Fwd: devI mAhAtmyA - Chapter - 5

[Guest guest]

Sri Nairji:

 

Your magnamity and maturity amazes me. I agree with you on the

validity and importance of your original question. There is saying

that ambA is pleased with those who grasp the deeper meaning of the

texts (i dont remember the source now, it is in one of the books I

have).

 

Coming back to your question - if not a philosophical explanation I

can think of a mnemonic correlation. It may be erroneous. Feel free to

reject it. (I hope I did not miss anything)

 

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

 

a) I am not going to go into nuances of terms like mAyA -- which is

anirvachanIya and beyond the grasp of the words.

 

b) There is a pattern. Instead of looking at the whole as one string,

you can look at it in groups and then the whole may fall into one

place. To give an example the attributes in shrii ranga gadyam or

ramaanuja in the 2nd stanza is taken in three groups (as one towards

all, one towards asura-s, and last towards devotees).

 

c) Following even it is wrong, may give you some better ideas to

correlate it.

 

-----------

 

vishhNu mAyA is the power of the God or you can think that as upAdhi

(limitation) of Ishvara and it is in samashhTi form. It projects many

out of that one.

 

chetana or conscious entities (in schools like vishishhTaadvaita which

also implies achetana by association) is indeed projected from this

one.

 

buddhi or the discriminating intellect -- which also implies all of

antaH karaNa -- mistakenly identifies anAtman as Atman under the spell

of avidya as Self. This is ahaNkara. In yoga it is said ahankAra makes

one think budhhi is Self.

 

This avidya is denoted as nidra. Which points to the karaNa sharira

or latent avidya. From that springs the deha traya.

 

[above denote the evolution]

 

This causes the one that is full and complete to think that one is not

full and one is incomplete. Hence causes the hunger to complete

oneself.

 

Even though this jIva thinks itself as an individual entity conscious

by itself. It is consciousness is but a reflection of the supreme one.

 

Even though this jIva thinks it acts, the power behind its action

springs from it not. but from the supreme one.

 

However, due to inherent nature (jnAna) which is covered now. It

thirsts for knowledge.

 

Undergoing this cyles of birth and death. Suffering from its sins it

seeks forgiveness in God. Which leads to the realization that one has

to manifest the forgiveness in one towards others -- to receive it

from God.

 

Based on the karmashaya it takes birth in different species. In order

to expend the karmashaya in appropriate form. Through this cycle of

birth and death it ascends to higher level and finally in species that

are conducive to attain final liberation (such as human).

 

Realizing its limitation and lack of knowledge under the upAdhi. This

leads to humility and modesty. This awakening of modesty -- That is

jIva's understanding that it is avidya, it is ignorant, helpless and

alpa shaktimAn. Is the first step towards reawakening.

 

Understanding of one's weakness, not only gives modesty. But also the

realization that it ultimately depends on Ishwara. This brings out the

innate quality of calmness through surrender to Lord.

 

This leads to shraddha. The understanding that words of scriptures and

guru are true. Which in turn leads to knowledge.

 

With knowledges comes tejas and brings out the innate kAnti

(brightness or power of attraction).

 

It also draws out lakshmi or aishwarya (a word derived from iishwara).

Essentially all good things manifest as the avidya thins down.

 

Then one perceive godliness in all activity or the cessation of it.

One sees akarma in karma and karma in akarma.

 

This also brings forth the true memory of oneself. Or one remember the

supreme always.

 

This also brings empathy towards all, as one sees none but himself

everywhere. Which manifests as daya or compassion. Now the forgiveness

once sought and tried give, flows naturally as compassion towards all

beings.

 

This leads to the cessation of hunger (which we saw earlier) and leads

to contenment. And the realization of fullness.

 

This realization awakens or makes one understand the supreme motherly

nature of iishwara by becoming one with it.

 

The one realizes that even error is also God. Like mAya and iishwara

cannot be two in the ultimately non-dual state. There is nothing here

that is non-God. So even bhrAnti is from HER.

