The dhyana shloka for Lalita Tripura sundari, at the start of the Sahasranaama goes as :
सिन्दूरारुणविग्रहां त्रिनयनां माणिक्यमौलिस्फुरत्
तारानायकशेखरां स्मितमुखीमापीनवक्षोरुहाम् ।
पाणिभ्यामलिपूर्णरत्नचषकं रक्तोत्पलं विभ्रतीं
सौम्यां रत्नघटस्थरक्तचरणां ध्यायेत्परामम्बिकाम् ॥
This form has in itself hidden metaphors waiting to be uncovered.
The Form of the Great Mother — A Reflection
This śloka describes the dhyāna-svarūpa of Parāmbikā — the supreme form one meditates upon. But what does this form truly mean?
Parvati performed intense tapasyā to attain Shiva. At one level, this represents the stage of creation itself — the kṛti longing to devolve back into its original state of stillness. It is the very urge present in every being: the fundamental desire to return to God.
Parvati was not content being merely the daughter of Himavan. She wanted to be the wife of Shiva. So she performed great penance, and she did indeed become his wife. But after a while, she was again not satisfied. Her kāma — her fundamental mumukṣā, one might say — was so intense that she could not remain content merely as a wife. She wanted greater intimacy with Shiva.
So she asked for a seat closer to him, and Shiva offered his own lap. She sat there. But she was still not satisfied — she wanted more. She said, "I am not happy just being on your lap." And so Shiva said, "Alright, you may occupy half my body." And that is how she became, literally, the better half of Shiva — the Ardhanārīśvara form.
But even then, she was not satisfied. And so, without quite asking his permission, she slowly, slowly engulfed the entirety of Shiva's body with her enormous kāma — the desire to expand, to become one with the Supreme. This kāma, this insatiable desire to merge completely with the Supreme, is, I feel, the metaphorical meaning behind the name Kāmākṣī.
The Characteristics of the Merged Form
When she comes to occupy the entire form, things change — but not everything:
🔴 *सिन्दूरारुणविग्रहाम्* — Parvati is originally described as fiery and red in hue, while Shiva is white. When the two merge, the resulting complexion becomes a warm pinkish-orange — like sindūra, vermillion.
👁️ *त्रिनयनाम्* — Shiva has three eyes, and that characteristic still remains as a giveaway in this merged vigraha.
👑 *माणिक्यमौलिस्फुरत् तारानायकशेखराम्* — Parvati, being the princess of Himavan, brings her own jewelled kirīṭa, the crown of an empress of the world. But Shiva's crown is the moon itself — the lord of stars (tārānāyaka). So the merged form carries both: the maṇikya-crown blazing with gems, and the crescent moon above it.
😊 *स्मितमुखीम्* — In her ugra forms, Devi is said to laugh hysterically, while Shiva remains in a state of completely stoic dhyāna, without any expression. The merged form strikes a balance — a gentle, serene smile. Moderation personified.
🌸 *आपीनवक्षोरुहाम्* — The femininity of the form does not disappear. The full bosoms remain, marking the form unmistakably as that of the Great Mother.
🍷🪷 *पाणिभ्यामलिपूर्णरत्नचषकं रक्तोत्पलं विभ्रतीम्* — In her two hands she holds: on the left, a cup or jug filled with ale (representing the Vāma Mārga); and on the right, a red lotus or red lily (representing the Sāttvika Dakṣiṇa Mārga). Both paths are held in her hands simultaneously — she encompasses all approaches to the Divine.
🦶 *The Posture of the Legs* — One leg is folded inward, tucked up — a feature drawn from Shiva, who is ever absorbed in deep dhyāna. The other leg, the left, is placed down — for Devi is compassion personified, ever ready to act and give to the world.
💎 *रत्नघटस्थरक्तचरणाम्* — Her left foot, tinged red, rests upon a vessel or heap of gems. This carries a dual meaning: those who worship her feet are granted direct access to all wealth and all experiences of the material world. But more profoundly — all material pleasures lie beneath her feet. She represents something vastly, immeasurably greater than the sum total of all worldly bliss.
And this is the form of the Great Mother, upon whom we meditate.
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Credits : Image generated by ChatGPT. Text emojis and styling done with Claude.
A poetic commentary on the sacred hymn to Goddess Durga, the slayer of the buffalo demon Mahishasura. These verses celebrate the Divine Mother in her myriad forms — as daughter of the mountains, as universal nurturer, as fierce warrior, and as the supreme protector who vanquishes evil and brings abundance to all.
❀ ❀ ❀
1) Ayi giri nandini
O Parvati! Daughter of mountains! The earth rejoices when you descend. The universe is entertained by you. Nandi, the holy Bull, Indra the god-conqueror, laud you. You also reside frequently at the summits of Blessed-of-Hills, the Vindhya. You perform ballet along with Vishnu. O goddess! You turned the most dispassionate of yogis, the blue-necked Shiva himself into a householder. You manifest in a myriad of relationships. You bring abundance to all. O slayer of the Taurus-demon. O Goddess with charmingly dishevelled hair! O Goddess of Beauty! Victory to you, O daughter of mountain! Hail Hail!
2) Sura vara varshini
You shower the gods with boons. Swell your chests with unmatched pride. You, who is engaged in joy alone, save us from ugliness and shame. As Mother you nurture the three worlds. As Wife you please your husband Shankara. As Saviour you cleanse us of sins. As warrior-goddess you roar battlecries and din. O daughter of oceans! You quench the fury of Danavas, the pride of Daityas and disillusion their egos.
3) Ayi jagadamba
O Mother of the Universe! My dear mother thou art! You enjoy leisurely dwellings in the lush forests of Kadamba. Laugh you do, so sweetly.. You have made the tallest lofty peaks of Himalayas, the crown-jewel of the arduous mountains, your serene home. O mother, sweeter than honey! You made a mockery of demons Madhu and Kaitabha. You mitigate the risks and bitterness of life. You love to ballet and indulge in the juices of life.
4) Ayi shata khanDa
You ride the majestic elephant which has twisted ivories, blood soaked from the hundreds of heads it crushed and gnashed. And you ride sometimes the fierce valorous lion which heaves after tearing down temples of the enemy-rooks with its mighty claws. With your spear like slender arms you decapitated Munda and his combat comrade (Chanda).
5) Ayi raNa durmada
O you, who was consecrated by the collective unstoppable energies of the gods when they annihilated their power-drunk demonic enemies! You rule over seas of battle warriors. You turned the great Shiva himself into a mere messenger seeing him fit in matters of tongue. You showed Dhumralochana, the sinful, lustful, misled, mistreating, demon-ambassador, his just end.
6) Ayi sharaNaagata
To the sooth-seeking maidens of eminent warriors you killed, you graciously grant boons and fearlessness. The unswerving ever-severing, three-world-representing trident makes harmonious home in your hand, for it knows the next opposing head, its meal, is coming soon. "Dhum dhum" thump they the drums, which set you into rapturing rhapsodies, making you skip all about like crocodiles in water.
7) Ayi nija hunkruti
With just a puff of air, you, rejecting his proposal to wed, consigned him to hundred bits of burning ashes. You made a garland of corpses that arose from Demon RaktaBeeja, vaporising them with your enormous bedazzling heat. O Shiva! My God! Finally you enjoy feeding Daemons Shumba and Nishumbha to your entourage ghouls and ghosts, as though like the Bali given during a Great Yajna.
8) Dhanuranu sanga
In the heat of battle, you throw up your bow, with your bangles clanking sonorously. The golden heads of arrows you shoot, pierce unfailingly your screaming enemies and acquire reddish tones. You reduce the quaternary army to mere specs of red on the grand arena of battlefield, and paint it vividly with your auras, as though to console the crying infantile Rudra.
