Divine Shakti

My child, you have been extremely fortunate in getting this human birth. Have intense devotion to God. One must work hard. Can one achieve anything without effort? You must devote some time for prayer even in the midst of the busiest hours of the day. Pray to God with tears in your eyes whenever you want illumination or find yourself faced with any doubt or difficulty. The Lord will remove all your impurities, relieve your mental anguish, and give you enlightenment.

-Holy Mother Sarada Devi

Sarada Devi The Bestower of Knowledge

Lecture by Swami Sarvadevananda

Hymn to Holy Mother 

Prakritim Paramam by Swami Abhedananda

To the Divine Shakti embod­ied in human form, the giver of boons and dis­peller of fear, who quenches the fire of mis­ery and fills with joy the hearts of those who take refuge in Her; to Thee my salu­ta­tions, O Supreme Being, O Mother of the worlds!

Redeem Thy chil­dren, bestow­ing Thy mercy, full of faults, deluded, and with­out merit as we are! A ver­i­ta­ble ship fer­ry­ing us across the ocean of Sam­sara art Thou;
To Thee my salu­ta­tions, O Supreme Being, O Mother of the worlds!

Aban­don­ing the flow­ers of worldly enjoy­ment, always drink, O hon­ey­bee of my mind, the nec­tar of eter­nal peace at the lotus of Mother’s feet—the sure panacea for the dis­ease of world­li­ness. To Thee my salu­ta­tions, O Supreme Being, O Mother of the worlds!

Bestow Thy grace, O great Divin­ity, on us Thy chil­dren, bow­ing in pros­tra­tion before Thee, and grant us shel­ter at Thy feet, O Com­pas­sion­ate One. To Thee our salutations!

Though ever cov­ered with the veil of mod­esty, Thou, O Mother Sarada, art really the Power that bestows spir­i­tual illu­mi­na­tion on human beings. Pro­tect us from sins ever­more, O grace embod­ied! To Thee our salutations!

To Her whose life is fused into one with Ramakrishna’s, whose delight con­sists in absorp­tion in thought and talk of His glory, whose per­son­al­ity is soaked and suf­fused with His spirit; to Her our salutations!

To Her whose nature is sanc­tity, to Her whose life is sanc­tity, to Her who is the very embod­i­ment of sanc­tity; to Her I bow down, again and again!

To the gra­cious Mother Sarada, the embod­i­ment of mercy and the granter of devo­tion and knowl­edge, to Her who is wor­shipped by the chief of yogis, to Her who (with Sri Rama­kri­shna) has given a new rev­e­la­tion for the present age, and who relieves the mis­eries of devo­tees tak­ing refuge at Her feet; to Her do I ever bow down in worship.

Bind­ing our mind to Thee with the bonds of Thy love, Thou does trans­mute our very vices into virtues. Com­pas­sion­ate as Thou art with­out any con­sid­er­a­tion of merit, Thou dost, lo! Take even unwor­thy ones into Thy lap!

Mother, be pro­pi­tious and grant what I in humil­ity beseech. May Thou be ever affec­tion­ate to us, Thy chil­dren; and cast­ing even a drop of Thy love on our long-parched heart, ren­der it cool and peaceful.

Tak­ing shel­ter at the lotus feet of the Mother, Sarada Devi, and Rama­kri­shna, the teacher of the world, I salute them again and again.

Holy Mother: Ideal for the Modern World

Lecture by Pravrajika Shuddhatmaprana

THE LOVING ASPECT OF HOLY MOTHER
Article by Swami Tathagatananda

Kali Ma

KALI THE MOTHER

The stars are blotted out,

The clouds are covering clouds,

It is darkness vibrant, vocal.

In the roaring, whirling wind

Are the souls of a million lunatics

Just loose from the prison-house,

Wrenching trees by the roots,

Sweeping all from the path.

The sea has joined the fray, 

And swirls up mountain-waves, 

To reach the inky sky. 

The flash of lurid light 

Reveals on every side 

A thousand, thousand shades 

Of Death begrimed and black — 

Scattering plagues and sorrows, 

Dancing mad with joy, 

Come, Mother, come! 

For Terror is Thy name, 

Death is in Thy breath, 

And every shaking step 

Destroys a world forever. 