 

This completes the involution. The supreme being indeed pervades all.

SHE indeed forms the substratum of the indriya-s (which preceive the

external world).

 

--

As I said, above may be erroneus. And thank you for making me think

about this deeply. To be honest, I don't recite these verses

regularly. I prefer talking to God in my own words in simple Tamil and

English, rather than reciting texts. But I do read them to gain some

understanding and perfect my prayers.

 

 

My 2c.

 

Ravi

 

 

 

 

 

, "Madathil Rajendran Nair"

<madathilnair> wrote:

> Namaste Shri Venkataraman Ranganathanji.

>

> Immense thanks for your post# 7260.

>

[Guest guest]

Namaste Raviji.

 

Reference your post # 7265.

 

Thank you very much for your good words and understanding.

 

Your interpretation opens up floodgates of knowledge! You have

related the whole gamut of vEdAnta to the 21 words with which I was

vainly struggling.

 

Although you have stopped short of granting a mnemonic aid, your

correlation has given me a step-by-step methodology using which I can

now successfully formulate an easily rememberable equation. I even

doubt that such a mnemonic device would be required at all because

the whole picture is crystal-clear to me like the picture of Ambaal

on my desktop! A sizable magnitude of my imagined problem vis a vis

Chapter 5 has now melted away!

 

I am reaching the conclusion that the apparent randomness of the 21

mundane attributes itself is a cleverly-planted device to compel the

chanter to meditate on their vEdantic significance. In essence, they

all signify me - the chanter - who is none other than the Devi - a

fact I should have remembred as an advaitin! Alas, how very much

lost I was in the apparent maze!

 

The stOtrAs that are easily memorized due to their beautiful rhymiing

are normally chanted without the chanter pausing to contemplate on

their inner meanings. Often, when we chant them mechanically, we

tend to flit from one source to another. For example, I do often

jump from NArAyaNi Stuti (11th Chapter) to BhadrakAli Suti of Skanda

PurAna because both have the phrase 'namOstutE' scattered all along

them. Another instance is when we chant the names of rishIs,

chandas, dEvatAs etc. preparatory to entering the verses. Due to

these details being almost similar, I have often found that I do

unwittingly flit from Soundarya Lahari to ShItalAshtakam! This also

happens between the phalastutIs because most of them are similarly

worded.

 

Our Mother, it seems, wants to make sure that we really do vEdantic

contemplation as we chant the 5th Chapter. Hence, the apparent lack

of relation between the 21 elements which demands the chanter to

rivet his attention to the exact progression that reveals the very

Truth of him in a setp by step manner. Clever She is and stupid I am,

Her own son, who wants to memorize and chant the Chapter

mechanically!

 

Magnificent, Raviji! What you have granted is not 'your 2c'. It is

just invaluable.

 

May I say a big 'Thank you, Mother' to thank you!

 

PraNAms.

 

Madathil Nair

[Guest guest]

> b) There is a pattern. Instead of looking at the whole as one

string,

> you can look at it in groups and then the whole may fall into one

> place.

 

My humble pranams,

 

Here is another way of looking at the hymn. This is in line with

Ravi's thoughts, but the later half has slight modifications.

 

If you look at the last two verses of the stuti, it consolidates the

idea contained in the previous 24 salutations.

 

indriyANAmadhishhThAtrI bhuutAnAJNchAkhileshhu yA |

bhUteshhu satataM tasyai vyAptidevyai namo namaH ||

 

Repeated salutations to the all pervading Devi, who constantly

presides over the senses of all beings and governs all elements.

 

vyAptidevyai namonamaH - repeated salutations to Devi, who pervades.

 

The 'vyAti' or pervasiveness seems to be the key concept here.

Though she pervades everything, two main categories are stated,

indriyANA.m adhishhThAtrI - The governor of Indiyas.

akhila bhUtAnAm IshvarI - The governor of all elements.

