"SrIvidyA" (Contd.)

  People have been worshiping the Sun God all over the world since very early times. There are also some sections of the people who worship Moon as their God. Moon is a part of the Earth, its Satellite. Both the Sun and the Moon occupy the central place in this study as “Srividya”.

   All these scientific details are provided here as a background study since these are simply referred to as ‘Shiva’, symbolically here. Later on, in course of this study we find the sunrays, the mayukhas (+ve and –ve electric charges referred to as Male (Yam) and Female (Yim) creative energy and forces- Shiva-Shakti. The terms used in Samskrutam here for Shiva and Shakti are many such as- sUrya, sUrye, sUryA, Aditya, BAnu, prakaSa, viShNu, Siva, Sive, SivA, rudra, iMdra, sOma etc. All that create, produce, or ‘that appear or come before’, ‘that which comes out of’, or that appears ‘one after the other’ are called (in relational terms) as father, mother, son or daughter, brother and sister, etc. For example, we have yam and yim that are called siblings, son and daughter of Sun, i.e., sunrays (with +ve and –ve energy wavicles that some scientists disapprove?). The Rk Veda (Mandala X Sukta 85) gives more details. Yam and Yim are said to be Light and Darkness, respectively. Yam is also called Kala (Time) and Time is calculated with Sun as its reference point, in terms of earth’s rotation and revolution around the Sun; the days and year are called ‘sidereal’ day and ‘solar’ year, respectively. So also, the Moon is the point of reference for Lunar month of two- the dark and bright fortnights (paksha mAsa). This entire Soundaryalahari is devoted to praise of the Devi as Nitya (Eternal), Chandrakala, (as dictated by the phases of the Moon). The Nityas are the lunar days and nights- paDya (pratipat) to pOrNimA (Full Moon) or the amAvAsya (New Moon), with the sixteenth day as Maha Tripurasundari.

  The sixteen Nityas (names of Shukla paksha nights) are:

mahAtripurasuMdarI, kAmESvarI, BagamAlinI, nityakilinnA, BEruMDA, vahnivAsinI, mahAvidyESvarI, roudrI, tvaritA, kulasuMdarI, nIlapatAkA, vijayA, sarvamaMgalA, jvAlA, mAlinI, cidrupa. These nityas also appear as the sixteen sounds (vowels) full of potency. These secrets should not be revealed to the unqualified. It is also said that one should know the names of the days and nights of these Lunar and Solar days and nights.

The names of Krishna paksha nights (dark fortnight) are:

  sutA sunvatI prastutA sUyamAnA aBiShUyamANA |

  pItI prapA saMpA tRuptistarpayaMtI |

  kAMtA kAmyA kAmajAtA AyuShmatI kAmaduGA

yAnyahAni | tE madhuvRuShaH || (Tai. Br. 3. 10. 10)

[These are merged in the AdhAra cakra (the Sun’s glare) and SamayIs do not worship on these nights. Moreover, Kundalini is activated only in Shukla paksha nights]

The names of days of Shukla paksha (bright fortnight) culminating in Poornima are:

 SamjnyAnam, vijnyAnam, prajnyAnam, JAnabhijAnat, samkalpa- mAnam, prakalpamAnam upakalpamAnam upakluptam, kluptam |

 ShrEyovaSiya ayat saMBUtam BUtam || (Tai. Br. 3. 10.1)

Names of days ofKrishna  pakasha (dark fortnight) culminating in Amavasya-

  PrastutaM, viShTutaM, saMstutaM, kalyaNam, viSvarUpaM |

  SukramamRutaM tEjasvi tEjassmiddham |

  aruNam BAnumanmarIcimadaBitapattapasvat ||(Tai. Br. 3.10.1)

  A person who knows all the above names of days and nights will get all his desires fulfilled and enjoys supreme bliss.

