nirvANa sundarI

shrImAtre namaH
prAsAda parameshvarAya namaH

It has been brought to our notice that this website or articles here are being listed as associated or belonging to Kanchi Mutt. Though this has been clarified on our front page, we take a moment to clarify again that Sri Kamakoti Mandali is not associated in any way with Kumbhakonam Mutt that currently goes by the name Kanchi-Kamakoti Mutt. We have always sought blessings of the two Acharyas at Kanchi and have had associations with them at a personal level but similar is the case with several other seers such as the heads of Shivaganga Mutt, Swarnavalli Mutt, Yedathore Mutt, Kudali Mutt, Hebbur Mutt and so on. These 'associations' simply reflect our deep respect for the fourth Ashrama and for the tradition of our beloved AchArya bhagavatpAda. After all, every yati is of the svarUpa of nArAyaNa says the shAstra!

We have been fortunate to have been blessed with guidance from the shankarAchArya-s of three of the four AmnAya mutts (combining Badari and Dwaraka as one); but we are not functionally or financially associated with any of them. We however hold H H Mahasannidhanam of Sringeri as our Guru and prescribe to his conclusions on matters of dharma and adhyAtma. This is driven not only by the deep reverence the AchAryas of this Tradition have earned through centuries but also by their spotless conduct, spiritual realization and deep scholarship. Thus, we would object humbly to being associated with 'this' Mutt or 'that' Mutt with the exception of Sringeri (or Dwaraka to an extent on account of the close association of our Gurus shrI chinmudrAnandanAtha and the bimbAmbikA lineage with dvArakA Mutt).

It is unnecessary to explain the need for this seemingly sudden declaration but we have been sufficiently convinced by several of our well-wishers that this piece of writing is worth publishing and at this time. Why bother bhagavatI brahmAstranAyikA for petty nonsense?

That said, we should now return our attention to our most precious Mother. And this is the final call for Mutt-gossipers to jump out of the plane

yatra kutra sthito vA.api kR^iShNa kR^iShNeti kIrtayet |
sarvapApavishuddhAtmA sa gacChet paramAM gatim ||

hare krShNa

नीलाब्ज-दाडिमी-वीणा-
शलीगुञ्जाक्षसूत्रकम् |
दधदुच्छिष्टनामायं
गणेशः पातु मेचकः || [gaNapati-rahasya]

अल्पायासैर्विना कष्टैर्जपमात्रेण सिद्धिदः |
गुरुसन्तुष्टिमात्रेण कलौ प्रत्यक्षसिद्धिदः ||
[- phalashruti of sugrIva-prokta ucChiShTa-gaNapati sahasranAma stavarAja]

या देवी परमा विद्या स्वात्मविद्याप्रकाशिनी |
तस्या नीलसरस्वत्या पतये ते नमो नमः ||
[- ucChiShTa gaNapati argaLA stotra from gaNesha-yAmaLa]

कामराज-महातन्त्र-रहस्याचार-दक्षिणायै नमः
[- shrIgarbha-kulArNava tantra]

nR^isiMha loke shataM viShNavaH

etayordakShiNasyAM tu dishi ye tAn vadAmi vaH |
nArasiMhe.atha loke tu shataM lokAH pratiShThitAH |
teShAM nAmAni vakShyAmi nAmnAM nAnAtvabhedataH ||

vikramI vikramo vyagraH samagraH pragrahastathA |
shaktaH shaktidharo dhAryaH suparNo bhujagottamaH ||
rathI rathA~NgI rakShoghno rAjA rAjIvalochanaH |
sitashcha shatadhAmA cha dharo dhArAdharo.adhipaH ||
jyotirjyotiShpatiH sAkShI kShetraj~no,akShara eva cha |
sindhuH sindhuparaH shailaH srotaH srotasvataH patiH ||
guNavAn pavano vAyuranalo.agnistathaiva cha |
asurArirmahAviShNurmahAseno mahIpatiH ||
bhAvano bhAvabhAvashcha bhavano bhavanAshanaH |
bhaktirbhaktipriyo bhakto bhaktimAn bhaktibhAvanaH ||
svApanaH svapano vyApI vIraseno vR^iShAkapiH |
mano manuShyo mAnyashcha manonAtho manomayaH ||
manobhavo manojAto manujesho mahAshanaH |
mahAn mahatkarashchaiva paro vIraH parAshanaH ||
dharaNo dhAraNo rAmo mAraNo hAraNastathA |
satyaH satyadharo rAshiH pradyumno.amitavikramaH ||
varNottaraH suvarNashcha varNado varNanAshanaH |
varNakR^idvarNabhugvarNI varNAtmA varNabhAvanaH ||
akSharAtmA svarAtmA cha svaro vya~njana eva cha |
vAkyaM vAkyavidarthashcha viShayo viShayAdhipaH |
ete shataM dishi proktA dakShiNasyAM tu viShNavaH ||

