Sri Chakra

The Source of the Cosmos

The Journal of the Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, Rush, NY

Blossom 27 Petal 3 September 2022

Sri Chakra
Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam • srichakra@srividya.org
• 6980 East River Road • Rush, NY 14543 • (585) 533 - 1970
Blossom 27, Petal 3

IN THIS ISSUE
Note from the SVTS Administration 3
Past Events 4
Upcoming Temple Events 7
*UPCOMING UNIQUE EVENT* Lalita Sahasranamavali Vastra Archana 9
Sri Vidya Temple App 11
Connect With Us 12
Steps Towards Our Granite Temple 13
Aiya’s Vision XVII 14
Lalita’s Sahasra Namas VIII 16
Gānāmrutham - Essence of Sivapuranam VIII 26
Gānāmrutham - Abhirāmi Andādi III 33
Gurus, Saints and Sages - Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa VIII 36
Naivēdyam Nivēdayāmi - Karamani Sundal 39
Kids Korner! - Varahi Devi II 41
Kids Korner! - Bala Vidya Video Infographics 44

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 Sri Chakra ● September 2022

Updates &
An Important Announcement
from the SVTS Temple Administration
With our Guru and Devi’s grace and blessings, we hope all of you are keeping well and
safe. We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our volunteers and devotees who
work hard to keep the Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam safely open. Without you all, our Guru’s
wishes and visions could not be upheld.

After 2 years of delivering the program virtually, our annual Vibhuti Saivaite Immersion
(VSI) was conducted in person on the temple premises and was a huge success.
Many parents/guardians and children complemented the program and expressed
how much their children enjoyed the program. We generously thank the VSI team, all
the volunteers and parents from the parent program for making this a wonderful and
memorable program for everyone involved.

Thus far, there have been 3 major pujas that have happened on the construction site, the
first being the Bhumi Puja in 2021, the second being the Lalita Laksha Kumkumarchana
in 2021 and finally, our first ever Laksha Modaka Ganapati Homam at the temple in
August 2022. During this homam, 100 000 modakas were offered into the homam for Sri
Maha Ganapati. This homam was performed on the site where active construction for
the new Temple is set to begin shortly.

A major announcement regarding Aiya’s Sadabhishekam celebrations in 2023 was

made on Guru Purnima day this year. We will be conducting an Ati Rudram as per
Aiya’s wishes, which will be commencing on July 21, 2023. We are hoping to have
several music and cultural programs during the celebrations. Leading up to Aiya’s
Sadabhishekam, we will be doing annadhana seva for shelters on every Anuradha
nakshatra day each month. Everyone is encouraged and welcome to participate.
Please let us know if you are interested in helping out in this seva initiative in any way.

We have been humbled and encouraged by the support, dedication, and generosity
of the entire temple community. We are thankful to all of our generous donors and we
are incredibly grateful to all our dedicated volunteers who have worked endlessly and
contributed in all areas of the temple activities.

We pray that Sri Rajarajeswari will bestow Her blessings on the entire community and,
indeed, the whole world so that all can enjoy good health, prosperity and spiritual
growth.

In Sri Rajarajeswari’s Seva,

Temple Administration

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PAST EVENTS ... June 2022 to

September 2022

Jun - Jul Varahi Navaratri

Varahi Navaratri was celebrated for the first time at the temple

29-7 this year. A new Varahi murti was installed in front of the homa
kundam for the nine-day festival from Ashad Padyami and
Navami. Shodasa Upachara Puja, abhishekam and an ashtottaram
were offered to Varahi Devi along with a Varahi homam each
day. On the 9th day of the festival, Varahi Devi went around in
procession and received a beautiful alankaram after abhishekam.
Goddess Varahi is the commander-general of Goddess Lalita’s
army. She is a powerful deity who fiercely protects Her devotees.
We look forward to celebrating Varahi Navaratri for years to come!

Jul Annual Alankara Utsavam

This year’s annual Alankara Utsavam was conducted in a very

1-4 grand manner and was reminiscent of pre-pandemic celebrations,

commemorating the 24th anniversary of the founding of the temple.
The first day began with Ganapati Kalasa Puja in the morning,
followed by Vancha Kalpa Ganapati Homam. In the evening, Maha
Ganapati went out in a beautiful procession. The next day began
early at 5 am with Chandi homam and Devi Mahatmaya Parayanam.
Utsava Devi was beautifully decorated with an Annapavadai and
received a Shakambari alankaram with vegetables and vadai garlands
while the mula murtis received a kavacha alankaram. In the evening,
Utsava Devi mounted her Chapparam and was pulled around the
temple property by all devotees. On Sunday, Dattatreya Kalasa puja
and homam was performed simultaneously with the unique Dosha
Nivarana Rasi Mandala puja. The Rasi Mandala puja, performed
to alleviate negative planetary effects, was executed on a large scale
at the construction site of the new granite temple. Several hundred
devotees attended and participated in this grand puja. This evening,
as per Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam fashion, children performed and
directed the Dattatreya Utsavam and took Sri Dattatreya around his
chariot. The festival concluded with a Bhairava Madai on Monday.
This year’s Alankara festival was an exciting event which was enriched
by the return of devotees to the temple following the pandemic.

Apr Guru Purnima

Guru Purnima this year began with a Ganapati Tarpanam early in

16 the morning. This was followed by a group cooking initiative for

a nearby shelter. Aiya and Amma were welcomed to the temple in
the evening by all disciples present. The evening commenced with
Aiya and Amma paying their respects to their Guru Parampara,
which was followed by Tarpanam conducted by disciples using
Sri Amritananda Natha’s Ashtottara Sata Namavali. The beautiful
celebration concluded with mangala arati, blessings from Aiya
and Amma, the serving of Maha Prasadam and beautiful bhajans.

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Jul Adi Amavasya

On this day, devotees perform Tarpanam to honours their departed

27 paternal ancestors. The day commenced with Aiya explaining the

importance of performing this ritual for your departed paternal
ancestors and instructions from volunteers at the temple to those
performing the puja. Devotees who were unable to attend in person
were able to follow along online to complete their Tarpanam as well.
Those who attended in person proceed to offer their pindams into
the Kasi river and to perform abhishekam to the Kasi Shivalingam
on the temple property, after performing their Tarpanam.

