The Dharmic Devi

IF YOU RECALL, in the last column, I described Devi’s instructions to Himalaya. She said that there was no difference between her form and Ishvara.

Devi continued, “Always worship that form, with every kind of sacrifice, austerities and donations. Behold it in your mind. Meditate on it and worship it. If you follow my instructions, I will destroy samsara for you. When you are full of supreme devotion, I will establish you in Ishvara’s yoga. Within a short period of time, I will raise you from this ocean of samsara. O best among mountains! You can obtain me through dhyana, karma yoga, bhakti and jnana, not through crores of other kinds of karma. The shruti and smriti texts have spoken about proper karma, incorporating varnas and ashramas. For liberation, always act accordingly, combining it with jnana about adhyatma. Bhakti is generated through dharma. It is through bhakti that one obtains the supreme. It is held that dharma consists of sacrifices and other things, spoken about in the shruti and smriti texts. Nothing else results in dharma. Dharma flows from the Vedas. Thus, those who seek the objectives of dharma and moksha resort to the Vedas, which are my form. My ancient and supreme Shakti is known as the Vedas. From the beginning of creation, this continued in the form of the Rig, Yajur and Sama hymns. For protecting the Vedas, Bhagavan Brahma created the Brahmanas and others and engaged them in their own respective karma. For those who do not follow this dharma, Brahma devised the lower regions of hell, Tamisra and the others. There is no sacred text other than the Vedas that lays down what is known as dharma. Those who take delight in other things should not be known as dvijas. There are many kinds of sacred texts that are seen in the worlds. Some are against the shrutis and smritis. Devotion to them is tamas in nature. Kapala, Bhairava, Yamala, Vama and Arhata— there are others like this, for purposes of creating delusion. The application of these wicked shastras serves to delude humans. In another existence, I created such shastras to delude.”

“To cause me pleasure, excellent men who know the meanings of the Vedas should make efforts to follow the karma of the Vedas, as stated in smriti texts. Engaged by me, out of compassion for the varnas, the great Svayambhuva Manu himself enunciated this dharma, stated by the sages earlier. Other sages heard about this excellent dharma from his mouth. To establish dharma, they composed the dharmashastras. At the end of a yuga, these disappear. Following Brahma’s words, from one yuga to another yuga, the maharshis compose them again. Initially, Vyasa and others spoke about 18 Puranas. This is because they were engaged by Brahma and dharma is established in them. There are other Upa Puranas that Vyasa’s shishyas have spoken about. From one yuga to another yuga, those who know about the dharmashastras, have done this. Shiksha, kalpa, vyakarana, nirukta, chhanda, jyotisha and nyayashastra, all these kinds of knowledge are for enhancement. There are thus 14 of these. Taken with the four Vedas, no other dharma exists. (Vedangas are six ancillary branches of learning needed to understand the Vedas. These are shiksha (phonetics), kalpa (rituals), vyakarana (grammar), nirukta (etymology), chhanda (prosody) and jyotisha (astronomy). While the Nyaya school of philosophy (darshana) is about logic, here nyayashastra is the same as nitishastra, meaning good policy. The 14 include the four Vedas and the six Vedangas. The other four are not consistently stated, but are usually from ayurveda (medicine), dhanurveda (art of fighting), gandharva-veda (music), dharmashastra, nitishastra, arthashastra and Puranas.)”

Within a short period of time, I will raise you from this ocean of samsara. O best among mountains! You can obtain me through dhyana, karma yoga, bhakti and jnana

