Goddess with fidelity (पतिभक्ता भगवती )

 Before creation there was only Devi. She made the world, Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra and all.. Bhvrich up.बहवृच उपनिषद Shakti and Brahm are one and the same, there being no difference between the two (Devi Bhagwat 3.6.2-3) Nothing is imperishable except Her (Devi Bhagwat 1.15). Of all Her forms "Pativrata stree" पतिव्रता स्त्री  (dutiful wife) occupies a singularly venerable position in Bhartiya भारतीय  (Indian) psyche. Ravan's wife Mandodari and daughter-in-law Sulochana are revered like goddesses. Kunti and Draupadi are honoured in every Hindu household. Anusuya is lauded for belittling the Tri-Dev's who came to test Her. Sawatri is role model for every Hindu wife. The list which is not exhaustable includes Ahilya, Sukanya and Sati Herself. However, the only Divine Pativrata is hardly known to an average Hindu. This Puranic Devi serves Her devotees like a loving wife. She dotes on them, ignoring their faults. While the love of the other popularly known goddesses is maternal, Hers is marital. We find Her eulogy in Markndey Puran, Durgasaptati. मार्कण्डेय पुराण She is one of the six "Angbhoots” (अंगभूत,स्वांग, own part of Bhagwati). Her divine body and nature is described in Moorti Rahasyam. She is RAKTDANTIKA (रक्तदन्तिका), also called RAKTACHAMUNDA(रक्तचामुंडा) and YOGESHWARI (योगेश्वरी).

Her introduction in verse

In the twenty eighth Chaturyugee (चतुर्युगी)  during the Manvanter of Manu Vaivasvat (वैवस्वत मनु मन्वन्तर)

To free this world of Danav Vaprachit (वैप्रचित दानव).  

Loving Bhagwati made Her benign descent (अवतरित)

Beholding Her gigantic size and might

Devotees felt joy and delight,

Danavs Vaprachit were in panic and fright.

Chewing Asurs gave Her teeth red hue,

"Raktdandika" exclaimed all as if on cue.
Everything about Her is red.

From tip to toe she is red,
Crown red, braun red, crest red, breast red

Eyes red, cheeks red, lips red hips red,

Saree red, jewellery red, weapons red and demeanor red.

Now in detailed Prose

Portraying this Divine Patiwirata, Markandeya Purana[Durga saptshati, Moortirahasyam] tells us that Her size is huge like earth (Vasundhara, वसुन्धरा). She inspires terror ---- but only for the demons. To Her devotees (Bhaktas) she is a serving and protecting entity, all sweetness and softness. Only a divine can appear to be of different forms to different persons at the same place and time. From Bhagwat we learn that Krishn ("Krishna" though widely in use is wrong for it means black and Krshn means God Himself) was seen to be of various forms in ‘Kans’ Akhara; to young girls kamdev, to Kans his death, to his friends a companion etc. This is so because Divine has made a law: whatever form (Roop) the devotee has built up in his imagination regarding the Divine, the Divine appears before the devotee in that particular form. (Bhagwat 3.9.11, 10.43.17, Mudgal UP.-III.2). This is a grace showered by the omnipotent. Were it not so how could a person who worships God with a form ‘Saakar Brahm’ concentrate his mind, on a specific form because no unliberated soul (Mayabad Jeev, मायाबद्ध जीव) knows what God in reality looks like. Our Yogeshwari is full of wifely virtues. In this respect she is unlike other well known Devis like Kali, Laxmi, Saraswati, Durga, Ganga etc. These Other Devis are also the manifestations of the same Bhagwati. They possess infinite powers and attributes. They too are full of love that a wife has for her husband. However, these qualities are not manifest but dormant in them. Hence, we do not find other Devis acting as Pativrata Stris with their devotees, although for their concerts Vishnu, Shiv, Brahma etc. they are depicted as dutiful wives. To think of them as inferior to our Raktchamunda is sin (Namapradh, नामापराध).

