Deivathin Kural Series - 171

Om Namah Sivaya.

Deivathin Kural # 171 of 20 Mar 2007.

1. These e-mails, are chapter wise translations of the lectures given by, Sri Chandra Sekharendra Swamigal, of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Every day, after the daily Puja, He used to talk, on various aspects concerning Hinduism. These are published, in Tamil, by Vanady Padippagam, T.Nagar, Chennai, as Deivathin Kural, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each. To-day's talk is titled, 'Kamakshiyin Perumai' that is, 'Kamakshi's Greatness', in pages 779 to 789, of Deivathin Kural, Volume 1.

2. There is one Parasakthi as the basis of all existance, its creation, protection and destruction. These are not seperate singular events. They are happening all the time in every micro and macro systems. As you are listening to me, worlds are coming into being and going out of existance. In every individual, some cells are being created, some being nurtured and some disappearing. So, when I use words indicative of Space and Time, such as here, there, within, without, in, out, now, then, etc., please try to understand that I am talking about such subtle things, which are not things! Beyond, creation, maintenance and erasure, the Fourth is Thureeyam also known as Chathurtham, Sivam, Adwaitam and Santham; as per Mandukya Upanishad. That is also Brhmam!

3. Since there is nothing other than that, it is Adwaitam. Then it has no colour or form either. It is pure potential. Suddha spatikam, totally transparent. Look at the word, transparent. One meaning is see through. Another meaning is, 'trans + parent' that is, across or beyond + originate. This 'suddha spatika sankasam', is Sivaswaroopam, Red Kameswari, Kamakshi. From the potential one, when it becomes many, it also becomes the protective force of Kameswari, the Mother with intense compassion and grace. She is the power of Maya, which makes one seemingly many. She is also the power which can nullify the effect of Maya and dissolve us in the Oneness of Adwaita Anubhava. Thus She is the Gnana Ambhikai too. There is no end to Her Greatness, beyond human grasp and comprehension.

4. Since Brhmam is Thureeyam, the power of Brhmam, Kamakshi also must be Thureeyam. Adi Sankara, in 'Soundarya Lahiri', says that She is unaffected by the actions of Brhmam. As the power of the executive, She is beyond the influence of that power. Creation, Maintenance and Destruction are within the purview of Maya. 'She deludes the entire universe by the Maya', says Adi Sankara. to quote, "Maha mayaya vishwam bhramayasi, Parabrhma Mahishi".

5. How can she be another person and that person be Brhmam's wife, when there is nothing other than Brhmam? One movement created all these appearances. That seeming one movement in an otherwise immobile Brhmam, is considered as Brhmapatni, Kameswari. The great 'mahanubhavas', who have personally experienced the supreme grace of this Mother beyond compare, have named Her so!

6. Saraswathi is considered as Brhma's wife. As Brhma does creation, She imparts the power of imagination for creation, to all life forms. Mahalakshmi, who gives wealth is rightly considered as the wife of Mahavishnu, who is the Ruler of all. The Samhara murthy Rudra's consort is Parvathy. The one who remains above all these activities, as Parasakthi Kamakshi, has of necessity to be considered as the wife of Parabrhmam. Devoid of traits / gunas; and actions / kriyas; She is the Maha Maya too. There is no end or limit to Her Greatness, says Adi Sankara, using the word, 'Nisseema mahima'. Her greatness cannot be understood either, he says, 'thuradigamam'.

7. If we dissolve ourselves in that power which is moving everything, how can it be that, we will become quiet and peaceful? If you deeply think about this apparent paradox, you will realise that it is because of its static, peaceful and happy state, that it is able to move everything! The individual Jeeva too is doing the three 'kruthyas', of srushti, sthithi and samhara; in dream, wakefulness and sleep awasthas, as I said earlier. You see that, even while He is asleep, there is that power in him, that is awake, without which he will not wake up the next day. So, it is clear that the fourth, is in him too. It is not moving, even when he is moving, you see! So what ever is the basis of all the movement, has to be static.

8. So, the basis of all life forms and things, the Parasakthi is absolutely quiet and peaceful. If we are devoted to this idea even, we can also attain to complete peacefulness.

9. With the passage of time, man changes; life forms change; moving and non-moving animate and inanimate animals, creatures and materials change; worlds, planets, stars, galaxies, all change. The only non changing fact is the basis of all existance; the Brhmam. That does not change. That is called, 'sat' or being.

10. That one being, not knowing that it is, is as good as not being! So this awareness of being is called, 'chit' or knowing. This is Gnanam. 'Sat' is Easwaran and 'chit' is Ambigai. This knowing gives happiness. That happiness is called 'anandam'. So, Easwaran and Ambal - Kameswara and Kamakshi together are Sat Chit Anandam or Sachidanandam. You cannot seperate them, as you cannot seperate the whiteness from milk, flower from its fragrance, honey from its sweetness, and fire from its heat. That is why they are symbolically known as 'Ardhanareeswara'. In one form, one half is Easwara and the other half is Ambal. May be that is why, we refer to the Lady wife as the better half.

