Guest guest Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 Jai Maa! Recently I mentioned the Durga Saptasloki, and I thought it might be nice to post some discussion on these seven verses. What I have heard is that these seven verses contain the essence of the sound energy of the Chandi, as well as the essential spiritual significance of Chandi as a scripture. I believe 5 out of 7 of these verses occur in the Narayani Stuti (which forms most of chapter 11 of the Chandi). I found Swamiji's translation of the Saptasloki posted on the Internet somewhere, but I can't verify the accuracy because I don't have the Chandi book on hand right now. I've added commentary in terms of teachings I've received on the verses as well as any thoughts that come to my mind. The commentary is a mixture of teachings and personal thoughts, so it should be taken with several grains of salt! I have included the Sanskrit verses in a rough form, although it’s not accurate for pronunciation because I can't use diacritics in the emails. Verse 1 jnaninamapi cetamsi devi bhagavati hi sa baladakrushya mohaya mahamaya prayacchati Swamiji's Translation: She, this Supreme Goddess, the Great Measurement of Consciousness, attracts the perceiving capacity of all sensible beings with such force as to thrust them into egoistic attachment. Commentary: Divine Mother, in Her form as Maha Maya, exerts an overwhelmingly powerful force even on people who are very wise, such that they perform egoistic actions out of the delusion that duality exists. Maya cannot be equated with the external world itself; rather, it is a force that expresses itself as a mental tendency to think in terms of “I” and “other”. Out of this sense of duality, which creates the sense of a separate ego, all the inner negativities arise. Only if we feel that we are separate from others, will we hate someone else, or be attached to someone else, or be jealous of someone else, or be angry at someone who has thwarted our own personal desires. We will overcome this force of maya only when we perceive that all beings are part and parcel of the same Supreme Self. When we have realized the Supreme Self, we will feel nothing but love for the entire universe, and all of our actions will be rooted in that love, and not out of any egoistic motivations. Verse 2 durge smruta harasi bhitima seshajantoh svasthaih smruta matimativa subham dadasi daridrya duhkha bhayaharini ka tvadanya sarvopakara karanaya sadardrachitta Swamiji's Translation: Oh, reliever of difficulties, remembering you the fear of all living beings is dispelled. When remembered by those individuals in the harmony of spiritual growth you increase their welfare and intelligence. Who is like you, Oh dispeller of Poverty, Pain and Fear, whose sympathetic demeanor always extends compassionate assistance to everyone? Exposer of consciousness, we bow to you. Commentary: For any being who is fortunate enough to remember the most compassionate Universal Mother, fear is completely destroyed. Not only will the fear be destroyed, but Mother will replace the fear with all auspicious and bright qualities. The entire life of one who constantly remembers Mother will be very bright and full of the highest divine qualities, leading eventually to liberation. There is never any question for Mother, “Does this child really deserve my help?” She is so unfailingly compassionate, this question never enters Her mind. Her very nature is to always help Her children, for She always possesses the perfect awareness that all beings are part of the one Supreme Self. All are part of the same universal family, and all deserve Her help. Even the cruelest demons end up being liberated by Mother as She vanquishes them for the benefit of Her peaceful children. The demons are also Her children, and Devi doesn't have the heart to reject anyone, ever. Not only external poverty is destroyed by Her, but also the inner poverty. Lack of sweetness, devotion, sincerity, enthusiasm, intelligence, all these “lacks” are removed by the rays of grace that flow ceaselessly from Her eyes. Verse 3 sarva mangala mangalye sive sarvartha sadhike sharanye tryambake devi narayani namostu te Swamiji's Translation: To the Auspicious of all Auspiciousness, to the Accomplisher of all Objectives, to the source of Refuge, to the Goddess who is Rays of Light, Exposer of Consciousness, we bow to you. Commentary in form of prayer: "O Mother, You are the essence of everything that is kind, sweet, and good. You radiate the most auspicious light and fulfill the noble, heartfelt wishes of Your children. I wish to take refuge in the most compassionate Divine Mother who watches over Her children with Her three beautiful eyes, which have the power to protect, nourish and purify with a mere glance. O Narayani, I salute You with joined palms out of the reverence and love in my heart." If we want to always have Devi's auspicious presence in our lives, we should take refuge in Her. Spiritually, taking refuge can mean that we make every effort to act according to the divine virtues of love, compassion, selflessness, truthfulness, and discrimination. Here, "taking refuge" means that we acknowledge the ultimate power of dharmic behavior. We rely on dharmic thoughts, speech, and actions for the well-being of ourselves and others. If we want to take refuge and receive Her protection, then we must follow Her divine rules, not the rules of the selfish ego. Verse 4 saranagata dinarta paritrana parayane sarvasyarti hare devi narayani namostu te Swamiji's Translation: For those who are devoted to you and take refuge in you, even though helpless and perplexed, you save them from all discomfort and unhappiness. All worry you take away, Oh Goddess, Exposer of Consciousness, we bow to you. Commentary in form of prayer: "O Mother, You are the unfailing support and refuge for all who call out to You in distress. You are the one who looks after the most helpless of Your children. Those who surrender to You with 100 percent faith are carried to the goal of Liberation without fail. O Mother, I am not the only one who needs Your help, and my prayer is not for myself alone! Won’t You give Your love and compassion to all Your suffering children? I wish for all beings to be elevated to the ultimate state of peace and bliss, because I know that all beings belong to my Supreme Self, and I belong to all beings. O Narayani, I am supplicating you with joined hands on behalf of all of Your children." The divine power hidden in this sloka is capable of giving peace to the entire universe. If we pray to Devi for universal peace using this powerful sloka, peace will manifest. This is the essential sloka for the Chandi, and it is placed in the very center of the Saptasloki. So the essence of Chandi is that Divine Mother is always there for us, She is perfectly capable of removing every last bit of negativity or limitation that threatens to keep us from our true nature and destiny - Liberation or Enlightenment. In fact, this is what She most wants to help us with. It doesn't matter what our situation is externally, we just need to call out to Her from the bottoms of our hearts, and She will come running to help us in the way that is best for us. Verse 5 sarvasvarupe sarvese sarvasaktisamanvite bhayebhyastrahi no devi durge devi namostu te The Intrinsic nature of All, the Supreme of All, and the Energy of All as well; you remove all fear from us, Oh Goddess, Reliever of Afflictions, Oh Goddess, we bow to you. Commentary in the form of prayer: “O Mother, You are the inner essence of every manifested form in Your entire Creation. You alone rule this