Fwd: Two Questions About Devi

[Guest guest]

Note: forwarded message attached.

 

 

Namaskar,

 

Humble Pranam.

 

My Ishtadevatha too is Sarasvati.I do not know if you know Hindi.But

you do you could buy a copy of Devi Bhagvatam where there are to small

chapters which have the Sarasvati description, Sarasvati kavach and

Sarasvati stuthi and Sarasvati Mantra.

 

Anyways , the English translation for the puraanas from the link

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/db/db03.htm is given below. If you get

any information on Saravati, please share with me at

devishakti_india

 

 

THE NINTH BOOK

 

 

 

Chapter IV

 

 

 

On the hymn, worship and Kavacha of Sarasvatî Devî

 

 

 

p. 819

 

 

 

1-3. Nârada said :-- By your Grace I have heard everything very sweet

like nectar, of the origin of things. Now may I ask you which Devî of

these five Prakritis has been worshipped by what Mantra? and by whom?

How has each of them been praised? and by whom? How has the worship of

their Mûrtis (form) become prevalent in this world? What are the

Stotram (hymn of praise), the Dhyân (meditation) glory and life of

these? Also what sort of boon do each of the Devîs grant? and to whom?

Kindly describe all these in detail.

 

 

 

4-29. Nârâyana said :-- O Child! Durgâ, the mother of Ganes'a, Râdhâ,

Laksmî, Sarasvatî and Sâvitrî, these are the five Prakritis sprung

directly from Mûla Prakriti. The methods of their worship, wonderful

glorious acts, excellent stotrams, and their lives, inculcating good

to all, and sweet like nectar are all widely written in the Vedas,

Purânas, Tantras and other S'âstras. So there is no need to describe

them here again. Now I am describing in detail the auspicious

character of these that are sprung from the parts and Kalâs of the

Prakriti. Hear attentively. Kâlî, Vasundharâ, Gangâ, Sasthî, Mangal

Chandikâ, Tulasî, Manasâ, Nidrâ, Svadhâ, Svâhâ, and Daksinâ, these are

the parts of Prakriti. By and by I will describe, briefly, the

merit-giving characters and pleasant to hear. Along with these I will

describe the Karmas of the Jîvas, and the great exalted lives of Durgâ

and Râdhâ. I am now describing Sarasvatî's character. Hear, O Muni!

S'rî Krisna introduced first in this Bhârata, the worship of the Devî

Sarasvatî, the holder of Vînâ in Her hands, under whose influence, the

hearts of illiterate stupid persons become illumined with knowledge.

The amorous Devî Sarasvatî sprang from the end of the lips of Râdhâ

and so she desired to marry Krisna out of amorous feelings. S'ri

Krisna, the controller of the hearts of all, knew it instantly and

addressed the Mother of the people in true words proper to Her and

beneficial to Her in the end. O Chaste One! The four-armed Nârâyana is

born from My parts; He is young, of good

 

 

 

p. 820

 

 

 

features and endowed with all qualifications; so much so, he is like

Me. He is a Knower of amorous sentiments of women and He fulfils those

desires; what to speak of His beauty, ten millions of the God of love

are playing in His body. O Beloved! And if you desire to marry and

remain with Me, that will not be of any good to you. For Râdhâ is near

to Me; She is more powerful than you. If a man be stronger than

another, he can rescue one who takes his shelter; but if he be weaker,

how can he then, himself weak, protect his dependant from others.

Though I am the Lord of all, and rule all, yet I cannot control Râdhâ.

For She is equal to me in power, in beauty, in qualifications, equal

to Me in every respect. Again it is impossible for Me to quit Râdhâ

for She is the presiding Deity of My life. Who can relinquish life?

