Radha’s Soul Food: Part II

In my previous blog: Radha’s Soul Food: Part I, I had translated the Sambalpuri song, and had mentioned a similar Odia song rendered by Prafulla Kar. In this blog, I share my translation of the Odia song along with brief comments.

Thus Sang Radha

Odia Song: Boile Radhika…[i]   

(Translation by Prasanna Dash)

Have you any remedy,

O Dooti,

For my unbearable malady,

To soothe the pangs of separation?

What measures have you tried,

O Radha,

Why no medicine works on you,

Tell me of anything you need,

A favourite dish, maybe?

O Dooti,

Please fetch forthwith

Kunja Binodia kanji,

Fried green banana rounds

from the fruit of the plant

Near the Kadamba tree,

A raita made of Narayana janhi,

Patitapabana dali,

Gobinda-Gopala khechedi,

Garnished with ghee in Hari’s name;

Serve all these delicacies

On the leaf-plate from which Madhusudana ate,

Include in remembrance of Mukunda,

A portion of ukhuda with diced ginger, and

Mohan-bhog for which I pine,

Lastly, a slice of Krushna kagezi lemon

To revive my palate;

After this soul-satisfying meal,

For my siesta,

Spread a Ghanashyama quilt

White and soft as lia.

Make haste,

O Dooti,

Fetch all these items

To get me over my nausea,

For me to once again

Savour the sight, smell, and taste

Of Krushna, life, and food.

 

That will cure my fever,

Says Purna Rama Bihari.

***

Odia Song and Sambalpuri Song

The lyricist for the Odia song is Purna Rama Bihari, and that for the Sambalpuri song is Gobinda; the singer and composer for the former is Prafulla Kar, and for the latter the singer is Fakir Pattanaik and the composer is Raghunath Panigrahi.

Which of these two songs is the original? Both these songs were released by Saregama India Ltd – the Odia song on 09/01/1988, and the Sambalpuri song on 25/05/1995. Hence, possibly, the Sambalpuri song is an adaptation from the Odia song.

Odia Song: Brief Comments

The song is a complex prayer. The dishes desired by Radha are incidental to the song - the gentle, playful waves of a deep ocean as it were; Radha’s love for Krishna and her reverence for Vishnu constitute the essence of this prayer. Radha fondly recalls the following names – Kunja Binodia, Narayana, Patitapabana, Gobinda, Gopala, Hari, Madhusudana, Mukunda, Mohan, Krushna, and Ghanashyama; of which a few apply to Krishna, and the others are the names of Vishnu.

Madhusudan’s Leaf-plate

Significantly, Radha asks Dooti to serve all these dishes she had ordered on Madhusudan’s plate, either a khali – a leaf-plate, or a piece of plantain leaf. Why from Madhusudan’s plate? Being so much in love with Krishna, she knows that the dishes she has sought are also her lover’s favourite dishes, and imagines him to materialise (Krishna could appear and disappear at will!) and feast upon it. Also, a married woman eats uchhista only if it be prasad offered to God, or from her husband’s plate. Radha is Sri or Lakshmi incarnate and for her Krishna is God, lover, and husband. That is why she desires to partake her meal from Madhusudan’s plate, after he has eaten.

Radha’s viraha: temporary or permanent?

Is the viraha temporary or permanent? The lyricist gives no clue.

While Krushna was at Gopa, sometimes he neglected Radha who suspected him of favouring one or more Gopis, and was torn by jealousy and anguish. However, Krishna always managed to placate her, once placing her lotus-like feet on his head to seek forgiveness: dehi pada pallavam udaram!

Radha with her confidant, pining for Krishna, Gita Govinda illustration, Kangra style, ca 1775-80. 

(Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)

But Krishna left Gopa for good, never to return, and the separation for Radha was traumatic and permanent. How did Radha come to terms with her eternal grief? How else but by imagining Krishna’s presence everywhere and in everything around her including in the dishes she ate?

Krishna deserted her physically, but there was nothing Krishna could do if she visualised him in her mind’s eye every moment of her life, and felt his presence in every pore of her body and in every thought in her mind. Krishna could not deny to a devotee, so very much in deep love with him, his eternal togetherness, the Maha Rasa that is the Ultimate Bliss.

Where is Krishna?