entire cosmos full of beautiful planets, stars and galaxies. When it is only You playing all the parts in Your divine drama, of whom can I be afraid? O supremely compassionate Mother, I pray to You to remove my sense of ego, which makes me fear what I perceive as “other”. Let me perceive the truth that all are One in the Supreme Self, for then fear will no longer be able to touch me. Let me see only You shining in all forms as the pure, eternal light of Truth!” In this sloka there are two ideas juxtaposed, one that Mother is the very essence and energy pervading all beings, the other that She removes all of our fear. The way that She removes our fear is to bless us with the understanding that She is the all-pervading presence in every form of Nature. If we can connect with Her presence in every form, we will have no need to fear any harm. When we reach a level of Realization where we perceive Her clearly in all of existence, we will lose all fear. We don’t lose the fear because we are more powerful or we have a powerful protrectress watching over us. We lose the fear because we gain the awareness that Maa is dancing in every form throughout the universe, and we have nothing to fear from Maa. The obstacle to perceiving Her everywhere is the ego-habit. Over multitudes of lifetimes, we have quite naturally thought in terms of “I, me, my”. This is our heritage, and the only way to remove the sense of I-ness, me-ness, and my-ness is through steady sadhana. Sadhana will purify our consciousness and lift us out of the limited awareness of you versus me, us versus them. Verse 6 roganaseshanapahamsi tusta rusta tu kaman sakalanabhistan tvamasritanam na vipannaranam tvamasrita hyasrayatam prayanti Swamiji’s Translation: When you are pleased you destroy all infirmities, and when you are displeased you frustrate all desires. No calamity or disease befalls those who take refuge in you, and those who take refuge in you invariably become a refuge to others. Commentary: In the first line, we should not think that Divine Mother is “pleased” or “displeased” with us by mere whim. If we have some problem or disease, we dont' need to think that Mother is angry with us, and that She is therefore causing us some problem. The source of the problem is our own karma, which is the result of our own actions from previous lives. We should feel that Mother is waiting anxiously for us to return to Her, to return to our own natural state of blissful oneness with Atman. As we suffer, we can rejoice that we are burning off all of our karma so as to return to our natural state of perfection. If we suffer intensely, we will attain the goal that much more quickly by accomplishing a lot of purification in a short amount of time. Intense suffering in a sadhaka often indicates a strong ambition to make rapid progress towards the goal, or to learn powerful lessons that can only come through suffering. If She frustrates our desires, maybe it is to make us inquire as to whether we are doing something wrong or acting with wrong motivation, so as to guide us back to the right path. We need to constantly reflect on our motivation and our methods. If we are acting with egoistic or selfish motivation, we will never get good results, and our desires will be frustrated. But She is not angry with us, She is looking on us with compassion for our limited state of mind. Her thought is only to elevate Her children and bring them out of all limitations. What is She most pleased by? Divine Mother is extremely pleased by selflessness, including selfless prayer. Through cultivating selflessness in all of our activities, we will always be able to please Mother, and She will fulfill all of our noble wishes. The other key element in this sloka is that those who take refuge in Mother will definitely become a refuge for others. The greatest gift that Devi gives to us as we strive to attain Her is that She makes us more like Her. As we grow and purify, She permits more of Her light to shine through us into the world. We become capable of giving more and more peace and love to this world. The pinnacle of dharma is to offer our lives in selfless service to the entire cosmos, as so many divine rishis and saints have done and continue to do today. This seems like a daunting task, especially when we all feel overwhelmed at times with our own problems, but it becomes possible when we take refuge in Mother. Taking refuge in Mother is the first step towards realizing our essential oneness and identity with Her. The essence of the Vedas is that “I and my Mother are One”. The purpose of all the activities enjoined on us in the Vedas is to realize this eternal Truth. When we realize our oneness with Her, we will be a legitimate source of refuge for innumerable beings, who will benefit from simply being in our presence. Verse 7 sarvabadha prasamanam trailokyasya akhilesvari evameva tvaya karyam asmadvairi vinasanam Swamiji's Translation: Oh Spirit of the Supreme Sovereign, terminate all disturbance in the three worlds and in like manner remove from us all hostility. Commentary: We must pray from the bottom of our hearts for the most loving Supreme Divine Mother to vanquish all the dark forces in the world, for She is the one who is eternally watching over the three worlds with Her three eyes, which see everything. If we pray like this, live according to dharma, and practice sincerely, we will become channels for Her grace to flow into the world. Every time we pray for peace, chant a mantra, meditate, sing bhajans, or recite the Chandi with love and devotion, we project positive energy into the Earth's atmosphere. That energy joins up with the energy of all the other practitioners, saints, and subtle beings who are intent on the goal of universal peace and happiness. This is how we invoke Mother's presence in the world, for the sake of universal welfare (viswa kalyanam). Sanskrit is such a powerful language that simply to ask for Her blessing in these powerful slokas is to automatically invoke Her energy for the betterment of the world. Due to the divine energy contained in Sanskrit sounds, the asking itself is the receiving. The disturbances in the three worlds are intimately connected to the hostility that dwells in our hearts and minds. If the world is to be in peace, all the people must cultivate peaceful vibrations in their own minds, homes, cities, and countries. Thus, we request Mother to remove all the hatred, hostility or any other kind of negativity from our own minds. If we purify our minds through meditation and other practices, we will radiate that purity to the rest of the world. By living according to dharma and practicing sincerely, we provide a unique service to the world, out of the love and compassion in our hearts. Here, “living according to dharma” means cultivating positive virtues like truthfulness, sincerity, helpfulness, cheeriness, contentment, humility, compassion, and so on. Jai Maa! Ekta Read only the mail you want - Mail SpamGuard. 