mahameru from devipuramxa.yimg.com/kq/groups/18523926/734247288/name/mahameru_from... · mahameru...

MAHAMERUfrom DEVIPURAM


Sri Amritananda Natha

MAHA MERUfrom

DEVIPURAMby

Sri AMRITANANDA NATHA

Sri Vidya TrustDevipuram,

Anakapalle 531 001Andhra Pradesh

¹ Abhishekam is the ritual bathing of a murthi (temple or shrine image), yantra, guru or other human recipient.

² Panchamrita generally refers to a ritual mixture used in Hindu worship services. As its name implies, it is made of fiveingredients, usually milk, ghee, curd (yogurt), honey, and jaggery. Each of these ‘nectars’ has an origin in Hindu tradition.The milk is that of Kamadhenu (the divine wish-fulfilling cow); the curd represents the white, smooth and cool luster of themoon; the ghee is the food of the gods themselves, with a long Vedic past; honey, the extract of all herbs, is the essence oflife with herbal healing powers; and jaggery, the extract of sugarcane, is both the representation and the epitome of sweetness.

³ Sankalpa is a conception or idea formed in one’s mind or heart; it is a thought, an ideal, an intention. The Vedas say thatthe whole universe is evolved through sankalpa – the ceaselessly acting impulses of karma, driven by cosmic kama – andhence it is only through sankalpa that the universe retains its karmic structure, appearance, and continuity.

Brahmi

Maheshwari

Kaumaari

Vaishnavi

Varaahi

Mahendri Chamunda

Maha-Lakshmi

6 3 7

2

4

5 1 8

34

First Edition January 2007

Published by Sri Vidya Trust,DevipuramAmmulapalem Post (Via)ANAKAPALLE 531 001Andhra PradeshIndiaTel: +91 8924 207652Email: [email protected]: http://www.devipuram.com

Edited by Michael Bowden

Designed by: Imagic Creatives Pvt. Ltd.Bangalore 71Tel: +91 80 25356310/1/2Email: [email protected]

Mantras to the Eight MatrukasGoverning Beeja Avarana Name of The Mother I Bow toDirection Mantras Mantra Goddess Who Removes, Her

or Helps Usto Overcome …

East Om aim am aam Brahmi maatre kama (lust) namahahreem sreem souh sanjeevanyai

South Om aim am aam Maheshwari maatre krodha namahahreem sreem souh (anger) naashinyai

West Om aim am aam Kaumaari maatre lobha namahahreem sreem souh (delusion) naashinyai

North Om aim am aam Vaishnavi maatre moha (pride) namahahreem sreem souh naashinyai

Southeast Om aim am aam Varaahi maatre mada namahahreem sreem souh (jealousy) naashinyai

Southwest Om aim am aam Mahendri Maatre maatsarya namahahreem sreem souh (envy) naashinyai

Northwest Om aim am aam Chamunda maatre papa (negative namahahreem sreem souh actions) naashinyai

Northeast Om aim am aam Maha- maatre aishwarya namahahreem souh Lakshmi (attachment tosreem wealth) keertyai

33

7 Chamunda is the War Goddess, a form of Chandi; “Chamunda Shava Vahana”– She who lives in cemeteries, riding upon a revivified corpse. PropitiatingChamunda will enable you to absolutely control all evils done to you and toeliminate those evils.

8 Mahalakshmi is the wealth of Sri Naraayana. She is Cosmic Awareness, andshuns pettiness in all its aspects. Thus She represents the infinite wealth of theLord, and removes poverty of all kinds. The Ashta Aishwaryas and AshtaLakshmis are all under Her control and they all obey Her commands. It istherefore appropriate to propitiate Her in order to get a feel for the spiritualwealth of the Lord. She not only bestows material benefits, but also grants theproper frame of mind for reaching the oceanic, infinite antaryami (One ResidingWithin) of Divine Consciousness.

The simplest form of worship is abhishekam using Panchamrita² – pour a spoonful ofPanchamrita onto the Sri Meru location corresponding to each of these Devis as yourecite their respective mantras, as given below. If you want a particular result, you canmake a corresponding sankalpa³ and worship that Goddess by chanting Her mantra 108times.

These are just general hints for the people who don’t have much time to spare, butstill wish to maximize the benefits of their Sri Meru, to help them light the path oftheir lives. May the Goddess bless all of you so.

An IntroductionThe Maha Meru, or Sri Meru Chakra, is a three-dimensional projection of the

great yantra known as Sri Chakra, said to be the Mother of all Mandalas. The

sublime geometry of the Sri Chakra is revealed wisdom. It is not of human origin.

