(661) Shishta-poojitaa शिष्टपूजिता - ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 412
Shishta means disciplined and righteous. Shishtas are those who always perfectly control their limbs, eyes, speech, whole body, mind, desires, thoughts, and actions. Those who are desirous of achieving and maintaining this control, worship and propitiate Her.
(662) Dvija-vrinda-nishevitaa द्विजवृंदनिषेविता - ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 423
She, that is entered into, by hosts of purified and perfected souls. Dvija means souls and birds. As birds fatigued with flight, fold their wings and enter their nests, so the tired Jivas return to Her and are freed from desires and dreamings. Similarly, human beings after the day's fatigue rest in Her lap and confidence. A fortunate few, after having done all that they can, come to the conclusion and realisation, that there is no happiness, except in Her Lotus Feet.
(663) Kaulamaargatatparasevitaa कौलमार्गतत्परसेविता - ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 441
Worshipped by those, devoted to the Kaula path or worshipped by family members from pedigree to pedigree. "That Devi, who is established by family tradition, should be worshipped in the customary method, laid down from parents to children." It has already been explained before, that a devotee's children, if devotees are much more loved by Mother.
There are three modes in the worship of Mother, viz., Samaya, Mishra and Kaula. The first is the path based on the Vedas and is explained in the five Agams (Shubhagama Panchaka), the five works five of great seers, viz., Shuka, Vashishta and others. Kaulachaar is another mode, and Mishra is a combination of both. The main difference is that, that the Samayins believe in the sameness of Shiva and Shakti and Kaulas worship only the Shakti. The Samayins believe in rousing the Kundalini and it's being worked up in successive stages of Upaasanaa, Tapas and Japa. The Kaulas believe in the worship of Mother and leave it to Mother, to rouse the Kundalini and are satisfied with their lot, without any restrictions about material and temporal and temporary enjoyments. The Vaamaachaaris or Waama Maargis are more or less similar to Kaulas.
(664) Kamalaaksha-nishevitaa कमलाक्षनिशेविता - Worshipped by Vishnu, the deity of protection. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 558
(665) Kataaksha-kinkari-bhoota-kamalaa-koti-nishevitaa कटाक्षकिंकरीभूतकमलाकोटीसेविता Attended by millions of Lakshmis, as maid-servants subdued by Her glances. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 590
(666) Sachaamara-ramaa-vaani-savya-dakshina-sevitaa सचामररमावाणीसव्यदक्षिणसेविता - Attended, on left and right sides, by Lakshmi and Saraswati, bearing the sacred royal fans. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 614
The goddess of Prosperity and Learning never stay together. Usually learned and godliness-goaled souls are poor, while rich people are rarely learned. Here, however, both stay together.
A Mother's devotee can be rich as also learned.
(667) Gandharva-sevitaa गांधर्वसेविता - Attended by singers of celestial births and celestial songs. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 636
(668) Raaja-peetha-niveshita-nijaashritaa राजपीठनिवेषितनिजाश्रिता - ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 688
She, that has made Her devotees sit on thrones, either as kings or as gurus of kings, and before whom, kings stand hand-folded as servants, anxious to receive commands.
(669) Sanakaadi-samaaraadhyaa सनकादिसमाराध्या - Worshipped by the highest renouncers and meditators, as Sanaka and others. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 726
(670) Maartanda-bhairava-araadhyaa मार्तण्डभैरवाराध्या - Worshipped by the energy of untiring effort, guided by correct and full understanding. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 785
Maartanda Bhairava is the name of the Mother's devotee called Malhaari in Maharashtra. Bhairava means ceaseless effort and Maartand means Sun, who destroy darkness, ignorance and confusion. The idea conveyed is that Mother is attainable by ceaseless effort, with right understanding.
(671) Dhira-samarchitaa धीरसमर्चिता - Adored by the patience-Masters. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 917
This is the further requirement of the aspirant, in addition to the right understanding and ceaseless effort. Patience is the quality of the remaining uninfluenced, and being able to maintain one's equilibrium, in spite of the most humiliating repeated failures, discomforts, happenings of disagreeable nature, miseries and pains etc.
Those that are true devotees have a faith, which enables them to keep up their patience and cheerfulness, to the last. One of them has said;-
"Raise me Mother to the ruler-ship of the whole universe; or throw me in the darkest hell; it is impossible for Thee, to make me severed from my ceaseless effort, to ever remain in the Refuge of Thy Lotus Feet."
(672) Varnaashrama-vidhaayini वर्णाश्रमविधायिनी - Establisher of castes and orders. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 286
The relation of the nature of human being, and the community he belongs to, and the family in which he is born, and the relation of the outlook, inclination and mentality, during the different life stages of the living period, are of Her making.