11. But, as though, this 50% sharing is also insufficient, Adi Sankara has expressed a modification of this idea, in one of the slokas of his, 'Soundarya Lahari', starting with 'thvaya hruthva vamam'. He says, "He! Ambike! Nirguna brhmam was colourless suddha spatika. In it you took the left half. But as though not satisfied with the 50%, You seem to have occupied the other half of His body too! That is why you are completely red all over the body as Kameswari. You have appropriated His 'third eye', and 'crescent moon' too." There are two principles here. One is that, 'the Siva tatva' is included in Her. Second is that, the actionless Brhmam, for the sake of 'Anugraha' to life forms, takes the complete shape as Kameswari.

12. In the sloka starting with the words, 'gathasthe manjathvam' the 92nd in Soundarya Lahari, when saying that Ambal is doing all the five jobs, he says, "You are seated with Kameswara, in the cot which has Brhma, Vishnu, Rudra and Easwara as the legs. But Kameswara is unseen, since your redness has completely dominated the scene". Her Anugraha shakthi is so effective!

13. As said in the earlier sloka, Ambal also has three eyes; She is also wearing the crescent moon on Her hair; Her eyes are the sun and the moon; the third eye is 'Agni' or fire. This is described by another poem of Soundarya Lahiri, with poetic beauty. "Your right eye creates the day; left eye the night; and the eye inbetween creates the 'Sandya' or the evening and morning twilight. That is why, it is red," it says. She is Herself the creator of Time that means.

14. Kamakshi sporting the crescent moon on Her head is also mentioned by Mookar in Panchasathi. The first 100 slokas in Panchasathi is 'Arya Sadakam'. The Ambal being addressed by the slokas, is 'Arya'. 'Arya' means bestest. (Do not think of 'Arya' as a name for the Race. This Arya, Dravida Racial divide is canard of vested interest of Britishers at a later date.) In the sloka starting with the words 'indu moule', he says, "The wealth and affluence of Chandrasekhara the Indu Mouli is Yourself, Amma." The Easwarahood comes to Him by Her only. The first sloka of 'Soundarya Lahari' too, confirms the idea that, 'without Her, He is inert'. Parameswara being aware of Himself is due to Her, the dynamic idea. Without Her Grace, we can never know Him, though He is 'Omnipresent'.

15. He Himself can have self awareness only by Her. At the same time, He is Her basis. She is the 'Prakriti' or Mother Nature and He is the 'Purusha'. Nature is called 'Maya' and Easwara is 'Mayi or Mayavi'. Easwara's wealth Kamakshi, 'as inseperable Nature, is effugent in the center of Kanchipuram, wearing 'sprouting new born moon', as the essence of Vedas', says Mookar. The words in Sanskrit read, "aindava kishora sekharam", with exceptional beauty of expression. Another child of Ambal, Thiru Gnana Sambandar, said in Tamil, "murtra ven thingal", meaning the same, 'not yet fully mature white moon'.

16 Ambal is Nature. Not only that, She is also the power of Maya and the power that can and erase the effect of Maya. This Kamakshi is not seperate from Purusha or Siva. They are non-differentiable one. Veda's end mesage is oneness of Adwaita. She is the embodyment of the principle of Adwaita. Adwaita the intangible principle in tangible form is She as Kameswari in Kanchi Kamakshi. Mookar says, "Aidambaryam saghasthi nigamanam".

17. "We approach her as the Mother form. There She is having the Father's, third eye and crescent moon. As Pathivrata, she got half His body. Still when you look closely, she has slowly stolen His entire being and made Him Herself." So, says Soundarya Lahiri. With the poetic licence and devotional fervour, Mooka and Adi Sankara, have described Her thus in Soundarya Lahiri and Pancha Sathi. The toal idea is that She is complete power of Brhmam and there is no difference between Her and Paramatma Parameswara!

18. If Adi Sankara says the She has stolen His body, Neelkanta Deekshidar, who was born in the family of Appayya Deekshidar in later years, claims that Parameswara has misappropriated all Her greatness. He charges that, "Parmeswara has got name and fame as having reduced Kaman to ashes by a look of the third eye and as having kicked Kalan by His legs! Both misappropriations! Kaman was burnt by the third eye. Agreed. But this eye belongs to You at least 50%. Let that be set aside. But the leg with which Kalan was kicked, was entirely Yours! The Left leg! Here the credit should go entirely to You only." The message is that, the slightest Grace of Kamakshi, is enough to win over lust, desires and time.

