Adishakti
Every question on the site tagged Adishakti, each answered from a timestamped source rather than a summary written from memory.
The Primordial Energy — the Goddess in her ultimate, source form, who incarnates in specific manifestations to destroy negative forces and establish a corresponding ritual paradigm.
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Why do ordinary jivas not remember their past births?
Because, as described there, whenever a jiva takes birth, at the very moment of birth Vaishnavi maya touches it — that is, Bhagavati's maya touches it — by which the jivatma forgets all the matters of its previous births, which it did remember while in the womb.
If Bhagavati Parvati is the mool shakti, why did the Chandi Path become so widespread?
The speaker says he can see no basis or sense in this question. Its meaning would be that you are simply not able to understand Bhagavati Parvati and Chandi — for you, Chandi is someone else and Parvati is someone else. That is precisely why you are saying this; Chandi has become someone else for you. If even this is not clear to you, then the question can have no sense at all.
What did Brahma and Daksha Prajapati each do before Sati was born?
Brahma produced Kamdev, Vasant and Rati, and the pitrs arose from many devatas. Wanting Shiva also to undergo the panigrahan sanskar, Brahma performed tapasya of Bhagavati and obtained boons. Daksha Prajapati then went near the Kshir Sagar, faced the northern direction, performed tapasya and asked Bhagavati Adi Shakti for the boon of receiving Bhagavati Sati as his daughter.
What happened after Bhagavati Sati took birth in Daksha's house?
Though she is Jagdamba herself, Adi Shakti, after taking birth she performs many leelas in the house, serves her mother and father greatly and obeys all they say. The speaker adds that according to kalpa-bheda, in one kalpa Sati was the eldest of all her sisters, sometimes the middle one, and sometimes the youngest, the kanishtha.
How did Brahma answer Shiva's condition for a wife?
Brahma tells him that Bhagavati herself has taken birth in the form of Sati at Daksha Prajapati's house, and asks him to go and grant her a boon, since she is performing tapasya for him. The speaker notes that Bhagavan Shiva knows everything already, but it is a leela, so it was spoken there by all the devis and devatas. Shiva then agrees and says tathastu.
What further promises did Shiva make to Vishnu?
He says: O Hare, those who bear enmity toward you will certainly be punished by me with effort. O Vishnu, I shall grant the highest moksha to your bhaktas. Receive this maya as well — the maya whose warding off is difficult even for the devatas and the rest, and being deluded by which this world will become inert. He is placing even his own maya under Vishnu, the speaker says: Bhagavan Shiva is making Bhagavan Narayana everything of everything here.
Which Saptashati passage describes the tejas from which Bhagavati was formed, and how is it used?
In the second adhyaya, where Bhagavati is manifesting, it is stated which tejas emerged from the body of which god or goddess and what Bhagavati obtained. This description too, he says, is recited independently — as in the kriyas related to the kuldevi.
Why do tantra sampradaya people insist on a bali with the Tantrokta Devi Suktam?
Many people of the tantra sampradaya say that if you recite the Tantrokta Devi Suktam you should certainly do a symbolic bali — at least give a kushmandi bali, a kadali phalam that is a banana bali, a cucumber bali, a lemon bali, but a symbolic one. The reason is that in the fifth adhyaya's stuti it is held that Bhagavati Jagadamba has been invoked by these mantras, and she certainly comes; her tattvas become present by these mantras. And the Saptashati is in itself an extremely specific, ugra Shakta tantra grantha, so it cannot be that she will not come.
Are Vaishno Devi and Bhagavati Durga different?
Asked by a listener confused because Vaishno Devi and Ma Durga are both upon a lion, he says he answered this yesterday: both are one and the same, and one should have no worry about it. He quotes: "Ekaiva shaktih parameshvarasya bhinna chaturdha vyavahara kale, purusheshu Vishnur bhogeshu Bhavani samare cha Durga pralaye cha Kali." One is not to make so much distinction. Read the Saptashati — the seventh and eighth adhyayas — and all this confusion will be removed; read the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth adhyayas well in Hindi.
Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra arise from Mahadev and Mahashakti; no distinction within Hari-Har
The speaker says it has been stated that no distinction should be made within Hari-Har. Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra all originate from Mahadev together with Bhagavati Mahamaya Jagadamba, that is, from Mahadev and Mahashakti both. He adds that after the Pralaya, when one kalpa ends and a new one begins, the Puranas describe creation being composed afresh in many different ways.
Rudra and Maheshwar are never deluded by Mahamaya, while Brahma and Vishnu were
The speaker says Rudra and Maheshwar are vibhuti forms born from the direct, complete form of Bhagavan Sadashiva; Mahamaya never deludes them to excess, so their buddhi stays steady and they have never received punishment anywhere. Brahma and Vishnu, by contrast, had forgotten their earlier karmas or were somewhere deluded by Mahamaya, and that alone is why they fell to fighting over who was superior, for which Sadashiva appeared before them as a Shivling.