It is nothing less than the genetic code of the Cosmos. It is intelligent. As one

commentator aptly explained, “Sri Chakra is the technology of the Absolute,

skillfully fashioned in Divinity’s own self-image.”

Maha Meru

132

Every yantric shape emits a very specific frequency and energy pattern. Sri Chakrais said to contain within itself the essence of all other yantras, and thus it containsthe essence of all traditions. Certain powers, for example, are ascribed to the six-pointed Star of David, the Christian cross, the five-pointed star, the Egyptian andMeso-American pyramids, and so on. The Meru’s particular configuration is reveredin all Eastern traditions: It integrates the essence of Indian Mother Goddess worship,Mahayana Buddhism, Chinese feng shui, the Eleusinian mysteries of the AncientGreeks, and so much more. Once received from a proper and well-intentionedGuru, the Maha Meru can bring unbounded happiness and every good thing in life.

In its Maha Meru form, Sri Chakra radiates an aura of Love and Order, literallycreating a sacred space around itself. Wherever it is placed, it brings order, peace,happiness, health, and wealth – in short, everything that is needed. Just keeping itin one’s home will confer great blessings, because the Meru subtly connects itself tothe other major yantras in the world. Its mere presence is said to cleanse the homeof defects under both the vaastu and feng shui systems; to ward off and neutralizenegative energies and the “evil eye”; to protect against unfavorable planetaryinfluences; and to bring about healing, prosperity and peace of mind.

People of all beliefs, religions and sects may reap the benefits of peace, healing andprosperity by installing the Maha Meru in their homes, offices, shrines and places ofworship, as well as in hospitals, healing centers, prayer halls and wedding centers.

5 Varahi is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Lalita Devi. Residing

at the Ajna Chakra, She has vast armies at Her command (ajna), with which

She can defeat any enemy. Positive use of Varahi’s powers enables us to treat

various diseases and internal enemies, such as kama (lust), krodha (anger),

lobha (delusion), moha (pride), mada (jealousy) and matsarya (envy), and bring

them under control. Thus Varahi can be used for effectively controlling diseases

and improving one’s quality of life. She can also be invoked to bring relief to

others, by chanting sankalpam³ with their names and doing japa (mantra

recitation) or prokshana (the actual or visualized sprinkling of energized water

on the person on whose behalf you are appealing) with the Varahi Mantra.

Varahi is especially useful in bringing relief to terminally ill patients, such as

those suffering from cancer and AIDS.

6 Mahendri is the Atma Shakti of Indra, the God of Rain. He sends his

thunderbolt, Vajra, to seed the clouds and bring the rain that fertilizes the

Earth. Thus all desires regarding the wellbeing of crops, control of floods and

other such natural calamities; anything related to rain and water and fertilization

of the earth – is best handled through the worship of Mahendri. She protects

crops, ensures better dairy products and is generally useful for those in the

agricultural industries, as well as for environmental control.

2 31

subtle, unmanifest forms) under control. So for those who aspire to greatness,

through whatever means (for example, through business or enterprise in their

various forms); for those who must insist on the right things being done at the

right times by the right people; for those who require a bit of aggression to

preserve their competitive edge – propitiation of Maheshwari is recommended.

3 Kaumari is the Atma Shakti of Kumara or Skanda, Ganesha’s brother, whose

wives are Valli and Devasena. He is Shanmukha, the Kundalini Shakti; the

serpent power itself. He resides in all six chakras, balancing them; he is also the

leader of the Devas’ armies. Worship of Kaumari is recommended for couples

who wish to obtain Santana, or progeny. By propitiating Kaumari – through

worship of the Yoni, which is the seat of Kundalini as Nagashakti – wellness

hormones are generated, and conditions suitable for conception are created.

4 Vaishnavi is the Atma Shakti of Vishnu, whose nature is Maya. Maya means

Hreemkaara; it is involvement in the world. So Vaishnavi, a form of Lakshmi

who creates these illusions of Samsara, can assist in improving one’s relationships

in life – between husband and wife, between friends; in all kinds of interpersonal

relationships.

It may be given as a loving and auspicious gift for newlywed couples embarking on

their lives together, for adult children setting out on their own, for friends and

relatives moving into a new home or embarking on a new endeavor; even as a

corporate gift from employers to valued employees – in each case, it will empower

the recipient in every possible way.

This very special Maha Meru comes to you from Devipuram, India – your Global

Resource for Goddess Worship, and seat of Sri Meru Nilaya temple, the largest,

most unique Maha Meru in the world. Here one can literally walk into and

circumambulate a true Sri Chakra, meeting life-sized murthis (divine images) of all

the yoginis within. The establishment of this extraordinary temple has an amazing

and inspiring story behind it – one that is intimately related to the creation of these

distinctive Devipuram Maha Merus. Guruji shares this story in an exclusive

conversation elsewhere in this booklet.

