A Conversation About Srividya, Pt. III

[Guest guest]

A couple of days ago, I while going through the message board, I

stumbled upon an old post of childofdevi/yogaman with regards to

Practices in Shakti Sadhana. I take up this question again with an

accomplished Srividya upasaka.

 

This person/persons gave me permission to post this transcription for

those of you who might find it useful, but has asked that their name

be withheld for privacy purposes.

 

As before, Nora is me and A is them:

 

In message 7819, one of our respected member childofdevi asked this

question " it has been impressed on me by a lot of my mentors and

teachers and some very famous gurus that one must practice one mantra

alone and have devotion to one ishta deva alone throughout ones life;

I too have noticed that when one practices prolonged practice of one

mantra at a time, it brings faster results. Yet in Srividya one finds

that different mantras are practiced at different times and different

deities are propriated gradually going to Mother Tripurasundari

herself- in fact I have heard that Devi cannot be realised other than

through the 15 nithyas. Why is this so? "

 

And our beloved Kochu responded " A lot of mantras of diverse

groups

are involved. Thats why it is said "kuryaat muhkyamantran,

anyamantraan sakrujjapet". I THINK it is because once you get siddhi

in one mantra one gets siddhi in all; by the time you get siddhi in

one mantra, you are also familiar with others. Infact in the BIG puja

of sriyantra you have what is called amnaya Pooja where you have

HUNDREDS of mantras. I think the acharyas thought that one should not

be a "specialist" but a generalist. "

 

Nora : What does it mean being a specialist and generalist? If one

mantra brings in faster results why the need for so many?

 

A : If one confines to one mantra alone; you will not know what the

other mantras and how they are used. There are mantras and mantras

each for specific purposes When you know all it is easy to help

others deciding what's good for a particular person at a

particular time. All are not eligible for Sri Vidya. Some will

require other mantras. So when someone is not eligible for Sri

Vidya, if you know only that how can one give another mantra? So one

must know all the important mantras, must have the RIGHT to give

those mantras, must know what it does and how to use. Sometimes

suppose one wants to help a particular individual; if you do not know

any other mantra how can one help.

 

Nora : Sorry but I do not understand this statement " so when

someone is not eligible for srividya if you know only that how can

one give another mantra?"

 

A: All mantras cannot be recited by all people. The only people who

are entitled to recite any mantra is a Sri Vidya Upasaka, for others

the mantras are to be checked for compatibility. There are some

mantras that are not compatible for some, so the person who gives

should know what is compatible and what is not, that can be known

only if you know all mantras or at least a large part as no one can

really know ALL the mantras. The advantage for a Sri Vidya Upasaka is

that he knows quite a lot of mantras because he recites them all

every day about 800+ mantras.

 

Nora : A person doing Sri Vidya Upasana must be a Devi devotee, but

not all devotee can do Sri Vidya Upasana?

 

A: The Sri Vidya Upasaka can do Upasana of any devata. Only someone

who is CHOSEN by Devi gets Sri Vidya. It is said you do not choose

Sri Vidya but Sri Vidya chooses you. When you get it when you look

back you will see how you have been guided slowly and surely to your

guru.