Sunday, 24 September 2017

5th Swaroop of Ma Durga~ Skandmata ~Day5

SkandMata

5th Swaroop of Ma bhagwati is known as Skandmata. She is also known to derive this name by Skand kumar Kartikey. Skand kumar Kartikey became the leader in fights amongst devils & devtas & headed the army. In Shastras skand kumar is also known as Kumar or Shaktidhar due to his immense bravery & leadership skills.
He the son of Lord Shiva & MaParwati. His vehicle is peacock. Hence also known as Mayur in purans. Due to skand his mother Ma Parwati  was called as Skandimata. Skandmata is offered prayers on 5th day of navratras.
Guruma shares the legend of Skanda which is found in the Skanda Purana. Shiva and Parvati's energy combines into their own forms of nature when meditating. Indra came to know all this and assigns Lord Agni (Fire) to kidnap the ball of energy and keep it for safety from Demon Tarakasur. Agni snuck in the cave and took the energy by deceit and lies in his hands, after meditation, Parvati realizes that Lord Agni took the divine energy and chased after him. Lord Agni vanished with the divine energy and ran to Goddess Ganga. Meanwhile, Parvati came out of the cave and asked the Gods why Lord Agni stole the divine energy. The Gods answered her that they had to keep it safe from Demon Tarakasur. Parvati gets angry and attains the form of Goddess Durga, curses the Gods that their wives will never be able to enjoy the happiness with their children and with that, curses Lord Agni that he will be an all-burner, unable to differentiate the differences between right and wrong and his food will have impurities, he will always be surrounded by black smoke and also curses that in anyone touches him in one of the three worlds, they will get reduced to ashes. Meanwhile, Shiva came out of the cave placated her by telling her to calm down. Later, Shiva's son Kartikeya or Murugan or Skand had taken birth from the six Krittikas (Mothers) and not Parvati. Still, the Goddess had accepted him as her own child, setting an example of a great mother before the world. She took back Kartikeya, from Kritika Lok (Krittika world) to Kailash, while she was in her Durga form, riding this Lion. As he grew, he had learned about the boon the boon of Tarakasur given by Lord Brahma, as he can be killed by Kartikeya, Gods gave him special powers and weapons, to bless Kartikeya, Shiva and Parvati has encouraged him to kill Tarakasur in the battlefield. Before going, Parvati transformed herself as Goddess Durga again for blessing Kartikeya. With Parvati's (Goddess Durga) blessings, he managed to kill Tarakasur's army and Tarakasur. He was made by the Gods as their commander-in-chief.
On this day jatakas should meditate on Vishudi chakra or throat chakra. When Skandmata is imagined Skand or mayur is seated in Maharani’s lap with her. “Skandrupaini Devi” as shes popularly called in shastras has 4 arms carrying Skand in one of the arm while lotus for knowledge & good intellecult, in other she also forms a varmudra to bless us all, another Lotus to empower us when we feel low on energies & might get negative with time. Hence as per this visualisation of Maharani she is also popularly & lovingly called “Padamasana Devi” as she sits in Padamasana lotus meditation.
She like all devi swaroops rides the Leo depicting strength & valour, pride.
In navratras 5th day is very important. Till this time sadhaks in the 9 day mediatations are somewhat low on energies & might turn negative in vedic kriyas. Sadhak might be worried about worldly problems, issues in his life & is disturbed in this meditation for 9 days . Hence its all the more important to carry out fasts, meditations, upasana in full form. Devi kavacham & saptshati path should be read on this day to regain from any disturbances if any.  Sadhaks should sit for 15 to 20 mins in Padamasana to attain a higher level in meditation without rosary in skandmata dhyan & varmudra.
Ma Skandmata blesses all with heart felt desires. Manvanchit phal is blessed to all jataks once prayers are offered on this day. Offer a nariyal to Maharani this day. On a bettle leaf keep 9 kamal gattas & light a ghee Deepak to mediatate & get amazing results. She resides in Surya Mandal / solar region hence carries amazing light & aura. When sadhakas meditate on Skandmata swaroop they may see a bright red & yellow light emerging from a chakra.
This Throat chakra & heart chakra mediatation on 5th day is extremely beneficial for all problems & life issues to get sorted.
Pranam!
Ma Katyayani 6th day follows
Guruma
www.bhrigushree.com5th Swaroop of Ma

Tuesday, 5 September 2017

Pitra Paksha 15days of Charity

Shrad or Pitrapaksha is the 15day period of paying homage by offering made to our ancestors especially through food offerings . Pitra Paksha or its different names given such as Pitri Pokkho, Sola Shraddha ("sixteen shraddhas"), Kanagat, Jitiya, Mahalaya Paksha and Apara paksha Initiates this year from Bhadrapradh Fullmoon to Mahaalya Amavasya on 30th Sept 2016 .
Main important rules of Kanagat are:-
Tarpan,Bhramin Bhoj, Gauseva, Pinddaan, PitraDaan, Havan,GangaSnan.
Beautiful citation of Pitrapaksha Daan is in
Garuda Puran it says performance of Shraddha by a son during Pitru Paksha is regarded as compulsory by Hindus, to ensure that the soul of the ancestor goes to heaven is clarified of all doshas. In this context, the scripture Garuda Purana also says, "there is no salvation for a man without a son".The scriptures preach that a householder should propitiate ancestors (Pitris), along with the gods (devas), ghosts (bhutas) and guests.The scripture Markandeya Purana says that if the ancestors are content with the shraddhas, they will bestow health, wealth, knowledge and longevity, and ultimately heaven and salvation (moksha) upon the performer.
Guruma narrates an interesting legend of Pitrapaksha & its historic evidence from Mahabharata as Lord Krishna Narrates.
When Karna, the brave warrior whose acts of giving are legendary even today, died in the epic Mahabharata war, his soul transcended to heaven, where he was offered gold and jewels as food. However, Karna needed real food to eat and asked Indra, the lord of heaven, the reason for serving gold as food. Indra told Karna that he had donated gold all his life, but had never donated food to his ancestors in Shraddha. Karna said that since he was unaware of his ancestors, he never donated anything in their memory. To make amends, Karna was permitted to return to earth for a 15–day period, so that he could perform Shraddha and donate food and water in their memory. Prabhu Says since then This period is now known as Pitru Paksha.
Shradd dates for 2016 attached. Pranam!
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