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The 8 Chains of Maya !!

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As per Tantraa philosophy there are eight bondages/chains which bind

soul to the Maya. These bondages are

 

Ghrina (Hate),

Lajjaa (Shame),

Bhaya (Fear,

shankaa(Doubt),

Jugupsaa(censure/reproach),

Kula (caste),

Jaati(creed) and

Sheela (Modesty).

 

Any consciousness which is bound by these 8 bondages is called Jiva

(Individual soul) and the consciousness who is free from all these

chains is called Sadashiva (Universal consciousness - Free soul/God).

 

 

In Chapter 8 of Durga Saptshati, when Demons Chund and Mund died,

Shumbha the demon king becomes angry and ordered his army to start

attacking.

 

He cries , " O demons, I order all armies of Asuras alongwith 86

Udyudhas, 84 Kambus, 50 Kotiviryas, 100 Dhaumras, Kalakas, Dauhrids,

Mauryas and Kalkeya demons to march for war.

 

Here Durga Saptshati reveals a great secret of Tantraa and that of

Universe and Maya. Demon shumbha which represents our EGO names 8

types of demons to win over Good. These 8 types of demons in fact,

signify the Ashtapasha(8 chains) which bind a person to Maya.

These 8 bondages have been reflected as 8 types of demons in

Saptshati and when Jiva invokes Mother Shakti, SHE fights these

demons in us and breaks the bondages created by these Asuras and

makes us free …a Sadashiva !!

 

 

The Chief demon Shumbha (depicting our Ego) is dependent on 8 demons

to win the war and he would cease to be powerful when his army is

killed. similarly Ego will cease to be once these 8 bondages are

removed. Now let us look into details what these chains are.

 

1- Hate : Hate is depicted by demon Udayudha. when Shumbha says 86

Udayudhas be ready, it tells us about the 86 types of hatered which

aid our Ego and keeps us away from divinity. Hatered is a double

edged sword. It not only forces us not to love someone it also

nourishes our Ego telling it that it is better than the subject

being hated.

 

Ego can hate in 86 ways thus there are 86 Udayudha demons. Ten

organs and Four Antakarnas, these fourteen generate hate towards

four types of living beings (trees, reptiles/insects, animals and

humans). Thus ego has total 56 types of hatered in waking state. In

dream state, organs are missing hence 4 antahkarnas generate this

hate for 4 types of living beings….and in dreamless state ego hates

ten organs and 4 anthakarans thus all total making 86 types of

hatered. These demons keep the ego satisfied and powerful. Mother

shakti when evoked, kills these 86 hates and frees our Ego from one

bondage called Hatered.

 

2- Lajjaa (Shame) : This bondage has been depicted by Kambu demons.

Kambu is also a word for Conch signifying the animal who hides

behind the hard shell to protect himself from others. Here Shame or

hiding oneself from one's weakness and keeping away from others to

save one's self-respect. This is also a sort of bondage on the soul.

Soul hides itself beind 6 bodies and ten organs and four

antahkarnas, hence making its number as 84.

 

Here durga saptashati very bravely declares that these demons too

are manifestations of Mother only when it sings (in 5th chapter)

 

Yaa Devi sarva Bhuteshu Lajjaa rupen sansthhitaa

Namastasaye namastasaye namstasaye namoh namah

(The Mother who manifests in all jiva as Lajja please accept my

respects)

 

But to liberate ourselves into universal consciousness, this bondage

has to be removed.

 

3- Bhaya (Fear ) : This third bondage is depicted by demon

Kautivirya. Fear of death, feal of losing respect or nears and dears

keeps the ego busy in Maya and hinders its way towards greater

awareness. Durga Saptashati says Kautivirya is numbered 50. Ten

organs and 5 koshas of body (Pls see my post 5 bodies of the soul in

Saadhnaa club) are the place where fear is generated thus making the

number 50 of Kautivirya demons.

 

4 - Shankaa (Doubt) : this fourth bondage is shown as Dhaumra demon.

all the doubts arise due to distorted or false knowledge. Our 10

organs and 10 mahabhutas (earth, water, air, fire, ether - 5 in

gross and 5 in subtle plane) are their solace hence Shumbha calls

for 100 dhaumra demons to win the war.

Doubt keeps the ego busy thus keeping it entangled in Maya.

 

 

5- Jugupsa (censure/reproach): When due to false knowledge we see

others as different from us, we censure others to prove us right.

This too is treated as fifth bondage of the Soul. they are also of

100 types as in above para.

 

 

6- kula (caste): Dauhadri demon denotes proud of being related to

one's birth. Even after listening to Brahma Gyana many times, this

bondage of birth pride does not leave us. Only Mother's kindness can

kill this demon and free us from this chain. they are also of 100

types.

 

7 - Jaati (creed): Demon Kalkeya denotes it. Due to false knowledge,

Jiva is proud of his body being special (e.g. human body, white or

black) This bondage is very powerful and no theroetical knowledge of

God can remove this. Human souls is re-born again and again mainly

due to this bondage. They are also of 100 types

 

8- sheela (Modesty). This bondage is denoted by demon Maurya. The

modesty means Nature of Jiva, an idea Jiva makes about himself and

the universe during the course of his many births. This bondage is

also called Rudra-Granthi. Even after attaining the higher stages of

spirituality, one is not free from this bondage and only removal of

this bondage one is established into Advaita (union with god).

 

An example of shri Ramakrishna paramhansa will further explain this

bondage. When Guru Totapuri met paramhansa to teach him about

Advaita, and asked him to sit in samadhi, shri Paramhansa saw Mother

Kali only. then guru Totapuri ordered paramhansa to take an

imaginary sword and cut the throat of Mother Kali…Paramhansa was so

fond of Mother kali that he could not do it many times and finally

when he did that, he was lost into Nirvikalpa samadhi a state of

highest consciousness.

 

So removal of this bondage is not easy. Only god or a god-sent guru

can remove this final Bondage from Jiva.

 

without removing these 8 bondages, Jiva can not know his real self.

People may try to do many types of sadhna, but these sadhnas

sometimes further strengthen the bondages. We have to remember one

thing there that Moksha and bondages both are in fact imaginary.

Getting out of bondages, one would find that there was nothing

called Moksha or bondage and one was already free.

 

 

what is the way out to get ourselves free from these pashas? It is

not easy to get rid of these Pashas. In B.Geeta Bhagwan Krishna

says :-

 

Vishaya vinivartantey nirahaarasya dehina (The abstemious embodied

self, of course, keeps off sensible objects, but not necessarily

relish for them.)

 

Is it easy to remove these 8 chains (divided into 720 types) so

easily? What is the way out then? YES there is one way. complete

surrender to the Mother. If we, like Paramhansa present our whole

being to the Mother, we will see that these demons come forward and

present themselves to the Mother for sacrifice on the altar of our

Yajna of Bhakti and liberate our soul towards greater truths.

To begin with, we have first to leave our cunningness, selfishness

and our false pride and surrender unconditionally to the Mother and

request her to break our chains. Mother will not listen to our

request if we first not purify ourselves . Lord Rama says in

Ramcharitmanas.

Nirmal guni jan so mohi pawa

Mohi kapat chhal chhidra na bhava

pious and purifed souls reach me

Because I do not like cunningness, selfishness and pride

 

Aum Dum Durgaye namah

----------------------------

 

Thankyou very much to Magnoflora and senthil for beautiful fotos

added to our temple

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