[Published in the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam 36th Anniversary Souvenir, 2023]
Prayer means recog- nizing the presence of Īśvara. The ability to pray comes from the basic person, the devotee, who has ei- ther belief in or under- standing of Īśvara and also of the efficacy of the prayer. Any form of prayer produces merit, unseen results in different degrees. Prayer also produces an immediately seen result, such as freedom from helplessness and frus- tration. This is so because one has acted upon the desire to control hidden variables, thus avoiding helplessness. If I don’t seek help, I am helpless. If I seek help, I am not helpless. The satisfaction that comes from praying is a vis- ible result. There are means to get satisfaction other than prayer. Cooking and eating give satisfaction, for example. But when what is cooked is offered to then Lord and then consumed, it produces a different result, namely merit, a result that is not seen now.
Prayer is a karma, action, and it is three-fold based upon the means that are employed: kāyika, physical; vācika, verbal; and mānasa, mental. Kāyika-karma is a ritualistic act, such as pūjā, sacrificial ritual, etc., in which the limbs of the body are employed. Vācika-karma is oral prayer such as recitation, chanting sūktas, stotras, and singing bhajans. In mānasa-karma, there is directed mental activ- ity. When an object of mental activity is Īśvara, it is called meditation. It could be mental worship or japa, repetition of a chant.
What is Īśvara?
The one who is both the intelligent and the material cause for the whole creation is known as Īśvara, the Lord. One generally uses the pronoun ‘He’ for Īśvara. This is only a convention and does not imply that Īśvara has a gender. One sees both the masculine and feminine genders in the creation. Looking at the world comprising all three gen- ders, one cannot attribute only one gender to Īśvara. One can only say that Īśvara is not male, female, or neuter; or one can say that Īśvara is male, female, or neuter, being the cause of everything.
The intelligent aspect of Īśvara is called puruṣa, which is masculine, and the material aspect is called prakṛti or māyā, which is feminine. From the aspect of intelligence, it is ‘He’ or Īśvara and from material aspect, it is ‘She’ or Īśvarī. Thus, the whole creation is nothing but Īśvarī from the material standpoint. She is immanent in the cre- ation; there is nothing in the creation that is apart from Īśvarī. That is what is meant when one says that Īśvara is all-pervasive or omnipresent, like the dreamer pervades the dream. Even though the dreamer pervades the dream, the dreamer is not the dream. It is the dream world that resolves into the dreamer. In other words, the dreamer is the one who pervades the dream and at the same time tran- scends it.
In the same manner, Īśvarī pervades the creation and tran- scends it. Therefore, to find Īśvarī one does not need to look for a distinct individual being because the creation does not exist apart from Īśvarī. Everything is a manifes- tation of Īśvarī. She is worshipped in the form of Mother from beginningless time. If we accept the motherhood of Īśvara called Īśvarī, and think that we are the chil- dren of that Mother, this will help us attain Īśvara very easily. Mother will not reject her children in any way. A bad child may be there, but never a bad mother, says Ādī Śaṇkarācārya.
The text known as Devī-māhātmyam or Sapta-śatī de- scribes the glories of Īśvara as Mother. This text is found in the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, which is in the form of a dia- logue between Sage Mārkaṇḍeya and Kroṣṭukī. It is said that the basis of the text is found in the Veda. The Devī- sūktam in Ṛgveda (X, 125), whose seer is Vāk, daughter of Ambhṛṇa Ṛṣi, is the basis for the Devī-māhātmyam. In this sūkta, she describes herself in the form of everything in the universe as well as the reality of everything.
In the Devī-māhātmyam, the Goddess is glorified in three forms – Mahākālī, Mahālakṣmī, and Mahāsarasvatī. The first chapter contains the glory of Mahākālī. The second, third, and fourth chapters glorify Mahālakṣmī, and the last nine chapters (5 to 13) glorify Mahāsarasvatī.