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“Following my instructions, Manu, Vyasa and others established this dharma of the grandfather. It has existed till now and will remain till the deluge of beings. At that time, along with Brahma, all of them will be subject to withdrawal. Having immersed their atmans in the supreme, they will enter the supreme destination. Therefore, every effort must be made to pursue the dharma and artha, dependent on the Vedas. When dharma is united with jnana, the supreme Brahman is revealed. There are those who cast aside all association and seek refuge with me. Basing themselves on Ishvara’s yoga, they constantly worship me, devoutly. They are compassionate towards all beings. They are peaceful and self-controlled, devoid of malice. They are intelligent, lacking in pride. They are ascetics, firm in their vows. Their minds are on me. Their breath of life is in me. They are devoted to speaking about my jnana. They are those in brahmacharya, garhasthya, vanaprastha and sannyasa. Since they are steadfast, I destroy all the darkness of maya that arises in them. Within a short period of time, this is done with the lamp of jnana. When that darkness has been blown away, with jnana alone, they are immersed in me. They experience eternal bliss and are not repeatedly born in samsara. Therefore, using every possible means, one should be faithful to me and devoted to me. I must be worshipped everywhere. The mind must seek refuge with me. If you are incapable of performing dhyana on my imperishable form as Ishvara, then seek refuge with my supreme form, which starts with Kala. O father! My real nature will then be perceived by your mind. Be attentive and devoted to you. Worship it attentively.”

“My nishkala and auspicious form consists of consciousness alone. It is beyond all names. It is supreme, infinite and immortal. That supreme form can only be obtained through hardships, through jnana alone. Using jnana, those who see it, enter me. When the mind is fixed on it, when one is devoted to it and when it is established in the atman, jnana destroys sins and one goes to the place from where there is no return. With me as the supreme refuge, one obtains the sparkling destination of nirvana. (Nirvana means a state where everything is extinguished. It is a state of liberation.) It cannot be obtained otherwise. Therefore, seek refuge in me. Worship me as one, or as separate, or in either way. You will proceed to the objective. My truth is naturally auspicious and sparkling. Without seeking refuge in me, it cannot be known. Therefore, seek refuge in me. This is the eternal and imperishable form. This is the form of Ishvara. Therefore, make efforts to worship it. You will then cast aside the blindness. In thoughts, words, deeds and sentiments, worship Shiva everywhere, all the time. You will then proceed to that destination. Those deluded by my maya cannot reach that divinity. Shiva Maheshvara is without birth. He is supreme, without a beginning and without an end. He is established in the atmans of all beings. He is without blemish and is the support for everything. He is constant bliss, without indications. He is nirguna. He is beyond darkness. He is the non-dual and immoveable Brahman. He is nishkala and beyond prapancha. He is the one who knows himself. He is the one who cannot be known. He is the supreme one who is established in space. There are those who are constantly enveloped by the darkness of my subtle maya. They are repeatedly born in this terrible ocean that is samsara. To counter the bonds of birth, one should use single-minded devotion and proper jnana to search out that Brahman. One should renounce ahamkara, malice, desire, anger and attachment to adharma. One must depend on non-attachment. One should see one’s own atman in all beings and all beings in one’s own atman. A person who sees the paramatman in the jivatman is thought to be worthy of merging into the Brahman. A person who merges into the Brahman, finds delight in his own atman. He does not cause fear to any being. He does not think of anything else and obtains supreme devotion and prosperity. He beholds the supreme truth. This is Ishvara, nishkala Brahman. He becomes free of everything in samsara and is established in the Brahman. Shiva, supreme among the supreme, is what the Brahman is established in. There is no other. He alone is imperishable. Maheshvara is the one who supports the atman. To free yourself of everything in samsara, use jnana, karma yoga and bhakti yoga to seek refuge with Ishvara. O lord of mountains! I have thus imparted this secret instruction to you. Examining all this, you should do what you wish to.”

“I originated from Parameshvara and was entreated by the devas. Therefore, since he criticised Parameshvara, I censured my father, Daksha. To establish dharma and because of your worship, I have now been born from Menaa’s body, with you as my father. Engaged by the divinity Brahma, the paramatman, in a svayamvara, bestow me on Rudra. As a result of this alliance, all the devas, along with Vasava, will bow down before you. O father! Shankara will also be pleased. Therefore, make efforts to recognise me as Ishvara, who cannot be perceived. Worship the divinity Ishana, the one with whom one should seek refuge. Seek refuge with him.”

This is what Himalaya did and Parvati was married to Shiva. Skanda was born from this union and killed the demon, Tarakasura. This incident, about Devi speaking to Himalaya, reminds me of another incident, about Vishnu speaking to Vasudeva (and Devaki) before Krishna’s birth.

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Bibek Debroy

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