Tripurasundari Ashtakam Worship of Mahatripurasundari effects a reconciliation of the paths of work, love and reason.

It is in agreement with the findings of the modern science. While the followers of different creeds quarrel among themselves, the SAKTA has no quarrel with an of them. Shankara !hagavatpada in ancient times and Sri "amakrishna in modern times have demonstrated through their lives and teachings which the have lived through, that such reconciliation is not onl possi#le #ut also necessar . The have proved that all paths pursued with devotion and a sense of non$dualit lead to the same goal, that Mantras are efficacious, that %evathas and higher powers e&ist and that step # step the %ivine mother Mahatripurasundari leads the sadhaka to higher and higher levels of consciousness till he reaches perfection and #ecomes one with the supreme realit . Sri Achar a's Saundar alahari, (alita Trishati !hash am, )rapanchasara Tantra and various stotras give us a deep insight into the secrets of worship of *hitprasakthi. The T"I)+"AS+,%A"I AS-TAKAM, short and sweet in a mellifluous meter, contains, as if in a nutshell, the entire philosoph of Shakti worship. .f the thousands and lakhs of epithets of the %evi, Mahatripurasundari is the most wondrous one, declared unanimousl # all agamas, Tantras and /edas. It means she is the #elle of all the three worlds, the #eaut par e&cellence in the 'triad'. The term 'Tripura'can #e variousl interpreted0 1. Three #odied0 )aramashiva is the matri&, as it were, of the trinit , !rahma, /ishnu and "udra. The Kalika )urana sa s that # the will of )radhana 2the first principle3 the #od of Shiva #ecame triple0 the upper part #ecame !rahma, the middle /ishnu and the lower "udra. As these three puras 2#odies3 are in him, he is called Tripura 2three #odied3 and hence his spouse is called Tripurasundari. In this conte&t it will #e of interest to learn a#out the linga at 4udimallam, a sacred township, a#out twent miles from Sri Kalahasti in Andhra )radesh in India. The lingam here, said to have #een installed # )arashurama has its lower part #earing the form of a 4andharva 2a musical demi$god3. The middle part resem#les )arashurama, with a tur#an and the upper part that of Shiva lingam. +nder a curse !rahma once #ecame a 4andharva, *hitrasena # name. The lower pat of the lingam is thus !rahma. )arashurama is an avtar of /ishnu. Thus the form of Shiva here is of Tripura. 56rom +padesham of )eri aval of Kanchi Kamakoti Mahapeetham7. 8. "esident in the triads0 The %evi's mantra consists of three s lla#les. -er Srivid a panchadashi 2or sodashi3 mantra is composed of three kutas 2peaks3 /ag#hava, Kamara9a and Sakthi kutas. She resides in these which are her ver form 2Sukshma form$ su#tle form3. The nadis 2ps chic nerves3 where she resides are three Ida, Sushumna and )ingala. -er Sakthis are three0 Iccha2will3, :nana2knowledge3 and Kri a2action3. The Srichakra, her ver form again consists of circles, angles and lines. The worlds which she pervades are three0 -eaven, earth and the nether worlds. ;ver ta#ernacle wherein she is the immanent self is composed of three frames0 Sukshma sarira 2su#tle #od 3, Sthula sharira 2gross #od 3 and Karana Sharira 2 causal #od 3. This again has three states of e&istence0 :agrat 2wakeful3, Swapna 2dream3 and Sushupti 2deep sleep3. The whole universe of which she is the Mulaprakriti 26irst principle3 and which she pervades is a modification of the three modes of energ , Sattva 2rh thm3, "a9as 2mo#ilit 3 and Tamas 2inertia3. <. Tripura also means 'anterior to the trinit , !rahma$/ishnu$ "udra'. A#hi ukta sa s 0 '!ecause the %evi created the three forms 2trimurtis3, #ecause she is #efore all 2)uro#hava3, #ecause she is in the form of the three2Tra eema ee3, #ecause even after after dissolution of the three worlds she recreates them again, the Mother's name is appropriatel Tripura. 5vide commentar of ,atanandanatha on Kamakalavilasa7. (ova#ilit and 9o are the inherent qualities of #eaut . 'A thing of #eaut is a 9o for ever'2Keats3. In a finite thing there is no perfect unallo ed 9o . What it gives cannot #e a#iding. Sruthi sa s0 'That which is infinite is !liss$ =o vai !hoomaa tat sukham> naalpe sukham asti. !hoomaiva sukham$ *handog a +panishad3. ;&palining this te&t, Simadachar a sa s0 'in what is finite there is no #liss. !ecause the finite or the small alwa s gives rise to longing for what is more than that. And longing is a source of pain. And what is a source of pain is never !liss. -ence it is quite correct to sa that there is no !liss in what is finite. -ence the infinite alone is !liss, especiall #ecause in infinite, there is no possi#ilit of pain like longing and the rest. !e ond the operation of time, space and causation, infinite is free from mutation. It is, therefore, ;ternal Truth. (imitless !liss and !eaut ;ternal are the properties of Truth A#solute. This is what Kalidasa sa s in Kumara Sam#hava0 'That is #eaut which never fades #ut renews its freshness at all moments.' When such a #lissful #eaut takes a form it is Mahatripurasundari. She is #eautiful in ever lim# $ sarvangasundariall lim#s are in proper proportion having all the qualities of perfection mentioned in Saamudrikaa