9) Sura lalanaa
You love to dance merrily to the "Tha tha tha theyy theyyy" tunes of the angelic damsels. And so do you love to sing poems to the "Ku kuth, ku kuth kuth" upbeat rhythm of drums. You do love to listen to the "Dhruk dhrukkuk dhrudhruk dhim dhim" thundering reverberatory beats of Mrdanga.
10) Jaya jaya japya jaye
Hail! Hail! Hail the Goddess, before whom the whole universe bows chanting wholeheartedly cries of victory. Your "Jhin-jhin jhin" clanking jingling of anklets enchants even the Lord of creatures. And when you dance, Shiva, the Dancer-Maestro cannot but help join you in that elegance. And while he dances in the play of life, you accompany with your sweet dulcis melody.
11) Ayi sumanas sumanas
O charisma-endowed charming maiden! Your splendor steals the purest of hearts of the good gods and flowery angels. The beauty of your face matches the luster of the cool moon - the bringer of night. Your face provides the well needed rest to your devotees, much like the moon makes the red lilies -born of water, bloom in ecstasy and excitement.
You charm Shiva, the lord who won over Mara(Manmatha- desire), by merely moving your mellow eyes, like the bumbling bees roaming around in a frenzy on a cloudy day.
12) Sahita mahahava
You who enjoys wrestling with the toughest and strongest of wrestlers in fiercest battles, subdue them like crushing a woolen blanket.Your army comprises the equally combatant Jhils and Bhils tribal women who like the jasmine creeper envelope you for support and strength.
You move about wantonly, O excellent amongst curvy maiden, like the young slender cool shoots which blossom happily at orange-hued dawn moved by the gentle breeze
13) Avirala ganda galan
O spouse of Shiva, the mad elephants! You slay prideful wild elephants in their state of strems of musth leaking down their temples. You, daughter of the Ocean, remind me of the world-soothing, sky-adorning spotted moon born- rising from the vast ocean.
You birthed the god of desire, Manmatha who enchants the mind with lust for "sweet-toothed" glancing ladies.
14) Kamala dalaa
Your forehead is adored craftfully as though by a vine of supple pure pristine lotus petals. You strut about wantonly with the fluttering royal swans in the lunar garden creating waves of excitement in all.
People swarm to you like buzzing bumbling bees to a bouquet of bright lotuses, like crores of cuckoo to a cherry tree.
15) Karamuralii rava
O warm hearted Goddess! The dulcet melody of the flute in your hands surpasses the sweet cuckoos' voice bewildering them into submission. You take hoards of lasses down the valleys of Himalayas, entertaining them with your galloping serenade.
You play hopscotch merrily with your fellow Shabari clan lasses who like you are paragons of virtue.
16) Kati taTa peeta
You wear silken glittering golden drapes round your waist, which surpasses the beauty of the moon. Your nails rest on the throne to which have prostrated the gods with their blazing crowns.
The image is reminiscent of the crescent moon in the sky decorated by the night lit city. Your bosoms resemble the beaming crests of divine Airavata which is playing about pridefully having summitted the Mount Gold.
17) Vijita sahasra kara
You have won over the thousand-rayed Sun with your unmatched prowess of bearing a thousand arms wielding a thousand suns. You have thus been saluted and prayed to by thousands of hands.
You are the mother to have birthed Skanda for the purpose of saving the pantheon of gods from the terrible war-monger Taraka.
You love to be born in the deepest states of focused equanimous samaadhi like you did for Suratha and Samaadhi.
18) Pada kamalam
Oh sea of compassion! The one who shall worship daily, your holy feet, soft and charming like a lotus, shall necessarily become Vishnu himself, the consort of Kamalaa.
When you, O mother, have Kamalaa at your feet, how would he not beget fortune! O Shivaa! What about me who considers your feet themselves to be the holiest of the abodes?
Would I be fortunate too?
19) Kanaka lasat
Shall the one who bathes your body, the drama-stage of Gunas, with pure water in golden pitchers, not have the blessed fortune of embracing tightly the swelled filled bosoms of Goddess Shachi?
Will he have not become Indra himself? I should make your feet my home, O mother, for at your feet has prostrated Sarasvati and your feet alone have stood on Shiva!
20) Tava vimalendu
Seeing your face alone, the shining glittering unblemished moonlit face.....is enough to bewitch everyone, is it not? Why even the lunar damsels of Indra's palace shy away in embarrassment when they see your face!
This is how I feel about you, O Shivaa. What else can be done? Your treasure is Shiva's name itself. How else can one feel about you? Take pity on me.
21) Ayi mayi deena
O Mother Uma! You 've got to take pity and compassion on this wretched poor man. O mother of the world! O lover of scathed swords! Calm down and resort to your splendid form of compassion and motherly love. We pray you to be that way.
Whatever is good, whatever is appropriate for me here, be pleased and prayed to do that. May my feverish pains diminish.
Shiva as he appears in the Rudra prashna - Namakam and Chamakam
Rudra origins
Speaking from a historic perspective, Rudra is a very ancient devataa, worshipped by the Vaidikas, since 5000+ years. He appears in the oldest mandalas of Rgveda as well (7.46.1) making him a deity of yore and prominence. Even seals and motifs from the connected civilisations, e.g. Harappan , Avestan, even Greek and Roman, hint at a similar God being worshipped. The indigenous tribes of Bharatam also have added their customs, rituals and motifs onto Rudra, a testimony to the peace and truce between the so-called "Aryan Vaidikas" vs "Dravidan Natives".
The Rishis and gods alike feared him, respected him from a distance and were always submissive before him. It is clearly evident in the mantra-language and style too. While Lord Indra was the Chief, the benevolent cosmic king, the Alpha, the dearest of the Rishis and humans, the apple of their eye, Lord Rudra was the sigma, the aloof-alone-all-terrorising god.
Portfolio
He was primarily in charge of the forests and uninhabited lands. He knew of the Oshadhi-Vanaspati, supremely medicinal herbs, hence his link to the exotic psychedelic/stimulant Soma. He knew of magical potions, which could cure an array of diseases, thus he was thought of as a physician too. He was also assigned the domain of rainclouds, turbulent forms of weather and thunder.
The 60 Maruts, stormbringers, are his children he had with Vayu. His dominion is the Bhuvas - realm between Bhuu (Earth) and Svas(Heaven/sky/space); an apt metaphor for the atmosphere in-between (Vayu mandala). Lord Vayu, is in ways his companion-cum-consort. Later association of Vayu- hanuman, with Rudra/Shiva is due to this. Even the name Bheema was first used as an epithet of Rudra, the "frightening".
Rudra also has strong connections with Rakhas(protectors of natural habitat: like Bhootas, Simhika, TaaTaka, ), Yakshas(protectors of forest wealth: like Kubera ). In the Vedas, the word "Asura" is never exclusively used to denote "demons" or negative forces, the usage is there to mean "Supremely powerful". "Ahura Mazda" in the Avestan culture is derived from here. Rudra is also an Asura. Indra is also an Asura. Varuna is also an Asura. Later Puranas used it for demons- the enemies of Devas. Hence, the many stories with Shiva granting boons to "Asuras". He is also accompanied by the Pitrs - disembodied spirits of humans -forepeople; and the Nagas: reptilian hoards.
Namakam
Part of the Krishna Yajurveda Taittiriya Samhita 4.5, 4.6, these two hymns are dedicated to Rudra.
With the refrain 'namah namah' it is termed as "Namakam" in contrast to the "cha me, cha me" which is "Chamakam"
While the first prashna deals with praising and pleasing Rudra, the second enlists all the desires and needs the Rshi wants Him to fulfil, not only for himself but for any typical devotee. This is how every Mantra is designed- former part is the Stuti-Nuti (praise and prostrate) ; latter part is the Shruti (receiving). Thus the entire Namakam Chamakam is itself one big Mantra. When we bow, when we praise, we put ourselves physically and mentally lower than the Beloved. Thus, the grace, wisdom and wealth can flow down from that Higher plane to us.
