[Advaita-l] समाधिः - the वैश्यः (merchant) in Durga Sapthasathi

[Venkata sriram P]

Namaste,

In देवीमाहात्म्यम्, there are 2 characters viz., सुरथः, the kshatriya and समाधिः, the vaishya (merchant).

After listening to the glories of Divine Mother Chandi in the ashram of सुमेधस्, they perform
the penance and Divine Mother appears before them and asks for boon. 

The King Suratha asked for unlimited material prosperity & riches for his 
next birth and pleaded for reclamation of his lost kingdom & riches in the
current birth.  Mother Chandi granted the same to Suratha.  In the 
subsequent birth, he took as 8th son of Surya as 'surya-saavarNi'.

The Vaishya Samadhi, by then, had attained maturity in sadhana and 
and sought that knowledge that frees him from ahamkAra and mamakAra :

सोऽपि वैश्यस्ततो ज्ञानं वव्रे निर्विण्णमानसः ।
ममेत्यहमिति प्राज्ञः सङ्गविच्युतिकारकम् ॥

Then Mother Chandi granted his wish and blessed
with the knowledge that lead to final liberation.

वैश्यवर्य त्वया यश्च वरोऽस्मत्तोऽभिवाञ्छितः ।
तं प्रयच्छामि संसिद्धयै तव ज्ञानं भविष्यति ॥

Thus, with the blessings of Mother Chandi, the vaishya merchant
Samadhi attains the final liberation.  

rgs,
sriram