Is he at Gopa, Mathura, or Dvaraka? Is Radha an ordinary gopi besotted with Krishna, or is she Lakshmi who resides permanently in Vishnu’s heart? Does she suffer the sorrow of separation from Krishna like an ordinary woman, or does she realise that Krishna, being Vishnu, is all the time with her?

This song is a prayer, and does not attempt to discuss these complex philosophical issues. Radha sings her prayer in her own style and the audience may make their own inference while recalling what God Himself had told Narada:

naham tisthami vaikunthe

 yoginam hrdayesu va

tatra tisthami narada

 yatra gayanti mad-bhaktah

In this song, Radha, a devotee, sings her soulful prayer.

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[i] Odia Song: Boile Radhika…

Lyricist – Purna Rama Bihari

Lyrics Source: You Tube song uploaded by Saregama India Ltd,

Singer & Composer – Prafulla Kar

Released on – 1988-01-09

Link for the song: https://youtu.be/RNZ1lDpvHmY?si=_go5r5l59jDZpxr5

 

 

 Adi Shankaracharya: Advaita Vedanta

Ekatma Dham

On 21^st September, 2023 Adi Shankaracharya’s 108 ft idol was consecrated on Mandhata hills at Omkareshwar, as part of a 2400-crores project of the Government of Madhya Pradesh to establish Ekatma Dham, under which a museum and a Study-cum-Research Centre to disseminate Shankara’s Advaita Vedanta philosophy will also be established. 

I had shared my blog Adi Shankaracharya: Towering Philosopher-Poet on 17^th September, 2023. If you have not read it, here is the link:

https://pkdash-author.blogspot.com/2023/09/adi-shankaracharya-towering-philosopher.html

In my blog, I had given a brief introduction to Adi Shankara’s Advaita Vedanta with a few quotations from his Dasha Shloki and Nirvana Shatakam, both of which provide a crisp but clear summary of Advaita. Both are exquisite compositions, eloquent, lyrical, and among the most poetic of Shankara’s works.

Brahmajnanavalimala[i]

Brahmajnanavalimala is another such composition. In twenty-one verses, Shankaracharya gives a memorable and lovable song on an abstract theme – Brahman jnana (Knowledge of the Supreme Truth or Reality).

What is Brahmajnanavalimala? Sandhi vichhed gives us Brahman+jnana+avail+mala.

Meaning: Brahman – the Supreme, Ultimate Truth and Reality, jnana -Knowledge, avali - a range, series (as in Aravali, Granthavali, Haravali, Ratnavali, etc.), mala – garland. The song is a bunch of twenty-one garlands, each fragrant with the divine presence of Sat-Chid-Ananda.

How may it be appreciated? As recommended by Shankara in the opening verse, you may simply listen, and mindfully listen to this beautiful song. That suffices for you to comprehend the Absolute Knowledge and attain moksha.

Even if you are unfamiliar with Sanskrit, you would get the overall sense of what the Philosopher-Poet hoped to convey, and marvel at its brevity, great clarity, and lyricism. This song communicates at different levels – to the lay but curious person, and to the erudite scholar, too.

Swami Brahmananda of Central Chinmaya Mission Trust has chanted this stotra so beautifully that you would be mesmerized by it, and may be driven to listen to it again and again. Here is the link for the audio:

https://youtu.be/77qayI4_YB4?si=0GED7NNuDo43ukCI

Translation of Selected Verses

Of the twenty-one verses, my translation of four selected verses is given below. For those who may be interested, the full translation is at the end of the document.[ii]

Verse 2

I AM unattached, unbound, unconfined;

I AM Sat-Chid-Ananda;

I AM inexhaustible, undiminishing, Eternal.

 

Each of the subsequent verses reiterate, expand, and explicate this core pronouncement: Brahman is eternal, omnipresent, Resident-within and Witness (Sakshi) of all creation. It is the Supreme Reality, Consciousness, and Pure Bliss.

Verse 19

Just as

The same clay is present in

The pitcher and the mud-wall,

Brahman resides

In everything in the world.

This is what Vedanta proclaims.

Verse 20

Brahman is the Supreme Truth, the Absolute Reality,

The world is illusory,

The jiva (Self) is none other than Brahman;

This is the essence of all scriptures,

Proclaims Vedanta.