Shastra. The %evi, the never changing one among the man is therefore called Mahatripurasundari. It is noteworth that of all the manifestations of the supreme that Sri "amakrishna )aramahansa had witnessed, that of Sri "a9ara9eshwari was the most #eautiful to him. The first verse0 I seek shelter in Mahatripurasundari, Mater 6amilias of the three e ed one, strolling in the Kadam#a forest, who is like a #ank of clouds to a gala& of sages, whose hip e&cels the mountain, who is served # celestial damsels, whose e es rival the new$#orn lotus, And swarth like the nim#us newl formed? Kadam#a is a kind of tree called ,auclea cadam#a. It is said to put forth orange, fragrant #uds at the roaring of thunder clouds. A withered relic of the Kadam#a tree is preserved in the precincts of the Madurai Sri Minakshi temple. It also means multitude. In that sense, the Kadam#a forest stands for the universe that the %evi permeates completel . As a #ank of clouds quenches the thirst of the earth, so does Mahatripurasundari slake the spiritual thirsts of infinite num#er of sages and divine #eings # granting them herself. Muni means silent meditator. Mother is descri#ed as having lovel hips, mainl to facilitate the Saguna %h ana of the mother # those who cannot contemplate on her formless aspect in the earl stages of spiritual evolution. This also confirms # the standards prescri#ed # Saamudrika Shastra for Sarvaanga Sundari. Swarth like the newl formed rain cloud0 this indicates the mother's massive grace, ever read to rain upon her votaries to e&tinguish the fire of their suffering. ;sotericall , the %evi has her a#ode in the Sahasrara *hakra, where her mansion is #uilt of *hintamani 2a precious stone credited with the capa#ilit to grant all desires3 and surrounded # Kalpa and Kadam#a trees. In the form of Kundalini, the %evi is normall alwa s in a slum#er in the Muladhara *hakra. The vital energ i.e )rana directed there # the =ogis, practicing )rana ama, generates enormous heat in Muladhara and it consequentl awakens the Kundalini Shakti. She now courses through the Sushumna nadi, piercing all the si& charkas, to the Sahasrara chakra to meet her lord there. In union with )ara#rahman there, she pours down the nectar of Kulamrita, resem#ling freshl formed rain clouds, which in turn quenches the heat in Muladhara. ! the word three$e ed one, )aramashiva or Kameshwara is meant here and not "udra, Maheshwara or Sadashiva. The second Shloka0 I seek shelter in Mahatripurasundari, Mater familias of the three e ed$one, who is ha#ituating the forest of Kadam#a trees, holding a golden /eena, Wearing a necklace of priceless gems, having a face deepl aglow with am#rosia, #estowing prosperit due to her infinite merc , *lear e ed and Wandering. -a#iting the Kadam#a forest means that the %evi is not onl transcendent of the universe #ut also immanent in it. As the soul is in the #od , so is she in the universe. /ina stands for the universe and its music for the orderl #ehavior of all therein. It is the pla er who generates music, the instrument in itself is lifeless. In like manner it is %evi who #rings a#out harmon among all the things in the universe. She is the moving spirit in all. !ut for her, there would #e onl chaos. This clearl indicates at the mantra from Kathopanishad, Tameva #haantamanu#haanti etc. The stem of the /ina represents the spine or Merudanda and the /ina's strings represent the nadis that run through the spine. Also, the ver sight of /ina is regarded as a #lessing since it is the queen of musical instruments. The stem is regarded as Shiva, strings as +ma, shoulder as /ishnu, tailpiece as (akshmi, gourd as !rahma, midpoint as Saraswathi and the #inding nerve as Adishesha. So the mother's pla ing on the /ina reminds us that it is S-; who gives energ to all the deities to perform their appointed tasks. 6or Mahatripurasundari, the personified universe or /ishwaroopini, the stars are the gems on her necklace. !eing the in$dwelling self in all #odies, virtuall it is she who is wearing the ornaments of all. Whosoever living #eings secure for themselves o#9ects of en9o ment such as ornaments, food etc, she onl is adorned with all of

them for her pleasure. She is the self in ever deit > ever ornament offered # the devotees to please their respective deities, the all reall adorn her. Also, it is the custom of the Sama acharins to offer the 4reat mother, 9ewels set with gems, while meditating on -er in the Manipuraka chakra. This custom has its genesis in the concept that Sridevi fills the interior of Manipoora with priceless gems of her own light. Mother is descri#ed # Srimadachar a as having a face deepl aglow with /aaruni or am#rosia. /aaruni literall means the liquor that issued out during the churning of the milk ocean for nectar. -owever, varuni here indicates deep into&ication or #liss #rought a#out due to the Kulamrita resulting from the union of Shiva and Shakti in the Sahasrara. Ine#riated with the nectarine flow, she displa s signs of into&ication like #lood shot e es, red cheeks etc. All these signs ma #e e&plained with reference to /i9naana or the science of descent of Kundalini #ack to Mooladhaara after the great communion. The e&act relevance ma #e learnt from one's own 4uru. In the vama modes of worship, %evi is propitiated with )anchamakaras namel Mad a Maamsa etc. as detailed in raurava tantras like Kali vilasa tantra. ;sotericall , spiritual liquor is indeed the divine Kulamrita. It is unfortunate that most /amamarga Sadhakas indulge in se& and wine without proper understanding of the underl ing