*OUR DEVI OF THE WEEK* SHIVAA

[Guest guest]

Shivaa is the energy and force of Shiva. As Shivaa SHE assumes the

form of Shiva Without her, the lord is devoid of the well-being and

auspiciousness which his name connotes – Shiva sarva mangalam.

Her four arms depict the four directions she pervades. The noose,

arrow, bow and the goad, they all emphasise the need for controlling

the mind if we aspire to her or to spiritual realization in general.

The noose in her hand is the prem pasha indicating her love for her

devotees.

 

This painting of DEVI as Shivaa shows sitting on the lotus, with

trees fringing the sides and a cloudless blue sky as her canopy,

full-blossomed, symbolic of her bounty and generosity. It also stands

for equilibrium and calm in the universe as in the individual's

life.

 

Shiva's three eyes represent her mastery over past, present and

future. Shankaracharya, glorifying the grace of her eyes, says:

 

Your one eye, being the embodiment of the sun, creates day,

your other, being the embodiment of the moon, creates night,

Your third eye, radiant like the

slightly open golden lotus, creates twilight,

the midpoint between night and day.

Verily, on a mundane level, if a man, in utter despair and

despondency, approaches the goddess in supplication and self-

surrender, he achieves what he needs and is protected from evil.

Make the person endowed with knowledge, endowed with fame

and endowed with prosperity,

give the form, give the victory, give the fame,

kill the enemies.

 

Devi's face is as luminous as the rising sun; her whole body

appears

to be glittering with divine light; her ornaments and garments

present an enchanting spectacle. In a happy mood, she looks like a

young woman. The trees in the background are painted with careful

attention. The sky and the earth are clearly demarcated. Indeed each

visible object has been painstakingly rendered.

 

I worship Shivaa who is lustrous like the radiant halo of the rising

sun, has four arms and three eyes, holds (in her hands) a noose, a

goad, a bow and an arrow.

 

Om sivayai Namah