Let us look at the mantras one by one. The Mantras are not in any particular meter(chandas) nor is the Rishi explicitly mentioned. It is believed to be either Markandeya or Agni-kanda (though literally it means the Rishi of the Energy canto)
Om Namo bhagavate Rudraaya !
Anuvaaka 1
Namaste Rudra manyave -
नमस्ते रुद्रमन्यव उतोत इषवे नमः
नमस्ते अस्तु धन्वने बाहुभ्यां उत ते नमः
Prostrations (namas) to the Wrath of Rudra
And.. And... Namas to his arrow. Salutations again to him who wields the Bow, and his strong arms. And Namas to you.
[notice the very timid frightened like repetition "and ... and.." "namas ... namas... namas..." ; it so beautifully brings out the possibly terrorising scene to behold with the God of death and wrath before us]
यात इषुः शिवतमा शिवं बभूव ते धनुः ।
शिवा शरव्या या तव तया नो रुद्र मृडय ॥ १-२
That most splendorous sword of yours, that splendid bow, that splendid arrow quiver ... Aah! With these, Rudraaaa, be pleased with us.
या ते रुद्र शिवा तनू-रघोराऽपापकाशिनी ।
That , O Rudraaa, handsome body, which is Aghora "non-gross" is also repellent of any sins.
तया नस्तनुवा शन्तमया गिरिशंताभिचाकशीहि ॥ १-३
With that most charming body, Oh dweller of mountains, come here and bless us.
[Though aghora, his body is still very attractive]
यामिषुं गिरिशंत हस्ते बिभर्ष्यस्तवे।
Oh dweller on mountains! That sharp sword you hold in your hand, ever ready to slay..
शिवां गिरित्र तां कुरु मा हिसीः पुरुषं जगत् ॥ १-४
Make that also calm and never torment any human or this world, Oh protector of mountains.
शिवेन वचसा त्वा गिरिशाच्छा वदामसि ।
with our sweet words, Oh mountaineer, we please you...
यथा नः सर्वमिज्जगदयक्ष्मसुमना असत् ॥ १-५
so that, you may make this entire world ailment-less and cool-headed.
[notice the trope of mountains- Himalayas.]
अध्यवोचदधि वक्ता प्रथमो दैव्यो भिषक् ।
You are the unparallelled first divine physician and advocate.
अहीश्च सर्वाञ्जंभयन्त्सर्वाश्च यातुधान्यः ॥ १-६
All the dragons and the magical beings, you subdue
असौ यस्ताम्रो अरुण उत बभ्रुः सुमंगलः ।
He is like the orange-copper hued blessed vibrant dawn.
ये चेमारुद्रा अभितो दिक्षु श्रिताः सहस्रशोऽवैषाहेड ईमहे॥ १-७
And these Rudras, have conquered the directions, in hoards of thousands. Know this. And be pleased. We praise you.
असौ योऽवसर्पति नीलग्रीवो विलोहितः ।
He, the blue-necked, copper metal hued,
उतैनं गोपा अदृशन्नदृशन्नुदहार्यः ।
And him, the cowgirls carrying water in pitchers, saw in the morning.
उतैनं विश्वा भूतानि स दृष्टो मृडयाति नः ॥ १-८
And him, the world’s beings see. Be amicable with us!
नमो अस्तु नीलग्रीवाय सहस्राक्षाय मीढुषे।
To the blue-necked thousand-eyed god, who ejaculates , prostrations!
अथो ये अस्य सत्वानोऽहं तेभ्योऽकरन्नमः ॥ १-९
And then, to them, we all beings, and I , offer our obeisance.
प्रमुंच धन्वनस्त्व-मुभयो-रार्त्नियो-र्ज्याम्।
Let go. Chuck that bow. Loosen both ends of the bowstring.
याश्च ते हस्त इषवः परा ता भगवो वप ॥ १-१
And those many swords of your, Oh dear God, just toss them aside.
अवतत्य धनुस्त्व सहस्राक्ष शतेषुधे।
Oh thousand eyed! Hundred scabbard! Put down your bow.
निशीर्य शल्यानां मुखा शिवो नः सुमना भव ॥ १-११
Those spears, uff! Blunt them! Come here and face us peacefully and gladly.
विज्यं धनुः कपर्दिनो विशल्यो बाणवा उत ।
With the unstringed bow, blunted arrows, Oh fair-haired ones! ….
अनेशन्नस्येषव आभुरस्य निषंगथिः ॥ १-१२
May your swords grow bored without targets and objects.
या ते हेति-र्मीढुष्टम हस्ते बभूव ते धनुः ।
And that machette in your hand , along with the bow! Oh most-ejaculator!
तयाऽस्मान्विश्वतस्त्व-मयक्ष्मया परिब्भुज ॥ १-१३
Then.. protect us using those from all ailments, and take us under your wings.
नमस्ते अस्त्वायुधायानातताय धृष्णवे।
Namaste! To you who terrorises, to you who attacks, to you who defends
उभाभ्यामुत ते नमो बाहुभ्यां तव धन्वने॥ १-१४
And to both those sturdy biceps we bow down, and to you who wields the bow.
परि ते धन्वनो हेति-रस्मान्व्रुणक्तु विश्वतः ।
With those machettes, protect us from all sides
अथो य इषुधिस्तवारे अस्मन्निधेहि तम् ॥ १-१५
And with those scabards so close to you, just hold them away from us.
Namas to you oh Bhagavan Rudra! The lord of world, great god, three eyed, destroyer of three cities, the slayer of three energies, the howler of the three fires of time, blue necked, conqueror of death, all-lord, ever-peaceful, most asupicious Mahadeva!
नमः॒ सह॑मानाय निव्या॒धिन॑ आव्या॒धिनी॑नां॒ पत॑ये॒ नमो॒ tolerating, chaser, lord of hunter-gatherers
नमः॑ककु॒भाय॑ निष॒ङ्गिणे॑ स्ते॒नानां॒ पत॑ये॒ नमो॒ directions, quivers, lord of thieves
नमो॑निष॒ङ्गिण॑ इषुधि॒मते॒ तस्क॑राणां॒ पत॑ये॒ नमो॒ quivers, bearing lots of quivers, lord of dacoits
नमो॒वञ्च॑ते परि॒वञ्च॑ते स्तायू॒नां पत॑ये॒ नमो॒ cunning, manipulating, lord of cheaters
नमो॑निचे॒रवे॑ परिच॒रायार॑ण्यानां॒ पत॑ये॒ नमो॒ small goondas, entourages, lord of forests
नमः॑सृका॒विभ्यो॒ जिघाóè॑सद्भ्यो मुष्ण॒तां पत॑ये॒ नमो॒ with spears, murderers, lord of pillagers
नमो॑ऽसि॒मद्भ्यो॒ नक्तं॒ चर॑द्भ्यः प्रकृ॒न्तानां॒ पत॑ये॒ नमो॒ with swords, walking at night, lord of slashers
नम॑उष्णी॒षिणे॑ गिरिच॒राय॑ कुलु॒ञ्चानां॒ पत॑ये॒ नमो॒ with turbans, walking on mountains, lord of hair-pluckers(barbers)
नम॑इषु॑मद्भ्यो धन्वा॒विभ्य॑श्च वो॒ नमो॒ with arrows, with bows
नम॑आतन्वा॒नेभ्यः॑ प्रति॒दधा॑नेभ्यश्च वो॒ नमो॒ who extend strings and place (arrows) on the bow
नम॑आ॒यच्छ॑द्भ्यो विसृ॒जद्भ्य॑श्च वो॒ नमो॒ who tug on the string, and then release
नमोऽस्य॑द्भ्यो॒ विद्ध्य॑द्भ्यश्च वो॒ नमो॒ who catapult, and impale
नम॒आसी॑नेभ्यः॒ शया॑नेभ्यश्च वो॒ नमो॒ who are sitting , who are sleeping
नमः॑स्व॒पद्भ्यो॒ जाग्र॑द्भ्यश्च वो॒ नमो॒ who are asleep , who are awake
नम॒-स्तिष्ठ॑द्भ्यो॒ धाव॑द्भ्यश्च वो॒ नमो॒ who are standing , running
नमः॑स॒भाभ्यः॑ स॒भाप॑तिभ्यश्च वो॒ नमो॒ who are the conferences, and preside over conferences नमो॒अश्वे॒भ्योऽश्व॑पतिभ्यश्च वो॒ नमः॑ ॥ who are horses, and lords of horses
This anuvaka particularly describes Rudra as the evil force which takes away our possessions at various levels. also the Rishi chants the latter part of the Mantra, where Rudra is twanging the bow, ready to destroy the Tripura-s.
