Graheetha Madhupaathrikaam

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> dear shreeram anna,> > i was just going thru the tripurasundari ashtakam and came across a> description in the 2nd verse > "mukhasamulla sadvarunim" explanation given as 'her face radiating a> glow on account of the vaaruni (intoxicant drink)taken> > and also in the 6th verse> "grhita madhupatrikam madavighurna netrancalam" explanation given as> 'who holds the vessel of intoxicant honey, has a swirling glance on> account of the intoxicant drink'> > i would like to know what is the intoxicant drink referred to and the> background thereto.> > your brother > Varun

 

 

Dear Varun,

 

In Valmeeki Ramayana, Balakanda in Prose Sarga 45 there is a verse which goes like this. I have typed verbatim the verse here for your benefit:

 

"Oh, descendent of Raghu, then the heaven-sent damsel Vaaruni came up from Milky Ocean searching for her espousal, who is the daughter of Varuna, the Rain-god, and who incidentally is the presiding deity of hard liquors and also called as Sura. Oh, Rama, the sons of Diti, namely asuraa-s, have not espoused that daughter of Rain-god, but oh, brave Rama, the sons of Aditi on their part, namely sura-s, have espoused that impeccable Vaaruni. Thereby the sons of Diti are called a-suraas, and the sons of Aditi are called Suraas, and gods are delighted and rejoiced on espousing Vaaruni"

 

Lalitha Sahasranama also has a name of Divine mother as in " vArunI madha vihvalA"--One who is intoxicated by happiness by drinking Vaaruni.

 

"Vaaruni" refers to the daughter of Varuna(God of Rain/Water) who is the presiding deity for this liquor.

 

Also Sage Bhargava and Sage Bhrigu(Vaaruni Vidhya) are associated with Vaaruni Devi too.

 

Vaaruni is a special kind of fermented Date juice or in other words Sweet Date wine.Lord Varuna has a Preethi for this kind of wine.(Other type of "wines": Sura-- made from Rice, Kohala--From Barley,Madhulika from Wheat--5th Ullassa(chapter) of Kulaarnava Tantra mentions 11 wines (prohibited for Dvijas) and also the Twelfth Wine which is Sura. It also mentions some aspects as to the downfall of wine addicts, qualities of good wine and when a Brahamana can drink and at what auspicious time and for what reason.There will be too much of digression on that count if I elaborate any further here)

 

 

 

Vaaruni also means the liquor that issued out during the churning of the milky ocean for nectar.

 

So what does this puzzling verse reference to? Does it mean Devi drinks it and behaves like a drunkard? Many of those who are in Upasana are perturbed when they read such words and think this refers to some Vamachara angle of Amba.

 

Here, there are some Vamachara sexual rites may have emerged from early Hindu Occult practices as a practical means of generating transformative bodily fluids. These constituted a vital offering to Tantric deities. Sexual rites may also have evolved from clan initiation ceremonies involving the transaction of sexual fluids. Here the male initiate was inseminated or insanguinated with the sexual emissions of the female consort, sometimes admixed with the semen of the guru. He was thus transformed into a son of the clan (kulaputra) through the grace of his consort. The clan fluid (kuladravya) or clan nectar (kulamrita) was conceived as flowing naturally from her womb. Later developments in the rite emphasised the primacy of bliss and divine union, which replaced the more bodily connotations of earlier forms.

 

Also, in tune with what I said last.The "semen" here does not refer to the gross form we know but that of a mantriacla energy form from the initiates.This leads to a bliss of the Shakthi and Shiva and thus the Kula+ Amrutha=Kulaamritha is formed.

 

Vaamacharis go awry here thinking that all this refer to gross sexual union and unless there is a very high degree of self control and an adept like say Parushama Krodha Bhattaraka Himself such practices should never practice such things.

 

The "Vaaruni" in all these verses refers to this Manasolla-Paramaananda(intoxication non-pareil) on account of the bliss of union of Shiva and Shakthi.(Reference: Kulamrita Kularnava and Kaulavalinirnaya Tantra).Throughout these verses there is a threefold meaning

 

1. The gross (Sthula) which is actual drinking of wine

 

2. The subtle (Sukshma) the drinking of the Nectar which flows from the union of Kundalini with Shiva in the Sahasrara

 

And

 

3. The third the transcendent (Para) whereby the Nectar of happiness, arising from the realisation of the union of Supreme Shiva and Shakti, is meant.

 

So, depending on the Bhava of the Bhaktha/Bhakthin, the interpretation comesforth. My Gurunathar also explained that, a mere reading of these verses will not pave way for understanding when the substratum is still filled with kAmA.

