CHAPTER 1- THE SLAYING OF MADHU AND KAITHAV part 3

Vishnu was in his yoga nidra (cosmic sleep) and so was oblivious to what was happening outside. So Brahma started reciting praises of mahamaya so that mahamaya emerges from Vishnus body and Vishnu becomes aware of the presence of asuras and takes some steps.

The mahmaya, the yoga nidra devi thus evoked by Brahma emerges from Vishnu’s body and Vishnu wakes up. Then a furious battle ensures between Vishnu on one side and Madhu and Kaithav duo on the other side.

 The battle ranges for 5000 years but there is no end in sight. At this time mahamaya comes in aid and deludes the asura twins. Under the influence of maya and occupied by a false ego the asuras proclaim. O Vishnu! We are pleases to see your valour. You fight really well. We want to grant you a boon ask for any and you shall have it. The Vishnu thus given a golden opportunity was quick to respond. He asked that the two asuras may be killed by him. The asuras agreed but on one condition that they have to be killed on dry place. (They asked for this condition as the world was submerged and there was not a visible piece of land. They thought asking for this condition would give them immunity as Vishnu would not be able to find a dry place and so would not be able to kill them.) But Vishnu too them on his loin and killed them with the spinning discuss (sudarshan chakra) and slicing off their heads.

Thus completing his task Vishnu went back to his ananta sajya to resume his yoga nidra and Brahma resumed meditation......Here ends the first chapter.

CHAPTER 1- THE SLAYING OF MADHU AND KAITHAV part 2

The Rishi said reassuringly not to despair over this thing as men are hurled into the whirlpool of attachment, the pit of delusion, through the power of Mahamaya( the Great Illusion), who makes the existence of the world possible. Marvel not at this. This Mahamaya is the Yoganidra, of Vishnu, the Lord of the world. It is by her the world is deluded. Verily she, the Bhagavati, the Mahamaya forcibly drawing the minds of even the wise, throws them into delusion. She creates this entire universe, both moving and unmoving. It is she who, when propitious, becomes a boon-giver to human beings for their final liberation. She is the supreme knowledge, the cause of final liberation, and eternal; she is the cause of the bondage of transmigration and the sovereign over all lords.

The king was curious. He wanted to know more. He asked about the origin of Mahamaya. He wanted to know who she is. He wanted to comprehend maya.

The Rishi started describing. He said that she is eternal the one without a defined structure she embodied the whole of universe. She does not take birth nor does she dies. She only incarnates herself in manifold ways whenever the devas are in despair. (The devas may mean the gods of heaven or the daivi sampad in us. Or there may be a distict meaning. That is Indian philosophy it is considered that within the one body there exist two distinct, primeval instincts. There is first the pious treasure of divinity that provides access to the Supreme Spirit who stands for the most sublime dharma. On the other hand, there are the demoniacal impulses made up of impiety which lead a man to accept the mortal world as real. When the demonic impulses become too great there may sometimes be a war initiated betweed the divine and the demonic impulses. So when the divine impulses or the devas(whatever the writer may have tried to imply) are not able to defeat their demonic counterparts by themselves the devi manifests herself and aids the divinity   ) When she manifests herself in order to accomplish the purposes of the devas, she is said to be born in the world, though she is eternal.

At the end of a kalpa when the universe was one ocean( with the waters of the deluge) and the adorable Lord Vishnu stretched out on Sesa (Sesa or ananta is visualized as a big snake with several hoods on which Vishnu rests. Actually sesha represents time and it shows that vishnu overrules time. It is said that when vishnu was born as krishna ananta or sesh nag was born as Balarama.) and took the mystic slumber. From vishnu’s navel emerged lord Brahma seated on lotus.

At this time Madhu and Kaitabha, sprung into being from the dirt of Vishnu’s ears and sought to slay Brahma; the father of beings.

But under the influence of mahamaya Vishnu was in his yoga nidra (cosmic sleep) and so was oblivious to what was happening outside.