Though a son is very dear to his father, still it may be questioned,

is he dearer than his father's life? So, O Auspicious One! Go to the

abode Vaikuntha; you will get your desires fulfilled there. You will

get for your husband the Lord of Vaikuntha and you will live ever in

peace and enjoy happiness. Though Laksmî is residing there yet like

you she is not under the control of lust, anger, greed, delusion and

vanity. She is also equal to you in beauty, qualities, and power. So

you will live with her in great delight and Hari, the Lord of

Vaikuntha, will treat both of you equally. Moreover, I say this in

particular that in every universe, on the fifth day of the bright

fortnight of the month of Mâgha, every year, the day when the learning

is commenced, a great festival will be held and men, Manus, Devas, and

the Munis desirous of liberation, Vasus, Yogis, Nâgas, Siddhas,

Gandarbhas, Râksasas, all will perform your worship with devotion in

every Kalpa till the time of Mahâ Pralaya comes. All are required to

be Jitendriya (having their senses under control) and Samyamî

(concentrating his mind, and with a religious vow) and they will

invoke Thee on a jar or on books and then meditate according to what

is stated in the Kanva S'âkhâ of Yajurveda and then worship and sing

hymns to Thee. Thy Kavacha (an armour; a mystical syllable **

considered as a preservative like armour) is written on the bark of

the Bhûrja tree and then with eight kinds of scents mingled with it is

placed within a golden nut or ring named Mâduli and then held on the

neck or on the right arm. The learned should recite Thy Stotras during

worship. Thus saying, the Puran Brahmâ S'rî Krisna Himself worshipped

the Devî Sarasvatî. Since then, Brahmâ, Visnu, Mahes'a, Ananta Deva,

Dharma, Sanaka and other Munîndras, all the Devas, Munis, all the

kings and all the human beings are worshipping the Devî Sarasvatî. O

Nârada! Thus the worship of the Eternal Devî is made extant in the

three worlds.

 

 

 

30-31. Nârada said :-- O Chief of the Knowers of the Vedas! Now

describe to me the methods of worship, Dhyân, Kavacham, hymns, the

 

 

 

p. 821

 

 

 

appropriate offerings of the Pûjâ flowers, sandalpaste and other good

things necessary in these worships and which are so sweet to hear. I

am ever very eager and anxious to hear these.

 

 

 

32-59. Nârâyana said :-- O Nârada! I am now stating the method of

worship of the Devî Sarasvatî, the Mother of the Worlds, according to

Kanva S'âkhâ of the Yajurveda. Hear. On the day previous to the fifth

day of the bright fortnight of the month of Mâgh or the day of

commencement of education, the devotee should control his senses,

concentrate his mind and take his bath. Then he is to perform his

daily duties and install the jar (Ghata) with devotion and according

to the Mantras of the Kanva S'âkhâ or the Tantra, as the case may be.

He is to worship first on that Ghata (jar) Ganapati (Ganes'a), then

meditate the Devî Sarasvatî as described below, invoke Her and again

read the Dhyân and then worship with Sodas'opachâra (sixteen good

articles offered in the worship). O Good One! Now I am speaking,

according to my knowledge, about the offerings as ordained in the

Vedas or Tantras. Hear. Fresh butter, curd, thickened milk, rice freed

from the husk by frying, sweetmeats (Til Laddu) prepared of Til, sugar

cane, sugarcane juice, nice Gud (molasses), honey, svastik, sugar,

rice (not broken) out of white Dhân, chipitak of table rice (Âlo

châl), white Modak, Harbisyânna prepared of boiled rice with clarified

butter and salt, Pistaka of jaoâ or wheaten flour, Paramânna with

ghee, nectar like sweetmeats, cocoanut, cocoanut water, Svastik

Pistaka, Svastik and ripe plantain Pistaka, Kaseru (root), Mûlâ,

ginger, ripe plantains, excellent Bel fruit, the jujube fruit, and

other appropriate white purified fruits of the season and peculiar to

the place are to be offered in the Poojâ. O Nârada! White flowers of

good scent, white sandalpaste of good scent, new white clothes, nice

conchshell, nice garlands of white flowers, nice white necklaces, and

beautiful ornament are to be given to the Devî. I say now the Dhyânam

sweet to hear, of the Devî Sarasvatî according to the Vedas, capable

to remove errors! Hear. I hereby bow down to the Devî Sarasvatî, of a

white colour, of a smiling countenance and exceedingly beautiful, the

lustre of whose body overpowers that of the ten millions of Moons,

whose garment is purified by fire, in whose hands there are Vînâ and

books, who is decorated with new excellent ornaments of jewels and

pearls and whom Brahmâ, Visnu, Mahes'vara and the other Devas, Munis,

Manus and men constantly worship. Thus meditating the Devî, the

intelligent persons should offer all articles, after pronouncing the

root Mantra. Then he is to hymn and hold Kavacha and make Sâstânga

pranâms before the Devî. O Muni! Those whose Devî Sarasvatî is the

presiding Deity, are not to be spoken of at all (i.e., they

 

 

 

p. 822

 

 

 

will naturally do all these things and with a greater fervour).