Jul-Aug Vibhuti Saivaite Immersion

After two successful years of the virtual VSI program in 2020 and 2021

30-6 and with COVID-19 restrictions slowly easing up, it was decided to
conduct VSI in person this year. The excitement to return in-person was
evident in everyone, from the young ones to the older volunteers that
help run the program year after year. There were about 60 participants
including campers, Junior Counselors and Counselors. This year’s
saint of focus was Sri Papa Ramdas and Sri Krishnabhai, along with
detailed learning sessions on Shivalingams. All participants enjoyed
learning about the saints and Shivalingams from Aiya. Adi Puram and
Varalakshmi Vratam fell during the week of VSI, which allowed campers
to learn about these festivals, help with preparations and watch how it
is conducted. They also learnt how to carry out a chariot procession
and used this knowledge to conduct the Youth Chariot Festival on
the final day. Despite the day being a long day, with a few delays,
everyone enjoyed every bit of it and parents and guardians enjoyed
watching their kids conduct and participate an entire Rathotsavam
on their own. Parents who were part of the Parent Program assisted
in running the daily duties of the temple and the background work
required for VSI. Overall, this year’s program was enjoyed by all and
was a great way to resume the typical VSI program on the property.

Jul Sata Chandi Homam & Adi Puram

The Adi Puram festival is a celebration of maturity and entering
29-31 womanhood. Every year this festival is celebrated with a grand
Chandi homam followed by abhishekam to Vana Durga Devi
followed by alankaram (sari ceremony) accompanied with special
aratis offered by ladies. This year the festival day fell on a Sunday,
it was unique as it was celebrated from Friday-Sunday with a grand
Sata Chandi offering. On Friday, Nava Durgas were installed into
9 kalashams. Chandi homam was performed by 8 karthas in the
pradhana homa kundam. On Saturday, a special avahanthi homam
was performed in addition to Chandi parayanam and Navavarna
puja. Adi Puram day commenced with the traditional offering of
Chandi homam to the Devi. This was performed at 2 homa kundams
followed by kalasha udhvasanam, abhishekam, alankaram and
special aratis performed by several ladies with pomp and splendour.

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Aug Varalakshmi Vratam

Varalakshmi Vratam is celebrated annually in the auspicious month

5 of Aadi dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi. This puja is performed by

sumangalis who pray for the prosperity of their families. Every
year, 3 kalashams are filled with special items such as honey,
kalasham water, akshadas and are strung together and decorated
to represent the Goddess. In addition, a lamp is also dressed to
represent the Devi. This year the puja coincided with the annual
VSI camp so many of the camp junior counselors participated
in the setup for the festival. The puja was performed by over 50
ladies and the sacred blessed thread was offered as prasadam.

Aug Laksha Modaka Ganapati Homam

This year, the much-awaited construction of the Granite temple is
27-28 scheduled to begin in September. The temple performed a Maha
Ganapati homam offering Laksha (100 000) Modakams on the
construction site of the future temple. This was a massive undertaking
with 5 large homa kundams being constructed (outdoor) to be able
to accept the 100 000 modakams offered to Maha Ganapati. The
event commenced with kalasha sthapanam of 17 kalashams in the
vedikai followed by the homam. It was very well attended by over
300 devotees and over 150 karthas who participated in the grand
offering. The event concluded with kalasha udhvasanam, parikramam
around the temple and abhishekam to Maha Ganapati in the temple.

Aug Vinayaka Chaturthi

Vinayaka Chaturthi was celebrated 2 days after the Laksha Modakam

30 Ganapati Homam event. The auspicious day commenced with

Kalasha Sthapanam and Tarpanam to a Ganapati made from
turmeric. This was followed by Maha Ganapati homam with
the offering of 1008 modakams by everyone present. Kalasha
udhvasanam and abhishekam was performed to Ganapati with a
grand alankaram. In the evening, parikrama puja was performed to
the Utsava Ganapati who was then taken in procession around the
temple by almost 100 devotees who attended the event. Everyone
present received Maha Prasadam before leaving for the night.

IN THREE MONTHS ... Our special thanks & gratitude

Devi willing, the next issue of the Sri Chakra will be up to this issue’s volunteers:
on the temple’s website at the beginning of December
2022. This magazine cannot keep publishing without Aiya & Amma, Adheesh Ankolekar, Vilas Ankolekar,
contributions! Articles, poems, stories and photos about Jeilan Devanesan, Veena Ganeshan, Suhina
any spiritual topic are welcomed. Kanapathipillai, Sripada Kondur, Srividya Mathanaraj,
The next deadline for article submission is October Anushka Muresh, Palaniappan Muthukumarasamy,
14, 2022. Please e-mail us with your contributions or Anjhane Raveendhran, Kamya Ramaswamy,
feedback about this issue at srichakra@srividya.org or Luxan Shanthakkumar, Bala Vidya Team, Temple
talk to Virroshi at the temple. Administration, and the Granite Temple Construction
Committee.
Sri Gurubhyo Namaha!

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 Sri Chakra ● September 2022

UPCOMING EVENTS

EVENTS
SEPTEMBER 2022
Sep 10-11 Festival Cleaning & Prep
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
Sep 17-18 Festival Cleaning & Prep
28 29 30 31 1 2 3
Sep 26-Oct 6 Dhvajarohanam
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Sep 26-Oct 6 Navaratri Brahmotsavam
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 1

Please Note: For Pradosham, Purnima and Saturday Kalasha Puja, Homam &
Abhishekam dates, please refer to the Temple calendar.

EVENTS
Sep 26-Oct 6 Navaratri Brahmotsavam OCTOBER 2022
Oct 1 Lalita Sahasranama
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
Sari Archana
Oct 4 Vijayadashami 25 26 27 28 29 30 1
Rathotsavam
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Oct 4-24 Kedara Gauri
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Oct 5 Tirthabhishekam
Dhvajavarohanam 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Oct 6 Kulirtti 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

Oct 24 Diwali 30 31 1 2 3 4 5

Oct 25-30 Skanda Shashti Please Note: For Pradosham, Purnima and Saturday Kalasha Puja, Homam &
Abhishekam dates, please refer to the Temple calendar.
Oct 30 Suran Por
Oct 31 Tirukalyanam

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Blossom 27, Petal 3

EVENTS
NOVEMBER 2022
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

30 31 1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 1 2 3

Please Note: For Pradosham, Purnima and Saturday Kalasha Puja, Homam &
Abhishekam dates, please refer to the Temple calendar.

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 Sri Chakra ● September 2022
Please join us for this rare and unique opportinity!

