WITH THE GREAT
8. GREAT MOTHER, GREAT SON!
We do not know when and how the Mother cult started. The Veda does contain Suktas (prayers) on Mother Deities (Durga Suktam, Sri Suktam etc), but we cannot say that they fostered worship of a Form. However, they are the foundation for the subsequent Puranic developments. We need not bother about the many fancy theories floating around. We have seen how even a fictitious entry like Santoshi Ma can acquire some reality, and therefore cult status. This is the occult phenomenon pointed out by Sri Aurobindo. Krishna said in the Gita that he would respond as people approached Him.
Once started, it has not looked back. In the process, saints and sages have provided lot of authoritative material. They go to the extent of even claiming that Devi Bhagavatam is the original Bhagavatam! Accordingly, all the Avataras of Vishnu and others are shown as the Avataras of the Mother. Devi Mahatmyam records:
Srushti stiti vinashanaam shakti bhootae sanatani
Gunasraye Gunamaye narayani namostute
Hamsayukta vimanaste Brahmaani rupa dhaarini
Gausaamba ksharike devi narayani namostute
Trishula chandraahidhare mahavrushaba vaahini
Maaheshwari swarupena narayani namostute
Mayra kukkuta vrute mahashaktidhare anage
Kaumaari rupa samstaane narayani namostute
Sankha chakra gada saarnga gruheeta paramaayute
Prasida vaishnavi rupe naayani namostute
Gruhidogra mahachakre damshtroddruta vasundhare
Varaha rupini shive narayani namostute
Nrusimha rupaenograena hantum daityaan krudotyamae
Tailokya traana sahitae narayani namostute.
Thus all the male Deities we know (Trimutis, Brahma, Maheshwra, Vishnu, Subrahmanya, Varaha, Narasimha) become forms of the Mother. The Devi Bhagavatam says that all Avataras sprang out her finger nails!
Perhaps, Kalidasa had these in mind when he summed up his Shyamala Dandakam:
Sarva Teerthatmike, sarva mantratmike, sarva tantratmike, sarva yantratmike, sarva peetaatmike, sarva tatvatmike, sarva shaktyatmike, sarva vidyatmike, sarva nadatmike, sarva shabdatmike,sarva varnatmike, saarva vishvatmike, sarva deekshatmike,sarva sarvaatmike- everything is Devi!
सर्वतीर्थात्मिके ! सर्वतन्त्रात्मिके! सर्वमन्त्रात्मिके, सर्वचक्रात्मिके, सर्वशक्त्यात्मिके ! सर्वपीठात्मिके! सर्वतत्त्वात्मिके! सर्वविद्यात्मिके! सर्वयोगात्मिके! सर्वनादात्मिके! सर्ववेदात्मिके ! सर्वशब्दात्मिके ! सर्वविश्वात्मिके ! सर्ववर्गात्मिके ! सर्वदीक्षात्मिके! सर्वगे ! सर्वरूपे! जगन्मातृके! पाहि मां, पाहि मां, देवि तुभ्यं नमो, देवि तुभ्यं नमो, देवि तुभ्यं नमः
O Devi!, the soul or essence of all holy waters, all tantras, all mantras, all chakras (symbols), all psychic powers, all seats of power, all philosophy, all knowledge, all yogas, all musical sounds, all vedas, all speech, all worlds, all divisions and all austerities, who is everywhere, who is all forms, who is the Mother of all the worlds please save me, save me, I prostrate before you, I prostrate before you, I prostrate before you.