Verse 21

I AM

The inner light,

The outer light,

The light glowing within,

Brighter than the brightest,

The light of all lights,

The light of the Atman,

I AM Shiva.

Shlokardhena: In half-a-Shloka

Shankaracharya is believed to have once conveyed the essence of Vedanta in half-a-Shloka:

Shlokardhena pravakshyami yaduktam granthakotivih

Brahman satya jagat mithya jiva Brahmaivanaparah

Meaning: Here is the essence of all the scriptures: Brahman is the Supreme Reality, the world is illusory, jiva (the Self) is none other than Brahman.

This half-a-Shloka is a quote from Brahmajnanavalimala (Verse 20).

Adi Guru was pithy when needed, and expansive when he chose to explain at greater length. That is why he wrote extensive Bhasyas (Commentaries) on Bhagavat Geeta, Brahman Sutra, and ten major Upanishads. He composed Vakya Vritti, an exhaustive exposition in fifty-three verses, to explain the meaning and significance of one of the four mahavakyas: Tat Tvam Asi (That Thou Art). Fifty-three verses, i.e., 106 lines to explain those three words: Tat Tvam Asi!

***

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[i] Brahmajnanavalimala (Sanskrit Text)

ब्रह्मज्ञानावलीमाला

सकृच्छ्रवणमात्रेण ब्रह्मज्ञानं यतो भवेत् ।

ब्रह्मज्ञानावलीमाला सर्वेषां मोक्षसिद्धये ॥ १॥

असङ्गोऽहमसङ्गोऽहमसङ्गोऽहं पुनः पुनः ।

सच्चिदानन्दरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः ॥ २॥

नित्यशुद्धविमुक्तोऽहं निराकारोऽहमव्ययः ।

भूमानन्दस्वरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः ॥ ३॥

नित्योऽहं निरवद्योऽहं निराकारोऽहमुच्यते ।

परमानन्दरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः ॥ ४॥

शुद्धचैतन्यरूपोऽहमात्मारामोऽहमेव च ।

अखण्डानन्दरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः ॥ ५॥

प्रत्यक्चैतन्यरूपोऽहं शान्तोऽहं प्रकृतेः परः ।

शाश्वतानन्दरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः ॥ ६॥

तत्त्वातीतः परात्माहं मध्यातीतः परः शिवः ।

मायातीतः परंज्योतिरहमेवाहमव्ययः ॥ ७॥

नानारूपव्यतीतोऽहं चिदाकारोऽहमच्युतः ।

सुखरूपस्वरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः ॥ ८॥

मायातत्कार्यदेहादि मम नास्त्येव सर्वदा ।

स्वप्रकाशैकरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः ॥ ९॥

गुणत्रयव्यतीतोऽहं ब्रह्मादीनां च साक्ष्यहम् ।

अनन्तानन्तरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः ॥ १०॥

अन्तर्यामिस्वरूपोऽहं कूटस्थः सर्वगोऽस्म्यहम् ।

परमात्मस्वरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः ॥ ११॥

निष्कलोऽहं निष्क्रियोऽहं सर्वात्माद्यः सनातनः ।

अपरोक्षस्वरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः ॥ १२॥

द्वन्द्वादिसाक्षिरूपोऽहमचलोऽहं सनातनः ।

सर्वसाक्षिस्वरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः ॥ १३॥

प्रज्ञानघन एवाहं विज्ञानघन एव च ।

अकर्ताहमभोक्ताहमहमेवाहमव्ययः ॥ १४॥

निराधारस्वरूपोऽहं सर्वाधारोऽहमेव च ।

आप्तकामस्वरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः ॥ १५॥

तापत्रयविनिर्मुक्तो देहत्रयविलक्षणः ।

अवस्थात्रयसाक्ष्यस्मि चाहमेवाहमव्ययः ॥ १६॥

दृग्दृश्यौ द्वौ पदार्थौ स्तः परस्परविलक्षणौ ।

दृग्ब्रह्म दृश्यं मायेति सर्ववेदान्तडिण्डिमः ॥ १७॥

अहं साक्षीति यो विद्याद्विविच्यैवं पुनः पुनः ।

स एव मुक्तः सो विद्वानिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः ॥ १८॥

घटकुड्यादिकं सर्वं मृत्तिकामात्रमेव च ।

तद्वद्ब्रह्म जगत्सर्वमिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः ॥ १९॥

ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः ।

अनेन वेद्यं सच्छास्त्रमिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः ॥ २०॥

अन्तर्ज्योतिर्बहिर्ज्योतिः प्रत्यग्ज्योतिः परात्परः ।

ज्योतिर्ज्योतिः स्वयंज्योतिरात्मज्योतिः शिवोऽस्म्यहम् ॥ २१॥

 

इति श्रीमत्परमहंसपरिव्राजकाचार्यस्य

श्रीगोविन्दभगवत्पूज्यपादशिष्यस्य

श्रीमच्छङ्करभगवतः कृतौ

ब्रह्मज्ञानावलीमाला सम्पूर्णा ॥

***

 

[ii] Brahmajnanavalimala: Translation by Prasanna Dash

Verse 1

Listen mindfully, O seeker,

For Brahmajnanavalimala enables you

To comprehend the Supreme Truth,

The Absolute Reality,

To attain mukti –

Deliverance from the bondage of life.

Verse 2

I am unattached, unbound, unconfined;

I am Sat-Chid-Ananda;

I, alone, am inexhaustible, undiminishing, eternal.

Verse 3

I am eternal, pure, unsullied,

Unbound, unconfined, limitless,

I am formless,

I am bliss in existence,

I, alone, am inexhaustible, ever-full, complete.

Verse 4

I am eternal,

I am free from blemish,

Formless, unwavering am I,

I am the ultimate bliss,

I, alone, am inexhaustible, ever-full, complete.

Verse 5

Pure awareness am I,

Revelling in my own self,

Indivisible, endless bliss am I,

Inexhaustible, ever-full, complete am I, alone.

Verse 6

I am the indwelling consciousness,

Calm and unperturbed,

Beyond the creation,

I am eternal bliss,

I, alone, am inexhaustible, ever-full, complete.

Verse 7

I am the Supreme Soul,

Beyond all constituents and categories,

I am the Eternal One,

Beyond those in the middle,

I am the Supreme Effulgence,

Beyond the darkness of illusion,

I, alone, am inexhaustible, ever-full, complete.

Verse 8

I am pure consciousness,

Different from the legion diverse forms,

I am unwavering,

I am sheer joy and bliss,

I, alone, am inexhaustible, ever-full, complete.

Verse 9

Never am I subject

To the unreal, transient world of maya,

I am illumined by my own light,

I, alone, am inexhaustible, ever-full, complete.

Verse 10

I am beyond the three gunas –

Satva, rajas, and tamas,

I am the Witness

To the birth of

Brahma and all others,

I am infinite, and beyond infinite,

I, alone, am inexhaustible, ever-full, complete.

Verse 11

I am the Omniscient within,

Omnipresent everywhere,

I am the Supreme Soul,

I, alone, am inexhaustible, ever-full, complete.

 

Verse 12

I am undivided, without parts, the Whole,

I am actionless,

I am eternal,

At the beginning of creation,

Verily, I am the Supreme Energy,

I, alone, am inexhaustible, ever-full, complete.

Verse 13

I am the eternal witness

To the vagaries and flux of the world,

I am Witness to everything, always,

I, alone, am inexhaustible, ever-full, complete.

Verse 14

I am the ultimate awareness and consciousness,

I am not the doer,

I am not the enjoyer,

I, alone, am inexhaustible, ever-full, complete.

Verse 15

I am the base

Holding everything,

But I need no support,

I am the Supreme Soul,

Beyond the craving for fulfilment of desires,

I, alone, am inexhaustible, ever-full, complete.

Verse 16

I am free from the three afflictions –

Adhidaivik, adhibhoutik, and adhyatmik,

I am beyond the three bodies –

Gross, subtle, and causal,

I am the witness of the three states –

Jagrata, Svapna, and sushupti,

I, alone, am inexhaustible, ever-full, complete.

Verse 17

The seer and the seen

Are different from each other,

The seer is the Supreme Soul - Brahman,

The seen is the mutable, illusory world of maya,

Thus proclaims Vedanta.

Verse 18

‘I am the Witness,’

Whosoever realises this truth,

After deep contemplation,

Once and for all,

Becomes wise, and

Attains liberation,

Thus proclaims Vedanta.