2022 Navaratri Brahmotsavam

Lalita Sahasranamavali
Vastra (Sari) Archana
Saturday, October 1, 2022 (During Regular Noon Puja Time)

During our Navaratri Brahmotsavam, we will be conducting a Lalita Sahasranamavali

Vastra Archana, where for each nama of the Mother, a sari will be offered to the Devi.

Sponsor Now Navaratri Brahmotsavam

$108 USD per sari Important Dates:
Sponsors will receive the saris blessed by Sri Sep 19 Dhvajarohanam
Rajarajeswari as prasadam.
Sep 26 Navaratri begins
Oct 1 Lalita Sahasranama Sari Archana
Oct 4 Vijayadashami, Rathotsavam
Oct 5 Tirthotsavam & Dhvajavarohanam
Oct 6 Kulirtti Abhishekam & Bhairavar
Madai
give.srividya.org/navaratri-lsnsari

Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam www.srividya.org

info@srividya.org 9
Sri Chakra 6980 E River Road
• srichakra@srividya.org
Rush, NY 14543 585.533.1970 / 416.628.3357
 Blossom 27, Petal 3

அைனவ � கல� ெகா� ப ெபற ஒ அரிய வா�� !

நவரா�த�ரி �ர�ேமா�ஸவ�

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வ��ர ( டைவ) அ��சைன
சனி க ழைம, அ ேடாப� 1, 2022

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அ��சைன நைடெபற��ள�.

உபய� ெச�ய நவரா�த�ரி �ர�ேமா�ஸவ�

$108 USD ஒ டைவ நவரா�த ரி �ர ேமா�ஸவ�
உபய� ெச�பவ�க���, ெஸ�ட�ப� 19 �வஜாேராஹண�
ராஜராேஜ�வரிய�� ஆ �வாத��ட� ெஸ�ட�ப� 26 நவரா�த�ரி ஆர�ப�
அ��சைன ெச�த டைவ ப�ரசாதமாக அ ேடாப� 1 ல தா ஸஹ�ரநாம வ��ர
ெகா �க�ப �. ( டைவ) அ��சைன
அ ேடாப� 4 வ�ஜயதஶமி, ரேதா�ஸவ�
அ ேடாப� 5 ���ேதா�ஸவ�,
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give.srividya.org/navaratri-lsnsari மைட

Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam www.srividya.org

10 6980 E River Road info@srividya.org
Sri Chakra • srichakra@srividya.org
Rush, NY 14543 585.533.1970
 Sri Chakra ● September 2022

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Blossom 27, Petal 3

Connect with SVTS

6980 East River Road
Rush, NY
14543
USA
1-585-533-1970
1-416-628-3786

www.srividya.org

info@srividya.org

Sri Vidya Temple

Sri Vidya Temple

Sri Vidya Temple

Sri Vidya Temple

Sri Vidya Temple

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 Sri Chakra ● September 2022

Steps Towards Our

Rajagopuram Granite Temple
01 Alaya Nirmana Ganapati Puja 14 Site Work in Progress!

02 Ideas & Suggestions 15 Giving Tuesday 2021

03 Design Contract 16 Granite Work in Progress!

04 Sannidhi & Vigraham Sponsorships 17 Phase I Redefined!

05 Phase I 18 Phase I construction is about to

start!
06 Pledges for the Main Temple With the blessings of Sri Devi and the Guru
Parampara, we have reached an important
milestone in the Rajagopuram Project. We are very
pleased to announce that Phase 1 construction
07 Giving Tuesday 2019 at the new Temple site, consisting of Sri Maha
Ganapati and Sri Subrahmanya sannidhis, will
start this Tuesday, September 6! This has now
08 Contract Signed been confirmed by our general contractor.

Reaching this milestone can only have happened

09 Carving is Underway with all your sincere prayers and generous support.
As you all know, this is a serious responsibility
that has been undertaken, and we will definitely
need all of your continued support and prayers to
10 Carving & Planning Continues complete this noble vision conceived by Aiya and
Amma.

11 Master Plan Presented to Town

12 Master Plan Approved!!

13 Vanaspati Shanti Puja & Tree Removal

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Blossom 27, Petal 3

Aiya’s Vision
Granite Temple & rajagopuram

(Part 17)

In this portion of the series, members of the Granite Temple Committee & Temple
Administration provide a General Update on the project’s progress thus far.

by the Granite Temple Committee & Temple Administration

Construction
In Rush, NY:
We had received approval from the NY state and Monroe County for our engineer-signed
architectural drawings. These drawings were tendered for bids with construction contractor
companies and we received quotations from some companies.
We are very pleased to announce that Phase 1 construction
at the new Temple site, consisting of Sri Maha Ganapati and Sri
Subrahmanya sannidhis, will start this Tuesday, September 6!

In India:
The construction of the Ganapati Sannidhi is almost complete.
The contract with our Sthapati for the new addition for Phase I, as
mentioned in our last issue, has now been signed. In addition, there
has been a little change to the Ganapati that will be installed as
our mula murti in our new Ganapati sannidhi. Initially, there was
going to be a new Shakti Ganapati vigraham that was going to be
installed. Now, our existing mula Ganapati will be installed in the
new granite temple.

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 Sri Chakra ● September 2022

Fundraising
Our annual Dosha Nivarana
Rasi Mandala Puja,
conducted during our
annual Alankara Festival,
was attended by several
devotees around the world.
It was a grand success and
well-appreciated by many
experiencing challenges
and difficulties from
planetary movements.

For the first time ever at the Temple, a Laksha Modaka Ganapati Homam was conducted.
During this homam, 100 000 modakas were offered into the homam for Sri Maha Ganapati.
This homam was performed on the site where active construction for the new Temple is set to
begin shortly. In true Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam fashion, all devotees who attended were given
the opportunity to offer modakas into the homa. There were 5 homa kundams. Each homa
kundam was located in the approximate locations of the Ganapati sannidhi, Devi sannidhi,
Subrahmanya sannidhi, the Rajagopuram and the homa kundam of the new temple.

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Blossom 27, Petal 3

Lalita’s Sahasra Namas (Part 8)

on the Temple’s Social Media Platforms
Since the lockdown that started in March 2020, the Temple has been posting one nama
from the Lalita Sahasranama, along with its meaning, on a daily basis. These posts are
made on the temple’s social media platforms. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and
Telegram to get these updates on the daily.
This series will be a continued compilations of these namas for the Sri Chakra community.