It is She who makes a
Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vishya or Shudra, in matter of Casts or a Brahmachari
(bachelor) or a Grihastha (a house holder), a Vanprastha (a retired) or
a Sannyaasin (a renounced), what anyone is. It is of Her making, that
emotions, passions, thoughts, desires and actions act in a particular fixed
manner, although the knowledge about it is known to few. It is She that
has made properties or inherent natures, and different temperaments
of the practical, moral, emotional, intellectual, philosophical or spiritual
beings and natures.
The idea conveyed, is not
that of the obligatory duty or compulsion, prescribed in scriptures, but a very
clear visualization, that you should be fully contented with the circumstances
and conditions, that you are placed in. This is in the matter of overestimating
one's self on one hand or deprecating or envying others, because of higher or
lower stages, etc, on the other. It should always be remembered that all is of
Her making and every condition, to which each being is subjected, is what is
best for the evolutionary progress of that particular being.
A wise aspirant should lay
out the line of his progress, along the line of least resistance, to be most
economical in matter of energy to be spent and the speed of results. He must
study, respect and obey spontaneity, the natural condition of circumstances,
temperaments, inherent nature, etc., This is what is recommended in the aphorism,
“Better to die in one's own Dharma; a foreign Dharma is full of fears"
Dharma should not be taken
to mean Hinduism etc, but one's own nature, the duty, the call, or the particular
stage in progress, Just what is required at a particular time.
Every race, nation, has its
own distinctive nature. This tely studied, with the most sensitive
psychological analysis, to enable on
Every race, nation,
community, family and individual, has its own distinctive nature. This should
be most minutely studied, with the most sensitive balance and subtlest
psychological analysis, to enable one to decide at every step,
what should be done, and
what should not be done. One nation is able to rule over another, because the
ruled nation does not know its own nature, and the ruling nation knows both its
own nature, and the nature of the ruled, including especially its weak points.
If the backbone of a nation
is religion, religion alone will save that nation, and what is required is to
review and revise the religion, rather than shift the field of progressive
action to the materialistic plane, where defeat is sure.
In connection with whatever
has been most wisely ordained, by the wisest of the Hindu sages, regarding the
rules of the castes and others, the following psychic laws should be well
understood and practiced:
1. What you associate with, that you begin to love. 2. What you love, that you meditate on. 3. What you meditate on, that you become. 4. What you take in, that takes you in. 5. As is the food-stuff, so is the brain-stuff. 6. The quality of the food influences the mind physically, morally and spiritually. 7. Unless one exerts one-self to keep up, one goes down. 8. Once you go down, your tendency towards going down increases and your outer and inner forces which would protect you against going down, diminish. 9. The natural result of association is equalization; the higher losing and the lower gaining. 10 The results of a certain meritorious action are manifested in the same field, in which the actions are sown. practising religion to be materially rich, is in itself a paradox. Any person with the said motive, may rightly be said to be resorting to religion, but not practising religion. One can be rich by resorting to religion, but he is not then practising it.
Aspirants (Mumukshus) should
associate, as far as possible, with them alone, that are spiritually superior.
Every hour, that they have to pass with inferiors, should be felt as a
distinct tangible loss. The very first door for degeneration souls begins with
inferior association;
Next follows, falling a prey
to the honor, flattery, assistance, and remuneration in some form, that is
received. Next comes in, the loss of discrimination and self-delusion, which
results in the wiping away of the notions about subtle differences and
understandings, actions and reactions, forces and effects, etc. Then follows,
falsely crowning evil, with the laurels due to goodness, and justifying bad
conduct with hypocrisy. Lastly follows, merry-making in the name of religious
tolerance, shamelessness under the name of plain-spokenness and public living,
and finally follows, some entanglement somewhere, with woman, wine and wealth.
I am tempted to give an
interesting illustration. A Guru with his disciple, was practicing penance in a
forest, near a rich and religious city. The Guru had to leave his disciple for
a few years. He gave one point of advice, on great solicitations by the
disciple. "Have little contact with others, and never with those, that are
spiritually inferior." After a few months the disciple began to go for
religious alms in the city. Due to his religious luster, many citizens were
attracted, and they began to go to him for sacred teachings, every evening.
Then came the monsoon and people began to request the Mahaatmaaji, to take pity
on them, and stay in the city so that all might continue to come to him, to
hear his teachings. Next came the request, that in the city it would be
indecent to be in the entirely nude condition. so, at least the loin cloth
should be put on. One night, a mouse chewed away a part of the loin cloth. The
devotees at once arranged for a cat and milk. After a few days, it often
happened that the milk pot overturned, due to some hasty person from the
audience. The audience was ever ready for any sacrifice, to serve their Guru.
