Octad to Goddess Tripurasundarii


Octad to Goddess Tripurasundarii

"Before we begin, let us offer ourselves at the feet of the Divine Mother, Mahaatripurasundarii, who as Ishvara rules the world but is none other than the indwelling spirit (Atman) within us and which pervades all that exists.

This introduction deals with the background on the name of Tripurasundarii. It is one of the best epithets to describe the Devi meaning that she is the belle of all the three worlds. The word tripura can be interpreted variously. The Kaalikaa Purana says that by the will of pradhaana, the body of Lord Shiva became triple : the upper part became Brahma, the middle part became Vishhnu and the lower part became Rudra. As these three pura-s (bodies) are in Lord Shiva, he is called Tripura (three bodied) and his wife is known as Tripuraa. In the Kaamakalaa Vilaasa (13,14), the honored sage, Abhiyukta, mentions that Devi created all the three forms and she is before all (purobhava), because she is in the form of all the three (trayiimayi) and exists even after the dissolution of the three worlds and recreates them again. In the Brahmanda-Purana, it is mentioned that the Goddess Tripurasundarii rules over the entire universe and She is the supreme empress, and Brahma, Vishhnu and Shiva are mere functionaries in Her empire. The Lalitaa Sahasranaama portrays Her as being attended by Lakshmi and Saraswati on either side. Shankaracharya, in his Saundrayalahirii, mentions that Brahma, VishhNu and Shiva started their cosmic processes when the Supreme Shakti knitted Her brow for a split second.

The Devi mantra consists of three syllables, and her fifteen lettered mantra panchadashaakshari is composed of three kuuta-s (peaks). She resides in three naadi-s (nerve channels), namely sushhumnaa, pingalaa, and idaa. She is the ruler of the three Shaktis - ichchaa (will), jnana (knowledge) and kriyaa (action). She pervades all the three worlds - heaven, earth and the nether world. She is the controller of all the three bodies - sthula (gross), suukshhma (subtle), and kaarana (causal). She is the self which is present through the three states of existence - jaagrat (waking), svapna (dream), and sushhupti (deep sleep). Though she is above all guna-s, She pervades the three modes of energy- sattva (purity), rajas (mobility) and tamas (inertia).

Love and joy are the inherent qualities of beauty. Sundarii means belle and beauty. Shankaracharya, while explaining Chandogya Upanishhad 7, 31:1, mentions that all longing and desire is a source of pain, and in what is finite there is no bliss. He mentions that the Infinite alone can produce bliss. When bliss takes on a form, it is sundarii: sarvaa.nga sundarii (lalitaa trishati, verse 130) and Shankara comments on this name of the Devi as the one who possesses all the marks of beauty and has all the qualities of perfection and is thus the source of Bliss.

May the Divine Mother guide us in our every action and thought, and may She confer upon us the greatest gift of all, moksha (liberation) by removing the veil of maya which She weaves.”

Swami Vishvarupananda






Disclaimer: Our material may be copied, printed and distributed by referring to this site. This site also contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the education and research provisions of "fair use" in an effort to advance freedom of inquiry for a better understanding of religious, spiritual and inter-faith issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.






search



Home
Introduction
New Age Children
Miracle Photo
Meeting His Messengers
Prophecies
Age Of Aquarius
Nostradamus
Mayan End Age 12-21-2012
Our Conscious Earth
Adi Shakti's Descent
Witnessing Holy Spirit's Miracles
Jesus' Resurrection
Book Of Revelation
Gospel of Thomas
His Human Adversary
Kitab Al Munir
Al-Qiyamah (The Resurrection)
His Light Within
His Universe Within
His Beings Within
Subtle System
Lectures To Earth
Shri Mataji
Self-Realization
Drumbeat Of Death
Table Of Contents
HALF THE SKY Forum
Contact Us
Declaration of the Paraclete
The Paraclete opens the Kingdom of God
Cool Breeze of the Resurrection - BBC 1985
The Supreme Source Of Love 1985
The Great Mother
The Vision Part One
The Vision Part Two
The Vision Part Three
The Vision Part Four