Besides all should worship the Devî Sarasvatî on the day of

commencement of education and every year on the S'ûkla Panchamî day of

the month of Mâgh. The eight-lettered Mantra, as mentioned in the

Vedas is the root Mantra of Sarasvatî. (Aim Klîm Sarasvatyai namah).

Or the Mantra to which each worshipper is initiated is his Mûlmantra

(not Mantra). Or uttering the Mantra " S'rîm Hrîm Sarasvatyai Svâhâ "

one is to offer everything to the Devî Sarasvatî. This Mantra is the

Kalpa Vriksa (i. e., the tree which yields all desires). Nârâyana, the

ocean of mercy, gave in ancient times, this very Mantra to Vâlmikî in

the holy land Bhârata Varsa on the banks of the Ganges; next Bhrîgu

gave this Mantra on the occasion of solar eclipse to Maharsi

Sukrâcharya on the Puskara Tîrtha; Mârîcha gave to Brihaspati on a

lunar eclipse; Brahmâ gave to Bhrîgu in the Vadarikâ Âs'rama;

Jaratkarâ gave to Âstika on the shore of the Ksiroda ocean; Bibhândaka

gave this to the intelligent Risyasringa on the Sumeru mountain, S'iva

gave this to Kanâda and Gotama, Sûrya gave to Yâjñavalkya and

Kâtyâyana, Ananta Deva gave to Pânini, to the intelligent Bhâradvâja

and to S'âkatâyana in Bali's assembly in the Pâtâla. If this Mantra be

repeated four lakhs of times, all men attain success. And when they

become Siddhas with this Mantra, they become powerful like Brihaspati.

In past times, the Creator Brahmâ gave a Kavacha named Vis'vajaya to

Bhrîgu on the Gandhamâdana Mountain. I now speak of that. Hear.

 

 

 

60-61. Once on a time Bhrîgu asked Brahmâ the Lord of all, and adored

by all, thus :-- " O Brahmân! Thou art the foremost of those that know

the Vedas; there is none equal to thee in matters regarding the

knowledge of the Vedas (so much so that there is nothing that is not

known to thee; for all these have sprung from thee). Now say about the

Vis'vajaya Kavacha of the Devî Sarasvatî, that is excellent, without

any faults and embodying in it all the properties of all the Mantras. "

 

 

 

62-91. Brahmâ said :-- " O Child! What you have asked about the Kavacha

of Sarasvatî that is sweet to hear, ordained and worshipped by the

Vedas, and the giver of all desired fruits, now hear of that. In the

very beginning, the all-pervading S'rî Krisna, the Lord of the Râsa

circle, mentioned this Kavacha to me in the holy Brindâvana forest in

the abode Goloka at the time of Râsa in Râsa Mandala. This is very

secret; it is full of holy unheard, wonderful Mantras. Reading this

Kavacha and holding it (on one's arm) Brihaspati has become foremost

in matters of intelligence; by the force of this Kavacha S'ukrâchârya

 

 

 

p. 823

 

 

 

has got his ascendancy over the Daityas; the foremost Muni Vâlmikî has

become eloquent and skilled in language and has become Kavîndra and

Svâyambhuva Manu; holding this Kavacha he has become honoured

everywhere. Kanâda, Gotama, Kanva, Panini, S'akatâyana, Daksa, and

Kâtyâyana all have become great authors by virtue of this Kavacha;

Krisna Dvaipâyana Veda Vyâsa made the classification of the Vedas and

composed the eighteen Purânas. S'âtâtapa, Samvarta, Vas'istha,

Parâsara and Yâjñavalkya had become authors by holding and reading

this Sarasvatî Kavacha. Risyas'ringa, Bhâradvâja, Âstika, Devala,

Jaigisavya, and Yâyâti all were honoured everywhere by virtue of this

Kavacha. O Dvija! The Prajâpati Himself is the Risi of this Kavacha;

