tortoise and other symbols

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Dear M Gopinath,

i hope this response finds you in good health.

I thought i would try to discuss some of the points raised in your question.

I hope what i write here might be helpfull to some degree or another.

>>>>"Can anyone explain the significance of the tortoise in the

prayer/description about Her? I remember seeing a picture of Meru/ Sri

chakra enclosed by an outline of a tortoise."<<<<

 

Within the pan-Indian tradition, the cosmos has frequently often been

represented by the image of a mountain supported by 4 cardinal elephants

standing on the back of an immense tortoise swimming in the endless cosmic

ocean. This whole structure is encircled by Anantha, the Serpent of Infinity.

This tortoise represents the support of the Cosmos, its essential substance

and substructure.

 

Bagavathy, being "Jagadhathri", or "Supporter of the Universe", is thus

represented by the tortoise. The choice of a tortoise in Her iconography

harkens back to the Vedic and puranic idiom which sees the cosmos as vast

living entity and a series of living interrelationship.

 

Also, i am sure you are familiar with the tale of the Kurma-Avatara of Lord

Vishnu Tirumal. In this form, the Lord in tortoise form sustains the balance

of kinetic cosmic forces (i.e., the devas and asuras perpetually churning the

cosmic ocean in search of the coveted amritha) within thier activity. Vishnu

supports the play of opposites which cause the universe to be, even as

ParamaShiva annihilates them in the epiphany of Release.

 

With respect to this, it is noteworthy that Amba and Vishnu have a strong

interrelationship within many Indian traditions.

The Harivamsa describes the Goddess as attired very much like Vishnu, whose

yogic slumber, or YogaNidra, she represents. And the Devi Mahatmyam praises

Amba as "Narayani" or "Vishnu Maya". Also, within its primary sections, this

text describes the goddess MahaKaali as the subtle power animating/entrancing

Vishnu and later fortifying him to slay Madhu and Kaitaba.

 

Also, i am sure that we are all familiar with titles of Maa that underscore

this relationship with Perumal: i.e., Vaishnu Devi, Aame Narayana, Narayani,

Chakreshvari etc...

Frequently, Maa is shown holding Shanka and Chakra as well, like in the

marvelous Moorthy at the Temple of MookAmbikaAmman in Karnataka.

In South India, Devi, while being Shivas wife, is often said to be Vishnus

twin sister.

 

Thus, according to both puranic scripture and many regional traditions, the

attributes of Vishnu, e.g., the Kurma avatara, can by synonymous with Devis

power.

 

As the tortoise, the support and strength of the world, She shows herself to

be the spirit of Bhukthi, even as Her more ascetic and fierce forms align Her

with the principle of Mukthi.

As Visvarupini, The Universe is Her body and, as Tara Devi, the experience of

Moksha is Her soul.

As the cosmic tortise, the goddess shows herself as immanent within the

experience of the world.

 

In Jain Temples, Shakthi is often represented as/or accompanied by a tortise,

their influence (which is not a small one in many Indian traditions) may have

had something to do with the conception of the Goddess as a tortoise.

 

Incidently, this metaphor of a tortoise for the power that supports worlds

(specifically, for the Goddess who supports the world and IS the cosmos)

occurs not just in Indian traditions, but in Mesoamerican traditions as well.

The Nahua Mother Goddess Cihuacoatl looks very much like our Kaali, and the

Earth Diety Ilamatecutli was often represented as a tortoise upon whose back

grew the cosmic mountains as well. I think perhaps the people of the ancient

Americas may have concieved of the Sacred in ways similar, at times, as they

way Shaktha traditions did in India.

>>>>Moreover, as soon as one enters the mail gopuram of Kanchi Kamatchi

temple,

on the wall one sees a small sculpture of two fishes to each side of a sword

(this sword looks like the one that Kerala Bhagavathi has, with a circular

cutting edge.)<<<<<

This idea is interesting to me. I dont know if what i am about to share is

the proper answer, but the description you gave reminded me of something

which i would sometimes see in Kerala.

 

I know that frequently in Malayali temples, Bagavathy Amman is represented by

a simple abstracted indication of her power and presence, such as a

Trishulam, or the type of sword you described, or a mirror, or a spear, etc...

 

In my grandmothers town in Kerala, in the compound of a large Muruga temple,

there is a shrine for Rudra and the Matrikas.

The Holy Mothers are each represented in the form of a particular weapon:

e.g., trishulam, curved sword, or straight sword.

Now, at this shrine, painted on the wall at the back each of the shrines and

on either side of the symbolic weapon represnting each diety, are two eyes,

representing the conciousness of Devi in the shrines.

 

Now, getting back to the carving you describe, we know that the goddess is

honored in Tamil country under the name Minakshi ("Fish Eyed Goddess"). If

there is a relationship between the image you described and the composition i

have described for our local shrines to the Matrikas, maybe the image is a

visual-pun for the name of Mother Minakshi (?). I am not sure if this is the

case in what you have described, but visual punning has been known to occur

in Indian religious art.

 

Then again, the sword and twin fishes might have been emblematic of Pandyan

patronage (the pandyan totem was a fish).

 

I dont know if what i have shared here is really applicable to your

questions, but i figured i might as well share it anyhoo, and i hope it was

at least interesting.

Take good care my friend.

May Amme bless you, your family and friends.

may the Goddess lead our world towards peace and away from war.

Saranam Mookambika Bagavathy!!!!!!

Saranam Sarkara BagavathyAmman!!!!!!!

Shanti Shanti Shanti!!!!!