[Advaita-l] pradhanika rahasya - The mystery of the foundation

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

[Was Re: [Advaita-l] Durga Rahasya]


On Mon, 21 Sep 2009, Shrinivas Gadkari wrote:

> Namaste Jaldhar,
>  
> Here an initiative that was started by you five years ago:
> http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/2004-October/035204.html
>  
> If possible, can you post the translation of this durgA rahasya in the
> coming days (in case you have not yet completed the translation
> please take your time).
>  
> Thanks,
> Shrinivas
>

I actually did complete the translation but for some reason did not post 
it to the list.

According to Shri Bhaskararaya, these 3 stotras are to be recited after
the Devi Mahatmya.  They have no relation to the vishishtadvaita concept
of rahasya traya.

First you should recite the following:

asya shrIrahasyatrayasya brahmA.achyutarudrA R^iShayaH | navadurgA devatA |
anuShTup.h chhandaH | mahAlakShmIbIjaM | shrIH shaktiH |
abhIpsitaphalasiddhyarthe jape viniyogaH ||

"Of these three rahasyas, Brahma, Achyuta[1], and Rudra[2] are the 
Rishis; The Nine Durgas are the devatas;  Anushtup is the meter; 
Mahalakshmi is the seed;  Shri is the power; That all wishes may be 
fulfilled is the purpose."

[1] i.e. Vishnu.

[2] i.e. Shiva.


|| atha prAdhAnikarahasyam.h ||

"The Mystery of the Foundation"

rajovAcha |

"The king[3] said"

[3] Suratha the auditor of the Devi Mahatmya

bhagavannavatArA me chaNDikAyAstvayoditAH |
eteShAM prakR^itiM brahmanpradhAnaM  vakturmahasi || 1 ||

"Bhagavan!  I have been told by you of the avataras of Chandika.  Will you 
now tell me, brahmana, about their foundation?[4]"

[4] I.e. their primal form.

aarAdhyaM yanmayA devyAH svarUpaM yena vai dvija |
vidhinA brUhi sakalaM yathAvatpraNatasya me || 2 ||

"I bow down to you. Speak everything about the Goddess's true form 
according to the shastras oh Dvija[5] so that it is properly worshipped 
by me."

[5] twice-born i.e. Brahmana.

R^iShiruvAcha |

"the sage[6] said"

[6] Medhas the narrator of the Devi Mahatmya.

idaM rahasyaM paramamanAkhyeyaM prachakShate |
bhaktosIti na me kiMchittavAvAchyaM narAdhipa || 3 ||

"This mystery should be forever kept to oneself it is said, but you are a 
bhakta, how can I keep anything from you oh king?"

sarvasyAdyA mahAlakShmIstriguNA parameshvarI |
lakShyAlakShyasvarUpA sA vyApya kR^itsnaM vyavasthitA || 4 ||

"Above all things, Mahalakshmi[7] composed of three gunas is the supreme 
ruler.  With qualities and without[8] , Her own form is to be found 
pervading everything."

[7] Great Prosperity.
[8] i.e. her form is both saguna and nirguna.

mAtuli~NgaM gadAM kheTaM pAnapAtraM cha vibhratI |
nAgaM li~NgaM cha yoniM cha vibhratI nR^ipa mUrdhani || 5 ||

"She carries a matulinga[9], mace, shield, and drinking cup [in Her four 
arms] and on Her head is a snake entwined linga and yoni.[10]"

[9] a large citrus fruit that is a symbol of prosperity.

[10] The linga and yoni are the iconic form of Shiva-Shakti.

taptakA~nchanavarNAbhA taptakA~ncanabhUShaNA |
shUnyaM tadakhilaM svena pUrayAmAsa tejasA || 6 ||

"She is of the color of burnished gold with ornaments of burnished gold. 
The emptiest spaces of all the worlds are filled by her energy."

shUnyaM tadakhilaM lokaM vilokya parameshvarI |
babhAra rUpamaparaM tamasA kevalena hi || 7 ||

"Seeing the emptiness of the worlds, the supreme ruler took another form 
made only of tamasa.[11]"

[11] the lowest of the three gunas.

sA bhinnA~njanasa~NkAshA daMShTrA~nchitavarAnanA |
vishAlalochanA nArI babhUva tanumadhyamA || 8 ||

"She became a woman with the lustre of kajala[12] whose face contained sharp 
fangs, who eyes were beautiful and whose waist was slender."

