GODDESS’ CLOTHES: “Do all Hindu Gods and Goddesses wear inappropriate clothes, is a question shrouded in maya of the question itself. We have better things to do pondering this but it would be worthwhile plunging into the topic for clarity, if not wisdom. Maya means illusion of an interplay of substance and energy that gives a feeling that something exists. It gives birth to a lot of deception.Goddess Maya is a powerful combination of Shakti, prakriti and maya. This Goddess of Illusion is said to reign in the three worlds – physical, mental and emotional.
One cannot fathom a life without the powerful combinations of Shakti, Prakriti and Maya. Humans rely heavily upon Goddess Maya as she helps us to be perceptible and thus access reality. This is to say that Maya is the light that gives creation form. This again is illusion just as the dragonfly with rainbow colored wings that follows Goddess Maya. Albeit, her clothes, as imagined, are an ever changing hologram where Maya allows us to see whatever we want to see. It is up to the seer to claim that creation to connect to the physical and spiritual world.
In the Hindu pantheon of Gods and Goddesses, Goddess Maya is considered to be the maiden aspect of Goddess Kali. Was She clothed? As Mahakali, she symbolises the giver of perception and necessarily the world of deception. So this begs the larger question if they were they vulgar? Goddess Kali, as Aparna, is signified as the Goddess ‘who is without her leaf-cloth, ie naked, nakedness. As Aparna, she matched Shiva in her capacity to cut herself from the world and completely master her physics to take Shiva out of His meditation. She had to go without wearing anything to relieve his love-sickness. In this form, the forest ascetics describe her as utmost beauty in the Legend of Aparna. This is a striking characteristic of the Indian mother Goddess. The ancient rishis did not see anything vulgar about all this. Goddess Kali’s is described as 'sky clad' or digambara. Digambra also means ‘clothed in the quarters of the sky’ or atmosphere clothed. Much can be said about digambara yogis and yoginis.
In her absolute, primordial nakedness, Goddess Kali is free from all coverings of illusion. She is Nature beyond name and form and completely beyond illusory effects of maya or false consciousness. Her nudity, symbolically or otherwise, is said to represent illumined consciousness. She is unaffected by maya. She is the bright fire of truth which cannot be hidden by clothes of ignorance. Her motherly breast is covered by her dishevelled hair – the sign of space and time. All she wears is a girdle of severed human hands that cover her lower half. Maya and the nirguna aspect of Kali creates this satguna aspect which aspect may be the grandest of all illusions or the greatest blessing of worship.
The same can be said of all Gods and Goddesses. It does not matter whether Srimathi Radha’s drawn images are now shown to wear sarees from Kaanjipuram or the other Goddesses shown with clothes from Maduras or Bollywood. These are produce of imaginations that can sink one into deep dualism. One cannot now go and dress up the Roman Goddess Venus or her portrait. Paying too much attention to the duality in images, Indian art or temple sculptures is missing the woods for the trees. One is to look beyond these images to find the symbolism, metaphysical or spiritual essence. Imputing vulgarity when there is none is itself maya of thoughts. Such negative thought drains one of energy. Being disturbed by external vision of images depicts the lack of inner tranquillity. Such a child has to grow up! One sees what one wants to see. Instead of vulgarity, one can choose to see Divinity and Love.
கருத்துகள் இல்லை:
கருத்துரையிடுக