esoteric significance. The , thus get more and more entangled in samsara. This is the ver reason wh Srimadachar a #anned /amamarga as not #eing suita#le to all. Tantras themselves have declared that /ama marga is for )ashu !haava sadhakas. ;ven A#hinavagupta of Assam, though a ver great Tantric scholar and a follower of /amamarga, was defeated comforta#l # Achar a in a de#ate. -is A#hichara pra oga 2some sa krit a3 on Achar a was reversed #ack to him # Sri (akshmi ,arasimha. ! the wa of refinement, the poorva Kaulas offer consecrated coconut water as a su#stitute to liquor. Sama ins have no need for all these e&ternal s m#olism. /aaruni also means the 9uice e&tracted from the dates, said to #e a favorite drink of lord /aruna. This is nothing #ut a t pe of wine again. ;ver variet of wine is called # distinctive names, Sura is the wine e&tracted from rice, Kohala from #arle , Madhulika from wheat etc. /i#hava means #oth wealth and final #eatitude. While the former is necessar for a comforta#le living in the material world, the latter is the final goal. Mahatripurasundari is one who #estows en9o ment and li#eration as well. Srimadachar a is rightl full of praise of her grace, for it confers prosperit for the life here and the final #eatitude for the life hereafter. -ence it is said 'Sri sundari sadhaka pungavaanaam #hogam cha moksham cha karastha eva'. %ifferent deities grant different #oons. -owever no other deit , not even an of the other Mahavid a goddesses is credited with this rare com#ination of #oth worldl en9o ment and li#eration. This indeed is the uniqueness of Mahatripurasundari, which has earned her the epithet, "a9ara9eshwari, not applica#le to her an other form. Mother is said to #e clear e ed since she remains as an unattached spectator. +nruffled # an e&perience, #itter or pleasant, she is ever serene with her e es tranquil. She is also called wandering since , even though she is the moving spirit in ever #eing, she has no desire whatsoever. "esiding in all #odies, her moving a#out is therefore carefree wandering. Third Shloka0 @Arra ed we #e in the panopl , # her Kadam#a forest a#ode, # the garland gracing her massive #osom, # her #osom rivaling mountains, # the splendid flow of her surpassing grace in the form of 4uru's grace, # her cheeks ruddied # wine, # her melodious musical voice, # her cloud$like #lue, # her inscruta#le pla @. -ere, Achar a invokes the %evi's a#ode, garland, #reasts and dark #lue comple&ion that the shall shield us from ever evil. .nce -er grace descends upon us, no evil will #efall us. .nce again, Kadam#a forest a#ode signifies the entire universe in the macrocosm or the sahasraara chakra in the microcosm. .r it simpl means the hearts of the devotees. 4arland is a s m#ol of auspiciousness. She is hence ever auspicious. Also mantra is something that protects the chanter. ,ow devi's garland is nothing #ut the varnamaala or the alpha#et from which all sounds and mantras

arise. She is thus sarvamantrasvaroopini and who #etter can ward off evil than herA The %evi is the mother of all. In the form of Annapoorna, she gives food, spiritual as well as ph sical, to all her children. Instances are man of her suckling small children and of their #lossoming into spiritual giants. ;g. Tiru9nanasam#andhar who was fed # Am#a A#hiraami. -er massive mountain like #reasts represent her cosmic motherhood and her eagerness to nourish the entire creation. ,ow, Srimadachar a also speaks of her surpassing grace. .f all kinds of love, the mother's love is so well known to #e the #est that an further e&planation will #e redundant. 6or the spirituall less evolved, it is through -er grace that the noumenal incorpo$real !rahman #ecomes phenomenal corporeal Ishwara. It is she who shows up and #rings the qualit $less Supreme !eing within our reach as the mortal mother shows first her child its father. The great mother Mahatripurasundari #lesses us not onl with en9o ments #ut also with Moksha. ,o dou#t thus, that her grace is peerless, surpassing. It is splendid for it dispels our ignorance and #rings us enlightenment. The word 4uru here means heav or a#undance. -er grace is heav and a#undant. 4uru also means spiritual preceptor and gurukripa, his grace. It is known to sama acharins that through Sadguru's grace 2in the form of sam#hava mahavedha 3, )araam#a suddenl appears in the Manipuraka from where she has to #e lead to the crown. Without the 4urupaaduka mantra, it is said that srivid a gives no results at all, on the contrar , it leads to =ogini Shaapa. This clearl points to the a#solute necessit of 4uru's guidance. -owever, I would also like to tell here that in "udra amala, !hagvathi assures that she herself will #e the preceptor to the sincere and devoted sadhaka par e&cellence. Since Aatma$4uru$Srichakra$Srivid a$Sridevi are all one without an iota of dualit , grace is all the same whether we sa 4urukripa or %evi's grace. In satashloki, the great Achar a #rings out the uniqueness of 4uru's grace # drawing a parallel #etween it and the philosophers stone. -e sa s B6or the venera#le preceptor who #estows the li#erating knowledge, there is no known comparison in the three worlds. ;ven the philosopher's stone, can onl turn iron into gold> it cannot transmute it into another philosopherCs stone. .n the contrar , the venera#le guru makes his disciple who has taken refuge at his feet, his own equal. )eerless na , transcendent is -e?