LSBhasya4

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4.Who was born from the altar of the fire of conciousness

(cidagnikundasambhuta).

Cit, pure Brahman, and he is isn the altar of fire; for he

dispels the darkness of (avidya). In the stanza, “ In the fire of

conciousness that burns within uninterruptedly, without fuel,

dispelling the darkness of illusion “ we see that conciousness is

compared with fire. The commentary in the Sakti-sutras on the sutra

beginning “cidvahni…†( the fire of conciousness, etc.)

says “conciousness is fire because by its nature it consumes the

universe.†Born (sambhuta) : By the quality called conciousness she

abides in that fire, but is not from it. Because conciousness and the

thing possesssed of that is one and the same . Samksepa-

sarirakacarya says: “The pure energy of conciousness of the Highest

Lord is said to be conciousness itself.â€

Or, agnikunda: the ordinary altar of the fire of conciousness.

The simile is used in the Bhagavad-gita also(IV.37): “O Arjuna, so

does the fir of wisdom reduce all the actions to ashes.†Devi took

her birth from the sacrificial fire as it is said in the Renuka

Pr. “There was in the family of Ikshvaku, a prince named Renu, etc.â€

after describing his penance and the boon got from Devi it goes

on, “meanwhile, O twice-born one, out of the sacrificial fire slowly

arose a woman divinely beautiful, adorned with divine ornaments and

bright as the moon, and stepped out quickly. She is the only one, the

supporter of the universe, there is none beside her.†The Brahmanda

Pr. after describing how Indra was persecuted by Bhandasura,

says: “Then he constructed a very beautiful sacrificial altar many

yojanas in area …and the Devas offered the flesh of their body as

oblations…When the Devas were about to offer up the whole of their

bodies there appeared a great blaze of light, bright as millions of

suns and cool as millions of moons put together; in the midst of this

light was seen an indescribable wheel-form (Sricakra); from its

centre arose the great Devi shining like the morning sun…On beholding

the great Devi, the soul of all, Indra ans the Devas were filled with

ecstasy and they bowed downto her again and again.â€

To the doubter of the birth of the eternal Devi, the reply is

given by the following name.