GYAnaprasUnAmbikA

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GYAnaprasUnAmbikA - KALAhasti

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shrutiinaaM muurdhaano dadhati tava yau shekharatayaa

mamaapyetau maataH shirasi dayayaa dhehi caraNau .

yayoH paadyaM paathaH pashupatijaTaajuuTataTinii

yayorlaakShaalakShmiiraruNaharicuuDaamaNiruciH ..

 

Oh Mother! The water that cleansed your feet adorn the head of pashupati,

hari solidifies the saffron paste that decorated you feet and carefully

holds it in his chest as chUdAmaNi. O Mother ! Please place thy feet that

serve as the diadem for the Vedas on my head.

 

Devi's lotus feet adore the lock of Vedas ' shrutiinaaM muurdhaano

dadhati'. In sahasranaama she is celebrated as sarvopanishhad.h udghushhTA

and in trishati as sarva vedAnta tAtparya bhUmiH.

 

The reason for her being held in such high reverence is that she is

GYAnAmbika, she is pure knowledge that dawns in the dark sky of illusion

dispelling ignorance. With immense compassion she takes the responsibility

of making her children know the reality. A celebrated upaniShad 'kena

upaniShad' cites an interesting incident that would advocate this statement.

 

brahma ha devebhyo vijigye tasya ha brahmaNo vijaye devaa amahiiyanta .. 1..

 

Brahman obtained the victory for the Devas. The Devas became elated by the

victory of Brahman, and they thought, this victory is ours and this

greatness is ours.

 

ta aikshantaasmaakamevaayaM vijayo.asmaakamevaayaM mahimeti .

taddhaishhaaM vijaGYau tebhyo ha praadurbabhuuva tanna vyajaanatakimidaM

yakshamiti .. 2..

 

Brahman perceived this and appeared to them, But they did not know it. They

said, 'What sprite (yaksha) is this ?'

 

te.agnimabruvaJNjaataveda etadvijaaniihi

kimidaM yakshamiti tatheti .. 3..

 

They said to agni 'O! JAtavedas, find out what sprite this is.' 'Yes,' he

said.

 

tadabhyadravattamabhyavadatko.asiityagnirvaa

ahamasmiityabraviijjaatavedaa vaa ahamasmiiti .. 4..

 

He ran toward it. Brahman asked him: 'Who are you?'. He replied: 'I am

Agni, I am JAtavedas.'

 

tasmi{\m+}stvayi kiM viiryamityapiida{\m+} sarvaM

daheyaM yadidaM pR^ithivyaamiti .. 5..

 

Brahman said: 'What power is in you?' agni replied: 'I could burn whatever

is on earth.'

 

tasmai tR^iNaM nidadhaavetaddaheti .tadupapreyaaya sarvajavena tanna

shashaaka dagdhuM sa tata evanivavR^ite naitadashakaM viGYaatuM

yadetadyakshamiti .. 6..

 

Brahman put a straw before him, saying: 'Burn this.' He went towards it with

all his might, but he could not burn it. He returned thence and said: 'I

could not find out what sprite this is.'

 

atha vaayumabruvanvaayavetadvijaaniihi kimetadyakshamiti tatheti .. 7..

 

Then they said to vAyu 'O! vAyu, find out what sprite this is.' 'Yes,'he

said.

 

tadabhyadravattamabhyavadatko.asiiti vaayurvaa

ahamasmiityabraviinmaatarishvaa vaa ahamasmiiti .. 8..

 

He ran toward it, and Brahman said to him: 'Who are you?' He replied: 'I am

vAyu, I am mAtarishvAn.'

 

tasmi.Nstvayi kiM viiryamityapiida.N sarvamaadadiiya yadidaM pR^ithivyaamiti

... 9..

 

Brahman said: 'What power is in you?' vAyu replied: 'I could take up any

thing on earth.'