Thou Time, the All-Destroyer! 

Come, O Mother, come! 

Who dares misery love, 

And hug the form of Death, 

Dance in Destruction's dance, 

To him the Mother comes. 

- By Swami Vivekananda

Why Worship Mother Kali

Lecture by Pravrajika Shuddhatmaprana

Sri Ramakrishna describes his first vision of the Mother: "I felt as if my heart were being squeezed like a wet towel. I was overpowered with a great restlessness and a fear that it might not be my lot to realize Her in this life. I could not bear the separation from Her any longer. Life seemed to be not worth living. Suddenly my glance fell on the sword that was kept in the Mother's temple. I determined to put an end to my life. When I jumped up like a madman and seized it, suddenly the blessed Mother revealed Herself. The buildings with their different parts, the temple, and everything else vanished from my sight, leaving no trace whatsoever, and in their stead I saw a limitless, infinite, effulgent Ocean of Consciousness. As far as the eye could see, the shining billows were madly rushing at me from all sides with a terrific noise, to swallow me up! I was panting for breath. I was caught in the rush and collapsed, unconscious. What was happening in the outside world I did not know; but within me there was a steady flow of undiluted bliss, altogether new, and I felt the presence of the Divine Mother." On his lips when he regained consciousness of the world was the word "Mother". http://www.belurmath.org/gospel/introduction.htm

Kali the Mother

Lecture by Swami Atmajnanananda

"Every Manifestation of Power 

In the Universe is Mother.

She is Life."

- Swami Vivekananda

A Kali in Every Woman : Motherhood and the Dark Goddess Archetype

Ma Durga

To look upon God as Mother 

is the purest and highest form 

of spiritual practice.

-Sri Ramakrishna

Vande Mataram

(Translation of Bankim Chandra's song)

by Sri Aurobindo

Mother, I bow to thee!

Rich with thy hurrying streams,

Bright with thy orchard gleams,

Cool with thy winds of delight,

Dark fields waving, Mother of might,

Mother free.

Glory of moonlight dreams

Over thy branches and lordly streams,

Clad in thy blossoming trees,

Mother, giver of ease,

Laughing low and sweet!

Mother, I kiss thy feet,

Speaker sweet and low!

Mother, to thee I bow.

Who hath said thou art weak in thy lands,

When the swords flash out in seventy million hands

And seventy millions voices roar

Thy dreadful name from shore to shore?

With many strengths who art mighty and stored,

To thee I call, Mother and Lord!

Thou who savest, arise and save!

To her I cry who ever her foemen drove

Back from plain and sea

And shook herself free.

Thou art wisdom, thou art law,

Thou art heart, our soul, our breath,

Thou art love divine, the awe

In our hearts that conquers death.

Thine the strength that nerves the arm,

Thine the beauty, thine the charm.

Every image made divine

In our temples is but thine.

Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen,

With her hands that strike and her swords of sheen,

Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned,

And the Muse a hundred-toned,

Pure and perfect without peer,

Mother, lend thine ear.

Rich with thy hurrying streams,

Bright with thy orchard gleams,

Dark of hue, O candid-fair

In thy soul, with jewelled hair

And thy glorious smile divine,

Loveliest of all earthly lands,

Showering wealth from well-stored hands!

Mother, mother mine!

Mother sweet, I bow to thee,

Mother great and free.

Mother Durga Worship

Lecture by Swami Tyagananda

Durga Durga Ma-Ha-May-A 

Na-Mah DurgaYa

Namo Na-Mah

Temple Shoes

Temple Shoes 

Vedanta Society Puja, Santa Barbara, CA

Purification Prayer

May my speech be purified.
May my sense of smell be purified.
May my sight be purified.
May my hearing be purified.
May what I consume be purified.
May my heart be purified.
May my thoughts be purified.
May my actions be purified.
Whether pure or impure
In whatever state one may be
If one remembers the Lord
One becomes pure both inside and out.
As with eyes wide open, one sees the sky
So the seers see always the Supreme Truth, 
God, the all pervading existence.
May we know that Truth.
May that glorious Truth manifest in the hearts of people
everywhere. May mutual love, harmony
and peace pervade the entire world.
May this worship bestow health, 
happiness and fulfillment.
to one and all.

