Trinity’s Prayers to Maha Bhagavati and Sixteen ‘Tatvas’

Completely overcome by awe and humility, Lord Vishnu addressed Maha Bhagavati that He was amazed to witness the entire Universe on Her toe nails including Himself and He was but a miniscule reflection of Herself. Nobody knows how many such Vishnus were created and that She was ‘Karanguli nakhotpanna Narayana Dasa Kritis’ or She created Ten Incarnations of Narayana by touching Her hand nails! She was ‘Om, Hreem and Srim’, ‘Moola Prakruti’ and ‘Moola Mantratmika’. She was ‘Niradhara’ (Foundation less), ‘Nitya’ (Eternal), ‘Nirguna’ (Without Characteristics), ‘Nirvikara’ (Changeless) and ‘Dhyana Dhatru Dhyaya Rupa’ (The Meditation, The Meditator and The Meditated). She was the material Cause of Prakriti (Nature), Maya (Illusion) and the ‘Tatvas’*. She was the Super Power but yet She bestows Kindness readily and spontaneously (Avyaja Karuna Poora Purita)!

[*: 1)‘Jnanendriayas’: Five of sense organs, viz, Eyes, Nose, Tongue, Mouth, and Skin;
2)‘Karmendriayas’: or Five Organs for Action viz: mouth, feet, hands, genital and anus;
3)Five ‘Tanmatras’ or inner basics of elements or light, sound, taste, smell and consciousness;
4)Five ‘Antahkaranas’: Mind or thought, Buddhi or Understanding, Siddha or Power of mind leading to Jayam or success and Angaram or Excitement;
5)Six ‘Adharas’ or Foundations: Muladhara, Svadhistana, Manipura, Anantha, Visuddhi and Angana;
6)‘Dhatus’ or Seven Body Constituents: Serum, Blood, Semen, Brain marrow, Flesh, Bone and Skin.
7)Ten ‘Vayus’ or Vital Airs: Prana (Near Heart), Apana (Top to bottom), Samana (Near Throat), Vyana (Total Body), Utthana (near navel), Nahana (movements and speech), Koormana (causing disgust or dismay), Kiriharana (facial), Devadatta (exaled by yawning) and Dhanajaya (remaining in the body after death)
8)Five ‘Kosas’ or body parts: Annamaya (food body), Manomaya(Composed of mind), Pranamaya (the force holding body and mind), Vijnanamaya (body of intellect) and Anantamaya (the body of Bliss);
9)‘Nava Dvaras’ or Nine Doors : two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, mouth, genital and excretionay channel.
10)Eight ‘Vikaras’ or Vices: Lust, meanness, anger, carelessness, showiness, ferocity, haughtiness, and jealousy.
11)Three ‘Mandalas’or Body Regions : Agni Mandala or the fire place in lower abdomen, Aditya Mandala or the Place of Sun in stomach, and Chandra Mandala or the Region of Moon in head and shoulders.
12)Three Temperaments viz. flatulency or excessive self importance, melancholy or pensive sadness, bilous temperament or irritability, Phlegmatic temperament or indifference.
13)Three ‘Gunas’ or attributes: Satva (Goodness), Rajas (Passion) and Tamas (Ignorance).
14)Five ‘Avasthas’or Inner Soul abodes in body parts viz. ‘Sakiram’ or Fully Alive and Vigilant connected to forehead, ‘Svapnam’ or dormant soul in a state of dream connected to neck, ‘Sujjuti’ or insensibility of soul connected to breast, ‘Turiyam’ or abstraction of mind while soul is connected to navel and ‘Turiyathitam’ or a state of death when the soul is sunk into mooladharam.
16)Ten ‘Nadis’ or nerve connections viz. Idakala or the nerve beginning from big toe of right foot to left nostril, ‘Pinkala’ nerve connecting the big toe of left foot to right nostril, ‘Kantari’ or nerves beginning from navel to neck assuming seven folds of seven tones of human voice, ‘Suguva’ or the optical nerves interconnecting ten branches, ‘Purudan’ or the auditory nerves linking one hundred twenty lines, Guru beginning from navel to flat stomach, ‘Sangini’ on flat belly, ‘Suzi Muna’ the nervous link connecting Adharas like Mooladhara, Svadhishtana etc.and Atti and Alambuda connecting miscellaneous body parts.]

Lords Brahma and Siva also paid their reverent prayers to Maha Devi Bhagavati and She bestowed Her blessings to them to dutifully discharge their respective duties to Her entire satisfaction, as they had raised queries before their departure by airflight; She commanded them to initiate the fulfillment of tasks assigned to them forthwith. She obliged Lord Maheswara by repeating the nine lettered Mantra to be repeated by them as often as possible viz. ‘Om Hrium Srim Chandrikayai Namah’ along with the Moola (Seed) Mantra. Brahma too was extremely ecstatic with the mind-boggling Darshan (Vision) and most of His doubts appeared to have been cleared excepting one however that still remained with him. He wondered whether what Vedas affirmed again and again that the Maha Purusha was the one and only Super Evergy beyond comprehension and if so, whether that Incomprehensible Power was Herself! In that case, whether Maha Purusha and Maha Devi Bhagavati were just the same? Was Maha Purusha a Feminine Shakti or a Male Supreme Force?

Sri V.D.N.Rao and Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham

Kamakoti.org presents the Essence of Puranas in English, condensed by Sri. V.D.N.Rao, devotee of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Compiled, Composed and Interpreted by V.D.N.Rao, Former General Manager, India Trade Promotion Organisation, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India The author can be contacted at [email protected]