Chandi Saptaham ~ Day 1 ~ 2010
Chandi sapta sathi is also called Durga sapta sathi. The name ‘Chandi’ is much attributed to fear but she is also the Mother Goddess who appears as ‘Sachchidananda Swarupini’, who appeases the grieving and grants divine power to those who pray to her with Bhakthi(Devot ion ) and shraddha(Austerity) . According to the Vedas, ‘Matru Devo Bhava’ means you deem your mother synonymous to your deity. There are three terms acronymed to a ‘JA’. Janani (Mother), Jagajjanani (The Mother Goddess) and Jagadguru(Eternal Teacher) Guru is the lamp who lights many more lamps... (enlightenment).One , who is under a Guru can understand the Vedas. Guru can remain at one place and yet reach the millions simultaneously. He is ‘Nitya Sanchari’, one who travels far and wide, in order to enlighten his disciples.
‘Intintiki Tirigi Tirigi Hitamu Panchu Padamu...’. We are not serving him but we are being served by our beloved Guru in the form of enlightenment. ‘Chandi sapta sathi’ depicts in 700 slokas how ‘Savarini’ became ‘Manuvu’ by the grace of the Mother Goddess. These slokas are Mantras. One need not fear the enemy who performs Homa by chanting these Mantras. All the sins, not only for this life but of lives previous are also washed away by Chandi Mantras.
Chandi Charitra is in three phases. 1.Prathama Charitra Maha Kali: Creates Ichcha Shakthi. One should have Ichcha (desire) to attain something. Lord Shiva also moves with the aid of shakthi.Ichcha and Shraddha are essential which are graced by Goddess Maha Kali. 2.Madhyama Charitra Maha Lakshmi: Gives Kriya Shakthi. Goddess Maha Lakshmi bestows Kriya Shakthi (the power to attain the goal).Not only does Lakshmi signify ‘wealth’ but the entire nature is the Godess herself. 3.Uttama Charitra Mata Saraswathi: Gives Gyana Shakthi. Your journey towards Gyana (enlightenment) with the aid of Ichcha shakthi and Kriya shakthi is made easy by the grace of Mata Saraswathi.KALI MATA: The picturesque of Kali Mata is with 10 faces, 10 feet (pada), holding the head of a demon in one hand, wearing all sorts of ornaments and wears padas as her garment (vastram).One cannot say that it is ferocious and not to be worshipped. This is the form in which The Mother Goddess graced Maha Kavi Kalidasu (a renowned Sanskrit Poet) with Kavitvam (poetry), who earlier was an illiterate. She is a ferocious Goddess to those who want to see so and Goddess of Peace to those who worship with a peace in mind. Here Pujya Bala Swamiji explained the state of mind with a small story.
STORY-1 Once upon a time there was an abandoned mansion in the outskirts of a village. No one entered it with the fear of a ghost which was said to reside there. There was a hall in it with 1000 mirrors. A dog from the village heard about the hall and entered into it with curiosity. The dog was in happy mood and saw 1000 happy dogs in the mirrors. The dog felt happy talking with them. Every day the dog visited the hall. One day another dog followed the first dog to the mansion. The dog was in a serious and bad mood always and found 1000 bad dogs frowning and growling at him in the mirrors. Your smiling and happy face ricochets on others. Wear a Smile at least in your mind and it reflects on your face and in turn on others faces. In the same manner, Mother Goddess is ferocious when you worship in a ferocious mood and Goddess of Peace when you worship with a peaceful mind. Mother is always an embodiment of Love and beauty to a child. Another small story is narrated to explain the love of a mother by Sri Swamiji.
STORY-2 A while back, there was a son who abandoned his mother for he had found her ugly, having on ly one eye. Even after growing into a Gentleman,he never realize his fault. One day the mother asked his watchman to deliver a letter to her son. As he read the letter, tears flowed down in guilt and repentence.His mother had donated her eye to him when he had lost an eye in an accident when he was just 4 years old. Now, being on the verge of her life with cancer and with very little time on Earth, she had sent the letter.The son cursed himself for his cruelty. Such is the love of the Mother Goddess. Lord Brahma worshipped Mother Goddess to kill the demons ‘Madhu’ and ‘Kaitabha’ who were born from the ear wax of Lord Sri Hari when he was asleep with this sloka.