 

tasmai tR^iNaM nidadhaavetadaadatsvetitadupapreyaaya sarvajavena tanna

shashaakaadatuM sa tata evanivavR^ite naitadashakaM viGYaatuM

yadetadyakshamiti .. 10..

 

 

Brahman put a straw before him, saying: 'Take it up.' He went towards it

with all his might, but he could not take it up. He returned thence and

said: 'I could not find out what sprite this is.'

 

athendramabruvanmaghavannetadvijaaniihi kimetadyakshamiti tatheti

tadabhyadravattasmaattirodadhe .. 11..

 

Then they said to Indra: 'O maghavan, find out what sprite this is.' He went

towards it, but it disappeared from before him.

 

sa tasminnevaakaashe striyamaajagaama bahushobhamaanaamumaa.NhaimavatiiM

taa.Nhovaacha kimetadyakshamiti .. 12..

 

Then in the same space he saw a woman, highly adorned: it was Uma, the

daughter of himavAn. He asked her: 'Who is that sprite?'

 

saa brahmeti hovaacha brahmaNo vaa etadvijaye mahiiyadhvamititato haiva

vidaaJNchakaara brahmeti .. 1..

 

She replied: 'It is Brahman. It is through the victory of Brahman that you

have thus become great.' After that he knew that it was Brahman.

 

 

It was this praNavaswarUpiNI (umA) who revealed herself to indrA and

enlightened him stays as GYAnaprasUnAmbikA at kALahasti even today.

 

KALahasti is situated in the border of Tamil nadu and Anadrapadesh. It's one

of the pancha bhUta kshetras where shiva is worshipped as air, one the basic

elements of creation.

 

The temple complex of Sri GYAnaprasUnAmbikA sameta Sri KALahastIshwara swami

is a huge one. BAlA, pAtALa gaNapati, pancha mukha linga, sahasra linga are

some of the unique shrines in this temple. Devi is seen in a standing

posture bearing a niilotpala pushpa. This temple is also noted for rAhu and

ketu, the two nodal planets. ketu is 'GYAnakArakA', 'one who bestow

knowledge'. The placement of ketu is quite important in a horoscope for

mokSha sampat. Ketu is said to have got the status of GYAnakArakA by the

grace of Sri GYAnaprasUnAmbikA.

 

This shrine is celebrated as 'dakShiNa kailAsa', 'the kailASh of the south'

the hill near the temple is as celestial as mount kailaSh. H.H.Sri

Chandrashekarendra saraswati swami once did giripradakshiNam here, its said

that followers were unable to keep up with swami's speed in the hot sun and

had to wrap there foot with cloths and cushion to complete the pradakshhiNa

were as swamigaL was quite comfortable even with out his pAdukA.

 

The shrine of GYAnaprasUnAmbikA was the first devi shrine visited by

Diikshitar after he started composing due the grace of guha swami at

ThiruttaNi. He chooses raaga kalyaaNi to sing the praise of GYAnaprasUnA.

Diikshitar has composed nine beautiful compositions on devi in the rAga

kalyANi in connection with the nine AvaraNa's of Sri yantra. They are,

 

GYAnaprasUnAmbike mAmava jagadambike

kamalAmbAM bhajare re mAnasa

kAmAkSIM kalyANIM bhajehaM bhaje

bhajare re citta bAlAmbikAM

shivakAmeshvarIM cintayehaM shRHNgAra rasa sampUrNakarIM

abhayAmbA jagadambA rakSatu

brahmavidyAmbike shrI shvetAranyeshanAyike

shrI maN^gaLAmbike shrI vAnchIsha nAyike

shrI madhurAmbike shrI shive avAva

 

The kriti dedicated to GYAnaprasUnAmbikA is a samashti charaNa krithi, means

it does not have an anupallavi. samashti charaNa krithis are unique to

dikshitar. The lack of anupallavi is not left due to the presence of

madyamakaala verses.