Verse 19

Just as

The same clay is present in

The pitcher and the mud-wall,

Brahman resides

In everything in the world.

This is what Vedanta proclaims.

Verse 20

Brahman is the Supreme Truth, the Absolute Reality,

The world is illusory,

The jiva (Self) is none other than Brahman;

This is the essence of all scriptures,

Proclaims Vedanta.

Verse 21

I AM

The inner light,

The outer light,

The light glowing within,

Brighter than the brightest,

The light of all lights,

The light of the Atman,

I AM Shiva.

***

 

Radha’s Soul Food: Part I

Thus Sang Radha

(Sambalpuri Song: Boile Radhika sunago Dooti*.

Translation by Prasanna Dash)

 

Listen, O Dooti, listen;

At dawn, I got a strange chill, a shiver,

But without any fever;

Tortured am I with a splitting headache,

Kabiraj came, felt my pulse, and diagnosed –

It’s viraha jvara,

There’s no medicine for it, he said.

O Dooti, I’m hungry, but can’t eat a morsel,

Racked by nausea, I can’t taste a thing.

Only you know how to heal me,

Don’t you, O Dooti?

Hurry, fetch me the special Krishna pathi,

Prepare Krishna khichdi,

Remember to add ginger slices

Fried in ghee while remembering Ghanshyam’s name,

Season it with jeera, methi, hing,

Remember Nilamani while adding salt,

Recite Kanhu’s name when you fry raw banana rounds,

O, how I savour that;

Bring also a serving of fresh pakhala

In the name of Gopala,

Paired with

Kunja Binodia kanji ambila,

To which add all necessary ingredients –

Saru, kakharu, baigan, bhendi, and kardi;

Also bring a black lentil curry,

Shining like my dark Lord;

Pour pure cow-ghee on Ghanashyam lia, O Dutika,

Please bring a serving of soft, supple arua rice,

I also crave for a Rasa Binodia rai;

In Pitambara’s name,

Make a bitter curry, too;

Bring a few tender cucumbers

Looking like Krishna with his garlands,

Crush it in a mix of curd, chili and salt,

Serve a dish of leutia saag

Dark green and shining like Krishna;

For my ailment,

That is the sure cure,

Says Govinda;

Krishna pathi will dissipate my distaste for food and life;

Fetch the dishes,

O Dooti,

Make haste,

Revive my taste,

Kindle my appetite,

Save my life;

Any dish seasoned with Krishna,

Any deliocacy that reminds me of my Krishna,

Will cure my lovesickness,

O Dootika.

***

* Lyrics – Gobinda

Singer – Fakir Pattanaik

Composer – Raghunath Panigrahi

Source – You Tube, song uploaded by Saregama India Ltd.

Released on – 25/05/1995

***

Sambalpuri Song: Brief Comments

The song is a prayer. The dishes desired by Radha are incidental to the song, the several names of Krishna constitute the basic frame and essence of this prayer. Radha fondly recalls the following names of her love of life – Krishna (repeated four times), Ghanashyam (twice), Nilamani, Kanhu, Gopal, Kunja Binodia, Kalia, Rasa Binodia, Pitambara, Kainchamalia, Gobinda.

Which are the dishes Radha pines for her Krushna pathi? Khichdi, kadali bhaja, ambila, muga dali, alua bhata, bitter curry, and leutia saag. A wonderful diet for a sick person, but no less appetising and healthy for a normal person!

Danda Nacha

This song was possibly written by the lyricist for a Danda nacha, a robust and captivating folk-theatre which combined song, dance, and enactment -  with male actors playing Radha and Dooti and performing on the village street. Decades ago, these popular street plays enacted select stories and episodes from the puranas and were much enjoyed in the villages of Odisha. Alas, this folk-theatre tradition is nearly dead now.

The song is about Radha’s viraha – her agony of separation from Krishna. But Fakir Pattanaik’s vibrant rendition and Raghunath Panigrahi’s thoughtfully orchestrated music composition transform this melancholic song to a celebration of Krishna’s healing power. The rustic, racy rhythm drowns out the sorrow, if any, as Radha exults with her insight about Krishna pathi, the self-cure that she herself figured out. Once life is seasoned with the name of Krishna, there is no sorrow.