@ 6or ever one, the ver first 4uru is one's own mother. The %evi , the mother of infinite num#er of worlds is indeed the foremost 4uru. In the form +ma, she cleansed Indra of his pride and arrogance and taught him the knowledge of the A#solute as e&plained # Kena +panishad. The tantras define ,igama as the tantra which emanated from the mouth of 4iri9a, which was listened to # Maheshwara and approved # /asudeva. 6rom this it follows that she has #een guru to even her cosmic consort Kameshwara. It is this great /imarsha Shakti that gives a sense of @I@ ness or identit to the attri#ute less )aramashiva. -e sees himself onl through -er and hence she is undou#tedl the 4uru of the #est of the 4urus. !hattanaara ana comments on the name @,i9aagnaaroopanigamaa'in the (alita Sahasranama that the ,igamas 2# which he means the /edas since generall agamas mean Tantra and nigamas refer to Sruti3 are the e&pressions of her eternal command. -ere guru's grace, ma also mean Srivid a mantra itself which is o#taina#le onl # the highest grace of the divine mother 2this interpretation was # -.-. Sri Srimad *handrashekhara !harati Mahaswamigal, of Sringeri Sharada )eetham, the greatest of ogis in the recent times3. Srivid a means as much the path to the %ivine knowledge as the %ivine Knowledge itself. She is not onl the %ivine Knowledge #ut also the great path of Srivid a leading up to it i.e. herself. 6urther, Mahatripurasundari is also the spouse of world 4uru %akshinamurti and due to the fivefold identit that e&ist #etween her and The lord 2 e&plained in the commentar to the last verse of Anandalahari, the first half of Saundar alahari and also in Agamachandrika3, 4uru epithet is naturall applica#le to -er. Wh is her grace like flowA 6or like water it flows down from a higher level to a lower level. ;ven a tin crack in the devotee's heart will do for -er grace to rush in. This word kripaa is ver significant. (ove for equals is Maitri, love for superiors is !hakti and love for inferiors is Kripa. 4race is a#solutel necessar for the less evolved to get rid of all earth shackles and to em#race the magnificent infinite. Melodious voice $ ,eedless to sa a mother talks to her children sweetl . Towards their little ones even the ferocious animals give up the ferocit . What to sa of !hagavati who is the highest water$mark of grace. Moreover #liss or ananda is her ver nature. As Sh amala, she is the mother of all fine arts including music. Sh amala is of various forms like Saahit a sh amala, /enu Sh amala, Shuka sh amala, Shaarikaa Sh amala etc. it is said # ,ara ana in Tripura !hairavi Stotra in :a adratha amala that goddesses Saraswati gets all her poetic and musical capa#ilities # drinking the water that is used to wash the Sri )aduka of Mahatripurasundari.

An thing vast partakes the color of #lue e.g. the sk , the ocean etc. The %evi is vast in as much as she is pervasive of the entire universe. She is therefore descri#ed as !lue. She is also a #ank of clouds to the parched world. She is called #lue 2though the traditional %h ana on Mahatripurasundari prescri#es a rudd comple&ion 2arunaa3 to her3 to indicate that she is the nectarine cloud that showers the Kulamrita. -er inscruta#le pla is the act of pro9ecting$sustaining$withdrawing the universe. As Taittare a sruthi sa s B =ato #hootani 9aa anthe etc. B, the entire phenomenal world has its genesis in, sta s on and dissolutes into !rahman. -ow the finite arises from out of the infinite is an incomprehensi#le m ster , called Ma a. It is a#solutel wrong to sa that !rahman has transformed into universe. 6or !rahman is infinite and infinite is devoid of parts. Also immuta#ilit is the essential qualit of the infinite. This completel refutes the theories of 4audi as and other sects with concepts like sukshmanu paramanu etc. the phenomena of the universe is therefore past reasoning. It is %evi's pla or (ila. 6or the ordinar mortals it is well nigh impossi#le to meditate upon and realiDe the supreme )ara#rahman. 6or them this ma a of %evi is of immense help in #ringing the formless attri#uteless !rahman within their reach # investing it with a form and attri#utes, which does cause limitation, #ut the mother's divine grace helps one to evolve spirituall so as to transcend it. Karanaagama sa s @ for helping ascetics, ritualistic worshippers, ogis, to do meditation and )u9a, the supreme !rahman assumes a form pla full '. Thus it would indeed #e foolish to argue whether Kali is #etter than (alita or Tara is the #est among the two. It is ver sad to see that the so$called illumined saints of the various dualistic /aishnavite sects have argued 2and continue to argue3 that Krishna is the #est and the onl from of the great lord. ,ow, an form with attri#utes can never ever #e without limitations. .ne has to, at some point of time cross over to the formless supreme, which indeed happens # divine grace. !e ond the operation of Ma a, the wa s in which the %evi #estows -er grace upon and #lesses her devotees are m sterious. To quote some of the innumera#le instances0 1. The moment %evi scri#ed !i9aksharas on the tongue, Kalidasa, the dunce, was transformed into Kalidasa, the great poet. 8. There is a township, Kadiramangalam # name in Tamil,adu. .n a certain da there was a heav downpour in this place. In the rainstorm a good num#er of leaves flew from the thatch of the hut