 

Pallavi

 

GYanaprasUnAmbike mAmava jagadambike

 

Samashti charaNam

 

dInajanAvanasha.mkari devitripurasundari

dinakara chandra teja prakAshakari shubhakari

guruguha janani kALAhastIsha manollAsini

 

 

 

 

GyanaprasUnAmbike mAmava - O Devi capable of delivering (prasUnA) knowledge

(GYAnA) please protect me (mAm ava).

 

Sahasranaama celebrates GYAnaprasUnAmbikA with a number of nAmAs.

 

GYAnadA -She who gives knowledge of the self.

GYAna mudrA - She who is in the form of the GYAna mudrA or the sign of

ultimate consciousness.

aGYAna dhvAnta dIpikA -She who is the luminous lamp that dispels the

darkness of ignorance.

GYAna vigrahA -She who is the embodiment of knowledge.

GYAna gamyA -She who is to be attained through the yoga of knowledge

GYAna GYeya svarUpiNI - She who is both knowledge and the known.

praGYAna ghanarupiNI -She who is pure condensed knowledge.

 

The ultimate can be attained by knowledge alone. skAndapurANa beautifully

says

'anantamamR^ita.m para.m GYAnaikena tallabhyam.' - The bliss the

indestructible, the

ultimate can be reached only by knowledge.

 

The desired object here is Atma GYAna which quietens all woes arising from

samsAra, 'yadGYAtvA na punar moham evam yAsyasi' 'by knowing which you will

not have this delusion again' -BG(4.35) that akaNdAkAraGYAnA - knowledge of

the infinite unitary brahman. Devi as GYAnaprasUnA grants this knowledge of

brahman who is non different from self, giving an end to all afflicting woes

of samsAra.

 

One question may arise, if the real self 'Atman' which a jIvan is really is

then how come some one can give some thing or make 'Atman' a desired object.

Shankara beautifully takes up this argument and dismisses while dealing with

the nAmA 'kAmitArthadA'. In the state of samsAra or vyAvahArika prapancha

Atman has his bliss masked. Hence he appears to be in a state of not having

it. He desires 'let me have eternal bliss'. But this bliss is already there,

only masked by limitations. She dispels those limitations, resulting in the

illuminating experience of bliss. In this way she gives the desired object

and becomes a prasUnA.

 

 

jagadambike mAmava - Mother of the entire cosmos, Please protect me

 

Devi is 'aneka koTi brahmANDa jananI' She is the creator of several koTi

brahmaNdas. 'Abrahma kITa jananI' Mother of the lowest insect till the

ultimate brahma. She is celebrated a 'lakshhakoTyaNda nAyikA' in trishati,

since samsaara is without a beginning, these andAs belong to past, present

and future are of infinite number. They are hinraNyagarba or virAT in their

integral form and vishva and taijasa in their collective and individual form

of limitations. They are all her as many limitations or upAdhIs. When she

becomes sopAdhikA or with limitations, she is Ishvara in integral form, or

jIva in individual form. Each of her two forms has three kinds of upAdhIs,

sthUla (grass), sukshma (subtle) and kAraNa (casual). Ishvara is known by

names of vaishvAnara, hiraNyagarba and mAyAvi in these three kinds of

upAdhis respectively. Similarly jIvan is termed as vishva, taijasa and

praGYa. All the gross perceptible cosmos is virAt. She is the jagat with

upAdhIs and hence she is jagadambA.

 

She is the creator of this jagat. She is also this jagat. This can be

inferred by the resultant act, because she as a creator is not different

from it. This jagat which is in her, only manifests her reality, being one

with her, just as a blanket is apprehended as something resulting from yarn

and identified with it. In vedanta (tarka) five steps 'panchAvayava vakya'

are used to infer 'anumAna' the position that jagat is not different from

brahman, enunciation (pratiGYA) reason (hetu) illustration (udhAharaNa)

deductive elucidation (upanaya) and conclusion (nigamana).

