Our ancient treatise and puranas emphatically declare that the entire creation has emerged out of a formless God who is devoid of all attributes (nirguna). If so, shouldn’t a God who is devoid of attributes and form also be changeless and motionless (nirvikara)? Then, how can such a creation that is totally based on form and constant change emerge from a Lord who is absolutely changeless and formless? This puzzles us.
Shankara bhagavadpādācharya in His composition, Soundarya Lahiri states:
Śiva śaktya yukto yadi bhavati shaktah prabhavitum
Na ched evum devo na khalu kusalah spanditum api
Atas tvam āradhyām hari hara virincādibhir api
Praṇantum stotum va katham akrta punyah prabhavati.
Meaning: Shiva (Parabrahma) obtains the capacity to create only when He is accompanied by shakti (energy). In the absence of energy, He does not have the capacity even to move.
For this reason, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva eternally worship shakti. Even to worship or pray to such this tremendous supreme energy one needs to have a lot of merit (punya) to his credit. Else, it is impossible. This is the meaning behind this stanza.
Setting aside this stanza, let us begin from another angle. Isn’t it true that energy is a pre-requisite for any movement? Movement does not mean mere physical movement. Movement includes even the changes in our mind or thoughts!
Our Puranas have classified this energy into 3 types: Iccha Shakti, Jnana Shakti and Kriya Shakti.
For any job to be accomplished, first and foremost the person has to have the desire to complete it. This desire is called Iccha shakti. With just a desire the work cannot get completed. The knowledge about the way to complete it should be clear. This knowledge is Jnana shakti. Once these 2 are achieved, the job should be physically undertaken. It is Kriya shakti.
Take the case of a potter. He gets the desire to create pots. This is Iccha shakti. He understands that he needs to get some mud and place it on a wheel to make a pot. This is Jnana shakti. Now he needs to physically get the mud, sit and make the pots. This is Kriya shakti.
Assume that this entire creation is a pot. It means that there has to be a creator who desired to create it. Such creator would have used some energy to create it. In other words, the creator too needed all the 3 energies (shaktis) for the creation!
What do we understand from this? This entire creation is nothing but the outcome of these 3 energies. For this reason, in every atom energy is seen flowing endlessly.
Modern science has advanced and now it has been proved that objects are all nothing but different forms of energy. They have proved that using the formula E= MC2 every atom of the object can be converted into energy. Science has further stated that if any atom is broken down unimaginable energy will be found in it. Whatever is stated by this science is all a part of Kriya shakti. From this we can decipher that Iccha and Jnana shakti would also similarly exist.
A combination of these 3 energies is addressed as Supreme Energy (Parashakti). It is also known as prakriti, avyakta or suddha maya etc. Of these words, Prakriti is commonly used. Prakriti = Pra +Kriti. Kriti means Kriya shakti. Pra means very great. It implies that not only creation but sustenance and destruction too are controlled by this Supreme Energy. This has been elaborately explained in Bhagavad Gita.
Now there could be a question- is the potter responsible for making the pots or are the 3 energies in him responsible for the creation of the pots? The answer to this would be that if the potter was responsible for making the pots, then he should have been endlessly producing pots. However it is not so. He produces them only when he gets a desire to create pots i.e. when Iccha shakti stirs him towards it. It is clear therefore that the energy is responsible for creation. In other words, his creation is an outcome of shakti.
Apply the same logic to the entire creation. Now it will be clear that the same Supreme Energy, whom we address as Parashakti, is responsible creating this universe. For this reason Parashakti is addressed as the ‘mother’ for this entire creation. Doesn’t the birth of a baby always take place form a mother’s womb? That is why shakti is always addressed as a universal moter by our Maharishis.
With this logic only Shankara bhagavadpādācharya composed the stanza ‘Shiva shaktya yukto...’ Since we address and worship the Supreme Energy as our mother, She treats us as her children. Yad bhaavam- tad bhavati.
In a potter, this Iccha-Jnana-Kriya shakti combination makes him create pots. In a goldsmith, they make him create jewellery. Similarly, in Brahma this energy makes him start creation. This energy empowers Vishnu to maintain the universe thus created. In Shiva it enables him to destroy the creation.
We too worship the same Supreme Energy. Nevertheless, we do not have the capacity to see the energy in its pure form. We cannot even imagine its true form. In order to make it easier for us, this energy, our dearest mother, at first manifested in the form of a Sri Chakra. Thereafter She manifested in various other forms and she made herself easily available to us so that we can effortlessly worship her.
During Navaratri, we worship this Supreme Energy in 9 forms.
The next question would be –why has it to be 9 forms? What is the significance of 9? To be frank, Supreme Energy has unimaginable and innumerable forms. This is accepted even by science.
9 signifies infinity. How? This is because the original numbers are only from 0-9. Thereafter they are only combinations of the same numerals. 9 is the last numeral in this and hence is considered the ultimate. By worshipping Her in 9 forms, we acknowledge Her infiniteness. Hence we worship Nava Durga during Navaratri. Jaya Guru Datta.
- Bhaktimala Oct 1997