5-min

The INDIAN TAROTS – 5 – The Hierophant: Durga

by with No Comment Tarot Meanings

Durga is probably the most honoured form of goddess among dev-kul. This is because she did something which no one else could. When Mahishasur was causing trouble to the gods and humans, the holy trinity (Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh) could not find any way to defeat him. A meeting with all gods came to a conclusion that only a female energy can defeat the demon. Also, it was found out that at that moment, no existing female energy was strong enough so all gods combined their energy to create Ma Durga. She was given the task of defeating the demons.

Durga is the giver of knowledge. Mahishasur was very egoistic. He was knowledgeable but he had too much ego. When he saw Durga, he was spell-bound and he asked her to marry him. Ma Durga just smiled and said that if he can defeat her in war, she will marry him. Mahishasur laughed and treated her with negligence. Then the fight between them started and it continued for 5000 years. Later the demon understood that he is about to lose and realised the true nature of mother Durga. He worshipped Durga and asked for forgiveness. Durga accepted his worship but also said that he must be killed to save dharma. The Mahishasur asked for a boon that till the day she will be worshipped; he will get offerings too. Durga granted his wish and killed him. Thus, Durga is ‘durmadashoshini’ (destroyer of ego-addiction) and giver of knowledge. This is why, Raam worshipped her before he fought Raavan. Also, Arjun worshipped her before the Kurukshetra war. War is more about use of intellect and knowledge rather than use of just weapons.

In India, the main place where Durga puja happens is West Bengal. In other states, people also organise puja but not with so much grandeur. Kolkata’s (capital of West Bengal) Durga Puja contains hundreds of pandals (temporary home made of clothes, bamboo, wood and other materials), food, lights and more. The clubs here compete with each other about who can show more grandeur. This grandeur is accepted by the whole clan of Bengalis. I have faced questions from non-Bengali people like why can’t Bengali people show more unity and do a smaller number of Durga puja together where multiple clubs organise one puja together!! I, as a Bengali, personally believe that it is a sentiment we possess. We consider Durga as a daughter of our own home. Therefore, the clubs and even individual families welcome her, worship her, show her off as much as they can. That’s why it is called ‘Sarbojanin’ Durga Puja. Sarbojanin means something that is possessed by all. There was a time when only higher class and rich people like kings and landlords could organise Durga puja and there, normal or lower-class people could not take part. Then, a club decided to crowdfund a puja where everyone can take part and enjoy. This was almost 100 years ago done by ‘Shimla Bayam Samiti’ (in North Calcutta). Even in the scriptures, it is mentioned that Durga puja can be done by Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra, Dalits and even people from different country or religion.

The scriptures also say that people can follow different types of rituals to perform the puja of goddess Durga. Those who are sattvic, can simply chant Durga mantra and meditate (Jaya jaya japyajaye jaya shabda parastuti tatpara vishwanute). Those who live a rajasic lifestyle, can offer meat to the goddess and show grandeur (it is true, many royal homes offer fish and meat to the goddess, of course the making process of these food is not similar to the process of normal dishes). Those who live a tamasic lifestyle, they can perform the puja without even any chanting. This makes the puja fully ‘Sarbojanin’ and negates the narrative that without wealth or pundits, Durga puja cannot happen. The most important thing that is needed to do Durga puja is concentrated bhakti. If one is only performing the kriya but there is no bhakti-raas (devotion), then puja is useless.