 

 

A passage in the Kularnava says that the Sadhakas and Sadhikas in the excess of their Ullasa dance with jars of wine on their heads. By Ullasa here is meant Illumination or unfolding of the mind of Yogi. The Wine in jars on their heads is the Nectar which flows from the union of the "Brahman widow" (Vidhava brahmani Kundalini) with Para-Shiva in the Lotus of thousand petals. Misunderstanding as to Maithuna in its higher form is very common.You are not the first person asking this.

 

The esoteric meaning of the verse is said to be that below (Vama) in the Muladhara is the woman Kundalini and above (Dakshina) is the receptacle wherefrom flows the Nectar produced by the union of Kundalini with Para-Shiva.These are Kundalini advanced interpretations which might not be in the range of common ken.

 

All this requires a Guru to interpret experientially.Everything connected with Devi must be experentially known.

 

Every variety of wine is called by distinctive names, Sura is the wine extracted from rice, Kohala from barley, Madhulika from wheat etc.

Inebriated with the nectarine flow, She displays signs of intoxication like blood shot eyes, red cheeks etc.All these signs may be explained with reference to Vijnaana or the science of descent of Kundalini back to Mooladhaara after the great communion. The exact relevance may be learnt from one's own Guru.What the meaning "red eyes" mean, what "red cheeks" refer to in Kundalini terminology must be got from a Guru. I can only explain upto a point.

 

Vamachara has thus as explained above in its Panchamakara form of worship Madhya-Maamsa-Maithuna-Mudra and Meena as the five integral components and much discssion has flowed on it in many a Raurava Tantra you may refer to Abhinava Gupta's Raurava Tantra Vritti if you want to.Esoterically, spiritual liquor is indeed thedivine Kulamrita.

 

Vaamamarga as espoused by Abhinava Gupta and others is meant for adhama sadhakas(Pashubhaava--those who have animalistic tendecies for them to transmute to higher bhavas).The Nitya Tantra says that of the bhava the divya is the best, the vira the next best, and the pashu the lowest; and that devata-bhava must be awakened through vira-bhava. The Pichchhila Tantra says that the only difference between the vira and divya men is that the former are very uddhata, by which is probably meant excitable, through the greater prevalence of the independent working of the rajo-guna in them than in the calmer sattvik temperament.

 

The Kubjika Tantra describes the marks of the divya as he "who daily does ablutions, sandhya; and wearing clean cloth, the tripundara mark in ashes, or red sandal, and ornaments of rudraksha beads, performs japa and archchana. He gives charity daily also. His faith is strong in Veda, Shastra, guru, and Deva. He worships the Pitri and Deva, and performs all the daily rites. He has a great knowledge of mantra. He avoids all food, except that which his guru offers him, and all cruelty and other bad actions, regarding both friend and foe as one and the same. He himself ever speaks the truth, and avoids the company of those who decry the Devata. He worships thrice daily, and meditates upon his guru daily, and, as a

Bhairava, worships Parameshvari with divya-bhava. All Devas he regards as beneficial. He bows down at the feet of women, regarding them as his guru (strinang pada-talang drishtva guru-vad bhavayet sada). He worships the Devi at night, and makes japa at night with his mouth full of pan, and makes obeisance to the kula vriksha. He offers everything to the Supreme Devi. He regards this universe as pervaded by stri (shakti), and as Devata. Shiva is in all men, and the whole brahmanda is pervaded by Shiva-Shakti. He ever strives for the attainment and maintenance of devata-bhava, and is himself of the nature of a Devata

 

It is unfortunate that most Vamamarga Sadhakas indulge in sex and wine without proper understanding of the underlying esoteric significance. They, thus get more and more entangled in samsara.

 

This is the very reason why Srimadacharya banned Vamamarga as not being suitable to all. Tantras themselves have declared that Vama marga is for Pashu Bhaava sadhakas. Even Abhinavagupta, though a very great Tantric scholar and a follower of Vamamarga, was defeated comfortably by Acharya in a debate.

 

It is said in Shankara Digvijayam that Srimadacharya(Aadi Shankaracharya) in argument Harsha, author of Khandana Khanda Kadya, Abhinavagupta, Murari Misra,Udayanacharya, Dharmagupta, Kumarila and Prabhakara.

 

 

 

Mishra and Shankara in a Divine argument

 

Also, Abhinava Gupta did an Aabhichara prayoga on Aadi Shankaracharya Himself!

In the country of the Kama-rupas, Aadi Shankaracharya encountered and defeated Abhinava-gupta, a doctor of the Shakta school. Having, however, more wordly wisdom than philosophy or love of truth, and finding that he could not compete with Shankara, that personage got his pupils to hide his works for a period, and passed himself off as belonging to Shankara's school, all the while maturing a plot His Abhichara prayoga (some say kritya) on Acharya.Let us see presently what happened.

