aaratrika / august 2008 1 - Moscow Durga Puja Association

VEDIC GROUND
FOR THE WORSHIP
OF MOTHER DURGA
Swami Jyotirupananda
Swami Jyotirupananda has been in Moscow since 1991 and has been
with us since the second Durga puja. Our very first puja was inaugurated
by Swami Lokeswarananda of the Ramakrishna Order, Belur Math,
India. Swami Jyotirupananda is the founder of the Ramakrishna Math
centre in Moscow affiliated by its Headquarters Belur Math. What he
likes most about Russia? Russian people.
In vedic time sages of Taittiriya Upanishad
engaged themselves in relentless
austerities to reach the deepest layer
of their mind in search of that mystery
which lies behind them and the universe.
Their pure mind, free from all other
thoughts got the light of the ultimate
Reality. They were able to reach even beyond
mind and came face to face with
Supreme Reality. They taught their disciples:
Seek to know that from which all
beings here are born; having been born,
by which they remain alive; and into
which, on departing, they enter. That is
Brahman.
They termed Brahman, the Supreme Reality
thus: Bliss is Brahman, for certainly
all beings here are, indeed, born from
Bliss; having been born they remain
alive by Bliss; and on departing, they enter
into Bliss.
As this realm of Brahman is beyond
mind it is formless, infinite and without
any attribute. It is Existence, Consciousness
and Bliss absolute. Instead of calling
the Reality as One, it is better to call
it as Non-dual. Reaching the state beyond
mind and merging into the Reality
the sages experienced this Non-dual
identity.
For us who have not reached that state
this infinite Brahman is our final goal of
life. Actually, we are every moment moving
towards that goal whether we know
it or not. In the Bhagavad Gita, chapter
fourth, eleventh sloka Sri Krishna said, “ O
Partha, men walk in my path in all ways.”
Human life is nothing but this movement
towards the same goal through
various experiences of life after life seeking
happiness. This happiness for which
we are running for life after life is only
the shadow, so to say, of the eternal Bliss
which is Brahman.
We worship divine Mother Durga. She is
another aspect of Brahman to us. Brahman
being formless and without attribute
we with our mind and senses can
not make any kind of relation with It. We
need form and attribute with the help of
which we can reach that goal. As Brahman
by the power of Its Maya could appear
as the universe with all beings so
also It has the power to appear as Durga
in the form of divine Mother for the
devotees. In Taittiriya Aranyaka a prayer
goes like this: I take refuge to Goddess
Durga, fire-complexioned, ,giver of the
result of Karma and Scorcherer of enemies.
I salute you, the saviour leading
us across the ocean of world.
Goddess Durga is the Universal Energy,
all pervading but can appear before
the devotees in the form of Mother. Her
image with ten hands holding various
weapons signifies various types of energy
working in all directions of this universe.
This universal energy being material it is
considered as her body and She Herself
is the spirit which can be compared as
soul in the body. Sri Ramakrishna truly
said, Brahman and Shakti (Energy) are
identical, when active we call Her Shakti
and when inactive we call it Brahman.
It is natural for every living being seeking
happiness all the time. But this happiness
cannot remain constant when
we are gravitating on external objects
or body, senses and mind. All these are
undergoing change every moment. We,
therefore, need something constant to
hold on which can help us withstand
these changes and remain poised, so
that our real nature Bliss that is God in
us can manifest in its pristine glory. Our
worship of Mother Durga is exactly to
hold on to that constant Bliss in us in
order to cross the strife and struggle in
life.
4 aaratrika / august 2008