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Guest guest Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 Dear Ekta, Wow ! Thank you for taking the time to write this up and share with us on the Saptasloki. One thing that you wrote particularly caught my eye "all of our actions will be rooted in that love, and not out of any egoistic motivations." I have been thinking a lot about the definition of "right action" and your words help prod my thoughts in the right direction. I believe an action is correct when it is done as an offering for Her. How can we go wrong when all we are trying to do is for Her ? Thank you again. Jai Maa Latha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 Ekta, Very nicely done! Such thoughtful devotion is sure to bring purity of mind and heart. Chris , Eleathea Barraclough <eleathea> wrote: > Jai Maa! > > Recently I mentioned the Durga Saptasloki, and I thought it might be nice to > post some discussion on these seven verses. What I have heard is that these > seven verses contain the essence of the sound energy of the Chandi, as well as > the essential spiritual significance of Chandi as a scripture. I believe 5 out > of 7 of these verses occur in the Narayani Stuti (which forms most of chapter > 11 of the Chandi). I found Swamiji's translation of the Saptasloki posted on > the Internet somewhere, but I can't verify the accuracy because I don't have > the Chandi book on hand right now. I've added commentary in terms of teachings > I've received on the verses as well as any thoughts that come to my mind. The > commentary is a mixture of teachings and personal thoughts, so it should be > taken with several grains of salt! I have included the Sanskrit verses in a > rough form, although it's not accurate for pronunciation because I can't use > diacritics in the emails. > > Verse 1 > jnaninamapi cetamsi devi bhagavati hi sa > baladakrushya mohaya mahamaya prayacchati > > Swamiji's Translation: She, this Supreme Goddess, the Great Measurement of > Consciousness, attracts the perceiving capacity of all sensible beings with > such force as to thrust them into egoistic attachment. > > Commentary: Divine Mother, in Her form as Maha Maya, exerts an overwhelmingly > powerful force even on people who are very wise, such that they perform > egoistic actions out of the delusion that duality exists. Maya cannot be > equated with the external world itself; rather, it is a force that expresses > itself as a mental tendency to think in terms of "I" and "other". Out of this > sense of duality, which creates the sense of a separate ego, all the inner > negativities arise. > > Only if we feel that we are separate from others, will we hate someone else, or > be attached to someone else, or be jealous of someone else, or be angry at > someone who has thwarted our own personal desires. We will overcome this force > of maya only when we perceive that all beings are part and parcel of the same > Supreme Self. When we have realized the Supreme Self, we will feel nothing but > love for the entire universe, and all of our actions will be rooted in that > love, and not out of any egoistic motivations. > > Verse 2 > durge smruta harasi bhitima seshajantoh > svasthaih smruta matimativa subham dadasi > daridrya duhkha bhayaharini ka tvadanya > sarvopakara karanaya sadardrachitta > > Swamiji's Translation: Oh, reliever of difficulties, remembering you the fear > of all living beings is dispelled. When remembered by those individuals in the > harmony of spiritual growth you increase their welfare and intelligence. Who is > like you, Oh dispeller of Poverty, Pain and Fear, whose sympathetic demeanor > always extends compassionate assistance to everyone? Exposer of consciousness, > we bow to you. > > Commentary: For any being who is fortunate enough to remember the most > compassionate Universal Mother, fear is completely destroyed. Not only will the > fear be destroyed, but Mother will replace the fear with all auspicious and > bright qualities. The entire life of one who constantly remembers Mother will > be very bright and full of the highest divine qualities, leading eventually to > liberation. There is never any question for Mother, "Does this child really > deserve my help?" She is so unfailingly compassionate, this question never > enters Her mind. Her very nature is to always help Her children, for She always > possesses the perfect awareness that all beings are part of the one Supreme > Self. All are part of the same universal family, and all deserve Her help. Even > the cruelest demons end up being liberated by Mother as She vanquishes them for > the benefit of Her peaceful children. The demons are also Her children, and > Devi doesn't have the heart to reject anyone, ever. > > Not only external poverty is destroyed by Her, but also the inner poverty. Lack > of sweetness, devotion, sincerity, enthusiasm, intelligence, all these "lacks" > are removed by the rays of grace that flow ceaselessly from Her eyes. > > Verse 3 > sarva mangala mangalye sive sarvartha sadhike > sharanye tryambake devi narayani namostu te > > Swamiji's Translation: To the Auspicious of all Auspiciousness, to the > Accomplisher of all Objectives, to the source of Refuge, to the Goddess who is > Rays of Light, Exposer of Consciousness, we bow to you. > > Commentary in form of prayer: "O Mother, You are the essence of everything that > is kind, sweet, and good. You radiate the most auspicious light and fulfill the > noble, heartfelt wishes of Your children. I wish to take refuge in the most > compassionate Divine Mother who watches over Her children with Her three > beautiful eyes, which have the power to protect, nourish and purify with a mere > glance. O Narayani, I salute You with joined palms out of the reverence and > love in my heart." > > If we want to always have Devi's auspicious presence in our lives, we should > take refuge in Her. Spiritually, taking refuge can mean that we make every > effort to act according to the divine virtues of love, compassion, > selflessness, truthfulness, and discrimination. Here, "taking refuge" means > that we acknowledge the ultimate power of dharmic behavior. We rely on dharmic > thoughts, speech, and actions for the well-being of ourselves and others. If we > want to take refuge and receive Her protection, then we must follow Her divine > rules, not the rules of the selfish ego. > > Verse 4 > saranagata dinarta paritrana parayane > sarvasyarti hare devi narayani namostu te > > Swamiji's Translation: For those who are devoted to you and take refuge in you, > even though helpless and perplexed, you save them from all discomfort and > unhappiness. All worry you take away, Oh Goddess, Exposer of Consciousness, we > bow to you. > > Commentary in form of prayer: "O Mother, You are the unfailing support and > refuge for all who call out to You in distress. You are the one who looks after > the most helpless of Your children. Those who surrender to You with 100 percent > faith are carried to the goal of Liberation without fail. O Mother, I am not > the only one who needs Your help, and my prayer is not for myself alone! Won't > You give Your love and compassion to all Your suffering children? I wish for > all beings to be elevated to the ultimate state of peace and bliss, because I > know that all beings belong to my Supreme Self, and I belong to all beings. O > Narayani, I am supplicating you with joined hands on behalf of all of Your > children." > > The divine power hidden in this sloka is capable of giving peace to the entire > universe. If we pray to Devi for universal peace using this powerful sloka, > peace will manifest. This is the essential sloka for the Chandi, and it is > placed in the very center of the Saptasloki. So the essence of Chandi is that > Divine Mother is always there for us, She is perfectly capable of removing > every last bit of negativity or limitation that threatens to keep us from our > true nature and destiny - Liberation or Enlightenment. In fact, this is what > She most wants to help us with. It doesn't matter what our situation is > externally, we just need to call out to Her from the bottoms of our hearts, and > She will come running to help us in the way that is best for us. > > Verse 5 > sarvasvarupe