 

When a pot is made, the potter is the nimitta or the efficient cause and

clay is upAdAna or materialistic cause. But when referring her as

‘jagadanbA’ dIkshitar means ParadevatA is both the material and effective

cause of this universe. Sri Shankara explains this

‘bahyakAraNam anapekshya UrNanAbhyAdidR^iShTAntatva pradarshanena chetanasya

abinnanimittopAdAnapradarShanoktiH’

Like a spider that creates a web out of its own body without the help of any

outside agent, She is the inseparable, effective and materialistic cause of

jagat’.

 

There are three theories regarding brahman as the materialistic cause of

this jagat. pariNama – change of state, brahman becoming jagat just as milk

becomes curd. Arambha – change of form, giving birth to a new form like

threads becoming a cloth. As brahman is with out limit or form these, two

theories are dismissed. The third is acetana – by a non-conscious cause.

This can also be dismissed as brahman is pure awareness and there is no

place for an acetana kAraNa. Thus achetana, pariNama and Aramba vAdAs are

dismissed and vivarta vAda is accepted that explains brahman as one to

appear as jagat due to Ishwara mAyA. As this illusion can be over come only

by GYAna, diikshitar address the shudha GYAna prasUnA as jagadamba to remind

her that she is the Ishwari who has to dispel ignorance that leads to the

perception of this jagat as different from herself.

 

>From bakti point of view there is a specific reason for dIkshitar to address

GYAnaprasUnAmbikA as 'jagadambA',

 

aparAdhashata.m kR^itvA jagadambeti choccharet .

ya.m gati.m samavApnoti na tA.m brahmAdayaH surAH ..

 

O! devi, Even if one commits innumerable misdeeds but cries out

'jagadambA', you free him from all transgression and lead him to the state

that is not even obtained by brahma or indara.

 

dInajanAvana sha.mkari mAmava - Recognizing you as the refuge to all

destitute and the embodiment of auspicious, I have come to you, Please

protect me.

 

Diikshitar cites a specific reason and asks devi to guard him.

' O devi you are known as dInajanAvani and sha.mkari, if you are not going

to be my refuge then what is the difference between an ordinary devatA and

you.

 

Sri Shankara in his Anandalahari cries out,

 

kR^ipApAN^gAlokaM vitara tarasA sAdhucharite

na te yuktopekshA mayi sharaNadIkshAmupagate .

na chedishhTaM dadyAdanupadamaho kalpalatikA

visheshhaH sAmAnyaiH kathamitaravallIparikaraiH ..

 

O! devi I have surrendered at your feet, You are to bestow your rejuvenating

glance of grace on me. What is the difference between a normal shrub and a

kalpakA creeper if it is not going to immediately fulfill one's desideratum?

 

Even ShyAma shasrti express a similar mood, 'kAruNya mUrti yani kAntamagu

pEru koNTitivi', who bear attractive titles like 'kAruNya mUrti', if you are

to retain them, you have to protect me. (pAlinchu kAmakshI pAvanI).

>From vedantic point of view to bestow auspicious to all dInajanA’s she

assumes a form and appears as a beautiful lady bearing a nIlotpala pushpa,

Sri bagavatpAdA explains the reason for this,

 

‘bhaktAnugrAhakavigrahavattAm vinA devatAyAH buddhAvanA rUpeNa saguNopasanam

anupapadyamAnam ataH mantra prakAshitadevAH vigraHa vantaH angikartavyAH iti

paratiShThApitam’

If the deity does not posses to bless their devotees they will be beyond the

mental grasp and upAsanam becomes impossible. Hence it is established that

gods illuminated by mantrAs have images’.

 

The next phrase is,

Dinakara chandra teja prakAsha kari - You illuminate sUrya chandra and

agnI.

 

Devi is 'bhAnu maNDala madhyasthA' or the one who abides at the center of

the sun's disc. 'AdityAntar gatam yachcha jyotishhaam', The great light that

is in the center of the sun is the heart of all creation, it is the source

of all life and energy to us in this planet. Devi dwells in the sun's disk

as the cause of its effulgence to illuminate and conduct this universe. Even

for meditation it is recommended to visualize her in the sun's disk.

