Courtesy: Sri.Krishnan Muralidharan
Dear All,
Greetings and Namaste. In connection with Karadayan Nonbu festival falling on March 14, 2014, I am glad to share a very rare Devi Stuti by Lord Brahma/Vishnu/Shiva from Brihaddharma Puranam, Chapter 41. This hymn was sung by the trinity at the end of Daksha Yajna. The uniqueness of this prayer is that the Trinity pray to Devi as all encompassing including creation, protection and annihilation (which are typically associated with the Trinity).
This festival, though celebrated mainly in the South by women for the longevity of their spouses, it is also associated with the story of Savitri who brought her dead husband (Satyavan) back to life due to her devotion, chastity and clever interactions with Lord Yama. Though this story is included in many purans in varying lengths, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Purvabhaga has a very detailed account of this in many long chapters. In this Purana, Lord Yama describes the journey of soul, characteristics of one's karma and the resultant fruits, ways of attaining supreme knowledge, significance of Lord Vishnu Bhakti, etc.
Especially, Chapter 30 contains many divine instructions, dos and don'ts for mankind - he describes in shlokas 153-188 the sure ways of a human being attracting the deadliest sin "Brahma Hatya" (killing of a person with divine knowledge). A sample below:
shrIkRRiShNe ca tadarcAyAM munmayyAM prakRRitau tatha | shive ca shivali~Nge cA sUrye sUryamaNau tathA || 153 ||
gaNeshe vA tadarcAyAM evaM sarvatra sundarI | karoti bheda bud.hdhiM yo brahma-hatyAM labhet tu saH || 154 ||
(Meaning : One who differentiates among Bhagavan Sri Krishna, Archana to HIM, an idol made out of clay on Goddess Durga, Lord Shiva, Shiva Linga, Lord Surya Suryamani, Lord Ganesha and his archana, will surely attract the sin of Brahma hatya.
shivaM shiva-svarUpaM ca kRRiShNa-prANAdhikaM priyam | pavitrANAM pavitraM ca GYAnAnandaM sanAtanam || 162 ||
pradhAnaM vaiShNavAnAM ca devAnAM sevyaM Ishvaram | ye nA.arcayanti nindanti brahma-hatyAM labhanti te || 163 ||
(Meaning : Lord Shiva is dearer to Lord Krishna than His Prana (soul). Lord Shiva is the embodiment of all auspiciousness (kalyana svarUpa), the most sacred of the sacred, Gyanananda, and first among the Vaishnavites. and revered by all Devas. One who does not perform archana to Lord Shiva or cast aspersions on Him is sure to attract the deadliest sin of Brahma-hatya.
ye viShNumAyAM nindanti Vishnu-bhakti-pradAM satIm | sarva-shakti-svarUpAM ca prakRRitiM sarva-mAtaram || 164 ||
sarva-devI-svarUpAM ca sarvAdyAM sarva-vanditAm | sarva-kAraNa-rUpAM ca brahma-hatyAM labhanti te || 165 ||
(Meaning : One who does not pray to Goddess Devi, who is Vishnu Maya, bestows Vishnu Bhakti, embodiment of all powers, mother of all, embodiment of all Devi forms, etc. will surely attract the sin of Brahma-hatyA.
It is to be noted that Brahma Vaivarta Puranam is predominantly Vaishnavite in color although it contains many many hymns on other deity forms and corroborates the oneness of all forms. These innumerable corroborations of oneness of Brahman proves that the color of purana represents merely the focus on a particular form and not illogical superiority of one over others (which is the handiwork of myopic humans).
May we pray to Goddess Mata and seek her blessings!
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