The Pranava as the first upadesh, and its birth from the five faces
The speaker says the first upadesh Bhagavan Sadashiva gave was the Pranav: Omkar is the vachak and Shiva the vachya, the mantra is his own form, and daily remembrance of the Pranava is remembrance of him. A-kara came from the northern face, u-kara from the western, ma-kara from the southern, Bindu from the eastern and Nada from the middle face; with these five parts the Pranava expanded fully and became one syllable, and from it the whole world arose. He asks listeners to keep in mind that the form of bindu is the form of Mahamaya, as the Devi Atharvashirsha says bindu rupena: Bhagavati herself emerged as the bindu from the eastern face and took the form of Omkar.
The Mother herself has taken avatar as the cow for our sustenance, so her seva comes first.
Because Jagadamba herself, the speaker says, has taken avatar in the form of the cow, as this jeev, for our sustenance — so her seva is our very first duty.
What is Jagdamba's most beloved bhog?
Maa Jagdamba's most beloved bhog, the speaker says, is our ego. Offer your ego and your vasanas, become empty — Jagdamba becomes greatly pleased. Which is what he and we are unable to do. As for the rest, in material things everything is hers in any case.
What does a flowering gudhal plant on a plot indicate?
He says that if a gudhal plant there is much in bloom with red flowers, devi shakti will be present a hundred per cent — even if in a negative form, or in ugrata, or in any form at all — and it can be appeased, because these are flowers filled with devi tattvas.
Jagadamba willed the Navchandi at Govardhan, and its fruit is surrendered to her
Whatever we are doing now, the speaker says — as we have come live, as today, on account of all of you and through our medium, the Navchandi is happening at Govardhan Parvat — we should not say that we are having it done, that we did it. That should not be. If that happens, then there is difficulty. This should be the bhava in the mind and we say it too: there is no capability within us; it was Jagadamba's wish, she had it done, and to her that fruit is surrendered, to her that work is surrendered.
What does the water from Bhagavati's feet do?
He says a post will be put up, from the Dainik Bhaskar, to be read. It has been said that from what comes out of Bhagavati's nails, when her abhishek happens, from those very feet of Bhagavati — the water that comes from them does the abhishek of all three, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. Merely by doing the puja of Bhagavati Vindhyavasini, the pujan of every kind of shakti is done. Therefore you do not have the need to do separately what you are speaking of.
Moving from sakar to nirakar, all things come to be gathered in one place
This is a matter of dvait and advait, he says. When you begin to move ahead, all things will come and gather in one place; then there is no separateness among Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. This is a true subject that we merely read in the Puranas — that here Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh are all one, that all are manifest from Bhagavati. Actually, when you go from dvait toward advait, that is from sakar toward nirakar, when our bhakti begins to bear fruit, these things really begin to manifest, and then all these statements appear meaningful.
The shaktis are fundamentally one, and opened up, every link meets in a single place: Kaushiki presides over the Bhadrapada Amavasya.
The shaktis are fundamentally one; but when you open the matter up and look, all these things, all these links, come and meet at a single place. Bhagavati Kaushiki is the chief presiding upasika shakti of the Amavasya of Bhadrapada.
Before women existed Brahma undertook tapasya of Shiva and Parvati together
Up to that time there was no participation of woman in the srishti — there were no women at all. When Brahma ji understood that for this reason the prajas were not increasing, he set himself to perform tapas, and began his tapasya meditating jointly upon Bhagwan Shiva and, along with him, Bhagavati Parvati.
Shiva appeared to Brahma in the Ardhanarishwar form, half woman and half man
Shiva ji became pleased with him in only a very short time. He manifested in such a swaroop that, entering into his own fully chaitanyamayi, aishwarya-shalini, sarva-kama-pradayini murti, he assumed the form of half woman and half man and went to Brahma ji — he manifested in the Ardhanarishwar swaroop.
Why is Shakti necessary — what use is the Devi?
To those who say what use is the Devi and what use are the sannyasis, the speaker points at this very form: here Bhagwan Shiva is Ardhanarishwar in person, and without him, without Shakti, can anything run at all. In the body, blood comes about because of the mother and the bones because of the father, he says; so if there be no mother, then what use is the Devi — how will it run?
How did Parvati become separate from Shiva?
Saying that, Bhagwan Shiva separates Devi Parvati from his own vaam bhaga, and now they manifest in two forms — Bhagwan Shiva on the one side, and on his left side Bhagavati Parvati, Shakti, becoming distinct and manifesting in her own direct form.
