Delhi Conference - Sarbani

[Guest guest]

Om Gurave Namah Dear Sarbani, Congratulations to you and the Delhi team for the record turnout. I am very happy for all of you and for Guruji. I am going to miss out on all those masterly discussions on Jyotish, especially the sessions of Sanjay ji.:--(. But who knows...I am running off to tune up my "antennae" to keep them twitching and on the ready All the best. Regards, LakshmiSarbani Sarkar <sarbani wrote: Shri Brahmadaru Smarami Dear Lakshmi, Writing a mini-mail as we have 70 confirmed participants (beyond capacity of the auditorium) to struggle to fit in )...first time we have had such a turn out! Actually, I am a bit restrained when expressing my thoughts on these matters on the list (lagna lord in 12th or Saturn aspecting lagna?), but Narayan's mail (and inputs from you) got me so excited that I forgot that there were other people reading my mail and I wrote a bit more freely than usual! I don't know much about this reverse order of dasa mahavidya, but leaving Thakur aside, who could not only master all the mahavidyas, but so many other vidyas as well ) ...I think ordinary mortals like us would take an entire lifetime to do all the mahavidyas. I believe when doing one mahavidya sadhana the sadhaka assumes the bhava of that devi. So it is better to stick to that bhava and do a complete sadhana for at least a year before moving on to the next mahavidya...some people are taught this. I have been taught, that at our level, it is a blessing if we can devote our lifetime to one mahavidya and try to understand her completely - even that much is a great, great blessing. But the billion dollar question is which mahavidya? So jyotishis have multiple debates with each other... I will keep on writing mini-mails... Best Regards, Sarbani lakshmi ramesh [b_lakshmi_ramesh] Saturday, January 07, 2006 11:20 PMsohamsa Subject: RE: Re: Paper on Dasa Mahavidya-Narayan Om Gurave NamahDear Sarbani,My..my..That was a very poetic description of Kamalatmika! After reading Narayan's lovely post about philosophy of Mahvidya colours, and your equally beautiful portrayal of Kamalatmika, I am fast coming to a slightly hyperbolic conclusion that Mother's Beauty is making all of us into mini Kalidasas:--)) Your post has inspired me to quote the concluding lines from Lakshmi Sahasranaama stotram.......Shrim beeja japa santusTaa aim hrim shrim beejapaalikaaprapatti maarga sulabhaa vishnu prathama kinkareekleemkaaraartha savithri cha saumaangalyaadhi devathasri shodasaakshari vidyaa sri yantra pura vaasineesarvamangala maangalye shive sarvaartha saadhikesharanye tryambake devi naarayani namostute..I think all your thoughts about Mother Kamalatmika are reflected in these lines.Based on Guruji's thought-provoking paper and the excellent inputs by all of you...I have the following questions and request that the same may be clarified.1) Kamalatmika is the Para, or the ultimate step in mahavidya worship and indicates the highest level of detachment. Then why is it necessary to worship in the reverse order from Kamalatmika to Dakshina Kali for getting complete knowledge

of Mahavidya? Doesn't it imply a movement from Para to apara, from detachment to attachment? Or am I missing out on some important point?2) In Thakur's case, it is apparent that the sadhanas from Kamalatmika to Bhuvaneshwari level had naturally and intuitively accrued (as is evident from yogas in his chart-samskara from previous birth?) and it is only from the Bhairavi level that the voluntary efforts or sadhana of Thakur had begun. Then why was he drawn to Kali, when as a matter of natural progression, he should intead gravitate towards Bhairavi worship? Is it because Kali is indicated by mantrapada? Does such a deity indirectly indicate the maturity of one's spiritual sadhana?3)Can a person engage in more than one such sadhana concurrently, as it happened in Sri Ramakrishna's case, e.g., Bhairavi, Tripura Sundari, and Tara?Seeking your answers and thinking up more QsRegards,Lakshmi Sarbani Sarkar <sarbani wrote: Shri Brahmadaru Smarami Dear Narayan, What a pleasure to read your mail. (I notice the unusual mantra you

