CULTURAL QA06-2021-17

Being  a compilation there may  be errors 

Q1         If Adi Shakti married to Lord Shiva,why is the Devi Bhagavati temple 
in Chottanikkara worshipped along with Vishnu?

A1          SrinivasaraghavanSridharan Lives in India September 16, 2019

BhagavaTi is first consideredas the dear sister of Lord VishNu. One can easily 
see in many temples of Lord VishNu, vishNu-DurgAsanniDhis.

This is why BhagavaTi is addressed by her ardent devotees of KEraLA as“ammE 
nArAyaNA” in the BhagavaTi sanniDhis.

It is customery to address Lord VishNu as ‘BhagavAn’. (BhagavAuvAchaetc., in 
GITA and sahasranAma, are examples), No wonder, DurgA, His sister, is 
addressedas BhagavaTi.

Please remember that these forms are only different aspects of the sameAlmighty 
for the ease of worship and almighty is not many.

Q2         Can you tell about Srī SvayamprakāśaBrahmēndra Sarasvatī

A2          Posted by Aryan Parashar Sun

During the time when Srī Vēdamūrti Shāstrī was in charge of the worshipof Srī 
Kāmākṣī, a great Avadhūta named Srī Svayamprakāśa Sarasvatī (a disciple 
ofAvadhūta Srī Sadāśiva Brahmēndra Sarasvatī also known as Judge 
Svāmigal)arrived in Kāñcīpuram. Hewas a great Siddha and in every kṣētra 
hevisited, the main deity of the kṣētra would appear in front ofhim to welcome 
and bless him. 

However, when he arrived in Kāñcī, no such thing happened. Forget Mahārājñī, 
not even an aṅga,upāṅga orpratyaṅgadēvatā appeared before him. 

Disappointed, the Avadhūta sat in deep meditation for 48-days, but invain. In 
spite of ferventand severe upāsanā, Srī Kāmākṣī did not appear before him. 

On the forty-ninth day, he decided to take a drastic measure, climbedatop the 
majestic dhvajastambha, stood inverted on his head and began to recitethe 
sacred Mahāṣōḍaśākṣarī mahāmantra.

By mid-noon, the summer sun beganto burn and on account of the yōgāgni 
emanating from his frail frame, a thinflame appeared from his right toe and 
began to spread upwards. 

At this stage, filled with compassion towards her burning child, Srī Kāmākṣī 
appearedbefore him in her glorious saguṇa svarūpa, seated on Pañcabrahmāsana, 
with Ramā and Vāṇī on either side holding cāmara. 

After blessing him and instructing him in certain matters related to 
hisupāsanā, Parāmbāinstructed him to accept bhikṣā from the house of 
SrīVēdamūrti Shāstrī. Svāmigalfollowed the instruction, accepted bhikṣā from 
Srī Vēdamūrti Shāstrī and blessed himprofusely.

Q3         What are colleges doing to ensurehygiene & safety during the current 
pandemic?

A3          University of Petroleumand Energy Studies Lives in Dehradun, 
Uttarakhand, India(2016–present)September 21, 2020.

The reality of settling back to the new normal is unnerving for 
everyone,especially if you are a student. Given the circumstances, it is 
natural to feelanxious and concerned about your health. 

With the COVID-19 cases rising across the country, academic institutions 
areensuring that all the safety precautions are in place to welcome 
theirstudents, faculty, and staff back on campus.

One of the universities, which is ahead of the curve in implementingstrict 
safety measures on campus, is the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies 
(UPES).

The university has put several key measures in place with respect to 
thegovernment’s guidelines to keep the community safe. 

UPES has ensured that everyoffice, classroom, lab, and meeting room is 
sanitised on a regular basis. Utilities like water storage tanks, rooftop 
watertanks, and water coolers are continuously monitored and deep-cleaned. 
Allwashrooms, pantries, kitchens, infirmary, IT equipment are also 
sanitizedregularly.

When it comes to the outdoors,the university is using fogging to disinfect the 
grass areas, main gates, and boundary walls. UPES is also ensuringthat soap 
solutions and hand sanitizers are placed at all junction points andoffices and 
replenished periodically. All sanitization will be done before and after duty 
hours.

To maintain ventilation of spaces and prevent the circulation or cloggingof 
air, all doors/windows will be kept open during office hours. UPES has also 
discontinued itsbio-metric swiping system for attendance and replaced it with 
the onlineattendance system (HONO).

Although lifts will be cleaned and sanitized frequently, the universityhas 
advised avoiding crowding at any point in time. Hence, students andvisitors 
would be asked to refrain from using the lift. Nevertheless, toothpickswill be 
left inside lift cabins in a small cup, in case of emergency. At nopoint will 
there be more than two people inside a lift cabin.