from:prramamurthy1931.blogspot.com. Thanks
Our Master Arunagirinatha has imbibed the whole vidya. And when he hymns, none can come near him. In the class of hymns named "Vaguppu" or Division, he has sung about various specialised aspects of Subrahmanya. These are infused with both philosophical insight and psychic power. One of them is called "Devendra Sangha Vaguppu". It proceeds like this:
தரணியி லரணிய முரணிர ணியனுடல் தனைநக நுதிகொடு
சாடோங்குநெ டுங்கிரி யோடேந்துப யங்கரி ...... 1
தமருக பரிபுர ஒலிகொடு நடநவில் சரணிய சதுர்மறை
தாதாம்புய மந்திர வேதாந்தப ரம்பரை ...... 2
சரிவளை விரிசடை யெரிபுரை வடிவினள் சததள முகுளித
தாமாங்குச மென்றிரு தாளாந்ததர அம்பிகை ...... 3
தருபதி சுரரோடு சருவிய அசுரர்கள் தடமணி முடிபொடி
தானாம்படி செங்கையில் வாள்வாங்கிய சங்கரி ...... 4
இரணகி ரணமட மயின்ம்ருக மதபுள கிதவிள முலையிள
நீர்தாங்கிநு டங்கிய நூல்போன்றம ருங்கினள் ...... 5
இறுகிய சிறுபிறை யெயிறுடை யமபடர் எனதுயிர் கொளவரின்
யானேங்குதல் கண்டெதிர் தானேன்றுகொ ளுங்குயில் ...... 6
இடுபலி கொடுதிரி யிரவலர் இடர்கெட விடுமன கரதல
ஏகாமபரை யிந்திரை மோகாங்கசு மங்கலை ...... 7
எழுதிய படமென இருளறு சுடரடி யிணைதொழு மவுனிகள்
ஏகாந்தசு கந்தரு பாசாங்குச சுந்தரி
கரணமு மரணமு மலமொடு முடல்படு கடுவினை கெடநினை
காலாந்தரி கந்தரி நீலாஞ்சனி நஞ்சுமிழ் ...... 9
கனலெரி கணபண குணமணி யணிபணி கனவளை மரகத
காசாம்பர கஞ்சுளி தூசாம்படி கொண்டவள் ...... 10
கனைகழல் நினையலர் உயிரவி பயிரவி கவுரிக மலைகுழை
காதார்ந்தசெ ழுங்கழு நீர்தோய்ந்த பெருந்திரு ...... 11
கரைபொழி திருமுக கருணையி லுலகெழு கடனிலை பெறவளர்
காவேந்திய பைங்கிளி மாசாம்பவி தந்தவன் ...... 12
அரணெடு வடவரை யடியொடு பொடிபட அலைகடல் கெடஅயில்
வேல்வாங்கிய செந்தமிழ் நூலோன்கும ரன்குகன் ...... 13
அறுமுக னொருபதொ டிருபுய னபினவ னழகிய குறமகள்
தார்வேந்தபு யன்பகை யாமாந்தர்கள் அந்தகன் ...... 14
அடன்மிகு கடதட விகடித மதகளி றனவர தமுமக
லாமாந்தர்கள் சிந்தையில் வாழ்வாம்படி செந்திலில் ...... 15
அதிபதி யெனவரு பெருதிறல் முருகனை அருள்பட மொழிபவர்
ஆராய்ந்து வணங்குவர் தேவேந்திர சங்கமே ...... 16
This hymn describes how the Devas (Devendra sangha) pay homage to the presence of Subrahmanya, Of the sixteen lines here, the first twelve describe Ambal!
Line1. We all know that Vishnu came as Narasimha and killed Hiranyakasipu. Here, Arunagirinatha describes it as having been done by Mother.The line says:
In order to destroy the Rakshasa Hiranyakasipu, who entrenched himself in a strong fort and other such arrangements, and dared to oppress the Devas, She came in the Avatar of the fearsome ,huge Lion. It was like a huge mountain. She tore open the body of the Rakshasa with her fingernails. She carries the Brahma kapala and appears fearsome ( instills fear in opponents, while removing the fear of devotees.)
Infinite beauty in finite space!
2. She has the damaru and the anklets, which make sound as Her feet are engaged in Samhara dance.She is praised by the four Vedas. Her feet resemble the lotus, with the makaranda strewn on them. She is of the form of mantras. She is the conclusion of the Vedas (Vedanta ie the object to be attained by the study of the Vedas.) She is supreme, above everyone else.
3. Her forearms are full of bracelets. Hair on her head is dishevelled as if she is engaged in tapas. Her form is that of fire. Her chest appears as if it is full of a garland of hundred-petalled lotuses. Her feet are soft. (easy of approach and reach of devotees.)
4. Her hand bears the sword with which she destroyed the Rakshasas, rendering the bejewelled crowns on their heads into powder.These Rakshasas had opposed and oppressed the Devas ruling from their place, Amaravati. She is thus auspicious to the whole world. (Samkari)
Durga image from the British Museum.