have used on top of your post). And you have correctly hit the spot of what we are referring to about colours of the Mahavidyas. We are not talking of whether Bagala appears in a white or a red sari, which is so much on the material plane, but of the colour of her essence, her inner colour; why she is unequivocally known as the pitambar vidya. I am just so glad you wrote. Similarly we view Kamalatmika's white or pastel hues. Firstly, she is not really Lakshmi but more akin to Gayatri, and is Para. The blooming lotus which is symbolic of the awakened kundalini or the realization of God; at once representing the hrdaya padma, and worshipped as the Sun rises. Ideally worshipped at that time of Brahma muhurta standing in waist

deep water and offering the water to the Sun, and saying her mantra that many millions of time we are supposed to! That is her sadhana. She is the Paramatman sitting in the heart lotus, whom we are worshipping. The 10th and final Mahavidya, who represents the dawning of Brahmagyana and the ultimate realization. That is why she is so difficult to worship; requiring the utmost purity and the minimal of rituals, she is the most elusive one. The white is the white light of the paramatman; the pastel, the pastel hues of Pisces. It is the purity of Venus that we are addressing here ! At the first level, she is worshipped with her ekakshara mantra Shrim, where she is described as golden hued...and Shrim is nothing but the giver of chaturvarga phala and the one who helps you to transcend Mahamaya. It is the mantra raja and the ultimate aim of all sadhaka is to do the sodasi mantra. Shrim is the personification of Rama, whose

bijakshara is Shrim. He burns away all our sins like the Sun, and this highest ideal of purity is Shrim. Shrim links the Sun with the Sri Yantra as the tip of the Sun is Savitur. The full Sun is the Aditya Hrdaya and Shrim is that moment when the Sun has just risen fully, as that is when he gives the drop of Amrita. Hence the 12 and 13 akshara mantras of Kamalatmika is done at the Savitur point waist deep in water, offering to the Sun, till it has reached the Aditya Hrdaya stage. The Moon moves in the rhythm of Shrim. When Shrim sits on the head, nectar flows through the being. That is why Moon is all about sustenance. Shrim has the power to remove poison, coming from the mind of Atri muni. It is the highest tapasya as everything in the world has to obey Shrim. To worship Shrim one must worship Satyanarayana, the upholder of truth. the highest of the gurus are born on full moon, depicting the link between Shrim and

Satyanarayana. The only way to have a stable Moon is to worship Satyanarayana. Shrim gives not only moksha but also diksha. Kamalatmika is the path of Sri. Shrim will enable the lotus to come out of the mire of the muddy water and to bloom. It is the blooming of the lotus that we wait for our entire lives. It is that purity which is represented by the colour white. Best regards, Sarbani naaraayana_iyer [jaimini.upadesa] Friday, January 06, 2006 8:49 PMsohamsa Subject: Re: Paper on Dasa Mahavidya-Lakshmi kreem krishna kalikeNamaste Lakshmiji,My 2 cents!The color do play an important role both at the ritualistic andesoteric levels.For example, you asked why Bhagalaamba is yellow, then you compared

tothe golden hue of lakshmi as given in Srii Sooktam. Firstly, these twocolors are different! The vedas talk of golden light or hiranya varna of the supreme truthor satya. When the supreme truth descends down in creation, it appearsin its stifled form of yellow, which in occult tradition is the colorof thinking mind. It is the thinking mind that arrests the downpour ofintuition, inspiration and other higher faculties. This Golden huesuppressed becomes Yellow, which deadens the glow of gold! In fact,yellow is often mixed with other colors to mitigate their brighteffects! Yellow is the arrested form of Golden, it is not golden! ThusBhagalaamba indicates the arresting (sthambanaakari) of events!Bagalaamba is the Dandanaatha of Raja Raajeshwari, she is thesuppression of action after it has begun. She restrains the speech ofthe opponent at crucial time, not forever, and gives

them free flowwhen it is of no consequence!Similarly, Maatangi, which means Articulated sound, thereby indicatingan adulterated (chandalini) form of sound (adya spanda), which is anatural result of thought/inspiration going through all the channels(descension) of human intellect (ignorance/darkness) before finallyexperessing itself, thereby causing the chandalini effect. Hence, sheis known as Shyaamala (dark one)! She is greenish dark in complexion,marakata shyaama, dark as an emerald. She is also extolled as bluishdark in hue, mahendra nila dyuti komalaangi, her tender limbs have theglow of sapphire, sings the poet.She is actually termed as uchchista chandalini. In vedic texts theword is ut-shista meaning "the residual above", meaning, although, theadya spanda gets adulterated in the process of expression, it is stillinexhaustible! By catching the tail-end of the