Wearing a mask will becompulsory in all public areas. UPES has issued a 
directive to prevent gathering in any common area, including thecafeteria. 
Classrooms, library seating, cafeterias, and food courts are beingrearranged to 
reduced capacity to maximise spaces between students up torecommended levels 
for social distancing.

There is provision for an ambulanceand medical facilities with doctors on 
campus. Medical assistance would be available 24*7, including full-time 
doctorsand emergency services on the campus.

Apart from the infrastructuralassessments and reconfiguration of spaces for 
imposing stringent measures to keep people apart, the university willprovide 
its students with psychological support to effectively address issuesrelated to 
emotional well-being in these crisis-ridden times.

UPES’ efforts to ensure thesafety and well-being of students and staff received 
the coveted SafeGuard certification from Bureau Veritas, after a 
detailedHealth, Safety and Hygiene Conformity Assessment. Bureau Veritas, a 
worldleader in testing, inspection, and certification services, has 
developeddetailed checklists with global health, safety, and hygiene 
specialists toensure that the safety procedures meet local and international 
regulations, aswell as recognised best practices.

For UPES,the Bureau Veritas Safeguard Label is an important tool in restoring 
confidenceand demonstrating its commitment to operate the campus to the highest 
globalstandards. You can be assured of the rigorous sanitisation protocols, 
includingdeep cleaning, protective masks, temperature checks, extensive hygiene 
trainingfor all staff and strict social distancing across all areas of the 
campus.

To know more about UPES, visitus at UPES University in Dehradun For Admission 
in MBA, LLB, B.tech, M.tech

Q4         What are some interesting facts aboutAmbabai (Mahalaxmi) temple, 
Kolhapur?

A4          Akshay Artist UpdatedFebruary 18

Kollapur Ambabai(Shakti) Temple, its Divine Shaktipeeth of Goddess sati . 
Mahalakshmi is anothername used in Shaktism represents Goddess Parvati / Durga 
The temple belongs,architecturally, to the Kannada Chalukya empire, and may 
have been first builtcirca 700 AD. 

Mounted on a stone platform, the image of the four armed and crownedgoddess is 
made of gemstone and weighs about 40 kilograms. 

The image of Mahalakshmi carved in black stone is 3 feet in height. The Shri 
yantra is carved on one ofthe walls in the temple. 

A stone lion, the vahana of the goddess, stands behind the statue. 

Shivling on her crown representsthe creation of universe. Main festivals , 
Navaratri, Lalita panchami

1Name is Kollapur Ambabai Mahalakshmi temple

2. Now we look details about idol in Ambabai temple 

Due to presence of lion andShivling on her crown Its clarified here only She is 
Shakti/ Parvati wife oflord Shiva only, as perShaktism she is called 
Mahalakshmi but not wife of vishnu

मातुलुंगम् गदा खेटम् पानपात्रम्च बिभ्रती|

नागम् लिंगम्च योनींच बिभ्रती नृप मूर्धनी|

Meaning She who holds an Adams' apple (म्हाळून्ग), a mace (गदा), a shield (ढाल) 
and apot (पानपात्र) in her hands; and on her head, there exists a snake, which 
covers AuspiciousShivlingam a gender and a cunt; representing the universe, a 
man and a women.She is the supreme goddess.

Almost all sects in the world consider the supreme Goddess as theirmother. The 
reason is her form and her name. As grandson of saint Eknath Shri.Mukteshwar 
said,

तारा अगम्य शाक्ता |

शिवभजका गौरी सांख्यासी प्रकृती |

निर्गुण निजधारी गायत्री निजबीज |

निगमागम सारी प्रकटे |

पद्मावती श्री जिनधर्मचारी |

Meaning Shakta sect call her Tara, devotees of Lord Shankara call herGauri, 
followers of Sankhya philosophy (tatvadnyan) call her Mulaprakriti(Parvati)

Q5         Which Hindu goddess is described as theinventor of spoken and 
written Sanskrit?

A5          Tarun Yadav Interestedin Sanatan Literature Sat

It's none other than Maa Lalita Tripurasundari. Her Sahasranama containsa name 
- Matruka varna roopini. This means all the Sanskrit alphabets have been 
originated from herbelly.

Same is described by Adi Shankaracharya in his work Soundarya Lahiri.

Shloka -

kwanat kaanchee daamaa kari kalabha kumbha stana nataa

pariksheenaa madhyae parinata sarat chandra vadanaa

dhanur bhaanaan paasam srunim api dadhaanaa karatalaih

 

purastaa daastaam nah puramathitu raaho purushikaa

Translation -

Let the Divine Mother dwell intimately in our hearts …with her tinklingfillet 
girdle, Her full bosom - akin to the frontal globes of a young elephant- making 
her bend forward(reaching us), Her lean waist enhancing her beauty,Her face 
akin to the full autumnal moon.