Brahma addresses Bhagavati as "Shive"
When the two manifested separately, Brahma ji spoke to Bhagavati. Bhagwan Shiva is called Shiva and Bhagavati Parvati is called Shiva — Shive, Shiva. So Brahma ji says: O Shive, your husband, the Devadhi Deva Shiva ji, produced me at the beginning of the srishti, and that same Paramatma Shiva appointed all the prajas.
Brahma says he lacks the nari tattva, and so cannot create women
Brahma ji said that he too had made the srishti of all the devatas from his own mind — it is a manasi srishti — but even on creating again and again the prajas were not increasing; therefore he now wished to increase all his prajas by the srishti that comes from maithuna. But before her, the imperishable community of women had never arisen from Shiva ji's body, so he had remained incapable of the srishti of the nari kula. When the nari tattva itself is not with me, he says, how shall I create women?
Why is it said that without Shakti even Shiva is a shava?
All the shaktis are produced from you alone, Brahma ji tells Bhagavati — without Shakti, Shiva too is a shava. Therefore, he says, I make this prayer to you, the Param Shakti Swaroopa, the Akhileshwari: for the increase of the charachar jagat of the srishti, bestow the capability for the rachana of the nari kula, O Shive; and salutations to you, O beloved one.
Brahma asks a second boon — that Bhagavati be born as the daughter of Daksha
Brahma ji asks a further boon: O Ambike, O Sarvage, for the increase of this charachar jagat, descend in your all-capable form as the daughter of my son Daksha.
Why is Bhagavati described as bali-priya?
He says that had Bhagavati not manifested as the daughter of Daksha, there would neither be so many Shakti Peeths in this world nor such balance. Consider, he says, that Jagadamba gave the bali of her own body. People say she is not bali-priya — but she who gave her own body as bali, so that the welfare of man may be, so as to be established at place after place. She established her own pind in person at place after place; it is not that she manifested at place after place in the form of stone. It is a very great sacrifice of hers for this world, and for this reason she is called the Jagat Mata of us all.
Bhagavati empowers Brahma, and creates a second shakti from between her brows
On Brahma ji's petition, Bhagavati Parameshwari bestowed shakti on him, by which he became capable of the rachana of the srishti and capable of creating women. And the param shakti of Bhagwan Shiva, the Shiva Devi who is stri-purushatmika, created from the middle of her brows — that is, from the ajna chakra — a second shakti of a radiance like her own.
Shiva told the newly emerged shakti that Brahma had worshipped her through tapasya, and asked her to fulfil his desires
Seeing that shakti, Bhagwan Shiva, smiling, said to the Jagan Mata: O Devi, Parameshthi Brahma has worshipped you through tapasya; therefore be pleased and lovingly fulfil all his desires. That Devi, accepting the command of Parameshwar Shiva ji, agreed, at Brahma ji's prayer, to become the daughter of Daksha.
Who is Bhagavati Sati, and where did she come from?
She who manifested from between the brows of Bhagavati manifested from the very form of the Jagan Mata, and bearing a radiance like her own and her very swaroop and samarthya, she is Bhagavati Sati.
How did the maithuni srishti finally come about?
The Bhagavati Parvati who had manifested in the original form there, that Shakti, having bestowed immeasurable shakti on Brahma ji, entered into the body of Shiva ji, and Prabhu Shiva too became invisible. From that time women obtained a share in the srishti karma of this world. Then Brahma ji, becoming pleased, began the rachana of the srishti — he made the maithuni srishti — and only then did this world expand.
Three principal swaroops, without which no creation takes place, are situated in every particle of the world and within us
The speaker says three such principal swaroops have been discussed today, without which the srishti of this world cannot take place, and which are situated in every particle of the world — within us and you as well, and within every living being. He hopes that the daily seva-puja listeners now perform will carry greater samarpan and nishtha towards Bhagwan Shiva and Jagadamba, and that their dhyana will now be clearer.
Which day does Bhadrapada open with?
Hal Shashthi is coming — and today itself is Yogmaya Jayanti, the Jayanti of Bhagavati Ma Vindhyavasini. Not of the Adi Shakti Vindhyavasini, who is from beginningless time, but of the descent, celebrated in particular places as Devi Jayanti on Bhadrapada Krishna Dwitiya.
Why does a goddess present from beginningless time have a Jayanti at all?
Because it is said she arose in a portion — one Kala of her thousand, that much of a portion descended, and she divided even that into three parts. She is in fact divided into nine; the remaining six of that thousandth part are not generally known.
Bhagavati Ashtabhuja, born of Yashoda, went by the sky-path to Vindhyachal when Kansa struck at her.
Bhagavati Ashtabhuja — she whose birth took place from Ma Yashoda's womb, and who, when Kansa went to dash her down, went by the sky-path to Vindhyachal into her Adi Shakti form, having first prophesied Krishna's birth.