Link for the hit song:

https://youtu.be/u4p2Aq6jqQc?si=mUokO5I2sBpvLYZn

Odia Song by Prafulla Kar

The link for the same song rendered by Prafulla Kar, though with different lyrics, is:

https://youtu.be/RNZ1lDpvHmY?si=_go5r5l59jDZpxr5

The lyricist, as the song mentions, is Purna Ram Bihari; but I could not get further details about him. This may be the original song, adapted into Sambalpuri by Govinda, but it is difficult to tell for sure.

However, both songs are very different. The Sambalpuri song celebrates its local cuisine, and the Odia song the dietary preference of eastern Odisha. The style chosen by the singers, both highly talented, are also different. Prafulla Kar’s classical rendition makes the song poignant - perfectly suited to Radha’s disconsolate, sad, and plaintive mood. Fakir Pattanaik chose a rustic, racy style for his rendition. Radha is in agony, but her song has a robust tempo that vibrates with her love for Krishna, life, and her favourite Sambalpuri cuisine. She is in a great hurry, for she has found the remedy.

The Odia song is a conversation between Radha and Dooti, the Sambalpuri song is Radha’s address to Dooti. The first one is a song, the second one a song for a Danda nacha performance.

Radha is Sambalpurian

In the Sambalpuri song, Radha is not from Gopa but very much a Sambalpurian for her dietary preference is unmistakably local. She does not pine for roti-rajma, kadhi-chawal, palak paneer or rabdi kheer.

Only in western Odisha, ambila is made with kardi! Thus, the song is a prayer, and a celebration of the unique Sambalpuri cuisine with local ingredients.

Radha’s Pathi

Radha is sick, but it is no ordinary malady. She feels a strange chill at dawn, but without any fever. Kabiraj has felt her nadi and said, ‘You got viraha jvara. There’s no jadibuti for that.’

Radha is hungry, but racked with nausea she can’t eat. She bares her heart, and shares her agony with Dooti, her trusted companion. The song is Radha’s anguished plea to Dooti to fetch the only remedy that comes to her mind – pathi, a diet for her tormented soul and body. Radha needs soul food, and suggests a detailed menu, each of which resonates with the colour and fragrance and touch and feel of her love of life – Krishna Kanhaiya.

The cuisine she lists is fascinating in its variety, spread, texture, aroma, flavour, taste, colour, touch, feel, and its palliative power.

O Dooti, Please, Please fetch me this Special Krishna pathi, pleads Radha –

1.   Krishna khichdi with diced dumplings of ginger fried in ghee while recalling Krishna’s name, and seasoned with jeera, methi, hing, and salt

2.   Green banana rounds fried on a tawa

3.   Fresh pakhala (rice in water)

4.   Kanji ambila, a sour and soupy vegetable dish for which the necessary ingredients are – saru, kakharu, baigan, bhendi, and kardi

5.   Black moong dal curry

6.   Soft, supple arua rice

7.   A bitter curry (bitter gourd or neem flower with baigan and badi, maybe)

8.   Tender cucumber with curd, chili and salt

9.   Mildly seasoned leutia (a delicious green leaf) saag

How would this pathi restore Radha and save her life? Because each dish, ingredient, and flavour remind her of Krishna, and the entire cuisine is Krishnamrut for her. Radha is no longer separate or separable from Krishna. She has merged with her loved one. She has found the remedy for her strange malady.

There may be other prayers where the devotee serves chappan bhog or a preferred dish to God; but this may be the only bhajan where the devotee plans a menu for herself, but can see nothing except her Krishna in every kernel of her pathi. This is prem bhakti – simple, unpretentious, soulful. A prayer like none other.

(Raja Ravi Varma: Radha waiting for Krishna - Source: wikimedia)

 

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Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu

God or Goddess?

Is the Supreme Divine male or female or both or neither? Most of the religions of the world are male-centric even though some of them have female gods with powers secondary to the male gods. In Hinduism, too, the major female goddesses: Saraswati-Lakshmi-Parvati are the spouses of the trinity of Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh. However, for the Shaktas, once a major sect of Hinduism, the Supreme Divine is Devi or Shakti – the creative energy or principle – which is unmistakably feminine. Devi is the creator of everything including the male and female trinities.

