LalithA SahasranAma: BandAsura vadhodyukta sakti senA samanvita [commentary]

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BandAsura vadhodyukta sakti senA samanvita : She is endowed with an

army of saktis for the sake of slaying BhandAsura

 

 

By the name [ no 5 : devakAryasamudyatA. ] "manifested for the

sake of fulfilling the actions of Devas" the activity of her

sthUla

form was described; he now continues that description.

 

The fighting etc. between Devi and BhandAsura is fully described in

the LalitopAkhyAna. Concerning the burning of Manmatha, it is said

in the same work,' GanEsa, the skilful worker, seeing the ashes

of the god of love, made from them a beautifully formed man…

BrahmA

on seeing this action, said, `Well done, well done' [bhanda,

bhanda], hence in the world he is called Bhanda" The fierce

quality

(asurtva ) is explained in the name Pr., "as the powerful Bhanda

sprang from the fire of Rudra's anger, his nature is terrible

[raudra] hence he is the terrible one [dAnava]".

 

Or, endowed with [smanvita], entirely identified with; GaudapAda-

sutra [ no 8 ] says ":for the sake of destroying BhandAsura, she,

though one, becomes many."

 

Or Bhanda, lit shameless. Here it means the embodied soul endowed

with life. For it is said, "though he is existence, consciousness

and bliss, this embodied soul [bhandiman] is afflicted by ignorance,

impermanency, pain etc "

 

Asura; asu, life, ra to take away; he who takes away life. Life [

asu ] means the real nature, ie the imprisonment [bhanda] as

expressed in a sutra [ Si-sU, I. 2 ] which says, "knowledge is

imprisonment.Knowledge" means according to the second

sutra [ of the same ] not recognizing the reality in the self, and

recognizing the reality in what is not self. This word bhanda, is

also well known by the word Anavamala. [vide the common, no. 354]

 

The siva sutra [ 1,5,6 and 21- says "The effort [udyama] is

called Bhairava; when united with Sakti-cakra, the involution of the

universe comes. When Sakti is united, the creation of the body comes

to exist. When the bhUta is united, the separation of the bhUtas,

the composition etc of the universe come" The vArttikas on the

above Sutras are as follows : "From the Self-knowledge of vimarsa

aspect [ of Devi], who is inclined towards creation, comes out an

effort quickly [udyama] with complete egoism [pUrnAhambhAva]

agitated within, merging in the reflective self [pratibhA]. That

udyama is called by the derivative name Bhairava, because he is

completely equi-poised with all other saktis, he is all pervading,

he is the consumer of all the armies of the different modifications

[ of the mind]. The udyoga, by the name Bhairava, as said above of

svasamvit, has a great sakti which is above the order or otherwise,

standing entirely in its own cit-sakti, powerful to overcome the

armies [dualities], in the void as well as shaped forms… United

with

Sakticakra means realization as said before. When that process is

performed involution of the universe from KAlAgni begins with KAla

remains in the state of the fire of svasamvit. Sakti: his sakti as

described [ in the si.sut. I, 13 ] is icchA-sakti UmA; is united is

meditated upon; the effect of the meditation gives power to create

any body as he wishes etc.. BhUtas : BhUtas are the body, Buddhi and

PrAna, which are the graspers of the object, and immovable things

which are to be grasped. United, nourished; separation, parting with

them owing to disease, etc. All these and other things come to a

Yogin when he realizes sakti."

 

Just as virility is latent in boyhood and manifestes itself in

youth, the various power[saktis] that are in the jiva, remain latent

by reason of ignorance. When an effort is made of all these shine

forth. This is the purport of the above quotation.

 

 

BhAskararAya's commentray

Translated into English by R. Ananthakrishna Sastry

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NMadasamy wrote: The fighting etc. between Devi and BhandAsura is

fully described in the LalitopAkhyAna. Concerning the burning of

Manmatha, it is said in the same work,' GanEsa, the skilful worker,

seeing the ashes of the god of love, made from them a beautifully

formed man… BrahmA on seeing this action, said, `Well done, well

done' [bhanda, bhanda], hence in the world he is called Bhanda" The

fierce quality (asurtva ) is explained in the name Pr., "as the

powerful Bhanda sprang from the fire of Rudra's anger, his nature

is terrible [raudra] hence he is the terrible one [dAnava]".

 

BhAskararAya's commentray

Translated into English by R. Ananthakrishna Sastry

 

 

 

I wish to point out with regards to this statement. I have clarify

this with Bhasurananda Natha and that it should be Chitrakarma and

not Ganesa. Reference to LakitopAkhyAna, it goes as follows :

 

Birth of Bhandasura

150. At this point of time, Chitrakarma, the commander of one of the

Rudra Ganas (Gana = troupe) one day started toying with the ash of

the burnt Manmatha and prepared a doll out of it. He took this doll

to Lord Shiva.

 

151. Lord Shiva's intentions are indeed unfathomable. As soon as

the doll neared Lord Shiva, it sprang to life and the boy thus born

prostrated before Lord Shiva and Chitrakarma.

 

152. Chitrakarma was overwhelmed with joy. He gave the boy the

Upadesha of Shata-Rudreeya Mantra and asked him to undertake penance.

 

153. When the penance reached the stage of fruition, Lord Shiva

appeared before him. He asked Lord Shiva to grant him a special

boon "anyone who fights against me should immediately lose half

of his strength and that strength should be added to my strength.

None of the weapons of my opponents should be able to bind me"

was

his request. Immediately Lord Shiva granted the boon and added,

"I

am also bestowing on you the boon of ruling the kingdom for sixty

thousand years". After giving these boons, Lord Shiva disappeared.

 

154. He became surprised and a bit apprehensive by the words of Lord

Shiva. But soon he forgot it.

 

155. Lord Brahma, who was witnessing all this, grew frustrated and

swore "BhandBhand" (meaning shame, shame). From

then on, he got the name "Bhanda". Because of his qualities

he

became an Asura (demon) and entered the domain of Asuras. This is

how he got the name `Bhandasura'.