Sages say in material world motherly love is superior to all other loves, even father’s. They point out, that a mother can be everything to a child except his spouse. Of matrimonial relationship they opine that a wife can have any type of relationship with her partner. At different times and at different places, she can be a friend, a guide, a protector, a slave, a master, a subject or a queen etc. She can even love her husband like a little baby, caring for his every need like a mother. This, adepts of Bhakti emphasize, is the beauty of Madhur Ras (मधुर रस) which contains within it all the other feelings and relationships (Bhav). Moorti Rahsyam informs that Raktdandika grants every desire, material i.e. Bhukti or spiritual i.e. Mukti or attaining the abode of the Divine. Her breasts are oceans of complete bliss (Purn Anand Ke Sagar). Though very hard they are extremely beautiful. These two which fulfill all desires are fed to Her devotees by Her. She loves and serves Her devotees the way a Pativrata cares for Her husband . She bestows sayujya mukti (सायुज्य मुक्ति).  

How to please such a Devi? Of all the paths of attaining the Divine, the simplest, as affirmed by god - realized souls is Bhakti. Bhagwat says, Bhakti is for all, even beasts and birds. Can all be Her devotees? Theoretically yes. But there are ardent followers of Devi form of Divine who regard Her as their mother. To think of Her as a wife is sacrilegious to them. It is profanity they say. For such as these Raktdantika's devotion is out of bounds. Who can attain Her ?

Only those who have sufficient knowledge of Veds and metaphysics and who have completely understood that any form of the Divine, male or female is the manifestation the One and the Same and the Only Reality. They have to realize that though Divine Yogeshwari loves them as a wife would love Her husband; they have to keep in mind that She is the Creator, Preserver, Destroyer of the universe and has in Her possession unlimited Powers and Bliss ----- She Herself is All Powers and All Bliss. How to go about Her Bhakti? Moorti Rahsya suggests Eulogy (Stavan, स्तवन) of Her body. This is not the only mode. Other methods can also be adopted. Bhakti can be mental (Mansik) or outwardly (Bhayantar) with all procedure of Karmakand. Nine types of Pooja (Navdha Bhakti) is another means. Yagya  also pleases the Divine. The liberated souls find mental Bhakti superior for in it no expensive material things are required. Only deep feeling of attachment to the Divine and concentration are needed. Similarly Mansik Yagya is superior, for even a small mistake or shortcoming in procedure in any Yagya can have untoward and adverse effects. Pandavas performed many Yagyas but suffered a lot, lost their kingdom in gambling because of some error in performance of Yagya (Devi Bhagwat-III.12).

No matter what mode of worship,  emphasis has to be laid on surrendering oneself completely and exclusively to Yogeshwari. Establishing a marital relationship with Her. Always remembering Her. This means without break remembering and chanting Her name, meditating on Her face, body and lilas, believing She is always with us “nearer than hands and feet, closer than breathing”. At all times the devotee should think of Her as a never-failing wife. Thus, practising as above, anybody can easily attain all his worldly desires and in the end Her Divine abode. Her Divine abode is an extension of Her own Divine form. Her name abode and form are omnipresent eternal and exists in Her Own Divine dimension.  

Her Bhakti is simple because half of our journey is complete without putting a foot forward. This is so, because she has only one Bhav attributed to her as shown in Moorti Rahasyam, that of a Patiwrata (पतिव्रता). We do not have to create our own relationship Bhav. The moment we think of Her she is for us a devoted wife. All we have to do is to nurture and kindle this feeling which she already has for us without any effort on our part. Though simple Her Bhakti is by no means easy. It is mind-boggling to think of Her as a wife and at the same time as All Powerful. It is like walking a tight-rope. It is helpful to think of Shiv lying at the feet of Devi. During Krishna Avatar many Gopies did not know His Divinity. They loved Him thinking him a boy only. Other type of Gopies knew His Divinity and loved him with adulterous love like the first set of Gopies. Both types got Golok. However, that was a period of Avatar. Present time is not that. In Bhakti now we have to know that Raktdantika is omnipotent and loves us like a dutiful wife. Both the knowledge of omnipotence and matrimonial love is mandatory. Keeping this balance we can be successful.

A word of caution: Her Bhakti should not be flaunted. There are many who are so sentimental that they cannot think of the Omnipotent as a wife. We should be careful not to hurt their feelings. Therefore, devotion (Sadhana) should be kept secret. Always be under the protection and guidance of a Satguru. Good Luck.

Jai Raktdandika, Jai Raktchamunda, Jai Yogeshwari.