Devi, Shakthi, Lemon and Tantra

[Guest guest]

Jai Sadguru Datta

 

This is in response to a few messages on the practice of adoring

female deities with garland of lemon and lighting lamps of the same.

Well, while it is very difficult to find out the exact

significance/meaning/reason behind this practice, I would like to

share my views:

 

1. In Sanskrit, lemon is translated as "Nimbu phala". According to

mythology, once there lived a demon by name NimbAsura. He created

havoc on earth by means of a great femine. Sage Agasthya did great

penance,contemplating on the Mother to end the demon's misdeeds.

 

Pleased with the sage's penance, the Mother appeared and killed

Nimbasura thus

ending the great femine. She brought back vegetation on earth and

since then she is worshiped as SHAKHAMBARI (Sanskrit "Shakha" -

vegetation). Before dying, the demon gained divine knowledge and

prayed the Mother to give him permanent place in her holy feet. The

Kindest Mother gave him the boon that henceforth NimbAsura shall

adore her in the form of Nimbu phala. Devi ShakhAmbari is also

worshiped as Banashankari, the distorted form of Vanashankari. The

mula sthana (original place) where the Mother took the form of

SHAKHAMBARI is Badami, Karnataka. Around 100 years ago, a temple was

built for her in Bangalore and the locality is famous by the name

Banashankari.

 

2. All of us are familiar with the Kali form of Mother, wherein she

wears the garland of skulls (mundamAla). The skulls denote the 50

(sometimes 52) letters of the Sanskrit alphabet. Tantra shAstra

describes Mother as the power contained in these letters ( akArAdi

kshakArAtha varna rUpini)since the philosophy of Tantra is based on

the power of sounds. But this philosophy was misunderstood and

non-Vedic practices like Human sacrifice came into existence. Shri

Adi ShankarAchArya condemned such practices and preached the non-

violent form of worship. Owing to this, the practice of adoring the

Mother with garland of lemons must have come into existence.

 

 

3. Devi is worshiped as MahAkAli, MahAlakshmi & MahAsaraswathi

according to the trinity philosophy; these 3 forms represent TAmasa,

rAjasika & sAtwik gunas respectively. It is said that the worshipper

has to contemplate on the characters of the deity and inculcate the

same; otherwise he is not fit to be a worshipper ( nA rudro

rudramarchayet). Lemon has tAmas guna and thus consumption and

offering of lemon is practised.

 

 

4. It is proved beyond doubt that lemon has lot of potential energy.

When lemon is used to prepare juice, it absorbs heat and thus

produces the cooling effect. This phenomena is correspondingly used

in the

Tantra for jArana, Akarshana, vashIkarana, stambhana etc, wherein the

mAntrik, transforms his psychic energy into power through the medium

of Mantras and stores it in the lemon. And this lemon is used to

achieve the desired work.