14. VAISHNAVI: The Khadgamala Devis Series

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There are eight devatas guarding the second layer of the outer

enclosure wall (the Ninth Enclosure), which is colored as the red of

the rising sun. They are the famous Seven Mothers (Saptamatrka),

plus one added – Mahalaskmi. To learn more about the Saptamatrikas,

see our homepage:

 

http://www.shaktisadhana.org/Photo%

20Gallery/Matrikas/Saptamarkas.html

 

The fourth the Eight Mothers (and the 14th of the Khadgamala Devis)

is VAISHNAVI, which means the one who is related to Lord

Vishnu. "Goddess Vaishnavi is the manifestation of the collective

spiritual strengths of Mata Maha Kali, Mata Maha Lakshmi and Mata

Maha Saraswati. It is described in Durga sapatshati that the goddess

was born as a young girl of extraordinary beauty and strength, out

of the collectively pooled 'Tejas' of various 'Devtas' and three

lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar. The immediate purpose of the

creation of the goddess was the annihilation of Asura (devil)

Mahishasura. However another purpose of her creation was that she

might usher on earth an era of pious and ascetic life so that the

peace could prevail upon the world and she through her penance could

rise to higher levels of spirituality and ultimately merge with

Vishnu."

 

Thus, many say that Vaishnavi is actually one and the same as Mata

Vaishno Devi Ji, whose holy shrine in the Tirkuta Hills of Kashmir

is one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in India. (See

http://www.kashmirherald.com/peopleandplaces/religiousplaces/vaishnod

evi.html )

 

In the scheme of the Khadgamala, each of the Eight Mothers

represent a human passion that must be overcome and controlled

before we can enter further into Sri Chakra. We worship each passion

as an aspect of Devi, then internalize it; and when we internalize

each deity, we *become* Her, so that She is not separate from us. In

that way, we "conquer" each passion, just as – in the first enclosure

wall – we conquered each siddhi.

 

VAISHNAVI here represents Her subtle aspect is OBSESSION.

 

VAISHNAVI's mantra is:

 

aim hrim shrim vaishnavi matru devi shrI pAdukAM poojayaami

 

Continuing to circumambulate clockwise around the second layer of

the wall of the First Enclosure, turn the corner; VAISHNAVI sits to

the left of the gate of that wall (looking at a flat yantra facing

East, the would be the right or South-facing wall).

 

Into VAISHNAVI, the ten Siddhis are absorbed, along with Brahmi,

Maheshwari and Kaumari. And so it shall continue till we reach

Mahaalakshmi – at which point, Mahaalakshmi will include all of the

Siddhis and the Seven Mothers.

 

We have not exhausted all there is to say about VAISHNAVI, of

course. But this is enough for purposes of the Khadgamala. We are

not writing full essays on all the aspects and all the mantras of

VAISHNAVI. But again, please note that the beauty of the Khadgamala

Stotram is that NOTHING is required for its recitation except for

your time, attention and concentration: You need simply sit and

recite the Stotram. The mantra given just above is not part of the

stotram; it is offered merely for informational purposes. The entire

stotram is self-contained, as explained in earlier posts.

 

The full text of the KS (along with a FAQ that answers most common

questions about it) can be found by clicking the photo on the front

page of this Group.

 

[With sincere thanks and appreciation to Sri Amritananda Natha and

Sri Bhasurananda Natha, who kindly provided detailed and substantive

content for this commentary.]

 

Aum MAtangyai NamaH