The Why and How of Puja 
Lecture by Swami Tyagananda

Daily Puja Worship

1. Puja Instructions

Sit facing east or north, and do japa 108 times. If you do pūjā immediately after your morning meditation, the japa can be skipped. Ācamana: pour a drop of water on the palm of your right hand and sip it gently, chanting Oṁ viṣṇu. Do this three times. Wash your hands, and chant with folded hands: Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ, divīva cakṣur-ātatam. Whenever I remember God with faith and devotion, I at once become pure internally and externally.
Prārthanā: With folded hands, chant: “May all beings be happy. May all be healthy. May all experience what is good. May there be no pain and suffering in the world. May everyone benefit from this worship.” Pray for your family and friends, especially for those who are passing through a difficult period.
Prayer for Calmness: “God, you are Purity; fill me with purity. You are Energy; fill me with energy. You are Strength; fill me with strength. You are Spiritual Power; fill me with spiritual power.” Wash the cup, uttering phaṭ, and fill it with water. Touching the cup, chant: May the holy waters of the Gaṅgā and other rivers fill this cup with power and sanctity.

2. Protection and Purification

Guarding of the Door: Sprinkle water toward the door, saying Oṁ dvāra-devatābhyo namaḥ. Pour a spoonful of water in the pūjā plate, saying Oṁ brahmaṇe namaḥ. Another spoonful with: Oṁ vāstu-puruṣaya namaḥ.
Purification of the Ground: Take a little water in the right palm and empty it on the ground in front of you, chanting: Oṁ rakṣa rakṣa hūṁ phaṭ svāhā.
Purification of the Seat: Draw a triangle with the right ring finger dipped in water near your seat and then say with folded hands: O Mother Earth, you support all life and, in turn, are supported by the Supreme Being. Please purify this seat and support me always.
Salutation to the Spiritual Lineage: Mentally prostrate before your guru. With folded palms near the left ear, say: Aiṁ gurubhyo namaḥ. Raising the palm to a higher level, Aiṁ parama-gurubhyo namaḥ. Still higher, Aiṁ parātpara-gurubhyo namaḥ. Still higher, Aiṁ parameṣṭhi-gurubhyo namaḥ. With folded palms near your right ear, Oṁ gaṇeśāya namaḥ. With folded palms, near the heart: Oṁ aiṁ sarva-deva-devī-svarūpāya śrī rāmakṛṣṇāya namaḥ.
Purification of the Flowers: Sprinkle water on the flowers, saying: Oṁ śatābhiṣeka hūṁ phaṭ svāhā. Touching the flowers with your right hand, say Oṁ. May these flowers be purified for worship. Hūṁ phaṭ svāhā.
Removal of Obstacles:
Look above, uttering the pūjā mantra: Oṁ aiṁ sarva-deva-devī-svarūpāya śrī rāmakṛṣṇāya namaḥ. With the index finger and middle finger of the right hand joined together, clap on the left palm three times at different levels, one higher than the other, uttering phaṭ. Snap the tip of the right index finger against the thumb eight times overhead, along the eight directions, starting from the east. End with doing the same in the downward and upward directions as well. With each snapping, say phaṭ.
Uttering phaṭ strike the ground three times gently with the left heel.
Take a small quantity of water in the right hand, throw it upward, saying: astrāya phaṭ.
Purification of the Pūjā Articles: Sprinkle water three times on all the pūjā articles, sayingOṁ aiṁ phaṭ.
Purification of the Mantra: Repeat, aṁ aiṁ aṁ, kaṁ aiṁ kaṁ, caṁ aiṁ caṁ, ṭaṁ aiṁ ṭaṁ, taṁ aiṁ taṁ, paṁ aiṁ paṁ, yaṁ aiṁ yaṁ, śaṁ aiṁ śaṁ.
Raising a Wall of Light: Uttering raṁ springle water around you in a circle, and visualize yourself as surrounded by a wall of Light, protecting you from all obstacles.
Protecting the Body: Chanting Oṁ aiṁ sarva-deva-devī-svarūpāya śrī rāmakṛṣṇāya namaḥ, pass both of your hands over your body, from head to foot. Then, placing the right palm over the heart, say: Oṁ durge durge rakṣiṇi svāhā. Oṁ āṁ hūm phaṭ svāhā.
Praṇāyāma: Do a brief practice (4-16-8), once (or thrice) through each nostril. Repeat Oṁ to keep count.

