Thus Spake the Divine - Abode of Ambal

Thus Spake the Divine

Abode of Ambal

Meditating on the Omnipresent Para Shakti in the Chandra Mandal will remove our anxiety and sorrows, and confer on us wisdom as well, says Maha Periyava. In this chapter, Maha Periyava talks about the abode of Ambal, where Para Shakti is majestically seated.

Para Shakti is Omnipresent. There is no place where She is non-existent. Still, to help us focus our minds on Her, there are several places identified as where Ambal resides. For example, in Sri Vidya Worship (a specific form of worshipping Ambal), She is stated to be residing in Mani Dweep (Island of Gems), which is amidst the ocean of nectar. Within Mani Dweep, Her abode is inside a Fort, which is made of Chintamani, a precious gem, and is surrounded by gardens. There, She is sitting on a divine cot of which Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra and Maheshvara are the four legs and Sadashiva is Her seat. Para Shakti is sitting to the left of Kameshvara, the Brahmam. This place is also known as ‘Sripuram’.

There are also some references, which state that Sripuram is located on the golden peak of Meru Mountain. Lalita Sahasranamam states that Ambal is sitting at the centre of the Full Moon (Chandra Mandala Madhyaka). Many Saints and Sages have meditated on Her as sitting at the centre of the Full Moon and have experienced absolute bliss.

Looking at a Full Moon never tires the onlooker. We enjoy Full Moon by having full-moon dinner, full-moon music concert and so on. However, in this era of electric lights, many cannot really experience the value of Full Moon. Light from a moon never irritates our eyes. It is very pleasant for us. But when it comes to light from the Full Moon, it is something unique.

It is very valuable and, hence, as per Nature’s law, Full Moonlight appears only once in 30 days. Therefore, when we meditate on Ambal, we should have in mind the location of the Full Moon region for total focus on Her.

Such a focus itself will cool our mind and make it calm and composed. There is no place for any kind of likes or dislikes at this point in time. Nature’s law says, “What we see in the entire Universe can be seen inside an individual human being too (What is there in the whole is there in parts too)”. Mind of Para Shakti, which exists within all living beings, is itself Moonlight, says Purusha Sukta. Therefore, there is always a connection between the human mind and moon. Insane people are called lunatics as Lunar is all about moon. As there is a link between mental illness and moon, Shastras recommend meditating on the seated Ambal on Full Moon for curing our mental illness.

While meditating on Ambal, we should assume that She is seated in the middle of the Full Moon. It is mandated that the person meditating must be sitting on a tiger skin (Vyagrasanam). Tiger skin signifies the aggressiveness of tiger in catching its prey. Similarly, we should tightly hold on to the objective of our meditation. If we meditate on Her as in Chandra Mandala (Full Moon Region), then our minds also will become calm and composed as that of the pleasant moon emerging from Her heart. As moonlight relieves heat, our mental heat gets subdued. Since light eradicates darkness, moonlight, with Ambal’s grace, annihilates ignorance.

Though Surya (Sun God) is in the form of Wisdom, light emanating from sun generates heat and thirst. The same light, when reflected by moon, becomes cool and pleasant. Moon cannot emanate its own light, whereas Sun is effulgent. Ambal is effulgent as sun and cool as moon. While quenching our thirst and removing heat, She also pours the light of wisdom on us. As Poet Kalidasa describes, She is the Guru who provides us wisdom.

Therefore, we can also meditate on Sacred Sandals (Paduka) of Guru as placed in Chandra Mandala. To remove our anxiety, attain wisdom, and become calm and composed towards all, we should meditate either on Ambal or on Guru’s Paduka, placing them on the Chandra Mandala in our mind. We should also meditate on Ambal in the form of Guru.

This article is a snippet from the Book Thus Spake the Divine, is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.