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To be continued ...
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(Part 8)
Essence of Shivapuranam by Aiya

During the COVID-19 Line 8:

lockdown that started in puṟandārkkuc cēyōntan pūṅgazhalgaḷ velga
March 2020, Aiya conducted புறந்்ததார்க்குச் சேயோ�ோன் தன் பூங்்கழல்்கள்
several weekly sessions வெல்்க
explaining the ‘Essence of
Shivapuranam.’ At the end Last, we started to talk about puṟandārkku cēyōntan
of each session, Aiya answers pūṅgazhalgaḷ velga. Puṟandārkku cēyōn - the word
a few questions related to puṟandārkku can have several meanings, depending on
the content. Here is the next the context of use. Puṟandār can mean people who have
installment of this series neglected or completely forgotten Śiva. Puṟandārkku
continuing with the analysis cēyōn, the ones who do not think about him or meditate
of each line. on him, cēyōn he is far away from them.

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Most of you are familiar with Śrī Lalitā Sahasranāmam. In that, there is a nāma that
goes, antarmukha samārādhyā, bahirmukha sudurlabhā. Antarmukha means, “internal
worship.” A worship with the attention focused inwards, not outwards, but inwards. Now,
Puṟandārkku in this context can mean people who perform external pūjā. Bahirmukha,
outward pūjā, that means your focus is leaving you and then going outwards to the
manifested universe. The basic pūjā is Pañca (5) Upacāra Pūjā (pūjā with 5 offerings).
Then, a little more elaborate version in Śōdaṣa (16) Upacāra Pūjā (pūjā with 16 offerings),
and a really elaborate one can be Catuṣṣaṣṭi (64) Upacāra Pūjā (pūjā with 64 offerings).

Now, at the end of the last session, there had been a question, “How does one find
out, if one is ready to go inwards?” When you perform Nitya pūjā or Nitya Utsavam, if you
do Nitya pūjā every day at the same time, observing the eight-fold rule of Rāja Yōga, you
will find that the mind is more controllable. That means you are able to control the mind, to
bring it to bear on a particular subject with much ease. Puṟandārkku, the ones who perform
external pūjā, how they find out that it is about time that they start to go inside is, they
will find that performing the external pūjā, like lifting the lamp, ringing the bell, performing
naivēdyam, these are becoming like a chore. And you’ll find that your mind wants to just
sit in quiet silence. At that time, you can begin experimenting with going inwards.

That means, to begin with, you must imagine the

pūjā, visualize the pūjā, from start to finish, including
all the mantras being chanted inside of you, without
involving outgoing breath, or your tongue, or your lips.
By just listening to the Upacāras, to the services inside
of you. First try to perform Pañca Upacāra Pūjā, the five
services that are normally offered to Śiva. If your mind
can stay within the limits of this pūjā without flying off into
different aspects of whatever that you are visualizing,
you’ll know you are about ready to start the inward
journey.

Back to Puṟandārkku - in this respect, can mean, for those people who persist in
performing external pūjā, cēyōn, he is difficult to discern or to reach. This is the same
sentiment that is expressed in the line, antarmukha samārādhyā, bahirmukha sudurlabhā,
from the Śrī Lalitā Sahasranāmam. Once this transition has occurred, a series of changes
will start to occur in your mind and in your body. The most important aspect, once this has
commenced, is to pay absolute attention to it and to observe it like an external observer.

Line 9: karaṅkuvivār uḷmagizhum kōn kazhalgaḷ velga

கரங்குவிவார் உள்்மகிழும் கோ�ோன்்கழல்்கள் வெல்்க

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The next line says, karaṅkuvivār uḷmagizhum kōn kazhalgaḷ velga. Karam means
hands, kuvivār means holding both palms together, basically like the namaskāra mudra. If
you hold it in the worshipful attitude, the mudra, it resembles a lotus petal, lotus bud, with
the petals folded. So, he’s comparing the act of worshiping with folded palms to a lotus,
karaṅkuvivār. In the centre of the lotus is the most important part of the flower, where the
seeds are. Inside here, the Ātma Svarūpam, is the consciousness in the form of light with
a height of two and a half inches and that light is folded in between the palms.

So karaṅkuvivār, when that mudra is successfully deployed, what

happens? Uḷmagizhum - inside the mind and inside the body, a series
of what can be described as minor thrills, will run from the base of the
body all the way to the top of the head in a quick sequence. It won’t
happen every day, but depending on how deep your concentration
is, it can begin to happen frequently. This is the word, this is what is
meant by uḷmagizhum. That thrill will give you happiness.

Kōn kazhalgaḷ velga, Kōn in this context, means king of the

universe, king of the cosmos. So you worship his feet. Velga is victory.

Line 10: siram kuvivār ōṅguvikkum sīrōn kazhal velga

சிரம்குவிவார் ஓங்குவிக்கும் சீரோ�ோன் கழல் வெல்்க

Siram kuvivār ōṅguvikkum sīrōn kazhal velga. Siram means the head. What is inside
the head? The brain, your location, your intelligence. Kuvivār - if bringing your intelligence
and your intentions to one pointed concentration. Uḷmagizhum – inner happiness, let’s say.
Again, with the sequence of the thrill passing through your body.

Siram kuvivār ōṅguvikkum. If you see, normally, especially where Sri Lankan Tamils are
in a temple, when the Ārati goes on, you will find most of them will lift their hands, folded
palms above their head. Ōṅguvikkum is to raise, but there is a still deeper and much more
effective meaning to this. In this respect, siram kuvivār is with one pointed concentration,
in your mind. Ōṅguvikkum, is if you raise the primordial power to your siram, which is your
head.

The cakras that belong to the body

are Mūlādhāra, Svādhiṣṭhāna, Maṇipūra,
Anāhata, Viśuddhi, Ājñā and Sahasrāra.
These cakras belong to the body, and it is
very essential to reach the golden feet of the
guru, or Naṭarāja, or Dakṣiṇāmūrti, or Bālā
Tripurasundarī, or Mahā Tripurasundarī.
It is important for one’s consciousness,
to raise through the six cakras (excluding

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Blossom 27, Petal 3

Sahasrāra) while absorbing Vāsanās, all the Tattvas

that are resident in each of the cakras. For example,
the mūlādhāra cakra, the coccygeal plexus, or the
base cakra has four petals, and the tattvam that is
associated with this cakra is a solid state.