occupied # Kam#an, the Tamil poet. The roof started leaking and the poet #ecame worried that his poetical works would #e destro ed. -e however fell asleep. When he woke up in the morning, he noticed to his surprise, that the roof of his hut had #een newl thatched with the e es of the padd . -e was filled with devotion towards his #eloved deit %urga. After this event, the entire township was called Kadirve ndamangalam, kadir meaning the e es of padd and ve nda woven. -e is the author of the masterpiece Kam#arama anam. <. "ous )eter, a !riton, was the collector of Madurai in 1E18. it was his routine to go round the Minakshi temple ever da on horse#ack #efore setting a#out his dail duties. .ne night, it was raining ver heavil , accompanied # thunder and lightening. "ous )eter was fast asleep in his apartment. -e was suddenl woken up # a small girl, unseen #efore, and #eckoned # her to get out. So he did implicitl . -ardl had he left his cham#er, #efore the entire structure came down, struck # lightening. The girl vanished right #efore his e es. -e realiDes that his escape was providential$ due to the grace of the supreme mother Minakshi. The fourth verse0 @Seek I shelter in Mahatripurasundari , mater familias of the three$e ed lord, who is in the middle of Kadam#a forest, seated on the golden disc, who resides in si& lotuses, who is like a constant lightening to the siddhas, splendorousl mocking scarlet -i#iscus, with cloudless moon for her crest 9ewel@. As the spider remains in the center of the we# e9ected out of its own person, Mahatripurasundari sta s as the pivot of the universe 2Kadam#a forest3 pro9ected from her own person. In this line there is an allusion to Kanchi Kamakshi who is none other than Mahatripurasundari. Among the four ma9or Shakti peethams, the supreme$most is the oddi ana )eetham or the !huvah puram which is situated in Kanchipuram. It is the !indu sthana of Srichakra. (alita Mahatripurasundari has gross subtle - more subtle - and most subtle forms which are respectively Lalita Mahatripurasundari as Kamakshi in Kanchipu ram, Srichakra, Srividya and as Paraakundalini (refer subhagodaya stuti and kanchi mahatmya varn

anam for more reading on this topic ! "hus, Mahatripurasundari #a$ara$eshwari e%ists in stoola roo pa only in Kanchi Kamakshi temple, which has no separate shrine for Paramashiva indicating that K amakshi, unlike deities in various Shakti peethams, is not Shakti but Shiva-Shakti &'(, non-dual P arabrahman! "he Kanchi Maahaatmya and Kamakalavilasa speak of Kanchi as the navel of the world! )ust as the navel is the center of the body from which all the *+,,, nerves proceed full-fledge d fashion, so Kanchi, the seat of Kamakshi, the only gross prototype of Parabrahman, is the nave l of the world from where her grace radiates! &f all the manifested sources of energy, the sun is the most potent! -ith his rising, the entire w orld becomes active! .t follows that Mahatripurasundari reveals herself through the living /od, Sun! "his also refers to the form of the goddess residing in the solar disc namely /ayatri! .ndeed srivi dya is the third and the most secretive form of /ayatri! 0hasuranandanatha proves this beyond d oubt in 1arivasyarahasya! "his is also e%plained in "ripuratapini 2panishad and also in te%ts like 3o ginihridaya! "his also refers to the 4evi radiating in the 5nahata chakra, a twelve-petalled lotus in the region of heart!as fire shines in Muladhara, moon in sahasrara, so the sun shines in 5nahata! 5s Kundalini, she abides in the si% lotuses on the way to Sahasraara! 5s swami shivananda says, Kundalini can b e aroused from any 6hakra, though the simplest is to do so from Muladhara! "he great occultist Swami Punyananda meditated on the 4evi directly in Sahasraara and achieved Siddhi! 7owever this may not be possible to all! So lets stick to Muladhara, for which the place of concentration is act ually the sthanam or kshetram of 5$na! Saudaamini means lightening! &n her way to Sahasrara, the 4evi stays for a while at 5a$naa 6hak ra, manifesting herself in the form of a streak of lightening whereby the 3ogi8s eyes close to all outer dualities and the inner eyes open up to the greater truths, making him eligible to enter the higher realms of Lalaata and other 6hakras! 5lso, in Manipuraka chakra, Sadashiva manifests as a winter cloud, in company with his spouse in the guise of lightening! "hey are called Megheshwara and Saudamini! Mahattarayonitantra names th e cosmic couple differently as 5mriteshwara and 5mriteshwari! She is also like a lightening to the Siddhas who are accomplished beings! 'ow, the siddhis are ten namely9 anima, laghima, mahima, ishi tva, vashitva, praakaamya, bhukti, icchaa, prapti and sarvakaamasiddhi! (Some include garima siddh i also, but none of the 6lassic "antras e%plain as to how this e%tra Siddhi can be accommodated i n "railokyamohana 6hakra! 6hatuhsshati Shastra clearly ob$ects the use of /arimaa Siddhi! Some v ersions that . have seen on the net have included /arima siddhi in the Khadgamala mantra, which . think is a mistake! #udra yamala8s mala mantroddhaara chapter, 1amakeshwara tantra, "ripurarnav a "antra, Prapancha saara saara samgraha, all these granthas have omitted /arima Siddhi! "hough a scholar tried to argue about its correctness saying some sampradayas do include garimaa, he w as unable to $ustify his stand! .n the course of yoga practice, when Kundalini courses up to Sahasrara, the yogi ac:uires these supernormal powers! 