The main obstructions for attaining the goal of human life, mokṣa, are the impurities in our mind, namely lust, anger, greed, delusion, ego, jealousy, etc. They are to be removed first. When Mahākāli is worshipped, she consumes them like a person consumes a morsel of food. Once our minds are devoid of impurities, as Mahālakṣmī she bestows di- vine wealth such as truth, non-violence, forgiveness, hu- mility, generosity, dispassion, etc. She makes our mind fit to receive self-knowledge. Then, as Mahāsarasvatī, she blesses us with self-knowledge, so we gain mokṣa. That is the meaning of Devi̅ worship in the Devi̅ -māhātmyam.
In chapters 5 to 13, Devi is glorified as the one who kills the two demons Śumbha ̅ and Niśumbha. By their strength and pride, these two demons took away from Indra his
Tantroktaṁ Devī-sūktam Swami Muktatmananda
sovereignty over the three worlds as well as the oblations of rituals due to him. Both of them together took over the offices of the Sun, the Moon, Kubera, Yama and Varuṇa. Since the gods now had no authority, they were easily de- feated by the two and driven away without even a fight. They thought of taking help from the invincible Devi̅ who had given them a boon – “whenever you remember me in great dangers, I will at once ward off all the calamities and protect you.” The devas then went to Himavān, the Lord of mountains. There they praised Devī in order to please her. This is known as the Devī-sūktam, which means the glories of Devī sung by the gods:
devā ūcuḥ
namo devyai mahādevyai śivāyai satataṁ namaḥ namaḥ prakṛtyai bhadrāyai niyatāḥ praṇatāḥ sma tām (1)
The devas said:
Salutations to Devī, Salutations to the Goddess of all gods, who is ever auspicious, who is the primordial cause and the sustaining power of the universe. We bow to her wholeheartedly.
raudrāyai namo nityāyai gauryai dhātryai namo namaḥ jyotsnāyai cendurupiṇyai sukhāyai satataṁ namaḥ (2)
Salutations always to her, the one who has the power to resolve the universe. She herself is eternal. Salutations to Gaurī, who sustains everything in the form of the earth. Our salutations to her who is in the form of the moon and moonlight and who is of the nature of happiness.
kalyāṇyai praṇatāṁ vṛddhyai siddhyai kurmo namo namaḥ
nairṛtyai bhūbhṛtāṁ lakṣmyai śarvāṇyai te namo namaḥ (3)
We bow to her, the one who is welfare, the one who is prosperity for the surrendered, the one who is in the form of eight-fold miraculous powers. Salutations to the consort of Śiva, who is herself the good fortune and misfortune of kings.
durgāyai durgapārāyai sārāyai sarvakāriṇyai
khyātyai tathaiva kṛṣṇāyai dhūmrāyai satataṁ namaḥ (4)
Salutations always to Durgā, who protects us in difficul- ties, who takes one across the ocean of saṁsāra, who is the essence of everything, who is the author of every- thing, who is of the nature of discriminative knowledge, the one who is blue-black and also smoke-like in com- plexion.
[The last portion of the verse can also be interpreted as: She alone is in the form of ignorance (blue-black). When she is changed to discriminative knowledge and when darkness is changed to light, the intermediate stage which is hazy, is denoted by Dhūmra, the smoky one. She is counted among the ten mahāvidyās.]
atisaumyātiraudrāyai natāstasyai namo namaḥ
namo jagatpratiṣṭhāyai devyai kṛtyai namo namaḥ (5)
We bow to her, the one who is at once most gentle (for the worshippers) and most fierce (for non-worshippers). Salutations to her, the one who is the ultimate reality, who is of the form of volition. To her our salutations always.
yā devī sarva bhuteṣu viṣṇumāyeti śabditā
namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (6)
Salutations again and again to that Devī, who is called Viśvamāyā in all beings. Again and again our salutations.
[Sincere salutations can be done at the physical, verbal, and mental level. Therefore the word salutation has been repeated thrice in this verse as well as the following verses. Alternatively, since māyā is in the form of sattva, rajas, and tamas, the Goddess is saluted thrice in this verse in the form of the three guṇas.]
