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 unmanifest 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, buddhi and Aham-kara, 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, chancjhala chitta or ‘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), 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.
