Symbolism: half-clothed, half-hair, and Ardhanārīśvara

In this exceedingly beautiful discussion we did last week as an offering to Holy Mother for Her Jayanti, he say a few things about how Tāntrik meditation and practice works in general (with reference to some of its unique, aesthetically rich features) and then based on this understanding, we translate and unpack the dhyāna-mantra, meditation/visualization mantra of Holy Mother Sārada Devī and in so doing, we explore many very esoteric Tāntrik concepts encoded in the verses of this hymn! The mantras are reproduced below and all our talks on Holy Mother over the years are in this playlist. 

dhyānam

oṁ dhyāyeccittasarojasthāṁ sukhāsīnāṁ kṛpāmayīm। 
prasannavadanāṁ devīṁ dvibhūjāṁ sthiralocanām॥ālulāyitakeśārdhavakṣaḥsthalavimaṇḍitām। 
śvetavastrāvṛtārdhāṅgāṁ hemālaṅkārabhūṣitām॥ 
svakroḍanyastahastāṁ ca jñānabhaktipradāyinīm। 
śubhrāṁ jyotirmayīṁ jīvapāpasantāpahāriṇīm॥ 
rāmakṛṣṇagataprāṇāṁ tannāmaśravaṇapriyām।
tadbhāvarañjitākārāṁ jaganmātṛsvarūpiṇīm॥
jānakīrādhikārūpadhāriṇīṁ sarvamaṅgalām।
cinmayīṁ varadāṁ nityāṁ sāradāṁ mokṣadāyinīm॥

snehamayīṁ śivāṁ śāntāṁ bhuktimuktipradāyinīm।
sarvajīvatrāṇakartrīṁ sāradāṁ jñānadāyinīm॥

One should meditate on She who abides in the lotus of the mind, sitting easefully, filled with compassion and with a serene face, the two armed Goddess with steady eyes, Her long flowing hair adorning half Her bosom with half Her body clothed in white garments, adorned with golden ornaments, Her hands placed in Her own lap and bestowing knowledge and devotion, She is radiant light, the Destroyer of ignorance and suffering in human beings, whose every breath flows to Ramakrishna, who delights in the hearing of His name, Her form saturated with the ecstatic mood of absorption in Him, She is the Mother of the whole world! She is all-auspicious One who becomes Rādhā and Sītā, She is the Eternal Sārada, Sarasvatī, the giver of boons and liberation! 

Full of love, auspicious and peaceful, She is Sāradā, the bestower of enjoyment, knowledge and liberation, the protector of all beings!

dhyāyed hṛdambuje devīṁ taruṇāruṇavigrahām।
varābhayakarāṁ śāntāṁ smitotphullamukhāmbujām॥
sthalapadmapratīkāśa-pādāmbhoja-suśobhanām।
śuklāmbaradharāṁ dhīrāṁ lajjāpaṭavibhūṣitām॥
prasannāṁ dharmakāmārthamokṣadāṁ viśvamaṅgalām।
svanāthavāmabhāgasthāṁ bhaktānugrahakāriṇīm॥

One should meditate upon the Goddess in the lotus of the heart. She has a youthful, red form, her hands showing the boon-giving and fear removal gestures. She is peaceful and upon her lotus-like face blooms a smile! Her feet are like radiant lotus flowers upon the earth, clad in white garments, steady, She is adorned with the veil of mystery! She is gracious and grants the four goals of life: dharma, pleasure, wealth and liberation! She is embodied as this auspicious universe (She is the auspiciousness in all things auspicious), seated to the left of Her lord (established in the yoni), bestowing grace upon devotees! 

gāyatrī – 
oṁ hrīṁ sāradāyai vidmahe viśvajananyai dhīmahi
tanno mātā pracodayāt oṁ।

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