So what happens now will the creation be destroyed?....To know the answer read on.... next

CHAPTER 1- THE SLAYING OF MADHU AND KAITHAV...part 1

CHAPTER 1- THE SLAYING OF MADHU AND KAITHAV

The mahatma begins as a story (rather lesson) being delivered by rishi Markandeya to his disciple Krasustuki Bhaguri. He describes the story of how Savarni (Who was the son of savarna the wife of god surya) became the lord of eighth manvantara{One cycle of creation is divided into fourteen manvantaras. The period ruled over by one Manu is called a Manvantara. There are, therefore, fourteen Manus as follows: Svayambhuva, Svarocisa, Uttama, Tamasa, Raivata, Caksusa, Vaivasvata, Savarni, Daksha-savarni, Brahma-savarni, Dharma-savarni, Rudra-savarni, Deva-savarni, and Indra-savarni.To have a detailed understanding of time units you may visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_units_of_time} by the grace of Mahamaya.

So he starts his story by talking about former times when there was a king named Suratha, born of the Chitra dynasty, ruling over the whole world in the period of Svarocisamanvantara. He protected his subjects duly like his own children. At that time a nomadic tribe, who were the destroyers of the chola, became his enemies. King Suratha fought a battle with the tribe, but was defeated by them despite them having a small force. Then he returned to his own city, and ruled over his own country. Then that illustrious king was attacked by those powerful enemies.Even in his own city, the king, (now) bereft of strength, was robbed of his treasury and army by his own powerful, vicious and evil-disposed ministers. Thereafter, deprived of this sovereignty, the king left alone on horse-back for a dense forest, under the pretext of hunting.(Kings returning to forests after losses for contemplating on future move is a common affair. Even Maharana Pratap a great Rajput, had retired to cave on back of his horse chetak only to come back later and attack again. At the forests the kings had useful and knowledgeable encounters with powerful sages who taught them new lessons in kingship and battle tactics. Also hermitage of sage was considered to be a safe place for hiding as most kings revered and patronized them for their knowledge and did not interfere in their daily matters) In the forest Suratha came across the hermitage to sage Medhas. He decided to spend some days at the hermitage and was welcomed by the sage. In the hermitage Suratha was constantly worried about the wellbeing of his subjects, his elephant, his riches, his followers etc...(This worrying about worldly things is abhorred by the hindu philosophy because it considers this false attachment with worldly objects as the act of ego. It is the ego telling what we are (the imaginary self) but it is actually not who we really are. It is the perceived I not real I, This is an illusion under the influence of maya the root of problems. Under this veil of maya we think about brother, mother, sister. Lord Krishna narrated Gita to Arjuna so that he could overcome the powerful maya and participate in the battle.) . Near the hermitage of the sage he saw a merchant, and asked him: ‘Ho! Who are you? What is the reason for your coming here? Wherefore do you appear as if afflicted with grief and depressed in mind?’ Hearing this speech of the king, uttered in a friendly spirit, the merchant bowed respectfully and replied to the king. The merchant said:

 ‘I am a merchant named Samadhi, born in a wealthy family. I have been cast out by my sons and wife, who are wicked through greed of wealth. My wife and sons have misappropriated my riches, and made me devoid of wealth. Cast out by my trusted kinsmen, I have come to the forest grief-stricken. Dwelling here, I do not know anything as regards good of bad of my sons, kinsmen and wife. At present is welfare or ill-luck theirs at home? How are they? Are my sons living well or evil lives?’

The king was surprised to see that like him the merchant under the influence of maya thought about loved ones or the people one considers as their own despite being shunned by them. So they decided to go to the sage medhas for guidance and approached the sage (Medhas) (Because a teacher who is a tatvadarshi, the learned can help in this regard. As Krishna advices arjuna to visit and learn from tatvadarshi.)

The king asked in a tone of bewilderment the rishi that despite them being knowledgeable persons who know the defect of attachment to objects can’t abstain from it. Where this delusion does comes from?  Please help us and provide a solution.