द्रापे॒ अन्ध॑सस्पते॒ दरि॑द्र॒न्नील॑लोहित ।ए॒षां पुरु॑षाणामे॒षां प॑शू॒नां मा भेर्मारो॒ मो ए॑षां॒किंच॒नाम॑मत् ॥ १०.१॥ Oh Rudra , you are like hot mantle. You are the Lord of food. You are springly dark-blue-redded. Do not frighten these humans, these animals. Do not also kill any of them. Do not afflict them with diseases.
या ते॑ रुद्र शि॒वा त॒नूः शि॒वा वि॒श्वाह॑ भेषजी ।शि॒वा रु॒द्रस्य॑ भेष॒जी तया॑ नो मृड जी॒वसे॓ ॥ १०.२॥ That splendid body is also medicinal like a physician to the world. With such medical cures, may you bless us for longevity.
इ॒माóèरु॒द्राय॑ त॒वसे॑ कप॒र्दिने॓ क्ष॒यद्वी॑राय॒ प्रभ॑रामहे म॒तिम् ।यथा॑ नः॒ शमस॑द्द्वि॒पदे॒ चतु॑ष्पदे॒ विश्वं॑ पु॒ष्टं ग्रामे॑अ॒स्मिन्नना॑तुरम् ॥ १०.३॥ This mind we direct and fill it with Rudra, the powerful, with matted locks, who protects fields. May wellness befall on us bipeds and quadrupeds, such that the entire universe is nourished. May un-flickering wellness befall on this village too.
मृ॒डा नो॑ रुद्रो॒तनो॒ मय॑स्कृधि क्ष॒य॑द्वीराय॒ नम॑सा विधेम ते ।यच्छं च॒ योश्च॒ मनु॑राय॒जे पि॒ता तद॑श्याम॒ तव॑ रुद्र॒ प्रणी॑तौ ॥ १०.४॥ Rudraaaa.! Be happy with us. Make a marvel. To you the savior-of-fields, we bow and offer obeisances. May the father Manu’s prosperity(‘yo’) and wellbeing( ‘sham’) be enjoyed by us, through your grace.
मा नो॑ म॒हान्त॑मु॒त मा नो॑ अर्भ॒कं मा न॒ उक्ष॑न्त-मु॒त मा न॑ उक्षि॒तम् ।मा नो॑ वधीः पि॒तरं॒ मोत मा॒तरं॑ प्रि॒या मा न॑स्त॒नुवो॑ रुद्र रीरिषः ॥ १०.५॥ May you never butcher or violate the great, and the infant, and the young(ejaculating = exploring sex) and the adult (who has ejaculated = had sex), and the father and the mother, and the beloved, and the bodies.
मान॑स्तो॒के तन॑ये॒ मा न॒ आयु॑षि॒ मा नो॒ गोषु॒ मा नो॒ अश्वे॑षु रीरिषः ।वी॒रान्मा नो॑ रुद्र भामि॒तोऽव॑धी-र्ह॒विष्म॑न्तो॒ नम॑सा विधेम ते ॥ १०.६॥ May you never violate our kids, our longevity, our cattle, our horses, our warriors. You are beseeched by us humbly, with Havis in our hands, we bow down to you.
आरात्ते॑ गो॒घ्न उ॒त पू॑रुष॒घ्ने क्ष॒यद्वी॑राय सु॒म्नम॒स्मे ते॑ अस्तु ।रक्षा॑ च नो॒ अधि॑ च देव ब्रू॒ह्यथा॑ च नः॒ शर्म॑ यच्छ द्वि॒बर्हाः॓ ॥ १०.७॥ May we build a close rapport with you Rudra, though you butcher cattle, humans and protect lands. Have goodwill towards us. Save us, God! Speak well with us. Give us two-fold pleasure (interpreted as worldly and spiritual).
स्तु॒हि श्रु॒तं ग॑र्त॒सदं॒ युवा॑नं मृ॒गन्न भी॒म-मु॑पह॒त्नुमु॒ग्रम् ।मृ॒डा ज॑रि॒त्रे रु॑द्र॒ स्तवा॑नो अ॒न्यन्ते॑ अ॒स्मन्निव॑पन्तु॒ सेनाः॓ ॥ १०.८॥ O yee kid! Praise Him, the young handsome, the dweller in cavities, who is fierce, frightening and ever ready to kill animals. Be happy Rudra, as we praise vividly! To this decaying body, do good. Command your troops to go away from us.
परि॑णो रु॒द्रस्य॑ हेतिर्वृ॑णक्तु॒ परि॑ त्वे॒षस्य॑ दुर्म॒तिर॑घा॒योः ।अव॑ स्थि॒रा मघ॑वद्भ्यस्तनुष्व॒ मीढ्व॑स्तो॒काय॒ तन॑याय मृडय ॥ १०.९॥ May Rudra’s machette surround us envelope and screen against ill-minded, sinner enemies. May you extend your grace firmly to the Yajna-performers, and to their ejaculating sons and offsprings.
मीढु॑ष्टम॒ शिव॑तम शि॒वो नः॑ सु॒मना॑ भव ।प॒र॒मे॒ वृ॒क्ष आयु॑धं नि॒धाय॒ कृत्तिं॒ वसा॑न आच॑र॒ पिना॑कं॒ विभ्र॒दाग॑हि ॥ १०.१०॥ Oh great-ejaculator, oh auspicious Shiva, be pleased with us. Keeping your weapons on the highest tree, wear some rags, holding your Pinaka bow, come quickly to us,
विकि॑रिद॒ विलो॑हित॒ नम॑स्ते अस्तु भगवः ।यास्ते स॒हस्रóè॑हे॒तयो॒ऽन्यम॒स्मन्निव॑पन्तु॒ ताः ॥ १०.११॥ You give vivid treasures , red-hued one! Namas to you lord! Whatever those thousands of machetes you wield, cast them away.
स॒हस्रा॑णि सहस्र॒धा बा॑हु॒वोस्तव॑ हे॒तयः॑ ।तासा॒मीशा॑नो भगवः परा॒चीना॒ मुखा॑ कृधि ॥ १०.१२ Like your thousand arms, you have thousand-varities of machetes. Turn their sharp apexes away from us. You are the Emperor.
Anuvaaka 11
स॒हस्रा॑णि सहस्र॒शो ये रु॒द्रा अधि॒ भूम्या॓म् ।तेषाóè॑सहस्रयोज॒नेऽव॒धन्वा॑नि तन्मसि ॥ ११.१॥ Thousands and thousands of those Rudra-s walk this earth. We shall cast their bows a thousand miles away.
अ॒स्मिन् म॑ह॒त्यर्ण॒वे॓ऽन्तरि॑क्षे भ॒वा अधि॑ ॥ ११.२॥ They dwell in this massive ocean, and in the atmosphere.
नील॑ग्रीवाः शिति॒कण्ठाः॓ श॒र्वा अ॒धः क्ष॑माच॒राः ॥ ११.३॥ They are blue-necked, peacock-throated, archers, patrolling this land.
नील॑ग्रीवाः शिति॒कण्ठा॒ दिवóè॑रु॒द्रा उप॑श्रिताः ॥ ११.४॥ Bluenecked, peacock throated, these Rudras, also dwell in the sky.