Now, when the Kuṇḍalini or the consciousness,

the pure consciousness which is in ordinary
circumstances, lies in a three and a half coil, covering
the top of a Śivaliṅgam in the mūlādhāra, opens up
and begins to move upwards. When it starts to move, it
will absorb the tattvam of the cakra. So, the mūlādhāra
cakra being pṛthvī tattvam. Pṛthvī being solid state is
absorbed. And along with it, some of the rasa or the
emotions that are in that cakra. One is krōdha, anger,
will become absorbed, which will facilitate movement of the Kuṇḍalini unimpeded through
the other five cakras. Because if anger is there, it’ll affect the blood pressure, and it’ll affect
the thought process, and it will bring about Rajōguṇa. So, all the effect, the effort that one
has put in to try and reach the internal pathway will be wasted. If the anger is allowed to
express itself, japam that has been performed up to that time can get completely wasted.

So, when he says, siram kuvivār ōṅguvikkum with the concentrated mind, ōṅguvikkum
is to raise the Kuṇḍalini up all the way, and when it goes past the centre of the eyebrow,
the ājñā cakra, one must pass through nine centres of consciousness. These are also
described as cakras, and in the Lalitā Sahasranāmam, they are described in the verse, in
the line that goes, bindumaṇḍala vāsinī, rahōyāga kramārādhyā. So bindumaṇḍala vāsinī,
the bindumaṇḍalam extends from the ājñā cakra which lies exactly between the eyebrows,
and the width of half a finger, width of a finger, each point proceeding all the way to the top
of the head, there are centres. And these centres are noted in the Śrī Vidya, Śrī Cakra pūjā
Vidhi. And in there, there is a diagram that gives you the various zones. The zones that are
there, each of those, you must raise the consciousness to go through each one, unmanā,
samāna, and so on and so forth. It goes from (ājñācakra), ardhacandra, rodhinī, nāda,
nādānta, śakti, vypāpikā, samāna, unmanā (sahasrāra) and mahā bindu.

Now, as the consciousness comes to the ājñā cakra, he is very conscious

of what will happen to somebody once you reach the ājñā cakra. So, in
that line, siram kuvivār ōṅguvikkum, the people with proper concentration
who have been able to raise the consciousness ōṅguvikkum, sīrōn kazhal
velga. Sīr means wealth, so whatever exists in this cosmos is owned by
Śiva. So, he’s the wealthiest in this cosmos, he owns everything: you, me,
our minds, our karmas, our sins, our puṇyas, everything, he owns. So
sīrōn kazhal velga, he praises his feet again.

Now, siram kuvivār ōṅguvikkum, as the energy leaves, once it has lodged itself in the

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ājñā cakra, experience of Ardhanāri tattvam will result in the

sādhaka. It’ll become very conscious of Ardhanārīśvara. In
his own self, he will be able to discern the interplay of Śiva
and Śaktī. They are very much like the yin and the yang, both
of them are inside that circle, but both are linked with each
other. In this respect, once ājñā cakra has been reached by
the consciousness, by the Kuṇḍalini, your own personality,
that is, the notion of “I”, the notion of “you” performing things.
The notion of you, existing as an individual. on this planet
will disappear. That means you will effectively be giving
the command for your own demise. That is why it is called
ājñā. Ājñā means command. You command yourself that
your worldly consciousness will perish after that, and body
consciousness will perish. And in the Śrī Vidyā teachings,
from ājñā cakra all the way to the thousand-petaled down
turned lotus that is there at the Dvādaśantam, only your guru
or Varahi can take you there, through that.

So, if the corresponding cakras in the body, beginning with mūlādhāra all the way
to ājñā cakram, if some of them are not completely purified, the Cit Śaktī will make a loop
around the cakra beyond the ājñā cakra and go back down. If the third cakra, that means,
the third cakra is, see, mūlādhāra, svādhiṣṭhāna, maṇipūraka cakra. Correspondingly, if
it’ll go up to the third cakra between the eyebrow centre and the top of the head, it’ll loop
around that and go back down.

So, it is not a direct path once it reaches that ‘Bindu Maṇḍala Vāsinī, Rahōyāga
Kramaradhya’. Rahō means Rahasyam. Once it has reached that point, you must do
internal worship in silence, in solitude. If you’re doing it in your mind, nobody else will know
that you’re doing it. That is why it is called Rahasyam. You alone are present, only you
alone. Only you are present there, nobody else is there.

So, siram kuvivār ōṅguvikkum, once you have reached it the, sīrōn kazhal velga.
Then he’s praising him. He’s īsan. In Tamil, the anklet worn by a man is called kazhal, the
anklet worn by a woman is called silambu. In the Sīvagasintāmaṇi story of Kōvalan and
Kannagi, you will find that Kannagi’s anklet was broken in front of the Pandiya king and the
gems inside were released. Like that, a man also wears an anklet, as a symbol of bravery
and valor. In the anklet worn by Śiva, there’s a small bell. Next time you look at a Naṭarāja
picture or a statue, take a careful look at it. You will find the bell at the end of his kazhal.
Here, the word kazhal is a substitute for feet here. Kazhal describes the anklet. Siram
kuvivār ōṅguvikkum sīrōn kazhal velga.

Line 11: īsan aḍi pōṭṟi endai aḍi pōṭṟi

ஈசன் அடிபோ�ோற்்றறி எந்்ததை அடிபோ�ோற்்றறி

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Then, he says, īsan aḍi pōṭṟi. Īsan is Śiva. Śiva has 1000 names. He has probably
many, many, many more names. All the names that are given to human beings or anything
because he is in everything, it is his name. So īsan aḍi pōṭṟi, endai aḍi pōṭṟi. Endai means,
en tandai. En means mine, tandai means father. So, he’s addressing Śiva as his father.
Īsan aḍi pōṭṟi, en tandai it should be, but because of the poetic license, it is written like,
endai aḍi pōṭṟi.

Line 12: tēsan aḍi pōṭṟi sivan sēvaḍi pōṭṟi

தேசன் அடிபோ�ோற்்றறி சிவன் சேவடி போ�ோற்்றறி

Tēsan aḍi pōṭṟi sivan sēvaḍi pōṭṟi. Tēsan, tējan. There is no ja sound in Tamil, so it
has been written tēsan. Tējan aḍi pōṭṟi.

You will notice that siram kuvivār ōṅguvikkum sīrōn kazhal velga once you have
raised, managed to raise the Kuṇḍalini to the Ājñā cakra, your body will become effulgent.
By just looking at you, somebody will know that you are involved in the chanting of Vedic
mantras, or concentration, or japam, or meditation, or dhyānam, or practicing samadhi.
Immediately, they will know. That is what is meant by tējan.