articulated speech, onecan get to the very source of speech!Incidentally, she is often illustrated with parrot (a bird which canclosely mimic the human voice), and which is also green in color!Hope this helps!Warm Regards-Narayansohamsa , lakshmi ramesh <b_lakshmi_ramesh>wrote:>> Om Gurave Namah> > Dear Sarbani,> Sri Sooktam describes Maha Lakshmi as "hiranya varNaam"so, golden hue is Her manifest colour. I am sure that there areseveral layers to understanding Mahavidya (I am stuck at ground level:--( ), as there are indeed several echelons/colours in worship ofeach Devi. The colours Red and Blue/black are

the primary colours ofthe nature from which all other colours spring, and it is onlylogical that Mother as Nature should also have these two colours asbase colours. The part which is conjoined/near Shiva is red, like theworld touched by the rising Sun; the other part, which is away fromShiva (Sun) is blue /black, which as Narayani is Her form. She's anassimilation of Hari-Hara tattwa and those two colours indicate that. > > > It is also true that as one ascends the steps and draws nearer tothe Core , the colours become lighter and merge into White. As one's sadhana becomes more sattwik, Mother manifests more in softer shades.So, as you have correctly said, it is the level of one's sadhanawhich determines the hue of Mother.> > My premise of tamasic colours was more based on the factthat the manifestation of Mahavidyas was out ofanger/pique/stubbornness and denoted the bonding of Soul by body. I also thought that the ten directions are more intended for for theprithvi / body /gross /unmoving aspects of oneself. In my jumbledperspective the Soul knows only one direction, that of Dissolution.And, the way is not outward, it is inwards into Itself. > > Do you think that Sri Rama's eating of the ucchista of Sabariis an enactment of Matangi worship? He's also the personification ofthe Sun , is blue-green like Matangi and was exiled to forests!! > > Let me read up more and return with more ????. I read somewhere that when mercury is in the 9th house, that's how one learns…through questions:--((> > Thanks for being so very patient and encouraging.> > > Regards,> Lakshmi> > > > > > > Sarbani Sarkar <sarbani@s...> wrote: Shri Brahmadaru Smarami> > Dear Lakshmi,> > I forgot to add one more thing. The reason why the colour ofKamala may be mentioned as golden in the web sites, is because in the dhyana for Sri she is mentioned as kanchanasannibham. Each Mahavidyahas multiple mantras, including a core mantra. Each mantra has itsown dhyanas etc. So you have multiple dhyanas for the same devi.Shrim is the bijakshara mantra for Kamalatmika and the populardhyana for it has her described as being golden hued and theelephants pouring water on her. However, if you take her famous, core mantra, the 12 and 13 akshara Jagatprasutyai mantra, she isdescribed as something else in the dhyana mantra. Most often thereal mantra will be hidden and can only be received throughinitiation, unlike other regular devi mantra. Tripura mantras arenever revealed in books, you will know that very well coming fromthe south; the sodasi vidya that is. Guruji himself once said that heis not allowed to give the sodasi or the pancadasi vidya to> anyone. But these things most of you are familiar with.> > I wrote in a mail to Sanjayp about the internal and externalcolour of the Mahavidya. Bagala is yellow both internally and externally, irrespective of what colour her clothes are. So theexternal rupa of Tara is krishna varna like Kali but her internalcolour is pink. I once read that Bagala was the Paramatma's sanghara(samhara) shakti! Not only is she yellow, but turmeric plays a veryimportant part in her worship and the sadhaka has to be completelyin yellow and worship with yellow flowers etc. Similarly for Tara ithas to be with pink all over. I witnessed a Tara puja in Puri whereall the pink was used. Such predominance of colours is notconsistent throughout Mahavidya worship. For example, the use oflotus is very significant in the worship of Kamalatmika rather thanemphasis of colour. Whereas yellow and pink play a crucial role in Bagala and Tara worship. This is just as an example. > > Best Regards,> > Sarbani> > > >

