Saptashati Chandika Dhyanam

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nama paradevatyaimtarme madhukaiabhaghni mahiaprpahrodyamehelnirjitadhmralocanavadhe he caamurdini |niektaraktabjadanuje nitye niumbhpaheumbhadhvasini saharu durita durge namaste.abike ||aau bhujg mahiasya mardinsaakhacakr araladhrim |t divyayog sahajtavedasdurg sad araamaha prapadye ||mahiamastakanttavinodana-sphuaraanmainpuramekhal |jananarakaamokavidhyinjayatu umbhaniumbhanidin ||brahm kamalendusaumyavadan mhevar llaykaumr ripudarpananakar cakryudh vaiav |vrh ghanaghoraghargharamukh dar ca vajryudhcmu gaantharudrasahit rakantu m mtara ||uddhatau madhukaiabhau mahisura ca nihatya tadhmralocanacaamuaka raktabjamukhca tn |duaumbhaniumbhamardini nanditmaravanditeviapatrayatuikrii bhadrakli namo.astu te ||lakmpradnasamaye navavidrumbhvidypradnasamaye aradinduubhrm |vidveivargavijaye.api tamlanldev trilokajanan araa prapadye ||candrahsa trila ca akhacakragadstath |dhanurba ca musala pigala muimeva ca ||pkuamushca mudgara parau tath |vajryudha ca kunta ca khavga ca halyudham ||tra kurik mudr tomara pnaptrakam |paasa daanga ca kuntadantau tathaiva ca ||darpaa rudrav ca bibhrad dvtriadostalm |padmargaprabh dev blrkakiratmikm ||raktavastrapardhn raktamlynulepanm |daapdmbuj dev daamaalapritm ||danan trinetr ca samunnatapayodharm |eva dhyyenmahca mahisuramardinm ||sarvadridryaaman sarvadukhanivrim |brahmamadhyajihv t mahvaktrakarlinm ||daashasradorda nnastrstradhrim |vicitryudhasannaddh vivarp ivtmikm ||dnavntakar dev raktabjavadhodyatm |raktavastradhar ca bhamatibhairavm ||samprayauvan lakm klik kamalnanm |madhukaiabhasahartr mahisuramardinm ||caamuairacchetr sarvadaityanidinm |raktabjasya sahartrmaesurabhakim ||niumbhaumbhamathanmaeyudhadhrim |mahbrahmamlg sarvbharaabhitm ||vetlavhanrh sihavyghrdivhanm |balihomapriy vande madhumajjopahrim ||phalarutiya ida uynnitya trisandhya ya pahennara |akoypaharaa rogadridryananam ||sarvasiddhikara puya sarvakmaphalapradam |bhaktnandakar dev parabrahmasvarpim ||tmadaaphasth tripurmadhidevatm |vande vivevar dev bhuktimuktiphalapradm ||ida saptaatdhyna sarvarakkara nm |rasa rasyana siddhyet guliknjanasiddhidam ||pdukyugala siddhyet mantrasiddhikara nm |saundaryarjasammnaputrapautrbhivardhanam ||aivaryalbhavijayabhuktimuktipradyakam |sad sannihit lakm caik paradevatm ||smarennitya prayatnena amst prpyate phalam |mahbhaypaharaa atrukayakara tath ||acal riyampnoti sarvavydhivinanam |ante svarga ca moka ca satyameva na saaya ||Amidst so many apparent dualities - dvaita/advaita, shUnyatA/brahman, spiritual/material etc., there is one constant stream of light that seems to always bring balance - the grace of parAshakti.A few months ago, as I advised a student to regularly recite durgA saptashatI, there seemed to be an inner voice telling me to listen to my own advice. That night, after an excessive amount of time spent on the Thokar Kriya, the dvAdashAkSharI mantra automatically transformed into chaNDikA navAkSharI and a form of parAmbA appeared dazzling before the minds eye sporting thirty-two hands. The breath seemed to disappear and the awe-inspiring form of ugra-chaNDA caused both joy and fear in my mind, the only other time I experienced such fear was during the sAdhanA of vajravArAhI. The vision lasted for only a few seconds but it seemed like an instruction from parAmbA to delve deep into saptashatI.I made a sankalpa to recite saptashatI 1008 times and complete navalakSha japa of navArNa mahAmantra. As always, the task was completed effortlessly thanks to the grace of shrI gurunAtha. Having completed the final recitation on Friday, I decided to run to the park and indulge in a round or two of Taiji (Wu-Hao is my preferred form). It was dark, and as I practiced alone in a large park under a light (one never ever practices any internal daoist art in total darkness), I noticed a large white woman slouching on a nearby bench. She held a bottle of alcohol in her hands and was staring at me with her abnormally large eyes. For some reason, that drunk lady appeared to be verily the divine mother herself, as mAtangI swaying with the bliss generated by madhu; as chaNDIkA who had consumed Asava to generate sAttvika-krodha for the purpose of slaying tamorUpI pashu. She stared at me with her ruddy eyes for a while and then said, who is that lady with you? I looked around and saw none. As I contemplated whether to ignore her and leave the place, she said, she has many hands, she looks like an angel - there was not much I could say but simply stare at the drunk woman. It is generally my habit to dismiss such occurrences as unimportant and fanciful notions of a conditioned mind, but for once, I decided to not do that and take it as a sign of blessing from the Mother. Several signs and visions that followed for the next two days confirmed later that this was no apparition or aberration but indeed the overflowing grace of parAmbA. Time and again, I continue to experience the reality of the statement - kalau chaNDI-vinAyakaunamastripurasundaryai