ये वृ॒क्षेषु॑ स॒स्पिंज॑रा॒ नील॑ग्रीवा विलो॑हिताः ॥ ११.५॥ These blue-throated, metallic, also dwell on trees with fresh leaves.
ये भू॒ताना॒मधि॑पतयो विशि॒खासः॑ कप॒र्दिनः॑ ॥ ११.६॥ these who lord over all beings, with dishevelled hairs and matted hairs.
ये अन्ने॑षु वि॒विध्य॑न्ति॒ पात्रे॑षु॒ पिबतो॒ जनान्॑ ॥ ११.७॥ these living in the vessel, pierce people who consume food
ये प॒थां प॑थि॒रक्ष॑य ऐलबृ॒दा य॒व्युधः॑ ॥ ११.८॥ These protect passengers on the path, throw enormous food at us, and brawl greatly.
ये ती॒र्थानि॑ प्र॒चर॑न्ति॒ सृ॒काव॑न्तो निष॒ङ्गिणः॑ ॥ ११.९॥ these stroll the holy waters, with lances, and blades.
य ए॒ताव॑न्तश्च॒ भूयाóè॑सश्च॒ दिशो॑ रु॒द्रा वि॑तस्थि॒रे ।तेषाóè॑सहस्र-योज॒ने ऽव॒धन्वा॑नि तन्मसि ॥ ११.१०॥ These, in this manner, have occupied and expanded in all directions. We cast away their bows thousands of miles away.
Salutations to Rudra-s, who are on earth, in the atmosphere, in the sky, verily whose domains and weapons are these foods, air and rains respectively. To them, namas ten-times from the east, ten times from the south, ten times from the west, ten times from the north. May they all be pleased with us. And him whom we hate, and he who hates us, we shall offer him into your blazing mouth.
We do this Yajna for pleasing the Three-eyed, fragrant handsome, nurturing Rudra. Like a ripened cucumber detaches from the wine (restraints), may I be rescued from Death, for the cause of Immortality.
यो रु॒द्रो अ॒ग्नौ यो अ॒प्सु य ओष॑धीषु॒ ।यो रु॒द्रो विश्वा॒ भुव॑नाऽऽवि॒वेश॒ तस्मै॑ रु॒द्राय॒ नमो॑ अस्तु ॥ २॥
That Rudra lives in Agni, in Ether, in medicinal herbs, entered into this universe. To such Rudra, accept my salutations.
Praise him, you ! He has sharp swords, sturdy bows, who harvests the medicines for the world. Let us keep doing Yajnas for him to be happy with us. With prostrations, celebrate this very powerful divine Rudra.
And those thousands and millions of nooses around this mortal, which have been tied to annihilate him Oh death! We shall vanquish those nooses, with the immensity of this Yajna. Swaha unto Death, Swaha unto Death!
Om namas to the Great God Rudra, who is omnipresent. Oh my death! Save me. You are the string which ties the five Pranas together (keeping this creature alive) You are Rudra, Ender.
(Do not come near me as death) or (Come close to me as Rudra). With this food, please be satisfied.
नमो रुद्राय विष्णवे मृत्युर्मे पाहि Salutations to the omnipresent Rudra! Please protect me from death.
Chamakam
अग्ना॑विष्णू सजोष॑से॒मा वर्ध॑न्तु वां॒ गिरः॑ ।द्युम्नैर्वाजे॑भि॒राग॑तम् । Oh Agni Vishnu, the twin friends. May your speech be enriched.
[this indicates the following anuvaakas may have been sung first by Agni and Vishnu themselves]
Anuvaka 1
वाज॑श्च मे प्रस॒वश्च॑ मे॒ प्रय॑तिश्च मे॒ प्रसि॑तिश्च मे धी॒तिश्च॑ मे॒ क्रतु॑श्च मे॒ स्वर॑श्च मे॒ श्लोक॑श्च मे श्रा॒वश्च॑ मे॒ श्रुति॑श्च मे॒ ज्योति॑श्च मे॒ सुव॑श्च मे प्रा॒णश्च॑ मेऽपा॒नश्च॑ मे व्या॒नश्च॒ मेऽसु॑श्च मे चि॒त्तं च॑ म॒ आधी॑तं च मे॒ वाक्च॑ मे॒ मनश्च॑ मे॒ चक्षु॑श्च मे॒ श्रोत्रं॑ च मे॒ दक्ष॑श्च मे॒ बलं॑ च म॒ ओज॑श्च मे॒ सह॑श्च म॒ आयु॑श्च मे ज॒रा च॑ म आ॒त्मा च॑ मे त॒नूश्च॑ मे॒ शर्म॑ च मे॒ वर्म॑ च॒ मेऽङ्गा॑नि च मे॒ऽस्थानि॑ च मे॒ परूóè॑षि च मे॒ शरीरा॑णि च मे ॥ १॥ Food, reproduction, effort, influence, intelligence, activity, Swaras, the shlokas, popularity, intuition, stars, heaven, prana, apana, vyana, life forces, memory, rationale, expression, mind, vision, hearing, skill, strenght, enthusiasm, adventure, longevity, old age, soul, body, peace, valor, organs, bones, joints, bodies.
Anuvaaka 2
ज्यैष्ठ्यं॑ च म॒ आधि॑पत्यं च मे म॒न्युश्च॑ मे॒ भाम॑श्च मेऽम॑श्च॒ मेऽम्भ॑श्च मे जे॒मा च॑ मे महि॒मा च॑ मे वरि॒मा च॑ मे प्रथि॒मा च॑ मे व॒र्ष्मा च॑ मे द्राघु॒या च॑ मे वृ॒द्धं च॑ मे॒ वृद्धि॑श्च मे स॒त्यं च॑ मे श्र॒द्धा च॑ मे॒जग॑च्च मे॒ धनं॑ च मे॒ वश॑श्च मे॒ त्विषि॑श्च मे क्री॒डा च॑ मे॒ मोद॑श्च मे जा॒तं च॑ मे जनि॒ष्यमा॑णं च मे सू॒क्तं च॑ मेसुकृ॒तं च॑ मे वि॒त्तं च॑ मे॒ वेद्यं॑ च मे भू॒तं च॑ मे भवि॒ष्यच्च॑ मे सु॒गं च॑ मे सु॒पथं च म ऋ॒द्धं च॑ म॒ ऋद्धि॑श्च मे क्~लु॒प्तं च॑ मे॒ क्~लुप्ति॑श्च मे म॒तिश्च मे सुम॒तिश्च॑ मे ॥ २॥
Supremacy, lordship, wrath, influence, softness, water, victory, greatness, expansion, popularity, glory, length, growth, growing, truth, faith, world, money, control, splendour, games, fun, all that is born, all that will be born, good words, good actions, information, all that is to be learnt, all that has existed, all that will exist, smooth transit, easy route, perfected, perfection, manufactured, manufacturing process, intelligence, sharp intellect
Anuvaaka 3
शं च॑ मे॒ मय॑श्च मे प्रि॒यं च॑ मेऽनुका॒मश्च॑ मे॒काम॑श्च मे सौमन॒सश्च॑ मे भ॒द्रं च॑ मे॒ श्रेय॑श्च मे॒ वस्य॑श्च मे॒ यश॑श्च मे॒ भग॑श्च मे॒ द्रवि॑णं च मे य॒न्ता च॑ मे ध॒र्ता च॑ मे॒ क्षेम॑श्च मे॒ धृति॑श्च मे॒ विश्वं॑ च मे॒ मह॑श्च मे सं॒विच्च॑ मे॒ ज्ञात्रं॑ च मे॒ सूश्च॑ मे प्र॒सूश्च॑ मे॒ सी॑रं च मे ल॒यश्च॑ म ऋ॒तं च॑ मे॒ऽमृ॑तं च मेऽय॒क्ष्मं च॒ मेऽना॑मयच्च मे जी॒वातु॑श्च मेदीर्घायु॒त्वं च॑ मेऽनमि॒त्रं च॒ मेऽभ॑यं च मे सु॒गं च॑ मे॒ शय॑नं च मे सू॒षा च॑ मे सु॒दिनं॑ च मे ॥ ३॥
Wellbeing, miracles, love, infatuation, lust, sound mind, goodness, clothes, fame, providence(luck), substance, controller, sustainer, maintenance, bravery, universe, cosmos, consciousness, knowledge, father, mother, plough, destruction, order, immortality, health, robustness(not having diseases), livelihood, long life, have no enemies, fearlessness, frictionless, sleep, pleasant dawns, pleasant days.