Especially during sandyAvandanam.

 

sUryamaNDala madhyasthA.m devI.m tripurasundarIm.

pAshAN^kusha dhanurbANAn dhArayantIm shivAm bhaje ..

 

She is the cause of the conventional sun to be illumined. Dinakara or one

who makes every day ‘dinam karoti’ illuminates the jagat to enable life

possible. ‘sa yashchAyam puruShe yashAsAvAditye sa ekaha’ the one who is in

the parama puruShA and in the sun are one and the same’ –(Tai.U 10-4) Hence

she is dinakara prakAshakari.

 

Devi resides in the center of the orb of the moon and illuminates it

'chandramaNDala madhyagA'. She is also to be meditated on the moon's disk on

paurNami,

'paurNamAsyA.m candrabimbe dhyAtvA shri lalitAmbikA.m' In sahasraara padma

she is in the form of a moon shedding her effulgence.

 

Chandra is manas. ‘chandaramA manasojAtaH’. chandra prakAshA is the nectar

that enlivens supreme devoted men with the state of identity with her by

conferring on them, the state of sat chidAnanda. With these in mind

Dikshitar salutes her as 'chandra prakAsha kari'.

 

 

GYAnAmbA is also saluted as 'vahni maNDala vAsinI' or the one who resides in

the effulgence of fire and illuminates it. Fire represents all forms of

physical energy. She is the power behind such energy. It's very appropriate

to salute GYAnaprasUnAmbikA as 'teja prakAshakari' as she herself manifested

from the pit fire of consciousness 'chidagni', 'chidagni kuNda sa.mbUtA'.

Fire represents the power of consciousness, upanishad says 'sokAmayata' and

she manifested as the will to create.

 

SR^iuti says ‘uddIpte agnau juhoti’ ‘offered in to the flaming fire’.

‘AhavanIye juhoti’ ‘offered in to AhavanIya fire’. Its paradevatA who

resides in this AhavanIya as the unseen power and accepts the vedic

injunctions and grants the desired, hence she is teja prakAshakari.

 

Agni or Teja represents nArAyaNa. 'nArAyaNa paro jyotiH', chandra represent

brahma and surya - rudra, devi is the GYAnashakti who acts as the power of

the trumUrtI's to create, sustain and destroy this universe.

 

giirdevateti garuDa dhvaja sundariiti

shaakambariiti shashishekhara vallabheti .

sR^ishhTi sthiti pralaya kelishhu sa.nsthitaa yaa

tasyai namas tribhuvanaikagurostaruNyai ..

 

Diikshitar uses the powerful salutation ' dinakara chandra teja prakAsha

kari' to salute GYAnAmbA, or tribhuvanaika gurostaruNI who sports as brahma

vishNu and rudra.

 

 

Shubhakari - granter of auspicious.

 

ParadevatA is pure bliss. Nil distinction is made between her form and the

state of her existence, which is pure awareness. She is the source of the

happiness of a jIvan as she her self is Ananda rUpiNI.

 

‘esatyaivAnandasyAnyAni bhUtAni mAtrAm upajIvanti’ (Br.U 6.2.32) – ‘Other

creations live by enjoying a particle of this bliss’.

 

shuba is Ananda,pramoda, moda and priya – bliss, ecstasy, pleasure and dear.

Seeing a desired object, engenders attraction or love for it, if it is

obtained it gives pleasure and if it is enjoyed ecstasy and the totality of

all these three is named bliss. JIva is the enjoyer and she is the one who

grants them and hence she is shubakari.

 

‘ashubAni nirAkaShTe tanoti shubasantatim, smR^itimAtreNa yatpumsAm brahma’

-

By mere remembrance, brahman destroys inauspicious and grants all

auspicious.

 

‘AtinikR^iShtAnAm tiryagAdInAm siddhim muktiyogayatAhetujGYAnAdisampattim

dadAri’ – Even to the meanest animals she grants fulfillment in the form of

a wealth of knowledge and other agencies which lead them to liberation.