0eing latent in the body, these siddhis are instantly brought to light by Kunda lini like a flash of lightening! 5lso the place of meditation for 6hinnamasta is 5$na chakra! 6hinnama sta is actually the goddess of the siddhamandala! Sadhakas of 6hinnamasta e%perience the opening of their consciousness to various lokas of siddhas and other higher beings to a large e%tent! 7enc e among the Mahavidyas, (which are all present in the 5varana of Mahatripurasundari8s Srichakra 6hinna is placed as the 5nuttara samayaambaa or the attendant to Srimata in the 5nuttara :uart er referring to 5$na 6hakra again! "here could be yet another interpretation! She reveals to those who are in persuit of the Siddhis that compared with the ultimate reali;ation of the self as Mahatripurasundari, these siddhis are as

ephemeral as a lightening! 7owever, a second8s foolish indulgence in these may cause irreparable d amage $ust like blinding after being struck by lightening! Mother is also described as having a red comple%ion that puts 7ibiscus flower to shame! #ed signi fies activity! .t is the color of #a$o guna! 7ere Mahatripurasundari is described as reddish to spea k of her Kriya Shakti and to indicate that she is the source of the entire dynamic :uality of the universe! <urthermore, she is that primordial power which activated the :ualitiless unmanifest 0rah man, resulting in the appearance of this universe! 5lso scarlet 7ibiscus flower is considered very sacred to the 4evi in 5gamas and "antras! She also has a cloudless moon as her crest $ewel! Moon is the sign of immortality or 5mrita in tan tric terminology! .n the middle of Sahasraara there is the lunar disc from which 5mrita, the eli%ir of life flows! 4evi is not only immortal herself, but also the source of deathlessness for others! " he serene moon represents that especial prerogative of hers! 'ow, does not this make mother mu ch superior to a philosopher8s stone that we spoke about in the previous verse= "he fifth Shloka9 >Seek . shelter in sage Matanga8s daughter, Mellifluously conversing, vina gracing the bosom, adorn ed with curly tresses, residing in the lotus, scorning the evil-minded, #eddish-eyed due to nectar and captivating 6upid8s enemy>! Matanga was a great sage and a maestro of music! .n deference to his prayer Mahatripurasundari took birth as his daughter! "his is what earns her the title ?Matangi ?! #a$amatangi or Shyamala i s the minister to Mahatripurasundari and she shines as Minakshi in Madurai! 0liss is her nature, so her speaking is soft, sweet and pleasant! "hat is why she is called Kalaalaa paa in the Sarvasampoortikarii stava i!e the "rishati! 5charya comments on this name as follows9 ? Kalaa means purposeful and indescribably sweet! 5alaapaaa means conversation! 5ccording to th e saying, >5vyakta bhaaratee tathaa>, it is the mark of the great to have e%:uisitely sweet spee ch! Music has the irresistible force to spellbind every being! >Music is > says Longfellow, >"he univers al language of mankind! > 1ina is symbolic of the cosmic harmony she brings about, both in the mic ro and macrocosms! Mother has lovely curly tresses! /raying or falling of hair is the sign of senescence! <or Parashak ti, the embodiment of cosmic energy, there is no aging! She is ever youthful and free of senility! "his is mentioned as 'ithyayouvanashaalini and 1ayaovasthaavivar$itaa! "he totality of cosmic ener gy remains constant! .n it there is no increase or decrease at any time! She resides in lotus! (soterically it means the heart where the 4evi resides! Same thing is said by Sri #amana, @.t is the center of the self! "he self is the physical center>! .t also means Sahasrar a where Mahatripurasundari has her abode and also the Muladhara 6hakra where she resides as " ripura 0hairavi! Popularly the epithet ?Lotus resident? refers to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth who is one of th e many emanations of the primordial Shakti! "his is why Parashakti is called #amaa in ahasyanaama saahasra! . have tried to e%plain the significance of the Srisukta in light of Srividya in a previous post! Skanda Purana narrates two versions of the birth of 4evi in a lotus9

A! Shiva had given a boon to 4aksha that 4evi would be born to him! .n its fulfillment, the 4evi ca me down to river 3amuna, assumed the form of a white conch, settled herself on a lotus in the ri ver and commenced doing penance! .n the course of time, on a certain day 4aksha came to the ri ver for his morning ablution! (spying the pretty conch, he took it in his hands, and it directly beca me a girl! +! 4evi wanted to get rid of the body fostered by 4aksha, for he had turned Shiva-hater! "o do so, she got permission from Shiva and came down to a lotus tank called Padmaa and took the for m of a child! 7imavan, who was doing a penance nearby chanced upon it and took her home happily! "he devi scorns the evil minded! She is not accessible to the evil-minded, dishonest and the like! "he Prashna 2panishad says9 ><or them is that taintless world of 0rahman, in whom there is no cr ookedness, no falsehood, and no dissimulation! Mundaka upanisd also says9 @"he self is attainable through truth>! "he way to spiritual reali;ation is through ethical purity! "he evil-minded have a t endency to bring about disharmony in public life and damage the moral fabric of the society! -hen ever such demons gain upper hand, the 4evi embodies 7erself and destroys them! 6aptivating 6upids enemy alludes to the legend that when Kama, the god of love , at the behest of .ndra, shot an arrow of desire at Shiva, Shiva opened his third eye, the eye of wisdom and re duced kama to ashes by a mere glance! "he self-same Shiva was, however charmed into matrimon y by the 4evi! "he nativity of Kama or Manmatha is narrated in the #udrasamhita of Shiva Purana! 