Yaa Devi Sarva-Bhuteshu Shakti-Ruupena Samsthita |
Namas-Tasyai Namas-Tasyai Namas-Tasyai Namo Namah ||
Salutations to Devi, who resides in everyone in the form of power.
Shakti is the power surrounding us. She resides in food (as Annapurna), in knowledge (as Saraswati) and in wealth (as Lakshmi). She is the source of sustenance.
Deepawali, the festival of lights, welcomes prosperity and invokes Mahalakshmi Devi for an auspicious beginning. As a prelude to Deepawali, let us ponder over the dynamic philosophy of Shakti, who represents creation, fortune, illusion and nourishment.
The love and admiration for Devi, the feminine divine, is a major feature of the Hindu religion right from the Vedic times. She continues to be revered and invoked as Lakshmi, Parvati, Durga, Sarasvati, Kali and in many other names and forms, and is also approached by various traditions as the supreme power and the ultimate truth to be realised. This Deepawali let us celebrate the feminine divine by lighting the lamp of knowledge as we try to understand her through the Shakti philosophy and narratives.
Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth’s School of Linguistics and Literary Studies (LLS) is organising this seven-day talk series, to explore the seven major themes of the worship of the Feminine Divine. The talks are meant for anyone who has an appreciation for spiritual, philosophical and/or pouranik narrations of the Hindu scriptures.
Time: 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Mode: Zoom app
Registration Fee: INR. 750/-
Step 1: Click here to register
Step 2: Click on the ‘Pay Now’ button at the end, to make the payment
Please note: No refund will be provided once the workshop begins.
Participants who attend all the seven talks will receive an e-Certificate of Participation.
For queries: webinars@cvv.ac.in | +91 81570 63893
Note: For those from the field of education, this is a Faculty Development Programme (FDP) and may avail a certificate mentioning the same.
7 November: Devi Mahatmyam: A Vedantic Interpretation by Swami Sharadananda
Devi Mahatmyam or Durga Saptasati is a part of the Markandeya Purana and is a famous text read by Devi devotees all over the world. The holy text is rich with Vedantic symbolism. This talk will explore the secret and sacred symbolic meaning of this great Tantric text and reveal the Vedantic wisdom hidden within.
8 November: The Significance of Shri by Dr. L. Sampath Kumar
The talk explores Devi Mahālakṣmi as a form of Shakti and Her significance as Shri in the Dharmic traditions.
9 November: Lalita Devi: Origin, Form and Narratives by Smt. Vishaka Venkat
The talk will introduce the concept of Lalitha Devi and the narrative surrounding her through a discussion on Soundarya Lahiri, Lalitha Sahasranamam and Lalitha Pancharatnam.
10 November: Stories of the Feminine Divine by Dr. Arundhati Sundar
The Indic ethos establishes a connection with the Cosmic Feminine through the tradition of folklore and sacred kathā. These narratives play out in the social and sacred rituals embodied in the folk celebrations of Navaratri. Through these stories and celebrations, we will revel in the joyful expressions of the divine Shakti in its diverse manifestations.
11 November: Shri Kurumba: Maha-Kali Pratishtha-s of Kerala by Shri Srinath Mohandas
The talk will explore the unique worship of Goddess Bhadrakali as Sri Kurumba Bhagavati in Kerala, and the legends and symbolism associated with it.
12 November: Meditations on Abhirami Anthadi: A Sublime Hymn in Praise of Shakti by Shri Jataayu
This talk will introduce the 100-verse hymn Abhirāmi Antādi, explore the legend surrounding its composition and delve into the philosophy and symbolism of the Shakta tradition and Sri Vidya through a few verses.
13 November: Devi Dhyanam: A Seeker’s Reflections on Devi as Shakti by Shri Ramachandra Roddam
This talk will share reflections on three meditations that can help us connect with Her primal will and thus exhort us to live a life filled with her grace, as seekers.
Facilitators
Swami Sharadananda: Swami Sharadananda is the Academic Council Member of Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth. He facilitates numerous camps and conducts classes at Chinmaya International Foundation (CIF) on Sanatana Dharma, Vedanta, Bhakti, and so on. He was also the Acharya of the two-year residential Vedanta Course (2018-2020) in Malayalam at Kerala Sandeepany, Adi Sankara Nilayam. A post-graduate in Advaita Vedanta, he ranked first at the All India level and was awarded a gold medal from the prestigious Sanskrit University, Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi.
Dr. L. Sampath Kumar: A Sanskrit faculty, Assistant Professor and Head of the School of Linguistics and Literary Studies (LLS), Dr. L. Sampath Kumar has a Doctorate in ‘Abhidhānaratnamālā–A Study’ from Pondicherry University. He has authored and edited eight books and presented research papers at numerous international and national seminars. Proficient in Sanskrit, English, Tamil and Hindi, being a gifted poet he has composed poetry in all these languages.
Vishaka Venkat: Assistant Professor at CVV’s School of LLS, Smt. Vishaka Venkat is a post-graduation in English Language and Literature and is also a UGC qualified JRF holder. Her research interests include narratives, Indian aesthetics, political cartoons and humour. Her publications mainly focus on conceptual metaphors on political iconography, theorising the effect of political cartoons, current trends, and the influence of Magna Culture. An ardent Veena player, she is also a trained Carnatic music vocalist and has performed in various Sampradaya Bhajans.
Dr. Arundhati Sundar: A visiting Faculty at Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth, Dr. Arundhati Sundar is passionate about Indic Knowledge Traditions. Currently, she is also the Academic Outreach Coordinator at Chinmaya International Foundation. Her storytelling and story workshops bring alive Indic culture for young and adults alike whether in the museum as a docent, a storyteller at public libraries or engaging parents, children or Chinmaya Balavihar Sevaks. Professionally she has been a physiotherapist and professor at the School of Physiotherapy, G. S. Medical College, University of Mumbai.
Srinath Mohandas: Assistant Professor at CVV’s School of Ethics, Governance, Culture and Social Systems, Shri Srinath Mohandas is an Assistant Professor at the School of Ethics Governance Culture and Social Systems. He is an educator specialised in Curriculum and Pedagogy, with experience in developing content, designing curriculum and teaching middle and high school levels. As a Value Educator, he conceived and conducted workshops based on the Chinmaya Vision Programme (CVP), as part of the schools’ initiative to foster cultural values. He also writes, speaks and conducts youth workshops on various themes related to Indian Knowledge System (IKS).
Jataayu: Jataayu has been writing on a range of topics centred around spiritual, cultural themes and Hindutva since 2005, both in Tamil and English. He is well-read in Hindu philosophy, history, culture and arts. He is a scholar of Tamil literature, especially the Kamba Ramayanam and Bhakti poetry. A collection of his Tamil essays has been published as a book, ‘Kaalamthorum Narasingam’ (2015). He is on the editorial board of the website tamilhindu.com and also the Tamil monthly magazine Valam. An Electronics Technology professional by vocation, he is currently a resident of Bengaluru. His real name is Sankara Narayanan.
Ramachandra Roddam: Ramachandra studied management at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. With the decisive influence of Shri Aurobindo’s writings, he took up the path of sadhana. For five years, he served in the administration team of Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital, Chhattisgarh, which provides free tertiary care for children ailing from congenital heart conditions. He is currently serving at Sanatan Siddhashram, a traditional Gurukul for the ancient Baul tradition of Bengal, in West Bengal.