When we witnessed the death of Great Ego in the hands of the Divine Mother, we (the Gods) sang the hymns in Chapter 4 in praise of the Divine Mother
Whenever we remember Her, She will give us intuitive vision and remove our greatest distress.
Whenever humans praise Mother with the verses from this chapter, we will be blessed with increase in knowledge, prosperity, and greatness, as well as other possessions in life.
Questions and Answers:
1. Why is this battle designed to be so difficult to win? Wouldn’t there be more peace in the world if we could conquer this ego battle a little quicker?
By engaging in battle with the thoughts, and when we are very sincere in our desire to eradicate them, thoughts are purified and go to heaven where they cannot disturb us anymore. She withdraws the energy from the negative thoughts and gives it to the divine thoughts. By just glancing at them this purification would not take place. That is why we need the long battle.
2. In verse 19, “the thoughts rise to heaven when they meet their demise in you.” How do we apply this practically in a hostile situation?
The best thing we can do is take a deep breath and instead of expressing hostility, seek blessings that the hostile negotiation will end in an outcome that will be harmonious for all.
3. How are buddhi, ahamkara, chitta and manas different from each other and how they relate and interact with each other?
Buddhi is objective fact, nouns and verbs
Manas is subjective thought, adjectives and adverbs
Chitta is the total of objective and subjective thought
“This is a book”; book is buddhi
“This is a good book”; there is imposition of a prejudice; good is mind
“This is a good book” is chitta
Ahamkara is the sense of I as being a perceiver
These four constitute the antahkarana.
4. Why do we not ask the Goddess for a boon in chapter 4 or chapter 11, even though She asks us what we want, but wait until chapter 13?
We did ask for her boon in verse 37, “whenever we will remember you, then and there you will give us intuitive vision.”
5. What exactly does increase in prosperity mean?
Whatever you conceive as prosperity. If you define it as material wealth, it is material wealth. If you define it as spiritual wealth, it is spiritual wealth.
6. In verse 33 the Gods say that all their desires have been fulfilled. Were they not affected by Shumbha and Nishumbha, who had to be slain later?
They come back, these asuras. In this chapter, the Great Ego was slain, and there is nothing as blissful as that. In the next chapter, we say, “Mother we fell down again.” But now we remember the boon and remember Her.