5fter 0rahma had created Marichi, 5tri, Pulaha, Pulastya, 5ngirasa, Kratu, 1asistha, 'arada, 4aksha and 0hrigu, his mental sons of lordly stature, a beautiful woman of comely features was born of his mind! Sh e was called Sandhya! &n beholding her, 0rahma and others involuntarily got up, impelled by passio n! )ust then, 0rahma noticed another son much more beautiful, handsome and comely had appeared as his mental creation! 7is very appearance was enough to set his heart aflame with love for San dhya! 7ence when Kaama asked of 0rahma about his function the latter assigned to him the same work, to arouse passion in the hearts of beings! "o test how far he could succeed in this task, K aama at once aimed his flower-arrow at 0rahma, his father himself! LoB "he poor 0rahma could n ot control his passion! (ver since, kama has been setting the hearths of beings aflame with love! Kaama means desire and love! Kaama is only a personification of desire! 7e is portrayed as carryi ng a sugarcane bow, representing the mind, and five flower arrows representing the five sense p erceptions! "he e%ternal world becomes knowledgeable to us only when the mind is con$oined to th e sense organs and directed to the sense ob$ects! Manas (mind is so called since its function is manana or thinking! "he nativity of Kaama from 0rah ma8s mind illustrates that all desires have their origin in the mind! "he whole world is nothing but a pro$ection of mind! 5s one in dream e%periences many things in his dream world and all such things appear to be real during the dream, so one in Maya e%periences many things in the world and all s uch things appear to be real as long as he is under the spell of Maya! 0ut the moment the dreame r wakes up he reali;es whatever he has e%perienced in his dream world are false as compared wi th the things that he e%periences when awake! (ven so, the moment he wakes from Maya into 0r ahman consciousness, he reali;es that the falsehood of the e%ternal world! 5s the dream world is pro$ected by the mind when it stays in Manomaya Kosha (psychological sheath , so the material w orld about us is pro$ected by the mind when it stays at 5nnamaya kosha (anatomical sheath ! .t, t herefore follows that all the ob$ects around that are e%perienced are mere products of mind! Kaa ma is only a personification of these ob$ects born of mind!

"he si%th Shloka9 >Seek . shelter in Mahatripurasundari, Mater familias of the three eyed-one, who bears the first flower of Manmatha, clad in blue garments, spotted sanguine, holding a li:uor bowl, with eyes ineb riated languishing at the ends, close set bosoms heavy and high, the swarthy one with locks dishe veledB> Manmatha the god of love carries sugarcane for bow and five different flowers for arrows! &f t hem, the first is the lotus! Mahatripurasundari in one of her meditation forms holds a lotus in her hand! 5ccording to tantras like #ahasya 5gama, the lotus is emblematic of the universe! Pushpa m eans flower as well as menstrual flow, and a woman in her period is called pushpini! > Prathama pu shpini> means a woman in her first periods! &f the pancha makaras, the last is maithuna or se%ual coupling! (soterically, it means the union of Kundalini with Shiva or the individual consciousness wit h the universal consciousness, and that is the culmination of the entire "antric practice! Muladhara, where 4evi is ever in slumber, is a region of total darkness! 5wakening her, yogi leads her up to her spouse Siva8s abode in the Sahasrara! 5s the mortal parents give their nubile daugh ter in marriage to a worthy groom and leave her in his charge, so the yogi leads the ever youthf ul Kundalini to Paramashiva, her groom and leaves her with him in the bridal chamber in Sahasrara! Physical union is possible only after one has attained puberty! So, endeavoring to rouse the sleepi ng Kundalini in him for leading her to lord, the yogi meditates upon and worships her as if she has $ust attained puberty and become fit for congress! "he divine mother in first periods is the perso nification of the #ed bindu that . have spoken about in my post Srichakra! "he 4evi is described as being habited in a blue sari with red spots! 5s the first menstrual flow s hows itself when a woman is ready to bear, so on the blue welkin, the 4evi8s raiment, signs appe ar, heralding creation! .n a 0hagavati temple in Kerala as well as in the Kamakhya temple, red spot s appear once a year in the robes of the goddess to this day! Mother also carries a bowl of wine of Maya! Madhu not only means li:uor but also honey and sprin g season! .t is a common e%perience that passion gains in strength in spring! 0eing of a similar :ua lity, li:uor also whets ones passion! "he into%icated eyes of 4evi are an e%ternal sign, which shows the depth of the divine bliss the 4evi has had from the company of her lord in Sahasrara! 