Kripa-Siddhi of Mahayakshini Maa Vindhyavasini at Vindhyachal

The speaker opens with a common situation: one's attachment rests on the various forms of Bhagavati Navadurga, and every form attracts. One wants to serve Bhagavati Shailputri; at times the wish arises to serve Bhagavati Kalaratri; at times the pull grows toward the ten Mahavidyas — sometimes Bhagavati Kalika appeals, sometimes the attraction turns to Tripurasundari, sometimes one wants to serve Baglamukhi. When attraction keeps growing toward form after form, he says, a feeling of contraction comes into the mind: whom, in the end, do I serve? This form looks good, that form looks good too. After laying out the matters of the Vindhyachal region, he gives his answer: anyone who is attracted toward various forms should serve Bhagavati Vindhyavasini, because in her form every particle of this entire creation is contained. Every shakti there is, every devi shakti, is contained in her.

The speaker says that in the entire universe, if there is any dham, any Shakti Peeth, any place at all that stands as a complete Shakti Peeth, it is solely the Vindhyachal dham of Bhagavati Vindhyavasini, situated on the bank of the Ganga. Bhagavati Jagadamba"Mother of the World" — an epithet of the Devi. has been present there since the beginning of time. Therefore, he says, every person must go to Vindhyachal dham at least once in their lifetime, and the seva of Bhagavati Vindhyavasini should be done for one's whole life.

The speaker says that all the siddha tantrics of a high order — those who gain mastery in tantra vidyas or make them siddha — and especially those with trikalagya shaktis, the powers that carry the capacity to see and know past, future and present, every kind of power and every kind of thing, and to catch their movement: whichever of these shaktis one makes siddha, those shaktis have certainly had the seva, puja, archana and anushthan of Bhagavati Vindhyavasini done for them. In whatever birth (yoni) one was, in whatever circumstance, when that person's time came, it is only by her grace that trikaldarshita comes to anyone. This, he says, is well known to all. Therefore, he says, those in the field of jyotish and the field of tantra who want to attain siddhi of this kind must, for their whole life, do the seva and upasana of Jagadamba"Mother of the World" — an epithet of the Devi. — of Bhagavati Vindhyavasini.

The speaker says it will surprise everyone to learn that Vindhyachal is the only dham where it is held that Bhagavati Vindhyavasini is in the form of a man (purush), and that every sadhak there and every person who comes there is present in the form of a Yogini. He points to the Puranic story of the daitya Arunasura. When people were wholly tormented because of Arunasura and the Tridev went to Bhagavati Vindhyavasini's region, they saw there that the Navadurga and the ten Mahavidyas were busy with all her arrangements before Bhagavati woke; various Bhairava and Bhairavi were present. And before entering — at the very point where the Vindhyachal region begins — all the devas took on their femininity: giving up the male form and taking on a female form, only then did they enter that region. That, he says, is the first place where Bhagavan Ganesha goes in Vainayaki form — from Vinayak he becomes Vainayaki. Maheshwar goes wearing the Maheshwari form; Bhagavan Vishnu enters that place wearing the Vaishnavi form, and then describes to Jagadamba"Mother of the World" — an epithet of the Devi. whatever tale and trouble he has. So this region is that important, he says: the Vindhya region is full of every kind of comfort and fulfils each of one's wishes. Bhagavati Vindhyavasini's glory is endless, from beginningless time.

The speaker says Bhagavan Maharishi Agastya Rishi is called the first rishi of that region. After Bhagavan Sadashiva, if Jagadamba"Mother of the World" — an epithet of the Devi. first gave anyone the teaching and the command of her own puja and seva, it was Maharishi Agastya. Agastya Muni, he says, is called the kul-rishi of the Vindhya kul, and he is regarded as its kul-purohit.

The speaker says everyone will be surprised to learn that it was Bhagavati Vindhyavasini herself who appeared in three forms in the Krishna avatar of Bhagavan Narayana. The first form is the one everyone knows: she slipped from Kansa's hands and went and appeared in the Yogmaya form. In the Vindhya region she is known by the name Ashtabhuja. In the second form she is present as Subhadra at Jagannath Puri, and as the shakti she is established right there in the Jagannath temple in the form of Maa Bhagavati Vimala. The third form is the one she took on, going as Yogmaya, at the place that is Delhi. There are many distinctions, many secrets, he says, and the secrets cannot be unveiled completely. But the Vindhya region is an extremely vast region, and Vindhya tantra is in itself a strange tantra that holds many secrets within it.