 

The North thus disposed of, and accepting the respect and veneration of the Videhas, the Kosalas, the Angas and the Vangas, Shankaracharya went into the country of the Gandas. It was then that the nefarious designs of the discomfited doctor of the Shaakta school culminated. Shankara suddenly caught the disease called Bhagam-dara, [ A terrible form of ulcerated sore or fistula. Reference for the name: "The Theosophist" ] which had been sent upon him by the necromantic spells of Abhinava-gupta, who had performed a special sacrifice to accomplish his malicious plot.

 

The greatest physicians attended on Aadi Shankara, but in vain. Meanwhile the patient himself behaved stoically, or rather vedantically. But at last when the disease could not be cured, he prayed to Maha-deva to send down the As'vini-kumaras, who were accordingly sent down disguised as Brahmanas. But they pronounced the disease to be beyond their powers of cure as it was caused by the act of another. On this communication the anger of Padma-pada once more came to the relief of the Vedantism of Shankara. For, though dissuaded by Shankara himself, he muttered some mystical Beeja-incantations of Ugranarasimha which transferred the disease to Abhinava-gupta himself, who died of it.

 

 

Poorva kaulas, the school who came as a modification and refinement of Uttara Kaulas offer consecrated coconut water as a substitute to liquor. Samacharins have no need for all these external symbolism too.

 

 

 

 

The sixth verse which you talk about is like this:

 

Smareth prathama puspineem, rudhira bindu neelabaram,Graheetha madhu pathrikaam madhu vigurna nethranchalam,Gana sthans baronnatham galitha soolikaam shyamalam,Trilochana kudumbhineem tripurasundarim asraye.

 

It is not Ghrita Madhu Patrikam as you have put. The meaning changes then as Ghrita means "Ghee"(Clarified butter) and "Patrikam" means leaf/Magazine

but the actual meaning is "Graheetha" which means "one who holds" and "Madhu Paathrikaam" where "Paathrikaam" means "bowl/vessel".

 

The meaning reads like this:

"Seek I shelter in Mahatripurasundari, Mater-familias of the Three eyed-one,

Who bears the first flower of Manmatha,

Clad in blue garments, spotted sanguine,

Holding a liquor bowl, with eyes in ebriated languishing at the ends,

Close set bosoms heavy and high,the swarthy one with locks disheveled!"Manmatha the god of love carries sugarcane for bow and five different flowers for arrows. Of them, the first is the lotus.So the reference to the first flower of Manmatha is Lotus.

 

Lotus is a special kind of flower.If you look at it, it is so beautiful and yet it stays and blossoms in slush. Kama is also a form of slush.One must know how to transcend it else one visits Raurava for sure after the birth.

 

Allusions to lotus in texts of subsequent days are abundant. The Rig-Veda alludes to white and blue lotuses as 'pundarika' and 'pushkara'. Here the twin gods Ashvina are referred to as 'Puskarasrajau' - the lotus-garlanded ones. The Rig-Veda has referred to 'pushkara' and 'pundarika' also in relation to gods Varuna, Surya and others, and sage Vasishtha. The Rig-Vedic allusion to Agni in relation to lotus is, however, more significant - "O, Agni, in the beginning 'atharvan' churned thee out of the lotus, the bearer of all" (RV 6.16.13). Here lotus, attaining wider dimensions, becomes suggestive of water. The Atharva-Veda mentions red lotus, and the Yajur-Veda, garlands made of white lotuses. Epics - the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, and other early texts have numerous lotus-related contexts.

 

The idea of enlightenment is symbolised by the life cycle of the sacred lotus plant because it begins its life humbly in the mud of ponds but soon grows and sends stems and flowers well above the surface of the water (up to 50cm), thus showing the path of spiritual enfoldment is for all.

 

Also the scent of lotus has a rich, intoxicating quality that evoked the warm, misty, and

voluptuous atmosphere of tropical forests or gardens. It seemed to carry me away to an exotic land of sunshine and brought back memories of other scent impressions from Eastern delights, such as the exquisite tuberose (polianthes tuberosa), the ginger lily flower (Hedychium coranarium), the gardenia (gardenia jasminoides), or even the much richer, heavier scents of kewda (Pandanus odoratissimus) or champaca (Michelia champaca).The scent hypnotizes one to sleep. In other words one sleeps to the outer world and goes into a form of Yoga-nidra and is fully awakened to the inner world.

 

 

 

Blue Lotus

 

The Blue Lotus flower referred to here rise to the surface over a period of two to three days, and when ready, open at approximately 9-9:30am and close about 3pm. The flowers and buds do not rise above the water in the morning, nor do they submerge at night. The flowers have pale bluish-white to sky-blue petals, smoothly changing to a pale yellow in the centre of the flower.