5s wine makes the drinker oblivious of hi s environs, so does the divine ecstasy! /od-into%icated, a 3ogi develops irresistible craving for t he divine bliss of the 0rahman, $ust as a drunkard is ever after his li:uor bowl! "he disheveled locks of Sridevi indicate that she is ever free from formalities such as arranging t he hair etc! "his hints at the vishwottheerna form of Parabrahman! "he seventh shloka9 >.n )apa . remember the mother, smeared with vermilion, forelocks gra;ing the dot of musk, looks soft and smiling, bearing arrows, bow, snare and goad, deluding all people, in red garland, apparel and $ewels, having the splendor of scarlet 7ibiscus>! 7ere Mahatripurasundari is described as red! She is the prime desire of the supreme 0rahman to multiply into many! #ed is also the color of dawn indicating the light that dispels darkness! She is at one point of time causing Maya (Mohini and lyet again she is the one who destroys Maya (Mo hanashini ! Moha means delusion of mind which prevents one from discerning the truth and makes o ne believe in the reality of worldly ob$ects and to be addicted to the gratification of sensual plea

sures! Sridevi wields in her four hands five-flower arrows, the sugarcane bow, the snare and the goad! "he five flower arrows - lotus, 5soka, mango blossom, $asmine and blue lotus are the five rudime ntary subtle elements vi;! sound, touch, form, taste and smell! "he sugarcane bow is the mind! "h e snare is the desire and attachment and goad is wrath! 5""#56".&' 5'4 #(P2LS.&' 5#( "7( #(56".&'S &< "7( M.'4 "& "7( S('S( &0)(6"S! "he whole universe is an e%pression of the c ompound of the five rudimentary subtle elements! Mind is the force that activates the sense orga ns! 5nd the sense ob$ects are e%perienced! "he 1edas say, from the 0rahman first arose Mahat, and it was followed by the five subtle cosmic elements! 6ombination of these elements has given b irth to the universe! "he 4evi wielding the cosmic mind in the form of the sugarcane bow and the five subtle rudimentary elements in the form of five flower arrows symboli;es this! She is manipul ating these and bringing the universe into being! 0eing the only empress of the entire cosmos, #a$ ara$eshwari, she has to have the well being of people at heart! "he Paasha, love, by which she bi nds the sub$ects to her, represents this! She also upholds $ustice, which is represented by the go ad of wrath indicating policing! .n short she brings universe into e%istence and reigns over it! 3ogi ni 7ridaya identifies snare, goad and arrows with .cchaa, )nana and Kriya shaktis respectively! "h e bow makes these effulgent! "he <inal Shloka9 >. salute the mother of the world entire, who has the celestial :ueen for plaiting the tresses, 0ra hma8s consort for anointing sandal paste, 1ishnu8s spouse for adorning with lustrous gems, and he avenly damsels for servant maids>! "he 0rahmanda Mahapurana has it that the goddess Lalita Mahatripurasundari rules over the entir e universe from Sripura or Srinagara! She is the supreme empress and 0rahma-1ishnu-#udra are mere functionaries in her empire! "he #ahasyanaamasaahasra portrays that Lakshmi and Saraswat hi attend the 4evi on either sides bearing flywhisks or 6haamaras! 5ccording to Mantra Shastra, Kameshwara who transcends the "rinity 0rahma-1ishnu-#udra, is a ction less and unattached! 7is form is that of a pure colorless crystal which becomes invisible whe n immersed in water! 1ishnu and Parvathi, both dark blue, are twin manifestations, as also Shiva a nd Saraswati, both white and 0rahma and Lakshmi, both golden yellow! 4aylight is colorless, yet it contains all the colors! .f one of the colors is separated from the colorless light, the rest of the colors reveal themselves! 2nder the influence of the #ed Paraamba, the colorless Parabrahman Ka meshwara manifests himself as the trinity and their consorts! Srimadacharya says in his divine composition Saundaryalahari (which is une%ceeded in lyrical beauty, grammatical aspects and from the point of view of 3oga or Mantra shastra , >these three divinit ies 0rahma - 1ishnu -#udra, start their cosmic process when the Supreme Mother knits her bro w for a fraction of a second! She stands beyond them all and her red splendor stimulates them all to perform their respective functions, by here very presence>! "he lesson we have to draw from the foregoing is that the same Supreme 0eing appears in divers e forms as we conceive! .t is to shower its grace in the manner whereby we invoke it! 'ow what can be said of fools who argue that Krishna is much superior to Shiva whereas the rest are demi gods and vice versa= . feel this is what earns Srimadacharya the tile of >)agadguruC since he w as not a cultist and his teachings are universal beyond space and time! 7ow can any other sectist guru be termed a )agadguru for all they did was to advocate a cult practice, be it the /audiyas or the southern Shaivaites, shunning the other forms of lord as inferior to their own chosen deity!

.t follows that the energies manifested for the purpose of creation, maintenance and destruction are lower than and subservient to the primordial total unmanifested cosmic energy! "his idea is e% pressed here poetically portraying the total cosmic energy as the Supreme (mpress #a$ara$eshwa ri and the manifested energies as maids! 5ll are, however, different of the one and the same Par amount Parashakti! namo namaste shiva k5mako"i