Durga Puja is usually a 10-days festival that starts after an event called ‘Mahalaya’. Mahalaya is considered the end of Pitr-Paksha (era of father) and initiation of Devi-Paksha (era of goddess). The night of Mahalaya is a new-moon night and people perform ‘Tarpan’ on that day, where they show regards to their deceased ancestors and offer food to them. Each day of the 10-day festival has its own significance. The 10 days are Pratipad, Dwitiya, Tritiya, Chathurthi, Panchami, Sashthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Maha-Nabami, Vijaya Dashami. Among these days, Saptami, Ashtami and Maha-Nabami are very important from religious and cultural perspectives. On the day of Saptami, ‘Nabapatrika’ installation happens where a Durga structure is made with 9 tree parts. This event celebrates the fertility and glory of the feminine energy. On the day of Ashtami, it is the ritual to fast and offer bhakti to the goddess with flowers and fruits. However, these days I have seen many so-called modern Bengalis to have mutton biryani (pathetic)!! On Maha-Nabami, the act of vali-daan (sacrifice) happens. Previously, in many pujas, animal sacrifice used to happen, but most pujas these days offer vegetables. However, apart from the material things, something we should sacrifice is our ego to Ma Durga. The most important event during the whole Durga Puja is the ‘Sandhi Puja’, which is a 48-minute period (last 24 minutes of Ashtami and first 24 minutes of Maha-Nabami). This is the time period when the goddess is the most ‘alive’ and listens to our prayer. This is why Maha-Nabami is the most significant day of the whole festival. Durga Puja ends with immersion of the idol on the day of Vijaya Dashami. This is the day when mother won the battle. Also, it is the day when she leaves the earthly realm and goes back to Kailash to Shiva, her husband.

It is to be mentioned that, Durga and Kali are two forms of same feminine energy. Durga is also a form of Parvati. She is Chandi who defeated the demons Chanda and Munda and got the name Chamunda. She is the Koushiki Kali who killed Shumbha and Nishumbha. During Durga Puja, Navaratri is celebrated all over the world. Navaratri means 9 nights, each of which celebrates the glory of 9 forms of Ma Durga. First form is Shailaputri, who is the child of Mount Himalaya. Second one is Brahmacharini, who went through great penance to break Shiva’s vow. The third form is Chandraghanta; this is the form in which she married Shiv. The fourth form is Kushmanda, who created the universe just by smiling. Next form, Skandamata is where she is worshipped as the mother of Skanda/Kartik (son of Durga and Shiv), Skanda Mata is also called Shashti Debi in Bengali culture. Sixth form is Devi Katyayani, who saved humans from a demon called Raktabeej. The seventh form is Kaalratri, who can save us from unlucky time (kaal). The eighth form is Mahagouri, who manifested many devi forms to defeat many demons to save the universe. The last and ninth form is Sidhdhidatri, who is the giver of boons to us. The form of Durga, whom we worship, is Mahishasurmardini or Chandi. However, Bengalis like to consider her as a soft-hearted daughter of their own home rather than a tough-minded demon-slaying devi. Even the shlokas of ‘Ayi Giri Nandini’, composed by Adi Shankaracharya (some say that the author is Tenali Raman), you will see that the whole song is about the sweet nature of Durga, where the poet has glorified her beauty, soft-skills, artistic nature, relationship with other gods etc rather than talking about her victory over demons. This again shows that people like to see her as a mother or daughter rather than a demon-slayer.

We always glorify the beauty and character of the feminine rather than their professional achievements. This is because a mother’s role in the society is far more than a corporate woman’s contribution. Whenever a woman is running after career, money or materialistic achievements, she is drifting away from her true nature, which is detrimental for humanity and civilisation. And saying this out loud is not about oppressing woman because the motto of this statement is to encourage to nurture femininity. Femininity and feminism are polar opposites. Feminism in today’s world is a political propaganda that makes women believe that- to be happy and successful, they must act like men and run after material achievements without nurturing motherly traits, which is a wrong narrative and a foolish propaganda. The early feminism movement started in the west during the World War II. And it was started by capitalists to run the economy. As most of the men had to go to war, there was a lack of employees in the industries. At this point, to make profits, normal female citizens were brainwashed with a so-called women-empowerment agenda. Even today, as an employer, I have seen women take stress at workplace much more than male employees. Women are the happiest when they are a normal housewife or a mother. Unfortunately, most young girls are brainwashed by the social narrative and run after corporate achievements. Though, sooner or later they realise the reality. In Indian culture, whatever feminism there was, it was about educational rights that could help women to support their family more than the society. Indian culture has always been liberal as it offered equal opportunities. If you want to be Durga, you have to focus on your femininity, motherhood and the willingness to care for your loved ones, more than your 9-5 jobs or your entrepreneurship.

I kept Durga as the Hierophant because she enlightens us from the darkness of ego and a lot of spiritual and social traditions are related to her.