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu cetanetyabhidhīyate
namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (7)
Our prostrations again and again to that Devī, who is called the consciousness in all beings. Again and again our salutations.
[Consciousness alone is the truth of all beings.]
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu buddhirūpeṇa saṁsthita namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (8)
Our constant salutations to that Devī, who resides in all beings in the form of intelligence. Again and again our salutations.
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu nidrārūpeṇa saṁsthitā namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (9)
We bow again and again to that Devī, who exists as sleep or ignorance in all beings.
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu kṣudhārūpeṇa saṁsthitā namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (10)
Our salutations always to that Devī, who dwells in all be- ings in the form of hunger.
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu chāyārūpeṇa saṁsthitā namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (11)
Our repeated prostrations to that Devī, who abides in all beings in the form of reflection (of consciousness).
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu śaktirūpeṇa saṁsthitā
namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (12)
Our constant salutations to that Devī, who exists in all be- ings in the form of strength or enthusiasm.
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu tṛṣṇārūpeṇa saṁsthitā namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (13)
Salutations always to that Devī, who exists in all beings in the form of thirst or greed.
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu kṣāṇtirūpeṇa saṁsthitā namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (14)
We bow again and again to that Devī, who abides in all beings as forgiveness or forbearance.
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu jātirūpeṇa saṁsthitā
namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (15)
Prostrations always to that Devī, who exists in all beings as the origin or genus of everything.
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu lajjārūpeṇa saṁsthitā
namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (16)
Constant salutations to that Devī, who abides in all beings as modesty or shame.
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu śāntirūpeṇa saṁsthitā
namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (17)
Prostrations always to that Devī, who abides in all beings as the resolution of the mind.
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu śraddhārūpeṇa saṁsthitā namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (18)
Salutations always to that Devī, who abides in all beings in the form of trust.
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu kāntirūpeṇa saṁsthitā namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (19)
To that Devī, who exists in all beings in the form of beauty, again and again our salutations.
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu lakṣmīrūpeṇa saṁsthitā namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (20)
To that Devī, who abides in all beings in the form of good fortune, our constant salutations.
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu vṛttirūpeṇa saṁsthitā
namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (21)
To that Devī, who abides in all beings in the form of livelihood or activity, again and again our prostrations.
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu smṛtirūpeṇa saṁsthitā namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (22)
To that Devī, who exists in all beings in the form of memory, salutations to her always.
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu dayārūpeṇa saṁsthitā
namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (23)
Salutations again and again to that Devī, who exists in all beings in the form of compassion.
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu tuṣṭirūpeṇa saṁsthitā
namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (24)
We bow again and again to that Devī, who abides in all beings in the form of contentment.
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu mātṛrūpeṇa saṁsthitā
namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (25)
To that Devī, who exists in all beings in the form of mother or knower, our constant salutations.
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu bhrāntirūpeṇa saṁsthitā namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (26)
Prostrations always to that Devī, who abides in all beings in the form of error.
indriyāṇāmadhiṣṭhātrī bhūtānām cākhileṣu yā bhūteṣu satataṁ tasyai vyāptidevyai namo namaḥ (27)
Salutations always to that Devī, who is all-pervading, who constantly presides over the senses of all beings and who governs all the elements.
citirūpeṇa yā kṛtsnametadvyāpya sthitā jagat namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ (28)
To that Devī, who pervades the entire world in the form of consciousness (just as water pervades all waves or gold pervades all ornaments), our constant salutations.
stutā suraiḥ pūrvamabhīṣṭasaṁśrayāttathā surendreṇa dineṣu sevitā
karotu sā naḥ śubhaheturīśvarī śubhāni bhadrāṇyabhihantu cāpadaḥ (29)
That Devī, who was invoked by the devās and propiti- ated by the lord of the devās every day to get their desires fulfilled, may she, the Īśvarī, the source of all good, ac- complish for us all auspicious things and put an end to our calamities.
yā sāmpratam coddhatadaityatāpitairasmābhirīśā ca surairnamasyate
