Last Updated on May 24, 2008 by
Recall that Self-conceit was told about the beautiful Goddess by Chanda and Munda. So he sent a messenger to tell the Goddess to come to him and sit with him. “Your honor and glory will be enhanced,” said the messenger. The Goddess said, “Self-Conceit is the master of the three worlds, and I’m just a woman. But I have made a promise that only one who can defeat me in battle and surrender his self-conceit can be my husband. So go back and tell Self-conceit this.” On hearing this, the ambassador got angry and said, “You come down or our army will take you by force.” Then he returned to his king and gave a report.
In Chapter 6, the leading character in self-conceit’s army is Dhoomralochana, Sinful Eyes.
Dhoom means smoke. Dhoomralochana has smoke in his eyes. He can’t see clearly, lacks discrimination, sees with selfishness.
The Goddess destroys Dhumralochana by pronouncing the mantra, “Hum.”
Every time we are confronted with Sinful Eyes in our lives we remember the mantra, “Hum.”
In verse 18, the lion caused the blood of thoughts to flow. This means Dharma takes away the misdirected passion from our thoughts.
Questions and Answers:
1. What is the significance of the King of Snakes in the Dhyanam?
Snakes represent kundalini shakti. On the head of a cobra there is a shining jewel. The Goddess is effulgent with a multitude of these jewels. This means She is commanding the radiance of all energy.
In all living beings, kundalini shakti is alive and moving. It sleeps only in a corpse. When we speak of it as sleeping, that’s poetry. I am asleep and I forgot about my kundalini shakti is a more accurate description.
Just as the farmers make ruts when they draw their bullock carts to plough the fields, we make ruts by which we become aware of the kundalini shakti.
When we are in our lower chakras (pashu bhava) the ruts are very short. As we move into virya bhava and sadhana becomes second nature to us, the ruts become longer.
2. In meditation, should we focus on one chakra or move up and down from one chakra to another (like in Bhuta Shuddhi)?
Both are useful. All techniques are used to make us masters of focus. The more techniques you learn, the easier it becomes to decide which is more useful.
3. Can we chant “Hum” as a mantra alone? What is its significance?
Hum is the astra mantra to combat excesses of impure being. “Ha” is Rudra, “u” is circumstance, and “m” is perfection. We see all circumstances in equilibrium of perfection.
4. Why did the Goddess use Hum for Dhoomralochana and not for
Self-conceit and Self-deprecation?
She has other tools for them. We armed Her with those tools in Chapter 2.
5. Does the lion represent determination?
Yes. The determination to live life according to Dharma.
6. How does sinful eyes manifest in our lives?
Every time we have selfishness, Sinful Eyes has attacked. We think about “me”, and not about “thee.”
7. How do we stay in our higher chakras as we act and interact in the world?
Everyone has experienced the higher chakras at one time or another. When we feel love, we are in the higher chakras. But then we move down when we become or express selfishness.
Sadhana can be done to make it stay up. Bring the love and stay in love. Train awareness to stay in certain states of consciousness.
8. In Chapter 4, can you explain the significance of “within You are the three qualities of nature”, in verse 7?
Gunas pervade every atom in existence. When a person is seated and engaging in spiritual discourse, focusing on the still posture that person is tamasic, his passionate discourse makes him rajasic, and the fact that is talking about God makes him sattvic.
Divine Mother embodies all three. But She is not connected with any of the defects of the three.