Upright meaning

In tarot, the Hierophant card is often associated with tradition, spirituality, and conformity. When the card is upright, it generally signifies positive traits such as spiritual guidance, conformity, and the importance of tradition. The upright Hierophant may represent a person who is knowledgeable, wise, and respected, or it can indicate a need to follow rules and traditions for spiritual growth.

Reverse meaning

On the other hand, when the Hierophant card is reversed, it may indicate negative traits such as rebellion, nonconformity, or a questioning of traditions. The reversed Hierophant may represent a person who is questioning authority or traditional beliefs, or who is rejecting the guidance of a spiritual teacher or mentor. It could also suggest a need to break free from restrictive traditions or to find one’s own path.

 

Sources:

Lectures of Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri

Ayi Giri Nandini Strotram- Adi Shankaracharya

Lectures of Astrologer Sri Moni Bhaskar

4-min

The INDIAN TAROTS – 4 – The Emperor: Shiv

by with No Comment Tarot Meanings

Shiv is the divine masculine force, the Shaktimaan. He has no parents and hence his name is ‘Sayambhu’, meaning one who created himself. We often say ‘Satya is Shiv, Shiv is Satya’ or ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’; this is to say that Shiv is as pure and beautiful as the truth or the ultimate truth.

We all know one or two things about Shiv. He lives in Kailash with her wife Parvati and their kids. If you want to know about Shiv’s history, you’ll find that other gods did not consider him as brahman in the initial times. This was the time when one could become brahman by understanding the Veds. Basically, one could become brahman through karma. Shiv’s task was to handle the dark aspects of life and society, namely destruction, ghosts etc. He was fit for this task due to his stoic nature. Not everyone has full control over own emotion to perform tasks like destruction. Think about yourself, can you let go the things that are dear to you – your phones, your kids, your body-parts? Anyway, Shiv kept doing his duties and eventually became a prominent figure. You can think it like this- there is a party and after the party, you have to depend on someone to clean up the mess- that was Shiv’s task, to clean up the mess. When the Devatas and Asuras did Samudra-Manthan, everyone took the good things like Amrit, Kalpataru, jewels etc. But when halahal poison came out, everyone was afraid and rejected it. Shiv was summoned. He is stoic but he is stoic about himself not about welfare of others, which makes him dutiful. Which is why he did not hesitate to drink the poison. Because of this nature of self-sacrifice, he is called Baba (father). Just like a father, he protects his children without asking for anything in return. A fatherly masculinity should also be a bit stoic; he should have control over his emotions so that other family members can rely upon him. A whiny man is never respected and this is what today’s men should learn from Shiv. It is a fact that in today’s society, masculinity, stoicism and competitiveness are shamed- but these things are necessary to have a structured humane society. So, it is necessary for men to be stoic and have control over their emotions and keep developing masculinity.

Moving forward, though Shiva became an important figure in the Dev-kul, not everyone accepted his greatness. One such fellow is Daksha. The meaning of Daksha is the one who is efficient. Daksha was a king and he was efficient in performing Yagna. In the culture of Sanatan, yagna has always been important. It is a practise to seek welfare of the humanity because through yagna, humans can summon gods and get solutions to problems. Daksha used to perform big yagnas for mankind and that’s why he had reputation in Dev-kul. Out of his many daughters, one was Sati. Sati was destined to be married to Shiv as per the Devatas but Daksha did not approve Shiv due to Shiv’s outer-appearance. Shiv, being the controller of dark aspects, often stays in cremation grounds, his body is covered in ashes, snakes wind around his body as he meditates on lord Vishnu. Though he possesses so much authority and status, he has no wealth or even a home. However, divine feminine cannot stay away from divine masculine; and Shiv and Sati started their married life without the approval of Daksha. Displeased Daksha later organised a grand yagna, but did not invite Shiv and Sati. Sati came to know about this from Narad Muni and wished to go. Shiv knew about the situation and asked her to not go but Sati, being adamant, visited Daksha’s home alone. Daksha kept saying humiliating words about Shiv and this hurt Sati deeply. She sat down and kept chanting Shiv’s name and attained mahasamadhi and her soul left her body. When Shiv came to knew about Sati’s departure, he became furious and destroyed Daksha’s yagna. Shiv’s furious forms Beervadra and Bhadrakali killed all those who were present there. This again shows that when masculine and feminine force are separated, destruction is inevitable. However, after Shiv’s anger settled, he returned everyone back to life but vowed to not remarry. After that Sati incarnated as Parvati; you have already read about her in previous chapters.