How is Sheetla Mata's grace obtained?
If she is the Kuldevi, do it by whatever the Kula's tradition is. If she is not, then recite the Ashtak of Bhagavati Sheetla in particular. In the same stretch the speaker adds that Bhagavati Parvati is the principal form in all forms — she is the one called the Mula Shakti.
Do the great yoginis of Bhagavati's loka ever take birth?
The speaker says the mahatattva-endowed shaktis — the yoginis of Bhagavati's loka — are not of this loka at all, not of the mrityu loka of this brahmanda. They are of the divya loka, and they will never take birth. It is impossible; only for some cause, by lila, might they have to take birth, otherwise they will not.
Who can make a Brahm listen when it obeys no one?
The speaker says that when Brahm do not accept anyone's word, they listen to Badi Bhavani — meaning she who is entirely not a devi of this loka, the mahashakti of the divya loka, Jagadamba Bhagavati Durga. Kali ji's servants may harass them by various mantra vidya or tamasic vidya, but for a dev shakti to accept from the heart, it is only and only Durga ji, Badi Bhavani, the Jagadamba swarup, trinetra, by whose grace they are stopped.
What if a guru dismisses all sadhana as false out of dvesha?
If, after that, the guru says out of dvesha that all is false, all is pakhand, all worthless, that nothing is true, that these people are simply putting on a show — then, he says, only this can be said: balad krishna mohaya, that Bhagavati has seized them by force and cast them into moha. They may be great tapasvis, great tantra sadhaks, knowing divine sadhanas, but all of that itself is why Jagadamba has cast them into such delusion that it seems to them everyone but themselves is false and a pakhandi.
What happens to one who is given wealth but not that kaleja?
The more wealth comes to him, the more miserly he goes on becoming — spend less, save, let us make this one lakh, ten lakh, fifty lakh. She keeps giving, and he keeps becoming more miserly. That, he says, is maya; she binds him.
What are the stages of testing a sadhak passes through?
He refers to an earlier live in which he described the levels of examination: first, when we are in affliction, the affliction is increased and that is the test; when we come out of it, pleasure is given, and then the test is by the maya of pleasure. Such pleasures are given that it will seem to you the sadhana should be abandoned by any means.
What happens when a devotee is insulted at a shakti peeth?
Your shraddha towards the Jagadamba to whom you have gone is probed, and the blow falls on it. The people who insult are somewhere deluded — and it is not that they receive no punishment, because the servant who has arrived there is absorbed in Bhagavati herself and has arrived as her form.
What is the position of a servant working in a temple?
You are a servant in the Swamini's house and you are getting a salary, he says; your wages are being given, your remuneration is being provided by Jagadamba. You may be a crorepati or an arabpati, you may be playing in gold and silver — she has given it according to your capacity and merit. But you are still their servant; you call yourself a servant. When you take yourself to be the master in that place, and begin the work of seizing it, the trouble begins.
Gathered wealth does not burn away overnight; it drains once the order of its diminishing begins.
One who has gathered so much wealth will hardly burn to ashes tomorrow, he says — it lies in the bank, and the bank will not close. But it will drain; the order of its diminishing will remain, and it will begin. The speech itself will tell you that the time of their fall has come. And who was made the instrument? You, the devotee — the devotee is a form of Bhagavan, and by making the devotee, indeed by making herself, the medium, she begins their destruction.
Upon whom does the insult of a devotee actually fall?
She is the Swamini, he is the Swami; you are their servant. The person who has come has come to the Swamini's house, not to yours. When you insult him, who is grieved, who is pained, whose insult is it, at whom is the finger raised? It is raised at that Swamini.
Why is a cry made in suffering said to reach faster?
In happiness the bhaav may not reach their feet at that level, but when you are in affliction, when you are aggrieved, when you are sorrowful, your connection becomes direct with their feet. When you call upon Bhagavan or Jagadamba in affliction, your one-pointedness is many times greater than the one-pointedness of happiness.
Why is insulting a surrendered devotee an insult to the Devi's own form?
When you go as a guest, as a devotee, as a darshanarthi, taking refuge, then the more the bhaav for Jagadamba is in every pore of you, the more her name issues from every pore, the more surrender you carry — in that surrender all her shaktis are present in those pores. So it is her own form, issuing from those pores, that is insulted; and since the insult is hers, the Swamini will punish. She will understand it, he says; it is not for you or me to.
Such sadhaks begin to display divine grace, her maya moving before and behind them to give experience.
These are the sadhaks who especially begin to display their divine grace — or say it this way, he adds: her maya then begins to move before and behind you, and begins to give you experience.
Why may women not offer arghya in a copper vessel?
