Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Tripura Rahasya Day 17 – January 21, 2022 – Mysore
Compiled by Parimala Eshwarla
Chapter 23
Parashurama asked, “O Gurudeva! I seek to listen to Gowri’s story in detail. What led her to discard her body? How was she born as Daksha’s daughter? Why did the great Lord Shiva have to face insult? With compassion for this servant, please explain all this”.
Lord Datta said, “O Parashurama! Once Bhasmasura propitiated Shiva through rigorous penance and obtained from him a boon that anyone on whose head he placed his hand would turn into ashes. To test the efficacy of his boon, he wanted to place his hand on Shiva’s head.
Then Shiva started running and the demon chased him. At this moment Shiva made himself invisible. At that time, Mother Gowri searched everywhere for Shiva. Unable to withstand separation from him, she abandoned her body. Thereafter, Maha-vishnu very intelligently destroyed the demon.
Later, in another Kalpa, on earth, Daksha Prajapati appeased Goddess Gowri through extensive penance. As Gowri, who was competent to shower the boons sought by him, did not have a body, in the form of the great space she asked Daksha to seek any boon.
“O Shankari! Take birth in my home as my daughter. Live here”- he prayed. She said, “So be it”.
Later she took birth as Daksha’s daughter and was known as Uma (Dākshayani). Daksha gave his daughter to Shiva in marriage. Subsequently, he turned arrogant that he had become the father-in-law for Shiva.
A little later on some occasion, Brahma along with Vishnu and others met Shiva. All the Devatas and Prajapatis had also arrived. Even Daksha arrived. Noticing Daksha’s arrival, all the Devatas, Rishis and others stood up. However, the Trinity did not stand up to welcome him. This angered Daksha. He began to boil in anger. He arrogantly said,
“As a father-in-law, I am at par with a Guru. Even when I have arrived, this Shiva who is standing on the pillar called arrogance did not stand up and offer me respect. Despite being my disciple, he is very ignorant and is of improper conduct. Hence he lacks the worthiness to stay here”.
Hearing Daksha’s conceited words, Lord Brahma cautioned, “O Daksha! Do not talk like a fool”. From then on, Daksha made it a point to abuse Shiva on all occasions.
Once Daksha began a grand yagna for which he invited all the Devatas and Rishis. However, due to his earlier enmity, he did not invite Shiva and Dakshayini. Sati-devi who heard of this Yagna desired to witness it. She sought Shiva’s permission but he refused. Disregarding his advice, she went to see the Yagna being conducted by her father.
On seeing her father, she asked, “O father! Why did you not invite me for this laudable Yaga that you are performing? Did you forget to inform me? When you have invited all other daughters along with their husbands, why did you not invite me and my husband Shiva?”
Angered with these words, Daksha said, “O daughter! As Shiva does not deserve to be worshipped in this Yagna, I did not invite him. Being his wife, you too do not deserve to be worshipped”.
These words caused great pain to Sati. Unable to tolerate the insult, she said, “O father! Just as a person who is on the verge of death sees everything topsy-turvy, your intellect has got spoilt leading to inauspiciousness.
Śivaḥ parama-kalyānamayaḥ sarva supūjitaḥ
Pūjyatē yatra nō yagnē na sa yagnō bhavēt kvacit ‖
Shiva is the embodiment of ultimate auspiciousness and is worshipful for everyone. That Yaga in which he is not worshipped, cannot be called a Yaga at all! Although your Yaga is filled with all auspicious ingredients, due to Shiva’s absence it lacks illumination.
A Brahmin without knowledge, a woman without a husband, a king without valour, a boat without a boatman, the night without a moon, the day without the Sun and a Yaga without Shiva can never illumine”.
Daksha boiled in anger hearing those words. “O wretched woman! You are uttering wasteful words. Do you not know of your husband’s worthless form? He is the embodiment of inauspiciousness. Only in name he is Shiva (Shiva means auspiciousness) but he dwells in a crematorium, wears a garland of human skulls and drapes himself in human skin.
He has snakes as his ornaments and ghosts and spirits as followers. Your husband is an actor who dances wearing matted locks. Have you forgotten his despicable form? How can your husband, who is subject to such condemnation, be worthy of being worshipped? Go back to your husband”- he said.
Sati could not withstand these abusive words about her husband from her father’s mouth. Closing her ears with her hands, she burnt with anger. She said, “O father! It is unbecoming of you to utter such words against Shiva, the Lord of all Lords. As you have abused my husband Shiva, your Yagna will be fruitless. I can no longer live in this body that has arisen due to a sinner like you”- saying this, Sati jumped into the firepit called Samvarta in that Yaga hall and within a second was reduced to ashes.