sarvese sarvasaktisamanvite > bhayebhyastrahi no devi durge devi namostu te > > The Intrinsic nature of All, the Supreme of All, and the Energy of All as well; > you remove all fear from us, Oh Goddess, Reliever of Afflictions, Oh Goddess, > we bow to you. > > Commentary in the form of prayer: "O Mother, You are the inner essence of every > manifested form in Your entire Creation. You alone rule this entire cosmos full > of beautiful planets, stars and galaxies. When it is only You playing all the > parts in Your divine drama, of whom can I be afraid? O supremely compassionate > Mother, I pray to You to remove my sense of ego, which makes me fear what I > perceive as "other". Let me perceive the truth that all are One in the Supreme > Self, for then fear will no longer be able to touch me. Let me see only You > shining in all forms as the pure, eternal light of Truth!" > > In this sloka there are two ideas juxtaposed, one that Mother is the very > essence and energy pervading all beings, the other that She removes all of our > fear. The way that She removes our fear is to bless us with the understanding > that She is the all-pervading presence in every form of Nature. If we can > connect with Her presence in every form, we will have no need to fear any harm. > When we reach a level of Realization where we perceive Her clearly in all of > existence, we will lose all fear. We don't lose the fear because we are more > powerful or we have a powerful protrectress watching over us. We lose the fear > because we gain the awareness that Maa is dancing in every form throughout the > universe, and we have nothing to fear from Maa. > > The obstacle to perceiving Her everywhere is the ego-habit. Over multitudes of > lifetimes, we have quite naturally thought in terms of "I, me, my". This is our > heritage, and the only way to remove the sense of I-ness, me-ness, and my-ness > is through steady sadhana. Sadhana will purify our consciousness and lift us > out of the limited awareness of you versus me, us versus them. > > Verse 6 > roganaseshanapahamsi tusta > rusta tu kaman sakalanabhistan > tvamasritanam na vipannaranam > tvamasrita hyasrayatam prayanti > > Swamiji's Translation: When you are pleased you destroy all infirmities, and > when you are displeased you frustrate all desires. No calamity or disease > befalls those who take refuge in you, and those who take refuge in you > invariably become a refuge to others. > > Commentary: In the first line, we should not think that Divine Mother is > "pleased" or "displeased" with us by mere whim. If we have some problem or > disease, we dont' need to think that Mother is angry with us, and that She is > therefore causing us some problem. The source of the problem is our own karma, > which is the result of our own actions from previous lives. We should feel that > Mother is waiting anxiously for us to return to Her, to return to our own > natural state of blissful oneness with Atman. As we suffer, we can rejoice that > we are burning off all of our karma so as to return to our natural state of > perfection. If we suffer intensely, we will attain the goal that much more > quickly by accomplishing a lot of purification in a short amount of time. > Intense suffering in a sadhaka often indicates a strong ambition to make rapid > progress towards the goal, or to learn powerful lessons that can only come > through suffering. > > If She frustrates our desires, maybe it is to make us inquire as to whether we > are doing something wrong or acting with wrong motivation, so as to guide us > back to the right path. We need to constantly reflect on our motivation and our > methods. If we are acting with egoistic or selfish motivation, we will never > get good results, and our desires will be frustrated. But She is not angry with > us, She is looking on us with compassion for our limited state of mind. Her > thought is only to elevate Her children and bring them out of all limitations. > What is She most pleased by? Divine Mother is extremely pleased by > selflessness, including selfless prayer. Through cultivating selflessness in > all of our activities, we will always be able to please Mother, and She will > fulfill all of our noble wishes. > > The other key element in this sloka is that those who take refuge in Mother > will definitely become a refuge for others. The greatest gift that Devi gives > to us as we strive to attain Her is that She makes us more like Her. As we grow > and purify, She permits more of Her light to shine through us into the world. > We become capable of giving more and more peace and love to this world. The > pinnacle of dharma is to offer our lives in selfless service to the entire > cosmos, as so many divine rishis and saints have done and continue to do today. > This seems like a daunting task, especially when we all feel overwhelmed at > times with our own problems, but it becomes possible when we take refuge in > Mother. > > Taking refuge in Mother is the first step towards realizing our essential > oneness and identity with Her. The essence of the Vedas is that "I and my > Mother are One". The purpose of all the activities enjoined on us in the Vedas > is to realize this eternal Truth. When we realize our oneness with Her, we will > be a legitimate source of refuge for innumerable beings, who will benefit from > simply being in our presence. > > Verse 7 > sarvabadha prasamanam trailokyasya akhilesvari > evameva tvaya karyam asmadvairi vinasanam > > Swamiji's Translation: Oh Spirit of the Supreme Sovereign, terminate all > disturbance in the three worlds and in like manner remove from us all > hostility. > > Commentary: We must pray from the bottom of our hearts for the most loving > Supreme Divine Mother to vanquish all the dark forces in the world, for She is > the one who is eternally watching over the three worlds with Her three eyes, > which see everything. If we pray like this, live according to dharma, and > practice sincerely, we will become channels for Her grace to flow into the > world. Every time we pray for peace, chant a mantra, meditate, sing bhajans, or > recite the Chandi with love and devotion, we project positive energy into the > Earth's atmosphere. That energy joins up with the energy of all the other > practitioners, saints, and subtle beings who are intent on the goal of > universal peace and happiness. This is how we invoke Mother's presence in the > world, for the sake of universal welfare (viswa kalyanam). Sanskrit is such a > powerful language that simply to ask for Her blessing in these powerful slokas > is to automatically invoke Her energy for the betterment of the world. Due to > the divine energy contained in Sanskrit sounds, the asking itself is the > receiving. > > The disturbances in the three worlds are intimately connected to the hostility > that dwells in our hearts and minds. If the world is to be in peace, all the > people must cultivate peaceful vibrations in their own minds, homes, cities, > and countries. Thus, we request Mother to remove all the hatred, hostility or > any other kind of negativity from our own minds. If we purify our minds through > meditation and other practices, we will radiate that purity to the rest of the > world. By living according to dharma and practicing sincerely, we provide a > unique service to the world, out of the love and compassion in our hearts. > Here, "living according to dharma" means cultivating positive virtues like > truthfulness, sincerity, helpfulness, cheeriness, contentment, humility, > compassion, and so on. > > Jai Maa! > Ekta > > > > > > Read only the mail you want - Mail SpamGuard. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 Thank you so much for this. I printed it out so I could study it. It is wonderful and filled with Divine Insight and Love. Namaste, Ardis > Eleathea Barraclough <eleathea > > Thu, 9 Sep 2004 12:16:34 -0700 (PDT) > > Durga Saptasloki > > Jai Maa! > > Recently I mentioned the Durga Saptasloki, and I thought it might be nice to > post some discussion on these seven verses. What I have heard is that these > seven verses contain the essence of the sound energy of the Chandi, as well as > the essential spiritual significance of Chandi as a scripture. I believe 5 out > of 7 of these verses occur in the Narayani Stuti (which forms most of chapter > 11 of the Chandi). I found Swamiji's translation of the Saptasloki posted on > the Internet somewhere, but I can't verify the accuracy because I don't have > the Chandi book on hand right now. I've added commentary in terms of teachings > I've received on the verses as well as any thoughts that come to my mind. The > commentary is a mixture of teachings and personal thoughts, so it should be > taken with several grains of salt! I have included the Sanskrit verses in a > rough form, although it?s not accurate for pronunciation because I can't use > diacritics in the emails. > > Verse 1 > jnaninamapi cetamsi devi bhagavati hi sa > baladakrushya mohaya mahamaya prayacchati > > Swamiji's Translation: She, this Supreme Goddess, the Great Measurement of > Consciousness, attracts the perceiving capacity of all sensible beings with > such force as to thrust them into egoistic attachment. > > Commentary: Divine Mother, in Her form as Maha Maya, exerts an overwhelmingly > powerful force even on people who are very wise, such that they perform > egoistic actions out of the delusion that duality exists. Maya cannot be > equated with the external world itself; rather, it is a force that expresses > itself as a mental tendency to think in terms of ?I? and ?other?. Out of this > sense of duality, which creates the sense of a separate ego, all the inner > negativities arise. > > Only if we feel that we are separate from others, will we hate someone else, > or > be attached to someone else, or be jealous of someone else, or be angry at > someone who has thwarted our own personal desires. We will overcome this force > of maya only when we perceive that all beings are part and parcel of the same > Supreme Self. When we have realized the Supreme Self, we will feel nothing but > love for the entire universe, and all of our actions will be rooted in that > love, and not out of any egoistic motivations. > > Verse 2 > durge smruta harasi bhitima seshajantoh > svasthaih smruta matimativa subham dadasi > daridrya duhkha bhayaharini ka tvadanya > sarvopakara karanaya sadardrachitta > > Swamiji's Translation: Oh, reliever of difficulties, remembering you the fear > of all living beings is dispelled. When remembered by those individuals in the > harmony of spiritual growth you increase their welfare and intelligence. Who > is > like you, Oh dispeller of Poverty, Pain and Fear, whose sympathetic demeanor > always extends compassionate assistance to everyone? Exposer of consciousness, > we bow to you. > > Commentary: For any being who is fortunate enough to remember the most > compassionate Universal Mother, fear is completely destroyed. Not only will > the > fear be destroyed, but Mother will replace the fear with all auspicious and > bright qualities. The entire life of one who constantly remembers Mother will > be very bright and full of the highest divine qualities, leading eventually to > liberation. There is never any question for Mother, ?Does this child really > deserve my help?? She is so unfailingly compassionate, this question never > enters Her mind. Her very nature is to always help Her children, for She > always > possesses the perfect awareness that all beings are part of the one Supreme > Self. All are part of the same universal family, and all deserve Her help. > Even > the cruelest demons end up being liberated by Mother as She vanquishes them > for > the benefit of Her peaceful children. The demons are also Her children, and > Devi doesn't have the heart to reject anyone, ever. > > Not only external poverty is destroyed by Her, but also the inner poverty. > Lack > of sweetness, devotion, sincerity, enthusiasm, intelligence, all these ?lacks? > are removed by the rays of grace that flow ceaselessly from Her eyes. > > Verse 3 > sarva mangala mangalye sive sarvartha sadhike > sharanye tryambake devi narayani namostu te > > Swamiji's Translation: To the Auspicious of all Auspiciousness, to the > Accomplisher of all Objectives, to the source of Refuge, to the Goddess who is > Rays of Light, Exposer of Consciousness, we bow to you. > > Commentary in form of prayer: "O Mother, You are the essence of everything > that > is kind, sweet, and good. You radiate the most auspicious light and fulfill > the > noble, heartfelt wishes of Your children. I wish to take refuge in the most > compassionate Divine Mother who watches over Her children with Her three > beautiful eyes, which have the power to protect, nourish and purify with a > mere > glance. O Narayani, I salute You with joined palms out of the reverence and > love in my heart." > > If we want to always have Devi's auspicious presence in our lives, we should > take refuge in Her. Spiritually, taking refuge can mean that we make every > effort to act according to the divine virtues of love, compassion, > selflessness, truthfulness, and discrimination. Here, "taking refuge" means > that we acknowledge the ultimate power of dharmic behavior. We rely on dharmic > thoughts, speech, and actions for the well-being of ourselves and others. If > we > want to take refuge and receive Her protection, then we must follow Her divine > rules, not the rules of the selfish ego. > > Verse 4 > saranagata dinarta paritrana parayane > sarvasyarti hare devi narayani namostu te > > Swamiji's Translation: For those who are devoted to you and take refuge in > you, > even though helpless and perplexed, you save them from all discomfort and > unhappiness. All worry you take away, Oh Goddess, Exposer of Consciousness, we > bow to you. > > Commentary in form of prayer: "O Mother, You are the unfailing support and > refuge for all who call out to You in distress. You are the one who looks > after > the most helpless of Your children. Those who surrender to You with 100 > percent > faith are carried to the goal of Liberation without fail. O Mother, I am not > the only one who needs Your help, and my prayer is not for myself alone! Won?t > You give Your love and compassion to all Your suffering children? I wish for > all beings to be elevated to the ultimate state of peace and bliss, because I > know that all beings belong to my Supreme Self, and I belong to all beings. O > Narayani, I am supplicating you with joined hands on behalf of all of Your > children." > > The divine power hidden in this sloka is capable of giving peace to the entire > universe. If we pray to Devi for universal peace using this powerful sloka, > peace will manifest. This is the essential sloka for the Chandi, and it is > placed in the very center of the Saptasloki. So the essence of Chandi is that > Divine Mother is always there for us, She is perfectly capable of removing > every last bit of negativity or limitation that threatens to keep us from our > true nature and destiny - Liberation or Enlightenment. In fact, this is what > She most wants to help us with. It doesn't matter what our situation is > externally, we just need to call out to Her