Devipuram Maha Merus are available in two sizes:

5” x 5” x 2.5” (complete with an elegant, specially designed box)

10” x 10” x 5”

The Maha Merus are currently available in the following metals and finishes.

• Bronze/ Bright Finish • Bronze/ Antique Finish • Bronze/ Silver Coat • Bronze/

Gold Coat • Pure Silver • Pure Silver/ Gold Coat • Pure Gold

330

When ordering Pure Silver and Pure Gold Merus, devotees are given the option to

supply the metal for making their Merus.

Only a limited number of these special Devipuram-inspired Maha Merus will be created.

Please send a query to [email protected] to obtain further details about the Maha

Merus and how they may be obtained; or contact us at +91-8924-207652. Also please

be sure to spread the word about these extraordinary Maha Merus to your friends, relatives

and fellow seekers!

provided here a simple puja designed for laypersons who are short on time but

would still like to perform a more serious and formal worship of their Maha Meru:

Abhishekam to the Eight Matrukas

The Bhupura – the square, outermost enclosure of Sri Meru, as described above – is

comprised of three walls which are, in turn, graced by the 28 Devis or yoginis known

respectively as the Ten Mudra Shaktis, the Eight Matruka and the Ten Siddhis.

In this puja we focus upon the Ashta Matruka, who govern the second or middle

Bhupura wall, in each of its cardinal and intermediate directions; thus it is to the eight

corners of the Sri Meru’s square enclosure that we shall direct our worship. The

names and associations of the Devis residing at each location tell us how and why they

are useful as intermediaries in helping us to obtain the grace of Para Shakti.

1 Brahmi is Brahma’s Atma Shakti, Saraswati, who symbolizes creativity in all of

its aspects, most prominently music and knowledge. In all efforts that improve

one’s quality of life in this regard – for example, education, learning and creativity

– worship of Brahmi is recommended.

2 Maheshwari is the Goddess of Shiva; She brings Mahat Tattva (i.e., the first

transformation of primordial nature, containing all other elements in their

4 29

addition. The Bindu is the true form of Shiva and Shakti since it is One, and naturally

the whole chakra is within it. Everything is contained in the Bindu.”

This Maha-Bindu is also identified with the body’s uppermost yogic center, the

Sahasrara Chakra – the Thousand-Petaled Wheel at the crown of the skull. It

further corresponds to the seat or throne (peetha) of the Maha-Devi Sri Lalita,

located in the city of Tripura atop Mount Meru at the center of the Universe. As

the great sage Bhaskararaya wrote in Saubhagyabhaskara, his authoritative

commentary on the Sri Lalita Sahasranama: “Outside and beyond the countless

myriads of world systems, in the center of the Ocean of Nectar, upon the Isle of

Gems (Ratna-Dvipa), more than a thousand crores [i.e. tens of millions of miles] in

extent, there rises the supreme city of Srividya […] which is called Sri Chakra”.

A Simple Puja for Maha Meru The Maha Meru requires no formal prayers or worship, nor must it be kept only invegetarian homes – a reverential attitude toward it is enough. Its effects, for example,may be enhanced simply by playing soft music in its proximity.

Those who know how to perform a proper Sri Chakra puja (formal devotionalworship) using the Meru can accrue unlimited benefits – but this is a complicatedand lengthy procedure, and not very easy to learn, requiring much time and effortunder the instruction and guidance of a qualified Guru. However, Guruji has

The Merus of DevipuramA Conversation with Guruji

Sri Amritananda Natha Saraswati (Dr. N. Prahalada Sastry), affectionately known as

“Guruji,” was born in Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India, the first child of Sri

Narasimha Rao and Srimati Lakshminarasamma. Blessed with divine experiences early

in his childhood, he developed a spiritual inclination that was to intensify later in life.