> > > > lakshmi ramesh [b_lakshmi_ramesh] > Friday, January 06, 2006 6:23 AM> sohamsa > RE: Paper on Dasa Mahavidya-Lakshmi> > > > Om Gurave Namah> > Dear Visti,> > Namaste! I am so happy that you have joined this discussion andare sharing your deep knowledge of Dasa Mahavidya with us. I am justa two-day old toddler, impudently playing in the lap of Mother and Ican see that amused, indulgent look on Her smiling face...beckoningme to explore further.> > I can never match your

knowledge and experience of Her. Please do contribute more on this wonderful topic, so that we all may learn together.> > I must thank Sarbani, Ram Narayan and Sanjay ji for making thisJourney happen.> > I still have a lot of questions, but will air them later in theday, no time now.> > Regards,> Lakshmi> > > > Visti Larsen <visti@s...> wrote:> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:*{behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) } ||Hare Rama Krsna||> Dear Guys, Namaskar> Are you talking about color of limbs or color of dress? Iknow that Matangi is raktaambara (red) same goes for Bagalamba,but is mostly associated with turmeric-yellow or pitambara. I once saw a picture of Bagalamba in white! I still haven't understood that form.> When Guruji, Freedom and I talked about the colors in thepast, we usually came across different colors for the same devi,i.e. Sarasvati in white, blue or red,

differentiating her from Sarasvati, Neela-sarasvati or Ugratara. The two latter both being Taraonly in different forms for different purposes. That sameSarasvati in green is normally equated strongly with Matangi. Its also not unusual to hear about Kamalatmika in white vs. pink.> My understanding is that the color shows the purpose ofworship, where the colors of the signs indicates the exact purpose. E.g. pink is the color of cancer, the natural fourth house,and thus the worship of Ugratara gives great knowledge andeducation, whereas Kamalatmika in pink enables one to be a mother(jagatprasuti). > This knowledge about the colors becomes very useful when wetalk about the VARNA-DA lagna, where the color of the Varnadalagna itself indicates YOUR color in soceity and how you can sustain yourself in this world.> Just my two cents on the topic. I hope to learn more. > Best wishes,> ***> Visti Larsen> For services and articles visit: > http://srigaruda.com or http://astrovisti.com> ***> > >

> > Sarbani Sarkar [sarbani@s...] > 05 January 2006 18:00> sohamsa > RE: Paper on Dasa Mahavidya-Lakshmi> > > Shri Brahmadaru Smarami> > Dear Lakshmi,> > My information also happens to be Guruji where DasaMahavidya is concerned! One of the reasons Tara is pink isprobably because Jupiter is exalted in the very satvik sign Cancer(whose colour is pink).

Tara's bija is said to be the pranava. Tara is in three forms: Tara, Nila Saraswati and Ekajata. NilaSaraswati form is blue. Kamala is the pure white light. Or that iswhat I have been taught...!> > Best Regards,> > Sarbani> > > > > > > > lakshmi ramesh [b_lakshmi_ramesh] > Thursday, January 05, 2006 3:49 PM> sohamsa > RE: Paper on Dasa Mahavidya> Om Gurave Namah> > Dear Sarbani,> > You must be right and I could be wrong because I have not read any authentic material on Dasa Mahavidyas like you must have and mysole source of information is www.> > But, whichever sites that google search had thrown up and I haveseen, describe Tara as blue in colour and call Her Nila Saraswati.Infact, Vishnu Jandhyala mentioned this to me long time back, whenI typically thought Tara would be yellow in colour as She ismapped to Jupiter. Matangi is supposed to have lustre like