5. She is like the golden hued peahen, delicate and young. She is so delicate that her tender body appears unable to bear the weight of her youthful and decorated breasts, as if it may break at the waist.
6. When the orderlies of yama, with their bent side teeth, looking like the arc of the moon, approach me to take away my life, she comes before me to give assurance and remove my fear and bless me, understanding my distress. She is thus like the sweet koel.
7. She is always concerned about the distress of the beggars, roaming to beg everywhere. With her merciful heart and generous hands, she shines in Kanchi as Ekambarai ie Kamakshi. She is also Lakshmi (conferring prosperity.) She is the Eternal sumangali ( being the consort of Shiva.) Her form makes people enamoured of her. (moha anga sumangalai).
Typical Kamakshi image
Note:Annapurna in Kashi is reputed as the universal giver of food. It is less well known that as Kamakshi at Kanchi, she is extending 32 types of charity. It is she who feeds all forms of life. Some of the dharmas she did cnnected with food:
2. Food for priests
3. Food for people of all religions.
4. Feeding the cows.
5. Food for prisoners.
6. Giving bhiksha who come to the door steps.
7. Snacks for children.
8. Food for destitutes.
11. Milk for needy children.
24. Drinking Water supply facilities.
29. Food for animals.
30. Ploughing the lands for growing paddy.
30. Ploughing the lands for growing paddy.
(From: arunachalaramana.org. Thanks)
8.She grants the Final, Absolute Beautitude to those tapasvins who control their senses and mind and meditate on her Feet, observing complete stilling of mind and speech. She is of the beauteous form, carrying pasa and ankusa in her hands. (Pasa and ankusa are used to control elephants. Our ego is like the wild elephant and her carrying them in her hands is symbolic of her help to control our ego.)
9. People suffer in body and mind due to the mischief of the five indriyas, death (and repeated rebirth), the three types of impurities and the three types of karmas (sanchitam, prarabhda, agami) which run from ancient times. But she transcends the three Kalas( past, present and future). She is always present in the hearts (kandari) of devotees and is always thinking (ninai) of removing (keda) those sufferings. (But people don't remember that she is in the heart!)
10. She is blue-hued. She wears as an ornament on her arm the serpent spitting deadly poison and emitting fire, wearing crown with excellent gems. She is green in complexion and wears appropriate-hued bodice and saree.
11. She is the terrible Bhairavi, who takes away the life of those sinful people who do not think of her matchless feet (wearing ornaments which make noise as she moves) She is the golden hued Gauri, with the ear rings. She is Parvati- who is Mokshalakshmi (perum tiru- Liberation is the highest wealth she confers)
12. She is the one who preserves and protects the seven worlds and the seven seas. She is like the beautiful green parrot. She is the great Shambavi.
(We have just noted the bare outlines of the literal meaning. Pundits will attempt to write commentaries and explain . Obviously, one has to dig deep into the lore of the Shakti cult.Comparisons with standard works will show that Arunagirinatha is not interested in esoteric questions but is intent on showing the practical side of the sadhana. For which this is an excellent guide).
"Lalita Statue" by Fae (Own work) CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons via Wikimedia commons.
Arunagrinatha then says that Subrahmanya is Her son. In the next four lines, he describes some of the great features of Skanda and says how the Devas understand his great merits and worship his devotees who seek his grace!In between he says that they also think of Ganapati. (mada kaliru anavaradamum agalaa maandarkal chintaiyil = when people think of Ganapati incessantly, Kumara too occupies their mind.) The scene of their worship is set in Tiruchendur, one of the six main centers.
Those who are well versed in Devi lore and literature can easily see with what ease and grace, power and wealth of detail Arunagirnatha has described the glories of Ambal.
But what they cannot see is the mystic power contained in these verses, if they are recited in the proper manner. This is experienced and explained by Realised persons. In the first half of 20th century, it was Sri Vallimalai Swamigal who discovered the power and glory of Tiruppugazh and other works of Arunagirinatha. He declared that this hymn packed great psychic powers and prescribed it as one of the three hymns to be recited daily.
How unique is Sri Arunagirinatha! He comes to show the greatness of Guha, but shows the greatness of His Mother too. Like Mother, like Son!
NOTE:
Tamil text of Devendra Sanga Vaguppu taken from kaumaram.org, Gratefully acknowledged.