528

Having graduated from Andhra University with a Master’s degree in Nuclear Physics,

he received his doctorate from the University of Bombay while working at the

Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Guruji spent 23 years involved in defense

projects at TIFR, but over time grew uncomfortable with the destructive nature of his

research. In 1977, he received his first initiation – from Sri Bala Tripurasundari

herself – at the Balaji Temple in Hyderabad. It proved to be a major turning point in his

life: Delving more deeply into spiritual practices, he soon thereafter received Sri Vidya

Poorna Diksha from Sri Swaprakashananda Natha Thirtha Avadhutha of Anakapalli,

at which time he was given the diksha name of Amrita. After a two-year sabbatical as

a professor of physics at Lusaka University in Zambia, Guruji returned to India in

1981, resigned from TIFR and settled at Vishakapatnam to concentrate upon Sri Vidya

upasana and worship of the Devi, while also gradually developing means to help

improve quality of life for humankind as a whole. During a Devi yagna in 1983, Guruji

was approached about building a temple to the Divine Mother on the parcel of land that

would eventually become home to Devipuram. With Her blessings, he built the

Kamakhya Peetam on a hillock there and a Siva temple on the peak in 1984. Construction

of the Devipuram’s Sri Meru Nilaya temple began in 1985 and was completed in 1994,

whereupon the kumbhabhishekam (consecration) was celebrated with great pomp and

piety. The temple is unique in allowing devotees to perform puja to the Devi themselves,

without distinction of caste or creed. With numerous loving disciples all over the world,

center and hold it in a spherical shape. Thus, the concept of Bindu encompasses not

only the center but also that which surrounds the center. Maha means Great or

Eternal. Thus the term Maha-Bindu indicates the Great or Eternal Point; the Seed

of all Creation, as yet unmanifest.

The sage Punyananda explained in his Kamakalavilasa that the supreme nature of the

Sri Chakra is fully contained in the Bindu – that it is the cause of the nine successive

avaranas and the source of the initial phonic emanations of Shakti as Brahman. One

modern adept states it thus: “The Bindu alone is the Sri Chakra. All the rest is just an

6 27

• The Sarvasa Paripuraka Chakra or “Wheel Fulfilling All Desires,” consisting

of Sixteen Lotus Petals;

• The Sarva Sanksobhana Chakra or “Wheel Agitating/Churning All,”

consisting of Eight Lotus Petals;

• The Sarva Saubhagyadayaka Chakra or “Wheel Granting All

Auspiciousness,” consisting of Fourteen Triangles (Chaturdasa Kona);

• The Sarvartha Sadhaka Chakra or “Wheel Accomplishing All Purposes,”

consisting of Ten Triangles (the so-called Outer Dasara);

• The Sarva Raksakara Chakra or “Wheel Granting All Protection,”

consisting of Ten Triangles (the so-called Inner Dasara);

• The Sarva Rogahara Chakra or “Wheel Removing All Diseases,” consisting

of Eight Triangles (the Ashta Kona);

• The Sarva Siddhiprada Chakra or “Wheel Granting All Powers,” consisting

of the Inverted Primary Triangle (the Trikona); and finally

• The Sarvanandamaya Chakra or “Wheel of Complete Bliss,” which is the

peak (koota) of the Universe – or the yantra’s Maha-Bindu.

Bindu in Sanskrit means point or center; it also means seed or drop. A drop

contains forces, the interplay of gravity and surface tension, which emanate from its

Guruji and his wife, Srimati Annapoornamba (lovingly known as Guruji Amma) have

dedicated their lives to the service of humanity, establishing the Sri Vidya Trust for this

purpose. (For a full biography, please visit http://www.devipuram.com)

Interviewer: What is the origin of the Devipuram Maha Meru?

Guruji: In 1984, before the Sri Meru temple was built at Devipuram, there was a

small hillock where I would often spend time in meditation. On the slopes of this

hillock, I noticed a formation very similar to that of the Kamakhya Peetam in

Assam. One day while in meditation, I had the experience of lying on this peetam

while four others performed a homam, with flames emanating from my body. During

purnahuti, I felt a heavy object being placed on my heart. Awakening from my

meditative state, I was prompted to dig at that very spot, where I unearthed a

yantra resembling a Maha Meru, but of a unique design like none I had seen before.

It had some significant differences from the typical Sri Chakra Meru.

I later discovered, through meditations and circumstances, that a magnificent

yagna had been performed at that very location more than 250 years earlier. This

Maha Meru became my inspiration for building the Sri Meru temple, which – at

108 feet wide and 54 feet high – remains the largest Maha Meru in the world.

Q: Is Maha Meru primarily a Hindu Yantra?

A: I would prefer to say that it’s a universal yantra, belonging to all religions –

726

yantras resembling this one include the Sri Chakra of Hinduism, and the Mahayana

Mandala of Buddhism. Chinese feng shui employs similar yantras. The Egyptian

Pyramids are yet another form of this yantra; the Greek Eleusinian Mysteries

involved still another.