SLOKA: Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Matru Rupena Samsthitha Namastasyay Namastasyay Namastasyay Namo Namaha.This is a story set even before Savarini, the son of the Sun God had manifested.At the time of second Manuvu, Markandeya Maharishi started to tell the story in praise of the Mother Goddess. Suradha (means one who has a well developed body), a king from Chaitraini dynasty ruled his people to prosperity. During that time, the demons ‘Kola’ and ‘Vidhvamsa’ defeated Suradha in a battle and yet gave him back his kingdom.
Though his Kingdom was back with him, he lost his reputation among his relatives, family members and people. He could not bear this agony and left his kingdom in the name of hunting in the forest. There he approached the cottage of Sumedha, a sage, to quench his thirst. As he was roaming there he thought about how he had ruled his country real well, how he cared for his subjects like his own Kin and yet, when a calamity struck, They ditched him.Nobody was there to stand by his side.At that time, he met ‘Samadhi’, who was also anguished that in spite of amassing enough wealth for seven generations to come, he had no peace of mind. They both wondered as to why they were grieving on somebody or something that id not stand for them. They went to Sumedha Maharishi seeking answer to their grief.
Sumedha Maharishi thus answered by questioning ‘what greatness is it to feed your own children or rule your own Kingdom’? All animals and birds are also doing this mere task.He further asked if they had done anything with se lflessness?He t hen explaine d that they were only selfish in their pursuits and never did anything without expecting ‘the return’.
Guru has no mercy in telling the facts as he is the rectifier of your faults. The Universe is a big stage on which each and everyone has a role to play inevitably. One can not leave the stage. Paramatma has his plan of action. All this is the ‘Maya Shakti’. We think that we know every thing. Silence is very much a part of Vedanta.merely the movement of lips(In a chant) is not Vedanta.There are 7 important slokas in Chandi Sapta sathi and each Mantra has the result of 10 Chandi Homas. Then 6 questions were asked about Maya Shakthi. What, when, where and how she has born? what her form is? and what her effect is? Most important thing to be remembered with respect to Deities is whenever necessity arises for the Karya Siddhi(to accomplish something) of Deities, Nitya Swarupini (present always) adopts a form which is said to ‘Utpanna (be born)’. At the time of Kalpantha, Lord Sri Hari was sleeping on Seshatalpa (The snake with seven heads as depicted pictographically) and Lord Brahma performing penance sitting on the lotus erupted from the navel Of Sri Hari. Demons,Madhu and Kaitabha were born from the ear wax of Sri Hari.Immediately they saw Brahma and defeated him in the battle. Brahma came to Sri Hari for help but he was in Yoga Nidra(Divine yogic sleep).Brahma Prayed Yoga Mata (This Yoga Nidra Stuti brings activeness. Avoids sleep in unwanted time and grace with enough sleep to the body). Jaya Jaya Kali Jagan Mataha Jaya Jaya Nitye Sivatmike Gyanam Dehi Sreyam Dehi Buddhim Dehi Namostute...
Mother Goddess manifested at a time from all parts of Sri Hari in to a single form.( Eka Rupa). When ever we awake from sleep Mother Goddess manifests from us and when ever we sleep she disappears in to us. Then Sri Hari got up and fought severely with the demons for 5000 years in vain. Then he prayed to Mother Goddess and the demons were embraced with Yoga Maya (illusion) They were happy that Sri Hari could put up fight for 5000 years and in ahankara (ego) they gave a boon to Sri Hari and Sri availed the opportunity and asked that they are to killed by him. Then they said that they can be killed at the place where there is no water (as it is Kalpantha everything is filled with water and there is no any land area.).Sri Hari pulled them on to his thighs and cut them with his Sudarsana Chakra. This form of Yoga Maya in which she helped swayam Sri Hari is known as the first Avatara of the Mother Goddess.( Smart play is essential when encountered with problem).
Sree Guru Datta !