People say copper may be used because it represents the sun and is the sun's swaroop, the speaker notes; but women should not. Copper chiefly represents Surya and the planet Mangal, and Mangal has been held to be an amsha of Mata Prithvi — relate this, he says, to Mata Prithvi being herself in amsha form, or say that Bhagavati Kamrup Kamakhya is herself descended in the form of the earth, and that at the Ambubachi parva it is said the earth, prakriti herself, becomes rajaswala. And prakriti never gives arghya by touching her own son; Mangal is the son of Prithvi, and arghya is never given holding a son in the hand.
Why did Sita ji never look at Ravana with a direct gaze?
All of you should have one more piece of information, the speaker says: here and there saints tell in their pravachans that Sita ji never used to look at Ravana with a direct gaze. Though we all know it as maryada — yet had she looked, the fire seated in her sight would have reduced him to ashes. What is Ravana, he asks, before her who is the supreme Mahashakti; what could she not do, what capacity would he have before her. But it was a leela, so that Bhagwan might place this thing before all of us: however powerful anyone may be, if he does wrong he will not be saved.
Where does Bhagavati Kamakhya reside within a woman?
Bhagavati Kamrup Kamakhya remains seated within every woman, the speaker says. From the time a woman first has her monthly period, until the time when it is not permanently ended from her body, until then Kamakhya tattva remains seated within every woman; and it is by the blessing of this very Bhagavati that anyone's progeny increases. If someone's line grows, then there is Bhagavati Kamakhya's blessing in it.
The night carries a doubled importance because Parameshwar had his milan with Prakriti upon an already established Mahashivratri.
Because Mahashivratri already existed and was already in currency, its importance became doubled. On that day, he says, the param satta was seated there in the form of the heart, and that Parameshwar had his milan with Prakriti — Prakriti and the Param Purusha met on that day, in Mahashivratri, and their gathbandhan and full pujan took place.
Why do the Shakti Peeths exist at all?
Had Bhagavati Sati not given her body in sacrifice, had she not made that renunciation for all of us, then there would be no Shakti Peeths in the whole world and there would not be this much bhakti. Bhagavati Adishakti gave up her body and burned it, and it is held to have been in many pieces — 108 khands — of which, because it is the Kali kaal, 51 are manifest and the rest are gupt.
Why is Tripur Bhairavi called the shakti without whom nothing new is created?
The speaker says Tripur Bhairavi is the shakti without whom no new creation can happen in the whole brahmanda. The capacity to give a base to anything at all, which Jagadamba or prakriti has given to a form, is present in the form of Bhagavati Tripur Bhairavi.
What does the lowest position of Tripur Bhairavi at Kamakhya mean?
Take up this subject, he says: when you go to the geographical position of Kamalaja Kamakhya and into the field of tantra, see that Bhagavati Tripur Bhairavi has kept her place lowest of all. And lowest has come to mean that she is the adhara — without her, Bhagavan Shiva does not stand.
What does the first chapter of the Parvati Gita show about this?
If you have recited the Parvati Gita, the speaker says, see what happens in its very first chapter. This is Satya Yuga, the beginning of the srishti: Jagadamba is in the form of a small girl, and when she learned that Bhagavati had manifested to Raja Himavan with eight arms and three eyes, she prayed and requested to see that divine form. Bhagavati first gave her divya drishti, gave her the capacity to see that divine form. Then she gave darshan of herself as the shakti of Shiva, then as the Narayani or Vaishnavi shakti, then as the Brahmani shakti, and then in her own root form — and then came back as the girl.
Are the grahas separate from the great deities?
There is one thing here, he says: in many mala mantras of Bhagavati you will read that Bhagavati herself is in the form of the nine grahas; that Bhagavan Narayana himself is in the form of the navagraha; that Bhagavan Shiva himself is. Every mahashakti is to be seen in the form of the navagraha.
What capacity must a deity have to become many from one and merge back into one?
Many people say how good it is that in such-and-such a religion there is only one deity doing everything, he notes. Then, he answers, there ought to be the capacity as well. Our devatas and our shaktis have the capacity to become many from one and then merge back into one; the ability to expand oneself and then absorb it again cannot belong to just anyone — it belongs to the mahashakti, to the supreme sovereignty alone.
Which form at home should be worshipped as Kamakhya?
Whatever form of Bhagavati you have installed and serve at home — even if it is only a photograph or a symbol, so long as your Bhava in it is of Bhagavati — perform the worship of Bhagavati Kamakhya in that very one. Because the root tattva is seated in all of them.
Why do the ten Mahavidyas come into her one form?
Because Bhagavati Kamarupa Kamakhya is such a form that within her the ten Mahavidyas may be worshipped — in her one form all the infinite powers of the whole creation are contained. And for that reason the Kamakhya tattva is present within every female principle.