By remembering the shata vaiShNava mUrti-s stationed in nArasimha loka, there is nothing one cannot accomplish. One is also protected from abhichAra, kR^ityA and various grahas.

contd...

There was a query by shrI Rao saheb on the number of shAkta pIThas. We request readers to take a look at our archives for several previous discussions on this topic. As we hold based on sampradAya, the number of pIThas is fifty-five.

yAvanmAtR^ikamuditAnyeka sametAni pa~nchAshat |
pIThAni punargaNitAni ojApUkAni chatvAri ||

- 51 shakti pIThas are represented by the 51 letters that constitute the mAlinI mantra.
- OjApUkA – ODDiyANa, jAlandhara, pUrNagiri and kAmarUpa.

Together they constitute of 55 pIThas. The same is stated elsewhere:

gaNapa-graha-bhAdInAM shashi-nidhi-tArartu-sUrya-saMkhyAnAm |
melanataH pIThAni j~neyAnyeteShu pa~nchapanchAshat ||

gaNapa = 1
grahas or Planets = 9
nakShatra or stars = 27
R^itu or seasons = 6
sUrya or Adityas = 12

Together, the number 55 is denoted here. pITha nyAsa of our sampradAya is reflective of this theory.

Edit: As we continued our weekly discussion on shrI lalitA trishatI bhAShya this evening, we felt the following commentary by shrImadAchArya bhagavatpAda on the name kAmakoTinilayA is relevant to be mentioned here:

kAmakoTinilayA - ShaNNavati-pITheShu madhye kAmakoTiH shrIchakramityarthaH, nilayaM gR^ihaM yasyAH sA tathA ||

One can refer to shANDilyopaniShad, bhAvanA and kaulopaniShads to arrive at an interesting conclusion here which is gurumukhaikavedya:

sa hovAcha atharvANa athedaM sharIraM ShaNNavatya~NgulAtmakaM bhavati | [shANDilyopaniShad]

On a side note, while it is true that the name kAmeshvarI is interpreted by AchArya as the one worshiped by manmatha or kAma (manmathopAsita kAdividyA rUpetyarthaH), sharvANI pointed out to a print out from a certain website that read thus: kAmakoTi = "seats of billions of love". Thanks for the laughs sharvANi and I sure will print out the rest of the commentary! It's a matter of time before kAmakoTi will be marketed as the Valentine's day destination. Well, what better valentine than Her though? What better than Her in anything at all?

[Query] Is there a pramanam in agamam for adding omkaram before panchaksari mantram?

There certainly is, in purANa, itihAsa, tantra, Agama and even smR^iti! As an example, the following is from prodgItAgama, which deals primarily with shakti:

j~neyo namaH shivAyeti mantraH sarvArthasAdhakaH |
sarvamantrAdhikashchAyamo~NkArAdyaH ShaDakSharaH ||
tanmantrajApI tatkarmaniratasgatamanasaH |
niShkAmaH puruSho rAjan sa rudrapadamashnute ||

icChAnurUpamanurUpaguNaprakarShaM
saMkarShiNi tvamabhisR^itya yadA bibharShi |
jAyeta sA tribhuvanaikagurustadAnIM
devaH shivo.api bhuvanatrayasUtradhAraH || [charchA-stave]