 

This implies that that Devi here alludes to the fact that one must be open to the effulgent light of Gnaana and maintain an Achala bhava(neither rising nor submerging) and the blue color refers to the Parabrahma Tatwa immanent.

 

That is why the reference made by Aadi Shankara is to Blue Lotus.

 

 

 

 

According to tantras like Agni Rahasya, Syama Rahasya, Rahasya Agama, the lotus is represents the emergence of Brahma from the Naabhi of Vishnu and thus the creation of the Universe in itself and this emblematic representation is held by Devi's hands.

 

Pushpa also has another meaning in sanskrit as in:" Menstrual flow".One commentator of this Tripuraashtaka also alludes to it in his book and a woman in her period is called pushpini. " Prathama pushpini" means a woman in her first periods.Of the pancha makaras, the last is maithuna or sexual coupling. Esoterically, it means the union of Kundalini with Shiva or the individual consciousness with the universal consciousness, and that is the culmination of the entire Tantric practice.

 

The commentator goes on to say thus:"Muladhara, where Devi is ever in slumber, is a region of total darkness. Awakening her, yogi leads her up to her spouse Siva's abode in the Sahasrara. As the mortal parents give their nubile daughter in marriage to a worthy groom and leave her in his charge, so the yogi leads the ever youthful Kundalini to Paramashiva, her groom and leaves her with him in the bridal chamber in Sahasrara.

 

Physical union is possible only after one has attained puberty. So, endeavoring to rouse the sleeping Kundalini in him for leading her to lord, the yogi meditates upon and worships her as if she has just attained puberty and become fit for congress."

 

Now all this is symbolic and in no way actually means a gross representation as thought of by Vaamacharis.

 

 

 

 

There is something called Sona Bindu and Devi's worship. The commentator also talks about that briefly.The Devi is described as being habited in a blue sari (The blue garments referred to here)also with red bindus/spots. As the first menstrual flow shows itself when a woman is ready to bear, so on the blue welkin, the Devi's raiment, signs appear, heralding creation.

 

 

 

In Chengannur Bhagavathi temple in kerala, there is one specialty and that is the deity gets menstrual period, a phenomenon that is not heard of in any other temples. This phenomenon still continues. The priest performs the daily ritual of changing the clothes worn by the deity. If upon inspection, there are signs of bleeding, the priest sends the petticoat to the traditional residence of the temple Tantri (female priest) to confirm to be the blood of menses. This stained petticoat is then sold to the public as a blessing from the deity. The shrine remains closed during the three days and the fourth day is celebrated as the festival called the 'Thripoothe Arattu'.Legend tells that Shiva and Parvati came to reside at this place during the goddess¢s menstrual period.

 

 

 

Kamaakhya Temple Guwahati, Assam

 

A similar practice(Ambubaashi) is also there in the Kaamaakhyaa temple of Assam, red blood like fluid flows out(plese refer my old posting on this) appear once a year and they are collected and given to fortunate devotees.

 

 

(Image source: http://www.bhagavadgitausa.com.cnchost.com/BINDU.htm )Mother also carries a bowl of wine of Maya. Madhu not only means liquor but also honey and spring season.It is a common experience that passion gains in strength in spring. Being of a similar quality, liquor also whets ones passion.

 

 

The intoxicated eyes of Devi is a Sanketha(metaphor) for the depth of the divine bliss the Devi has had from the company of her lord in Sahasrara. As wine makes the drinker oblivious of his environs, so does the divine ecstasy. This in no way refers to Her being a drunkard/drunkardess.God-intoxicated, a Yogi develops irresistible craving for the divine bliss of the Brahman, just as a drunkard is ever after his liquor bowl.All this is expressed in Sandhya-Bhasha(twiloght language of the Kundalini-Siddhas)The disheveled locks of Sridevi indicate that she is ever free from formalities such as arranging the hair, plating it, adorning flowers and brushing it in fragnat unguents.This hints at the Vishwottheerna form of Parabrahman. Vishwa+ Utteerna= That whch transcends the Universe.

 

Swarthy refers to the dark hued skin She has at that time and this again is a reference like Vishnu to the Parabrahmam which has no color.The reference to Amba's bosom(breasts) as heavy and close-set must be construed as one which is full of milk(Gnaana) and at the time of creation(darkhuedness/swarthiness) there is an outpouring at the time of Anthar-pralaya and anthar-punarnirmana(Kundalini Adhara Tatwa).

 

I hope this cmpletely satisfies your query. When reading any text in Shakta make a complete analysis of each and every word and find the Manasollasa which can only be found at the feet of one's Guru

 

Namo Nama Shree Gurupaadukaabhyaam!

 

Yours yogically,

Shreeram Balijepalli

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purity, Powers, Parabrahmam...

 

 

 

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