Like Kali, Shiva is also very important in tantra. It’s understandable because he controls the dark aspects of life. There is a book named ‘Raavan Sanhita’. Raavan, was a great sadhak of Shiv and upon being pleased with his sadhana, Shiv taught him tantra practices, chants etc. He also gave Rudrabeena (a musical instrument) to Raavan; whenever Raavan played that, Shiv would give darshan to him. That book talks about these rituals. All shlokas in the book are dedicated to either Shiv or Hanuman (an avatar of Shiv).

Shiv is a bundle of contradiction. At one hand he lives in destitute but on the other hand he is the owner of all. Moreover, he is detached from everything but he is also so attached to Parvati in a physical, emotional and spiritual manner. He is the top yogi but also, he is the greatest sex symbol. This is the true nature of ‘Parambrahma’- who can do, cannot do and do things differently. He smokes weed and drinks sura but also chants mantra. He is stoic but he is responsible for the hardest tasks. Another interesting thing is that, in certain tantric idols of Shiv-Kali, both are portrayed completely nude and though Kali is in a destructive posture, Shiv is shown as lying and in a sexually excited posture (erect penis). The indication of such that, no matter how terrifying the feminine is, the masculine will always find beauty in her. From a human perspective also, the sadhaks or even normal people see Kali as caring and loving mother irrespective of her terrifying form; the shyama-sangeets are proof of that.

The worshippers of Shiva are called Shaiva, but Shiv himself is a Vaishnav. Shiv’s original divine form is Sadashiv who always remains in a sadh-chit-ananda (always in happy/Sannibesh state) but for operational purposes, he has created 11 Rudra forms. These 11 Rudras are 11 out of 33 koti devatas in Sanatan. Also, ‘koti’ does not mean crore, it is just a divine status, Koti means Supreme. ‘Ru’ means cry, ‘Dra’ means run; Rudra is someone who makes others cry and then leaves – this is basically the story of any destruction. When a destruction occurs, we remember it for short period of time and then we move on. 11 Rudras are Kapali, Pingala, Bhim. Birupaksha, Vilohit, Shasta, Ajapad, Ahirbudhanya, Shambhu, Chand, Bhav. Hanuman is considered the 12th avatar of Shiv. Hanuman’s birth is another interesting story, I will tell you in an upcoming chapter. Shiv’s dark form is Mahakaal because like Kali, he is also the controller of time. Shiva is also known as Adiyogi because he is the first entity who attained sadh-chit-ananda through yog. Our Shiv-Kali Oracle cards has 12 forms of Kali and 12 forms of Shiv, that can help you to seek guidance and blessings in daily life.

We worship Shiv in the structure of linga. Linga is not synonymous to genital; it just means symbol (genitals are synonymous to jananendriya/janananga). I told you earlier that Vishwakarma manifested this structure of Shiv in linga format. If you visit a Shiv temple or any Shivlinga, you’ll see a that below there is a base, then there is an extended surface and on top of that, is the reversed tube-like structure. The extended surface in middle, is actually female symbol or yoni (receptive Shakti). The Shivlinga (male symbol) emerging from (or entering in) the yoni indicates that male-female conjunction is necessary for creation. This is also a reason, why Shiva is considered a father figure. As per one interesting theory, Shiv Lingas are ancient nuclear reactors of ancient times. Even today’s nuclear reactors resemble a similar structure like Shiv Linga. The 12 major temples of Shiv are called 12 Jyotirlinga, which m[AP1] eans symbol of light (energy). Is it a coincident that nuclear reactors also emit energy? Usually, there remains a pot above Shivlinga, from which water falls on the linga. This is similar to the cooling process of a nuclear reactor. A high amount of radiation is found in all 12 Jyotirlinga temples in India.