To know what soln Rishi gives and to know more read here....next

The glory of Durga- Durga saptasati

Most of Bengali’s become aware of Goddess’s (Durga)  power by listening to virendra Krishna Bhadra reciting Devi’s powers and glory in the program that is aired by prasar bharati on the occasion of Mahalaya. Although now the no. of Bengalis tuning in to the program on their radio sets has dwindled and they have become minority but that is a different issue. So I too became attracted to devi’s stories through listening to the mahalaya programme and later through tv programs. But I found out that the mahalaya programme ends with devi’s slaying of mahisasura (may be due to time constraint). I was inquisitive and wanted to know the full story. So, I surfed the net found the whole durga saptasati and found a website that explained it in English. I found the entire story (i.e. Durga saptasati) to be far more interesting. So, I thought of sharing it with my blog readers. So, here I begin….

First of all why it is called Durga saptati? It is because it contains 700 verses describing the glory of the godess that has been taken from Markandeya purana. It is a long tradition that one reads the Devi-Bhagavatam or the Devi Mahatmyam (Durga saptashati, 700 verses on Durga) during Navaratra to invoke the blessings of Mother Durga. Navaratri is celebrated four times a year. They are Ashada Navaratri, the Sharada Navaratri, the Maha Navaratri and the Vasantha Navaratri. Of these, the Sharada Navaratri of the month of Puratashi and the Vasantha Navaratri of the Vasantha kala are very important. If you refer to the agni purana, then it is said that the Puratashi and Panguni (in Tamil months) i.e. Asvin and Chaitra are like the two jaws of Lord Yama. If one wants to escape the mouth of Yama, then one should celebrate Navaratri on these two occasions. A similar analogy is presented in the devi bhagavatam. Devi bhagavatam also talks in detail on how one should observe fasts, and how one should meditate/work on these days. According to legend, Durga sat on the tip of a needle for nine days, doing a severe penance to destroy the evil Asura Mahisha. On the first three days, she meditated as Herself, the next three days as Mahalakshmi and the last three days as Sarasvati. This signifies progression from tamsik, to rajasik to satvik and eventually obtaining liberation. The tenth day during Sharada Navaratri is called vijayadashami to signify the victory on the day of dashami. It is, however, a long tradition that one reads the devi-bhagavatam or the devi mahatmyam (Durga saptashati, 700 verses on Durga) during this period. Devi bhagavatam notes that Rama meditated and fasted for nine days after Sita was kidnapped by Ravana. The worship of Devi Durga in the month of Ashwin is called 'Akalbodhan'- an uncoventional time for inauguration of the worship. It is so called since the period of this worship differs from the conventional period (during the spring - 'Basanta').

According to Puranas (the epics) , King Suratha, used to worship the goddess Durga in spring. Thus Durga Puja was also known as Basanti Puja (Basanta being Spring). While the vernal worship of Durga still goes on but it is the Ram's Akalbodhan during the autumn that came to be a most widely accepted practice.
In the 'Ramayana', as it goes, Rama went to 'Lanka' to rescue his abducted wife, Sita, from the grip of Ravana, the king of the Demons in Lanka. Before starting for his battle with Ravana, Rama wanted the blessings of Devi Durga . He came to know that the Goddess would be pleased only if she is worshipped with one hundred 'NeelKamal' or blue lotuses. Rama, after travelling the whole world, could gather only ninety nine of them. He finally decided to offer one of his eyes, which resembled blue lotuses. Durga, being pleased with the devotion of Rama, appeared before him and blessed him. The epical battle started on the 'Saptami' and Ravana was finally killed on the 'Sandhikshan' i.e. the crossover period between Ashtami (the next day) and Navami (the day after). Ravana was cremated on Dashami. This is why Dashera is celebrated in India with so much of fanfare and the effigy of Raavana is burnt.

In course of time Indians adopted the autumnal worship of Durga performed by Rama and made it their main festival. The Pujas span over the four days, the time taken by Rama to finally kill and cremate Ravana.