3. Divinization

Purification of the Elements: Close your eyes and repeat, as you visualize: Through the path of the suṣumnā, I join my Self with the Supreme Self in the crown of my head. Oṁ yaṁ,may my subtle body be freed from worldly tendencies. Oṁ raṁ, may my subtle body be burnt of all impurities. With the pure elements bathed in the light of consciousness, may a new subtle body be created for me. Oṁ. So’haṁ haṁsaḥ svāhā.
Total Consecration: Gently pass both hands over the body, from head to foot, and back again from foot to head, uttering āṁ hūṁ phaṭ svāhā, visualizing that through this your body, speech and mind are being purified.
Consecration of the Self: In order to install the Deity in your newly created divine body, touch the heart and say: May I be filled with the prāṇa of Sri Ramakrishna. May I be filled with the life of Sri Ramakrishna. May I be filled with the senses of Sri Ramakrishna. May the entire being of Sri Ramakrishna fill my own being. Visualize yourself as being filled with the presence of Sri Ramakrishna.

4. Preliminary Worship

Offering a flower (dipped in sandal paste, if possible), or water, in the pūjā plate in front of you, worship:
Guru: Oṁ aiṁ, I offer this flower (or water) to my Guru
Ganeśa: Oṁ gaṁ, I offer this flower (or water) to Ganeśa
Śiva: Oṁ namaḥ Ṡivāya, I offer this flower (or water) to Śiva
Sūrya: Oṁ, I offer this flower (or water) to Sūrya
Nārāyaṇa: Oṁ namo Nārāyaṇāya, I offer this flower (or water) to Nārāyaṇa
Durgā: Oṁ hrīm, I offer this flower (or water) to the divine mother Durgā
Oṁ, I offer this flower (or water) to all other forms of the divine
Oṁ, I offer this flower (or water) to all the prophets and incarnations

5. Main Worship

Meditation: Holding a flower between the palms of your hands, meditate on Sri Ramakrishna:
Nirañjanaṁ nityaṁ anantarūpaṁ, bhaktānukampā dhṛta-vigrahaṁ vai;
Īśāvatāraṁ parameśamīḍyam, taṁ rāmakṛṣṇam śirasā namāmi.
“I bow down at the feet of Sri Ramakrishna who is pure and eternal, who has infinite aspects, who has taken a form out of compassion for devotees, who is supremely divine, and who is God Incarnate.”
Transfer the divine presence of Sri Ramakrishna from your heart into the flower and place the flower in the pūjā plate in front of you.
Mental Worship: Worship Sri Ramakrishna mentally. Chant: “You are my own Self. My mind is the Divine Mother. My prāṇa are your companions and my body is your temple. My enjoyments I regard as offerings to you. My sleep is a form of absorption in you. My walking is like walking around you. My words are prayers offered to you. Whatever I think, say, or do, may be a form of worship to you.”

Offerings:
Sandal paste: I offer this sandal paste to Sri Ramakrishna. Oṁ aiṁ sarva-deva-devī svarūpāya śrī rāmakṛṣṇāya namaḥ.
Flower: I offer this flower to Sri Ramakrishna. Oṁ aiṁ sarva-deva-devī-svarūpāya śrī rāmakṛṣṇāya namaḥ
Incense: I offer this incense to Sri Ramakrishna. Oṁ aiṁ sarva-deva-devī-svarūpāya śrī rāmakṛṣṇāya namaḥ
Light: I offer this light to Sri Ramakrishna. Oṁ aiṁ sarva-deva-devī-svarūpāya śrī rāmakṛṣṇāya namaḥ
Food: I offer this naivedya to Sri Ramakrishna. Oṁ aiṁ sarva-deva-devī-svarūpāya śrī rāmakṛṣṇāya namaḥ 