from the bottoms of our hearts, > and > She will come running to help us in the way that is best for us. > > Verse 5 > sarvasvarupe sarvese sarvasaktisamanvite > bhayebhyastrahi no devi durge devi namostu te > > The Intrinsic nature of All, the Supreme of All, and the Energy of All as > well; > you remove all fear from us, Oh Goddess, Reliever of Afflictions, Oh Goddess, > we bow to you. > > Commentary in the form of prayer: ?O Mother, You are the inner essence of > every > manifested form in Your entire Creation. You alone rule this entire cosmos > full > of beautiful planets, stars and galaxies. When it is only You playing all the > parts in Your divine drama, of whom can I be afraid? O supremely compassionate > Mother, I pray to You to remove my sense of ego, which makes me fear what I > perceive as ?other?. Let me perceive the truth that all are One in the Supreme > Self, for then fear will no longer be able to touch me. Let me see only You > shining in all forms as the pure, eternal light of Truth!? > > In this sloka there are two ideas juxtaposed, one that Mother is the very > essence and energy pervading all beings, the other that She removes all of our > fear. The way that She removes our fear is to bless us with the understanding > that She is the all-pervading presence in every form of Nature. If we can > connect with Her presence in every form, we will have no need to fear any > harm. > When we reach a level of Realization where we perceive Her clearly in all of > existence, we will lose all fear. We don?t lose the fear because we are more > powerful or we have a powerful protrectress watching over us. We lose the fear > because we gain the awareness that Maa is dancing in every form throughout the > universe, and we have nothing to fear from Maa. > > The obstacle to perceiving Her everywhere is the ego-habit. Over multitudes of > lifetimes, we have quite naturally thought in terms of ?I, me, my?. This is > our > heritage, and the only way to remove the sense of I-ness, me-ness, and my-ness > is through steady sadhana. Sadhana will purify our consciousness and lift us > out of the limited awareness of you versus me, us versus them. > > Verse 6 > roganaseshanapahamsi tusta > rusta tu kaman sakalanabhistan > tvamasritanam na vipannaranam > tvamasrita hyasrayatam prayanti > > Swamiji?s Translation: When you are pleased you destroy all infirmities, and > when you are displeased you frustrate all desires. No calamity or disease > befalls those who take refuge in you, and those who take refuge in you > invariably become a refuge to others. > > Commentary: In the first line, we should not think that Divine Mother is > ?pleased? or ?displeased? with us by mere whim. If we have some problem or > disease, we dont' need to think that Mother is angry with us, and that She is > therefore causing us some problem. The source of the problem is our own karma, > which is the result of our own actions from previous lives. We should feel > that > Mother is waiting anxiously for us to return to Her, to return to our own > natural state of blissful oneness with Atman. As we suffer, we can rejoice > that > we are burning off all of our karma so as to return to our natural state of > perfection. If we suffer intensely, we will attain the goal that much more > quickly by accomplishing a lot of purification in a short amount of time. > Intense suffering in a sadhaka often indicates a strong ambition to make rapid > progress towards the goal, or to learn powerful lessons that can only come > through suffering. > > If She frustrates our desires, maybe it is to make us inquire as to whether we > are doing something wrong or acting with wrong motivation, so as to guide us > back to the right path. We need to constantly reflect on our motivation and > our > methods. If we are acting with egoistic or selfish motivation, we will never > get good results, and our desires will be frustrated. But She is not angry > with > us, She is looking on us with compassion for our limited state of mind. Her > thought is only to elevate Her children and bring them out of all limitations. > What is She most pleased by? Divine Mother is extremely pleased by > selflessness, including selfless prayer. Through cultivating selflessness in > all of our activities, we will always be able to please Mother, and She will > fulfill all of our noble wishes. > > The other key element in this sloka is that those who take refuge in Mother > will definitely become a refuge for others. The greatest gift that Devi gives > to us as we strive to attain Her is that She makes us more like Her. As we > grow > and purify, She permits more of Her light to shine through us into the world. > We become capable of giving more and more peace and love to this world. The > pinnacle of dharma is to offer our lives in selfless service to the entire > cosmos, as so many divine rishis and saints have done and continue to do > today. > This seems like a daunting task, especially when we all feel overwhelmed at > times with our own problems, but it becomes possible when we take refuge in > Mother. > > Taking refuge in Mother is the first step towards realizing our essential > oneness and identity with Her. The essence of the Vedas is that ?I and my > Mother are One?. The purpose of all the activities enjoined on us in the Vedas > is to realize this eternal Truth. When we realize our oneness with Her, we > will > be a legitimate source of refuge for innumerable beings, who will benefit from > simply being in our presence. > > Verse 7 > sarvabadha prasamanam trailokyasya akhilesvari > evameva tvaya karyam asmadvairi vinasanam > > Swamiji's Translation: Oh Spirit of the Supreme Sovereign, terminate all > disturbance in the three worlds and in like manner remove from us all > hostility. > > Commentary: We must pray from the bottom of our hearts for the most loving > Supreme Divine Mother to vanquish all the dark forces in the world, for She is > the one who is eternally watching over the three worlds with Her three eyes, > which see everything. If we pray like this, live according to dharma, and > practice sincerely, we will become channels for Her grace to flow into the > world. Every time we pray for peace, chant a mantra, meditate, sing bhajans, > or > recite the Chandi with love and devotion, we project positive energy into the > Earth's atmosphere. That energy joins up with the energy of all the other > practitioners, saints, and subtle beings who are intent on the goal of > universal peace and happiness. This is how we invoke Mother's presence in the > world, for the sake of universal welfare (viswa kalyanam). Sanskrit is such a > powerful language that simply to ask for Her blessing in these powerful slokas > is to automatically invoke Her energy for the betterment of the world. Due to > the divine energy contained in Sanskrit sounds, the asking itself is the > receiving. > > The disturbances in the three worlds are intimately connected to the hostility > that dwells in our hearts and minds. If the world is to be in peace, all the > people must cultivate peaceful vibrations in their own minds, homes, cities, > and countries. Thus, we request Mother to remove all the hatred, hostility or > any other kind of negativity from our own minds. If we purify our minds > through > meditation and other practices, we will radiate that purity to the rest of the > world. By living according to dharma and practicing sincerely, we provide a > unique service to the world, out of the love and compassion in our hearts. > Here, ?living according to dharma? means cultivating positive virtues like > truthfulness, sincerity, helpfulness, cheeriness, contentment, humility, > compassion, and so on. > > Jai Maa! > Ekta > > > > > > Read only the mail you want - Mail SpamGuard. > > > > > > > Links > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2004 Report Share Posted September 10, 2004 Dearest Ekta, Thank you for your post on the Durga Saptasloki. Your commentary both inspires and thrills me. I bow, I bow, I bow. You are Mother. Michael - Eleathea Barraclough Thursday, September 09, 2004 1:16 PM Durga Saptasloki Jai Maa!Recently I mentioned the Durga Saptasloki, and I thought it might be nice topost some discussion on these seven verses. What I have heard is that theseseven verses contain the essence of the sound energy of the Chandi, as well asthe essential spiritual significance of Chandi as a scripture. I believe 5 outof 7 of these verses occur in the Narayani Stuti (which forms most of chapter11 of the Chandi). I found Swamiji's translation of the Saptasloki posted onthe Internet somewhere, but I can't verify the accuracy because I don't havethe Chandi book on hand right now. I've added commentary in terms of teachingsI've received on the verses as well as any thoughts that come to my mind. Thecommentary is a mixture of teachings and personal thoughts, so it should betaken with several grains of salt! I have included the Sanskrit verses in arough form, although it's not accurate for pronunciation because I can't usediacritics in the emails. Verse 1 jnaninamapi cetamsi devi bhagavati hi sa baladakrushya mohaya mahamaya prayacchati Swamiji's Translation: She, this Supreme Goddess, the Great Measurement ofConsciousness, attracts the perceiving capacity of all sensible beings withsuch force as to thrust them into egoistic attachment. Commentary: Divine Mother, in Her form as Maha Maya, exerts an overwhelminglypowerful force even on people who are very wise, such that they performegoistic actions out of the delusion that duality exists. Maya cannot beequated with the external world itself; rather, it is a force that expressesitself as a mental tendency to think in terms of "I" and "other". Out of thissense of duality, which creates the sense of a separate ego, all the innernegativities arise. Only if we feel that we are separate from others, will we hate someone else, orbe attached to someone else, or be jealous of someone else, or be angry atsomeone who has thwarted our own personal desires. We will overcome this forceof maya only when we perceive that all beings are part and parcel of the sameSupreme Self. When we have realized the Supreme Self, we will feel nothing butlove for the entire universe, and all of our actions will be rooted in thatlove, and not out of any egoistic motivations. Verse 2 durge smruta harasi bhitima seshajantoh svasthaih smruta matimativa subham dadasi daridrya duhkha bhayaharini ka tvadanya sarvopakara karanaya sadardrachitta Swamiji's Translation: Oh, reliever of difficulties, remembering you the fearof all living beings is dispelled. When remembered by those individuals in theharmony of spiritual growth you increase their welfare and intelligence. Who islike you, Oh dispeller of Poverty, Pain and Fear, whose sympathetic demeanoralways extends compassionate assistance to everyone? Exposer of consciousness,we bow to you. Commentary: For any being who is fortunate enough to remember the mostcompassionate Universal Mother, fear is completely destroyed. Not only will thefear be destroyed, but Mother will replace the fear with all auspicious andbright qualities. The entire life of one who constantly remembers Mother willbe very bright and full of the highest divine qualities, leading eventually toliberation. There is never any question for Mother, "Does this child reallydeserve my help?" She is so unfailingly compassionate, this question neverenters Her mind. Her very nature is to always help Her children, for She alwayspossesses the perfect awareness that all beings are part of the one SupremeSelf. All are part of the same universal family, and all deserve Her help. Eventhe cruelest demons end up being liberated by Mother as She vanquishes them forthe benefit of Her peaceful children. The demons are also Her children, andDevi doesn't have the heart to reject anyone, ever. Not only external poverty is destroyed by Her, but also the inner poverty. Lackof sweetness, devotion, sincerity, enthusiasm, intelligence, all these "lacks"are removed by the rays of grace that flow ceaselessly from Her eyes. Verse 3 sarva mangala mangalye sive sarvartha sadhike sharanye tryambake devi narayani namostu te Swamiji's Translation: To the Auspicious of all Auspiciousness, to theAccomplisher of all Objectives, to the source of Refuge, to the Goddess who isRays of Light, Exposer of Consciousness, we bow to you. Commentary in form of prayer: "O Mother, You are the essence of everything thatis kind, sweet, and good. You radiate the most auspicious light and fulfill thenoble, heartfelt wishes of Your children. I wish to take refuge in the mostcompassionate Divine Mother who watches over Her children with Her threebeautiful eyes, which have the power to protect, nourish and purify with a mereglance. O Narayani, I salute You with joined palms out of the reverence andlove in my heart."If we want to always have Devi's auspicious presence in our lives, we shouldtake refuge in Her. Spiritually, taking refuge can mean that we make everyeffort to act according to the divine virtues of love, compassion,selflessness, truthfulness, and discrimination. Here, "taking refuge" meansthat we acknowledge the ultimate power of dharmic behavior. We rely on dharmicthoughts, speech, and actions for the well-being of ourselves and others. If wewant to take refuge and receive Her protection, then we must follow Her divinerules, not the rules of the selfish ego.Verse 4 saranagata dinarta paritrana parayane sarvasyarti hare devi narayani namostu te Swamiji's Translation: For those who are devoted to you and take refuge in you,even though helpless and perplexed, you save them from all discomfort andunhappiness. All worry you take away, Oh Goddess, Exposer of Consciousness, webow to you. Commentary in form of prayer: "O Mother, You are the unfailing support andrefuge for all who call out to You in distress. You are the one who looks afterthe most helpless of Your children. Those who surrender to You with 100 percentfaith are carried to the goal of Liberation without fail. O Mother, I am notthe only one who needs Your help, and my prayer is not for myself alone! Won'tYou give Your love and compassion to all Your suffering children? I wish forall beings to be elevated to the ultimate state of peace and bliss, because Iknow that all beings belong to my Supreme Self, and I belong to all beings. ONarayani, I am supplicating you with joined hands on behalf of all of Yourchildren." The divine power hidden in this sloka is capable of giving peace to the entireuniverse. If we pray to Devi for universal peace using this powerful sloka,peace will manifest. This is the essential sloka for the Chandi, and it isplaced in the very center of the Saptasloki. So the essence of Chandi is thatDivine Mother is always there for us, She is perfectly capable of removingevery last bit of negativity or limitation that threatens to keep us from ourtrue nature and destiny - Liberation or Enlightenment. In fact, this is whatShe most wants to help us with. It doesn't matter what our situation isexternally, we just need to call out to Her from the bottoms of our hearts, andShe will come running to help us in the way that is best for us.Verse 5 sarvasvarupe sarvese sarvasaktisamanvite