kramatrayatvAShTamarIchichakra-
sa~nchArachAturyaturIyasattAm |
vande mahAbhairavaghorachaNDa-
kAlIM kalAkAsha-shashA~NkakAntim || [shrIkramastotre]

shrImatsadAshivapade.api mahograkAlI
bhImotkaTabhrukuTireShyati bha~NgabhUmiH |
ityAkalayya paramAM sthitimetya kAla-
sa~NkarShiNIM bhagavatIM haThato.adhitiShThet || [kramarahasye]

nAsAgre trividhaM kAlaM kAlasa~NkarShiNI sadA |
mukhasthA shvAsanishvAsakalane hR^idi karShati ||
pUrakaiH kumbhakairdhatte grasate rechakena tu |
kAlaM saMgrasate sarvaM rechakenotthitA kShaNAt ||
icChAshaktiH parA nAmnA shaktitritayabodhane |
yAjyA karShati yatsarvaM kAlAdhAraprabha~njanam || [abhinavaguptapAdAH]

ayaM paThadvaye kAlaH sthUlashcharati yoginAm |
savyApasavye madhye cha shaktitrayavibhUShitaH ||
sA graset trividhaM kAlaM kAlasa~NkarShiNI tathA |
kAlasa~NkarShiNI nAmnA kAlaM mukhabile sthitam |
shvAsanishvAsakalane tasya sa~NkarShaNaM hR^idi || [rudrayAmaLe]

Urmiriti bhoginItyapi kubjeti kuleshvarIti jagaduryAm |
shrIkAlakarShiNItyapi kuNDalinItyapi cha naumi tAM devIM || [jayarathaH - vAmakeshvarImata vyAkhyA]

kAlasya mR^ityoH sa~NkarShiNI vinAshinIti [saubhAgyodaye]

dehi me rasarAjendra devatvaM saha sAdhakaiH |
khecharatvaM vayaHstambhaM lohasiddhiM tathA parAm ||
tiShTha tiShTha surashreShTha siddhiM sAdhaya me prabho |
cha~nchalatvaM parityajya vahnau tvaM susthiro bhava ||
trailokyaduHkhanAshAya shivaH pratyakShamAgataH |
kAlagrastaM bhayagrastaM trAhi trAhi raseshvara ||

Like in the case of shrIvidyA, the three sampradAyas (gauDa, keraLa, kAshmIra) find ample representation in the nirvANa kAlikA krama:

keraLe kAlikA proktA kAshmIre tripurA matA |
gauDe tAreti samproktA saiva lokottarA bhavet ||

bAhya trikoNe:

1. dakShiNA kAlI
2. bhadrakAlI
3. shmashAna-kAlI
4. kAlakAlI
5. guhyakAlI
6. kAmakalA kAlI
7. chidghanA kAlI
8. siddhi-kAlI
9. chaNDa kAlI

madhya trikoNe:

1. DAmara-kAlI
2. gahaneshvarI-kAlI
3. ekatArA-kAlI
4. chaNDa-shAbarI kAlI
5. vajrasUchikA-kAlI
6. rakShA-kAlI
7. indIvarI kAlI
8. dhanadA kAlI
9. IshAna-kAlI
10. mantramAtR^ikA kAlI
11. AdyA kAlI

mUla trikoNe:

1. sparshamaNi kAlI
2. chintAmaNi kAlI
3. siddha-kAlI
4. vidyArAjnI
5. kAmakalA kAlI
6. haMsa-kAlI
7. guhyakAlI (upAsaka saptakopAsitA)
8. mahAnirvANa kAlikA (bindau)

9 + 11 + 8 = 28 = sundaryabheda = 8+2 = 10 = 1+0 = 1 -> Ekamevadvitiyam Brahma

krodhojjvalantIM jvalanaM vamantIM
sR^iShTiM dahantIM ditijaM grasantIm |
bhImaM vadantIM praNamAmi kR^ityAM
rorUyamANAM kShudhayograkAlIm ||

OM shAntiH shAntiH shAntiH ||

By Tavleen Singh

The Dar-ul-Uloom's fatwa last week condemning Imrana to a marital life of unmitigated hell and absolving her rapist father-in-law comes as no surprise to me. It comes as no surprise because last year I had the dubious pleasure of visiting the Dar-ul-Uloom in Deoband and seeing for myself what this Islamic school that inspired the Taliban is really like.