[this anuvaka touches upon all the basic requests of devotees]
Anuvaaka 4
ऊर्क्च॑ मे सू॒नृता॑ च मे॒ पय॑श्च मे॒ रस॑श्च मे घृ॒तं च॑ मे॒ मधु॑ च मे॒ सग्धि॑श्च मे॒ सपी॑तिश्च मे कृ॒षिश्च॑ मे॒ वृष्टि॑श्च मे॒ जैत्रं॑ च म औ॒द्भि॑द्यं च मे र॒यिश्च॑ मे॒ राय॑श्च मे पु॒ष्टं च॑ मे॒ पुष्टि॑श्च मे वि॒भु च॑ मे प्र॒भु च॑ मे ब॒हु च॑ मे॒ भूय॑श्च मे पू॒र्णं च॑ मे पू॒र्णत॑रं च॒ मेऽक्षि॑तिश्च मे॒ कूय॑वाश्च॒ मेऽन्नं॑ च॒ मेऽक्षुच्च मे व्री॒हिय॑श्च मे॒ यवा॓श्च मे॒ माषा॓श्च मे॒तिला॓श्च मे मु॒द्गाश्च॑ मे खल्वा॓श्च मे गो॒धूमा॑श्च मेम॒सुरा॓श्च मे प्रि॒यंग॑वश्च॒ मेऽणवश्च मेश्या॒माका॓श्च मे नी॒वारा॓श्च मे ॥ ४॥
[This mystic verse is taking every Rgvedic Deva to his/excellence(indra). “My” Rudra is the excellent form of Agni. He is the excellent form of Soma, etc. The ultimate power of the Devas is Rudra]
Anuvaka7
अ॒óè॒शुश्च॑ मे र॒श्मिश्च॒ मेऽदा॓भ्यश्च॒ मेऽधि॑पतिश्च मउपा॒óè॒शुश्च॑ मेऽन्तर्या॒मश्च॑ म ऐन्द्रवाय॒वश्च॑ मेमैत्रावरु॒णश्च॑ म आश्वि॒नश्च॑ मे प्रतिप्र॒स्थान॑श्च मेशु॒क्रश्च॑ मे म॒न्थी च॑ म आग्रय॒णश्च॑ मे वैश्वदे॒वश्च॑ मेध्रु॒वश्च॑ मे वैश्वान॒रश्च॑ म ऋतुग्र॒हाश्च॑ मेऽतिग्रा॒ह्या॓श्च म ऐन्द्रा॒ग्नश्च॑ मे वैश्वदे॒वश्च॑ मेमरुत्व॒तीया॓श्च मे माहे॒न्द्रश्च॑ म आदि॒त्यश्च॑ मेसावि॒त्रश्च॑ मे सारस्व॒तश्च॑ मे पौ॒ष्णश्च॑ मेपात्नीव॒तश्च॑ मे हारियोज॒नश्च॑ मे ॥ ७॥
[This anuvaaka is enlisting many of the the various Yajna rituals performed to please different deities.With Rudra’s grace may we earn the capability to perform any or all of these Yajna]
Anuvaka 8
इ॒ध्मश्च॑ मे ब॒र्हिश्च॑ मे॒ वेदिश्॑च मे॒ धिष्णि॑याश्च मे॒स्रुच॑श्च मे चम॒साश्च॑ मे॒ ग्रावा॑णश्च मे॒ स्वर॑वश्च मउपर॒वाश्च॑ मे ऽधि॒षव॑णे च मे द्रोणकल॒शश्च॑ मे वाय॒व्या॑नि च मे पूत॒भृच्च॑ मे आधव॒नीय॑श्च म॒ आग्नी॓ध्रं च मे हवि॒र्धानं॑ च मे गृ॒हाश्च॑ मे॒ सद॑श्च मे पुरो॒डाशा॓श्च मे पच॒ताश्च॑ मेऽवभृ॒थश्च॑ मेस्वगाका॒रश्च॑ मे ॥ ८॥
Yajna wood, grass, stage(of bricks), seats, Yajna ladle, spoon, alter-stone, stake, choirs, squeezer, bowls and pots, fire bellows, purified container, stirrer, fire ignitor, plates for havis, houses, halls, the yajna offerings (rice cakes), cooked food, holy bath, utterances of ‘Svaga’ (own songs)
[All the ingredients and accessories for the aforementioned Yajnas are enlisted. To perform any of those, these are essential. Hence, Rudra is sought to provide all the required items.]
Anuvaka 9
अ॒ग्निश्च॑ मे ध॒र्मश्च॑ मे॒ऽर्कश्च॑ मे॒ सूर्य॑श्च मेप्रा॒णश्च॑ मेऽश्वमे॒धश्च॑ मे पृथि॒वी च॒ मे ऽदि॑तिश्च मे॒ दिति॑श्च मे॒ द्यौश्च॑ मे॒ शक्व॑रीर॒ङ्गुल॑यो दिश॑श्च मे य॒ज्ञेन॑ कल्पन्ता॒मृक्च॑ मे॒ साम॑ च मे॒ स्तोम॑श्च मे॒ यजु॑श्च मे दी॒क्षा च॑ मे॒ तप॑श्च म ऋ॒तुश्च॑ मे व्रतं च॑ मेऽहोरा॒त्रयो॓र्वृ॒ष्ट्या बृ॑हद्रथन्त॒रे च॑ मे य॒ज्ञेन॑ कल्पेताम् ॥ ९॥
Fire, summer, star heat, sun, life force, ashwamedha yajna, earth, Aditi, Diti, sky, palm, fingers, directions, Rg mantras, Saman songs, praises, Yajus passages, initiation, penance, seasons, discipline, rains which pour day and night, Brhat types and Rathanthara types of Saman ; may these emerge through our Yajna, for me.
[All the ancillary supporting environment for the Yajnas needs to be in place. Rudra is being asked of though the Yajna happening now, for these]
Anuvaka 10
गर्भा॓श्च मे व॒त्साश्च॑ मे॒ त्र्यवि॑श्च मे त्र्॒य॒वी च॑ मेदित्य॒वाट् च॑ मे दित्यौ॒ही च॑ मे॒ पञ्चा॑विश्च मेपञ्चा॒वी च॑ मे त्रिव॒त्सश्च॑ मे त्रिव॒त्सा च॑ मे तुर्य॒वाट् च॑ मे तुर्यौ॒ही च॑ मे पष्ठ॒वाट् च॑ मे पष्ठौ॒ही च॑ मउ॒क्षा च॑ मे व॒शा च॑ म ऋष॒भश्च मे वे॒हच्च॑ मेऽन॒ड्वाञ्च॑ मे धे॒नुश्च॑ म॒ आयु॑र्य॒ज्ञेन॑ कल्पतांप्रा॒णो य॒ज्ञेन कल्पतामपा॒नो य॒ज्ञेन॑ कल्पतांव्या॒नो य॒ज्ञेन॑ कल्पतां॒ चक्षु॑र्य॒ज्ञेन॑ कल्पता॒óè॒श्रोत्रं॑ य॒ज्ञेन॑ कल्पतां॒ मनो॑ य॒ज्ञेन॑ कल्पतां॒वाग्य॒ज्ञेन॑ कल्पतामा॒त्मा य॒ज्ञेन॑ कल्पतां य॒ज्ञो य॒ज्ञेन॑ कल्पताम् ॥ १०॥
Wombs, infants, three-semesters old bulls and cows, two-year old bulls and cows, 5 semester old bulls and cows, three year old bulls and cows, four year old bulls and cows, five year old bulls and cows, fertile bulls, domesticable bulls, steer, bullocks, barren cows, fertile cows, longevity, respiration Prana, excretion Apana , circulation Vyana, vision, auditory sense, mind, expression, soul, Yajnas; may these be produced through this Yajna
[ This anuvaaka highlights the abundance and popularity of bovine agriculture. There are even unique adjectives for the calves and steers, based on their age. Even barren cows are sought. They were never ditched or sold away into some butcher market. An entire anuvaka solely for Cows! The latter part wraps all the previous wishes and reiterates those asked in the 1st.
