During Navaratri, we pray to Durga Parameswari, Maha Lakshmi and Saraswathi Devi. Whether we consider them as three Goddesses or 33 Crore Devatas, all that is One only, the One Parasakthi.
Lalitha Sahasranamam makes this succinctly clear. It says:- ” She is the Creator. ‘Srushti Karthri – Brhmarupa.’ She is the Protector. ‘Gopthri – GovindaRupini.’ She is the Annihilator too. ‘Samharini -Rudra Rupa.’ “Lalitha who is Durga, is also Parasakthi, Mahalakshmi and Saraswathi.
In Lakshmi Ashtothram, there is a mantra, ‘BrhmaVishnu Sivathmikayai Namaha’. In Saraswathi Ashtothram too, the same mantra occurs, ‘BrhmaVishnu Sivathmikayai Namaha’! Thus it is being made clear beyond doubt that, it is one and the samepower that does the three main tasks of Creation, Protection and Annihilation.
The One Parasakthi, in different garbs, functions multivariously. As Durga, She imparts courage and power. As Mahalakshmi, She grants wealth. As Saraswathi, She gives Knowledge, Awareness and Gnana!
Adi Parasakthi Durga, can be considered as Parvathi. As She is the daughter of Himawan, She is ‘Malaimagal’, (hill’s daughter). Mahalakshmi came in to being in the Ocean of Milk and so She is ‘Alaimagal’, (wave’s daughter). Saraswathi endows all knowledge, arts, science and Gnana and so She is ‘Kalaimagal’. The daughter of the parvatha Raja Himawan, Ambal and the daughter of Kshira Sagara, Mahalakshmi; have both taken birth as the daughters of two Maharishis.
Brugu Rishi did tapasya (austerities), so as to beget Mahalakshmi as his daughter. Willingly She took life as his daughter. As Brugu’s offspring She got a name of Bhargavi. Amarakosam, the Sanskrit dictionary says, ‘Bhargavi loka janani ksheerasagara kanyaka’, (to mean, ‘Bhargavi, world’s mother is the daughter of milky ocean’). Similarly, Kathyayana Maharishi, did tapasya, for the purpose of getting the Parameswari Herself as his daughter. She consented to be born accordingly.
As Kathyayana’s daughter, She got the name, Kathyayani. The Gayathri mantra by which Durga is prayed to says, ‘that we meditate on Her as Kathyayani’.
If we sincerely bow down to Sakshat Parasakthi as Kathyayani and Mahalakshmi as Bhargavi, we will also become child-like, devoid of deceit and skull-duggery. As now-a-days, wrist watches are made water proof, we will become passion proof and anger proof. She will grant us this.
It is my guess that, Kathyayani the child God, is the one referred to as ‘Kaththayi’, in the villages of South India. Similarly, the villagers have long been referring to one ‘Pechchayi’, who is none other than Saraswathi, the Goddess of speech. Speech in English is ‘pechchu’ in Tamil.
Let us pray to Ambal Parameswari, for strength and courage, let us pray to Lakshmi for wealth and materials and let us pray to Vagdevi Saraswathi, for power of speech, clear thinking and Gnana, knowing fully well that all these Gods are one and the same!
– His Holiness Paramacharyal of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam.
Source : Kanchi Periyava Forum – Special ebook on Navaratri
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