bluelotus. Shodasi (Tripura Sundari), Bhuvaneshwari and Bhairavi areindeed said to be red like the rising Sun. Kamala is said to begolden. > > For example, please visit the following links::> > http://www.urday.com/das1.htm> > If you want to look at some nice pictures of Mother like me,please click on the following links: > >http://spaces.msn.com/members/vatsyan/PersonalSpace.aspx?_c11_PhotoAlbum_spaHandler=TWljcm9zb2Z0LlNwYWNlcy5XZWIuUGFydHMuUGhvdG9BbGJ1bS5GdWxsTW9kZUNvbnRyb2xsZXI%24 & _c11_PhotoAlbum_spaFolderID=cns!1ptQJKIish3Qr30fbyEvbPBg!420 & _c=PhotoAlbum> > /mahavidyas.html> > I think the Dasa Mahavidya seek to destroy the fond illusionsand beliefs/resistance one had built up so carefully throughoutone's life and out of that destruction create True knowledge.isn't this what the "aa no bhadraa kratavo yantu vishwatodabdhaasoapareetaasa udbhidaH" says?> > Waiting for your corrections,> > Regards,> Lakshmi> > > Sarbani Sarkar <sarbani@s...> wrote: > Shri Brahmadaru Smarami> > Dear Lakshmi,> > Waiting for Sanjayji to reply to your mail! What I haveheard so far is that Tara shakti is pink in colour. Matangi if I amright, is probably green (not sure). Kamalatmika is white orwatery, pastel Piscean colours. Tripura is red, I think. >

> Best Regards,> > Sarbani> > > > > > > > > lakshmi ramesh [b_lakshmi_ramesh] > Thursday, January 05, 2006 6:24 AM> sohamsa > Re: Paper on Dasa Mahavidya> Om Gurave Namah> > Namaste Guruji,> > Thanks for the

excellent paper on Dasa Mahavidyas. Just what Ineeded!> > Your paper made me search the web for more inputs about DasaMahavidyas and it was all very interesting. I thought Bagala mukhibeing a martian goddess would be red, but instead I find that She's yellow (Jupiter), and her sadhana is known as Pitambari vidya!!And one knows that where Mars is exalted, Jupiter is not and whereJupiter is exalted Mars is not. > > Same is the case with Tara... though associated with Jupiter, She'sblue and terrible like Saturn! Matangi, I thought would bered/orange, but she's blue again like Saturn, though associatedwith Sun.> > From my very basic perspective, it

looks as though DasaMahavidya worship > > a) rescues a planet/native from debilitation, both material andspiritual.> > b) aims at breaking down of prejudices, pre-conceptions andenmities.And tells us that we very much need to unlearn in orderto learn!! > > I think it is about overcoming one's ego and learning toaccept/love the enemy and his view-point, so that the feeling of enmity itself and the shad-ripus which are the very basis of all enmity and avidya in the world are destroyed.> > c) teaches us that exaltation and debilitation in life arerelative and temporary and all through this one must continue toseek THAT, which is pervasive and permanent.> > Thanks for the lovely lesson. > > Regards,> Lakshmi > > Sanjay Rath <guruji@s...> wrote: > > > > > ~~ om sadâúiva gurave namah ~~> Dear Jyotisa> I have uploaded my paper on Das Mahavidya Foundation for theSJC 2006 conference for view by all participants and members. Thispaper is not going to be published in the JD so please download itand take a

print for the conference. > > The link is here http://f4.grp.fs.com/v1/cO63Q1Ijj1T8s0r4LVPfZrghhB8zwv6lIvyDOneuq7vTmHvQA165LtntvGzjkFp3CZ6aGHxwRB6Q_ZoKSmS_Sg/Raths%20Papers/2006/Das%20Mahavidya.pdfand noramally does not work> > You can go to Files > Raths Papers > 2006 and then click onan icon which looks like this> > > Das Mahavidya.pdf > Dasa Mahavidya Foundation for SJC IV Annual Delhi > > Please circulate this to all the groups andd interestedastrologers> With best wishes & warm regards,>

Yours truly> Sanjay Rath> > Webpages: http://srath.com http://.orghttp://sjcerc.com> Atri SJC: 15B Gangaram Hospital Road, New Delhi 110060, India> Phone: +91.11.25717162> -> > PS: Sarbani please forward this to all

participants> > > > > > Photos> Ring in the New Year with Photo Calendars. Add photos, events,holidays, whatever. > > > > > > Photos> Ring in the New Year with Photo Calendars. Add photos, events,holidays, whatever. > > > > > > > > DSL

Something to write home about. Just $16.99/mo. orless > > *tat savitur varenyam* > > > >