The speaker says that for common and simple people who want to serve Bhagavati Vindhyavasini, or who already do, the most accessible thing is this: if one wishes, try to please Jagadamba"Mother of the World" — an epithet of the Devi. through her ChalisaA devotional hymn of forty verses addressed to a deity, recited as a daily or vowed path. alone. His reason is that reciting Sanskrit is not within everyone's capacity — they cannot do it — and the requirements, the rules and regulations, that go with mantra-japa and the like are ones not everyone can bind themselves to. A chalisa, he says, is accessible to all. In the days of Navratri, recite the Vindhyavasini Chalisa with vidhi-vidhan for the nine days and awaken it. After that, put it to use.

The speaker says that if one wishes, one can make the place of Bhagavati Vindhyavasini's trikon Mandala at one's own puja place. If not, then if one wishes, keep a photo of Bhagavati Vindhyavasini, or take the form of Bhagavati Durga itself, regard it as the form of Bhagavati Vindhyavasini, and do the practice in that. He adds that her form is regarded as Mahavidyas among the vidyas, and as Mahayakshini-swarupa among the Yaksha shaktis. There are many distinctions, he says, and all of those matters cannot be brought to light.

The speaker says that even though those matters cannot all be revealed, this much can be said before everyone: Bhagavati Vindhyavasini is, in herself, the most root shakti in this entire universe — if one were to name a root shakti, it is she. That is, Jagadamba"Mother of the World" — an epithet of the Devi. is the seed-form of all shaktis. Whether it is the maya Bija Mantra or the Pranav beej, or however many mahashaktis there are — the seed of all of them, their place of origin, their region of origin, according to kalpa-bheda falls somewhere at Vindhyachal too.

The speaker says one can recite the ChalisaA devotional hymn of forty verses addressed to a deity, recited as a daily or vowed path. of Bhagavati Vindhyavasini that is available — published for the welfare and happiness of all — and has been recited for a very long time. In the days of Navratri, he says, one should take a SankalpaA formal ritual resolution spoken aloud before an offering or observance, declaring its intent and dedicating its merit. and do 41 paths of it every day. On the last day one should do Ahuti five times: from each of the 40 chaupais, one ahuti each should be given. Having awakened the Vindhyavasini Chalisa in this way, one can then use it regularly. The sankalpa may be taken for the attainment of Bhagavati Vindhyavasini's grace, or for the completion of any wish of one's own that has remained stuck for a long time. Her glory is endless, he says: through the Chalisa alone one can please Bhagavati greatly and attain her grace. In life, recite the Vindhyavasini Chalisa daily.

The speaker says that when one recites the ChalisaA devotional hymn of forty verses addressed to a deity, recited as a daily or vowed path., one will see that it contains a collection of the names of the Navadurga, the ten Mahavidyas, and each of the 51 Shakti Peeth — a collection of various names. For this very reason, he says, the Vindhyavasini Chalisa is regarded as a complete chalisa in itself. Along with that, the grace of all shaktis is obtained solely and only by reciting the Vindhyavasini Chalisa. So it is, in itself, an extremely wonderful chalisa, he says, and one must recite it after awakening it with this vidhi-vidhan.

The speaker says that after this, when Jagadamba"Mother of the World" — an epithet of the Devi. herself becomes gracious, she shows one the path ahead. In life, if one has the means, he says, one must at some time or other go to Vindhya dham along with one's family. And if one is a Sanatani and is willing, then at the very least once a year one must go to Vindhyachal dham, on the bank of the Ganga.

The speaker says that at Vindhyachal, after taking darshan of Bhagavati Vindhyavasini and after doing the Trikona YatraA pilgrimage completing a triangle between three seats of the Goddess., one should stay there for a day and do 100 paths of the ChalisaA devotional hymn of forty verses addressed to a deity, recited as a daily or vowed path.. With the first mantra of the Argala Stotra, he says, ahutis and the rest should be offered there in the Havan kund through the purohits. By this Bhagavati Vindhyavasini removes one's many diseases, sorrows and afflictions; she removes all the many kinds of dosha that are in a house; she removes many of one's sins. Bhagavati Vindhyavasini, he says, is fully capable of devouring every kind of sin, and, after giving every kind of happiness, fully capable of granting moksha. Therefore every person must do the seva, puja and aradhana of Bhagavati Vindhyavasini in their lifetime — and, if possible, for their whole life.