Devi is 'Stotra' Priya ...........Let us Celebrate!

[Guest guest]

Sri Lalita Tripura Sundari, the Cosmic Mother , is very fond

of 'Stotras' - She loves 'praise' and 'adulastion' ... she is not

just happy with one 'Liners' - Just saying 'MAA ! You are Mahaniya '

( means One who is 'worthy of Honor') .... She wants to hear bhaktas

glorify Her in 1008 ways ...

 

No one realized this more than Adi shankara Bhagvadapada ! A Parama

Jnani once the 'light of knowledge ' dawns does not keep 'silent';

rather His soul 'sings' endlessly ! This explains why our beloved Adi

Shankara Bhagvadapada has composed so many hymns of Praise in honor

of all the gods and Godesses!

 

On this Auspicious Friday, it gives me great pleasure to weave a

Garland of 'praise' in the various compositions of our beloved

Jagadguru Adi Shankara !

 

Sri Bhavani : Bhavani Ashtakam

 

tvamarkastvamindustvam-agnistvam-ápa-

stvam ákáùa-váyavastvam mahattvam

tvadanyo na kaùcit prapaòco'sti sarvam

tvam ánanda-samvit-svarüpám-bhaje'ham(12)

 

I worship you. You are of the form of blissful knowledge. There is

none else in the universe superior to you. You are the sun, the moon,

the fire, the water, the sky, the earth, the wind and the mahat.

 

Here the Goddess is conceived as ashtamürti-eight forms as the Lord

of the principles. (tattwamayi)

 

Sri MahaTripurasundari : Sri Tripurasundari Ashtakam

 

kadambavanaþ˜lay˜ kucamarollasanm˜lay˜

kucopamitaþailay˜ guruk®p˜lasadvelay˜ |

mad˜ruõakapolay˜ madhuragŸtav˜c˜lay˜

kay˜'pi ghananŸlay˜ kavacit˜ vayaÕ lŸlay˜ || 3||

 

"Arrayed we be in the panoply, by her Kadamba forest abode, by the

garland gracing her massive bosom, by her bosom rivaling mountains,

by the splendid flow of her surpassing grace in the form of Guru's

grace, by her cheeks ruddied by wine, by her melodious musical voice,

by her cloud-like blue, by her inscrutable play ".

 

Yes! Once, devi's grace (anugraham) falls on us , no evil can befall

on us. She is KADAMBAVANAVASINI - the entire Universe is her abode!

The garland that devi wears on her Neck is AKSHARAMALA - the 51

letters of the sanskrit alphabet. ( from which all mantras originate)

and Her Massive mountain like breasts represent her 'motherhood'

aspect of 'nurturing her devotees! It was Ambaal Abiraami who fed

Thirujnanasambander who evolved into a spiritual giant . Sri

Tripurasundari is our divine guru who gives us 'jnana paal' ( milk of

knowledge) ! and the color blue reprsents the 'infinite' sky or

ocean - Devi is certainly 'infinite'

 

for a detailed explanation , go to

 

harsha16.topcities.com/introduction1.htm (sunderji- url? )

 

Sri Saradambaal : Sarada Bhujangam

 

kaTAkShedayArdrAM kare jnAnamudrAM

kalAbhirvinidrAM kalApaissubhadrAM

pUrastrIM vinidrAM purastungabhadrAM

bhaje shAradAMbA majasraM madambAm

 

 

With a merciful look, a knowledge sign in the hand,( chin mudra)

 

Ever awake with fine arts, auspicious with girdle,

 

A city dame, without sleep, on the thungabhadra front,

 

I worship shaaradaambaa, ever my ambaa.

 

In this verse from 'Sharada Bhujangam' our beloved Acharya is

offering prayers to Sharada Devi at Sringeri on the banks of

Tungabhadra ! What does 'Sringeri' means where our beloved Acharya

established one of his mutts? Sringeri in Sanskrit in fact means a

snake and a frog.

 

It was after he saw the rare sight of a hooded king cobra giving

shade to a pregnant frog, saving it from the burning rays of the sun,

that Adi Sankara chose this mountain location for establishing

a "Peeta". A place that makes the worst of enemies help each other is

a place where a temple for the Goddess should come up, Adi Shankara e

felt.

 

Wow! What a concept!

 

( a question for our respected sunder-ji? what does Bhujangam

represent -the eight names of a snake or the metre of this sloka? or

eight limbs of Devi? ) !