19. "Your greatness is beyond the reach of our speech and comprehension. It is the power that moves the static inert Siva! By the move of Your eye brows, You make Brhma, Vishnu, Rudra, Easwara and Sadasiva, do the Five main duties of, creation, maintenance, samhara, maya and anugraha known as 'Pancha Krutya'. They are like five officers working under You. They cannot do anything on their own. All their power is Yours. All their heads are in Your lotus feet with their hands held in a posture of obedience as buds of lotus. If we do Pooja to Your lotus feet, it will be as though we have done archana in their hands. To do obeisance to You is as good as propitiating all the Gods, since You ae the Mother of all!" So says another sloka of Soundarya Lahiri, starting with the words, 'Thrayanam devanam'.

20. Adi Sankara talks of Ambal's 'mahima' in Soundarya Lahiri: "Amma! You are residing in the abode which is surrounded by nine concentric perimeters. There in the center, You are with Parameswara. No one deserves to get inside. Indra and other Devatas are outside the outer perimeter. Your guards are the Siddhis such as 'Anima'. They themselves grant the various powers to the visitors." The sloka starts with the words, 'Purarathe anthah puramasi..'

21. This palace surrounded by nine 'Avaranas' is 'Sri Chakra'. This is the 'yantra'. The formless Kameswari is in the form of Sri Chakra Yantra. It will look like some lines and angles. Some words which has divine powers are called 'Mantras'. Similarly these designs with divine powers are called Yantras. Kamakshi or Kameswari's mantra is 'Sri Vidya' and yantra is 'Sri Chakram'. In it there are nine 'Avaranas' which are concentric spheres with gates. In the center is a triangular structure with a 'Bindu', in its center. This dot is Parasakthi. In it She is Kameswari with Kameswara. (Our understanding is limited to the three dimentions of length, breadth and height or depth. Can we think of a matrix of nine dimentions? Try.) The outer nine Avaranas are like fortresses, guarded by various Devatas, who are also Her power only. The outer most Avarana, has Siddhis, starting from 'Anima' as I said earlier.

22. Some people are called 'Siddhas'. They do things seemingly miraculous. These powers are, 'Anima', 'Mahima', 'Lagima', 'Prapthi',
'Prakamyam', 'Easithvam', 'Vasithvam' and 'Kamavasayanam' or 'Bukthi'. Anima, is to make oneself powerfully concentrate in to the smallest, like an atom. Mahima, is to become bigger than the biggest. Lagima is to become lighter than a whiff of cotton. Prapthi is to attain anything wanted. Prakamyam is to know everything. Easithvam is suzerainty on all and everything. Vasithvam is highest attractiveness. The eighth one is variously called as Kamavasayanam or Bukthi, or all the other Siddhis rolled into one. By other Siddhis we can do good and or bad. But to go beyond good and bad, is what is to be achieved.

23. This happens only when the mind is won over. You win your mind. Automatically other minds are under your control. The Mother of all Siddhis is Self Realization! When You realize Your Self, you know that all so called siddhis are only your already attainments. If and when you know everything, and you are everything, who is to be told about it and who is to be impressed? Who is to flatter you or give you name and fame? When you are everything, what is to be desired and who is to be attracted? Thayum + Anavar = Thaymanavar, a Tamil poet siddha of Trichy, says that you can do any miracle. You can materialise things from thin air; can make things disappear; enter into other peoples mind or body; but what is most difficult is to do nothing and simply be with your mind under control. In Tamil, 'summa iru', in Telugu, 'oorika undu', in English, 'simply be'; is that ultimate achievement!

24. You can do miracles. But you cannot do miracles, thinking that you are doing miracles. It has to come to you naturally, without a sense of achievement. Beyond Tambaram, there is a Temple complex that has come into being, in memory of Seshadri Swamigal of Thiruvannamalai. There are one temple each for the 18 Siddhas. In Gorkhpur, in the temple for Gorakhnath, there are statues for a whole lot of Siddhas. Their actions will look like pranks. But in reality, having advanced far in the process of Self Realization, they are automatically endowed with Siddhis, which are flabberghasting for the ordinary average human being. In the abode of Kamakshi, Sri Chakra, the Devathas who grant you the powers of Siddhi are like the gate keepers in the outer periphery.

25. Such power of Ambal, on occassions pours forth with uncontrollable spontaneity and ebullience. The Thiruvanaika Akhilandeswari's Shakthi was rather unbearable. Adi Sankara got made two 'thadangas' that is, ear studs in the form of Sri Chakra and Siva Chakra. He reined in the Ambal's power in them and offered them as ornaments for the Goddess. Similarly when he visited Raja Rajeswari Kamakshi, the same Acharya installed a Sri Chakra yantra in front of Her and invoked Her powers to settle in it. Since then, She is a supremely 'Shanta Murthy', imparting Her grace to Her devotees!

Sambhomahadeva.