Someone atonce arranged for a cow. The cow was milked by a milk- maid, but one
day she said, she had to go to her father for a few months. Just when this was
declared, a beautiful young daughter of a rich merchant offered herself to milk
the cow, twice before sunrise and after sunset. Out of gratitude and
appreciation of the devoted girl's sacrifice to serve him. Mahaatmaaji stood by
her side, when she would milk the cow in dark and solitude. One night, when she
was returning home, she had an unbearable stomach-ache, and she had to remain
in the hermitage. The cold was freezing and Mahaatmaaji had with great sorrow,
to accede to her request of giving her heat by embrace, only as a daughter. The
next day a rumor was strong, and her parents turned her out. She came to
Mahaatmaaji, and said she would commit suicide unless her married he. This had
to be done with great reluctance. Later came self-delusion and gradual
slackening, and after a year a handsome son was born. Two years later an
epidemic deprived Mahaatmaaji. of his most beloved son. The separation was
unbearable and the only way left was to drown the remembrance in only a very
small cup of wine. Poor pitiable husband and wife! Condemned by people and
crushed with the misery of losing the most beloved son.
They began to indulge in
excess of enjoyment and drinking. After some time, it was discovered that wine
spoiled their health and it was necessary to take nonvegetarian food. The
ill-repute due to all these incidents had scared away all devotees. Income fell
down to nil. How to get money to lead the luxurious life of each diet, rich
drink and comfort!
Aspirants should establish
their censorship over every morsel that they eat, every thought, desire,
emotion and action, but on the top of everything, over every moment that they
spend with spiritually inferior people.
Aspirants should practise
these requirements without any hubbub, about superiority or inferiority,
without exhibition, without harm to others, and almost unseen. The best prayer
and the best worship is one, which the nearest sitting man does not know of.
The secret so much insisted on and enjoined in religion, is interpreted by the
Maai-ists to mean the above, and not monopolizing or allowing one's experiences
and knowledge about attainment of wisdom and power, to be buried with oneself.
Being in spiritually
superior company, and taking in one's own righteously earned, self-cooked or
home-prepared food, is the highest observance for an aspirant, who is
determined to elevate himself spiritually.
Observance of whatever one
desires to observe, as a requirement of the principles of castes and orders,
should not be so in harmonious, showy, selfish, posing and self-deceptive, as
to render one subject to ridicule.
Sincerity of purpose, and
conduct of life, must be convincing. Most liberal allowance must be made for
possible weakness, but hypocrisy should not be permitted to remain unseen,
unknown, and unadmitted. An aspirant must from time to time decide where he
stands or must get an analysis
about him from one who most
closely observes him, and is spiritually high enough to arrive at the right
judgment.
If the superiority is a
solid one, that should be utilized in raising and removing the inferiority of
others. If you are strong enough, do bend to give a helping hand to one on the
lower plane, who needs it. But if the superiority is liable to be lost, do not
remain under the delusion, and the infatuation about your superiority. Visualize
its hollowness and harbor humility. Never forget, that much of your superiority
is often unearned, circumstantial, trivial and untried.
The respective results of bad and good actions are to be experienced in several fields. Viz.,1) of pains and pleasures; 2) of ignorance and enlightenment; 3) of disagreeable and agreeable environments; 4) of unrighteousness or righteousness; 5) of repulsiveness and attractivity, etc.some here and some in hell or heaven, hereafter.
A very vexing question is, whether a man is a free being or a bound one. Does he act according to the dictates of his own will and conscience, or that of Mother? If he acts under the prompting of Mother's will, why should be held responsible, and suffer for good or bad actions? Does not the happiness of some and miseries of some, lead to an imputation of partiality and mercilessness on the part of Mother?
The way out of this paradox is this. Do not mix up the two theories. First begin with "You are Master of your own fortune," "Righteousness and unrighteousness depend on the doer." "You suffer for what you have done now or before". During this stage of yourself being the master, when you hear in this country of talks of all shades and opinions, that God does everything, understand it in this sense. "Everyone is able to do what he does, subject to the undoing or prohibition by higher authorities." Under the same electric light, one is stealing valuables from a safe and other is taking out of the purse, for handing it over to a charitable institute Secretary. The thief has succeeded in taking out money and the donor has taken out the purse, both acts being indebted to the electric light. The thief has a serpent bite, and the donor sees before him his son rushing out with a revolver to finish him if he is going to make him a beggar.
Both are free to act in the manner they like and yet there are some higher powers as well. The man does possess his free will, but it is within certain limits and again subject to circumstances, over which he has little control.
