Goddess Rajarajeshwari, also known as Amba, Parvati, or Durga, is the wife (consort) of Lord Shiva and exists in various divine forms. She is the most splendid form of the Cosmic Mother. She is the Royal Divine Queen of all Kings (Rajarajeshwari), the merciful protecting energy of the Cosmos. She is care, love, mercy and grace intensified.
According to the Puranas, She is engrossed in the creation of the Universe through Brahma, She sustains the creation through Vishnu and She also annihilates the creation through Shiva. She is the One performing the actions through the Gods. The scriptures describe Her to be seated on a Simhasana pose, upon Lord Sadashiva (the Cosmic Consciousness) whose legs are Brahma, Rudra, Indra and Vishnu. She is depicted to be worshipped by all the 33 principal Devas along with Lord Ganesha and Subrahmanya.
Shri Rajarajeshwari Ashtakam is an octet in the praise of different forms and glories of the same Mother, believed to be composed by the enlightened Guru Shankaracharya.
The play of Lalita may appear random to us, but she is playing it at her ‘will’, thus ruling as ‘Raja Rajeswari’. Sri Chakra represents the Universe in terms of our consciousness, called ‘cit’, that manifest in all ‘living beings’. Rajarajeswari rules this Cit from its center.
Sri Chakra Yantra
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RajaRajeswari teaches us 10 ways she rules and evolves this consciousness (‘cit’) in beings. They are the dasa mahA vidyAs.
БОГИНЯ СВЕТА ЛЮБВИ МУДРОСТИ И РЕЛИГИОЗНОЙ ВЕРЫ - МАХАГАУРИ ДЕВИ, ВЫСШАЯ СИЛА ДУРГИ СВЯТОСТИ ШИВЫ
The Dasa Maha Vidyas and the Teachings of Rajarajeshwari
The nine nights and ten days of Navaratri also represent the ten learnings we have from RajaRajeswari, to evolve ourselves.
- Ever renew as in kAli
- Be blissful/lighten up as in tArA
- Be brave as in bhairavi
- Enlighten minds as in mAtangi
- Keep breaking inertia as in vArAhi
- Overcome opponent as in bagalAmukhi
- Join and create more as in Lalita
- Realize dissolution is for all as in dhumAvati
- Realize underlying unity of all as in bhuvaneswari
In the first stanza, she is kAli (the time aspect) which is light, forceful, ever-renewing, gives sAmrAjyas to rule (at right time).
In the second stanza, Rajarajeswari is tArA who provides happiness/bliss, removes darkness with her light. tAra means who helps cross over. She is happiness that helps cross saMsAra (existence) or light that helps cross darkness.
In third stanza, RajaRajeswari is bhairavi who wears waves of champaka garlands of success because she is fearless, playing sweet veena, flute at all times.
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In the fourth stanza, RajaRajeswari is the enlightener of mind and hence mAtangi. She nourishes like mother, though cAmundi (destroyer) also resides in her. Hence she is brahmani (creator), tripurantaki (destroyer), roudri (fierce), bagala (controller), Vaishnavi (protector), jwalamukhi (enlightener).
In the fifth stanza, RajaRajeswari is vArAhi who destroys the ‘inertness’ of Madhu-kaitabha, allowing evolution to progress. She is also the bagalamukhi who silences and controls her opponent mallasura.
In the sixth stanza, RajaRajeswari is Lalita, the beautifier of Universe who creates, nurtures, destroys, enjoins all through nectar of pranava. Thus she is gAyatri. She is also dhumavati, who exists beyond all dissolution as OmkAri.
In the seventh stanza, RajaRajeswari is bhuvaneswari, praised by all vedas, as the mother of all forms from ants to brahma, the spread-out consciousness chain which is root of pancha-pranava, symbolizing Universe is one family.
In the eight stanza, RajaRajeswari is Lakshmi, the wealth rejuvenator of Universe.
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Десять Махавидий
The Concluding Verse
O Savitri, You are forever young. O Mother Amba, O Mohini (having enchanting form), You reside in all the three worlds and grant eternal bliss. O Mother Amba, You are revered (bowed) by treaties, You are Arya, You are the greatest Lord. That Who gives birth to the five types of Pranava syllables (like OM); and that Who is the art of intellect; You are that One, O Mother, Who is adorned with a garland.
Thus ends Shri Rajarajeshwari Ashtakam (composed by Adi Shankaracharya).
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