LALITHA SAHASRANAMAM
@ S. Subramaniam
भवारण्य-कुठारिका (114)
Bhavaranya Kutharika (114)
Meaning:
Devi Bhavani cuts down the trees of the forest of family ties (bondages) with the axe.
Interpretation:
The Namah, for easy understanding, needs to be split as Bhavani + Aranyam + Kuthatika.
Bhavani is one of the names of Devi. Aranyam means forest and Kutharika refers to the wood cutter or an axe, to quote the Dhanur Veda Samhita.
If one is desirous of getting salvation, he has to detach himself from all family ties or bondages. These family ties are compared to trees in a forest. When properly worshiped, it's Devi Bhavani who cuts down these trees of bondages and makes the mind of the sadhaka, bereft of any desire, longing or attachment and then grants him salvation.
But Devi does not axe the trees of samsara bondages for all. She does it only for those who address Her as Bhavani and worship her internally in their minds.
Quote from Soundarya Lahari:
भवानि त्वं दासे मयि वितर दृष्टिं सकरुणां
इति स्तोतुं वाञ्छन् कथयति भवानि त्वमिति यः ।
Bhavani tvam dase mayi virara drstim sakarunam
Iti stotum vancham kathayati Bhavani tvam iti yah
We have already seen Adi Shankara submitting himself as a servant (dasa) of Devi and seeking her grace in an earlier namah. Now let's look at the reason behind Shankara using the phrase Bhavani Tvam twice in successive lines within the same sloka.
The first Bhavani Tvam means O, Devi Bhavani I address you and the second one refers to May I become you.
A sadhaka can become one with Devi only when he merges himself into her. Adi Shankara is not just satisfied by Devi cutting down the bondages and granting the sadhaka salvation. He goes one more step ahead and seeks a complete merger of the soul with Devi. That, in a nutshell, is the very essence of entire advaita (non-duality) philosophy.
Author's notes:
Devi axes the forest of samsara. Samsara means indulging in worldly activities such as desire, attachment, love and affection that lead to or causes bondages.
Samsara is compared to trees in a forest. To seek complete relief from all sorts of bondages, every aspect of samsara is to be removed at the root level. Otherwise the bondage is bound to rear its ugly head again and again causing rebirths and with it the associated sufferings. To achieve complete relief, one has to internally worship Devi, address her as Bhavani and do meditation.
It is to be understood clearly here that only those who mentally worship Her, address Her by the name Bhavani, can reap such benefits, says the Bhavana Upanishad.
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