Durga - the goddess of power and strength, is perhaps the most important goddess of the Hindus. She is a multi-dimensional Goddess, with many names, many personas, and many facets. As Mahishasuramardini or Shakti, she is the destroyer of evil - with her ten mighty arms carrying lethal weapons she triumphantly slays the demon Mahishasura. As Sati, beloved daughter of King Daksha and Queen Menaka she gives up a kingdom and earns her father's wrath. As Kali, she turns black as the night and omnipotent, terrible in rage and fury, with just a string of skulls as her garland and her only garb. As Parvati, she is serene, the pretty consort of Lord Shiva by his side in the snowy peaks of the Kailash mountain. She is Bhawani, symbol of life. She is Sati, the object of death. She is Basanti, the heralder of springtime. She is also Amba, Jagadhatri, Tara, Ambika, Annapurna.

Durga, through all her forms, encompasses the essence of salvation and sacrifice. She is the mother of bounty and wealth, as also of beauty and knowledge, for her daughters are Lakshmi and Saraswati (Hindu goddesses of wealth and knowledge, respectively).

She is the embodiement of purity, knowledge, truth and self-realization. The highest form of truth present in any being or Jiva is known as "Aatman" or supreme consciousness. This supreme consciousness or the absolute soul is infinite, birthless, deathless, beyond time and space, and beyond the law of causation. Goddess Durga is the inherent dynamic energy through which this supreme consciousness manifests itself.

Goddess Durga represents the power of the Supreme Being that preserves moral order and righteousness in the universe. She is the energy aspect of the Lord. Without Durga, Lord Shiva has no expression and without Shiva, Durga has no existence. Lord Shiva is only the silent witness. He is motionless, absolutely changeless. He is not affected by the cosmic play. Shiva has no direct connection with the tangible elements in the universe and is obliged to emanate a manifestation, an emission of energy, shakti, through the goddess. It is Durga who is the doer of all actions. Shiva and Durga are regarded as the twofold personalization of Brahman, the primeval substance.

Goddess Durga keeps up the play of the divine universal God through the three attributes of Nature, namely, Satva (equilibrium and serenity), Rajas (dynamism and kinesis) and Tamas (ignorance and inertia). Knowledge, peace, lust, anger, greed, egoism and pride, all are Her forms. Maha Saraswati is Her Sattviki Shakti or power of equilibrium. Maha Lakshmi is Her Rajasik Shakti or power of activity. And Maha Kali is Her Tamsik Shakti the power of destruction. All these are feminine forms.

Shiva's power is Shakti, the dynamic creative mother aspect of the Godhead. It is she who creates and at the time of dissolution, it is she who swallows her own creation. Shakti cannot exist without Shiva and Shiva cannot personify without Shakti.

Worship of goddess Durga signifies the process by which the divine potential within every being removes its layers of ignorance and achieves the state of self-realization. Hindus celebrate this occasion at an auspicious time every year to constantly remind themselves of the significance of this very process. They contemplate the progress made on their spiritual journey and celebrate with great joy the victory of the supreme consciousness over the demons of ignorance. The festival is also a reminder that evil can never triumph over the power of truth.

Durga Puja is the greatest Hindu festival in which God is adored as Mother. Hinduism is the only religion in the world, which has emphasized to such an extent the motherhood of God. Perhaps the greatest testament to the power of Durga Puja is that even today the Mother is worshipped by billions of Hindus world wide in exactly the same manner as she was thousands of years ago.

Therefore Hinduism proclaims the highest personification of God, the supreme energy, to be feminine. Hinduism is the only religion in the world, which conceptualizes the supreme form of Divinity to be a woman. This demonstrates the elevated status of women in Hinduism as a religion.Durga is a devi who is considered to be eternal without birth or death but when need arises she takes form and destroys the demon.

This aspect I feel is rather similar to the power of lord Krishna which he had stated it Gita….

”yada yada hi dharmasya, Glani bhabati bharata,

Abhyuthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srijamaham

Paritranaya sadhunam binasayacha dushkritam

Dharma sanasthapanathaya sambhami yuge yuge….”

So let’s listen to the fascinating story of the devi starting with the slaying of Madhu and kaithava….