She sports in her palms a bow and arrow, a noose and a goad. I reverethis 
Divine Mother who is the ‘I’ consciousness in the Lord, Parama Siva.

Meaning -

Maa is wearing a tinkling girdle along her waist which makes a jinglingsound. 
This means she herself is the embodiment of sound. It is from her bellythat the 
entire Sanskrit alphabet is said to have originated.

Shankaracharya compares her breasts (symbol of motherhood andnourishment) to 
that of forehead of a young elephant cub. This depiction alsobrings one into a 
sense of being the child of the divine mother by reminding us of her child 
LordGanesha.

Bow in her lower left hand represents mind. This means she is the one whoholds 
our mind. The five arrows represent five sense organs which we use withour mind 
(just as arrows are used with bow).

Noose in her hand indicates self control over these organs. Goadindicates 
victory over rage or anger.

Shankaracharya depicts her face as cool and enchanting as full moon ofAutumn 
season. Her waist is so slender that she can carry the entire world onit.

Q6         Where is Tripura Rahasya (The MysteryBeyond the Trinity) listed?

A6          Binayak Chakraborty FormerIndian and Western Astrology Consulting 
Sat

After his encounter with Rama, Parashurama began to ponder about all hisdeeds 
in life such as killing kshatriyas for avenging his father's death, etcand was 
filled with vairagya considering the futility of everything. 

He then took shelter unto thelotus feet of Jagadguru Dattatreya for self 
realisation. The latter initiated him into worship of Tripurasundari mahavidya. 

The dialogue between Dattatreya and Parashurama is divided into threeparts. 
First and second part deals with the tantra and the rituals of worshipof the 
goddess. For many years Parashurama practiced the rituals diligently,got rid of 
all his guilt, worries, made his mind one pointed and attained fullsuccess in 
the worship of Tripura sundari. 

Finally he came back to Dattatreya again with questions about selfrealisation 
which is the final fruit of all ritualistic worship. 

Then Dattatreya imparted himthe knowledge of Atman via self enquiry. This 
knowledge is the essence of worship of Tripura sundari Mahavidya andso is 
rightly called TripuraRahasya. 

The Tripurasundari is one of Sodashi form, and with tripuresh bhairav,and is a 
small little girl, with girdle of attraction, whom also Dattatreya andtrinity 
or trimurti preaches by letting sit her on the laps of Shiva, is theattraction 
of youth of her, and she is madanonmadini or holding the girgle ofattraction.

She never minds the attempts made by bhakta to get her in arms andfulfills 
wishes like Lakshmi but isn't attracted by riches although she is theseat of 
all auspiciousness. 

May this help you. The self realization is making own self synonymous 
toultimate consciousness or abyakta or Narayan or vishnu and viewing Kaal 
aboveall. May this help you. It is listed in PDF form in Holybooks.com.

Q7         Who is the goddess Padmavathi? Is shealso the incarnation of 
Mahalakshmi?

A7          AMOL Worked at Mahindra& Mahindra (company)May 31

 

Yes Goddesse Padmavati. She Is Non other than Rukmini both are Incarnation 
ofMahalakshmi

Q8         Whichgoddess avatar is Radha Rani?

A8          Jay Vithoba Rakhumai🙏Lifelong devotee of Matarani June 8

Some say she is avtar of lakshmibut I personally believe she is not Goddess Srì 
wife of Narayana. Radharani is a independent goddess.As Lakshmi is goddess of 
wealth and fortune similarly Radharani is goddess of Love andShuddh Bhakti 
tatwa. 

Srì Devi is Vaikuntha Lakshmiwhereas Radharani is goloka Lakshmi. But both are 
same. Two aspects ofMahalakshmi who is eternal companion of Vishnu/Krishna 
tatwā.

In Srimad Devi bhagwatam fromgoddess Mulā prakriti Srì Bhuvaneshwari, five 
prakriti devis emerged they are..

गणेशजननी दुर्गा राधा लक्ष्मी सरस्वती |

सावित्री च सृष्टिविधौ प्रकृतिपंचधास्मृता ।।

This (Highest) Prakriti isrecognised as five-fold. When She is engaged in the 
work of Creation, Sheappears as :-- (1) Durgâ, the Mother of Ganes’a, (2) 
Râdhâ, (3) Laksmî, (4)Sarasvatî and (5) Sâvitrî.

 

Now every sect of Hinduism believethat their goddess is Mulā prakriti. For 
example Gaudiya's believe Radha is Mulā prakritisimilarly Sri Vaishnava Lakshmi 
and Shaktas Bhuvaneshwari.

All the above QA are based onQuora digest on 16-06- 2021. Quora answers need 
not be 100% correct answers 

Compiled and posted by R. Gopala krishnan on17-6- 2021 


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