥
I worship Mother Goddess, who is established as the ‘Chaitanya’ Shakti in this Creation. This Shakti is also the ‘Pure Intellect’ in me. So I should be warned not to use my intellect in the wrong means. She also exists as ‘Yoga Nidra’, when worldly activities take place. We awaken the Goddess, so that Maya in the form of our ignorance disappears and the divinity in us is revealed. Only with purity of our Antahkaran, the mind-intellect equipment, the Spiritual secrets can be understood, with blessings of Maa Saraswati.
Maa also mentioned the Beej Mantra ॐ ऐं ह्रीं क्लीं चामुण्डायै विच्चे नमः
ॐ (Brahman) ऐं (Seed, Goddess Saraswati) ह्रीं (Shakti, Goddess Lakshmi) क्लीं (Stump on which we tie ourself, Goddess Durga) चामुण्डायै (Destroyer) विच्चे (Shield)
Meaning - Please shield me, so that I am protected. Tie me to the stump, so my devotion is unswerving, let me learn the secrets of Spirituality with the seed from which Divine Knowledge sprouts, and lead me to Brahman, my True Self, with the blessings of Mother Goddess.
So I, should neither get immersed in worldly activities nor neglect them, because the Creation itself is a form of the Goddess. Maa finally concluded with this Kshama Praarthana
मन्त्रहीनं क्रियाहीनं
भक्तिहीनं सुरेश्वरि |
यत्पूजितं मया देवी
परिपूर्ण तदस्तु मे ||
And the Japa Mantra...
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि
We have to contemplate on this continuously to understand the right meaning, explained so beautifully by Maa ji. Blessed are we to have received a shower of Holy words, which when meditated upon will elevate us Spiritually.
We thank Manish ji for giving us such wonderful opportunities to listen to Maa ji on such important occasions!
Dhanyavadah and Pranaams!