Sunil Raina Rajanak
Worship of Divine Mother Shakti – the Universal progenitrix is as old as Rig Veda and is also divulged in details in Tantras andPuranas. The supreme reality is both transcendent and immanent and it is this immanent form which is Shakti aspect of Divinity. Therefore adoration of Consciousness in Mother Aspect has been across ages and geographies. Reality isconsciousnessand this fact dawns upon the aspirant as he ascends the ladder of spirituality.
Human mind always wants to forge a unique relationship with the Divine and this craving gives birth to the role of the Divine as the Mother. The child soul of humans readily turns to the Mother Soul in all situations of life and Mother is always ready with her bounty for the myriad children. Therefore, adoration of reality in female anatomy is very inspirational, unpretentious,amenable and gratifying. This expression has been found during Vedic times where Divine Creatrixisworshipped as Aditi and later during the Puranic Age as Durga, Saraswati, Lakshmi and Gayatri. Even Bhagwad Gita mentions the female form as Prakriti which is the cause of this manifestation from time to time.It is believed that the worship of female form of consciousness melts away the impurities emanating from ignorance and the Splendour of truth flows spontaneously and speedily giving rise to supreme awakening. The Flood of supreme ecstasy is experienced and the state of pure incessant Samadhi is attained.
The Indian Sub-continent has numerous Shakti Peethas from Hinglaj in Baluchistan to Kamakhya in Assam to Chakreshwari in Kashmir to Pitakapureshwari in South India which reflects the unflinching faith of aspirants across the region.
Tantras dilates more about Shakti worship and the means and methods of drawing this universal energy in us so that all are thoughts, gunas, physical actions are cleansed of obliviousness. The Shakti worship is the dynamic aspect which fills the mind, life and body with delightful manifestations and hence is capable of awakening the subtle energy centers in human body which are in the form of chakras and are referred to as Kundalini.
Various eulogies, litanies, hymns in admiration of the Universal Mother have been written by various great saints and sages which serve as the link with the Mother Consciousness. The most common among them is Panchastavi in Kashmir, Durga Saptisthi in central India ,LalitaSahasranaam in south which are suitably recited daily and especially during Navratri by the faithful worshipers. Among other great works of literary merit are SaundaryaLahari by AdiSankara, Para Trimsika by Abhinavgupta, Maha Bhagwat Puran by Vyasa andMarkandeyPuranwhich expounds the Universal character of Mother her playfulness, brilliance and her aesthetic expression.
Shakti Worship has profound expressions also in Yantras and mantras. The Shakti worship draws its scriptures from Tantras which are especially from Kashmiri Saivism such as Malinivijaya, Swacchand, Vijnanabhairva which are revelatory and represent the best of the spiritual path ever known in India. Therefore schools of Tantric worship were developed in Kashmir which later spread to Bengal and Kerala. Esoteric worship of Sri Vidya or Sri Yantra was also developed in Kashmir which later spread to other parts of India especially to Kerala. Sri Yantra is the representation of Goddess in the form of graphical circuit of circles, triangles, lotus petals and dot each representing various energies, level of awakening, and becoming of consciousness. Infact Kashmiri Saivism refers Kashmir as the physical representation of Sri Yantra and faithful since time immemorial have been worshiping Goddess Chakreshwari at Hari Parvat in the middle of the Srinagar city and accordingly to some the city draws its name from Sri Yantra.
In Rudrayamala Tantra there is mention of Nandi the faithful attendant of Siva asking to divulge the secret of his Lords worship. Siva being pleased with Nandis query revealed that Universe is created by Mother Shakti who leads to its preservation and final dissolution. Siva further reveals that being pleased by my prayer to Shakti, she entered my being which lead me to enjoy my sovereignty. Therefore worshipping, meditating, praying and saluting Shakti in all conditions and situations confers success, endows one with wisdom, peace and prosperity.
Let us pray this Navratri to Divine Mother to protect our country from enemies of humanity, grant wisdom to our denizens so that we work in tandem to redeem our glorious place in the comity of nations, dispel traces of impurity both personal and societal so as to make ourselves and surroundings clean, remove ignorancearising from caste, creed and drive away evil practices of female feticide so that we consider each girl child as the form of Mother Shaktis grace on humanity.
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