When the weapons were turned on Ganesh, Parvati manifested two Shaktis — a thousand such powers live within the gentle Parvati
She was swept into boundless anger and manifested two Shaktis. One stood with her mouth spread wide like the cave of a black mountain; the other took a form like lightning, many-armed, punishing the wicked, a terrible Mahadevi. Within the gentle Parvati, he says, a thousand such Shaktis are present.
Learning of the beheading, Parvati produced crores of Shaktis in a moment and ordered them to devour everyone, kin or stranger
She produced crores of Shaktis from her own body in a moment, and ordered them: by my command, make Pralaya in the whole of creation. You are not to consider who is a Deva, a Rishi, a Yaksha, a Rakshasa, who is ours or another's. Devour them all, forcibly.
The Yoginis do not spare once the offence crosses the head — where a Yogini is angered, it is Bhagavati herself who is angry
While Bhagavati is calm and gentle she is exceedingly gentle and forgives many sins and misdeeds. But when you go too far, when the offence passes above the head, her Shaktis do not spare — and one on whom the Yoginis' wrath falls does not easily find a saviour.
None of the Devas dared go before the enraged Parvati — the very image of wrath, like any mother whose son has died
They thought Parvati was the very image of wrath and none could summon the courage to go before her. Devas, Danavas, Dikpalas, Yakshas, Kinnaras, Munis, Vishnu, Brahma — none, kin or stranger, was able to appear before her blazing, burning form.
Narad's six-shloka stuti to calm Parvati — Jagadamba namastubhyam
A stuti of only six shlokas, a salutation to Jagadamba — the transcript gives its opening as जगदंब नमस्तुभ्यं शिवाय च नमस्तुते, चंडिकाय नमस्तुभ्यं कल्याणै च नमस्तुते — asking her to be calm and pleased.
Parvati's condition for ending the destruction: her son alive, and first-worshipped among all of them
That if her son should live again and become the first to be worshipped among them, and be from that day the president of all, then this destruction would not take place. If you do that for him, there can be peace in the world; otherwise you will not obtain happiness.
Consecrated as Ganadhyaksha by the Devas, and given garments, ornaments, Siddhis and boons by his mother
The Devas consecrated him in the post of Ganadhyaksha, and Parvati took him into her lap and embraced him. She gave him garments and ornaments and many kinds of Siddhis, touched him with her auspicious hand, kissed his face, and gave him many boons.
Why is Ganesh worshipped first together with Ambika?
Because the first worship we perform is of Ganesh together with Bhagavati Ambika — Ma Parvati and Ganesh are the first invoked — and it is described here that when Ganesh is worshipped Bhagavati becomes pleased of herself. A mother is certainly pleased by the worship of her son.
What relation does Bhagavati bear to the pitrs?
He asks: whose daughter is Bhagavati? Himalaya's. Who is her mother? Bhagavati Mena. Who is the father of Bhagavati Mena? On that reckoning, he says, if you look at it so, Bhagavati is the granddaughter of these pitrs — she has been called the daughter of the pitrs.
A shakti seated within, a form of Jagadamba, is watching every thought as it forms
You will see somewhere or other, he says, that this is watching. Within our own mind another shakti too is seated; this is a form of Jagadamba, and here we are about to entertain such a thought — this should not be done. That awareness will be there.
Why does archan by the namavali please Bhagavati as well?
When you perform his sahasra archan with his namavali, the speaker says, Bhagavati Lakshmi too will be greatly pleased, that the Bhagavan is with shakti — his shakti is Shri. Even if a devata's murta svarup stands alone, whatever shringar and gold ornaments are on his body, whatever beauty is seen in him, that itself is his shakti, his Shri: it is the symbol of the one who is his ardhangini. So when the archan is done, both Bhagavan Shri Narayana and Bhagavati will be pleased, and the grace of both will be obtained.
Which mala to bring for the eclipse guru sadhana
The speaker says to bring any one Mala out of four kinds, Rudraksha, black Hakik, yellow hakik or Sphatik; only one is needed, and it is the most important thing, since it is the mala one will finally wear. The choice follows the form accepted as guru: rudraksha, or black hakik, if Bhagwan Shiva is accepted as guru; sphatik if Ma Jagadamba; yellow hakik if Bhagwan Narayan. The mala is to be pran-pratishthit on some special auspicious day before the Grahan kaal; he says he will give a short, simple sattvik Prana Pratishtha vidhi in a separate video.
