Paramacharya of Swaha, Pt. Hardeo Persad
Devi Maa is the personification of energy. Devi Bhagwat states that everything is energy: Devi is manifested as Iccha Shakti (willpower), Gyaan Shakti (energy of wisdom) and Kriyaa Shakti (energy of enlightened activity). Represented by various personifications or forms of energy, Devi is the power of time, the void, perfection, splendour, the material world, space, knowledge, intuition, self-sacrifice, hunger, death, poverty, wealth, happiness, pure consciousness and so forth; everything is that energy and it exists within us.
From a scientific perspective, Albert Einstein’s equation is relevant: ) where E is energy, M is mass, C is speed of light and V is the velocity of the particle that is moving. When any object approaches the speed of light, then that energy is infinite. There is only one infinite. We refer to that infinite as the Supreme Being.
The whole world is vibrating at various energy levels. The lower the rate of vibration of energy, the grosser the object: Concrete, a solid, vibrates at a very low frequency; water and liquids at a higher rate and gas at an even higher rate. The human body is chaitan (consciousness) interacting with matter. Matter vibrates; all the organs and systems in our body are energy vibrating at different frequencies. If the rate of vibration is not high enough in humans, we become inert and diseased. When we worship Devi, we increase the rate of vibration and lift ourselves to a higher level.
Nothing is impossible when you wake up that energy inside you. Hinduism says, “Yatha pinde, tatha Brahmande”: “As in the microscosm, so in the macrocosm.” This means, whatever exists outside of us, also exists within us. The sages are able to materialise objects because they can reorder energy. Swami Yukteshwar appeared hundreds of miles from his physical form and appeared to be doing several things at once. It is said when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu performs kirtan, devotional singing praising the Divine, the lion and the deer sit side by side, forgetting their enmity. He generated the kind of energy that could transform the lower forms of creation.
In puja, we activate the energy centres or chakras in our body when we make offerings and through maansik (mental) puja. These chakras are vortices of energy within us – they are the Devi within us. The chakras are associated with each of the tattwas or five elements that make up the physical body. The muladhaara chakra at the base of the spine is related to the earth element; the swadhishthaan chakra in the sacral region identifies with the water element; manipura chakra in the solar plexus region with the fire element; anaahat chakra in the heart region with the air element and vishuddha chakra in the throat region with ether. These tattwas are related to the body’s five senses or Gyaan indriyas and, through puja, we can purify the senses.
When we purify aakash tattwa or ether by making an offering of flowers, we purify the sense of hearing. The mantra associated with this offering creates a sound vibration that is key to activating the vishuddha chakra. Each chakra has an associated mantra. When we purify the sense of hearing, we are attracted to the divine and spiritual and hear the subtle sounds that lift us to a higher state of ecstasy.
When water and prasaad are offered, this is associated with the jal tattwa (water element); these offerings purify, among others, the sense of taste. Offerings of perfume and incense (dhoop) are associated with vayu tattwa (the air element) and purify the sense of touch and hearing. Offering chandan (sandalwood paste) purifies prithvi tattwa (the earth element) and includes all five senses. Performing aarti purifies agin tattwa (the fire element) and the associated senses of touch and sound. The mantras recited during these offerings are aimed at purifying the elements in the body and energising the chakras.
Energy is Devi; Devi is in each of these chakras and in all the systems in the body and in the universe. Anyone who displays determination and perseverance is manifesting Devi Durga. When you act wisely with the right application, it is Saraswati Maa. When you have wisdom and you use it wisely to serve society, Lakshmi Maa is that energy. The Bhagavad Gita says that if you perform action with the right understanding, you can get results. You can heal yourself and develop yourself to the highest level. When that energy lifts, it becomes impervious. We create an energy flow that can assist everyone. If you have a radio and you switch off the power, you won’t get the signals. Each of us is a radio, transmitting as well as receiving signals. Also, when we build positive energy within and around us, negative energies cannot affect us. When Devi, that inner energy, is awakened, you become spiritual. If that Devi is asleep, you are caught up in the physical world. Each name of Devi carries with it that power and energy. By chanting these names with the right attitude, the right procedure and with deep concentration and faith, we can tap into that energy.
As we fast and pray during this auspicious occasion of Nau Raatri, let us understand that everything is inside us, including Divinity. Once you find the Divine, you find everything.
