Chandana and Chandi

Chandana is the Sanskrit word for sandlewood.  During puja we offer chandana, and in Shiva Puja we use it to paint three lines onto the lingam.

If you've ever had anyone put a Sandlewood tilak on your forehead it feels really good.  Sandlwood has very cooling and soothing properties, and a wonderful woodsy and aromatic aroma.

Swamiji says that the sandlewood represents "cooling wisdom."  I have also heard that the three lines of chandana that Shiva wears on His forehead represent the three gunas, or the three qualities of nature: raja, sattva, and tama - becoming, being, and rest - creation, preservation, transformation.  These three gunas are personified in the forms of three goddesses - mahasaraswati, mahalakshmi, and mahakali.

The vibrations of these three goddesses, these three energies, are embodied in and transmitted through the vibrations of the bija (seed) syllables of the goddess Chandi's mantra, which is also called the navarna mantra, or the nine lettered mantra (nava means nine in Sanskrit).

Chandi's mantra is om aim hrim klim chamundayai vicce.  Aim is Saraswati's bija syllable, Hrim is Lakshmi's bija syllable, and Klim is Kali's.

All if this information is in Swami Satyananda Saraswati's Chandi Path book.  In the Siddha Kunjika Stotram, the Song that Grants Perfection, towards the end of the book, Swamiji breaks down the syllables of the Navarna Mantra:

Om - The Infinite Beyond Conception
Aim - Creation, Rajo Guna, Energy of Desire, Mahasaraswati
Hrim - Preservation, Sattva Guna, Energy of Action, Mahalakshmi
Klim - Destruction, Tamo Guna, Energy of Wisdom, Mahakali
Camunda - The Slayer of Passion and Anger, Moves in teh head
Yai - The Grantor of Boons
Vic - In the Body of Knowledge; in the Perception
Ce - of Consciousness

In other words: "...the three gunas, energies, and Goddesses - Creation, Preservation, and Destruction - are in constant movement, transformation in the perception of consciousness" (Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Chandi Path, Siddha Kunjika Stotram)

The thing I find both amusing and kind of mind blowing is that this mantra, according to Swamiji's translation, is really stating the obvious.  Things change.  All the time.  Swami says, "The nature of nature is to change."

If we can be like Shiva and watch Nature Herself, as opposed to Her fluctuations, then I believe that we can find the true peace.  Because that peace won't go away...how can it?  That peace is eternal, behind all the changes.  The key is to not be attached.  Easier said than done, I know.

Did you ever think to yourself, "Wow, I could choose to just not get bummed out about this.  If I didn't let this bother me, then it wouldn't bother me"? I think the wisdom we are striving for is not just the knowledge that things change, but a total integration, understanding, and appreciation of truth so deeply that we are truly no longer attached to transient phenomena.  Like Shiva.

So how do we become un-attached?  Clearly that is a very deep inner process, and I think that this is exactly what all yogic scriptures are about, including the spoken scriptures of the living embodiments of God.

Neem Karoli Baba says "Love everyone, serve everyone, remember God."  Maa says "Give more than you take."  Krishna says, "Offer everything to me."  The 180 verses of the Guru Gita tell us to serve our Gurus.

On that note, I am going to go chant the Chandi, hopefully remember God, and come one step closer to non-attachment.

Jai Maa!