Accepting Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva or Jagdamba as guru when there is no guru
Citing the verse "Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu Gurur Devo Maheshwarah, Gurur sakshat Parabrahma", the speaker says the Guru is Brahma, the guru is Vishnu, the guru is Shiva himself, and the Parabrahma is the guru in person. So those who have no guru should understand that Brahma ji is the guru, Vishnu ji is the guru, Bhagwan Shiva is the guru, Ma Jagadamba is the guru, that Parabrahma Bhagavati is the guru, and may accept them as guru. Our worthiness, he says, has nothing to do with it; no one can become worthy before them. When their kripa-drishti, wish and blessing are there and our Punya has strength, they themselves will give a physical guru of this world in their own form; until then one may accept them as guru and do one's sattvik sadhanas for home and family.
Can any person give a hundred per cent solution to a tantra problem?
However much you do, the speaker says, nobody is going to wave a magic wand. Telling a hundred per cent truth about someone is one vidya — but solving that problem, doing a hundred per cent nirakaran, is written down and kept: it lies in no person's hands at all. Only the Mahashakti can do it, and for her sake, to please her, you may perform an anushthan yourself or have it performed by someone else.
Is shakti one or many?
The second thing, the speaker says, is that shakti is only one and has held different forms; this is the breadth of our Sanatan. And it is for this reason that he says again and again: read the Gita of your own ishta. In every shakti this same one thing has been said in every form.
What lies at the root of every purana's account of creation?
Whoever you accept, listen to them; they have said the very same thing, the speaker says — the speech of all is alike. The form is becoming different but all are somewhere one. When you look at the beginning of all of them: recite the Shrimad Devi Bhagavat and it is told there that all the devi devta are manifesting through Bhagavati; in the Shiv Mahapuran all are manifesting through Shiva ji; read other Vaishnav puranas and all the devi devta are manifesting through Vishnu ji. But at the root of all of them comes one thing — that first Ishwar was nirakar, a wish arose in him, and he manifested his sakar form.
Bhagavati manifested before Vedavyasa seated on a lotus of a thousand sahasrakshar beejas
The speaker says the subject is clarified there: when Bhagavati manifested before Vedavyasa, on the lotus seat on which Maa was seated a thousand sahasrakshar beejas were clearly visible. So Bhagavati is seated upon the beeja matrikas, and within those beeja matrikas each single independent beeja has an independent sadhana of its own.
What is the biggest thing a sadhak should remember about maya?
He says the biggest thing is that maya always walks along with a sadhak — remember it. On one side is Mahamaya; on the other side maya runs her own course.
How are the different forms of Bhagavati related to one another?
They are all one, he says; they are not separate. Maa Parvati is the one who is in the mool form: she herself becomes Kali, she herself becomes Bhagavati Tara. According to the time she assumes that very form. She herself becomes Bhagavati Chhinnamastika, along with Jaya and Vijaya, where Jaya and Vijaya become Dakini and Shakini — there she becomes Bhagavati Chhinnamastika.
How should one listen to descriptions of other forms?
Bring this subject within you, he says, and then your attraction will remain on your own ishta, on your own aradhya, and you will not be shaken again and again — today on this form, tomorrow whichever goes viral. Whatever descriptions of forms you hear, hear them broadly, and return toward the mool form of your ishta, saying and thinking and with the samarpan that our aradhya has such capacity that she can assume this form and do such and such.
Is one form of the Devi more powerful than another?
Do not fall into this business, he says, of thinking that this form is more fierce, that there is more capacity in it. Brother, capacity is in all of them. There is no shakti at all who is not capable. Every shakti is in herself sarva-samartha and endowed with all capacities.
What is neglected about Bhagavati Parvati?
Concerning Bhagavati's mool form, Bhagavati Parvati ji, he says, only a normal discussion of the katha kind takes place — one only hears this in kathas. There is no discussion at all of Maa's mool form, that she herself is the mool source of the ten Mahavidyas, that from her all shaktis will manifest, in fierce form. This, he says, you have to understand.
If we accept the Mata and still have so much sorrow, why does she not listen?
To Neha ji he says this question becomes one of a different kind. All of us who do the seva of Jagdamba should never say that she does not listen. He says this again and again: whenever you have lit even one agarbatti, whenever you have offered even one coconut or one bhog in the name of Jagdamba, she accepts it — she is Mahamaya. She is the adhishthatri of the whole of creation; it simply cannot be that she will not listen. You and I cannot understand in which form she is listening. What you want directly does not happen. And one should never say: we did your puja, we did your seva, why is there so much sorrow, why are you not listening. He understands that it comes out of the mouth because of suffering, but afterwards one should accept that whatever is happening, Jagdamba is doing only good.
Who is the supreme shakti?
Whoever you accept is the one, he answers Anuj ji. Do not get stuck in dvaita and advaita about who the supreme shakti is; this question itself is useless and full of foolishness. Whoever you read about is the supreme. Whoever is your ishta is supreme. Just as for a wife her husband is supreme, but the rest of the family are not low — they too have their own honour and dignity and she carries everyone along; in the same way your ishta will be supreme for you, and the rest will remain respected lifelong.