Anuvaka 11
एका॑ च मे ति॒स्रश्च॑ मे॒ पञ्च॑ च मे स॒प्त च॑ मे॒नव च म॒ एका॑दश च मे॒ त्रयो॑दश च मे॒ पंच॑दश च मेस॒प्तद॑श च मे॒ नव॑दश च म॒ एक॑ विóèशतिश्च मे॒ त्रयो॑विóèशतिश्च मे॑ पंच॑विóèशतिश्च मेस॒प्तवि॒óè॑शतिश्च मे॒ नव॑विóèशतिश्च म॒एक॑त्रिóèशच्च मे॒ त्रय॑स्त्रिóèशच्च मे॒चत॑स्रश्च मे॒ऽष्टौ च॑ मे॒ द्वाद॑श च मे॒ षोड॑श च मेविóèश॒तिश्च॑ मे॒ चतु॑र्विóèशतिश्च मे॒ऽष्टाविóè॑शतिश्च मे॒ द्वात्रिóè॑शच्च मे॒ षट्त्रिóè॑शच्च मे चत्वरि॒óè॒शच्च॑ मे॒चतु॑श्चत्वारिóèशच्च॑ मे॒ऽष्टाच॑त्वारिóèशच्च मे॒वाज॑श्च प्रस॒वश्चा॑पि॒जश्च॒ क्रतु॑श्च॒ सुव॑श्च मू॒र्धा च॒व्यश्नि॑यश्चान्त्याय॒नश्चान्त्य॑श्च भौव॒नश्च॒भुव॑न॒श्चाधि॑पतिश्च ॥ ११॥
1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17,19,21,23,25,27,29,31,33
4,8,12,16,20,24,28,32,36,40,44,48,
Food, reproduction, growth, activity, heaven, zenith, presently pervading gods, gods of the end, the final end, universe, cosmos, the Supreme Lord.
[this esoteric Anuvaka is an enumeration of specific cardinal numbers. The first forms a sequence of the first 17 odd numbers till 33, and the second sequence is of the first twelve multiples of 4 till 48. Many have interpreted this variedly. The first sequence may be pointing to the Devata count.
33 Devataa = 1 Indra (the King- center of Power)+1 Brihaspati(the counsel/minister -constraint of power)+8Vasu (financiers-Economy) +11 Rudra(enforcers -Law&Order) +12 Adityas(bureaucrats -Administration)
The 48 may indicate a Mandalam = 9 grahas + 12 rashis + 27 nakshatras . It is also called the Angel number in Chinese, Greek and other civilisational numerology. 48 is also interesting to both Maths and Science. It is the number of symmetries of a cube; number of Ptolemy constellations, Harshad number, highly totient number.
The Odd series progress in steps of two- till it attains the Maximum. This could be the Benficient and maleficent alternatives of the Devata.
The Even series progresses in steps of four- till it hits its Maximum. This could be the top, bottom, left, right choices at each step.
While Odd numbers can be thought of being Masculine - the male gods, Even numbers are Feminine -the female counterbalances. The Odd series is all about structure and power, the material; the Even series is about chaos, space and time, the spiritual
The Kamadhenu invited gods, Manu the Yajamana, Brhaspati chanted the intoxicatingly wonderful mantras, the all-gods praised with flowery words. Oh Mother Earth! Do not trouble me! I promise to think good, produce good, speak good, argue good. I will make efforts to keep hearing the honey-like words emerging from the Devas and humans. May the Devas and the Pitrs rejoice and safeguard me for all-goodness.
Om Peace peace peace!
[this epilogue imagery is of the first application of these Anuvakas in a Yajna performed by Manu. If one reads between the lines, one finds a possible imagined completion of the story. Manu, the first human, set out to use these Mantras and perform this great Yajna. He hired Kamadhenu herself to be the Hotr - whose chanting invites gods. He hired Brhaspati to be the Adhvaryu- who officiated the sacrifice with more of these eloquent mantras. He invited all the Gods to be the audience, who joined in as the choir. Seeing the enormity of both the physical and metaphysical aspects of this Yajna, Mother Earth was concerned. What if her son, Manu, has plans of world-destruction? Anyway Rudra is not going to stop it! He blesses boons indiscriminately. So truly like a mother, very worried She tried to throw hurdles in his path, subtly expressing her disapproval, by vanishing the ingredients. Manu wonders, but soon realizes this. He goes to the Mother and then ...
with the witness Devata as Prthvi- Mother Earth, embodiment of Nature, Manu, the highest father/ first progenitor of Mankind and civilization, may have uttered this vow of ‘honey’. And thenceforth all his descendents, the Manushya-s have been, in accordance, performing this Rudra Yajna, and vowed to do only good to the world. This inclusion of the epilogue may have been deliberate; the Rshis know of the power of these mantras and the power of the Devataa to whom this Yajna is directed. Hence, one must utter this vow, whether wittingly or unwittingly, as subconsciously the imprint (samskaara) of “Sarva bhuuta hite ratah “ BG 12.4 will occupy the mind. ]
Suratha, a king, and Samādhi, a merchant, are devastated by their own people and expelled — either willingly or by force. They are still stuck in the loop of concern, rumination and confusion. They are not able to "let go" and detach from people and situations who have hurt them, though they are aware of the suffering it is causing.
They go to an equivalent of a modern-day therapist — a ṛṣi who has understood the ways of the mind.
The Rishi's Answer
In response to their question, Ṛṣi Sumedhas answers:
"It is Moha — existential confusion — whose manifestations are mamatā (attachment), lobha (greed), etc., which in turn is controlled by Mahāmāyā, an aspect of Devī herself. Finally, it is She who chooses who gets swindled and swayed by this moha and who gets liberated from its clutches."
And then he describes the origins and ways She uses that power.
The Three Caritams
Caritam I — The Tāmasic Phase: The Darkness of Victimhood
Oṃ namaś caṇḍikāyai
Vantage point: The jīva as a helpless victim of circumstance.
The first legend tells of how She put Viṣṇu himself to sleep. Devī materialises as the subtlest veil of existential ignorance — Yoganidrā — which puts Viṣṇu (the jīva within) asleep, and She alone can control when he awakes.
To fight off the rākṣasas and protect Brahmā (the sātvika buddhi), Devī first retracts her yoganidrā-tamas from Viṣṇu and puts the Icchā śakti in him to fight. Later she also uses her power to surge arrogance in the rākṣasas, which ultimately leads them to dig their own grave.
The demons and what they represent:
Madhu — Rāga: sweetness, enjoyment, which induces liking
Kaitabha — Dveṣa: bitterness, aversion, repulsion, which induces disliking
Together they weave the first noose of delusion, binding the being to inaction, inertia and sleep.
The Goddess manifests here as Mahākālī — fierce and compassionate — to rip away the veil of unconsciousness. She shatters the darkness, removes the dull crusts of ignorance, and awakens the latent śakti to fight, to act, to begin. She transforms fear into courage, sleep into awareness, despair into motion.