  Sa yO havA EtA madhukRutaSca madhuvRuShAgM shca vEda |

  kurvaMti hAsyaitA agnou madhu | nAsyEShTApUrtaM dhayaMti ||  

   Actually, we should not treat ‘Mother’, or ‘her children’ as something of the human species here. In the beginning all that appeared are stars only. Go Lok; galaxy is the star-clustered region- sudha sindhu (ocean of Consciousness, ‘cit’, Light). It is compared to the snow-covered Himalayas shining like milky sea under the sunlight. Our Galaxy is called the ‘Milky Way’ (‘Ksheer path’). Even the Stars here derive their Light from an un-manifest source called Aditya, Narayana, or Para Brahman. Aditya is the primordial, the self-effulgent, omnipotent, omnipresent Light, Energy, and Force. Aditya is called Shivam (‘cit’) here. He, the ‘Father in Heaven’ (the Sun/Shiva) and She, the Mother, (Earth/Shakti) are really the most important Gods for us here; this Earth is the abode of men, rather it is the home of all living creatures, all animate or inanimate, organic or inorganic things. For all practices, the Sun (‘cit’/ ‘citi’) is called ‘Srividya’, the abode of ‘Pure Consciousness’ shuddhi vidya, here. All the Gods and Goddesses are stellar matter, particles of Light, Energy, Intelligence, and Forces that are found in the ‘parame vyoman’, the Bhuvah or the Sky (ether/Akasha); these are in the form of hazy clouds, ice crystals, water vapor, electricity and energy particles (photons), lightning, sound and such other subtler invisible forms. These are also found in a vibrating mind as thoughts, ideas and images!  It is just vibration. Thus, everything is vibration of energy!

     Moreover, as mortals, we the upasaka or spiritual seekers are living and working on earth at a lower, individual consciousness at basal plexus, muladhara level. We subsist on food, barely meeting the requirements of the physical body, repeatedly feeding it as and when energy depletes, and we engage in sensual life. We are unaware of our higher self, our true nature, and think that our body, mind and senses, ego are the most important to be attended to; accordingly, we get engaged- dancing to the tunes of the senses, mind, intellect (buddhi) and ego (ahamkara), albeit, we are grown up and know the consequences of such a sensuous life. But, we are still like grown-up children and do not have maturity enough; our consciousness level is very, very low, almost nothing; we are unable to rise above this basic ground level of c raving for insentient things to satisfy our insatiable desires. We cannot think of higher things. Our interest is in the material world and, besides indulging in the cravings of the Senses we are fighting a survival battle with poverty, insecurity, old age, sickness, and fear of death.

   Now, under these circumstances, it is extremely difficult for us to take to upasana with a focused mind, citta-shuddhi and control over senses. Nevertheless, we are firm in our resolve to seek the divine intervention and we want the Devi to help us. We have full faith in our Divine Mother and believe that ‘She’ will redeem us. We firmly believe that our Mother Amba is kind, benevolent and sakala abhIshTa pradAyanI.

    Moreover, all the thinking we are doing here is by our own Mind and thoughts (manas and citta), Intelligence (buddhi), and limited individualized Consciousness; it is our mano-vrutti, ‘citta vikalpa’ i.e., vibrating mind- full of thoughts, dreams, desires, images and aspirations, memories, whims and fancy- nothing else! Furthermore, we, the mortals, martanda, are confined here only to the realm of ‘Bhu’ (the earth) and cannot ever think of other higher realms or levels such as bhuvah and Svar Lokas, whereas ‘SrIvidyA’ speaks of several realms, nava avaranas- nine environs, where the gods and goddesses (deities), Akarshinis, varshinis, yoginis, nityas, dik-palakas, etc. dwell. As already stated, these divine beings are found in the form of Light, Energy, Sound, Intelligence, and Elemental Forces. However, it is possible to transcend these realms (vyahrutis) in our yogic trance, transcendental state of meditation and gain first-hand knowledge of everything in Samadhi. Our Atma is well equipped with all this knowledge. Atma knows all; atmayaivedgm sarvam | is the Vedic doctrine. Hence, instead of looking to others for guidance, searching outside for our knowledge, we can as well look inward to gain all this knowledge and experience. Our aim here is to know these nine realms, the nava avaranas, as expounded in SrIvidyA and realize our goal through Chakropasana in antaryaga.