Tējan aḍi pōṭṟi, once you have come up to that point, Śrī Vidyā they will give you
the mantra diksha and tell you, “If it is not your parents or your guru, unless it is someone
who has received the same mantras as you are, do not do
namaskāram to them”. So, from this you know that there is
a qualification of a person. If you are a Śrī Vidyā Upāsaka,
there is a qualification required of the person to whom you
are going to do namaskāram. You should be able to receive
it. If he doesn’t, if he’s not at the same level, if you are at
Śiva’s level and he’s not, he can die. All it takes is a couple
of months and that person will be removed. So, if you do
namaskāram, it has to be somebody who is your guru, or
your parents, or somebody that you treat as your parents,
you have to do that. So īsan aḍi pōṭṟi, endai aḍi pōṭṟi. tēsan
aḍi pōṭṟi. tējan aḍi pōṭṟi. Take a look at these pictures. Can
you see the bell hanging? The bell is there. So īsan aḍi pōṭṟi
endai aḍi pōṭṟi. tēsan aḍi pōṭṟi sivan sēvaḍi pōṭṟi. Śivan, The
golden feet of Śiva.

Watch for the next issue of the Sri Chakra to continue learning
about this gem by Manikkavasagar.

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Abhirami
Andadi
(Part 3)
Aiya has been conducting a
series of weekly sessions since
December 2020 explaining
the beauty of the ‘Abhirami
Andadi.’ At the end of each
session, Aiya answers a few
questions related to the content.
Here is the third installment of
this series.

Last time, we saw briefly the life history of the

author Abhirāmi Andādi and we found that in the
town of Tirukkaḍaiyūr, ‘Tiru-gaṭa-ūr’, where the pot of
amr̥ tam, that the dēva obtained by churning the ocean
of milk was completely transformed into the Śivaliṅgam
in the Temple. Hence, the name Amr̥tagatēśvarar.
Now, Abhirāmi Paṭṭar, who was originally named
Subrahmaṇiam, was a follower of Śri Vidyā, a Śri Vidyā
Upāsaka, and it is inevitable because he was not a
trained Tamil poet. Even the songs that he composed
and sang, when his very existence was at stake, we
must conclude that the Dēvī herself sat inside his mind
and chanted it for him because he was a simple, very
simple young man.

Let’s look at the first song which is usually called Kāppu

Ceyyuḷ. Kāppu means protect. It is traditional when
one invokes or embarks on creating a series of songs
to sing, the first song is in praise of Lord Gaṇapati.

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Blossom 27, Petal 3

கணபதி காப்பு
தாரமர் கொ�ொன்்றறையும் சண்்பகமாலையும் சாத்தும் தில்்லலை
ஊரார் தம் பாகத்து உமைமைந்்தனே! உலகு ஏழும் பெற்்ற
சீர் அபிராமி அந்்ததாதி எப்போதும் என் சிந்்ததையுள்்ளளே
காரமர் மேனிக் கணபதியே! நிற்்க கட்டுரையே.

gaṇapati kāppu
tāramar konṟaiyum caṇpakamālaiyum sāttum tillai
ūrār tam pāgattu umaimaindanē! ulagu ēzhum peṭṟa
sīr abirāmi andādi eppōdum en sindaiyuḷḷē
kāramar mēnik gaṇapatiyē! niṟka kaṭṭuraiyē. Konṟai Flower

Tāramar konṟaiyum – Konṟaiyum is a type of flower; caṇpaiyum is also

a type of flower. Both are heavily perfumed, and these are traditionally
offered in Chidambaram.

He says, tāramar konṟaiyum caṇpakamālaiyum sāttum, meaning the

deities there are adorned with these flowers.
Caṇpaka Flower
Tillai ūrar tam bāgattu – Tillai is Chidambaram. Tillai was a type of tree
that was prevalent in Abhirāmi Paṭṭar’s time.

It is interesting to note today that this tree is extinct in that town. You
will not find even a single example of this particular tree. If you go to
the Chidambaram Temple and ask where one could find Tillai, they will
show you a dead truck of a tree. That’s all that is remaining this day.

Tillai ūrar tam bāgattu – bāgattu means half,

occupying half of the body of the one who Tillai Tree
lives in Chidambaram adorned with konṟai and
caṇpakamālaiyum; mālai is garland.

Umaimaindanē refering the son, maindan, of the one who occupies half of Śiva’s
body.

Caṇpaka Mālai Ulagēzhum peṭṟa – The seven worlds that were born out of her, Jagat Jananī, the
one who gave birth to the earth.

Ulagēzhum peṭṟa sīr abirāmi andādi eppōdum – This series of songs will use the ending word of the
previous song as the beginning word of the following song. It should remain in my mind always. It
should be playing in my mind always.

Kāramar mēni – Kār means dark, usually referring to a rain-infused cloud or a cloud that is ‘pregnant’

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 Sri Chakra ● September 2022

with rain. Mēni means body, so he says grey color body.

Gaṇapatiyē niṟka kaṭṭuraiyē – Basically, he says ‘you should protect me and

may these songs echo in my mind over and over again.’

Now, you will notice in the first song, he says ‘ulagēzhum peṭṟa’, referring to
the seven worlds. What are these seven worlds? If you look at it carefully, they
mean the Vyāhṛtis of Gāyatrī mantra. Please recall if you can, the DaVinci
diagram that many people are familiar with. It is a human being with his arms
and legs extended and his navel used as the centre to draw a circle to touch all
the extremities of the body. Above the navel, there are supposed to be seven
planes of existence. That is what is meant by ulagēzhum – the seven worlds.

When he says seven worlds, he means seven regions of his experiences;

seven regions that will be only be experienced. Maybe when you get into that stage, you can have, or
you will have visions of various worlds.

So, bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ, svaḥ, mahaḥ, janaḥ, tapaḥ, satyam – these are the seven worlds that he is talking
about but let us also consider the nether worlds that are there. There are seven more below the navel.
Although we will not be using them, they are also in that place. Behind the navel is the Maṇipūraka
Cakra and if you go below, there is Svādhiṣṭhānam and Mūlādhāram. Svādhiṣṭhānam that which exists
on its own and below is the Mūlādhāram. So, if one lets the Cit Śaktī and all their upāsana go after
having brought it up to the navel (the Maṇipūraka cakra), one will sink into the Nether worlds - Atala,
Vitala, Sutala, Rasātala, Palātala, Pātāla, Atalapātāla. These seven worlds are behind.

Now the central Yantra that one uses for the worship in Śrī Vidyā is the Śrī Yantra – these are personified
by the fourteen triangles.