Hinduism is the only religion which visualised the Supreme Divine as feminine, long before the modern feminist movement. Devi Mahatmyam (a part of Markandeya Purana), the sacred reference treatise for the Shaktas was composed in 5^th or 6^th century CE, but myriad goddesses were worshipped in India long before that and the myths and stories elaborated in the purana were possibly in oral circulation for centuries before Vyasa composed the work. Also, in the more ancient Devi Sukta or Vag Sukta of Rig Veda, Vak, daughter of rishi Ambhrini, sang with joyous realisation: All the universe and all the deities are not out there, but in ME! She was possibly the first woman kavi of the world.

But how may ordinary devotees comprehend and meditate upon the Supreme Divine – as Durga, Chandika, Mahakali, Parvati, or as Shakti – Pure, Formless Energy? A popular prayer may be of help.

Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu: The Prayer

Most readers are familiar with this prayer, played at homes and puja pandals during the Durga Puja celebrations. It is popular because it is simple yet soulful, easy to recall and chant either solo or in chorus, audibly or mentally. If you have listened to this prayer, especially in the morning, you might have experienced its calming, soothing impact all through the day. That is the power of morning mantras and meditative music. For some Ya Devi… is much more than a simple prayer; it is a tool for meditation.

Durga Saptashati

Durga Saptashati, a composition in seven hundred verses for worship of Durga is in Chapter 5 of Devi Mahatmya. During Navaratri, this prayer, also known as Chandi Path, is recited in several Devi temples. Some devotees arrange for the recitation at their homes to seek the blessing of Durga.

Key elections are scheduled for November, and priests of Pitambara Pitha of Datia, Madhya Pradesh have been reportedly booked to organise remote anushthan for politicians unable to come in person. Pitambara Mai is believed to fulfil the manokamanas of her devotees which include shatru vinashan and victory in war and politics!

Durga: Origin

Why and how did Durga come into being? Mahishasura had been granted the boon that he could not be killed by any male – not even by the powerful trinity, to nullify which all the gods pooled their energies and created a tower of effulgence as tall as the Himalaya. Devi, Durga, or Chamunda is the personified form of that infinite shakti.

Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu prayer[i] is a eulogy offered by the devas to Devi after She kills  Mahishasura (Chap 3). After the accomplishment of Her divine assignment (devakarya), Devi vanishes in Chapter 4, to be reborn later as Gouri to kill Nishumbha and Shumbha.

Devi: Nirguna Roopa

Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu stuti is a long prayer. The preface mentions many important aspects of Devi as a precursor to the eulogy in the later shlokas. The Goddess is invoked through her major names: Devi, Mahadevi, Shivaa, Prakriti, Bhadra, Roudra, Nitya, Gauri, Dhatri, Jyotsna, Indu Roopini, Sukhah, Kalyani, Vriddhi, Siddhi, Nairitti, Bhubhruta, Lakshmi, Sharvani, Durga, Durgapara, Sara, Sarvakarini, Kshyati, Krishna, and Dhumra. Shloka 13 refers to the contrarian forms of Devi: अतिसौम्यातिरौद्रायै – the supreme beatific, graceful form and the most terrible, fierce form. Shakti as personified in Chandika or Durga is not static or unidimensional, it is a spectrum of possibilities, with the same energy shining like cool, soothing moonlight or the all-consuming fire of Rudra’s destructive wrath.

Here is a translation of two shlokas of this prayer:

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु विष्णुमायेति शब्दिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥

O Devi, the divine essence in every life,

Also known as Vishnumaya*,

 Salutations to Thee,

Salutations to Thee,

Salutations to Thee,

Salutations, yet again.

 या देवी सर्वभूतेषु बुद्धिरूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥

O Devi, dwelling as intelligence in every life,

Salutations to Thee,

Salutations to Thee,

Salutations to Thee,

Salutations, yet again.

*(Vishnumaya or Mahamaya is Krishna’s sister who was born from Yashoda’s womb as directed by Vishnu. Kamsa tried unsuccessfully to kill her. Metaphorically, Vishnumaya or Mahamaya means the created universe which is an illusion or shadow or reflection of the Supreme Brahma.)

