LALITHA SAHASRANAMAM
@ S. Subramaniam
भक्ति-वश्या (120)
Bhakti-vashya (120)
Meaning
Devi is attracted by devotion.
Interpretation:
Here Bhakti means devotion and Vasya means attraction. Devi is drawn towards the devotion of her devotees.
Vag Devi-s, perhaps, have deliberately used the word Vasya in this namah. Consider Devi to be the Mother and the devotee to be a child. The Mother always gets attracted / drawn by the playful acts of the little baby. She looks at the baby with affection, smiles and enjoys the innocent actions of the little baby. This expression of motherly love and the feeling of being drawn by it, is the wonderful meaning of the term vasya.
Adi Shankara's Quotes:
For this namah, again, we go to Shivananda Lahari. Verse # 62 refers to the Divine Mother as ‘bhakthi janani’ meaning the mother you are the embodiment of devotion and ‘bhaktarbhakam rakshati’ which means nurses the devotee as Her child.
Rudrakshair Bhasithena Deva Vapusho Raksham Bavad Bhavanaa Paryankhe Vinivesya Bakthi Janani Bhakthar Bhakam Rakshathi 62
The mother in the form of devotion or Bhakti protects the child in the form of Bhakti (devotee) and safeguards it by smearing Bhasma (holy ashes - vibhuti) and then putting the child - (the devotee involved in absolute meditation) in the cradle. Thus through the tears of happiness, the Mother experiences the thrill of devotion.
Author's notes:
There are several stories that show how Devi Maa protects and allows her devotees to take command of her. This only goes to show the abundant love she has for them and the meaning of her lilas - playful acts.
Swamji Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakur explains that bhakti is the svarupa shakti of Bhagavan and that Devi is yadr-ichcha, which means that bhakti has her own will. Being self-manifest, she is not dependent on any other agency in order to manifest in a person’s heart.
In the Bhagavatam (1.2.6) it is said: Yato Bhaktir Adhoksaje Ahaituky Apratihata – that by which causeless and uninterrupted bhakti for Lord then the feeling of Adhoksaja arises.
अधोक्षज - Adhoksaja literally means that which never diminishes. Here it should be interpreted as supreme knowledge that is beyond one's perception.
Disclaimer: All matters contained in this article are the property of www.templesofasia.com. The opinions expressed in this article are purely that of the author. The author alone is responsible for the accuracy, authenticity, completeness and validity of all the information in the article.
Commentaires