Thus was shown how She can either retract tamas or induce tamas at will. Hence in this aspect she came to be called Tāmasī, or Mahākālī.
Caritam II — The Rājasic Phase: The Illusion of Control
Oṃ namaś caṇḍikāyai
Vantage point: The jīva as the doer — striving, ambitious, seeking mastery and fulfilment.
Once Icchā śakti has come, one needs to activate Kriyā śakti, for which focus and unification of power from all well-meaning sources is required.
The demon and what he represents:
Mahiṣāsura — blind pride, lust, aggression, obsessive control, and the "law of the jungle" where might is right. He is capable of shape-shifting, transforming from one animal to another: emotions may appear different, but their common source — the urge — remains the same. His army chiefs — Durmada, Durmati, Cāmara, Rathanāga — personify arrogance, perverted intellect, indulgence, and attachment to power.
These are popular by-products of being in the Rajas guṇa.
The Goddess manifests here as Mahālakṣmī, issuing forth spontaneously from the devās — Śiva, Viṣṇu, Brahmā, Indra, Agni, Yama, Sūrya, Himavat, etc. — when they all arrive at the same unequivocal resolve. She is the One Fire which consumes the scattered disruptor demons fully.
The countermeasure, by deep analysis, is unifying our energies from every aspect of life, conserving this energy and redirecting it into one unambiguous mission. She teaches that real power is not domination but harmony; not assertion but centeredness.
(Mahālakṣmī comes from the same dhātu as lakṣ = to focus.)
She is the Kriyā śakti. She counters Rajas. Hence she is Rājasī — Mahālakṣmī.
Caritam III — The Sāttvika Phase: The Refinement of Selfhood
Oṃ namaś caṇḍikāyai
Vantage point: The jīva who has achieved success and mastery — but still faces inner turbulence.
This legend speaks of how She took the form of Mahāsarasvatī to instil Jñāna śakti. The demons here are even subtler, more powerful, more mischievous, and seemingly benign. This is the last and subtlest phase of the seeker's journey — one who has developed sāttvika ego, which comes inescapably from the presence of Sattva guṇa.
The demons and what they represent:
Dūta and Dhūmralocanā — blind servitude, mechanical living, and clouded vision
Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa — body and mind disturbances, dissonance between thought and action
Raktabīja — the endless proliferation of vāsanās: tendencies that multiply as soon as they are fought
Śumbha — false I-ness, sāttvika ahaṃkāra, the "I" that dominates
Niśumbha — false mine-ness, the "mine" that clings
Śumbha and Niśumbha come as an almost inseparable pair; one reinforces the other. They together command the mightiest army ever. They have taken over the forces of nature itself. They have all knowledge, all materials, all control — sarva-dehavatī-tvam — but have failed to attain sarva-Devī-tvam.
This one thing — the Devī in her most unknowable form as Mahāsarasvatī — remains beyond their reach. They fight only to be vanquished gorily, utterly decimated one by one, layer by layer.
She is not the airborne thundering standing firestorm of Mahālakṣmī, nor the sleeping deep ocean of Mahākālī. She is the sitting, stoic, serene tranquility of a mountain — Mahāsarasvatī. She does not provoke, but surely punishes the foes.
Finally, the Jñāna of sarva-Devī-tvam — All is Devī — is given as upadeśa by Herself to the wailing, defeated Śumbha, and any trace of him is washed away clean.
She wields not brute force alone but viveka (discernment) — slaying the inner enemies with a perfect balance of steadiness and suppleness, self-esteem and humility, fire and grace, action and detachment. She is wisdom in motion — the sword that cuts without wounding, the speech that silences the mind.
Hence she is Sāttvikī — Mahāsarasvatī.
The Three Layers of Suffering — Resolved
The Devī Saptaśatī is a beautiful tale of three phases of the journey to finding lasting peace:
Ādhidaivika — part-external, part-internal: animalistic tendencies inspired by outer objects, amplified by inner stories
Rajas
Mahālakṣmī
Caritam III
Ādhyātmika — internalities: fundamental existential misconceptions
Sattva
Mahāsarasvatī
The Problem, the Cause, and the Cure
The Devī Māhātmya encapsulates, with stunning precision, the entire human journey:
The Problem — Moha, attachment
The Cause — Mahāmāyā herself
The Cure — Śaraṇāgati: humble, heartfelt surrender before Her, beseeching the Goddess to destroy our inner demons
The three great Devīs — Kālī, Lakṣmī, Sarasvatī — are not sequential goddesses but states of consciousness through which the soul ascends: from darkness (tamas), through striving (rajas), to lucidity (sattva).
The Mahāmāyā who binds is also She who liberates.
For the same Mother who creates the illusion… is the only One who can end it.
——————
Credits : Content styled and formatted using Claude AI. Many inputs and insights were inspired by discussions with Debdyuti Bhadra, Trivikrama Dorbala, Aditya Chetri, and Pranav Balasubramaniam.
Tambūrī (Tanpura) is not merely an instrument; it is a symbol of the human Sushumnānāḍī, the central channel through which life energy ascends. Its six stringsrepresent the rhythm and vibration of existence — the subtle resonance of the six chakras.When one strikes a chord in perfect harmony with the inner current of the Kundalinī, when one’s being vibrates in sync with the very pulse of life, a holy resonance arises — a sound that is not heard by the ears but felt by the soul.
This is the moment of transcendence, when consciousness evolves beyond the vast ocean of physicality (bhava-abdhi).
He who attunes to this rhythm — who lives in synchrony with the beat of existence — ascends to the realm of Sura-loka, the Sahasrāra, where life energy flowers into its purest, non-physical form.
Gejje — The Anklet of Freedom
The gejje, or anklet, worn by dancers, has always symbolized the presence and invitation of the Feminine — Śakti. In traditional art, tying the anklet meant invoking the goddess before the performance — calling her to dance through the devotee.It takes true strength of manhood to wear the anklet — for it signifies the breaking of rigid boundaries, the dissolving of the dualities of manhood and womanhood. To wear it is to surrender to the rhythm of life, to celebrate being both soft and strong, receptive and active, body and spirit.
When one dances with jingling anklets, one dances beyond inhibition, beyond social rules and judgment.Each resonant step is a rebellion — a joyful defiance of norms, an act of surrender to divine spontaneity.He dances wildly, fearlessly, like a maverick soul who has outgrown the need for approval, alone yet utterly complete.
Gāna — The Song of Freedom
Gāna — song, music — is the spontaneous outpouring of that inner ecstasy. One who sings after awakening does not sing to perform, impress, or entertain.He sings because silence itself has become music.
His notes and syllables are like ripples of release — sounds rising from the fullness within.He sings whatever comes, without structure or self-consciousness — because every utterance, every breath, is now sacred sound.
The TaittirīyaUpaniṣad beautifully captures this liberated state:“Kāmānnikāmarūpīanucharanetatsāmagāyanāste”
(He who has attained freedom eats what he wishes, dresses as he pleases, wanders and sings — ‘Āh, āh, āh…’)In this state, he beholds Hari — the dissolver — everywhere. Hari means that which melts all forms into one essence. He sees creation continually dissolving into the Creator and the Creator overflowing into creation — a single, seamless, luminous flow.
Vitthala — The Stillness in Motion
Vitthala, the one who stands (sthāla) yet moves ceaselessly (viṣṭha), symbolizes this divine paradox — the steady principle of creation that is always in dynamic expansion.As he runs toward Vaikuntha, the realm of timelessness,he stumbles into the abode of no pain, no fear, no death, no change — a space beyond duality,where there is no subject, no object,only the unbroken melody of existence itself.
When the tambūrī of the spine hums in harmony with the pulse of the cosmos, when the gejje jingles in rhythm with freedom, when gāna flows effortlessly from silence — then, the seeker becomes the song.
There is no dancer and no dance — only vibration.Only life,resounding forever.