Brihatî is its Chhanda; and S'âradâ Ambikâ is its presiding Deity. Its

application (Viniyoga) is in the acquisition of spiritual knowlege, in

the fruition of any desires or necessities, in composing poems or

anywhere wheresoever success is required. May S'rîm Hrîm Sarasvatyai

Svâhâ protect fully my head; S'rîm Vâgdevatâyai Svâhâ, my forehead; Om

Hrîm Sarasvatyai Svâhâ, my ears always; Om S'rîm Hrîm Bhagabatyai

Sarasvatyai Svâhâ always my eyes; Aim Hrîm Vâgvâdinyai Svâhâ, always

my nose; Om Hrîm Vidyadhisthâtrî Devyai Svâhâ, my lips always; Om

S'rîm Hrîm Brahmyai Svâhâ my rows of teeth; Aim, this single letter

protect my neck; Om S'rîm Hrîm my throat; S'rîm, my shoulders, Om Hrîm

Vidyâdhisthâtrî Devyai Svâhâ, always my chest; Om Hrîm

Vidyadhisvarûpâyai Svâhâ my navel; Om Hrîm Klîm Vânyai Svâhâ my

hands; Om Svarva vârnatmî Kâyai Svâhâ my feet; and let Om

Vâgadhisthâtridevyai Svâhâ protect all my body. Let Om

Sarvakanthavâsinyai Svâhâ protect my east; Let Om Svarvajibhâgra

vâsinyai Svâhâ, the South-east; Om Aim Hrîm S'rîm Klîm Sarasvatyai

budhajananyai Svâhâ, my South; Aim Hrîm S'rîm, this three lettered

Mantra my South-west; Om Aim Jhibhagravâsinyai Svâhâ, my West; Om

Svarvam bikâyai Svâhâ, my North west; Om Aim S'rîm Klîm Gadyavâsinyai

Svâhâ my North; Aim Sarvas'âstra vasinyai Svâhâ, my North-east; Om

Hrîm Sarvapujitayai Svâhâ, my top; Hrîm Pustakavasinyai Svâhâ my below

and let Om Grantha vîjasvarupâyai Svâhâ protect all my sides. O

Nârada! This Vis'vajaya Kavacha of the nature of Brahmâ and its

embodied Mantra I have now spoken to you. I heard this before from the

mouth of Dharma Deva in the Gandhâmâdana mountain. Now I speak this to

you out of my great affection for you. But never divulge this to

anybody. One is worship one's spiritual Teacher (Guru Deva) according

to due rites and ceremonies with clothings, ornaments, and sandalpaste

and then fall down prostrate to him and then hold this Kavacha.

Repeating this

 

 

 

p. 824

 

 

 

five lakhs of times, one gets success and becomes a Siddha. The holder

of this Kavacha becomes intelligent like Brihaspati, eloquent,

Kavîndras, and the conqueror of the three worlds, no sooner one

becomes a Siddlha in this. In fact, he can conquer everything by

virtue of this Kavacha. O Muni! Thus I have described to you this

Kavacha according to Kânva S'âkhâ. Now I am speaking about the method

of worship, Dhyâna and the praise of this Kavacha. Hear.

 

 

 

Here ends the Fourth Chapter of the Ninth Book on the hymn, worship

and Kavacha of Sarasvatî Devî in S'rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000

verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.

 

 

 

 

On Sarasvatî stotra by Yâjñavalkya

 

 

 

p. 824

 

 

 

1-5 Nârâyana said :-- O Nârada! I now describe the Stotra (hymn) of

Sarasvatî Devî, yielding, all desires that Yâjñavalkya, the best of

the Risis recited in days of yore to Her. The Muni Yajñavalkya forgot

all the Vedas out of the curse of Guru and with a very sad heart went

to the Sun, the great merit-giving place. There he practised

austerities for a time when the Lolâkhya Sun became visible to him,

when, being overpowered by great sorrow, he began to cry repeatedly;

and then he sang hymns to him. Then Bhagavân Sûrya Deva became pleased

and taught him all the Vedas with their Amgas (limbs) and said :-- " O

Child! Now sing hymns to Sarasvatî Devî that you get back your

memory. " Thus saying, the Sun disappeared. The Muni Yâjñavalkya

finished his bath and with his heart full of devotion began to sing

hymns to the Vâg Devî, the Goddess of Speech.

 

 

 

6-32. Yâjñavalkya said :-- " Mother! Have mercy on me. By Guru's curse,

my memory is lost; I am now void of learning and have become

powerless; my sorrow knows no bounds. Give me knowledge, learning,

memory, power to impart knowledge to disciples, power to compose

books, and also good disciples endowed with genius and Pratibhâ (ready

wit). So that in the council of good and learned men my intelligence

and power of argument and judgment be fully known. Whatever I lost by

my bad luck, let all that come back to my heart and be renewed as if

the sprouts come again out of the heaps of ashes. O Mother! Thou art

of the nature of Brahmâ, superior to all; Thou art of the nature of

Light, Eternal; Thou art the presiding Deity of all the branches of

learning. So I bow down again and again to Thee. O Mother! The letters

Anusvâra, Visarga and Chandravindu that are affixed, Thou art those

letters. So obeisance to Thee! O Mother! Thou art the exposition

(Vyâkhyâ) of the S'âstras; Thou art the

 