Prayer for Meditation

In the 2^nd pada of the shloka, the word namah has been repeated five times, to demonstrate the earnestness of obeisance by the gods (and alliteration, and metrical demand of anustubh chhanda!). The whole prayer is from shlokas 9-36 of which 14-33 are in template form, each verse using the same template of Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu with only one new word. Neither Vyasa, the Kavi, nor the gods who offered the prayer are dumb. Had they so desired, they could have offered a compact prayer with fewer shlokas, padas, and words; but they purposely chose to offer a longer prayer. Possibly, a deliberate poetic structure to aid meditation. The devotee is freed from the need to recall more complex shlokas packed with numerous attributes of and eulogies for Devi and contemplate, meditate, and focus on only one aspect of Devi in each shloka; one step at a time, as it were, to reach up to the Divine Mother.

In the succeeding shlokas, Devi is meditated upon as the personalised form of the following abstract attributes: Chetana (consciousness), Buddhi (intelligence), Nidra (Sleep), Kshudha (Hunger), Chhaya (Shadow, illusion), Shakti (Power, energy), Trishna (Thirst), Kshanti (Forbearance), Jati (Original Cause or Mother of everything), Lajja (Modesty, restraint), Shanti (Peace), Shraddha (Faith), Kanti (Beautiful form), Lakshmi (Auspiciousness, Prosperity), Vritti (Activity), Smriti (Memory), Daya (Generosity), Tushti (Contentment), Matru (Mother), Vranti (Maya, Delusion).

How else can the divine creative energy be comprehended and offered salutations except with awe, wonder, and gratitude?

 Resource

The Devi Mahatmya (Original Text with English translation by Sri Swami Sivananda, Published by The Divine Life Society) - Source: archive.org

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[i] नमो देव्यै महादेव्यै शिवायै सततं नमः ।

नमः प्रकृत्यै भद्रायै नियताः प्रणताः स्म ताम् ॥ ९॥

रौद्रायै नमो नित्यायै गौर्यै धात्र्यै नमो नमः ।

ज्योत्स्नायै चेन्दुरूपिण्यै सुखायै सततं नमः ॥ १०॥

कल्याण्यै प्रणतां वृद्ध्यै सिद्ध्यै कुर्मो नमो नमः ।

नैरृत्यै भूभृतां लक्ष्म्यै शर्वाण्यै ते नमो नमः ॥ ११॥

दुर्गायै दुर्गपारायै सारायै सर्वकारिण्यै ।

ख्यात्यै तथैव कृष्णायै धूम्रायै सततं नमः ॥ १२॥

अतिसौम्यातिरौद्रायै नतास्तस्यै नमो नमः ।

नमो जगत्प्रतिष्ठायै देव्यै कृत्यै नमो नमः ॥ १३॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु विष्णुमायेति शब्दिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ १४-१६॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु चेतनेत्यभिधीयते ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ १७-१९॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु बुद्धिरूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ २०-२२॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु निद्रारूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ २३-२५॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु क्षुधारूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ २६-२८॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु छायारूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ २९-३१॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु शक्तिरूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ ३२-३४॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु तृष्णारूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ ३५-३७॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु क्षान्तिरूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ ३८-४०॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु जातिरूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ ४१-४३॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु लज्जारूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ ४४-४६॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु शान्तिरूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ ४७-४९॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु श्रद्धारूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ ५०-५२॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु कान्तिरूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ ५३-५५॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु लक्ष्मीरूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ ५६-५८॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु वृत्तिरूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ ५९-६१॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु स्मृतिरूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ ६२-६४॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु दयारूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ ६५-६७॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु तुष्टिरूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ ६८-७०॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु मातृरूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ ७१-७३॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु भ्रान्तिरूपेण संस्थिता ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ ७४-७६॥

इन्द्रियाणामधिष्ठात्री भूतानां चाखिलेषु या ।

भूतेषु सततं तस्यै व्याप्त्यै देव्यै नमो नमः ॥ ७७॥

चितिरूपेण या कृत्स्नमेतद् व्याप्य स्थिता जगत् ।

नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ ७८-८०॥

 

Notes:

1.    Text Source: sanskritdocuments.org

2.    In the text given above, 21 shlokas are numbered 14-76 to guide the devotees to repeat each of these shlokas thrice for effective meditation.

3.    Shloka 77 echoes the following shloka from Bhagavad Gita, Chap 10.39

यच्चापि सर्वभूतानां बीजं तदहमर्जुन |

न तदस्ति विना यत्स्यान्मया भूतं चराचरम् || 39||