It was this inspiration that caused the Taliban to execute women in Kabul's infamous football field for crimes they often did not know they had committed. It was this inspiration from Deoband's interpretation of the shariyat that caused the Taliban to ban education for women and to punish them for such supposed misdemeanors as wearing white socks and shoes that made a noise when they walked.

Now, Deoband rules that Imrana, a mother of five children, of Charthawal village, district Muzaffarnagar, in UP is haraam for her husband, Noor Ilahi because she dared protest publicly about being raped by her father-in-law, Ali Mohammad.

It is typical of the Deobandi interpretation of the laws of Islam that they have not condemned the rapist. And, if you were following the story you would have noticed that the bearded maulvis who expounded on the subject on television hinted that they did not believe she could have been raped. "Taali donon haathon sey bajti hai," said one bearded monster with a smug smile on his face.

As a Muslim woman Imrana showed extraordinary courage in going public at all because under Islamic law rape can only be punished if four male witnesses exist. They never do. Her only hope now is that the normal laws of the land are implemented and her father-in-law charged and punished under them. Her personal life is ruined because her wimp of a husband has already announced that he will obey the fatwa from Deoband.

There are wider implications of Imrana's story and they should concern us all. What should concern us is that the Dar-ul-uloom will get away with its outrageous interference in the law. What should concern us even more is that the Dar-ul-uloom should exist at all on the soil of India. If you are shocked that I can say something so politically incorrect let me describe for you what this institution of Islamic teaching looks like.

During the general election in May last year I happened to drive past Deoband on my way to cover election stories in UP and since I had heard of how the Taliban took their inspiration from the Dar-ul-Uloom decided that it would be worth my while to stop and take a look at this influential school.

Deoband is a shabby, little hick town with a dusty, disorderly collection of half-built shops as its main bazaar and its shabbiness makes the magnificence of the Dar-ul-Uloom even more startling. But, I go too fast. I drove through the dusty bazaar, along a gutted road to arrive at a pair of tall, black wrought iron gates. Beyond these gates I could see several fine, white-washed Islamic buildings and beyond them a magnificent mosque that seemed almost bigger than the town of Deoband. At the entrance was a white-bearded gentleman in traditional Islamic clothing — a long kurta over loose pajamas that barely reached his calves. I asked him if I could meet the chief Maulana and after several minutes on the telephone to someone to whom he conveyed my request he said I could not meet him because a) I did not have an appointment and b) I was not veiled.

This irritated me and I pointed out that this was India and not Saudi Arabia and in any case I was not Muslim and that if the Maulana was so keen on purdah then perhaps he should be in it.

At this point a group of bearded students walked by and asked what was going on. When I explained they said I should go to the main office and make an appointment to come back another time. Knowing that I would never have any desire to come back to the Dar-ul-Uloom I decided that as I was there I could at least look around the famed seminary.

So, despite the protests of the white bearded watchman I strolled onto the grounds and found myself in a little bit of Saudi Arabia. All the men I saw were bearded and in Islamic clothes, a small bazaar on the campus sold books only in Urdu and Arabic and when I stopped to talk to a group of young men they said (in Urdu) that they could not talk to me because they spoke only Arabic and I had been rude about their Maulana. I never found out what they considered rude but thought them not just rude but nauseatingly fanatical.

The whole atmosphere was medieval and extremely unpleasant especially if you happened to be a woman. In the forty minutes or so that I spent in the Dar-ul-Uloom I saw only one other woman and she was so heavily veiled that only her eyes and a bit of her nose were exposed. So you see why the fatwa that punishes the victim and not the rapist comes as no surprise to me.

Finally, two questions. Why is a seminary that can only breed Islamic fanatics allowed to exist in India? Will the government of India take action against the maulvis who issued that fatwa declaring Imrana haraam for her husband? Both questions demand answers from 'secular' leaders like Sonia Gandhi and Mulayam Singh Yadav. And, if this is the secular India they want to build then give me Hindutva any old time.