Book review commentary 3 on Chapter 4 On Knowledge and Final Emancipation, Chapter 5
On the Yoga and Mantra Siddhi, Chapter 6 On the Highest Knowledge of Brahma, Chapter 7 On Bhakti Yoga, and Chapter 8 The Vow and the Sacred Places of the Devî, and THE FINAL CHAPTER.
Disclaimer: (… see the previous disclaimer in commentary 1).
Namaste
This morning is going to be a start of a busy day. Gift exchanges, a day off from work, it is a Holiday morning here in America. When I had completed reading the Devi Gita, I took down some notes on some ideas dancing about with happiness in my head and heart, which sort of weaved in and out of each chapter of this Divine Work. I was thinking of giving a book review with commentary that would have been of that nature.
This morning I changed my mind entirely.
Instead I only desire to zero in on a single seed (bija) of this Devi Gita’s remaining and extensive Cosmic envelope. This Devi Gita really encompasses all of Hinduism in its chapters. Each reader can take all of Hinduism from it, or just a part of Hinduism. But the thing about Hinduism is, even if you just take a part of it, you probably have also taken in it entirely. I am too stupid to wrap this Devi Gita into the weave that was my original thought. And frankly, sort of “lazy in happiness” to bother. Why so? Each reader of the Devi Gita will see what they see. But if I can be so humble, all I can take from it is that, if you are going to see something, it is best you see it with Devi’s Eyes. So that is all I will comment on.
--- "Devi lends you Her Eyes" ---
When it comes to emancipation, what is the very first thing that Devi now tells us? She made it clear, since this is Her Form and belongs to her, She in Her grace and affection is the one Who decides whether to show you Her form. It is not you who dictates your seeing, but Her grace. It is Her affection to the bhakta that brings Her attention to you, and She gifts that to you. Simply reading scriptures is an empty exercise without a devotional vision that is the path to jnana.
When some human truly falls in love with someone in this world, if it is true love, then that human only wants to gaze and look at that other one. But when a human falls in devotional love for the Great Goddess, because Devi is Everywhere, the devotional one looks here and there and notices Her spark of Energy, it agitates an awareness of beauty that takes the form of a Motherly Grace and Enlivening Joy. Her celebration is full of Joy and outward encompassing that engulfs all around it in sheer vivacity, enthusiasm, spiritual animation, vitality, buoyance, sparkle and what seems like almost magic to us.
But in this love, you see, if you can never marry Devi. She is only to Shiva or Ishwara, to Her Consort, no one else.
And so that is why, when you call Her "Gauri", you have becoming, become, became Her slave. But this is a diffedent kind of slave, who is free. This slave is like Her child. You become like Her "bee", and She is the "Queen Bee".
It appears as Devi alludes, the world as it is, is quite different from the world as it appears to our material senses. Our eyes are imperfect. We see stars as shinny dots in the night sky, yet we cannot see the next galaxy which is yet one more dot in the sky but full of billions of stars like our own without the help of a telescope. But that telescope is also imperfect, because it was made with our imperfect vision and human hands. Our friends the birds see things different than us. But Devi can lend us Her eyes.
Then you start to see things you have not seen before. You can feel the past also, and a direction of the future, but in this way it is not that history repeats itself, rather history rhymes. It becomes like a poem, or a song. Because you start to peek through Her eyes, where you look is effervescence.
It seems from Her Powers as described, She is the Active Will. No wonder, She has “mysteries” to Her Path for you to become initiated in by devotion and by seeing with Her Eyes, because situated in the “lotus” of the Heart it is also having Surya rising with splendor and then in this type of light they say you see Her assuring blessing and giving you Freedom from Fear.
