Bhavani Sahasra Nama Stutih

(selected Verses)

By

English Translation and Commentary by Jankinath Kaul "Kamal"

[421] KriyA[1]: She, who is the very dynamism of Siva.

Siva is consciousness, and is conceived as being dynamic. The very dynamism of Siva is called Shakti. Sakti is kriyA. According to Agamic tradition, consciousness [ citi, samvit or siva] is knowledga [jnAna] and activity [kriyA] both in one, just as milk and its whiteness are [both in one]. Siva is actually Siva and Sakti or PrakAsa and Vimarsa in one. The symbol of ArdhanArisvara is representation of this concept. Therefore, the key concept of the Agamic philosophy is kriyA, the goddess of creativity or sakti.

KriyA is the sovereign power of siva in spontaneous activity, free from any desire; while karma is motivated volition or ethical action. KriyA is a state of relaxation and activity both in one[2]. KriyA is the first spanda in the order of universal consciousness. Karma, on the other hand, is not free from desire and therefore becomes the cause of bondage. JivabhAva, the field of limitations.

Goddess Kriya [sakti] therefore connotes the nature of Siva. She is the activity and relaxation both in one. She is the actionless activity of Siva. The Bhagvad GitA also refers to this kind of activity. "Though engaged in karma, he does nothing". "Know me to be actionless and changeless". Vasistha also advises RAma of this state., "Move in the world, O RAghava! being a non-doer within and a doer without". Evan Kabir harps on the same note, "all activity is done by me, yet I am away from all actions".

Foot Note :[1] In all the MSS and published editions of the book the name used there is PriyA which is a repetition of the name 33. Pandit Sahib Kaul has left this name untouched in his DevInAmavilAsa. Its editor Pt. Madhusudhan Kaul in the foot-note says that he did not find this name in the books he saw. Pandit Raghunath Kokiloo, a learned Pandit and an earnest devotee of the supreme Mother in Kashmir at present, holds as per traditional doctrine [sampradAya] this name to be KriyA and not PriyA. The context of this part of the name numbers also suggests this name to be KriyA, the very dynamism of Siva. However, the name PriyA is also explalined in this note as under : PriyA : who is indistinctly one with Lord Siva. Divine Mother loves everything what is auspicious. She is pleased to grant boons to her devotees because she is the actionless activity [KriyA] or the sovereign power of Siva. She is the soul of everything and so is loved by everyone.

[2] Just as it is quite natural for a child to relaz in its activity of play, so is KriyA of the goddess, free and spontaneous. There is no motive in it.

[422] MahisI : The ordained Queen of the king of universe, Para Siva

The principal queen of Mahesvara is called MahisI. Sakti is the queen-consort, unity in harmony, of Siva. Virtually PAra Siva and ParA Sakti are the one harmonious validity.

[423] NrpamAnyA: The bestower of the skill of unbounded virtue

"The king in whose benevolent reign there is no want of wealth, there is victory in every display of courage, there is death ruling anger, is truly possessed of heroic lustre" Such grace of unbounded virtue is bestowed on a king by the Divine Mother, and he displays the same upon his subjects with Her grace.

[424] NrmAnyA : Respected by persons

Kindness of spirit is always loved and respected by all persons, male or female. The Divine Mother is magnanimous and Her gentility likewise commands respect and love, which are relative terms in their true sense. Devotees love Her as well as respect Her.

[425] NrpanandinI : The source of joy for kings

Being the favourite of kings the all powerful Goddess is the instrument of the fulfilment of all their desires. She is the source of their heroic lustre like surabhi [1] yielding all desires.

Foot note:[1] A fabulous caw in possession of Sage Vasistha.

[426] NrpadharmamayI : Possessing royal ordinance like that of kings.

The essential quality of the goddess is Her independent sovereignty. This can very well be perceived from the valorous actions of a king of heroic lustre. The Divine Mother thus protects all with Her abhaya [fearless] as well as varada [favourable]MudrAs

[427] DhanyA : She who showers blessings

IT is the Divine Mother's grace that confers the favour of true wealth to the seeker. It is that wealth of spiritual emancipation, having gained which the seeker things that there is no greater gain than that, and wherein established he is not shaken even by the heaviest] affliction. Established, thus, in the all-pervading self, one is believed to have gained the virtue of ablution in all the holy places, given in charity the whole or the earth's wealth, performed all kinds of sacrifices, pleased the gods and elevated the manes. Such one is worshipped in all the three worlds, because of the blessings showered by Mother DhanyA.

