Swamiji answers more questions on Chandi Path

[Guest guest]

Dear Family,

 

Namaste!

 

The following questions came up in last weekend's class on Chandi Path. Here are

Swamiji's answers to them. Please share your thoughts!

 

Sincerely

srini

 

1. Are there parts of other Puranas which are used/chanted in the same manner as the

Chandi Path from the Markendaya Purana or is this practice of chanting the Chandi

unique?

 

The Devi Gita is an excerpt from Shrimad Devi Bhagavatam, the Bhagavad Gita is an

excerpt from Mahabharat, the Guru Gita comes from Skanda Purana.

 

2. Why are Madhu and Kaitabha called "Too Much" and "Too Little", respectively?

 

The dictionary meanings for Madhu mean specifically honey, sweet, pleasant, charming,

delightful. In excess it is intoxicating. The extension with poetic license is Too Much.

 

Kaitabha in the dictionary means as insignificant as an insect: Too Little.

 

Together they stand for every extreme which keeps us from maintaining our balance.

 

3. If one has taken sankalpa to chant say the Devi Gita and the Chandi Path for a certain

amount of time and due to one's life situation one cannot chant the Chandi along with the

Gita can the sankalpa to chant the Chandi and the Devi Gita be changed in mid stream or

does the cycle need to be completed?

 

We want to strive to complete our sankalpas. Sometimes it is not possible. When it is not

possible, we ultimately must surrender and try to accomplish our goals again the next

time. We will also want

to be forgiving; to others as well as to ourselves.

 

4. Do we have to do the full kushandika as in the book, or would it be ok to offer a light

and a flower if we are pressed for time and then chant for instance the Sapta Shloki

Durga, as a kind of preparation for chanting the Chandi more regularly?

 

Each according to his or her capacity. There is a viddhi called Seedha Path, which is

described in the book on Pronunciation.

 

5. In the Chandi Path, when do we add "svaha" at the end of each verse, and when do we

not add that?

 

When we are doing a Homa, we do not add svaha after the verses in the Kushandika,

Kavacham, Argala Stotram, Kilakam, and the Dhyanams. We do not add swaha after any of

the verses, unless the verses contain swaha, if we are not at the fire.

 

Also in the book on Pronunciation is a description of the homa viddhis.

 

6. Do verses 2 and 3 of siddha kunjika stotram (na kavacam nargala...) proclaim the

superiority of that stotram or that of the Navarna Mantra?

 

Actually the Navarna Mantra is the root mantra of the Chandi.

 

7. What is a stotram?

 

It is a specific song about a particular form of divinity.

 

8. I was taught that the act of clapping e.g. while saying phat ("cut the ego") assists in

clearing mind, banishing thoughts. How does that happen, energetically?

 

The clap is a starling sound which demands that the mind pay attention.

 

9. Do raktabija, seed of desire, and vasana mean the same thing?

 

Yes.