Incidentally the fourteen triangles were the only ones that were worshipped before. They may have
been the lotuses - the eight petal and sixteen petal lotus - the circles
and the square but the earliest diagram, little version of the Śrī Cakra
in existence, is in the Ahmedabad museum in Baroda, Gujarat and
they are written on a leaf called Bujre Patra.

Why is it that Abhirāmi Paṭṭar has only mentioned the seven worlds
that are above the navel? I think this is because he was constantly
in a state of ecstasy and the experience of sinking below the navel
was not with him.

Now having looked at him and realizing that this poet was interested and immersed in Dēvī worship all
the time, we should be in a position to understand the viewpoint from which he sang these songs with.
Only then you will be able to understand his mental makeup and his behavior.

Stay tuned for the next issue of the Sri Chakra to continue learning
more about Abhirāmi Andādi!

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Blossom 27, Petal 3

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Sri Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa (Part 8)
by Luxan Shanthakkumar

The Power of Bhakti

In the previous segment, our saint was

about to take his own life. He was filled with
the pain of separation from the divine Mother
and Her granting him a vision of Herself.
Ramakrishna was said to be stepping into
a new realm, he had extraordinary visions,
some of which while in meditation and
others when he was in a waking state. One
such example is of people often seeing him
conversing with the stone image of Kali as if
it were fully conscious. This did not help the
public’s perception of him. People still believed
him to be a complete mad man. This became
so worrying to some that they brought him to
a physician to be treated but it had no effect
on him. What seemed like ailments of the
One of the most prominent physical body to normal people was in reality
religious figures of India great divine experiences for Ramakrishna.
during the 19th centry was Sri Before meditating he would tell himself that
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. he would be as still as Bhairava – once he sat
He was a master of the mystic down, he would hear a rattling noise on all
arts whose unbearable longing his joints as if they were being locked from
his ankles upward. Once they were locked,
for the Diving Mother propelled
he would physically be unable to move them
him to heights that many could
until his meditation was done and he would
only dream of. once again hear the rattling noise unlocking
his body in the reverse order.

Here is the next segment of Sri The visions he experienced also became
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s more and more frequent, although he did not
life history. know what they meant. Sometimes he would
see large veils of luminous mist like molten

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Blossom 27, Petal 3

silver surround him and everyone else or specks of light – it was unknown to him whether they
were helpful or detrimental to his spiritual progress, so he simply surrendered it all to Her. This lack
of clarity along with the fact that he was unable to remain in a constant state of bliss created great
pangs of pain in his heart and he would continuously ask the Mother to teach him, “Mother, I don’t
know what these things are. I am ignorant of mantras and all other things requisite to realization
of thee. Teach me, Mother, how to realize thee. Who can help me? Art though not my only refuge
and guide?”

From this time onward his attitude towards the Devi became childlike. Ramakrishna believed
that his inability to see the Mother whenever he wished was because she was in a playful mood
and was purposefully hiding herself. True to the feeling of a child, Ramakrishna now left everything
to the Mother, he surrendered, he constantly checked the
impulses of his own ego and let Her will direct him. His
surrender was complete, his actions were much criticized,
but what was that to him? Was it not the Devi leading him
by hand, everything was Her; good and bad, happy and
sad, desire and detachment. Punyam and papam, krtyam
and akrtyam, dharmam and adharmam, sankalpam and
vikalpam.

The Devi completely enveloped Ramakrishna now.

Before, when he would sit for meditation after some trial
and tribulation, She would reveal a glimpse of Her hand or
Her foot. He once regarded the stone image as possessed
of consciousness, however now it was completely
opposite. Now when he would try to meditate, he would
immediately be blessed by her whole vision, She would
even partake in the naivedyam before it was offered to
Her, the stone image had disappeared and in its stead
was the Mother in the flesh smiling so lovingly. It would
be so substantial to the point he would feel Her breath on
his hand when he would feed Her. At night when he was
in his own room, he would be able hear Her run up the
gopuram of the temple with the delight of a young girl, with Her anklets jingling. To make sure
he was not mistaken he would check the balcony and would see Her standing there with Her hair
flowing beautifully as she looked over the Ganges or the city.

As previously described, Ramakrishna had no working understanding or knowledge of

mantras, yantras, or tantras. All that he had achieved was through pure bhakti alone. It was
through bhakti that Ramakrishna moved to Calcutta, it was through bhakti that he was able to see
Her and it was through bhakti that the once-stone image was now a dynamic entity that would
breathe and eat off of his hand. Not just any entity either – this was the Mother of the entire
universe.

Keep an eye out for the next issue of the Sri Chakra to continue
learning more about Ramakrishna’s love for Kali.

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Blossom 27, Petal 3

Karamani
Sundal by Palaniappan Muthukumarasamy

Always remember not to smell or

What is Karamani Sundall?
Karamani - Black-eyed peas (in Tamil) taste food when it is being made as
Naivedyam. In addition, always think
Sundal is the Tamil name given to a dry dish seasoned with pure thoughts and make the Naivedyam
mustard, green chillies, ginger and coconut. whole-heartedly. A good way to do this is
to chant mantras or shlokas that you may
For which deities is this usually offered to?
Sukra (Venus) know or the nama of your ishta devata.

When can you offer this?

We thank Palaniappan
Fridays
Muthukumarasamy and the Thulasi
What are some festivals you can offer this for? Kitchen Coordinators for providing this
Navaratri recipe to the Sri Chakra.

Ingredients: Instructions: Prep Time

Making the Mixture 15 minutes

1 cup Karamani (Black-
eyed peas) 1. Soak the black-eyed peas in water for 8
2 to 3 red chilies hours/overnight. Cook Time
½ cup coconut grated 2. Drain well and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
3. Heat oil in a pan over medium flame. 15 minutes
Salt to taste
1 tsp mustard seeds 4. Fry the mustard until they crackle, add the
Pinch of Asafetida curry leaves, red chilies and urud dal and Serves
Curry leaves lightly fry for 30 seconds.
5. Add the cooked black eyed peas and stir 4 people
½ tsp urud dal
1 tbsp. oil well.
6. Add asafetida, grated coconut and salt.

Fun Fact:
The black eyed peas is offered as naivedyam to Sukra/Venus on Fridays.
These are rich in iron, magnesium, potassium and Vitamin B.

amṛtam mahā naivēdyam nivēdayāmi!