 

Shubhakari is the 682 nAmA in sahasranAmA, the greatest good is the

realization of the ultimate and she as GYAnaprasUnAmbikA grants that, hence

Shubhakari.

 

devi tripurasundari - Queen of triads,

When referring to GYAnaprasUnA tripura means dhyAna dhyAtR^i and dhyeya

respectively. She shines in the form of meditation meditator and meditated.

 

 

guruguha janani - Mother of my guru guha

 

A competent guru must guide the sAdakA in realization. Through intense

devotion divine mother herself acts as the great guru and guides her

children. Mantra, Guru and the deity that is meditated upon are all the

same. KALidAsA beautifully remarks,

 

Dayamaana diirgha nayanaaM deshakaruupeNa darshitaabhyudayaam.h .

vaamakuchanihitaviiNaaM varadaaM sa.ngiitamaatR^ikaaM vande ..

 

‘I salute the lady of divine music, O! devi with wide eyes filled with

immense compassion you, the lady holding vINA appear in the form my guru’.

 

Shankara remarks, ' gurupadiShTamantradevatAtmakatayA puruShArthAn

prApayati',

She confers the desired object of life in the form of the deity of the

mantra initiated by the Guru.

 

In similar lines Dikshitar salutes devi as, ‘sAdujanArAdita sadguru kaTAksha

mUle,

deShika pradarshita cidrUpiNI, AchArya shiShyAnugraha kalanA..’ in other

places.

dIkshitar was in brahmAnubhUti and had Ishwara sakshAtkAra just a couple of

days before at tirutaNi and hence refers GYAnAmbA as his Guru residing in

hR^idaya guhAkAshA enabling a jIvan in Atmic bliss.

 

 

 

kALAhastIshamanollAsini -You delight KalahastIsha the lord of kalahasti

 

GYAnaprasUnA has endeared herself to Ishwara and is greatly revered by

Ishwara.

‘sachinmayaH shivaH sAkShAt tasyAnandamayI shivA’ – ParadevatA is the Ananda

of shivA who is chinmayaswarUpI. She being Ananda rUpA acts as the bliss of

Ishwara of kALahasti and hence she is kALahastIsha manollAsini.

 

The word ‘Isha’ not only signifies Ishwara the lord but also jIva limited by

antaHkaraNa. She is the presiding deity and manollasini for both of them

denoted by the term ‘tat’ and ‘tvam’ respectively in the ‘tattvamasi’

statement, but the words ‘tat’ and ‘tvam’ being taken with out there

respective attributes as omniscience and the like and the ignorance and the

like. When the two limitations are discarded on examination of the import of

‘tattvamasi’ she manifests, shining as the basic, unchanging consciousness,

the underlining unity.

 

Thus dIkshitar does a quite deep upanishhada kIrtanA to devi GYAnaprasUnAmbA

and pleads for her grace for Atmic realization.

 

sAmarasya nidarshinI KAmakaLA pradarshinI .

nAamarUpa vimarshinI brahmamaya prakAshinI ..

 

...lekhani daNdarUpoham lekho.api sayevahi..

Aravind

 

I am sorry about the gap in presenting the series addressing devi shrines

sung by dIshitar. I was extremely blessed to receive a great wealth of hand

written manuscripts of Dr. V Sadagopan explaining in depth some group kritIs

of dIkshitar on devi. I would be presenting them in this dikshitar series

starting from abayAmbA aShtakam dedicated to Sri abhayAmbA of mAyUram. My

understanding of vedanta is limited and any corrections in the above article

are most welcome.

 

____

[Guest guest]

I noticed some major typos while reading the post today.

>after he started composing due the grace of guha swami at

--after he started composing due to the grace of guha

>samashti charaNa

-- samaShTi charaNa

>sthUla (grass)

--stUla (gross)

>‘jagadanbA’

--jagabambA

 

Aravind

 

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