So I have found this yantra to be a universal concept, existing in all religions. As a

fairly recent example, there was a gentleman in the United States called Bill

Witherspoon, who used to meditate for four or five hours a day. At some point he

saw a huge Sri Yantra in his meditation, and he built that same yantra in the

Arizona desert, measuring a mile on each side. For anyone who meditates, including

the Himalayan masters, these yantras keep appearing again and again and again, in

various religions and in various forms.

Q: What is the specifically Hindu interpretation of Maha Meru?

A: It is worshiped as the source of the Cosmos and of all power. It creates and

sustains the entire Cosmos, and we should therefore strive to understand, worship

and realize this power and intelligence that runs the world. The Khadgamala yoginis

[i.e. the goddesses that inhabit Sri Chakra] emanate like rays from Sri Lalita, the

Maha-Devi [Great Goddess] at Sri Meru’s center. All gods worship Her power in

order to share it and to do good; all demons worship Her power in order to loot and

exploit. The Meru is one form of the power and beauty found in the principles of

8 25

The Structure of Maha MeruThe form of Devipuram’s Maha Meru is both beautiful and deeply significant; itsevery curve and line is charged with layer upon layer of wisdom and meaning. As afirst step toward gradually fathoming these depths, why not take some time toexamine the structure of your new Meru. You will note that it is comprised of nineavaranas (enclosures or divisions). Each of these successive avaranas has its owndistinct shape, name and guardian deities. Each is raised in graded elevations, withthose lower and closest to the outer edges being the Devi’s more tangible andconcrete manifestations, and those higher and closer to the center becomingprogressively more subtle and transcendent in nature:

• The ground-level enclosure of Sri Chakra is known as the Bhupura; literally,the earthworks, as would surround an ancient walled city. It is visualized as asquare chaturasra consisting of three parallel lines or walls, one inside the other.Each side of this enclosing square has a door or portal at its midpoint, throughwhich one may visualize entry into the Meru’s precincts.

• Immediately inside the Bhupura are the Trivalaya, three concentric circles orgirdles. The space between the innermost square wall and the circumference ofthe outermost circle (i.e., between the Bhupura and Trivalaya) is the TrailokyaMohana Chakra or “Wheel Enchanting the Three Worlds.” Inside these threecircles rise, in successive levels:

geometry and symmetry that govern the world. Aspects of Her immense powers are

variously called Yoga-Maya, Durga, Kali, Vaishnavi, Chandika, Lakshmi, Saraswati,

and so on; like the fruits of a wish-fulfilling tree.

Various scriptures – such as the Shakti Upanishads, the Brahmanda Purana, the

Sri Chakra Samhita, the Sri Chakra Yoga Sara, the Sri Chakrartha Sara and others –

all state in a single voice that merely seeing the Sri Chakra washes away all sins and

grants auspiciousness. A mere touch burns away sin like a wad of cotton wool

consumed by a fire. Even if one does no puja, just keeping it in the home attracts all

good to the home. And if one worships the Supreme Power in the Meru with

devotion, there remains no desire unfulfilled; one experiences infinite enjoyment,

both here and in the hereafter. People of all castes and religions, especially women,

may – without the slightest doubt – keep it in their homes and worship it in any way

they can. There is no siddhi that cannot be attained by regular worship of a faultless

Meru.

Q: Should the Maha Meru be kept in places other than the home or

temple?

A: It can be kept anywhere. If kept in the home, it will connect itself to all the other

yantras in the world through its Bindu and attract organizing, peaceful and loving

vibrations from wherever they are in the world. It is also a good thing to keep in

924

hospitals, as it has healing properties. Or it can be kept in the office, because it

attracts wealth, abundance and organization in the office. It is good to keep in

public places too, because there will be an aura of grandeur and peace coming from

this yantra. So it’s a universal symbol, which can be kept anywhere and everywhere.

Q: Should we do puja to the Maha Meru?

A: You can do puja if you wish to, but that does not imply that it needs puja. Whenthe Maha Meru is taken from the Guru’s hands, it is already energized with hisvibrations and powers. Since it then connects itself with the all other yantras in theworld, it continuously receives vibrations and powers from all over the world,including the cosmic centers of power. It receives abundance and grace, andredistributes them in its own vicinity. Thus, by itself, it does not need any puja assuch. However, the nature of the vibrations it radiates can be enhanced verypositively if you play soft music in the place where it is kept – similar to what we seein the entrance lobbies of hospitals and hotels, and so on, where soft music is playedto bring about a peaceful attitude in the people who enter these places.

So if you can do pooja to the Meru, well and good. If you can’t, you just play somesoft music to it. It will absorb the vibrations and emit divine music that protectsand heals, that wards off evil and brings prosperity. And not merely currency, butall forms of divine blessings of peace – love, truth, non-violence; principles thatempower everyone.