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 Sri Chakra ● September 2022

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Blossom 27, Petal 3

Story Time with Kamya Aunty

by Kamya Ramaswamy

Varahi Devi
A Child Searching For His Mother’s Divine Love
Who is She? (Part 2)

Varahi Worship & Temples

I
n Sri Vidya circles, it is arguable that
one cannot attain the grace of Maha
Tripurasundari unless they have the
grace of Varahi. Varahi’s most powerful
(mula) mantra, however, is not easy to
get. She has a few different mantras to
accommodate her different forms, such
as Svapna Varahi.

Svapna Varahi is invoked when

an upasaka wants to receive ideas and
guidance from the mother in their dreams.
There is also a nyasam and a dhyanam
that goes along with this one-line mantra,
and serious upasakas will do 108 repetitions
until they receive her darshanam in their
dreams. This is also another reason why
Varahi is known as a devi who comes out
at night.

There are also other forms of Varahi,

which are familiar to upasakas who have
dedicated themselves to knowing this
goddess as thoroughly as possible. Some
forms include Adi Varahi, Kirata Varahi,
Laghu Varahi, Astra Varahi, and Brihad Svapna Varahi, who comes in an ethereal form amongst the
Varahi. They each have their own mula clouds in her devotees’ dreams
mantras, kavacams, and/or stotrams.

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 Sri Chakra ● September 2022

Her most powerful form, however, is Maha Varahi. That incarnation’s mula mantra
is not only lengthy and complex (it’s a paragraph-long tongue-twister), it’s also something
that must not be chanted unless initiation into that specific mantra is given by a Sri Vidya
guru.

Another possibility is that one may chant Maha Varahi’s mula mantra if that upasaka
has already received the highest mantra in Sri Vidya, which is the Maha Shodasi. It would
serve as something of a blanket initiation—being granted the go-ahead to chant Maha
Shodasi would theoretically allow one to also chant anything else, including Maha Varahi.

The reason for such care and caution around this mantra is because like Maha
Kali, Maha Varahi is known as an ugra devata. It doesn’t mean she’s angry and violent.
It means she’s like a chainsaw—ultimately powerful and dangerous. It would also be
deadly if put in the hands of someone who doesn’t understand the gravity of what they
are holding, or someone who doesn’t have the strength or experience to handle such a
tool.

As for temples, there are really

only a handful of dedicated places
of worship in India for this secret but
powerful goddess. Interestingly, most
of them are in Tamil Nadu. Some
temple towns in TN that house the
mother include Utrakoshamangai;
Salamedu near Villupuram; and
Sozhinganallur in Chennai. There is
also a significant Varahi temple in
Tanjavur.
This is the Tanjavur Varahi deity, dressed in one of her kavacams during
Navaratri

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Blossom 27, Petal 3

Food & Naivedyam

What is Naivedyam and Prasadam?
Bala Vidya is now on YouTube!! Here is an infographic summarizing the,  "Food and Naivedyam -
What is Naivedyam and Prasadam?" video. The link to the video is below. Try following
along with the infographic while watching the video.
https://youtu.be/0nz6Sf5w2dQ

Naivēdyam: the food Prasādam: food offered

items we offer to God vs. to God, and can be
when we do pūjā shared with others

naivēdyam energy prasādam

To maximize the
Naivedyam Rules: blessings of the
1. Be as clean as possible food:
2. Make sure your hair is tied 1. Focus on happy
3. avoid tasting and/or smelling thoughts
while preparing the food 2. Reduce how
much you talk
while making it

Watch video here: https://youtu.be/0nz6Sf5w2dQ

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 Sri Chakra ● September 2022

Chanting Class
Sarasvati Namastubhyaṁ
Bala Vidya is now on YouTube!! Here is an infographic summarizing the, "Chanting - Sarasvati
Namastubhyam" video. The link to the videos are below. Try following along with the
the infographic while watching the video.
https://youtu.be/EUl374EyyJs

sarasvati namastubhyaṁ
varadē kāmarūpiṇi
vidyārambhaṁ kariṣ yāmi
siddhirbhavatu mē sadā

Watch video here: https://youtu.be/EUl374EyyJs

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Sri Chakra • srichakra@srividya.org
Blossom 27, Petal 3

Meet the Deity:

FESTIVALS FOR DĒVĪ
Bala Vidya is now on YouTube!! Here is an infographic summarizing the, "Meet Devi - Festivals
for Devi!" video. The link to the video is below. Try following along with this infographic while
watching the video.
https://youtu.be/wOzdCUWQHkE

Śarad Navarātri
śarad = autumn

navarātri =
nava = 9 + rātri = night =
9 day festival

Navarātri is celebrated during the month

of October.

Navarātri is a time of battle when Goddess Durga fought

against the demon, Mahiṣ āsura and was victorious.

This time celebrates Durga Dēvī and the triumph of good over
evil.

During navarātri we offer many things to Dēvī like fruits, flowers,

and food. We do this to show our gratitude and ask her to
blessed the whole world with peace, happiness, and prosperity.

The first 3 days of Navarātri are for Durga and she represents
strength and courage.

Durga gives you the courage to face your fears and do the
right thing, even when it is hard.

Durga

Watch video here: https://youtu.be/wOzdCUWQHkE

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 Sri Chakra ● September 2022

The last 3 days

are for
Sarasvatī. She
The next 3 days
represents
are for Lakṣ mī.
knowledge and
She represents
wisdom.
wealth and
Sarasvatī gives
prosperity.
us the
Lakṣ mī, gives
knowledge to
you wealth
succeed in
including the
school and
wealth of having
music.
good friends.

The 9th day of

Navarātri is
known as
Lakṣmī Sarasvatī Pūjā
day where people
conduct āyudha
pūjā. On this day
we worship all the
objects in our
home that help us
Sarasvatī
learn like books,
musical
instruments,
machines and
The 10th and last more.
day of Navarātri
is Vijayadaśamī.

Vijayada = victory
daśamī = 10th day

This day is considered

very auspicious and Since Dēvī has been fighting a battle
generally you would for nine days, she needs to cool down.
start your new classes Kuḷirtti day is when everyone gets
on this very day. together to do abhishekam to the
Babies get their Dēvī after she wins the battle against
vidyārambham which Mahiṣ āsura to cool her down. Many
means the start of different substances are offered
their vidyā or learning including milk, water, candanam,
how to write on this kuṁkumam, vibhūti, and turmeric.
day.

Watch video here: https://youtu.be/wOzdCUWQHkE

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Blossom 27, Petal 3

Sri Gurubhyo Namaha

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