bhayebhyastrahi no devi durge devi namostu te The Intrinsic nature of All, the Supreme of All, and the Energy of All as well;you remove all fear from us, Oh Goddess, Reliever of Afflictions, Oh Goddess,we bow to you. Commentary in the form of prayer: "O Mother, You are the inner essence of everymanifested form in Your entire Creation. You alone rule this entire cosmos fullof beautiful planets, stars and galaxies. When it is only You playing all theparts in Your divine drama, of whom can I be afraid? O supremely compassionateMother, I pray to You to remove my sense of ego, which makes me fear what Iperceive as "other". Let me perceive the truth that all are One in the SupremeSelf, for then fear will no longer be able to touch me. Let me see only Youshining in all forms as the pure, eternal light of Truth!" In this sloka there are two ideas juxtaposed, one that Mother is the veryessence and energy pervading all beings, the other that She removes all of ourfear. The way that She removes our fear is to bless us with the understandingthat She is the all-pervading presence in every form of Nature. If we canconnect with Her presence in every form, we will have no need to fear any harm.When we reach a level of Realization where we perceive Her clearly in all ofexistence, we will lose all fear. We don't lose the fear because we are morepowerful or we have a powerful protrectress watching over us. We lose the fearbecause we gain the awareness that Maa is dancing in every form throughout theuniverse, and we have nothing to fear from Maa. The obstacle to perceiving Her everywhere is the ego-habit. Over multitudes oflifetimes, we have quite naturally thought in terms of "I, me, my". This is ourheritage, and the only way to remove the sense of I-ness, me-ness, and my-nessis through steady sadhana. Sadhana will purify our consciousness and lift usout of the limited awareness of you versus me, us versus them.Verse 6 roganaseshanapahamsi tusta rusta tu kaman sakalanabhistan tvamasritanam na vipannaranam tvamasrita hyasrayatam prayanti Swamiji's Translation: When you are pleased you destroy all infirmities, andwhen you are displeased you frustrate all desires. No calamity or diseasebefalls those who take refuge in you, and those who take refuge in youinvariably become a refuge to others. Commentary: In the first line, we should not think that Divine Mother is"pleased" or "displeased" with us by mere whim. If we have some problem ordisease, we dont' need to think that Mother is angry with us, and that She istherefore causing us some problem. The source of the problem is our own karma,which is the result of our own actions from previous lives. We should feel thatMother is waiting anxiously for us to return to Her, to return to our ownnatural state of blissful oneness with Atman. As we suffer, we can rejoice thatwe are burning off all of our karma so as to return to our natural state ofperfection. If we suffer intensely, we will attain the goal that much morequickly by accomplishing a lot of purification in a short amount of time.Intense suffering in a sadhaka often indicates a strong ambition to make rapidprogress towards the goal, or to learn powerful lessons that can only comethrough suffering.If She frustrates our desires, maybe it is to make us inquire as to whether weare doing something wrong or acting with wrong motivation, so as to guide usback to the right path. We need to constantly reflect on our motivation and ourmethods. If we are acting with egoistic or selfish motivation, we will neverget good results, and our desires will be frustrated. But She is not angry withus, She is looking on us with compassion for our limited state of mind. Herthought is only to elevate Her children and bring them out of all limitations.What is She most pleased by? Divine Mother is extremely pleased byselflessness, including selfless prayer. Through cultivating selflessness inall of our activities, we will always be able to please Mother, and She willfulfill all of our noble wishes. The other key element in this sloka is that those who take refuge in Motherwill definitely become a refuge for others. The greatest gift that Devi givesto us as we strive to attain Her is that She makes us more like Her. As we growand purify, She permits more of Her light to shine through us into the world.We become capable of giving more and more peace and love to this world. Thepinnacle of dharma is to offer our lives in selfless service to the entirecosmos, as so many divine rishis and saints have done and continue to do today.This seems like a daunting task, especially when we all feel overwhelmed attimes with our own problems, but it becomes possible when we take refuge inMother. Taking refuge in Mother is the first step towards realizing our essentialoneness and identity with Her. The essence of the Vedas is that "I and myMother are One". The purpose of all the activities enjoined on us in the Vedasis to realize this eternal Truth. When we realize our oneness with Her, we willbe a legitimate source of refuge for innumerable beings, who will benefit fromsimply being in our presence. Verse 7 sarvabadha prasamanam trailokyasya akhilesvari evameva tvaya karyam asmadvairi vinasanam Swamiji's Translation: Oh Spirit of the Supreme Sovereign, terminate alldisturbance in the three worlds and in like manner remove from us allhostility. Commentary: We must pray from the bottom of our hearts for the most lovingSupreme Divine Mother to vanquish all the dark forces in the world, for She isthe one who is eternally watching over the three worlds with Her three eyes,which see everything. If we pray like this, live according to dharma, andpractice sincerely, we will become channels for Her grace to flow into theworld. Every time we pray for peace, chant a mantra, meditate, sing bhajans, orrecite the Chandi with love and devotion, we project positive energy into theEarth's atmosphere. That energy joins up with the energy of all the otherpractitioners, saints, and subtle beings who are intent on the goal ofuniversal peace and happiness. This is how we invoke Mother's presence in theworld, for the sake of universal welfare (viswa kalyanam). Sanskrit is such apowerful language that simply to ask for Her blessing in these powerful slokasis to automatically invoke Her energy for the betterment of the world. Due tothe divine energy contained in Sanskrit sounds, the asking itself is thereceiving.The disturbances in the three worlds are intimately connected to the hostilitythat dwells in our hearts and minds. If the world is to be in peace, all thepeople must cultivate peaceful vibrations in their own minds, homes, cities,and countries. Thus, we request Mother to remove all the hatred, hostility orany other kind of negativity from our own minds. If we purify our minds throughmeditation and other practices, we will radiate that purity to the rest of theworld. By living according to dharma and practicing sincerely, we provide aunique service to the world, out of the love and compassion in our hearts.Here, "living according to dharma" means cultivating positive virtues liketruthfulness, sincerity, helpfulness, cheeriness, contentment, humility,compassion, and so on.Jai Maa!EktaRead only the mail you want - Mail SpamGuard. ------------------------ Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from . Register anything.http://us.click./J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/XUWolB/TM--~-> Links<*> /<*> To from this group, send an email to: <*> Your use of is subject to: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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