Sri Sannidhanam performs Kumbhabhishekas in temples near Sringeri
Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Vidhushekhara Bharati Sannidhanam performed Kumbhabhishekas at the Chamundeshwari temple at Korekallu and the Durga Parameshwari temple at Netravalli on March 28 and March 30 2016 respectively.
In His Anugraha Bhashanam at Korekallu, Sri Sannidhanam spoke of the greatness of Goddess Chamundeshwari and recounted the following context from the Devi Mahatmyam: Knowing that that the Goddess had come after receiving various powers from various Devatas, Mahishasura questions Her as to what She Herself possesses. And in reply, the Divine Mother replies that She alone exists in the universe, and that all powers are Her own manifestations. It is She that had created the devatas for sustaining the universe, and bestowed them with their powers –
एकैवाहं जगत्यत्र द्वितीया का ममापरा ।
पश्यैता दुष्ट मय्येव विशन्त्यो मद्विभूतयः ॥
We must remember that the Divine Mother is all-powerful. Being the Divine Mother, She is all-loving and takes care of all Her devotees.
Sri Sannidhanam also said that the Goddess was initially worshipped as a Grama-devata named Chaudeshwari. Recently, when devotees had approached Sri Mahasannidhanam for blessings with respect to the renovation of the temple, Sri Mahasannidhanam had directed that the deity, given its features, be worshipped as Goddess Chamundeshwari and accordingly the Prathishta had taken place. Sri Sannidhanam ended His Anugraha Bhashanam blessing the assembled devotees.
In His Anugraha Bhashanam at Netravlli, Sri Sannidhanam extolled Goddess Durga Parameshwari. Sri Sannidhanam said that the Goddess removes all fears by mere remembrance of Her – दुर्गे स्मृता हरसि भीतिमशेषजन्तोः. And when She is remembered by those who are free of fear, She bestows upon them a noble intellect that will guide them along the path of Shreyas – स्वस्थैः स्मृता मतिमतीव शुभां ददासि.
Sri Sannidhanam also stated that temples for the Goddess abound in the country – from Vaishno Devi in Kashmir to Kanyakumari in the southern tip of the country.
Sri Sannidhanam remembered the Grace of the Goddess at various junctures – how Rukmini Devi had propitiated Goddess Durga and immediately became wedded to her beloved, Bhagavan Krishna, and how Arjuna when instructed by Bhagavan Krishna to worship Goddess Durga, just before the start of the Kurukshetra war, did so and received Her Blessings.
Sri Sannidhanam also quoted a verse from Sri Adi Shankaracharya’s Soundarya Lahari detailing that though Lord Shiva had drunk poison and the Devatas had partaken of the divine nectar when the ocean was churned, the Devatas experience various mishaps and even die at the end of the Kalpa, while Lord Shiva remains unaffected due to the Paativratyam of the Divine Mother –
सुधामप्यास्वाद्य प्रतिभयजरामृत्युहरिणीं
विपद्यन्ते विश्वे विधिशतमखाद्या दिविषदः ।
करालं यत्क्ष्वेलं कबलितवदः कालकलना
न शंभोस्तन्मूलं तव जननि ताटङ्कमहिमा ॥