Leela of Vedanta & Tantra
Darśan of Sri Cakra and Sri Vidya Pūjā
At the age of nine, in the Devi sannidhi (shrine) of My native place, I had the darśan of this Sri Cakra.
It was during Navaratri, maybe the second or third night of Navaratri, that I had the darśan of this Sri Cakra. Of course, I was not aware that it was Sri Cakra, I was a nine-year-old boy. Suddenly I saw a beautiful form, a shining geometrical form in the temple that seemed like a yantra.
It made such a deep impression on Me, that I immediately went home and started carving that whole thing, whatever I saw, on a copper sheet. Usually even sthapatis (architects) themselves find it difficult to draw it! But I started drawing it; it was so perfect!
Mātāji Vibhutānanda Puri came home. She asked me, “What are you doing?” I said, “I saw this in darśan. I am drawing it.” She got afraid because she was a worshipper of the Sri Cakra for several years! She asked, “For so many years I have been worshipping this. Even I cannot do this. How are you so easily doing this?” I was etching using a nail on a copper sheet. She just could not understand. I just repeated, “I had a darśan of it, so I am drawing it.”
Suddenly she got so excited and told Me, “You are so blessed!”
After that, she started teaching Me the secrets of the Sri Cakra. She taught Me this science of Sri Vidya Pūjā. Sri Vidya is a big science for Enlightenment. She initiated Me into the pūjā method, into the procedure. And continuously for eight years, without even missing a single day, I practiced this pūjā. The longest pūjā I ever practiced in My life is this Sri Vidya Pūjā! This is the worship, this is the ritual I practiced Myself. This is the pūjā I did for Myself… until there was a time when the fulfillment happened, so there was no need for physically sitting and doing it. Till that time I continuously practiced this pūjā. It is a very powerful pūjā to raise your consciousness and connect your consciousness with the Cosmic Mother, the Cosmic Consciousness.
Initiation into Shodasi mantra
Line art of Devi
I was initiated by Mātā Vibhutānanda Puri into Shodasi, which is the mantra of Devi, the syllables of Devi. My whole body just became mantramaya; means vibrating, reverberating with that mantra! How the honey oozes from the honeycomb, this mantra would ooze from Me.
Actually, when you chant the Shodasi, the shodasakshari mantras, your cakras (energy centers) become alive, and from there the panchakshari – Om namah Shivaya – comes out! Panchakshari is not supposed to be chanted by you; panchakshari has to happen from inside you. ‘Namah Shivaya’ is actually the beeja mantra (seed form of mantras) of each cakra, and it will come out of your body by itself; then you become mantramaya!