 

 

p. 825

 

 

 

presiding Deity of all the expositions and annotations. Without Thee

no mathematician can count anything. So Thou art the numbers to count

time; Thou art the S'akti by which Siddhântas (definite conclusions)

are arrived at; Thus Thou dost remove the errors of men. So again and

again obeisance to Thee. O Mother! Thou art the S'akti, memory,

knowledge, intelligence, Pratibhâ, and imagination (Kalpanâ). So I bow

down again and again to Thee. Sanatkumâra fell into error and asked

Brahmâ for solution. He became unable to solve the difficulties and

remained speechless like a dumb person. Then S'rî Krisna, the Highest

Self arriving there, said :-- O Prajâpati! Better praise and sing

hymns to the Goddess of speech; then your desires will be fulfilled.

Then the four-faced Brahmâ advised by the Lord, praised the Devî

Sarasvatî; and, by Her grace, arrived at a very nice Siddhânta

(conclusion). One day the goddess Earth questioned one doubt of Her to

Ananta Deva, when He being unable to answer, remained silent like a

dumb person. At last He became afraid; and advised by Kas'yapa,

praised Thee when He resolved the doubt and came to a definite

conclusion. Veda Vyâsa once went to Vâlmîki and asked him about some

Sûtras of the Purânas when the Muni Vâlmîki got confounded and

remembered Thee, the Mother of the world. When by Thy Grace, the Light

flashed within him and his error vanished. Thereby he became able to

solve the question. Then Vyâsadeva, born of the parts of S'rî Krisna,

heard about the Purâna Sûtras from Vâlmîki's mouth and came to know

about Thy glory. He then went to Puskara Tîrtha and became engaged in

worshipping Thee, the Giver of Peace, for one hundred years. Then Thou

didst become pleased and grant him the boon when he ascended to the

rank of the Kavîndra (Indra amongst the poets). He then made the

classification of the Vedas and composed the eighteen Purânas. When

Sadâ S'iva was questioned on some spiritual knowledge by Mahendra, He

thought of Thee for a moment and then answered. Once Indra asked

Brihaspati, the Guru of the Devas, about S'abda S'âstra (Scriptures on

sound). He became unable to give any answer. So he went to Puskara

Tîrtha and worshipped Thee for a thousand years according to the Deva

Measure and he became afterwards able to give instructions on S'abda

S'âstra for one thousand divine years to Mahendra. O Sures'varî! Those

Munis that give education to their disciples or those that commence

their own studies remember Thee before they commence their works

respectively. The Munîndras, Manus, men, Daityendras, and Immortals,

Brahmâ, Visnu and Mahes'a all worship Thee and Sing hymns to Thee.

Visnu ultimately becomes inert when He goes on praising Thee by His

thousand mouths. So Mahâ Deva becomes when

 

 

 

p. 826

 

 

 

he praises by His five mouths; and so Brahmâ by His four mouths. When

great personages so desist, then what to speak of me, who is an

ordinary mortal having one mouth only! " Thus saying, the Maharsi

Yâjñavalkya, who had observed fasting, bowed down to the Devî

Sarasvatî with great devotion and began to cry frequently. Then the

Mahâmâyâ Sarasvatî, of the nature of Light could not hide Herself

away. She became visible to him and said " O Child! You be good

Kavîndra (Indra of the poets). " Granting him this boon, She went to

Vaikuntha. He becomes a good poet, eloquent, and intelligent like

Brihaspati who reads this stotra of Sarasvatî by Yâjñavalkya. Even if

a great illiterate reads this Sarasvatî stotra for one year, he

becomes easily a good Pundit, intelligent, and a good poet.

 

 

 

Here ends the Fifth Chapter of the Ninth Book on Sarasvatî stotra by

Yâjñavalkya in S'rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi

Veda Vyâsa.

 

 

 

 

 

I have read in a book of Sarasvati that there was a Sarasvati Purana

also existed but was lost out through the ages. Does anyone know?

 

 

 

 

, " techno_fantasyix "

<techno_fantasy1> wrote:

>

>

> Does anyone know if there is a feminine representation of Void

> in Shaktism?I always thought consciousness as void was attributed to

> Shiva ~ i'm interested in a reponse on this.

> Secondly, is it very common for Shaktas to focus on the worship

> of Saraswati? I am very interested in this goddess but I could never

> find much about her worship from an ishta devata - type viewpoint.