[428] DhanadhAnyavivardhini : She who augments wealth and corn

The seeker who attains nearness to the Supreme Self is provided "gain and security" by the Divine. The body-bound man has to toil for food and clothing. But he who has completely dedicated to the Divine, loses his spiritual standing when he brings his mind down to the mundane level. The grace of the Divine Mother works in such a way for the seeker that this downfall does not take place, for Divinity is the greatest and essential part of food and wealth. Food and wealth come to him without effort, who attains nearness to

Divinity. Therefore the goddess is known by this name. In common parlance, it is the Goddess who gives the power of enjoyment to him who enjoys the world in spiritual awareness.

[429] CaturvarnamayimUrtih : [a] Assuming the form of four principal castes. [b]Appearing in visible shapes through the four fundamental colours

Commentary. [a]To maintain proper balance in creation the Divine Mother assumes four casts [1] in the human sphere. When gods made sacrifice and dismembered the Purusa, they distributed its powers. "The BrAhmana was his mouth, the Ksatriya was made of his arms, his thighs became the Vaisya and the Sudra was born from his feet"

The institution of caste that originally came into being on the basis of division of labour, is always necessary for the proper functioning of the world. No man could be self sufficient. But when different persons divide work according to their capacities they are respectively endowed with, the world function remains in balance. This spirit of balance is held by the Goddess Herself. She is the basic power of which the division of labour [work] continues. 

[b]i. Varna also means complexion. The Goddess as the Supreme Power, infinite and invisible, becomes visible and graspable to devotees by assuming from in four fundamental colours. The principle and field of operation of these four great powers of the Mother have been explained by Sri Aurobindo in his work "The Mother"[2] :"Four great aspects of the Mother... MahAsarasvati".

ii. Varna also means the alphabet.The Mother is one and pervades the four kinds of speech viz Para, Pasyanti, MadhyamA and Vaikhari. Day and night she vibrates as sound produces from the words which are formed of the alphabet a to ksa, called MAtrikAcakra. That Supreme Power as Mother, pervading all living beings and source of all creation becomes fourfold in the process of evolution {O Mother!] with this indescribable glory thou art known as the Supreme goddess of speech". ParA Sakti becomes significant through the four stages of speech. 

iii. Varna also means colour.

The four conditinos of Brahman are cit, antaryamin, sUtrAtmA and virAt. Divine Mother is the expression of these. "In a picture we have the clean canvas, stiffening with starch, drawing of the outlines and the application of colour. In the case of the self these are correspondingly the pure consciousness, the indwelling consciousness, the one identified with the totality of all the subtle bodies and that with the totality of all the physical bodies". These are the four stages of consciousness which are presented here as colours of the Divine Mother. 

Foot Note:[1]The four castes are:[i] Brahmas : The people of high intellect who give instruction in letter [ii] Ksatriyas : Those patriots of great valour and spirit of sacrifice who offer themselves for protection of the people and their property [the country][iii] Vaias : The vast minded whose business is trade and agriculture. They provide for subsistence of the people. [iv] The SUdra : The dedicated whose business is to serve. They offer dedicated service to the country[2] Ref. Chapter six. To make this inner vision of Sri Aurobindo available to traditional scholarship in the land. Kapali Sastriar rendered the relevant parts into Sanskrit verse [MAtrtattvA PrakAsa]. These lines are translates from there.

[430] caturvarnaiscapUjitA : Worshipped by the four castes.

The four castes are meant for keeping the world process going in balance. The evolution of supreme power is thus in motion through the four kinds of activites essential to keep life in order and progressive in all its spheres. These are display of intellect, protection, trade and service. These are verily four kinds of worship of Divine Power for keeping living conditions in order. This gave rise to the four castes. [1]Foot Note:[1]See note 1 of name 429. Caste System arose our of necessity. It is a healthy way of division of labour. It is said that the system later adopted rigidity which became the cause for hate and violence