After the realisation of the fact, that results are subject to higher control, the next stage for an aspirant should be "Whatever defective, undesirable and undeserved things are done, are done by me; and whatever good is done by me is due to the promptings of the Mother. "
The third stage is "Whatever I do, good or bad, all that I do as prompted by Mother. "
If one has arrived at the third stage by actually wading through varied experiences, by the time he reaches that stage, all evil tendencies and passion have subsided, or even vanished, and it is impossible for him to think or do evil.
If you have honestly reached this stage, when you believe, that everything is done by you on prompting from the Mother, you soon get suspicious about your own wrong thoughts, desires and actions as Mother cannot prompt you to do evil things. Evil suggestions and decisions cannot be but yours.
Suppose that you have begun developing the idea that you are merely an instrument and that therefore you have left off censorship of your thoughts and actions, and further suppose that still, some undesirable actions pass through your hands. In that case, if you are true to your belief, you have no right to question "why" when you suffer. To claim authorship of whatever good passes through your hands and to believe that the promptings of evil actions are from Mother, and to further claim that you should not suffer for them, on the ground that those promptings are from Mother, is simply unreasonable, unjust, foolish and selfish. If your actions are of Her own will, your suffering also is of Her Own Will.
Be either wholly Hers, with cheerful and unconditional surrender to Her divine will, without questioning or hold yourself responsible for whatever happens to you. To reach from the latter inferior stage to the former superior stage; there is an immediate supreme stage of "All good is Hers, All evil is mine."
The former belief is that of Sharnagati or Prapatti. There you should stop thinking, and be prepared to live to enjoy or suffering from Mother's desires. Say to yourself "Thy will be done .""Even this suffering may have a lofty purpose, which Mother alone knows." "Mother will do nothing that is not finally for my welfare." "I am not a true Sharanaagata if I ask why and even if dissatisfied with my lot. On the top of everything be positive and say"My joy is to see Her Divine Will satisfied, and to lay no claim to any concession, exemption or exception, making or raising a complaint of injustice or mercilessness."
Man is bound in the larger circle and free in the smaller circle. He is given a certain field, certain capacities and certain latitudes and limitations. To give capacities that are much beyond what is possible for every human being to utilize, would be a waste and often a source of burden, repentance, dissatisfaction and misery. How to utilize those capacities, how far to use them or allow them to rest or waste, is the matter of the free will of the man.
What playing cards you get, is a matter beyond your control, and yet if you are a good or a bad player, you often win or lose within certain limits.
Given the same circumstances, it is up to the man, to ascend higher or to descend lower. In that sense he is free. In the sense however strongly he may will, it is impossible for him to go beyond certain limitations, he is bound.
It is just like two sons leaving home with the equal amount of capital, but one returning with rich and the other a pauper.
With the same body, means and intellect, you can be busy with worshipping or breaking an idol. You can not do either if light or body fails and yet neither the light nor the body is responsible for your worshipping or breaking the idol.
"What you have" is Hers. "How you use is yours". If you use well, you will be given better "have"s.
(674) Sadaachaara-pravartikaa सदाचारप्रवर्तिका - ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 356
While Mother has been simply described as the giver of the results of good or bad actions, She has not been fully described. She is not merely dispensing out justice but more than that, without the erroneously supposed indifference as to the running of the universe, She is also seeing that the whole universe and individuals are finally going towards "good". That is the main policy of the Mai Government of the universe.
If the working principle behind all arrangements is to be stated, it is that Mother wants every soul to realise after varied experiences, that nothing can make the individual happy except returning with self-surrender to Her.
If evil predominates, She sends forth great saints, preachers, Founders and Message-bearers. For them, that are incorrigible by softer means of the said type, there are shocking remedies as well, such as wars, epidemics, floods, earthquakes, volcanoes etc. Universal sins are dealt with universally, national ones nationally, social and individual ones individually.
It would be stunting the natural growth of a child, not to allow it even to stumble, but the final protection is there. Mother is Sadaachaara-pravartikaa, also in the sense, that in most cases whenever you are inclined to do evil, your conscience warns you.
(675) Dosha-varjitaa दोषवर्जिता - Devoid of faults. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 195
The charges of partiality and mercilessness are foolishly imputed out of ignorance. She is not merciless because, even while leaving a long latitude, if matters go entirely worse, She intercedes to restore the equilibrium in favour of "More good, less evil". She is not partial to Her devotees because whoever takes to Her devotion, A or B, gets the same Grace. This epithet is also meant to convey, that whatever evil customs or wrong beliefs may be there, in the name of Her, and about Her, are not from Her.
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