To this narrative, Guruji adds the following statement:

You may ask, “How do I know that you really talked to Devi and that She answered you

thus? Are you a prophet?”

No, I am not a prophet trying to change the world. I am too small for that. I am only

saying that I happened to talk to Her in meditation. Thousands of people do that, and

they are not all prophets. I am just another person like you, who believes in doing good

to others.

Well, it is your doubt. You have every right to choose the answer you like. But it is also

my experience, so I have every right to tell about it. If you believe in me, that I am telling

the truth in this instance, then you may benefit. If you don’t believe what I say, you

don’t lose anything; and I am not angry with you. Because She is already with you. So

accept, and be happy. Or don’t accept, and be happy. Either way I want only your

happiness and spiritual growth.

10 23

“But be careful; don’t bring the wrong organizing principles into your life. If your

compass is wrong, you will reach an unwanted destination. So the geometry and

accuracy of Sri Chakra are important. Also be careful about from whom you are

taking it, because it is their life and thoughts that you are also invoking into

yourself. That Guru must genuinely desire your well being from the core of his/her

heart. Don’t get a chakra with faulty geometry, because geometry is a statement of

the principles organizing the Universe.

“Do I harm if pujas are not done properly to me? Do I harm myself? I am the whole

of the Cosmos. Out of the billions of galaxies, if in one of them – in a medium-sized

galaxy, around an average star you call the Sun, on the tiniest speck you call Earth,

in one life form out of billions, in one miniscule slot of time you call a day out of the

infinite cycles of time called kalpas – if one person does or does not remember me,

is it going to affect me in any way? What an idea, that I should harm you if you don’t

do puja! I could not be less bothered!

“So go tell the doubters these things that I have told you. If they don’t listen, don’t

worry. I won’t be – I can’t be – angry with them, because I tolerate partial truths

also. That is the nature of my Maya.”

Q: Many people are fond of keeping a Maha Meru in their homes as a

kind of protection for their families. Why is that?

A: The Maha Meru represents the Cosmic Power as it manifests itself throughhuman beings. Life itself is derived from this yantra, and when it is kept in the homeit enhances the quality of life for all the people living there. Actually the templesmade by human beings are constructed of rocks, cement, steel and things like that– whereas the temple that the Goddess has made, is simply the body of humanbeings, ourselves. In a sense, your body is itself a Sri Chakra, a yantra in which theAwareness, the Goddess, lives. If you can live in your body, if your awareness canlive in your body, then why can’t it live in your home?

Q: But what do you say to people who are afraid to bring a Meru into

their home (or other environment)? After all, there are those pundits

who say a Meru should never be kept in the home.

A: These fears are mainly induced by certain members of the orthodox Brahmincommunity, who insist that the power should be kept with them only. We’ve gotto get over this barrier of fear. We want to give, to share the power with everyone.So I would tell these people to please not succumb to the misinformed, thoughtlessstatements being made by these so-called pundits, and thus miss the chance toobtain the power than can alter your destiny in every way.

The Vedas say Matru Devo bhava: “There is no duty higher than worship of the

1122

Mother” – and the Mother is available to everyone as the Meru, Her highest form;

other forms being icons or women empowered as the Goddess. So keep a Meru in

your home; give it as a gift; think of it as a long-term investment – like having a

good spouse! Don’t compromise on quality. Pay any price, because it is priceless.

The Meru is a symbol of our power to overcome evil, and to create unlimited

wealth, health and happiness. The Meru is Gayatri, who protects those who utter

Her name; it is Savitri, who conceives all good karmas for Her worshipers.

Q. Just to clarify, does this statement apply to everyone? Can the

uninitiated also keep Sri Chakra Merus in their homes without incurring

the wrath of the Goddess?

A. Yes, absolutely. How can nectar become poison? It is not in its nature to harm.

It is in its nature to bless. The hand that blesses does not strike.

Whether we know it or not, whether we acknowledge it or not, Adi Para Shakti is

already in our homes, in our bodies, in our minds, in our notions of I and mine, in

our families, in all that we see – because She is the All-Pervading Awareness. We

cannot lose Her without losing our life, because She is verily the life within us.

Does the fact that we breathe require initiation? She has already initiated us into

life as the Mother who gave us SRI, which means everything. She extracted the

seed from our father, giving ecstasy to him; She assembled us from life-giving

answer: I will not harm. I have already initiated all living beings by my presence

within them. It is because I am within them that their eyes see, their ears hear, their

skins touch, their tongues taste, their noses smell, their minds think, their hormones

create desires, their limbs move. All this is part of initiation, for what does initiation

mean? It means invoking divine life. That has already been done by me for every

being, living and non-living alike.