 

With these two as the main categories, we can group the salutations

to six major tattvas,

 

 

1. mahat tattva,

2. aha~nkAra tattva,

3. triguNya tattva (satva, rajo, tamas)

4. AtmaguNa tattva(shama damAdi guNAni)

5. Ishvara tattva (sarvasharaNya,sarvashakta..)

6. jIva tattva

 

The salutations begin with the order of creation. This order is

accepted both in Vedanta and Sa~nkhya.

>From the paramAtmA, avyakta or the `potential state' emerges. This

state is mentioned as 'viShNu mAyA'. It is an indescribable state.

>From avyakta manifests the 'mahat' or the cosmic intelligence. This

is the first manifested form or 'chetana' tattva. The salutation

here is 'chetanet abhidhIyate'.

>From mahat manifests aha~nkAra or the `cosmic ego'. The salutation

here is 'buddhi rUpeNa samsthithA'.

 

In most traditional 24 tattva descriptions you would see pancha

bhUta manifesting from aha~nkAra. But there is also another

tradition of mentioning triguNA and Atma guNa from aha~nkAra. (Hamsa

gIta from Bhagavatam is an example).

>From aha~nkAra manifests tamas, rajas and satva guNas that are

saluted in the next six stanzas.

 

nidrA, kshudhA and chAyA belong to tAmasa aha~nkAra.

 

shakti and tR^ishNA belong to rAjasa aha~nkAra.

 

kshAnti belongs to satva aha~nkAra.

 

When a jIva wants to go beyond these three guNas, Atma guNas are

prescribed. (triguNya viShayA vedAH nistraiguNyo bhava)

 

There are ten Atma guNAs prescribed here.

 

jAti,lajjA,shAnti,shraddhaa,kAnti,laxmi,vR^iti,smR^iti,dayA and

tushTi.

 

These form a nice list. They can be further classified, but for

simplicity sake let us consider them as a list of qualities that a

sadhaka should posses.

(As there seems to be innumerable Atma guNas the list is different

in every instance. Krishna himself has given different lists in

different instances).

 

Then there is the Ishvara tattva that is beyond both triguNya and

Atma guNa tattvas. A very unique and beautiful salutation that is

specific to the IshvarI as the universal mother is mentioned here.

The salutation here is `mAtru rUpiNi'

 

The hymn concludes with the jIva tattva, the salutation is `bhrAnti'.

The predominant character of a jIvA being fear, due to avidhyA.

 

 

avyakta tattva - vishNu mAyA

mahat tattva - chetana

aha~nkAra tattva – buddhi

triguNa tattva (tamo,rajas &satva)

tamoguNa – nidrA, kshudhA, chAyA

rajo guNa – shakti, tR^ishNA

satva guNa - kshAnti

Atma guNA tattva – jAti lajjA shAnti shraddhA kAnti

laxmi vR^iti smR^iti dayA tushTi

Ishvara tattva – mAtru

jIva tattva - bhraanti

 

..tattvAdhikA tattvamayI tattvamartha svaruupiNI.

Aravind

[Guest guest]

Namaste Raviji, Arvindji and Jaimi Blakeleyji (signing off as Arvind)!

 

I was looking for a small lamp in darkness. You, dear devotees of

Mother, have given me the Sun!

 

Every word of yours shines.

 

About BhadrakAli Stuti - I just have the text of it in Malayalam from

an old MAtA AmritAnandmayi Mutt compilation of prayers. The opening

dhyAna shlOka begins "shUlAgre prOtadaityapravara...." and the stuti

begins "KaNthEkAlatamjE DevI.... I don't have the purANa with me to

tell you where exactly it is located. Can someone help? Otherwise,

if you all kindly permit, I can type out a transliteration and post

it.

 

It is simply beautiful! Just read these two verses and ponder the

vEdAnta in it:

 

"yasyA unmIlitE nEtre

jagatEdad prakAshatE

nimIlitEtu nischEshtam

namastasyai namO namah"

 

"antarbhahishca yA dEvi

vishESamabhivartasSe

advaitam vastutattwam yA

namastasyai namO namah"

 

Thanks and praNAms.

 

Madathil Nair