Pt Madhav joo dhar,a staunch devotee of bhagwati sharkia, whose sacred hill ( because this hill one the Shakti peet of kashmir where Mata Sharkia )he went round ( do parkrama) every morning bare footed would be seen holding discourses and discussions with the Muslim saint across the river opposite his residence at Nawakadal,Srinagar.
It is said that on the first day of NAVRATRI (the nine days of dedicated to the worship of the Divine mother Durga) in the month of Ashwin,in the year of 1620.Pt Madhav joo dhar arrived for worship at midnight,to uninterruptedly worship on this most auspicious occasion. He commenced his worship and, with all reverence and attentive details,he glorified the supreme Goddess, his heart filled with adoration. When his worship was complete,the Divine mother is said to have appeared before him in the form of a radiant girl child. on seeing this divine child, pt Madhav joo dhar was so filled with intense joy and bliss that he lost all consciousness of his external surroundings and tears of joy and devotion flowed from his eyes. He understood that the mother of the universe,Mahamaya was herself infornt of him in the form of this child. Thereupon he worshipped the girl placing flowers on Her feet and incense before her .with fatherly love he offers her sweets.The mother was pleased with the simplicity and love of her devotee,and granted him a boon.pt Madhav joo dhar requested Mother,’ since you have appeared before me in the form of a child,take birth in my house as my daughter. “The divine mother granted the boon and vanished. So goes the legend of the birth of SHREE MATA RUPA BHAWANI.
In the following year 1621,in the month of jyeth , on the purima tithi (full moon) in the early morning a daughter was born to pt Madhav joo’s wife. He named his daughter Alakshyeshvari, which means one who is imperceptible and indescribable: it refer to the goddess in the formless non-dual aspect. In her father’s house Alakshyeshvari’s years of childhood were passed in the company of devotees.pt Madhav joo dhar was held high esteem,and spiritual seekers came from far away province to meet him. Alakshyeshvari’s spirituality blossomed early in these favourable conditions. As she grew older , the spiritual tendencies within her became increasingly manifest. Her father pt Madhav joo dhar himself became her guru and gave her spiritual initiation. Nevertheless, in accordance with the prevailing customs of the time , her father arranged her marriage to a young man of the near by Sapru family.
___MARRIED LIFE OF SHREE MATA RUPA BHAWANI ___
However, Alakshyeshvari’s married life was unhappy. Her husband, pt Hiranand sapru, totally lacked all understanding of Alakshyeshvari’s spiritual nature and her mother in law Somp kunj had a cruel disposition. Alakshyeshvari’s life in this house was difficult and joyless. Her mother in law was always finding fault with her. Once she accused Alakshyeshvari’s of going out at midnight, and made pt Hiranand suspicious of his wife’s fidelity.
The truth was that at midnight Alakshyeshvari would go to perform her sadhana(spiritual practice) at the shrine of Mother sharika on Hara parvat.one day pt Hiranand followed her to see where she went at night. Alakshyeshvari knew this.when she had nearly reached the shrine, she turned around and asked Pt Hiranand to join her. However, as he was steeped in ignorance, he is said to have beheld a vast expanse of water, impossible to cross, between himself and her and disheartened, he was forced to return to home.
Yet another incident is related to her life in her in law’s home. One day on the occasion of some festival, Pt Madhav joo dhar sent his daughter a pot of kheer. Alakshyeshvari’s mother in law, on seeing the kheer spoke sarcastically, what will I do with this small pot of kheer? I have so many relatives. This is hardly sufficient for them .Alakshyeshvari replied, please give this kheer to as many person as you like , but don’t look inside the pot. Somp kunj began distributing the kheer and gave it to everyone she knew. But the supply of kheer seemed endless! Finally, furious with angry, somp kunj looked inside the pot to find just a few grains sticking to its sides.
The next day at dawn, Alakshyeshvari cleaned the pot and placed it in the flowing current of the vitasta river, speaking thus ,’My father is doing his morning prayer ( sandhya) at the Diddmar Ghat . Go and stop there.’ The pot floated down the vitasta river and stopped exactly where Pt Madhav joo dhar was doing his sandhya. Pt madhav joo dhar picked up the pot and took it home.
Even after seeing such miraculous incidents, not just once, but many times, somp kunj stubbornly refused to change her ways towards Alakshyeshvari . Pt Hiranand also remained foolish and ignorant. Finally, when living there became
unbearable, Alakshyeshvari left her husband’s house never to return. It is said that this sapru family’s fortunes rapidly declined thereafter.
Alakshyeshvari renounced her father’s home as well , and decided to seek the eternal abode of the supreme being. She wanted to become absorbed in sadhana .seeking a solitary retreat, she selected a location to the north- east of Srinagar,known by its ancient name jyestha Rudra. Here she did intense tapasya ( austerities) for twelve and a half years, and began to glow with the fire of spirituality. At this point, people, attracted by her spiritual radiance, began to come to her in such large numbers that she decided to leave the place for more solitary retreat.