During Shivratri, if one worships Shiv, the god will offer boons to that person. Usually, the person has to fast and then offer just water and bilwapatra to him. Jai Bholenath.

I have kept Shiv as ‘The Emperor’ because of his fatherly attributes and sense of responsibility. He has authority in the society and he can control important situations that others cannot control.

Upright meaning

In tarot, the emperor card is often associated with authority, leadership, and structure. When the card is upright, it generally signifies positive traits such as leadership, stability, and the ability to provide structure and order. The upright Emperor may represent a person who is authoritative, confident, and successful, or it can indicate a need for structure and organization in one’s life.

Reverse meaning

On the other hand, when the emperor card is reversed, it may indicate negative traits such as abuse of power, lack of structure, or a lack of control. The reversed Emperor may represent a person who is overly controlling, abusive, or lacking in leadership qualities. It could also suggest a lack of structure or order in one’s life, or a need to let go of control and allow others to take the lead.

 

 [AP1]https://wordzz.com/every-atomic-nuclear-plant-world-geometrically-resembles-shiv-ling/
https://aerb.gov.in/english/background-natural-radiation
https://resonantnews.com/2019/09/09/why-are-jyotirlinga-temples-positioned-as-per-fibonacci-series/

Lectures of Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri

2-min

The INDIAN TAROTS – 2 – The High Priestess: Parvati

by with No Comment Tarot Meanings

Parvati is the divine feminine force who, through her great penance, achieved Shiva as her husband.

The well-known incident goes like this, after Sati’s death, Shiva chose the path of Sanyaas and vowed to not remarry. Meanwhile, Tarakasur, a demon performed tapasya and asked for a boon from Brahma that he cannot be killed by anyone other than Shiva’s son. And after that, the demon started to disturb saints as he considered himself unbeatable. The devatas were worried by this situation and had to find a way to break Shiva’s vow. Meanwhile, Parvati, the reincarnation of Sati, was born to king Himalay. Devatas knew this and they informed Parvati that her destiny is to be with Shiva but to break Shiva’s vow, she has to go through hard penance. Parvati performed such tough penance that she acquired the name ‘Brahmacharini’ (2nd form of Nabadurga) and Shiva was very pleased by her sadhana. However, to test her, Shiva took disguise and came to Parvati. He kept talking bad about Shiva and kept asking why Parvati desired Shiva. However, Parvati stood her ground and trusted her inner voice and proved her respect and desire for Shiva. This pleased Shiva and he appeared in his true form and accepted Parvati’s request to marry. To know the details, you can read ‘Kumarsambhav’ by Kalidas or in ‘Skanda Puran’. Thus, Parvati’s divine femininity broke Shiva’s vow and they got married. This is probably one of the oldest incidents where a woman proposed a man. In spite of being a princess, Parvati was humble enough to desire a Shiv. She could have easily thought like she is a great princess, any man or even gods will want to marry her, but keeping that self-entitlement aside, she put an effort and ultimately succeeded.

And yes, their son, Skanda or Kartikey is the one who defeated Tarakasur.

It is mentionable that Shiva-Parvati’s marriage anniversary is celebrated as Mahashivrati even today.

The reason I kept Parvati as the ‘high priestess’ is because no one has ever done such great sadhana to desire the goal.  From her, we should learn that no matter how tough a goal is, we can achieve it if we are dedicated, involved and ready to sacrifice. Even after Parvati knew that she will ultimately be with Shiva, she was not self-entitled and she chose the path of penance.

Upright meaning

In tarot, the High Priestess card is often associated with intuition, mystery, and inner knowledge. When the card is upright, it generally signifies positive traits such as wisdom, intuition, and the ability to access hidden knowledge. The upright High Priestess may represent a person who is perceptive, intuitive, and in touch with their inner self.

Reverse meaning

On the other hand, when the High Priestess card is reversed, it may indicate negative traits such as deception, confusion, and a lack of intuition. The reversed High Priestess may represent a person who is not listening to their intuition or who is being misled by others. It could also suggest a lack of understanding or a failure to access important information.