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प्रसन्नवदनम् ध्यायेत् सर्व विघ्नोपशान्तये||
श्रीगुरुभ्योनमः
विकृतिस्सर्वभूतानि प्रकृतिः परदॆवता
सतः पादस्तयॊराद्या त्रिपदी गीयतॆ परा॥ (उमासहस्रम् 37.18)
Bhaanu-Mandala-Madhyastha to Vamakesi
We have seen the Panchadasi mantra related namas in the previous post. Now, we will learn the secrets behind the tantra related namas. These namas start from Bhanu-Mandala-Madhyastha and go upto Vamakesi. We split these namas into ten groups corresponding to ten maha vidyas/Dasa-Maha-Vidyas.
Since Sun/Bhanu is the action instigating deity, the first nama Bhanu-Mandala-Madhyastha, seems to indicate that the subsequent set of namas are indeed tantra (action) related.
Bhairavi, Bhaga-malini : Bhairavi vidya (2 namas)
Energy is of two kinds. The static form called potential energy and the other is of dynamic in nature called kinetic energy. The sleeping Kundalini Sakti at the Muladhara is of static form and the same energy when gets awakened in an ardent aspirant, starts traversing upwards and becomes of kinetic in nature.
अचैतन्यम् परम् सूक्ष्मम् गुणसाम्यमनुल्बणम्
यॊनिस्वभाव संज्ञातम् मत्तॊऽभूद्भ इति स्वयम् ॥ (लक्ष्मी तंत्रम् 19.40)
The letter bha भ corresponds to the subtlest, imperceptible, inanimate yoni/seed of balanced gunas.
Immesurable infinite energy of Supreme Consciousness/Paramatma reaches muladhara and starts sleeping as Kundalini sakti (Kundalini means coiled). This results in the three coverings/aavarana of dirt/mala namely, anava, maayia and karmika. These coverings hide the true nature of the Self and brings duality into being.
द्वितीयात् वै भयम् भवति The sense of duality in turn manifests fear. भीरॊस्संत्रासकृद्भैरवम् Since this sleeping Kundalini causes fear, She is known as Bhairavi. Bhairavi residing at the Muladhara, the abode of Para vak, Bhairavi is synonymous with Para vak.
This sleeping Kundalini sakthi when gets awakened in an aspirant, starts travelling upwards along the chain/maala of plexus as a startling streak of light (bhaga) and thus She is called Bhagamalini. Awakened Kundalini Bhagamalini brings the realization of Ekam-Eva-Advitiyam-Brahma, there by removes the fear of duality in aspirants. Thus, as Bhairavi, She causes fear and as Bhagamalini, She removes the fear.
These two namas correspond to the Bhairvai vidya.
Padma-asana, Bhagavati, Padma-Nabha-Sahodari: Kamalatmika (3 namas)
These three namas pertain to the Kamalatmika Dasa Maha Vidya. Kamala/Lotus is symbolic of blossoming. The unmanifest maya sakti at the Sahasrara chakra is Kamalatmika. This unmanifest maya sakti that is in a balanced state of three gunas, is the material cause for creation. As mud/earth is the material cause of a pot, Kamalatmika sakti becomes the kshetra karaka/material cause for space.
Unmanifested, imperceptible, maya sakti of balanced gunas, with a potence of expansion/vikasana is Kamalatmika. The three namas here, symbolically indicate the significance of balanced state of the three gunas for the Kamalatmika maha vidya. The same energy when comes into being as manifested creation, is called Bhuvaneswari.
Unmehsa-nimesha-utpanna-vipanna-Bhuvana-aavalih, Sahasra-sirsha-vadana, Sahasra-akshi, Sahasra-paat, Aabrahma-kita-janani, Varna-aasrama-vidhayini, Nijagna-rupa-nigama, Punya-apunya-phala-prada, Sruti-seemanta-sindhurikruta-paadabja-dhoolika, Sakala-agama-sandoha-sukti-samputa-mouktika, Purushardha-prada, Purna, Bhogini, Bhuvaneswari: Bhuvaneswari Vidya (14 namas)
तदॆक्षत बहुस्याम् प्रजायॆयॆति तत्तॆजॊऽसृजत ( चांदॊग्यॊपनिषद् – 6.2.3)
आत्मा वा इदमॆक ऎवाग्र आसीनान्यत्किञ्चन मिषत् स ईक्षत लॊकान्नु सृजा इति (ऐतरॆयॊपनिषद् 1.1)
Srushti because of drushti. It is because of drushti/glimpse, srushti/creation came into being.
भवत्यस्मिन्निति भुवनम् (अमरकॊशम्) – Everything occurs in Bhuvanam
Bhuvaneswari is the energy associated with the Paramatma’s vision or in otherwords, Paramatma’s viewing capacity is called Bhuvaneswari because the entire creation comes into being due to this Ikshana sakti.
आञ् ईषदर्थॆऽभि व्याप्तौ सीमार्थॆ धातु यॊगजॆ (अमरकॊशम्)
आकाशम् शरीरम् ब्रह्म (तैत्तिरियॊपनिषद् – 6.1)
Thus, these fourteen namas here correspond to the Goddess Bhuvaneswari, the ruler of the fourteen worlds/chaturdasa bhuvanas.
Creation is always associated with a name/naama and a form/rupa. While the energy associated with form is Bhuvaneswari, that associated with the name or the sound energy is Taara devi.
Ambika, Anaadi-nidhana, Hari-Brahmendra-Sevita, Narayani, Nada-rupa, Nama-rupa-vivarjita – Tara devi (6 namas)
Upanishads unanimously proclaim that Pranava is the primordial sound/nada from which the entire creation comprising of name/nama and form/rupa has come into being. तरंत्यनॆनॆति तारः Taaraka mantra is that which helps us in crossing the ocean of samsara and Pranava is a taraka mantra.
आकारः प्रथमाक्षरॊ भवत्युकारॊ द्वितीयाक्षरॊ भवति मकारस्तृतीयाक्षरॊ भवति अर्धमात्रश्चतुर्थाक्षरॊ भवति बिंदुः पञ्चमाक्षरॊ भवति नादः षष्ठाक्षरॊ भवति तारकत्वत्तारकॊ भवति। तदॆव तारकम् ब्रह्मत्वम् विद्धि तदॆव उपास्यमिति ज्ञॆयम्॥ गर्भजन्मजरामरणसंसार महद्भयत्सन्तारयति तारकमिति ॥ (श्रीरामउत्तर तापिनी उपनिषद् 2खं 2)
Vagdevagas seem to have used these six namas to indicate Tara devi, an embodiment of Nada Brahma, the sound form of creation. She liberates devotees from the cycle of birth and death, the wordly existence. The six names seem to correspond to the six parts a-kaara, u-kaara, ma-kaara, ardha-maatra and bindu of the Pranava, the taraka mantra.
In physical sciences, it is a well known fact that light travels faster than sound. Vagdevatas seem to have indicated this fact long long ago by placing the form related Maha Vidya Bhuvaneswari before the sound related Maha Vidya, Tara devi.
Praying to the nameless and formless Parasakti,
श्रीमात्रेनमः
