Happy Deepavali/Diwali to all!
Today, I come with a story for you, my dear readers! This story is from a time before time, so long ago that even time has forgotten when. Or perhaps, it is a story which happens every day in the minds of each one of us mortals.
There is one heroine, the great Goddess, Adishakti, she who is the Original Power. Or perhaps there are many heroines, starting with Maha-Lakshmi, Maha-Kali and Maha-Saraswati, followed by many other Shaktis. The villains are many, from Madhu, Kaitabha, Shumbha, Nishumbha, Dhumralochana, Raktabija, Chanda, Munda, Durdhara, Durmukha, to name just a few. Each of these asuras have their own unique powers and are accompanied by their hordes. Or perhaps there is just one villain who sits enthroned inside our minds and traps us in myriad ways, taking shape as kama (desire), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), mada (ego), moha (delusary attachment), and matsarya (envy). We Hindus are so comfortable with seeing one in many and many in one, aren’t we!
The battle between the Goddesses and the Asuras is fought ferociously. It is bloody, it is gory. It is a grand battle, with asuras being eliminated one by one. But today let us just reflect on Mother Kali and her battle with Raktabija. After all, it is the day to venerate Her on this day of Kali Pujo which is celebrated in the Eastern parts of India. As a Bengali bou (wife), I too will be celebrating the Mother with the Bengali community here in Melbourne this evening.
Mother Kali emerges from the forehead of Ambika in the midst of the battle. She is a terrifying sight – clad in tiger skin, she is dark, with an emaciated body and a garland of skulls, a gaping mouth with the tongue hanging out and sunken reddish-eyes. It is She who slays Chanda and Munda, thus getting the name Chamunda. When Raktabija attacks, there is mayhem because every time a drop of his blood falls on earth, a clone is generated which too engages in battle! It is Mother Kali who stops this from happening by drinking up his blood before it hits the ground, leading to his defeat and destruction. My few words do not do justice to the blood-curling descriptions in Devi Mahatmyam; you will need to read it yourself to get the full impact!
Does Raktabija’s powers remind you of your own mind? It does to me! Like a monkey, my mind jumps from one thing to another, each thought endlessly generating many more. Desires and wants, they too are like that, aren’t they? Desire leads to either gratification or frustration, but the story does not end there. Just like Raktabija’s blood clones him, desires clone themselves endlessly. How can I ever defeat this asura within me? This Deepavali, I beg the grace of Mother Kali to destroy the Raktabija in my mind.
To honour the Goddess, I am featuring a dance by Rukmini Vijayakumar. When I first saw it, I had goosebumps! It was like seeing Devi herself! It is quite exceptional. I was surprised to see tears flow down my cheek even at my 5th or 6th viewing. The power of the Goddess is visible in her every movement. When she turns ferocious like Mother Kali, it is thrilling indeed! I have given a few viewing notes below but they are not needed; the dancer conveys everything more beautifully than words can ever do. Happy Deepavali!
Footnote : Viewing Notes
Start to 1:45 – the alankara (decoration) of the deity. I do like the little smile of satisfaction at 1:33!
1:46 to 5:09 – Mantra worship using Bija mantras. The singer chants:
ॐ ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं श्री माते शिव प्रियायै नमो नमः
Om aim hrIm shrIm shrI mAte shiva priyAyai namO namah
Note: the singer sings the second bija as haim but as per my very limited understanding, aim is correct
Bija mantras followed by ‘Salutation (namo namah) to the respected Mother (shrI mAtE) who is the beloved (priyA) of Lord Shiva’.
5:10 to 5:58 – first stanza of Sri Rajarajeshwari Ashtakam as given below:
अम्बा शाम्भवि चन्द्रमौलिरबलाऽपर्णा उमा पार्वती
काली हैमवती शिवा त्रिनयनी कात्यायनी भैरवी
सावित्री नवयौवना शुभकरी साम्राज्यलक्ष्मीप्रदा
चिद्रूपी परदेवता भगवती श्रीराजराजेश्वरी
ambA shAmbhavI chandramaulirabalAparNA umA pArvatI
kAlI haimavatI shivA trinayanI katyAyanI bhairavI
savitrI navayauvanA shubhakarI samrAjyalakshmIpradA
chidrUpI paradEvatA bhagavatI shrI rAjarAjeshvarI
Oh Mother (ambA), wife of Shiva (shAmbhavi), adorned with the moon on top of your head (chandramauli), lady (abalA) who does not even consume a leaf (aparNA). O splendorous one (umA)! You are the daughter of the mountains (pArvatI)! O dark one (kAlI)! You are the daughter of Himavan (haimavatI)! O Auspicious-one (shivA) with three eyes (tri-nayanI)! You are worshipped by Rishi Katyayana (katyAyinI)! You are awe-inspiring (bhairavI)! You are daughter of the Sun God (sAvitrI)! You are in the prime of your youth (navayauvanA)! You are the cause of prosperity (shubhakarI)! You are the provider (pradA) of wealth (lakshmI) and sovereignty (sAmrAjya)! You are the personification (rUpI) of consciousness (chit)! You are the supreme deity (paradEvatA), O Goddess (bhagavatI) Shri Rajarajeshwari!
5:59 to 6:32 – A line from the Argala Stotram, a part of Devi Mahatmyam from Markandeya Puranam. The line recited is as follows:
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि
rUpam dEhi jayam dEhi yashO dEhi dvishO jahi
Grant me (dEhi) beauty (rUpam), grant me (dEhi) victory (jayam), grant me (dEhi) glory (yasha), and destroy (jahi) my enemies (dvisha).
