4. Energy Incarnating as Meenakshi
God is also called ‘Avyaja Karuna Murthy’, someone who showers love and grace beyond measure. Then, we may ask, why does man suffer so much? That is a valid question.
No one realises that all that a man is determined to have and not have in this birth, god grants him those in the next.
How many know that those who want to live off others all the time without doing any hard work end up being conmen and beggars in the next?
Those who hate their parents lose their parents very early in the next birth. He who hates marriage will find it difficult to get married in the next birth. He who hates kids will have to do severe penance to beget one.
Similarly, we forget all the good that happens to us with God’s kind grace.
Kanchanamalai’s daughter, the Queen
Kulasekara Pandya’s son Malayadwaja Pandya married Kanchanamalai, a highly born noble woman. The couple follow the path of dharma in their personal lives as well as in ruling the kingdom.
But they become sad as even after several years of being married, they do not have children. They worried that they did not have an heir who would take on their mantle. The king did many Ashwamedha Yagas, but spiritual guides made him realise that it will only earn him power and affluence. They told him to do Putrakameshti Yaga to be blessed with a child.
Meanwhile Kanchanamala also consulted a spiritual guru to find out why they were childless. Hearing the truth calmed her and she was able to undertake the fasts and prayers with deeper devotion. But what was the truth she heard?
The Story Continues
Even at birth, Vidyavati enjoyed the strength of having done good in her previous births. A beautiful princess, she became a devotee of Devi at a young age, and with the guidance of a spiritual guru, worshipped Devi with Tirupurasundari chant.
Her good deeds brought her to the Kadam forest where she realised the Sakthi of the linga there and worshipped it as Devi, keeping several fasts. She was overjoyed when she glimpsed the young form of Balambika, the Divine Power in the form of a three-year-old girl, in her inner mind. She wanted that child to be always with her like her daughter. God fulfils every desire of every human being, doesn’t he?
The Mother blessed her that She would fulfil this desire in her next birth. That Vidyavati is Kanchanamala today.
Realising that the Divine Mother was going to be born as her child, Kanchanamala started preparing herself accordingly. During the Putrakameshti Yaga performed in the presence of the elders, a three year old girl emerged from the holy fire.
As the ghee of devotion in the fire of desire, the knowledge in the form of the divine is evoked within us. That is the Divine Mother’s incarnation as the Fire of Knowledge. Through the power of a yaga, one can destroy a city, rule over a city or obtain the grace of the Mother. The choice is ours, as are the consequences.
Anything obtained for desire will cause disappointment. This is the Eternal Truth. Though the Mother herself was born as the daughter, the king and the queen had reason to be disappointed.
The mother was born with three breasts. The royal couple lamented the birth of an abnormal child.
Breasts are a symbol of femininity, representation of pleasure. Sakthi is the epitome of pleasure combined with love. The fructifying of this pleasurable love leads one to Sivam. The presence of a third breast indicates the presence of intense power.
The near and dear ones said that when she found her soul mate, the third breast would vanish. What did that mean?
This indicates that when that child transcends its state of being Sakthi and realises the Sivam within her, then she will become part of the Divine One.
So long as the Supreme Power remains supreme, there are no problems. But the moment It incarnates as Sakthi, It is compelled to be bound by universal laws, rules and regulations. The Mother heeds to her devotee’s prayers and is born as her daughter. Being born in a human form, she has to attain salvation like all others. There are no exceptions to this rule. She is now the loved daughter of Malayadwajan and Kanchanamala and heir to the Madurai throne. Her parents lovingly name her as Thatathakai.
Thatatakai has started her journey to overcome hurdles and attain her conscious state. That is our journey too.
Om Namah Sivaya!
Beautiful rock cut sculptures of Kulasekaran – who established Madurai – Dhananjayan and Thatatakai can be seen in the northern side of the lotus pond.
Can a child emerge from the hoy fire? A good question. Read the article on miracles. Also, this should be understood as the couple begetting a child with all the qualities of and in the image of the Divine Mother because of this highly developed spiritual maturity. That awareness combined with heightened consciousness is the fire of knowledge. This is how the parents of Rama and Krishna also prayed. In those cases, the cosmic energy took the qualities of Maha Vishnu.
