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MantraSadhana
October 28, 2018

MANTRA SĀDHANĀ

The Mantra itself is Devatā, that is, the Supreme Consciousness (Cit-śakti) manifesting in that form. śṛṇu devi pravakṣāmi bījānām deva-rūpatām | mantroccārṇ amatrena deva-rūpam prajāyatte || Bṛhad-gandharva-Tantra (Ch. V) The Mantra is awakened from its sleep (Mantra-caitanya) through the Sādhana Śakti of the mantrin. It is at base one and the same Śakti which appears as Sādhana-Śakti and Mantra-śakti, the latter however being the more powerful manifestation.  The consciousness of the Sādhaka becomes en rapport and in union with the Consciousness in the form of the Mantra; and the Devatā who is the Artha of the Mantra appears to the…
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SadhanaShakti
October 17, 2018

APARAJITASTUTI – Hymn to the Invincible Devi

The Chandipath is divided into three sections - charitras - each being equivalent to one of the three Veda-s: Rig, Sama, Yajur. The 3rd Charitra is the domain of Maharasraswati, and has given rise to some of the greatest theological and metaphorical interpretations of Shakta doctrine. The Bija of this section is Klim, which is representative of the Ananda aspect of Saccidananda. That of course takes nothing away from the battle stories, where we find some of the most terrifying forms of Devi appearing. Because maybe, constant Ananda is the toughest of all things to attain and needs the intervention…
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SadhanaShakti
October 13, 2018

THE SLAYING OF MAHISASURA (a liberal translation from the original text)

As he saw the army being slaughtered, Ciksura, the great asura general went ahead in tremendous fury to battle Ambika. He rained showers of arrow on the Devi just as clouds shower the summit of Mount Meru. But easily shattering those volley of arrows, the Devi, in turn, killed Ciksura's horses and charioteer. Like lightning She slashed through his flag and bow, cutting them in half, and wounded the asura general using swiftly dispatched arrows. With his bow broken, chariot wrecked, horses and charioteer slain the asura now picked up his sword and shield and rushing at the Devi, struck…
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Sadhana
October 2, 2018

Importance of Pitr Karma

Every year during the second fortnight of the lunar month of Bhardrapada, right after the Ganesha puja, a period of 14 days is set aside for offering reverence to ancestors, known as pitrpaksha. During this time, many traditional Hindus perform pitr tarpana, pitr shraddha, and pinda danaeither at home, or preferably near river banks, wherein one pays homage to ones departed ancestors. The word shraaddha (श्राद्ध) indicates that the act is to be performed with sincere faith shraddhā (श्रद्धा). There is of course another lesser known pitrpaksha in the first half of the year, but it is the one during Bhadrapada, which is considered more significant. Pitr Yajna…
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Sadhana
August 20, 2018

ADHIKARA: Spiritual Competency

Men vary in capacity, temperament, knowledge and general advancement, and therefore the means (for Sadhana also means instrument) by which they are to be led to enlightenment must vary. Methods which are suitable for highly advanced men will fail as regards the ignorant and undeveloped for they cannot understand them. What suits the latter has been long out-passed by the former. At least that is the Hindu view. It is called Adhikara or competency. Thus some few men are competent (Adhikari) to study Vedanta and to follow high mental rituals and Yoga processes. Others are not. Some are grown-up children…
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SadhanaShakti
August 9, 2018

Siddha Kunjika Stotram

The modern text of the Chandipath that comes to us is an aggregate of various stotras and parts which were added over time, around the core of the 13 main chapters and which are helpful for sadhana. At the very end of the text we have the Siddha Kunjika Stotram which is often regarded as a subtitute for the whole text. Understood in the right context the Kunjika is an integral part of Chandipath, but it does not replace the necessity of the main text, for each section of the Chandipath has its own power and utlity and taken together…
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Sadhana
August 1, 2018

Sri Aurobindo: When Does a Mantra Succeed?

The japa is usually successful only on one of two conditions – if it is repeated with a sense of its significance, a dwelling of something in the mind on the nature, power, beauty, attraction of the Godhead it signifies and is to bring into the consciousness, – that is the mental way; or if it comes up from the heart or rings in it with a certain sense or feeling of bhakti making it alive, – that is the emotional way. Either the mind or the vital has to give it support or sustenance. But if it makes the…
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SadhanaSaints
July 27, 2018

Ramana Maharishi on Guru

I have not said that a Guru is not necessary. But a Guru need not always be in human form. First a person thinks that he is inferior and that there is a superior, all-knowing, all powerful God who controls his own and the world’s destiny and worships him or does bhakti. When he reaches a certain stage and becomes fit for enlightenment, the same God whom he was worshipping comes as Guru and leads him onward. That Guru comes only to tell him, ‘That God is within yourself. Dive within and realize’. God, Guru and the Self are the same. Realization is the result of the Master’s (Guru’s) grace, more than…
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SadhanaSaints
July 4, 2018

Vivekananda and Kali

EXCERPT from "THE LIFE OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA BY HIS EASTERN AND WESTERN DISCIPLES", Advaita Ashrama.   After the death of Swami Vivekananda's father, the family fell into hard time, with not enough money even for two meals. That is when the one day Narendranath Dutta thought he will go an ask Ramakrishna to use his spiritual power to help him.   QUOTE   One day the idea struck me that God listened to Sri Ramakrishna’s prayers. So why should I not ask him to pray for me for the removal of my pecuniary wants, a favor the Master would never…
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Sadhana
June 25, 2018

Nagas

Naga-s have always been an integral part of Dharmic traditions. It is believed that they once inhabited the earth along with various other beings, and they carried tremendous amount of spiritual and occult power within them when positively inclined, and caused destruction of whole lineages when negatively inclined. While remnants of Naga worship can be found all across India, Tibet and parts of Asia, it is the negative aspects of Naga-s which have been encoded in jyotisha texts resulting in horoscopic afflictions like sarpa dosa or curse of Naga-s, and so upaya-s designed to counteract such occult maleficience. Naga-s are…
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