O Parashurama! As a consequence of Lakshmi’s curse, in this way, Gowri who heard abuses against her husband burned in the fire called anger and was reduced to dust in the firepit”- said Lord Datta.
Parashurama who was rejoicing due to drinking in the essence and who was soaking in bliss, then enquired, “O Guru deva! Who is Ganga, the embodiment of the Supreme Energy? Who is this embodiment of energy who was prayed to by Brahma for the upliftment of the worlds? How did that embodiment of energy transform into Ganga? Explain this to me”.
Datta Swami said, “O Parashurama! Understand that Mother Tripura Devi who had manifested as Kumari (young maiden) and in the three forms herself is Ganga. She is the embodiment of energy.
For purifying the earth, that Supreme Energy called Tripura, incarnated as Ganga. Brahma and other Gods worship Her with total devotion. Ganga, who is the form of the Self, is the wife of the Supreme Lord. She bestows liberation. Merely by seeing, touching or sipping a drop of her waters, devotees will be absolved of all their sins.
As she flows in swarga, earth and in patala, she is known as Tripathaga. With compassion for the humans who have a gross intellect, she has taken a gross form and is known as Tripathaga. Understand that Tripura Devi who manifested as water is Ganga. I have answered all your questions”- said Lord Datta.
Sri matre namah
Chapter 24
Remembering the earlier story narrated by Datta Swami, Parashurama enquired, “Guru deva! As I hear these stories from you, my grief, ignorance and fear have vanished. Even after listening to your stories for long, I am not satisfied and I long to hear more.
(Listening to Tripura Rahasya removes fear and disease and fills the person with freshness. This is because it is being narrated by Lord Dattatreya himself).
After the destruction caused on earth by Manmatha, how did the Yagas sought by the Devatas come into existence? Did Manmatha conquer Mahadeva Shiva? How did Manmatha who was reduced to ashes come back to life? Explain this to me”.
Then, Datta, the most supreme among the Gurus, said, “O wise one! I shall answer your questions one after another. Listen. This astonishing legend that has taken place in the ancient past has been described in a way that brings delight to the mind.
After Manmatha was vanquished, the humans freed Indra from captivity. Along with the Devatas he returned to heaven and resumed living as before. Indra maintained friendly relations with Viravrata as long as the latter ruled the earth. After Viravrata’s lifetime, along with the Devatas, Indra went to Satya-loka and prostrated to Brahma.
Compassionately in a friendly voice Brahma asked, “O Indra! Get up. Seek what you want. I shall grant it. With it, may you be happy”.
Hearing these words, Indra joined his palms and beseeched, “O Lord Brahma! What can I say? As suggested by you in the past, we appeased Mother Lakshmi with our austerities. For the success of our task, she sent the very powerful Manmatha, but he lost to Viravrata. All the Devatas were bound. Respecting the words of his Guru, the virtuous King Viravrata honourably freed all the Devatas. Thereafter he and me maintained friendly relations. On the strength of this friendship, I have sustained for so long.
But, even to date on earth, people do not perform any Yagnas to propitiate us, the Devatas. Along with the Devatas I have come here to narrate this to you. Based on your order, along with the Devatas I am residing in Swarga”.
Lord Brahma said, “O Indra! Even in the near future the humans will not perform any Yagas to appease the Devatas as they do not have any desires. Only when they have desires, they will perform Yagas, isn’t it?
Yet I will suggest a plan. Listen. I will make you the Lord of the rain-bearing clouds. You create showers only in places where humans perform Yagnas invoking you. The rain-bearing clouds that were independent until now will henceforth, based on my command, not shower rains independently. They are totally in your control”. In this way, Indra became the Lord of the clouds.
Humans who sought rain had to necessarily worship Indra through Yagnas. All the agriculturists who sustained on farming began to perform Yagnas to appease the Devatas.
I will now tell you how Kāma conquered Shiva. Goddesses Lakshmi and Gowri turned peaceful after their battle. Thereafter Manmatha folded his hands and prayed to his mother,
“O Mother! Teach me the way to conquer Shiva in battle. Else in front of you, I will abandon my body. Loss of honour is more painful than death for self-respecting people. People on earth have come to know that I did not die in the battle. Let them think so. But I am not happy about living like this with insult”.
Goddess Lakshmi then meditated for a second. She bowed to Tripura devi and said to her son, “My son! I shall teach you that which is the utmost secretive (Tripura Rahasya). Listen attentively. With its help, you will attain success and you will vanquish everyone in battle.
However, under no circumstances should you reveal this secret to anyone. That mother of the universe due to whom Shiva and other Gods could attain greatness is Tripura-devi. I have learnt the great secret by which She can be quickly appeased. Previously I have worshipped that Supreme Mother Kameshwari and obtained this secret from Her. I shall teach you the 108 names of Goddess Tripura. Quickly bathe in the River Viraja, sip the water in acamana and come quickly”.
