psychologically astrology

The Devi//Prakriti is the creative force of the Parabrahma/Ultimate consciousness. The Ultimate is inert and manifests the creative principle only when the intention of Leela/Creation arises. (Nasadiya Sukta Rg Ved 10th mandala 129th sukta describes how creation occurred). Those aspirants on the spiritual path desirous of Moksh/Experience of the Ultimate, first worship this creative force in all its names, forms with mantra, yantra and tantra. Everyone is supposed to recite the Gayatri mantra 108 times from the age of 6yrs onwards, I use this mantra in several ways. And the mantra I love is the navavarna mantra. And then is the Shrisukta which grants prosperity in all ways, it is 15 verses long. Shri means ‘prosperity’ and sukta means an ‘apt description’.

(The gender indicative words are meaningless as these are energies. However at the simplest explanation, ‘still’ energies are referred to as masculine and the energies ‘in movement’ are referred to as feminine)

This sukta in very clear language describes the energy, kundalini and other locks, brahmanadi and what happens when the locks on self-identification open etc. There are 53 attributes of the Devi described in this sukta. The 54th is ‘Om’ an open secret. Om is used so easily these days that we forget its immensity. It is the only sound created by the mouth where the tongue is not involved. Will write more about this later, let’s continue with Her attributes.

The first attribute is Hiranyavarana. It has several meanings,

• Hiranya means indestructible, inert, fire, gold etc. Varna means the ‘door on the opening’, sound, color, etc. Thus name means that She is the impregnable covering on the opening of the Brahmanadi. i.e. the kundalini and associated locking structures.
• It is also a reference to the humming sound associated with the muladhar chakra. She exists in all living beings (hi) and makes a sound (varna) like a humming bumble bee (ranya). (If you close shut your ears you can hear your chakras, huming, rippling water, tinking of tiny bells, deep gong etc, if you are doing your spiritual practice you can hear 12 distinct sounds.)
• Prajapati (from the 33 koti devata), uses this energy in binding the human soul/jeevatma to the body.
• This can be opened by the mantra, ‘Om Hiranyavarnayai namah’.

Harini is the second attribute. It means beloved of ‘Hari’, or a golden doe.

• When you do your dhyan deeply, you see a yellowish light. When you are unaware of what this means it can randomly appear and be visible. But the instant you recognise it for what it means, it will vanish. It will dance at the edge of your vision, tantalising. Capturing it again in the center of your vision is the challenge. (Forces of akshep and vikshep interfere, whenever you try to focus these forces pull/push your focus away). It is like catching a female deer. This is caused by disturbances of the swadhisthana chakra. (ripple-like karma related to the fluid emotions)
• Thus her attribute Harini.
• Only when you attain complete awareness with conscious effort, keeping the mind in complete control, will the upper opening of the Sushumna be visible steadily.
• The mantra here is ‘Om Harinyai namah’.

Third attribute Suvarna-sraja. Su (auspicious) + varna + sraj (garland, one who creates)

• She creates the garland of auspicious sounds, properly recited sounds of correct metre. i.e. the beej mantras of the chakra system, the 54 sounds of Sanskrit, the golden garland. Specifically the vowels of Sanskrit are referred to as Suvarna.
• To reach each of these beej mantras, a specific ‘sacrifice’ is required. i.e. to attain the spiritual you have to give up the material.
• She is the source of the creation as vibrations.
• The embodiment of the most secretive mystery which resides at the very base of the Meru danda/below the muladhar chakra. This is the source of all prosperity. This is the lower opening of the brahmanadi, as this is the source of all prosperity in the spiritual sense.
• The mantra here is Om Suvarnasraje namah.

The fourth attribute is Rajatasraja. Rajat means silver, gold, nakshatra, blood etc.

• She is the creator of Rajat. She fixes the body with the energy of the nakshatra (Prabhas – one of the 33 types of energy).
• The name Rajatsraj is also the collective name of the 11 Rudras who make up the body. (Rudras are also part of 33 classes of deities). She is the creator of the Rudras too.
• Rajat specifically means the consonants of the Devbhasha Samskrutam.
• The mantra here is Om Rajatasraje namah

The fifth attribute is Chandraa.

• Chandraa means the whirling of time/space, delight, vibrations of happiness in the mind, melting, rising moon, illumination, the internal moon, the unfathomable ocean of consciousness within the brahmanadi.
• It is also the canopy/covering that covers the Ultimate. She is so brilliant that one can get caught quite forgetting that there is something even more magnificent hidden behind her light.
• When your internal self/Ksheer-samudra, is churned by the forces of Rahu/Ketu, desire/apathy, the gem of self-knowledge appears. The internal Moon/Chandra is the light which indicates that She is about to appear. The force called the ‘Moon’ is an infinitesimal fraction of Her force.
• Om Chandraayai namah brings this bliss.

Her sixth name is Hiranmayi.

• Hiran is again ‘sound’. ‘mayi’ means pervading. She exists from the basal chakra to the 12th dwadash chakra and beyond into the dwadashant as their beej mantra individually and the pranav mantra/Om collectively.
• She is the primordial sound/Om, and resides at the center of creation. Creation here in the spiritual sense is your chakra system and the brahmanadi.
• Om Hiranmayyi namah is her mantra here.

Her seventh name is Laxmi.

• It has several meanings including distinguishing trait, mark, sign, splendour, fortune, dominion, success, formula etc.
• She gives (la), despatches and directs (root word-kship). She is sent out from the Parabrahma. And she further sends out the energy of creation and directs evolution of the souls.
• She is the reason there exists ‘difference’. See, you and me are essentially the same Parabrahma. What makes us different is the power of Laxmi. Laxmi also creates a difference between the jivatma/us and our real nature/Parabrahma. Laxmi is power we use when we act/do karma.
• And her other face, la also means ‘to dissolve’. Thus she can also dissolve the outward appearances for the aspirant. And also herself dissolves into the Parabrahma when the game/Leela is over.
• Om Laxmyai namah is her mantra here.

These names are in the first verse of the Shri sukta. The verse ends with ‘jaatvedo maavaha’. ‘Jaat’ means collection, kind, possesses, belonging to, caused by, apparent in, created by, born, manifested, arisen, creatures, result etc. ‘Ved’ means knowledge, perception, obtains, true, real, feeling, property etc. So here this phrase you are inviting/invoking the One who is the ‘true collection of real knowledge’ to bring to you all the 54 attributes of Shri.

The Shri sukta is glorious, the rhythm of the words enter your soul. I love this, have done its jaap, homa and listened to it endlessly. (Doing its Homa/jaap especially during eclipses is quite fruitful). This is a very inadequate post on its meanings. Some are from the Laxmi tantra and some of them are my understanding. Everything is Shri.