Brahma charini Durga - Day 2 Graha representation Mars
There are thousands of traditions in India and many have different representations. There is a saying in Baul called "Nana Muni Nana Mot" many different people, many different opinions. Brahma charini is represented by Mars, Mangla, the energetic strong devoted focused honourable one. 2nd Day - Brahmacharini In this form Durga is two-armed, clad in white and carries a rudraksha mala and sacred Kamandalu. She is in a highly pious and peaceful form or is in meditation. This form of Durga is related to the severe penance undertaken by Sati and Parvati in their respective births to attain Lord Shiva as husband. Some of the most important Vratas observed in different parts of India by women is based on the strict austerities followed by Brahmacharini. She is also known as Tapasyacharini and is worshipped on the second day of Navrathri. The narrative regarding her birth has been described as follows: Having immolated herself in the sacrificial fire, Sati was born of Maina as a daughter to the Mountain-King Himalaya. Keeping in view her auspicious traits, she was given the name of ‘Parvati’. When she had grown up into a beautiful maiden, the celestial sage Narada while roaming about happened to reach the court of king Himalaya. Sage Narada was warmly welcomed by the Lord of mountains. Thereafter Himalaya and Maina prayed to Sage Narada to predict the future of Parvati by reading her palms. Sage Narada agreed to their request. Seeing Goddess Parvati, Sage Narada stood up and bowed to her with great reverence. The mountain-king Himalaya and queen Maina were amazed at such an unusual behavior of Sage Narada. They were curious to know the cause of this unique behavior. Thereupon he spoke with a smile, “O Lord of Mountains! This daughter of yours in her previous birth was Sati, the daughter of Daksha and the consort of Lord Shiva. She sacrificed her body in the fire of the Yanja as Daksha hurled disgrace on Lord Shiva. Now she is born again as your daughter Parvati. That is why I bowed to her. By virtue of her merits, she shall again beget Lord Shiva as her husband.” Having listened to the prediction of Sage Narada, Goddess Parvati inquired of him how to beget Lord Shiva as her consort. Thereupon Sage Narada advised her to perform an austere penance. Acting upon the advice of Sage Narada, Goddess Parvati renounced all the pleasures of the palace and started performing penance to beget Lord Shiva as her husband. She spent the first thousand years of her penance by living on fruit and roots. Thereafter she lived on leaves for another three thousand years of her penance. Then she lived on water and then air alone braving heat and cold, rain and storms and all kinds of sufferings. Goddess Parvati meditated on Lord Shiva for thousands of years. The austere penance performed by her reduced her to a mere skeleton. A great hue and cry prevailed in the three worlds because of her severe penance. All the Gods including Indra and Saints and Sage were terrified by her penance. They approached Brahma in a body and prayed to him to bestow the desired boon on Parvati. At last Brahma, appeared before Parvati and said to her, “O Goddess! All the Gods bow to you in deep reverence. Such an austere penance can be performed only by you. Your cherished desire shall soon be fulfilled. You shall beget Lord Shiva as your consort. By virtue of this austere penance you shall be known as “Brahmchaarini” – a woman of celibacy. Thereafter Brahma restored her physical charm and grace. Thus Goddess Parvati begot Lord Shiva as her husband by virtue of her penance. She earned the reputation of being a Brahmchaarini. The worship of Maa Brahmchaarini is conducive to penance, renunciation, virtue and nobility. Her devotees are endowed with peace and prosperity. Mantras for Devi Brahmacharini Om Devi Brahmcharinyai Namah (108 recitation of this mantra) Dadhaanaa Kar Padaabhyaamakshmala Kamandalu | Devi Prasidati Mayi Brahmcharinyanuttamaa. Which means, O Goddess Brahmcharini, who holds rosary and Kamandalu in her hands, please on me. A devotee who is eager to know God, who want knowledge, he should worship Devi Brahmcharini on the second day of Navratri. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GODDESS BRAHMACHARINI Is the second aspect of Goddess Durga in the Navarathri festivals. She is celebrated on the second day. It is wrongly written here and there that she has taken to sannyas due to the ‘brahmachari’ in her name! Brahma within the name Brahmacharini means meditation or penance. Veda, Tattva and Tapa are synonyms for Brahma. Indeed, the word ‘tapa’ or ‘tapasya’ and Brahma are interchangeably used in the scriptures. So Mother is also called Tapacharini. That is, the Goddess is the meditator or a practitioner of penance. Goddess Durga is capable of providing unending benefit. She gives devotees everlasting success. DEPICTION: Goddess Brahmachirini is tremendously effulgent. She holds a rudraksha rosary in her right hand. Rudraksha is her most adorned ornament. The rudraksha mala becomes the most important item to be associated with her in her forest life while she pays penance for Lord Siva. stay It also says much about her austerities and penance. She holds the Kamandalu, the water utensil in her left hand. This symbolizes that in her final years of tapasya she reduced her diet to plain water and nothing else. Mother is also shown with lotus attached to various parts of her body. Even her ear kundalas are two lotuses pointing towards the ground. Lotus symbolizes knowledge. The lotus plant grows from the mud of ignorance to seek light of knowledge. Towards that it grows above the water level symbolizing a person aspiring spiritual ascent. Mother is usually dressed in white saree to represent purity. She adorns a prominent crown just as Goddess Durga. This shows her majestic view despite her simplicity. Brahmacharini is always depicted with a smile and a very pleasing face. Her very sight is all but Grace. MYTHOLOGY: Mother was reborn as the daughter of King Himavanth. She was single-pointedness of mind to win the heart of Lord Siva. The sage Narada advises her to undergo penance and she does just that. Her intense tapas for one thousand years, earn her the name Tapasyacharini. Her habits change as she is focused on tapas. She tolerates tormenting weather. Torrential rains and bitter cold do not hinder her tapas. She is simply sky-clad without heeding the scorching sun. Her mind was Siva and Siva only 24/7. She cares not for food. Her menu is one of leafy vegetables. For three hundred years she diets on bilva leaves. When Siva does not make his descent to grace her, She is said to have given up fresh bilva leaves. She does that for Siva’s sake! It is now dry bilva leaves that the winds send dropping below the bilva tree. No Siva yet! This is also relinquished and the menu is further restricted to water only. This is the reference to her being called Aparna. She just carried her kamandala and pushed her austerities to the extremes. Lord Siva is still not in sight. Brahmacharini continued her painstaking contemplation until she had grown thin. She reduced herself to skin and bones. This was observed by Mother Menaka one day. Looking at the skinny daughter, she exclaims ‘U’ ‘Ma’ meaning ‘O No No, Not’. In Sanskrit ‘U’ is a word of address. So Goddess Brahmacharini, the second aspect of Durga, bags another name as Uma. As Uma, she comes close to Lord Siva, doesn’t she? Brahmacharini’s penance cannot be going unnoticed.Certainly not a penance of this nature. It starts to cause great disturbance in all the three lokhas. So the universe gets shaken. Up there the Gods, rishis, munis, sages and above all the siddhas are great Durga Maa devotees. They eulogised Brahmacharini’s virtuous tapas and the same is praised in all quarters. Lord Brahma is to act. So Brahma tells her that he was captivated by her meditation and devotion, Brahma blesses her. This blessing, after a few turns here and there, finally leads Brahmachirini into Lord’s Siva’s arms. There she has her cut off point as being a kannya or virgin. It would be wrong to view Brahmacharini as a married consort of Lord Shiva. If they are depicted together, then Siva is the divine prize she earned out of tapasya. Saying it another way, Brahmacharini is the early phase or stage before Mother Parvathi’s marriage. This stage is called Devi Yogini and Devi Tapsvini. PUJA: In the Hindu pantheon, each Gods and Goddess have their prayer rituals, rules and regulations. This is called pooja vidhi. Brahmacharini is sometimes worshipped along with other gods and goddesses. She is offered flowers, rice and sandalwood. These are placed in the kalash that was established on the first day of the Navrathri. Mother is given her abhishekam with milk, curd and honey. If a deity, then she is dressed immaculately. If an image, she is garlanded grandly. Aarti is performed. Prasada is offered as if it is offered to Mother Durga. Chanting is done. It is to be noted, unlike Durga or Kali worship. Brahmacharini is not worshipped as a single deity. She is worshipped along with her consort Lord Shiva. This symbolizes the penance she did for achieve him. So she is worshipped with the Divine prize to represent that tapas pays. Hence, Lord Shiva has to be worshipped with full faith and devotion to please Brahmacharini. As prayers to her also involves Brahma in no small measure, the chant during her prayers are: Om Brahmane Namah . CHAKRA: Mother Brahmacharini represents the Swadhistana chakra in spiritual practice. Sadhaks and yogis keep their mind on Swadhisthana Sneh Chakraburtty to maintain their devotion and dedication in a steady phase. Worship of this appearance enriches the faculties of sacrifice, honesty and self-discipline. In times of absolute distress the worship of this form gives success and the willpower to come out victorious. This way the mind of the aspirant that moves upward is established in Swadhisthana Chakra. The Yogi, who makes his mind stay in Swadhisthana Chakra, gets the devotion and blessings of the Goddess. Establishing the mind in the Swadhisthana chakra, while worshipping Devi is a pointed way of fulfilling desires. Mother Brahmacharini represents one who practices devout austerity. She enlightens us in the magnificent embodiment of Durga with great powers and divine grace. The form of Devi Brahmacharini is similar to her name and gives infallible fruits to her devotees. By worshiping her, virtues such as penance, renunciation, dispassion and restraint progressively improves inherently. One also improves his or her ethical conduct. MANTRA: Brahmacharini Dhyana mantra is recited on the second day of Navarathri. “Dadhanakara Padmabhyam akshamala kamandalam; Devi prasidathu mayi brahmacharinya nuththama.” Goddess Brahmacharini is blissful and endows happiness, peace, prosperity and grace upon all devotees who worship her. A person earns freedom from all the troubles and sufferings in life. Filled with bliss and happiness, Goddess Brahmacharini is the way to liberation, Moksha. Yet again Mother Durga is prayed to in another one of her milder and sweet manifestations via Brahmacharini. Together they bless us with immense courage, strength, dedication and concentration to face all challenges with courage and self-confidence. Goddess Brahmacharini is also not to be underwritten just as another goddess imposing the same story-line and blessing. Those having her close to the chest as Ishta Devata would know this truth. That being the eternal truth of attaining Sachidaanandamaya Brahmaswarupaya, the Existence-Knowledge-Bliss state. Yogi Ananda Saraswathi
1 Comment
roxanne
9/24/2017 09:42:01 pm
Very interesting and powerful
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Trishula Das
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December 2018
C40 years experience study & practice of Eastern and Western Mind Body Soul, Meditation, Healing & Mysticism
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