“If a guru initiates, it is just a gateway to me, because – just as you can’t unlock a

lock that is already open – you can’t put life into an already living being. If some

qualities of your life are reduced or missing, you can improve them by healing. If

certain qualities are not existing or living in you now, they need to be invoked:

Compassion, kindness; being loving, truthful, indifferent to insult, serving all, and

the like.

“If one form of me is already within you, then where is the harm in bringing another,

which is merely a different way of looking at me? Hayagriva told Agastya of the

immense benefits that accrue if Sri Chakra is brought into the home. Healing,

riches, happiness abounds; negativities are removed at the source. There is no

higher blessing than keeping my highest form – the seed of the Cosmos; the organizing

principle of the Cosmos – in your home, to help you in improving every good

quality around you. It will organize your life along the most excellent lines!

12 21

The Divine Mother SpeaksWhen Guruji addressed the Goddess in his meditation, asking whether Her Merucould harm the uninitiated, She replied thus:

“I know you are not asking the question for yourself, for you already know the

substances of Her own body, gave us our hormones and endocrine system, our

bones, flesh, skin, blood and all; She made us atom by atom, molecule by molecule;

and most importantly, She put Her awareness into us.

Again, the Sri Chakra Meru is but one of Her forms, the others being (2) our own

physical bodies; (3) the psychic chakras in our subtle bodies, from Muladhara to

Sahasrara, seven in number; (4) the world we live in; (5) Hamsa Gayatri, the breath

of life which goes in and out as long as we live; and (6) Siva Linga, symbol of union

of Shakti (the Yoni base) and Siva (the Linga characteristic of the Godhead). These

forms are not different; they are all one and the same, they all represent Sivayor

Vapuh. The moment any one of them is present, all others are present in them as

well.

So forget what people say. I asked Divine Mother Herself, in my meditation, this

question: “Will you harm some one if they take a Meru home without initiation?”

She said “I will not harm.” [A full account of Devi’s words to Guruji follows this

conversation.]

The gifting of this Meru involves a gifting of Power. There is no need to fear,

provided that it is received from a well-intentioned Guru, because his life force

goes into it then, and provided that it is accurate.

1320

Q: Accurate in which way?

A: Well, to get the sorts of benefits we’ve discussed, three conditions must be

satisfied: (1) The Meru must be perfect, having 28 marmas as points, not as triangles

(a marma is a joint of three straight lines); (2) it must come from a Guru who has the

best of intentions towards you; and (3) it must be placed in the puja room, or else

in a prominent, well-lighted place in the home with Vedic or mantric chants being

played to it; or simply soft music. Light and sound are two higher forms of worship.

Then the Meru will act like an antenna, first attracting the Supreme Power, and

then retransmitting it all around your home, bringing good to all.

Q: Why is the Maha Meru hollow?

A: That’s a legitimate question. It was intentionally made hollow, because when

the Guru gives the Meru to a disciple, he traditionally fills it with various life-giving

substances, such as roots and herbs, energizes them, and then seals them off inside

and gives that to the disciple. That is why it is kept hollow.

But so many questions have been raised about the hollowness of the Sri Chakra!

Even when I was building the Sri Chakra temple here at Devipuram, people

complained that it was hollow. But it has to be hollow! There is no other way!

Why? It is hollow because it is supposed to represent a viyat chakra – a wheel

in space.

it usually doesn’t happen. It’s usually a brass thing coated with gold, and merely

called panchaloha – we are avoiding that.

When you use a zinc and tin mixture, which is brass, it oxidizes and reduces to the

color of zinc, which is black. When a bronze Meru is left unattended and gets

oxidized, it looks silvery. What happens with the inauthentic so-called panchaloha

is that the outer gold layer eventually wears or washes off and becomes flat – that’s

how you come to know that it is made out of brass. We avoid this problem by

keeping it permanently as either gold or copper. For big temples and other places,

we can go in for pure gold or gold and silver. The molds we’ve made allow us to

manufacture to any specifications.

14 19

Q: How are these Devipuram Maha Merus going to be produced and

distributed?

A: A limited number of copies of the Meru are being made by the Srividya Trust at

Devipuram. It is like a collectible. It has a price tag on it. We’re making it in

different sizes – 10” x 10” x 5” and 5” x 5” x 2.5”; and other smaller sizes will also

be available. We’re also making ceramic Merus, made out of earth and fired at high

temperatures, which will be available at lower cost and in larger quantities.

