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REALISING THE ONENESS IN TRUE-SELF WITH SHAKTISM AND VAISHNAVISM

Writer's picture: Pranaame BhagawatiPranaame Bhagawati

Dear Readers,


Namaste! I take this space to send all my love and good wishes to you all for the upcoming festivities happening this month. Penning down this note for the Navaratri issue, somehow uplifts my inner self with vibrancy and joy. And especially being a female myself from the land of Maa Kamakhya, the word ‘Devi’ brings to my notion a subtle and soft being who encompassing all pains and labour brings a new life to this world.


Undoubtedly, Her other side is ferocious and filled with strength, radiance, power and intelligence. With this nature, She removes every single corrupt and evil being who has committed sins and disruptions.


Maa Durga

This month celebrates the Navratri, Maa Durga Puja, Maa Kali Puja and Griha Lakshmi Puja during the Deepawali festival. Each facets of the Goddesses reflect their inner strength, purpose and endurance.


India being a diverse country happens to be celebrating several festivities, rituals and cultures and most of these are also embodied along with its art forms. And as I belong from Assam, wherein Shakti and Vaishnavism imbibes within oneself for spiritual growth and most importantly this establishment also guides us throughout in the execution of our thought processes.


This harmonious balance is celebrated across various traditions and is central to understanding the interconnectedness of all things.


Maa Shakti, the divine Mother is being worshipped in various forms like Parvati, Durga, Kali, Jagdamba and others and is not only revered in philosophy but also in practice, evident in numerous festivals and rituals that honour the divine feminine. In Shaktism it is believed that, the feminine energy is divine, supreme and the ultimate. It is also connected with esoteric practices like the ‘Tantra’ for spiritual liberation. These celebrations often involve vibrant music, dance, and offerings, reflecting the joy and abundance that Shakti brings to life. Shakti is revered both as immanent, meaning within this world and transcendent, meaning beyond this world.


Following Vaishnavism in particular specifically refers to worshipping and following the ideologies of Shri Hari Vishnu’s avatars, Shri Rama and Shri Krishna. Shri Vishnu is believed to incarnate onto the earth in various forms to restore ‘dharma’ at times of moral and cosmic crisis. Vaishnavism has been influenced by great saints like Ramanuja Madhva, Chaitanya Mahaprabu, Srimanta Sankaradeva and others who established their school of thought, focusing on the devotion of Shri Vishnu and His avatars.


In the context of personal growth, embracing both Shaktism and Vaishnavism within oneself allows for a more holistic approach to life. It encourages individuals to cultivate creativity and intuition, alongside logic and reason. This balance fosters resilience and adaptability, empowering one to navigate life's challenges with grace and strength.


Ultimately, the concept of Maa Shakti serves as a reminder of the powerful potential that lies within each of us, urging us to harness this energy to create positive changes into the world around us. And the sanctity of Shri Hari Vishnu’s epitome of being a perfect human being to manage, balance and tranquil an ongoing disturbance.


From my childhood, listening to the tunes of the auspicious ‘Mahalaya’ that welcomes Maa Durga to earth during the Devi Paksha is played during the dusk from the Navagraha temple. This temple happens to be my maiden home in Kharghuli Hill’s next hill and I was so mesmerised with the sweet smell that aromatically spread in my surrounding. And from the Tithi, the priest starts his puja and offering to the Goddess. The Kharghuli Durga Puja pandal was just like my family in-house temple, firstly as its just 5 minutes walk from my home and secondly as my mother offers a ‘Xorai’ (platter of fruits, Prasad and flowers) to Maa Durga and thirdly because my mother mandatorily gifts me her self designed hand embroidered frock. All these and much more like playing with toy pistols to trigger those dotted crackers, enjoying Jalebi during late night puja pandal tours, family get togethers and eating outside were like rituals to enjoy along with.The Goddess’s face would lit up with power and spark and Her facial expression would reflect Her being alive within the idol. Getting continuous puja offerings and prayers from ten days, Her establishment being the saviour of us all slightly diverts to being actually one of us whilst making each one of us a small part of Hers too! She comes to us and we welcome Her with new clothes (Vastra) and ornaments (Shringaar), food and lots of affection and love considering Her to be our family member. And finally, the Dashami (the tenth day) would bring tears to us all, as Maa would be leaving back to her abode. With heavy heart and tearful eyes She is taken for ‘Visharjan’ (immersing the Goddess’s idol into water) into the Brahmaputra river.


And as I got married and visited the famous Majuli island amidst the massive Brahmaputra island in Assam, I literally witnessed the Vaishnavite culture in different Sattras. On my occasional trips during the time of Raas Leela festival organised during the Sharad Purnima is a feel which cannot be explained in words. The melodious Dashavatar music played during the dusk often makes me feel to question as to why are we living with so much greeds and complaints? In actual, life can be so simple if we do not prevail any ill with each other nor should we have any kinds of blames. I literally have experienced the serenity in the island under the broad night sky which illuminates the biggest and the brightest full moon. This cannot be just so simple like any other full moon night. This Sharad Purnima will make you realise the spiritual connection of yourself with Shri Krishna. Every house have an early dinner to visit their nearby and the famous Raas Leela stage to witness the enormously artistic and aesthetic delicacy which is served with elaborate visual arts and eye catching performing art forms both which portrays the story of Shri Krishna from His birth onwards. In fact, each house has a person who plays a character in the Raas Leela, and to be seriously precise, every individual in Majuli is a prodigy whose participation as an performing or visual artiste and most importantly as a contributor helped sustain this ancient celebration and ritual.


At the advent of any festivities and especially of different sects within a same community, sustains a deep understanding to keep distortions away. One who deeply understands the nuances and interrelationships of the basics like that of believe in the Brahmaand (Universe), attaining Moksha (freedom from the eternal cycle of life, death and rebirth) and Karma(effects derived from past actions) will never debate and underestimate the other sect.

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