Worship of Holy Mother: I offer this flower to Sri Sarada Devi. Oṁ aiṁ hrīm, sarva-deva-devī-svarūpiṇyai śrī sāradā-devyai namaḥ
Worship of Swami Vivekananda: I offer this flower to Swami Vivekananda. Oṁ aiṁ, svāmi vivekānandāya namaḥ

6. Conclusion

Flower Offering: Offer a few flowers in the pūjā plate, saying I offer these flowers at the feet of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, and his disciples. Oṁ aiṁ sarva-deva-devī-svarūpāya śrī rāmakṛṣṇāya namaḥ
Visualize that the divine presence of Sri Ramakrishna is now withdrawn back into your heart, and remember that it will remain with you throughout the day. With that awareness, prostrate before the altar and chant: “Under the influence of my impulses of vital energy, the mind and the body, whatever I have done in the states of waking, dream and deep sleep, in thought, word and deed, may all these be offered to Brahman. Oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ. Śrī rāmakṛṣṇārpaṇam astu.”
If possible, read a few lines from a sacred text before cleaning your worship space and beginning your chores for the day.

Jai Sri Durga : Glory to Goddess Durga

To her who presides over the elements 

and the senses and is ever present in all beings, 

to the all-pervading Devi, salutations again and again.

To her who pervades this entire world 

and abides in the form of consciousness, 

salutation to her, salutation to her, 

salutation to her, again and again.

(DM 5.77-80)

Lecture: Worship of Divine Mother

by Swami Gautamananda

Listen to a Chandi Recital

By Swami Tyagananda 

at Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, India

Article: Message of The Chandi

By Devadatta Kali

Read: The Devi Mahatmya 

Ramakrishna and Goddess Kali

Kali and Sri Ramakrishna in the Panchavati 
grove at the Dakshineswar Kali Temple

Why is Mother Kali so radiantly black?

Because she is so powerful,

that even mentioning her name destroys delusion.

Because she is so beautiful,

Lord Shiva, conqueror of death,

lies blissfully vanquished,

beneath the red soled feet.

There are subtle hues of blackness,

But her bright complexion

is the mystery that is utterly black,

overwhelmingly black, wonderfully black.

When she awakens in the lotus shrine

within the heart’s secret cave,

her blackness becomes the mystic illumination

that causes the twelve petal blossom there

to glow more intensely than golden embers.

Her lovely form is the incomparable

Kali black blacker than the King of Death.

Whoever gazes upon this radiant blackness falls eternally in love

and feels no attraction to any other,

discovering everywhere only her.

This poet sighs deeply,

“Where is this brilliant lady, this black light beyond luminosity?

Though I have never seen her, simply hearing her name,

the mind becomes absorbed completely in her astonishing reality."

Om Kali!  Om Kali!  Om Kali!

 - by Ramprasad Sen -

Version by: Lex Hixon From Mother of the Universe 

“Visions of the Goddess and Tantric Hymns of Enlightenment”

Songs of Mother lecture by Pravrajika Gitaprana

Kali Destroyer of Time by Marley KD


Yielding to the Storm of Kali by Elizabeth Usha Harding

Mother Durga

The Divine Mother slays the mythical demons 

(i.e. our worst traits = laziness, vanity, gluttony, jealousness, unforgiveness, etc.)

The Divine Mother "Shakti" is the creative energy, power and consciousness of the universe. All nature in its beauty is the divine mother. Music and art also are imbibed with the creative touch of the mother. The mother is Everything. Wherever we go we carry the divine mother enshrined in our hearts. Recognizing that she and us are indeed one. Good and Bad are one, not separate these are two sides of the same coin. Bondage and liberation belong to the mind alone. What we think so we become. Only by letting go of resentment can our arms be free to grasp the complete fullness of forgiveness. Mothers divine grace allows us to realize freedom and liberation while living in this worldly life. The world is saturated in divinity. Let all that we do be offered to the divine mother first, fragrance, good food, beautiful music, etc. as she is the creator. The best way to worship Mother Durga is through japa "Jai Sri Durga", meditation, ritual puja, homa fire and the taking of prasad. 

                               

The Story of Durga lecture by Swami Tyagananda

Durga Puja

Article on Durga Puja: Worship of the Divine Mother

Chandi Recital
By Swami Tyagananda 

at Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, India