Guest guest Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 Namste DB, The place where I saw the praise names referenced below was in a translation of the Panchanga of Bala. In the 1,000 Name Hymn that comes at the end. Your explanations of the Role of Bala in Sadhana make more sense to me and seem more like what one would think. ~SE101 , "Devi Bhakta" <devi_bhakta> wrote: > Namaste SE101: > > I am undoubtedly showing my ignorance here, but I'm not aware of the > descriptions you refer to -- addressing Devi's child form, Bala, > with "sexual imagery and metaphor more befitting of an adult woman." > > If you wish to cite specific references, I suppose we could take a > guess ... But overall, I would simply observe that Bala's role in > this regard is similar to that of the Kumaris or of those Devi > temples outside of which it is customary to give alms to girl > children. The child form denotes the Divine Feminine in a > particularly pure distillation, devoid of more complex overtones > (sexual or otherwise) of adulthood. > > For the psychologically healthy adult, children are symbolic of > innocence and purity; they arouse in us instincts of selflessness > (not selfishness). In general, they cannot offer us anything in the > way of material wealth or power or sex or influence, as many adults > can. And yet most of us love and care for our children with complete > and unqualified devotion. > > Bala teaches us to devote ourselves to Devi in the same spirit. > Perhaps descriptions that focus on the creative potentialities of Her > more mature forms are meant simply remind us that the same pure and > selfless qualities of devotion that She inspires should characterize > our Shakti sadhana in general. > > Aum Maatangyai Namahe > > > > > > , "sunelectric101" > <ouranian@l...> wrote: > > Namaste DB, Nora et al > > > > I also find Bala Tripura paradoxical in the sense that She is > > described as a child, but many of Her praise names are twinged with > > the sort of sexual imagery and metaphor What is the meaning of > these praise names within this context? > > > > ~SE101 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > , "Devi Bhakta" > > <devi_bhakta> wrote: > > > Hey Nora ... > > > > > > You asked: "Is Bala Devi the same as Bala Tripurasundari as in > > > Lalitopakhyana?" > > > > > > She is. Lalita is both mother and daughter; in the sense that > > Lalita > > > is the Mother of everyone and everything, divine and mortal, > > animate > > > and inanimate. As Bala, Lalita is ever 9 years old; just as > > Lalita's > > > Shodashi form is ever 16, and Panchadasi is Lalita ever pushing > 30. > > > > > > Lalitopankhya states that Bala "resembles Lalita devi very much > but > > > is always only 9 years old. She stays permanently with her mother > > > only." The resemblance is because they are One. They are > > permanantly > > > together because they are One. > > > > > > But the dughter dynamic can be a brain-twister at times. For > > > example, we see that "Baladevi approached her mother and > requested > > > permission to fight in the battlefield," a request which Lalita > > > initially denied but later granted. > > > > > > This is strange, in that we have Lalita essentially denying > Herself > > > permission to fight. On the other hand it is quite touching -- > > > wouldn't it be nice if you, as your adult self, knowing what was > to > > > come, could have been there to selflessly coach, advise and guide > > > your younger self through those precarious growing-up years? > Isn't > > > that what we try to do with our own children, and for other young > > > people who seek guidance and advice? > > > > > > One nice lesson of Shaktism is the fact that we are all Her; we > are > > > all in and of Her. And by extension, we are all Bala -- > struggling > > > to find our own way and prove ourselves; brave and strong, > > impatient > > > with those who (with whatever good intentions) try to hold us > back. > > > And we are all Lalita, too; constantly trying to judge when it is > > > right to hold on -- and when it is time to let go. > > > > > > Aum Maatangyai Namahe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 In the Bala Panchanga, Bala Tripurasundari is conceived not as a child, but as a young (late adolescent) woman, sexually mature but not yet having borne children. DB , "sunelectric101" <ouranian@l...> wrote: > Namste DB, > > The place where I saw the praise names referenced below was in a > translation of the Panchanga of Bala. In the 1,000 Name Hymn that > comes at the end. Your explanations of the Role of Bala in Sadhana > make more sense to me and seem more like what one would think. > > ~SE101 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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