Hearing Lakshmi’s words, Manmatha’s eyes blossomed with happiness. He bathed in River Viraja, performed acamana, purified himself and quickly returned to his mother, bowed to her and stood aside.
(Viraja means that which does not have rajas. In rivers, having dirt, dust and mire is rajas. As Ganga does not have this impurity it is called Viraja. Viraja also means it removes passion (rajas). Until now Manmatha was filled with passion and was talking arrogantly. Lakshmi asked him to abandon that arrogance. Arrogance stems from rajo-guna. We should understand that by bathing in the rivers, the rajo and tamo gunas from us are removed and sattva increases).
By the time Manmatha returned, Mother Lakshmi, with total devotion prayed to Mother Tripura as per the Shastra-rules. She arranged all the puja materials necessary for Manmatha and seated Mother Tripura on a gem-studded throne.
She then called Manmatha, made him cup his hands and told him to meditate seeking Mother Tripura’s blessings. She taught him the 108 names of the Divine Mother and detailed Her gross form to him.
In this way, Manmatha obtained from his mother the 108 names that are essential to obtain the grace of Mother Tripura, the method to chant them and their secretive essence. He then bowed to Mother Lakshmi. She blessed him.
Manmatha joined his palms, and considering himself to be the most fortunate said to her, “O Mother! Permit me. I will now leave to appease Mother Tripura who is the shelter for even the Trinity”. With her permission, he set out.
While meditating upon Mother Tripura’s lotus feet, he walked to the temple located in a cave in Mandara Mountain. On the banks of the pure and luscious river, beneath a Kadamba tree, he selected a convenient spot.
He bathed in the river and sat beneath the tree. While meditating upon the beautiful form of Mother Tripura in his heart, he mentally worshipped Her in the method taught by Mother Lakshmi. His mental puja was very elaborate. In that puja, he chanted Her 108 names. As he chanted those names, he could fix himself in total meditation upon her. With this, Mother Tripura was pleased with him.
In the form of Mother Lakshmi, She manifested in his dream and in a nectarine voice said, “My son Manmatha! You are chanting my names repeatedly. What will you gain from it? Without obtaining knowledge about Me how can you accomplish your mission?”
(She asked him to eradicate ignorance through the acquisition of knowledge). Hearing these words, Manmatha bowed to Her and said, “Dear Mother! As you did not teach me the knowledge about you, I do not know it. O compassionate one! With compassion, please teach me who has totally surrendered to you”.
When he thus beseeched, the Mother was overcome with compassion for him. She said, “My son! Just as a blind man cannot see the boat that exists before his eyes, although My knowledge exists in the names you chant, you are unable to know it. That knowledge of the Supreme Mother, which exists in the form of 15 alphabets, is hidden in her divine names. Considering only 12 of those names, that knowledge is of 9 types”.
She then explained the secretive knowledge about the mantra and vanished. When Mother vanished in the dream, Manmatha opened his eyes. When he could not see his mother he grieved and thought, “I have seen a dream. But in it, I have seen a very auspicious form. I, who am meditating upon the Universal mother, am unable to fall asleep. It has been 6 months since I began worshipping that mother with a name and form. Yet, until now I have not slept at nights. Even during nights, I remain in Samadhi”.
Again and again, he pondered over the subject covered in the dream. Then the presiding deity of the 15-syllabled mantra flashed in his mind. Despite this, he was doubtful as he believed it to be either his dream or an illusion.
At that moment he heard a celestial voice, “O Manmatha! Do not have any doubts in this”.
Hearing it, Manmatha repeatedly contemplated upon it but was unable to come to any firm conclusion. Hence, he thought of his mother Lakshmi, who instantly manifested and asked, “Why did you think of me?”
Pleased at her arrival, Manmatha bowed to her, narrated his entire dream and the celestial voice that he had heard.
Lakshmi meditated for long and then pleasantly said, “My son! You are truly blessed. Your cherished desire is almost fulfilled. Pleased with your penance Mother Tripura manifested in your dream and spoke to you. Do not harbour any doubts about this. Obtain that knowledge as directed by her”. Saying this, she vanished.
Then, with total concentration, Manmatha repeatedly practised that mantra for three years, after which Tripura devi or Maheshwari manifested before him.
At that time Manmatha had conquered all the senses and had a stable and absolutely unflinching mind. With the long practice of Pranayama, he had restrained his breath and his mind, and was seated in meditation.
The Mother who was in the form of a radiance saw Manmatha. Due to her compassion for him, She manifested in a form that was in line with Lakshmi’s teachings, and said, “My son! Seek what you want”.
Hearing these words, Manmatha opened his eyes. He was ecstatic seeing before his eyes the form that he had been meditating upon.
Sri matre namah