Devi Kanya Kumari
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- For other uses of Kanyakumari, please see Kanyakumari (disambiguation).
Devi Kanya Kumari, known as Kumari Amman (the virgin goddess) is one of the forms of Devi. She is popularly known as "Bhagavathy Amman". Bhagavathy Amman Temple is located in Kanya Kumari (formerly Cape Comorin) on the confluence of the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean. She is also known by several other names, including Kanya Devi, andDevi Kumari.
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[edit] Antiquity of worship
The worship of Devi Kanya Kumari dates back to the Vedic times. She has been mentioned in the Narayana Upanishad (belonging to the Taittrya Arayanka) of Yajur Veda. Here there is a hymn in the form of a Gayatri addressed to the Divine Energy.
"Katyayanayai vidmahe
Kanya-kumarim deemahi Tan no Durgih procadayat"
The Divine Mother enshrined in the Temple at Kanya Kumari and worshiped as "Bhagavati" or "Devi Kanya Kumari" is the eternal ancient symbol of a Hindu Nun. She is holding a rosary in Her prayerful spiritual ecstatic mood shedding pure spiritual bliss. Her only intention is to attain the "Supreme" by doing the repetition of God's name (mantra-japa) and be a model to the whole of Hindu Womenkind an an embodiment of eternal Divine Bliss.
Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), the modern Hindu Saint of India worshiped Her in December 1892 in Kanyakumari and from Her presence only decided to embark on the Missionary Work that his Master Sri Ramakrishna (1836-1886) always directed him to do.
Swami Brahmananda (1863-1922) and Swami Nirmalananda (1863-1938, another two disciples of Sri Ramakrishna also worshiped Devi Kanyakumari and got Her blessings. In fact, Swami Nirmalananda brought several small girls from many parts of Kerala and made them to worship Mother Kumari in 1935-36 period. To the surprise of all, SEVEN girls out of them later became the members of the first batch of Nuns of the "SARADA ASHRAMA", a Hindu Nunnery started later in 1948 at Ottapalam, a remote village in Kerala by Swami Vishadananda.
The author of Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (60-80 A.D.) has written about the prevalency of the propitiation of the deity Kanyakumari in the extreme southern part of India; "There is another place called Comori and a harbour, hither come those men who wish to consecrate themselves for the rest of their lives, and bath and dwell in celibacy and women also do the same; for it is told that a goddess once dwelt here and bathed." [1]
[edit] Legends
There are several legends associated with her. Paraaskakthi, the supreme Goddess was requested by the Devas to destroy Banasura who was creating havoc on the inhabitants of this world. In Shakti appeared as a young virgin girl at Kanyakumari and commenced penance in answer to their Prayers. Later she vanquished Banasura.
Another legend is that Sthanunatha (a form of Siva) god of Suchindram, a nearby town located 12 km from Kanya Kumari, desired to marry the virgin goddess. Other gods became apprehensive that the marriage would result into the goddess losing her power. Narada schemed to resolve the problem. The marriage was fixed to be solemnized just before the daybreak. When Shiva's procession reached a site by name Vazhukkumpaarai, a rooster crowed, heralding daybreak, and that Shiva assuming that the auspicious hour was past, returned to Suchindram. All the food prepared for the wedding was laid waste and that it turned into the colored sand seen on the southern shores of the subcontinent.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Manna, Sibendu, Mother Goddess, Chaṇḍī p 84
[edit] References
- Manna, Sibendu, Mother Goddess, Chaṇḍī , Punthi Pustak, Calcutta, India, 1993. (ISBN 81-85094-60-8)
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