The “designer” type of Meru can be made in bronze, silver, gold, panchaloha

[a traditionally holy five-metal alloy] – all sorts of possibilities exist. The material

of which it is made can have a say in what it promotes. Gold makes it a Meru,

because gold is supposed to be like Sun’s seed. It brings untold prosperity. Hiranya

garbha garbhastham Hema bijam vibhavasoh. Silver is the seed of Siva. It promotes

progeny and peace of mind, with fine arts and education. Copper destroys poverty

and gives enough to survive above mere wants. Tin wards off and prevents evil

from happening. Thus we recommend bronze, an alloy of copper and tin as a good

choice for most. It can be plated with gold for better results. And in fact, Devipuram

Merus are mostly available in this form.

We prefer bronze instead of panchaloha – where they say they put in some gold, but

And by the way, even if you are determined to make it totally solid, even if youthink you’ve made it totally solid, still it is ultimately composed of atoms andmolecules. And atoms and molecules have nuclei at their centers, which are likethe Sun in the solar system – the electrons and neutrons orbit through relativelyvast spaces around the nucleus. Even if you go to the nucleus itself, it is still notsolid; it consists of stage particles. In fact, the whole nucleus is very hollow andinside it there are only probability waves traveling through. Thus even the supposedly“solid” atoms and molecules that make up the manifest world consist mostly ofempty space. So it is not true to say that the Meru has to be solid – because thereis nothing that is solid. Somehow this concept requiring solidity does not reallystand up in light of scientific views.

Q: You said earlier that the Devipuram Meru design is significantlydifferent from that of a typical Meru. How so?A: This particular style of Meru was inspired by the design of the original that weunearthed here in 1984. It is embellished with the symbols of the Chatura Ayatana(“Four Seats”) deities – Ganapathy at Nairuti (southwest), Vishnu at Vayu (northwest),Surya at Ishanya (northeast) and Shiva at Agni (southeast). These four symbols,taken together with the Bindu (Devi), represent the Shakti Pancha Ayatanam (“FiveSeats of Shakti”). The Shakti Pancha Ayatanam are present right in the Meru itself,thus making it very unique. People doing Shakti Pancha Ayatana puja need notobtain each of the idols individually, as the Meru itself contains them all.

1518

Another unique feature is that the Meru I found had extra diamond-shaped plates

above the star shapes having fourteen, ten, ten and eight corners. They served to

demarcate the triangles from the undefined areas, which seemed so much more

logical. This was unusual. In fact, it differs from most Sri Chakra Merus to the

extent that I don’t know whether it can be called a conventional Sri Chakra Meru

at all. But since I found it at the same place where I had darshan, I attach great

significance to it.

And on the other hand there was the accuracy – three lines joined without forming

triangles – which was very good. This characteristic does qualify to make it a good

Sri Chakra. Finally, the Devipuram Meru is unique in the sense that a lot of care has

been taken to ensure that the yantra is accurate. That accuracy comes from the very

definition of the yantra found in the texts that define Sri Chakra in Hinduism and

Vajrayana Buddhism. We spent a lot of time – about nine months – in checking

out the precision of this yantra, which is manufactured in Bangalore with the help

of the former director (he has asked to remain anonymous) of a company known

for its accuracy and testing. This Meru has been made under his personal supervision,

and with my guidance.

So it can be said that a lot of technical time and effort have been invested into

making this a fault-free yantra, and moreover that it comes from the hands of a

Guru who received it directly from Kamakhya Devi at Devipuram.

Q: Have you personally found the Devipuram Maha Meru to be very

auspicious?

A: Yes indeed. When the first perfect sample came into my hands, the very next day

I did a Chandi Yagna at Kalayarkovil near Madurai in a power factory, in the

presence of a thousand people, and presided over by the Meru – demonstrating its

intention to supply power to the people. The next day it received puja at Madurai

Meenakshi Amman Kovil, demonstrating Her powers of attraction to all beneficent

divinities. On the third day, it was taken to Kanya Kumari – showing Her potential

to create oceans of beauty. And then it went ’round all the shakti kshetras made by

Parashurama in God’s own land of Kerala, proof of the lineage it belongs to. Then

in Bangalore it witnessed a marriage of a computer professional. And finally it came

to Devipuram for a Guru Puja Utsavams on Guru Poornami Day. Then Sringeri

Peetha’s Vedic University received a second Meru for the Sharada Peetham at

Sweta Srigachalam, on the banks of the Uttara Vahini Krishna River. What a

sequence of coincidences! I can only conclude that it was all planned by Her, not

me. All of these yagnas, and everywhere it went the highest good happened. I am

totally convinced about its nature and capacity to do good. I can, without the

slightest doubt, recommend this Meru to everyone.

16 17