Q. Gurudev there are many stories of Mother Divine in Devi Bhagawatam. Could you please tell us the story of Mahishasur and its hidden meaning?
Gurudev:
The city which is very close to Bangalore is Mysore. Why it is called Mysore? It's said that there was a King Mahishasur long long ago. Mahishasurpur became Mysore. This king was very lethargic. He was embodiment of lethargy, lethargy personified. When there is lethargy, it swallows up all good qualities. You may have a lot of creativity, you may be a very good speaker, administrator, but if you have lethargy, all is finished. So this King Asura (Demon) called Mahishasur; Mahisha also means Buffalo. Buffalos are considered to be very lethargic. To do any work in the fields, villages, people take oxen, they take cows but never buffaloes, because they don’t move. It is said that buffalos are natural speed breakers in the street. If you come across a buffalo on the street, you have to change your path because a buffalo will not move. A cow or an ox, when you honk, will move. They will give you way.
Buffalo is a symbol of lethargy. So is this Asura.
The story goes like this. Always the Devas were winning battles. They were always victorious. So this Asura, Mahishasur, he said, why should they win all the time? I want to win over! So to win over he had to do something. He wanted a boon of immortality. He did some penance and he asked the creator to give him a boon of immortality. Brahma said it's not possible. You can ask from where your death should not come. Those who are born have to die. But you can chose the source of your death, the means of your death. Asuras are not so intelligent. He made a list from where he should not get death. He said, no man, no king, no animal - he made a list. But you know what he left out from the list? A lady, a woman! He thought what can a woman do to me! So he ignored women and added everyone else. Brahma said okay, so be it. When he got the boon then he started destroying all other Devas or angels. He started ruling over them. This became a problem. All the angels gathered and went to the Trinity- Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. They asked them to destroy him. When nobody can help, only God can help you. So they went to the Trinity and they meditated.
When they meditated a light came out from their meditation. A big flame of energy came from that. A big pillar of energy was produced from that. All the other angels also contributed to this light. The Summum Bonum (the highest good) of all the devas energy formed a feminine figure and that is Durga. Durga destroyed this demon, Mahishasur.
Even the good qualities can be harmed by inertia. What can really destroy inertia? It's the inner energy, the Kundalini energy. Durga destroys all the lethargy and negative tendencies. She came first as a very charming woman. So the Asura first lost his lethargy. He said, oh will you marry me? She said yes I'll marry you if you win in a fight with me. So the story goes. He was fighting with her and he was not successful. He took many forms of many animals and nothing worked. Durga was the total energy of all the Gods, Goddesses. All the power was there. The complete power of infinity.
That is Durga. Durg means impossible. Durga means the one who can help you cross over the impossible. Whatever appears to be big and impossible to handle, you just pray to Durga. She comes, uplifts you like a kind mother and helps you cross the ocean of misery. That's why it's said, Durga takes you across the Samsara, the ocean of misery, to your Self. That is the gist of the story.
To know the Self, you need enormous energy. And that energy is Durga. To know God you need energy. God is already there anyway. When it's dark, you don't see the things all around you. But the power of light makes your realize the things that are. Similarly though God is present in every particle around you, you can't know it unless there is a spirit, divine energy. And that divine energy is the mother divine. Mother divine as a compassion helps you to get over negative trends, inertia. This is depicted in a nice story form so that everyone gets something. In fact, this is not something that happened at one time. It's something that's always happening in the subtle world. The fight between the good and the bad is happening all the time, the right and wrong, the demons and the devas, it is happening all the time. And ultimately it is the good that wins all the time. That's the story of Mahishasur.
More than the story, it's feeling connectivity with a power, with an energy. In Yogic tradition, it's the Kundalini energy inside you. When the power inside you wakes up, then inertia dies down, it is under control. That's the Yogic way. On many levels it has some meaning. If you go deeper in meditation, you'll see Durga energy is all the energies of all the divinity put together. All the aspects for divinity is present in Durga.
In Shakti, in the Mother Divine, there are three Shaktis (primordial cosmic energy).
Yoga Shakti - It helps you get into a deeper state of consciousness. Yoga Shakti is your power to withdraw and unite with the universal spirit.
Bhoga Shakti is your capacity to enjoy. That is also a power. A yogi can eat any amount of food and still not feel indigestion. But don't try it right away. And a yogi can stay without eating also!
The third is Swatantra Shakti. Free spirit. Free energy that liberates you from all types of illusions, ignorance, Maya. And Durga is Swatantra Shakti.
Historically it's said that Mahishasur was ruling the town Mysore several millennia ago and the Devi destroyed him there and in this place, where our ashram is, gave boons to all the angels and all Devas!
In the 4th chapter of Devi Bhagawatam it's said it happened here! In this place. All the Devas praised her. She asked, “ what is it that you want?” They said, “Mother you have already given us everything. What is there to ask? You have fulfilled all our desires and needs. You have left nothing incomplete. You have made us so complete. So we have nothing to ask. We are simply so joyful.” Then she says I will come in every age. She assures I'm with everyone and I'll take care of the whole universe. I'm there for anyone who asks for anything.
The night is feminine. Ratri means that which gives you relief from 3 types of Tapasya (to undergo penance). Adi Bhautik, Adi Daivik and Adhyatmik, just like a mother who gives you relief. Gender differentiation is limited to a certain degree. Beyond that there's no gender. When you call her Mother, an emotional bond is formed. If you want to consider it masculine, you can.
All this is Shakti. If there's no compassion of the mother, a distance is felt. To bind you to the higher power emotionally, all this is said.
Q. Small details occupy our mind. How do we see the bigger picture?
Gurudev:
You can do both simultaneously. You have the ability to do them. It is not either this or that. It is both together, is what you need to look into. You may plan your energy. You need to take that first step out of your door. You can't say I want to go to America, but why should I take this small step of putting my foot out of the door. A long journey begins with a tiny step. You need to attend to the tiny steps as well. You can’t say you want to be a big philanthropist, to do great service to the community but not take care of someone who is in need of your attention, your neighbor. You cannot say that I am doing social work but the neighbor is pleading you to help him with something. Both of them go together.
Q. How to see a big picture during stressful or unfortunate moments? Is it possible to cultivate the habit of seeing the big picture?
Gurudev
Yes. When a situation is unfavorable or troublesome, it is here that your mind gets stuck. When things don't work out the way you desire, then you get stuck. Then look back at your own experience of the past. And see that you have sailed through that situation. Your own experience has helped you to move forward.
Second is, when you have faith, only the right thing will happen to you. You get strength to move from that.
Third is, to know that you are not alone; someone is with me, somebody will help me all through. That faith will also help you.
Yesterday I read about a research work that happened in America. Where they say even if your biological age is 50, your brain will function like that of a 25 year old if you do nothing for 15 minutes everyday. Your brain will remain young though your body is aging. Your mind will be still young as a 25 years old even if your biological age is 50 years. The formula is 15 minutes don't do anything and be very quiet. Observe silence. We know this but science has authenticated what we have been saying since a long time. It is a thrill! If you are sitting doing nothing, you are making sure your brain does not age. It is not a waste of time.
