abhayAmbikAShTakam dhyAnam - 3 *

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The 51 vital shaktI shrines are said to have emerged from dAkshAyaNI devi.

dIkshitar meditates on this Adi shakti svarUpam of devi as abhyAmbikA

(dAkshAyaNI abhayAmbike – namaste).

 

...varadAbhaya haste namaste..

 

In mAUram devi is seen with four arms, two with the traditional abhaya and

varada hasta and the other two holding japa mAlA and kamaNDalu. The next

salutation ‘varadAbhaya haste namaste’ refers to this hand gesture of devi.

 

‘varam dadhAti iti varadA’ She is capable of bestowing what ever one seeks.

If we seek prosperity, she will bestow prosperity. If we seek wealth, she

will bestow wealth. If we seek health, she will give that, by mistake if we

ask for liberation, she is capable of preparing us for that too.

 

The theory that devi can liberate an individual soul can be advocated

through a simple logic. A person who creates an object and has that in his

control is also capable of dissolving it. Ishvara as the jagat kAraNa

(creator) is supported by innumerable sR^iti statements.

 

asadvaa idamagra aasiit.h . tato vai sadajaayata . tadaatmaanaM

svayamakuruta . tasmaattatsukR^itamuchyata iti .

 

'In the beginning this was non-existent (not yet defined by form and name).

>From it was born what exists. That made itself its Self, therefore it is

called the Self-made.'

 

The fact that she has all proceedings in this jagat in her control is also

supported by a number of shR^iti statements.

 

bhiishhaa.asmaadvaataH pavate . bhiishhodeti suuryaH .

bhiishhaa.asmaadagnishchendrashcha . mR^ityurdhaavati paJNchama iti .

 

'From terror of it (Brahman) the wind blows, from terror the sun rises; from

terror of it Agni and Indra, yea Death runs as the fifth.'

 

Logically one who created this jagat using his mAyA or shakti and who also

has it in his control should also be capable of destroying it. Hence she can

definitely bestow liberation. (By this it is not to be misunderstood that

liberation is made as a thing to be bought. Though ‘self’ exist in bliss, it

is not visible due to avidyA. She is capable of removing that ignorance and

hence it as equal as giving kaivalya.)

 

... dInajanAvana hasta sArase namaste ..

 

‘I bow to thee, whose lotus palm protects the timid’

 

Abhaya hastam of devi ensures fearlessness and her varada hasta denotes

fulfillment gained by the seeker.

What is to be sought is explained by kamaNdala and japamAla in the upper

arms of devi. kamaNDala denotes ‘chitta shudhi’ and japamAla ‘chitta

naishchalyam’, the two main requirements for brahma vichAra. Once an

individual gains these two, devi removes the anAdyavidyA through abhaya

hasta and points to her feet that is pure bliss which is the true state of

an individual. NArAyaNa bhattadri beautifully remarks ‘yogIndrANAm

tvadanJN^geshu adhika sumadhuram’ is ‘nAta te pAda mUlam’. Though every limb

of ‘madhurAmbikA’ is ‘madhuram’ her pAdamUlam is ‘adhika sumadhuram’.

 

When abhyAmbA with her ‘sArasa hasta’ (lotus palm) points to her

siJNjAna maNimaJNjira maNDita shrI padAmbujAm (gem studded auspicious lotus

feet), it looks as though one lotus flower points to another lotus flower

born from the same stem mR^iNAla mR^idu dorlatA (Her limbs are as soft and

cool as the lotus stem).

 

 

 

kIrti dhyAnam

-------------------

pa~ncAnana hR^idAlaye namaste

bhAratIsha pUjite namaste

sakala yogi manorUpa tatva tapase namaste

kA~nkShitArtha pradAyini namaste

sakalabhakta samrakshaNa yashase namaste

 

...pa~ncAnana hR^idAlaye namaste..

 

‘I bow to thee who dwells in the heart of parameshvara’

 

Next dIkshitar shifts to the greatness of abhayAmbA. She is ever united with

parameshvara. sadyojAtam, vAmadevam, tatpuruSham, aghoram and IshAnam are

the five faces of parameshvara, devi dwells in the heart of this virAt

swarUpam of parameshvara. Creation (sR^iShTi) sustenance (stiti) destruction

(samhAram) delusion (tirobhAnam) and liberation (anugraham) are the five

activities of parameshvara. Devi is the shakti behind all these activities

and hence she is saluted as 'pa~nchAnana hR^idAlaye'.

 

... bhAratIsha pUjite namaste ..

 

'I bow to thee worshipped by bhAratIsha (brahma)'

 

brahma is the creator of this universe. As devi supports the creator in the

form of bhAratI, he is referred as bhAratIsha. It always becomes the

responsibility of brahma to plead to the universal mother when cosmic

balance is lost. In purANA-s we see that when devA-s have some trouble they

approaching brahma and brahma leads them to devi. More over brahma is her

first child, ' Abrahma kITa jananI ', what is followed by the elder most is

to be followed by the rest too, hence worship of the universal mother is

emphasized through the salutation 'bhAratIsha pUjite'.

 

... sakala yogi manorUpa tatva tapase namaste..

 

'I salute thee, the truth in the heart of contemplative pious'

 

yoga means unity. The chief aim of yoga philosophy is to teach the means by

which the human soul may be completely united with the supreme sprit and

thus secure absolution. Deep abstract meditation is laid down as the chief

means of securing this end.

This meditation is referred as 'tapas' in the above salutation. Yogi is one

who practices this 'tapas'. Devi emerges as absolute truth 'tatva' in the

heart of such yogis and hence she is 'sakala yogi mano rUpa tatva tapas

svarUpiNI'. The prefix 'sakala' indicates that what ever be the form that is

meditated upon, she is the one who is seen as the absolute truth by all.

 

 

... kA~nkShitArtha pradAyini namaste ..

'I salute thee, who bestows all desired'

 

sarvArtha dAtrI, kAmadhuk.h, vAJNchhitArtha pradAyinI are some of her names

that highlight her boon bestowing characteristic. What is to be desired is

explained in bruhatAraNya upaniShad,

 

..athAkAmayamAno yo.akAmo nishhkAma bhavati

aaptakAmaAtmakAmo na tasya prANA utkrAmanti 6-4-6

 

His desire is Atman. But he already has it, or he is nothing but that alone.

In the state of samsAra this is masked. His blissful nature is not seen by

him, hence he appears to be in a state of not having it. He desires, 'let me

have it', 'let me attain liberation', as this bliss is already existing, she

dispels the limitations and hence she bestows liberation.

 

... sakalabhakta samrakshaNa yashase namaste ..

 

'I bow to thy glory that shelters all devotees'

 

'sakal bhakta' indicates all baktA-s. As indicated in gItA

 

yo yo yA.m yA.m bhaktyA shraddhayArchitumichchhti .

tasya tasyAchalA.m shraddhA.m tAmeva vidadhAmyaham ..

 

What ever rUpa the almighty is meditated upon, in that form he is for his

bhaktA-s. The key is 'bhakti' and not the mUrti. But with out aikAntya

there is no bhakti. What form pleases one is to be selected as ones beloved

with the knowledge that the same almighty is seen in other forms too. As

devi sports in different forms and blesses her devotees, dIxitar salutes

this glory (kIrti) of the mother as 'sakala bhakta samrakshaNa yashase

namaste'.

 

Cont..

 

 

 

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