What a Beautiful Imagery of the Three Goddesses !

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On this day of Durgashtami ( the eight day of Navaratri), join me in

saluting the Holy Trinity of Maa Durga , Maa Mahalakshmi and mAA

mAHASaraswati.

 

Why do we worship Mother Durga for the firsat three days of Navartri

with such intense devotion and yearning? . The very name Durga

means 'one who removes obstacles ' !What are the great obstacles in

any Saadhnaa or spiritual path? These are the 'Tamasic vrittis '-

The demons or Asuras Madhu , Kaitabha , Dhumralochana , Shumbha ,

Nishumba , Mahisasur , Raktabija etc are all the asuric tendencies

that exist in all of us ... these demons are the internal demons of

Lust , anger , pride , ignorance , greed , jealousy etc etc .... and

it is though the infinite mercy of Goddess Durga , we can overcome

and conquer these asuric tendencies . She is the great protrectress

( Durga also means 'Fort) who protects us from evil and wrong

doing . Maa Durga is both powerful and beautiful - on the one hand

she is compassionate and kind and on the other hand , she is cruel

and ruthless ! Nine gods combined together to create a beautiful and

all powerful goddess Durga of Dazzling beauty!

 

On Maa durga'sright side is Mother Lakshmi - the one who grants us

not only material wealth but also 'daivi sampath' - those divine

qualities that are needed in any Saadhnaa . Mother Lakshmi also

bestows us the 'rajasic' qualities of initiative, leadership and

drive . In any spiritual path, there is no room for laziness or

inertia . Mother Lakshmi will insill in us the 'passion' for

discovering our true nature .

 

Once we have conquered our lowly tamasic vrittis and progress on the

spiritual path by adopting the higher qualities of leadership ,

drive and energy , we are ready for offering our prayers to Maa

Saraswati , the very embodiment of Sattwic qualitios of Purity ! Maa

Saraswati is Atma Vidya herself . She is veda garbini !

 

If you go to any local DURGA PUJA celebratioons specially the one

conducted by the Bengalees , all the three goddessess are worshipeed

together in a puja pandal ! In south india , devout Shaktas worship

Sri Lalthambika flanked on either side by Lakshmi and Saraswati

 

The group picture brings to mind the following NAVAVARANAM KRITI

composed by Shri Muhuswamy Dikshitir!

 

kamalAmbAM bhaja re

 

kamalAmbAM bhajare re mAnasa kalpitamAyAkAryaM tyaja re

 

anupallavi

 

kamalAvANIsevitapArshvAM kambujayagrIvAM natadevAM

kamalApurasadanAM m.rdugadanAM kamanIyaradanAM kamalavadanAm

 

caraNam

 

sarvAshAparipUrakacakrasvAminIM paramashivakAminIM

dUrvAsArcitaguptayoginIM duHkhadhvaMsinIM haMsinIm

nirvANanijasukhapradAyinIM nityakalyANIM kAtyAyanIM

sharvANIM madhupavijayaveNIM sadguruguhajananIM nira~njanIm

garvitabhaNDAsurabha~njanIM kAmAkarShiNyAdira~njanIM

nirvisheShacaitanyarUpiNIM urvItattvAdisvarUpiNIM

 

Word to word meaning:

 

kamalAMbAm - The Goddess kamalAmbA

bhaja - worship

re re mAnasa - Oh mind!

kalpitamAyAkAryam - attachment to worldly desires which are illusory

tyaja re - please abandon

 

kamalAvANI sevita pArshvAm - she who is flanked by Lakshmi and

Sarasvati on both sides

kambujayagrIvAm - with neck that surpasses the beauty of the conch

shell

natadevAM - bowed down by the Devas

kamalApurasadanAm - who resides in the lotus city

m.rdugadanAm - whose speech is tender

kamanIyaradanAM - who has charming teeth

kamalavadanAM - who has face that resembles the lotus

 

sarvAshAparipUrakacakraavAminIM - the Goddess of the cakra named

sarvAshAparipUraka (fulfiller of all wishes)

paramashivakAminIM - beloved of the Supreme Lord, Siva

durvAsArcitaguptayoginIM - the secret yoginI, worshiped by the sage

Durvasa

duHkhadhvaMsinIM - who destroys all sufferings

haMsinIM - who rides the swan

nirvANanijasukhapradAyinM - who grants salvation, which is the bliss

of one's own self

nityakalyANIM - who is ever auspicious

kAtyAayanIM - the daughter of sage kAtyAyana

sharvAnIM - who is sharvAni, the consort of sharva (shiva)

madhupavijayaveNIM - whose hair conquers the blackness of honey

bees

sadguruguhajananIM - who is the mother of Lord Guruguha

nira~njanIM - who is unblemished, unattached

garvitabhaNDAsurabha~njanIM - who destroyed the demon BhaNDa who

possessed vain glory

kAmAkarShiNyAdira~njanIM - who delights the devatAs such as

kAmAkarShiNi and others

nirvisheShacaitanyarUpiNIM - who is the embodiment of unqualified

consciousness

urvItattvAdisvarUpiNIM - who is manifest in the principles of earth

etc ( five elements)

 

http://carnatica.net/special/kamalamba.htm

 

PLese join me in saluting Mother goddess durga and her twin sisters

Maa lakshmi and Maa saraswati !

 

ps : Chitta means 'memory' or impressions of the mind and Chit means

consciousness ! Pray to maa Durga TO GRANT YOU 'CHITTA VRITTI

NIRODHA' AND fill the devotee only with 'chit ' or chaitanya!