God as Mother - The Goddess Of Success

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shriadishakti , " jagbir singh "

<adishakti_org> wrote:

> CONTENTS

>

> Publishers' Note

> Prayer to Mother

> The Indian Concept of the Divine Mother

> The Worship of the Divine Mother

> The Power Of The Transcendent Reality

> The Destroyer Of Destructive Forces

> Destruction: The Springboard To Construction

> Lakshmi: The Supreme Sustainer

> The Path Of Prosperity

> Goddess Of Auspiciousness At Home And At Heart

> Creation: The Music Of Mother's Veena

> The Goddess Of Success

> The Path To Final Liberation

> The Great Goal And Its Attainment

>

>

>

 

EIGHTH NIGHT

The Goddess Of Success

 

j:y: s:rsv:et: j:y: s:rsv:et: j:y: s:rsv:et: p:aeh m:am:Î .

Â:i s:rsv:et: Â:i s:rsv:et: Â:i s:rsv:et: rx: m:am:Î ..

jaya sarasvati jaya sarasvati jaya sarasvati pàhi màm |

÷rã sarasvati ÷rã sarasvati ÷rã sarasvati rakùa

màm ||

 

SALUTATIONS to the Supreme Divine Mother, who is the substratum and

the ultimate goal of all this universe. Salutations to the Mother,

the Brahma Rupini, who is the mysterious indescribable power of the

Transcendent Reality. Our adorations again and again to Her, the

Supreme Shakti, the Adi Shakti, the Para Shakti, who manifests as

Saraswati, grants us all release from this phenomenal existence of

pain and death by conferring upon us the Supreme Knowledge of Para

Brahman.

 

The entire visible creation, all phenomena, Anantakoti Brahmandas,

beyond human ken are all the wondrous and glorious manifestations of

Mother Saraswati. She is the Primal Power aspect of the Supreme

Being, who is beyond all comprehension, and it is She that first

manifests Herself as the mysterious Nada, and is, therefore,

worshipped as Nadarupini Saraswati. She is Chidrupini or

Shabdarupini also, because She is the very embodiment of the

Supreme Pranava. The Transcendental Existence is pure Consciousness.

It is motionless, actionless, Nishkriya. There is not the least

movement or vibration. It is Nishpanda and there arises no sound, no

action, no movement in it. It is Ashabda, Nishpanda, Nishkriya. In

this infinite mass of consciousness, Ananda Ghana, the Vedas declare

how there first manifests one point of primal stress. This point of

stress in the mass of consciousness is the mysterious Bindu, the

origin of all things that are and the Bindu expresses itself as the

Nada. The Adi-spanda manifesting as the point of stress in the mass

of infinite consciousness expresses itself as Nada, and this is the

great Mother Saraswati. And therefore it is, as we saw, that the

Mother is conceived of as the pure, spotless Being clad in white,

where there is no variation of any colour and bearing the Veena

which embodies, as it were, the force of all Nada. From Nada, which

is the primal sound, in the form of pure Dhvani, gradually the

entire manifestation starts as articulate sound. The articulate

sound is Vak, and Vak is expressed as the Varna or the letter,

and combinations of letter-sounds go to form the word or the Nama,

and the Artha of this Nama, the meaning embodied in the name becomes

expressed as the form. Whatever we see in this phenomenal universe

is of the nature of formfulness. This phenomenon, which is Ananta-

rupa is ultimately in the nature of infinite effects of the Primal

Shabda Brahman, or Mother Saraswati, having gradually progressed

through these various phases as Dhvani, Vak, Varna, Nama and then

Rupa. And this Transcendental Essence of all manifested creation is

also specially manifest in this world of men and things. This is

what we shall see today. For, when we had the occasion during the

previous days of adoring the Mother in Her aspects as Durga, the

powerful, the dissolver of Namarupa, and as Lakshmi, the preserver,

protector and sustainer of all Namarupa in Trikala, we referred to

Them not only in Their original cosmic aspects but also in their

manifest aspects upon this plane of man and his activities in

this Vyavaharic world, and also as they were inwardly manifest in

the consciousness and in the personality of the seeker, Jiva,

progressing upon the inner path of Yoga Sadhana towards the goal of

perfection and reunion with the Supreme Soul called Para Brahman.

Even so when we come to consider the Mother as She may be manifest

in this world of men and things we find that the Goddess Saraswati

though manifest upon this external world of Vyavahara and the

various activities of man, yet She is not quite so much manifest as

the Supreme Para Shakti as Durga and Lakshmi, and there is a reason

for this, for the Mother is, as it were, at the two terminals of the

cyclic process of involution and evolution back down to the Primal

Sours. We have seen how Mother is the creative impulse. She is the

one who presides over the coming into manifestation of the

unmanifest Transcendent, and as such in the world Her function is

primary and then She withdraws into the background.

