Sharada Catushyati of Jnyanandanatha

`Shree Sharada-Catushyati’ is a poetic composition on the glory of Devi Shri Sharadamba. The term dEvi SAradA is made up of Two words- devi and Sharada; the syllables d+E+v+I = dEvi,meaning, ‘That’ (‘tyat’) power(Brahman) which lifts up (‘ut’) and the syllables:S+h+A+r+a+d+A= Sharada, meaning, the life-force (Prana) in the vital airs of our in-breath (puraka-‘s’) and out-breath (recaka-‘h’), and the action of breathing supported by Brahman, the pure Consciousness (‘a’), the cit Sakti – ‘r’, ascending consciousness in jiva- ‘d’; thus, the over-all meaning of “dEvi SAradA” is “the enlivening and uplifting power of Consciousness in jiva”.  Devi Shree Sharadambe in Rk Veda isSarasvati, Srujasvati (See Sri sukta, devi sukta,Bhu sukta,Saraswati sukta, ratri sukta, etc.in Mandala X). Devi Sharada or Saraswati is the source of Rk, mantra, sound (Vedamata); Devi is Sudha Sindhu, Kshira-sagara, ‘Saras’ (cit-sarovar) of Consciousness (prajnya-sagara).Here, Devi Shrimata Sarasvati is not the consort of Brahma of the Puranic lores; also, Devi here is not the one depicted as Trinity-one with Lakshmi and Durga Parameshvari, or, for that matter, an attendant deity of Bhagavati Parvatias stated in Soundarya-lahari (Verses 60, 64, 66, 75, 96 - 99). Devi Shree Sharadambe is para devata, Para Bhattarika, `Cidrupini’ (the Supreme Consciousness, samyak-prajnya, or Shuddha vidya),Para Bhattarike is Parabrahma-svarupini. She, the Devi who manifests in mantra- ‘Shreem’, and yantra- ‘Sri-Chakra’. She is yantrarupi-devi mantrasvarupini. She can be attained by mantropasana and worship of Sriyantraas antaryaga. Realization of the Self as one with the Sri-Chakra and the Devi is at-one-ment.

   Thus, Jaganmata Sri Sharadambe is Adya devi, the supreme power of creation, an embodiment of mantra and yantra. As matrika, Devi Sharada is akshararupini, too. Deviis depicted in the Sri Chakra in the inner-most triangle (baindavasthana). She manifests as ‘bindu’ and ‘trikona’- the wavicle of ‘cit-Shakti’ expanding into a triad of icca, jnyan, and kriya Shakti. Devi is the ‘be all and end all’ of all creation; all that exists is that, ‘tyat’. She only is the ‘Existential Reality’ and, all else an illusion! All that exists as the moving and the non-moving is the manifestation of the One supreme Self. Everything that is seen, heard, felt here is just a vibration of the wavicle (wave and particle)-‘Citta’, as chaitanya, prana and prajnya. She is called by different names and forms (with numerous arms and mudras). She iscalled Lalitaparameshvari, Samrajnyi Rajarajsehvari, Kamakshi, Mukambika, Meenakshi, Kamakhya, Annapurneshvari, Tripureshi, Mahatripurasundari, Mahalakshmi, etc.She is the ‘Self of All’ (svAtmA). She is ekam, adviteeyam. She creates and pervades all creation- tad srushtva tadevanupravishat |

  The jiva who desires for liberation, mukti, has to cross the nine enclosures (nava avarana) worshiping all the deities- yoginis, vashinis, akarshinis, nityas, ratris, etc. and finally reach the final citadel (Manipura) of Devi in the central triangle (Nabhi chakra). Aspirations of the upasaka are fulfilled (ishtarthasiddhi) from either external worship- Sri-Cakra puja, or by internal worship in dhyan, contemplation on Sriyantra-Chakradhyanaor mantropasna with bijakshara mantra. Panchadashakshari mantra- ka e I la hrIm | ha sa ka sa la hrIm| sakala hrIM ||is the most potent one that is advocated for attainment to moksha, kaivalya or kailasa. Kailasa has the seed syllables of the panchakshari maha mantra: ka e I la and sa in it. In case of Shodashakshari, the sixteenth single-syllable is a secret one; it has to be obtained from a siddhipurusha, an attained person. However, much depends on the grace of Devi, or by purvapunya.The ultimate union with the supreme Self is sadakhya, Atma-brahma bhavaikayata attained by activation of kundalini.