Why does the mind swing between the Shiva mantra and the Saptashati?
The speaker says there is no cause behind it at all, and quotes the Saptashati: "gyaninam api chetansi devi bhagavati hi sa, baladakrishya mohaya mahamaya prayachhati" — she is the Mahamaya who forcibly drags even the minds of the wise and casts them into maya. The gyani does not fall into maya easily, but she drags him forcibly.
Is Melodi Ma of Vansda Raj Rajeshwari?
The matter is this, the speaker says: Melodi Ma is not Raj Rajeshwari, nor does she hold the three gunas.
The Ganga is Para Prakriti herself made manifest, and her smaran gives what all tirthas, tapas and yajnas cannot
It is said, he relates, that Para Prakriti herself — that is, Bhagavati — manifests in the form of Ganga ji and grants swarga and moksha to beings. Some people have such misfortune that even after going to the bank of Ganga ji they cannot bathe; their life itself is in vain. The punya that is not obtained from bathing at all tirthas, the pujan of all devatas, all kinds of tap and yajna, is obtained from Ganga smaran and snan.
If this distortion settles into society, no one will ever again be able to perform the avahan of Bhagavati Ranchandi
When such a distortion enters society, he says, that is what will happen — no one will ever again be able to perform the avahan of Bhagavati Ranchandi. Even Bhagavan Krishna, when the need arose on the battlefield, performed the avahan and aradhana of Jagadamba.
What is the relation of Narayan with Bhagavati Vindhyavasini?
Everyone knows the charitra of Bhagavati Vindhyavasini, he says, and how Jagadamba protected Bhagavan Narayan. Narayan too sent his yoga maya, his yoga shakti, ahead for that purpose, and he too absorbed that form of Jagadamba into himself.
How does Prakriti divide herself into three forms?
Bhagavati Prakriti, when she manifested herself, has divided herself into three separate forms. Take it as a division of tantra, or of kalpa, he says — different tantras carry different accounts — but the essence is that in one kalpa Bhagavati, with reference to Bhagavan Shiva, surrendered all her shaktis to him and herself came under his control in one form, not in her mula swaroop.
Which shakti presides over which function?
When Maha Narayan, Maha Vishnu, is producing the srishti in this manner, he says, then whichever department has been made for a given purpose, that shakti will remain the head of that department. If a matter of stambhan arises, and if Bhagavati Parabrahma Parameshwari established a form of herself in order to control the entire universe by the power of some energy, then the purpose is that for every task from the smallest to the greatest you should meditate especially on that form.
Can every deity be called Mahadev, Kshetrapal or Amba?
We cannot call just anyone Mahadev, he says; not every deity can be called Mahadev. Mahadev is Mahadev. In the same way, we cannot worship every shakti in the form of Kshetrapal and say yes, this is Kshetrapal. And Amba, who is the mother of the entire world, cannot be said of all devis.
What does shakti give a person the capacity to do?
Shakti gives that samarthya, the speaker says, by which a person can develop his own tantra. And here Bhagavan is himself Bhagavan — he is not even a person — so he has given that much capacity.
Does every deity have all three gunas?
Within every devi there are all three forms, the speaker says: all our devi-devatas and mahashaktis have all three forms — sattvik, rajasik and tamasik. Bhairav ji too has all three. People know only that he is Shamshan Bhairav and stays only in the shamshaan — no, brother. He too has all three forms, and there is a dhyana of all three forms. Trigunatita — beyond the three gunas, past the three gunas, and he is within the three gunas as well. So Bhagavati too has all three forms, and can be worshipped in all three forms.
Dattatreya as Mahaguru: taking his shelter leaves no guru mandala out of reach
The speaker says Dattatreya should be worshipped daily as Mahaguru, because every Guru Parampara and every Guru Mandala in the brahmand has come out of the parampara of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, who became the greatest shaktis by the grace of Mata Jagdamba Bhagwati Mahashakti. So when a sadhak takes the shelter of this Mahaprabhu of Girnar, he says, it cannot happen that he is left deprived of the kripa of any guru or any guru mandala. Whichever parampara one wants to enter but does not know how, and cannot decide among many options, he says, take the sharan of Dattatreya — by his grace every manokamna will be fulfilled.
Why is the dwelling of Adishakti in the heart called rare?
The speaker says the dwelling of other devatas in the heart is obtained by hearing satsang and through other means, but the dwelling in the heart of Adishakti Ma Bhagavati Tripura Sundari is very rare. If you sing her mahima and wish to seat her in your heart, then do her naam smaran as much as possible.
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