 

Once things have come into manifestation and the Nameless has taken

Namarupa, then She recedes, handing over the further processes to

Her other aspects manifest through the Goddess Lakshmi and the

Goddess Durga. Therefore it is that we are more aware—our notice

is more drawn towards the play of Shakti in Its preservative aspect;

for this is spread over the field of time, for we find this is a

continuous process. Therefore naturally the attention of man is more

fixed upon this aspect and also upon the final play of the Mother as

the dispassionate dissolver of all names and forms. And there is

this very natural and understandable reason for this state of

affairs, i.e., for the other two aspects being more in the attention

and consciousness of man, and the reason is that due to the Mamata

or `mineness' and the intense attachment born out of mineness

that man has towards Namarupa, towards the objects of this universe,

he is specially interested in their sustenance, in their continuing

in existence, and his attention is especially shocked and is

arrested by their going out of existence. His intense attachment due

to mineness does not like the idea of its dissolution. He is grieved

and his attraction, therefore, brings the process of dissolution to

loom very large in his mind. He is always aware of it and fears it

and therefore it occupies his mind. He actively participates in this

function of Mother as Lakshmi, in preserving things which he feels

to be `mine'.

 

But, the creativity of thing which spontaneously springs from Mother

Saraswati, once it is done, it is taken for granted and it does not

occupy the positive attention of man, and therefore, the presence of

the Mother as Saraswati-Tattva is not so much recognised. But it

stands to reason that She is indispensably there. Because, but for

creation, things will not exist to get attached to. From the very

nature of things the Mother who is taken for granted is an

indispensable factor for everything which has come into being.

 

The Secret of Success

 

She is not only the outflow of the process of creativity, She is

also all commencement, because commencement is that point from which

creativity starts; and therefore in Hindu society the Mother is

worshipped as all Arambha. Everything that starts is attributed to

the grace Of Goddess Saraswati. It is a very peculiar factor that

side by side with Mother as Saraswati, presiding over all Arambha or

beginning, the devout Hindu also worships the special aspect of the

Deity as Ganapathy. But here Ganapathy too is an aspect—but a

negative one—of Arambha. For, He also represents Wisdom, but

Mother represents creative aspect of wisdom and the special worship

of Ganapathy, which is more known than the worship of Saraswati, is

done more with the intention of warding off obstacles, whereas the

positive aspect of worship that She may bestow by Her grace success

on all things started is always centralised upon the adoration of

Mother Saraswati. Let us consider how in this aspect Mother

is manifest in this visible universe of man. Day after tomorrow for

instance, we will see a special occasion when Mother is invoked and

adored as the Deity presiding over all commencement. For, it has

come down through holy tradition that Vijaya-Dasami is set apart for

Vidyarambha—commencement of studies whether science or arts, on

this day of Vijaya-Dasami is considered extremely auspicious and

conducive to fruition. All musical instruments, and everything

connected with creative art, all things connected with these

creative processes in the communal life of man, is the object of

adoration and worship on this Vijaya Dasami Day, and we find that

the manifest form of the word, of the letter, as embodied in books,

is decorated and it is worshipped in the traditional form, and after

adoring Mother on the 9th, on the 10th day at a proper Muhurtha

these books are taken out and the Vidyarambha commences.

 

This is upon the plane of the external activities of man; side by

side we will find, and especially in this Ashram, that the inward

commencement of spiritual life also is signified on this day by the

spiritual aspect of this Arambha in the form of Upadesha. As you

know, the mystic sound takes the form of Vak, Varna. All Mantras are

mysterious occult combinations of these Varnas. A Mantra is a mass

of localised Saraswati-Sakti and the Japa of the Mantra bestows

transcendental knowledge upon the Sadhaka. This aspect of Saraswati

is given to all seekers in the form of Mantra Upadesha. This is also

the starting point of the inner spiritual evolution in the Sadhaka.

The pure Spatika Mala which She holds stands for the practice of the

Vedic knowledge which She holds in the form of the Pustaka in the

other hand.

 

In the wider life of mankind in this world, when we view it through

his understanding of the play of the Para Sakti in Her aspect as

Saraswati, we will find that whatever creative activity goes on in

this world is ultimately an attribute of Mother Saraswati.

Therefore, the scientific researches carried on both here and in the

super-scientific Occident, and discoveries that result from these

scientific researches and the inventions which they make out of the

discoveries of scientific laws and all the applications of such

inventions are therefore the play of Divine Mother Saraswati.

Scientific researches, discoveries, inventions and the manufacture

of various appliances based on such inventions—these are the

direct manifestations of Mother Saraswati.

