It was a very divine 10 days for me that ended last Sunday in NJ. As part of my Guhananda mandali (North America) gurumandalam, we have been conducting an event in the month of May (around Mother’s Day) as a samarpan to Sri Guhanandanathar for the past six years. Each year the theme is different – we started off with Thithi Nithya and did various other events. This year it was Rahasyoktha Chandi Yagnam. My paramaguru pathini visited from India to attend this event.

Devi Mahathmiyam (DM) is not just a story of how Devi kills mahishan, Chanda-mundan etc. That is at the 100,000 feet level. Actually each shloka in DM has secret bijams embedded. If you take the first shloka the literal meaning goes like I will tell you how Savarni became the Manu. If one could decode this verse, it would reveal that Margandeyar saying I will tell you about hreem, which is nothing but Chandikaparameswari Herself.. Likewise each shloka has a bijam and it has rishi, Chandas, nyasams etc. In DM at the end there are three rahasyams – these rahasyams are much more important to note as these serve as the key to open the deepest meanings of DM. They detail the entire manifestation of how srishti started from Adi Mahalalakshmi and how all other devatas like mahakali, Mahalakshmi, mahasaraswathi, rudran, vishnu, brahma, bairavas, navadurgas, navakanyas, ashtadigpalas came.

So as part of this yagna we did a bijatmaka sapthashathi in a samputikaranam format. Each shloka would have two bijams as prefix and suffix. Also we invited 70 Pratyaksha devatas and arranged them to replicate exactly as these rahasyams detail. This entire puja is done purely based on pramana – my guru has been planning for this for the past several years and spent enormous times to get the relevant materials from various sources and guided us on this.

Prior to this event, we gathered in NJ to do 100 parayanams of this bijatmaka sapthashathi and likewise homam was also conducted. Very long, tiring days but spiritually elevating experience.

As part of this yagna we conducted a virtual Tantrika Sammelenam (Sadas). Many of the speakers are stalwarts in Devi upasana and part of guhananda mandali and also from other mandalis.

In Sadas1 at the end, Sri Otty Balu mama narrates an experience with Mahaperiyava – must-listen!

During this stay I also visited NJ Mani Mandapam – my second visit here. First time after the land was purchased. I did not realize that the place I stayed in NJ was so closer to manimandapam. Construction is still going on for the main temple and Periyava is in the big hall until temple kumbabishekam is completed. I was told by the Gurukkal there that the construction work has picked up momentum and he was optimistic that the work should be done soon. In addition to Mahaperiyava Sannidhi, a separate Kamakshi Sannidhi is being planned out – work has not started yet but looks like it would also start soon. I did not take any photos there not knowing the dos and don’ts.

Mahaperiyava Sharanam

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