We perform the Chopda pooja during Diwali. On this day we invoke lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles first. After this, we invoke Sharada Devi and then Lakshmi Devi. We are familiar with several aspects of lord Ganesha and goddess Lakshmi. But we can learn a lot from these lesser-known stories and facts about Sharadamba and Sharada Devi too. *The left side of our body represents Prakriti/the heart/emotions. And the right side represents Purusha/the mind/ego.
Sharada Peetham, Sringeri
Sharadamba presides over this Sharada Peetham, which is one of the four Hindu Advaita Mutts established by Sri Adi Shankaracharya. This Sharada Peetham is located on the left bank of Tungabhadra, in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka. Initially, Shankracharya installed a small sandalwood idol of Sharadamba in a standing posture over a Sri Chakra which was later substituted by a bigger idol.
The story of a snake and a frog
When Adi Shankara was on his way to Sringeri he saw a cobra unveiling his hood and protecting a frog that was giving birth to her babies from the hot sun. So Adi Shankaracharya felt this was the right place to establish a Sharada Peetham because even natural foes like snakes and frogs loved and took care of one another here.
Sharadamba
Sharadamba is an aspect of the Mula Prakriti. She sits on the Shree Chakra – which represents the Purusha. This symbolic metaphor clearly says: wisdom flows into our lives only when we suppress our ego and are sensitive to the emotions of others.
Her left leg which symbolises materialism is firmly tucked in by her right leg which represents spiritualism. She holds the Vedas in her left lower hand and a pot of Amrita in her left upper hand. This indicates that we can attain Moksha only when we infuse Vedic knowledge in our material lives.
Sharadamba holds a parrot and a Japa mala in her right upper hand. The Vedic knowledge of our material world transforms into wisdom only when we repeatedly meditate on the tenets contained in the Vedas and consciously apply them in our lives.
Sharadamba’s Varada mudra clearly says – that if we are willing to embark on this arduous journey, She will dispel our fears, protect us and bless us with peace.
Shakti Peetham
After Sati immolates herself in Daksha’s yagna, Shiva is grief-struck and wanders through Aryavarta with her body with the hope that someone will bring her back to life. That is when Vishnu releases his Sudarshan Chakra and cuts Sati’s body into 51 parts and helps Shiva accept the reality that Sati is no more. Shakti Peethams have been constructed in all these places.
Shakti Peetham, Kashmir
Sati’s right hand fell in Kashmir. So we worship Sharada Devi at this Maha Shakti Peetham which stands at the confluence of two holy streams – the Sandili and the Madhumati.
The story of Rishi Shandilya
One day, Rishi Shandilya performs a yagna in this area with the help of the local people and purohits. A beautiful woman appears before them. She introduces herself as a Brahmini and says, “I have travelled a long way to reach this place. Please give me some food and allow me to participate in your yagna.”
Rishi Shandilya welcomes her and says, “According to Vedic rules I can offer you food only after the yagna is complete and the purohits have their fill of the prasad. And I have to adhere to the tenets of the Vedas. So I cannot grant you permission to participate in the yagna either.”
The Brahmini flies into a rage. And in a voice that spells doom says, “You are worshipping the Paramatman – who is but a part of my essence. Yet you deprive me of my rights? I will absorb the entire world into my being for your impudence.” And to rishi Shandilya’s utter horror she reveals her true form as Vac. This Vedic goddess wields several weapons in her many hands. Rishi Shandilya, a devout man, dies out of remorse and fear when he hears Sharada Devi’s ominous words and sees her cosmic form.
Sharada Devi then revives rishi Shandilya with amrita, reveals her graceful form of Saraswati to him and says, “O son, I am pleased with your single-minded devotion and willingness to accept the inevitable. Ask me for any boon and it is yours.”
Rishi Shandilya says, “O divine mother, please revive the people who died in this village. And restore this village and forest to its former glory.”Sharada Devi does so and sets up her abode in the Shakti Peetham at Kashmir.
The story of river Madhumati
Rishi Shandilya worships Sharada Devi devoutly after this. One day he wishes to get a glimpse of her divine form once more. So Sharda Devi appears before him and promises him that she will reveal her true form to him soon.
Rishi Shandilya has several divine experiences after this. One day when he goes to the forest, he gets a glimpse of lord Ganesha on the eastern side of a hill. On another day, when he bathes in the Neelam river he realizes that half his body has turned golden. Yet on another occasion, rishi Shandilya draws water from the Mahasindhu to prepare for his rituals and is surprised to see that half the water that is flowing down a nearby stream has transformed into honey. And that is why this stream is called Madhumati.
After these miraculous instances, Sharada Devi reveals her cosmic forms of Sharada, Saraswati and Vagdevi to rishi Shandilya. She then invites him to live in her abode at the Shakti Peetham in Kashmir.
Sharada Devi
Sharada Devi holds a bell in her left lower hand. This bell rests on a tiny male figurine who holds an unbound manuscript in his left hand while he sways to his right. His right-hand faces inwards towards his shoulder.
This indicates that we may have an abundance of knowledge but this should not inflate our ego. We must temper our knowledge by reflecting on it with awareness, sensitivity, humility and divinity.
The severed head of the goat and the sword in her upper arms clearly indicate that Sharada Devi is an aspect of Mula Prakriti – Shakti herself. She can shatter our ego to smithereens. And sober us to the fact that our intellect is Her blessing. So we should not be proud of it.
The tiny male figurine below her right lower hand holds a bound manuscript in his left hand and sways to his left. The Abhaya mudra of his right hand clearly indicates that knowledge transforms into wisdom only with self-restraint. And we should fearlessly apply the wisdom that we have garnered through our experiences to enhance the quality of our thoughts and emotions and expand our consciousness. Both these male figures look at one another indicating the complementary nature of Vidya and Gyan – materialism and spiritualism.
Yes. Knowledge and wisdom alone cannot satiate our many hungers. We need the blessings of Lord Ganesha to overcome the obstacles of our lives. And we can survive in the material world only with Lakshmi Mata’s blessings.
When we perform the Chopda Pooja, we usher in the new financial year with a fresh set of account books. But we also internalize Sharada Ma’s message: That wealth without wisdom will never sustain itself for long. And our highest goal in life should always be Moksha, not material gain. And Sharada Ma blesses us with courage, clarity, wisdom and awareness and helps us remember this throughout the year.
Chopda Pooja photo given by: Aditi and Teerth.
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