 

We have also said that side by side, Mother is there as

commencement, and therefore, She is the supreme spiritual point of

commencement of the day; that is, when the four Praharas of the

night are ended and night recedes and a fresh new day commences in

the solemn moment of the sacred Brahma-Muhurtha. There you have the

fullest manifestation of Saraswati. It is permeated by the

spiritualising power of Jnanadayini Saraswati. The new year also for

this selfsame reason is an auspicious moment pervaded with the

Spiritual Power of the Divine Sakti in Her aspect as Saraswati. The

commencement of any new business, for instance, should he done with

the devout adoration of Mother Saraswati. For then, She will out of

Her grace bestow success on the new enterprise. It is only Her play

that makes possible the founding of any new institution or

commencement of any new enterprise. This is also a manifestation of

Mother Saraswati, and it is a very common sight particularly

here, at Ananda Kutir, that any commencement is first of all

solemnised by invoking the blessings of Mother Saraswati. Also the

commencement of every new phase, during the process of the

construction for instance, the digging of the foundation-laying of

the corner-stone, is preceded by the worship of Mother Saraswati.

 

Similarly, all trades and all activities are to be done in a spirit

of devout worshipfulness and in a spirit of Puja of the Mother as

Saraswati, and to a great extent this practice is followed, at least

to my knowledge, in almost all the business houses in South India. I

have noted it is the other aspect of the resultant money that is

more remembered and regarded in the Maharashtra state, where

business people are more the votaries of Lakshmi, the Goddess of

Wealth, rather than of Saraswati. But either way, the worship goes

to the Supreme Deity. But we must realise that all these movements

in human activity are but the play of Para Shakti in Her Various

forms, be it Lakshmi, Durga or Saraswati. Realising this, we must

approach all activity and we must engage in all activity in a devout

spirit, in a solemn and devout Bhava, of pure Puja of Parashakti and

thus alone we shall he able to utilise even the activities of

Vyavahara for the evolution of our spiritual life. If this is done,

we shall find that we shall not have much room to complain about the

lack of opportunity and the absence of enough time for the man of

the world to engage in worship, meditation and Yoga Sadhana, because

it is a failure to recognise the spiritual nature of all activities

and to perceive the Hand of Mother in all activities.

 

It is this that makes man to think that he cannot do Spiritual

Sadhana and there are no hopes of his Spiritual Illumination. This

is a sad mistake, for the devout Hindu and the Indian genius

conceives all life as a means to the Supreme end of Self-

realisation. To the devout Hindu, life has no greater meaning than

that of an opportunity afforded to the Jiva to quickly finish his

evolution and reach the goal of human life, viz., Self-realisation.

Therefore we must try to live as such, for there is nothing secular

to the Hindu, and to him all movements are the manifestations of the

Divine Mother and activities are a continuous worship of Para

Shakti, and realising this, we must change our entire attitude

towards activity. We should not feel that we are fallen, or we are

far from the spiritual Reality, in our secular activities, and spend

the life regretting for the lack of opportunity for Sadhana. On the

other hand, all work should be done in a spirit of joy, in a spirit

of enthusiasm, and in an elevated state of mind, for one must know

all is Matri Puja.

 

Therefore one should do it in a spirit of inspired worshipfulness

and we will find that there is no need for man either to change his

profession or place or to run away to a forest and try to live an

exclusive life of the conventional mode of Nivritti. If the time

comes for a life of seclusion and meditation, well and good, but if

this is not possible, as is the case with the vast majority, there

need be no regret, for, indirectly, everything is Yoga, and

everything is spiritual Sadhana, once the correct attitude is

adopted and the proper view of things is accepted. This is the

special truth which we may find revealed through the nine days'

adoration of the Divine Mother. If the hand works, eyes see, nose

smells, ears hear and tongue utters—all these movements are the

worship of the Mother in Her Dynamic aspect. And to remind us of

this, our wise ancients have given us this rare blessing, privilege

of the Navaratra Puja of the Blessed Divine Mother. Therefore it is

the primary duty of all mankind, the children of the Divine Mother,

not to forget this great privilege conferred upon them of

continually worshipping the Mother in and through all life's

activities.

 

Let us rejoice in having this gift of human birth and in having this

gift of capacity to act and move for the glorification of the

Mother. We have in our hand a rare opportunity for attaining the

highest goal of Self-realisation and if we make use of this outer

form of Mother's Worship in the form of spiritualised activity,

later on we shall be graced by the Mother; She will bestow upon us

the inner form of this worship in the form of contact with sages and

in the form of their grace, Upadesha and Diksha. She will come in

the form of Mantra, and as we progress, She will manifest Herself as

the supreme Dhyana, which is the gateway to illumination and

ultimately She will illumine our consciousness as Samadhi, for Her

ultimate manifestation in the individual is as Samadhi and Self-

Knowledge. When thus She manifests Herself, the goal of life is

achieved, our life's work is done, our worship of Mother is

complete and then we shall have no more to do but to enjoy the

Supreme Perennial Bliss of the Para-Brahman, this mysterious Shakti

that the Mother is.

 

O Mother! Who meditates on you together with Vashini and others who

bestow eloquence and who are like the fissure of moon-stone

(Sasimani) in lustre, he becomes the author of great literary master-

pieces, which are charming in their expressions and whose words are

sweet due to the fragrance of the lotus of Saraswati's mouth.