Note: Better interpreted as wishes for spiritual beauty, spiritual victory, spiritual glory and destruction of the enemy within oneself.
6:33 to 7:21 – Pallavi of Ardhanareeswaram by Muthuswami Dikshithar. I have featured this in a blog post many years ago. The pallavi is as follows:
अर्ध नारीश्वरम् आराधयामि सततम्
अत्रि बृगु वसिष्टादि मुनि बृन्द वन्दितम्
ardha narIshwaram ArAdhayAmi satatam
atri bRgu vasishtAdi muni bRnda vanditam
I offer my prayers (ArAdhayami) to Lord Ardhanareeshvara all the time (satatam). He is extolled (vanditam) by groups of (bRnda, another form of vRnda) sages such as Atri, BRgu, and Vasishta.
7:22 to 8:03 – The first verse of Ardha Nareeshvara Stotram, which I give below:
चाम्पेय गौरार्ध शरीर कायै
कर्पूर गौरार्ध शरीर काय (sung as कायै but काय is correct ) |
धम्मिल्ल कायै च जटा धराय (sung as धरायै but धराय is correct )
नमः शिवायै च नमः शिवाय ||
chAmpEya gaurArdha sharIra kAyai
karpUra gaurArdha sharIra kAya
dhammilla kAyai cha jatA dharAya
namah shivAyai cha namah shivAya
Salutations (namah) to Shakti (shivAyai, feminine) and salutations (namah) to Shiva (shivAya-masculine), embodied (kAyai-feminine) in half (ardha) the body (sharIra) as fair (gaura) as champa flowers (chAmpEya, fair with a yellowish tinge) and embodied (kAya-masculine) in the other (implied) half (ardha) of the body (sharIra) as fair (gaura) as camphor (karpUra, fair with a white tinge), embodied (kAyai) with braided-hair wound around the head (dhammilla) and (cha) wearing (dhara) matted hair (jatA).
8:03 to 9:11 – A repeat of the line from Argala Stotram
9:12 to 9:58 – Second verse of Sri Mahakali Stotram as given below:
शवारूढां महाभीमां घोरदंष्ट्रां हसन्मुखीम्
चतुर्भुजां खड्ग मुण्ड वराभयकरां शिवाम् |
मुण्डमालाधरां देवीं ललज्जिह्वां दिगम्बराम्
एवं सञ्चिन्तयेत्कालीं श्मशानालय वासिनीम् ||
shavArUDHAm mahAbhImAm ghOradamshtrAm hasanmukhIm
chaturbhujAm khadga muNDa varAbhayakarAm shivAm
muNDamAlAdharAm dEvIm lalajjihvAm digambarAm
Evam sanchintyEtkAlIm shamshAnAlaya vAsinIm
She is the auspicious one (shivAm) who is mounted (ArUDHAm) on a corpse (shava), is extremely frightening (mahA bhImA) with a laughing (hasan) face (mukhIm) showing (implied) hideous (ghOra) teeth (damshtram), holding (implied) a sword (khadga), a skull (muNDa), and hands (karAm) in gestures of (implied) boon-giving (vara) and fearlessness (abhaya). She is the Goddess (dEvIm) who wears (dharAm) a garland (mAlA) of skulls (muNda), has a lolling (lala) tongue (jihvAm) and is unclothed (digambarAm, literally sky-clothed). Thus (Evam) should one reflect on (sanchintayEt) Kali, who lives in (vAsinIm) in the abode (Alaya) of the cremation ground (shmashAna).
9:59 to 10:22 – Chanting of ॐ काली महा काली भद्र काली भैरवी नमोस्तुते , Om kAlI mahAkAlI bhadrakAlI bhairavI namOstutE, Salutations to the great Kali.
10:23 to 12:05 – First verse of the Annapurna Stotram as follows:
नित्यानन्दकरी वराभयकरी सौन्दर्य रत्नाकरी
निर्धूताखिल घोर पावनकरी प्रत्यक्ष माहेश्वरी ।
प्रालेयाचल वंश पावनकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी मातान्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥
nityAnandakarI varAbhayakarI soundarya ratnAkarI
nirdhUtAkhila ghOra pAvanakarI pratyaksha mAheshvarI
prAlEyachala vamsha pAvanakarI kAshIpurAdhIshvarI
bhikshAm dEhi kRpAvalambanakarI mAtAnnapUrNEvarI
O Giver (karI – maker) of eternal (nitya) joy (Ananda)! O Giver (karI) of the boon (vara) of fearlessness (abhaya)! You are the ocean (ratnAkarI) of beauty (soundarya)! O Purifier (pAvana karI) of all (akhila) the terribly (ghOra) tormented (nirdhUta)! You are the manifest (pratyaksha) soverign Goddess (mAheshvarI)! O Purifier (pAvana karI) of the lineage (vamsha) of the snowcapped (pralEya) mountains (achala)! You are the Mistress/Lady (AdhIshvarI) of the city (pura) of Varanasi (kAshi)! Grant me (dEhi) alms (bhikshAm), you who hold (avalambana) grace (kRpA) in your hands (karI), O Mother (mAtA) Goddess (IshvarI) Annapurna!
12:06 to end – Chanting of a salutation to Goddesses Annapurna, MahaKali and Rajarajeshwari.
ॐ देवीं नमः अन्नपुर्णेश्वरी नमः महाकाल्यै नमः श्री राजराजेश्वरी नमः ॐ
Om dEvIm namah annapUrNeshvarI namah mahAkAlyai namah shrI rAjarAjeshvarI namah
Music To My Ears 