Avidya (ignorance), Vidya (knowledge by realization), Sandhini (that leads a jiva to the Heavenly Place), Sandipini (that leads a jiva to En-Lightenment), Ahladini (that covers in energetic Joy), all these things are there at the same moment but what you see and thereby experience depends on your Eyes. Your eyes might be the root of what She calls Maya. When you see things only with your current material Eyes, things are only what you imagine them to be even when using the aids of material tools such as a telescope or microscope. When you see things with the help of Devi’s Eyes, you see things as they actually are. But ether way, even what you imagine it to be is also Her Form. If you want to only look through material eyes, that is the state when you will not be Her “slave”, you can do that and She will not stop you. When you do that, you forget the Divine after time because you only see the material. This is Maya, forgetting. When you try to see through Devi’s Eyes, you can do that and She will not stop you. When you do that, you remember the Divine after short order because you only see the Divine. In that way you become Her slave that is full of wealth that is not easy to describe. This slave means that you become captivated in every thought and deed that is full of devotion. The devotion was already there in you, it is like water, but without those Eyes, without that Surya in the Lotus of the Heart, it is very cold. Very, very cold – so this “water” is frozen. But now add the Energy of Devi, the Sun rises in your Heart and Warmth comes, the ice water melts, it now flows, very soon it is part of the Ganga.
There are false desires, there are illusionary desires sometimes called “hidden desires” (evil in nature), and true there are also the true hidden desires, the true desires which is what is meant when She says that She grants fulfillment of Every Desire. This is the True Desires. So when She spoke of Maya, right away She talks of Advidya and Vidya. She talks directly to the King of the Mountains.
Within this Maya is also the Wheel of Birth and Death – it turns like clockwork, like a machine. It is casual for you when you use your material eyes, it is because this vision is Ignorance or Avidya and it is the cause of the Wheel of Birth and Death known as “Samsara”. What spills out from it as it turns is the illusionary desires, the “hidden desires” (evil in nature) that are not the true hidden desires. These desires devoid of Devi flow out. But seeing with Vidya or Knowledge, that is what happens with Devi’s Eyes. In that state, Karma changes. But it is exactly because the “hidden desires” (of material nature) will never, ever fulfill, that is the very root of their attachment. You can become attached to them, trying over and over again, but you will never be fulfilled. The jiva soul tries again and again the sensual “enjoyments” living in the path of karma, and only attachment arises out of this desire.
With those Eyes, Tat Tvam Asi is very easy.
With those Eyes, the self is unborn.
With those Eyes, the Atma can reside in the Cave of Buddhi.
With those Eyes, you can go to the Far Shore because you can see Far.
With those Eyes, you can see in between each atom as if very small, and the body dissolves.
With those Eyes, you can see all the galaxy as if very large, and the body becomes small, a speak of dust.
With those Eyes, you can project Light outward as well. Everything is illuminated before those eyes.
With those Eyes, you no longer exist in heaven or earth, or in the lower regions. Wherever you are, you See it as it is at that moment, and Devi is there.
You can travel in this World, and there are many places to see. Devi said here, She is the World too, and it is clear that She recommends pilgrimages to Holy Tirthas. She names many within this Gita itself. You should go on such pilgrimages. It is said, in Kashi, all the Tirthas can be found there in One Place. Perhaps one day you will go to Kashi, I would recommend it, it is wonderful. When and if you ever go, bring the Eyes of Devi. Wherever you are, you See it as it is at that moment, because Devi is there. It is an experience. It is higher than just Wisdom perhaps, I do not know but She sort of may be saying there is something like that. Then when She was done with what She had to say, we find in the last lines, She vanished. The Devî vanished there after describing all these, even to the Gods.
The consciousness that created the problem cannot solve the problem. You do not need to fear anything, however, with the Devi by your side. The demonic have to make sure that you do not feel empowered. But what you feel, is what you feel. They can only make you feel something, but Devi can make you feel much more than anything, isn’t it? One thing you will notice. Devi has a third eye.
So this ends my commentaries and thoughts. I hope the “Book Club” hasn’t ended. What is next, I am curious. Have a great Holiday to all!
Om Namah Sivaya