 

KANAKADHARASTAVAM - SRI LAKSHMI

 

Sampatkaraani sakalendriya-nandanaani Saamraajya-daana-vibhavaani

saroruhaakshi Tvad-vandanaani duritoddharano-dyataani Maameva maatah

anisam kalayantu maanye"

 

O! Mother, who has eyes as beautiful as lotus flowers and who Is

worthy of worship, let the obeisance offered to you, obeisance

Capable of bestowing property, bring blissful joy to the Idriyas,

Having the power to gift an empire, and remove sins and purify,

Always remain with me.

 

In this beautiful verse. Adi Shankara is praying to Sri Lakshmi Devi

to bestow prosperity on the poor housewife who had nothing to offer

as bhiksha to him except a solitary aamalaka fruit (Nellikkani). Devi

readily obliged by 'showering gold ' on the woman who gave the fruit

as biksha ! Lakshmi devi grants both material and spiritual wealth to

her devotees, each according to the manobhava of the devotee !

 

Sri Meenakshi - Meenakshi Pancharatnam

 

I remain ever bowing to that (goddess) Mènákshi , a manifestation of

the sacred knowledge (Sri vidyá) who always remains on the left-side

of the lord Ùiva, and is shining in the sacred syllable of Hrim,

residing in the small circle in the middle of the sacred circle

(Ùricakra), that queen gracing the court of the Lord (Sundaresa) and

is also the mother of the six-faced one (shanmuka and the master of

obstacles (Vighnarája) and also who enchants the world.

 

Yes! The fisheyed Goddess Meenakshi at ksetra Madurai in whose temple

we see the unity of all three religious sects - 'Meenakshi' the

shakta deity, Lors Sundereshwerar representing Shaivism and

Meenakshi's brother Lord Vishnu representing Sri Vaishnavism who

gives away the bride in the pani-grahanam ceremony!

 

Sri Kanchi Kamakshi Amman : Kamakshi Stotram

 

kAraNa-para-chid-rUpA kA~nchI-pura-sImni kAma-pITha-gatA .

kAchana viharati karuNA kAshmIra-stabaka-komalA~Nga-latA .. 1 ..

 

Transcending the realm of cause [and effects], the pure awareness,

established in the region of kAnchi in the kAmakoTi piiTha, SHE

sports, the compassionate one, with limbs soft like a bunch of

saffron flowers (also red hued), and with a creeper like body.

 

Yes! Bhakti is like a creeper ! once you are engroissed in 'bhakti'

your entire body is entwined by Her creeper ( kripa - play on words)

In the Kanchi Kamakshi amman temple, Adi shankara installed the sri

chakra , the queen of all yantras - the basis of sri vidya worship!

 

Having sung praises of Madurai Meenakshi, Kanchi Kamakshi , it is

turn to praise Kasi Visalakshi ( also known as Annapurna devi)

 

Kasi Visalakshi : ANNAPURNA ASHTAKAM

 

nityAnandakarI varAbhayakarI saundaryaratnAkarI

nirdhUtAkhilaghorapAvanakarI pratyakShamAheshvarI |

prAleyAcalavaMshapAvanakarI kAshIpurAdhIshvarI

bhikShAM dehik.rpAvalambanakarI mAtA.annapUrNeshvarI || 1

 

O Mother Annapurna ! Ever bestowing Happiness , granting boons, and

dispelling fear ! Ocean of beauty who bestows Purity on devotees by

destroying all terrible sins ! Thou art the great Goddess who

purified the dynasty of Himalayas ! Presiding Deity Of Kashi , O !

Renderer of support and compassion, Grant me Alms !

 

In this verse, Bhagwadpada Adi Shankara to give him 'jnana' Biksha ?

And Why would Sri Shankara , an incarnation of Lord shiva ask

for 'alms' from Devi ? Yes ! DEVI IS THE ONLY 'ONE' WHO CAN GRANT THE

KNOWLEDGE OF ATMA-VIDYA !

 

( COMPILED FROM VARIOUYS SOURCES - www. ambaal.org. www.kamakoti.org)

 

The point of all this exercise is to show How A Great Jnani like Adi

Shankara come down to the level of an ordinary Bhakta to sing the

praises of the Divine Mother who loves to hear her praises ! For she

lives in the heart of her bhaktas!

 

At the lotus feet of Devi!