Many years back, during Amma’s recordings of Her new bhajan, Amma said something which is very thought provoking! Amma quoted the first line of one our old bhajan,
Amme Bhagavathi, Nithya Kanye Devi:
“O Mother, the Supreme Ruler, O Devi, who is an ever pure virgin.”
Amma said that Devi is Mother but She is also an ever-pure virgin!
Every creation in this universe takes place only with the union of a male and a female. But Mother Parvathi created Her first and foremost son with sandalwood paste on Her own body. And Bhagavan Siva created Subrahmanya through His Divine third eye.
The word creation is a beautiful word in Sanskrit. It is “Srishti”, and it comes from the root “Srij” which means “to project”. Like the cinema or video projector casting visuals on the screen, so too the entire creation is only a projection, it is only an appearance of the Universal Mother’s Mayashakthi. Amma also made another important statement: “Children, the Creator and the Creation are not two, but one!”
Adiparashakthi does not need materials and instruments for creating this universe. The universe manifested from Her own cosmic body.
The Mundaka Upanishad gives a beautiful example. It says:
“Yattha Oorna naabhi Srijathe Grihnathe cha”
Just as the spider creates the web from the threads of its own navel, so too, the Supreme Being brought out the creation from Itself!”
(Mind you, our Rishis knew, ten thousand years back, that the spider’s threads are in its navel – Oorna naabhi)
In the same bhajan, Amma Bhagavathi Nithya Kanye, a later line says:
“Thaan onnum cheyyade Sarvam chedheedunnu”
“Without doing anything, Devi alone does everything!”
But in another Bhajan which Amma sings, it is said:
“Nee cheyyum karmangal Oronnum maanushyar
Thaan cheyvathennu than orkkayallo!”
Every action is done by you, O Devi, but human beings think that they are doing it!”
It appears like a contradiction. One bhajan says Devi does not do anything, but another bhajan says Devi alone is doing everything. But if we think deeply, we can understand that there is no contradiction. If we take the example of electricity, we can understand what it really means.
In the presence of electricity, all electrical equipments function. The electricity does not do anything. In its “presence” bulb gives light, fan gives air, fridge gives cold, stove gives heat…….etc.
This is the meaning of Devi’s:
Thaan onnum cheyyade sarvam cheytheedunnu.
But suppose the bulb thinks: “I am giving light by my power, and fan thinks, I am giving air to everyone….etc.—then it is ignorance”. So too, if human beings think that they are performing actions with their power, they are in delusion. That is why our bhajan says:
Devi, Nee cheyyum karmangal Oronnum manushyar
Thaan cheyvathennu than Orkkayallo!
One line of the Vishnu Sahasranama says:
Lokaadhyaksha suraadhyaksha
Karmaadhyaksha Krithakrithaha
Vishnu is Presiding Power of the universe, of the Gods, of all actions and He is the cause and effect!
When I am called to preside over functions and asked to give a presidential address, I remember this line and say:
“We have lit the lamp – the deepam represents Amma – Adiparashakthi. She alone is the adhyaksha (presiding
force)”.
Our beloved Amma has inspired thousands of Her beloved children to do selfless service – we remember that whatever we have done is only because of Her infinite Grace, Power and Compassion!
Author: Swami Amritageetananda Puri
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