In Hinduism, the female form of the Divine is considered to be equally
powerful to the male. There is a formless Supreme Devi, and Her three primary
forms are that of Saraswati, Laxmi, and Parvati, the wives of Bramha, Vishnu,
and Shiva respectively. The Devi Bhagavatam is one of the Puranas, or sacred
central texts of the Hindu canon, devoted to the Divine Feminine.
Note: Book 5, Chapter 9 contains many insults to Lord Vishnu, Lord
Vishnu, and even the Devi’s own beloved son, Sri Ganesa, which I will not
repeat here out of respect. If you know Parvatiji, you know that She would
never endorse such madness, and one can see this is clearly the writings of a
human being trying to swerve devotees from one lane to another, this this and
all other scripture should be observed with due judgement and critical thinking.
Remember, only you will have to deal with the consequences of your actions, so
do not follow others blindly.
1.
Vishnu takes Earthly birth at the request
of Devi:
B1C4P9: “In yuga after yuga I assume, by Her will, a tortoise, a bear,
a lion hybrid, and a dwarf. Do you think that I willingly take unpleasant
births such as these? – Lord Vishnu
2.
All of our Gods and Goddesses in the
Shaivite tradition love to get high but maintain mastery at all times. This is
why she is holding a golden cup in the artwork for this production:
B1C12P32: “The all-auspicious Devi Bhagavati became pleased with the
king and appeared before him, assuming Her Divine beautiful form, intoxicated
with drink, eyes rolling with pride, and riding on her lion.
B5C9P281: “[Mother Durga] appeared extremely beautiful and was holding
a cup of wine, drinking again and again. Beholding this form, the asuras were
afraid and fled to Mahisasura [the bull-headed demon].”
3.
This world is hell:
B1C14P37: “If we are to be truthful about the soul, we at once find
that there is no trace of [lasting] happiness in this Samsara, or cycle of
birth and rebirth. As the worms enjoy pleasures in the midst of excrement, so
do ignorant persons seek to find fleeting pleasure in Samsara.”
4.
Worship without Desire, but with Love and
Devotion instead
B3C12P125:
“Liberation is sure to ensue to the one that performs mental yagnas to
the Goddess with pure devotion and love. All other yajnas, whether mental or
physical, which are Sakama, meaning they have some object in view, will yield
results, however such results are temporary [and as such represent an inferior
form of worship].”
5.
Conflict exists for Shakti Ma’s
enjoyment:
B4C15P226:
“It is all sport with You to see us disagree, argue with each other,
and watch us fight against each other.” – The daityas speaking of their fights
with the devas to Katyayani
B9C21P646:
“In bygone days, we labored hard when nectar was obtained from the
Samudra Manthan (churning of the Milky Way), but the best fruit was reaped by
the Devas only.”
This happened due to the Mohini apparition of Lord Vishnu captivating
all of the demons with lust while all of the nectar was given to the devas, as
detailed in the Srimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana).
6.
Everyone needs to stay in their lane and
respect the free will of other living beings, no forced invasions of foreign
nations. Mahisasura was the embodiment of being so arrogant that the free will
of others is disregarded:
B5C16P300:
“If you desire to live, go the Patala (the celestial abode of demons).”
– Katyayani to Mahisasura
7.
Katyayani is NOT Parvati:
B5C7P275:
“You gave the boon of invincibility against all males to Mahisasura so
it is you who have wrought this mischief. The demon has become so strong that
he has even caused terror to even the devas (male gods). Now where can we find
such a noble woman who is able to kill that demon, elated with pride? My wife
nor your wife ought to go to battle, as they are not skilled in the art of war”
– Lord Shiva to Lord Bramha
8.
Lord Shiva is a dance man, a drug man, a
drink man, and a joke man, and the master of all these:
In B9C16P630 Lord Shiva is described as the “chief among the funny and
witty beings”.
9.
Lord Vishnu has multiple partners and
does not engage in argument with the women in His life:
B9C6P600:
“Hearing Saraswati’s words and knowing that She had become very angry,
Narayan thought for a moment and then retired to the grounds outside the
palace.”
In this particular episode, Laxmi, Saraswati, and Ganga were all
married to Lord Vishnu prior to their subsequent marital configurations. Lord
Vishnu always maintains multiple partners as he pleases, even when at times the
Devi curses Him to take lowly births as a reaction. He is not scared of
anything or anyone, including women scorned or on a rampage, and perhaps it is
this complete lack of fear that makes him the master (and chief playboy) of the
universe. The Devi Bhagavatam only reinforces this reputation.
10.
Correct application of Tripundra:
B11C9P772: “By the middle and ring finger he is to draw two lines of
ashes from the left to right and by his thumb draw a third line from right to
left”.
11.
Book 11 is devoted in large part to
Mother Gayatri and the Gayatri Mantra.
12.
Description of yantras, esp. Shiv,
Shakti, Ganesh, Murugan yantras:
Book 5, Chapter 34, describing the worship of the Devi, mentions the
importance of yantras, so we will take a moment to describe them. The Sri
Yantra contains so many shapes and combinations that, although commonly associated
with the Devi, it is a pictographic representation of the Supreme and Formless consciousness,
which is both part of and containing all other beings who have a form.
Upward triangle = masculine energy
Downward triangle = feminine energy
Bindu = Consciousness
Eight inner petals = Eight Siddhis:
1.
Anima – smallness
2.
Mahima – largeness
3.
Garima – heaviness
4.
Laghima – lightness
5.
Prapti – materialization
6.
Prakyama - manifestation
7.
Isitva – telekenesis
8.
Vastiva - supreme influence
Sixteen outer petals =
1.
Prana - breath
2.
Shradhha – faith
3.
Akasha – space
4.
Vayu – air
5.
Jyoti – light
6.
Apah – water
7.
Prithvi – earth (element)
8.
Indriya – senses
9.
Manas – intellect
10. Anna
– food
11. Virya
– strength
12. Tapas
– austerity
13. Mantra
14. Karma
15. Nama
– name
16. Rupa
- form
SHIVA
B9C21P644:
“Sankhacuda, arriving there, saw Mahādeva under a Peepul tree near its
root with a smiling countenance, like ten million suns, seated in yogic
posture. His color was white like a pure crystal; as if the Fire of Bramha was
emitting from every pore of His body. He was wearing His tiger skin, holding
His trident, and an axe. He dispels the fear of the death of His devotees; His
face is quite calm. He, the Lord of Gauri, is the Giver of the fruits of
tapasya and all sorts of wealth and prosperity. The smiling face of Āśutoṣa
(one who is quickly pleased) is always thinking of the welfare of His devotees;
He is the Lord of the universe, the Seed of the universe, All-Pervading, and
the Progenitor of the universe. He is omnipresent, all-pervading, the Best in
the universe, Destroyer of the universe, the Cause of all causes, and the
Savior from the 28 Narakas (hells). He is the Awakener and Bestower of
Knowledge, the Seed of all knowledge, and He Himself is of the nature of pure
knowledge and bliss.”
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