SHREE MATA RUPA BHAWANI IN SEARCH OF SPIRITUAL LIFE AND HER MIRACLES:——-
She moved to a village Manigam in north kashmir,on the banks of ganges in the foothills of the Himalayas. On festival days many would gather at Manigam for dipping the sacred waters. In these beautiful surroundings Alakshyeshvari chose to do her sadhana. On a forested hill- top, far from the village, she made a hermitage for herself. For a long time she remained in solitude, deep in spiritual practices.
It is said that none of the villagers at Manigam knew of Alakshyeshvari’s existence, until a certain miraculous incident revealed her presence to them . A cowherd boy used to take his cow to graze at a place which, unknown to him, was close to where Alakshyeshvari was absorbed in meditation. The boy noticed that a beautiful white cow left the herd every day at noon, and later returned on her own accord.one day he decided to follow the cow to see where she went. Following the cow , he reached a clearing in the forest . There he saw a beautiful woman dressed in ocher robes seated in meditation, her long hair flowing loosely, her face ashine with a heavenly luster, and her eyes filled with divine light. The cow , as though under a spell, stopped before the radiant ascetic . The ascetic woman got up and lovingly caressed the cow. The cow of her own accord poured its milk into the ascetic’s bowl until it was full !
On seeing this wonderful vision the cowherd boy lost consciousness. When he milked the white cow he found to his astonishment that she gave more milk than usual.
The cowherd confided his experience to Pt lal chand , the village head.Pt lal chand was filled with reverence and devotion. He visited Alakshyeshvari,and then came daily to serve her in whichever way he could. By this time she had completed another twelve and half years of spiritual practice in that hermitage.
Pt lal chand told the villagers about Bhavani and the miraculous happenings attributed to her . But when she began to receive a great deal of public attention,she left the village, preferring to continue her spiritual practice in solitude. She went in a hut on the bank of shahkol river. Even there she attracted devotees.
I will from here refer to her as Bhavani ( the Goddess as the power originating the world) or as Bhagavati ( the Goddess with the six attributes of supremacy, righteousness, fame, prosperity, wisdom, and discrimination). This is in keeping with the common belief in kashmir that Alakshyeshvari was am incarnation of the Goddess MATA SHARIKA.
Once , a spiritual seeker fascinated by her aura of spirituality asked her, “what is your name?’. Bhavani replied, My name is Rupa ( one who has realized her own True self)’. The seeker further questioned her, ‘Why do you wear this ochre dress?’ Bhagavati replied, ‘ This ochre represents the state of being in which the individual soul has taken the colour of the supreme Being. ‘ Bhavani lived for many years on the banks of the shahkol, absorbed in meditation. Finally, when large numbers of devotees again began to flock around her, she once more moved away to a quieter spot, in the village of vaskora . Legend says that the Naga, ( snake) vasuki did his tapasya in vaskora to attain the Grace of lord Shiva. When his sadhana bore fruit, he asked lord Shiva for a boon,’May I always adorn you as a necklace. ‘Bhagavati greatly liked this spot and began to dwell there.
Bhavani’s grace now began to shower on her numerous devotees. Many miracles are attributed to her. There was a young boy , blind from birth, who served her with great devotion. Bhavani’s compassionate heart was moved by his sad condition. She gave him a stick and asked him to dig the earth with it. He immediately obeyed her. Many devotees gathered nearby, watching. Soon water began to appear from the hole that was dug. Bhavani said to the young boy , wash your eyes with the water that has come forth, As the boy did so , his eye sight was restored and the crowd of devotees were amazed.
In vaskora, SHREE MATA RUPA BHAWANI began to spiritual instruction to Pt Bal joo dhar and Pt sadanand Mattoo in the form of mystic poetry to Kashmiri language which called as vaakhs. One hundred and forty five of her vaakhs have been transmitted to us.
Her poetry takes the form of vaakhs and steeped in the beliefs and practices of Kashmiri Shaivism.
Some as under
1. Born of earth, I fell into contemplation Hari, you alone open the doors for me Enlighten me, be my ferryman you kindled hope in me. Now fill my cups.
2. The sword of meditation slung by my side I mount the horse of twin breaths. The Oriole’s song , like a veena, fill the air, Conches resound,all around cymbals rings, the river of practice springs forth,
This is how I worship shiva.
3.Ever-alert self , she plays and dances she decks herself in shining clothes. Always conscious,always prefect on Shiva’s path, she becomes one with him.
After twelve and half years (period of this length seem to recur in Bhavani’s life) had elapsed in vaskora, Bhavani returned to Srinagar on the demand of her numerous devotees and began to live in Safakadal
Many years had elapsed, and SHREE MATA RUPA BHAWANI now yearned to be released from earthly body. On the saptami Tithi, in the month of Magha, in the year of year of 1721, Bhavani’s soul took flight forever. The legend relates how her devotees, filled with grief, carried her body towards the cremation grounds.on the way they met the village head who, on seeing the funeral procession, asked whom they were carrying. On hearing that it was SHREE MATA RUPA BHAWANI, he was very startled , for he had just seen SHREE MATA RUPA BHAWANI walking down the road by which he came! The devotees looked inside the coffin ( of hindu type coffin) and found nothing there but some alak( locks – of hair) and some flowers. The alak are even today worshipped with great reverence.
SHREE MATA RUPA BHAWANI BLESS US ALL
KIRTI KAPIL