[12] Collyrium.  It is black in color.

khaDgapAtrashiraHkheTairalaMkR^itachaturbhujA |
kabandhahAraM shirasA bibhrANA shirasAM srajam.h || 9 ||

"A sword, drinking cup, severed head, and shield decorated Her four hands. 
She wore a girdle of bodies and a garland of severed heads."

tAM provAcha mahAlakShmIstAmasIM pramadottamAm.h |
dadAmi tava nAmAni yAni karmANi tAni te || 10 ||

"To the tamasic one, best amongst beguiling women, Mahalakshmi said, 'I 
give you names by which You will know Your work"

mahAmAyA mahAkAlI mahAmArI kShudhA tR^iShA |
nidrA tR^iShNA chaikavIrA kAlarAtrirduratyayA || 11 ||

"Mahamaya[13], Mahakali[14], Mahamari[15], Kshudha[16], Trsha[17], 
Nidra[18], Trishna[19], Ekavira[20], Kalaratri[21], Duratyaya[22]"

[13] the great delusion

[14] the great black one

[15] the great death

[16] hunger

[17] thirst

[18] sleep

[19] dark night

[20] champion.  Before a battle, each army would send one of their best 
warriors to engage in single combat with the champion of the other side.

[22] Unconquerable.

imAni tava nAmAni pratipAdyAni karmabhiH |
ebhiH karmANi te GYAtvA yo.adhIte so.ashnute mukham.h || 12 ||

"These are Your names which will explain Your actions.  He who knows Your 
actions by knowing [Your names] will attain happiness'"

tAmityuktvA mahAlakShmIH svarUpamaparaM nR^ipa |
satvAkhyenAtishuddhena guNenenduprabhaM dadhau || 13 ||

"Having said thus, Mahalakshmi took another form oh King. Only composed of
sattva[23] of the utmost purity, and shining like the moon."

[23] The highest of the three gunas.  Thus it is also implied that Mahalakshmi 
represents rajas, the middle guna.

akShamAlA~NkushadharA viNApustakadhAriNI |
sA babhUva varA nArI nAmAnyasyai cha sA dadau || 14 ||

"She became an excellent woman who carried a rudrakshamala, goad, vina, 
and book [in Her four hands.]  These names were given to Her."

mahAvidyA mahAvANI bhAratI vAk.h sarasvatI |
aaryA brAhmI kAmadhenurvedagarbhA sureshvarI || 15 ||

"Mahavidya[24], Mahavani[25]. Bharati[26], Vak[27]. Sarasvati[28],
Arya[29], Brahmi[30], Kamadhenu[31]. Vedagarbha[32]. Sureshvari[33]"

[24] great knowledge

[25] great speech

[26] personification of India

[27] voice

[28] Goddess of knowledge

[29] nobility

[30] wife of Brahma

[31] the wish-fulfilling cow.  (Note there is a variant reading mahAdhenu 
"the great cow" in some books.)

[32] womb or source of the Vedas.

[33] queen of the Gods.

athovAcha mahAlakShmIrmahAkAlIM sarasvatIm.h |
yuvAM janayatAM devyau mithune svAnurUpataH || 16 ||

"Then Mahalakshmi said to Mahakali and [Maha]sarasvati, 'You two
Goddesses produce twins with forms similiar to your own.'"

ityuktvA te mahAlakShmiH sasarja mithunaM svayaM |
hiraNyagarbhau ruchirau strIpuMsau kamalAsane || 17 ||

"Saying thus, Mahalakshmi Herself produced twins, a man and a woman born 
from Hiranyagarbha[34], shining and seated on a lotus."

[34] the golden womb.  The first, mental stage of primordial creation.

brahman.h vidhe vira~ncheti dhAtarityAha taM naram.h |
shrIH padme kamale lakShmItyAh mAtA cha tAm striyaM || 18 ||

"Brahma[35], Vidhi[36], Virincha[37], Dhata[38], She called the man. and
Shri[39], Padma[40], Kamala[41], Lakshmi[42], Mother[43] called the woman"

[35] the God of creation

[36] rule

[37] another name of Brahma

[38] support

[39] prosperity

[40] lotus

[41] another word for lotus

[42] Goddess of wealth

[43] i.e. Mahalakshmi

mahAkAlI bhAratI cha mithune sR^ijatisma ha |
etayorapi rUpANI nAmAni cha vadAmi te || 19 ||

"Mahakali and Bharati[44] also produced twins. I shall tell you their 
forms and names."

[44] i.e. Mahasarasvati

nIlakaNThaM raktabAhuM shvetA~NgaM chandrashekharam.h |
janayAmAsa puruShaM mahAkAlI sitAM striyam.h || 20 ||

"blue throated, red armed, with white limbs[45] wearing the moon as a hair 
ornament, such a man was produced by Mahakali and a white woman."

sa rudraH shaMkaraH sthANuH kapardI cha trilochanaH |
trayI vidyA kAmadhenuH sA strI bhAShAkSharA svarA || 21 ||

"that [man is] Rudra[46], Shankara[47], Sthanu[48], Kapardi[49], 
and Trilochana[50]. Trayi[51], Vidya[52], Kamadhenu[53], is the woman, 
Bhashakshara[54], and Svara[55]."

