Shreevidya (contd.)

What is "Shreevidya"?

   Shreevidya is made up of 'Shree' (Knowledge/Technology/ Resources) and 'Vidya' ('to Know'); in other words, it is the jijnyasa, inquiry, subject of our investigation- 'Shree' is the 'Creative Power' (srushti shakti) attributed to the 'Devata Value' (Prakruti) of the Creator (Purusha). Thus it is 'One' and 'One only', not two, or the second! There are innumerable manifest forms with different names for the 'One', that too, indivisible, complete, poornam. This is like the mirror reflection of the one Full Moon in a hundred pools of water. It is the pratbimba (reflection) of the bimba (Image). It is the vimarsha aspect of Shiva, Prakasha. This is the most significant aspect of the study of "Shree".

   The term 'Shree' stands for the feminine aspect of the Purusha, and it is a wrong connotation. There is neither a masculine (male) or a feminine (female) attribute to Shiva since He is the 'One' Purusha without any other (significant), besides Him! He, the Purusha, Shiva only manifests as 'His another form' prakruti, and this prakruti is no different from Him! It is like Me and mine.All that exists is Shiva only and what all we see, hear, touch, smell and feel are Him only. Then why is this confusion regarding the Feminine form of manifestation? There is no gender aspect attributed to these Devata value like the Electricity carried by two alternate current wires which we call positive and negative, male and female or the positrons and electrons. These are to be carefully understood. It is common usage that a pole lying on the ground is said to be female, whereas, the pole erected is called male in the Marathi language. Let us be mature enough to desist this male female aspect to devi devata who are merely the Powers, Shakti, aspect of the Purusha. There is only One, Mahapurusha, Parabrahman! The creative power is Raja Rajeeshwari, parabrahma svarupini, Shree!
  Now, as to the Vidya, it is the central  theme of Shreevidya. 'Vidya' ('vid' is 'to know') is 'Jnyan' (Knowledge). Actually, 'Jnyan' (Knowledge) only exists and all else is the 'Knower'. The knower is united in the knowledge of the object to be known. The fundamental principle is- "The perceiver and the perceived are One". Hence, ShreeVidya is totality, 'Oneness'. There is only and that is the Pure Consciousness, chit-shakti. Devi Shree is called chidrupini.
     Shreevidya is totality,  complete knowledge of Creation, sustenance, dissolution, and finally, merger! Devi Shree is the bhukti-mukti-prada! 
    Devi Shree is the Divine Mother, the provider of food and shelter and we are all the children in her womb! Devi Shree is praised in numerous ways in the Mandala X of Rk Veda as Shree sukta, Devi sukta, Nadi Sukta, Saraswati sukta, Bhu sukta, etc.