[46] who howls or cries in dismay at the sins of men.

[47] who grants peace.

[48] pillar.

[49] with matted hair

[50] three-eyed.

[51] the threefold Vedas

[52] knowledge

[53] See note 31.

[54] the letters of the alphabet

[55] sound

sarasvatIM striyaM gaurIM krShNaM cha puruShaM nR^ipa |
janayAmAsa nAmAni tayorapi vadAmi te || 22 ||

"[Maha]sarasvati produced a golden woman and a dark-skinned man oh king. 
I shall also tell you their names."

viShNuH kR^iShNo hR^iShIkesho vAsudevo janArdanaH |
umA gaurI satI chaNDI sundarI subhagA shivA || 23 ||

"Vishnu[56], Krishna[57], Hrshikesha[58], Vasudeva[59], Janardana[60], [is 
the man].  Uma[61], Gauri[62], Sati[63], Chandi[64], Sundari[65], 
Subhaga[66], Shiva[67] [is the woman.]"

[56] The God who preserves and maintains the universe

[57] whose skin is dark

[58] conqueror of sleep (i.e. indolence)

[59] son of Vasudeva

[60] who killed the daitya during the churning of the Mahodadhi.

[61] when Parvati waas a girl She resolved to take up asceticism and 
Her mother Mena said u mA ("oh don't!")

[62] golden skinned

[63] "virtuous." The daughter of Daksha Prajapati

[64] fierce

[65] beautiful

[66] the good wife

[67] wife of Shiva.  Or the feminine half of Shiva.

evaM yuvatayaH sadyaH puruShatvaM prapedire |
chakShuShmanto.anupashyanti netare.atadvido janAH || 24 ||

"Thus the three maidens instantly took up maleness.  Those who see with 
the eye of jnana know this but the ignorant are blind to it."

brahmaNe pradadau patnIM mahAlakShmInR^ipa trayIm.h |
rudrAya gaurIM varadAM vAsudevAya cha shriyam.h || 25 ||

"To Brahma as a wife, Mahalakshmi gave Trayi oh king.  To Rudra, Gauri, 
and to Vasudeva, Shri."

svarayA saha sambhUya viri~ncho.aNDamajIjanat.h |
bibheda bhagavAn.h rudrastadgauryA saha vIryavAn.h || 26 ||

"Joining with Svara, Virinchi produced an egg.  Bhagavan Rudra together 
with Gauri broke it open."

aNDamadhye pradhAnAdikAryajAtamabhUnnR^ipa |
mahAbhUtAtmakaM sarvaM jagat.h sthAvaraja~Ngamam.h || 27 ||

"In the middle of the egg was the pradhana[68] and the elements of 
cause[69] oh king, the entire universe moving and still composed of the 
basic elements.[70]"

[68] prakriti in its unmanifest state according to samkhya philosophy.

[69] the three gunas, sattva, rajas, and tamas.

[70] air, earth, fire, water, and akasha.

pupoSha pAlayAmAsa tallakShmyA saha keshavaH |
mahAlakShmIreva matA rAjan sarveshvareshvarI || 28 ||

"This was nourished and protected by Lakshmi and Keshava.  Thus 
Mahalakshmi can be said to be the mother [of all] oh king, the ruler of 
all rulers.[71]"

[71] This is why she is called the pradhAna "foundation" here.  The 
following diagram (will look best in a fixed space font) illustrates the
cosmology described in this stotra.


        +---------Mahalakshmi-----------+
        |              /\               |
        |             /  \              |
    Mahakali         /    \        Mahasarasvati
       /\           /      \           /\
      /  \         /        \         /  \
Shiva Sarasvati  Brahma Lakshmi  Vishnu Parvati

Brahma = Sarasvati Vishnu = Lakshmi Shiva = Parvati
        |                  |               |
        +------------------+---------------+
                           |
                   trigunatmaka jagat

nirAkArA cha sAkArA saiva nAnAbhidhAnabhR^it |
nAmAntarairnirUpyaiShA nAmnA nAnyena kenachit || 29 ||

"Abiding in formless and formed manifestations, She is known by many names 
but by no other name [than Mahalakshmi] can She be fully known."

|| iti prAdhAnikarahasyam.h ||

"Thus ends the mystery of the foundation"

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>