DEVI BHUVANESHWARI - SPACE AND TIME

Bhuvaneswari is worshiped as the Great Goddess who protects all manifested creation. This attribute of the goddess is also suggested by Her name: the Glorious Queen, or the Goddess (Ishwari) of the whole realm of creation, with all the worlds (Bhuvana) which are contained in Her. She is the deity who is the embodiment of the whole universe. By worshipping Her we can have a vision of a cosmic reality which is totally at odds from the standard opinion. She is the 4th of the Dasa Mahavidyas.

In other words, She is the Divine Mother who protects all the “lokas” or worlds. The whole universe is Her body in which all things exist like jewels.

Hinduism is famous for its symbolic representation of scientific truths and Bhuvaneshwari is depicted as a goddess with three eyes which are a sign of her complete knowledge of the manifested worlds, very big breasts that show that all beings are nurtured and receive the essence of life from Her; a smiling face, which shows her maternal aspect as the Great Cosmic Mother. Creation is perpetually blossoming under Her care.

She is the effulgent one, source of all the light that we can see - the mother of all the solar deities. Her glory and greatness are seen by the light that radiates from Her. Her head is adorned by the rising sun and the moon which sprinkles divine nectar (soma) on us.

Her help is essential in overcoming all types of false identifications and preconceived ideas, like those of class, race, religion, nation, etc., sublimating these to the level of an understanding that sees only the divinity in all creation.

This general vision offered to us by Bhuvaneshwari gives her devotee an intuitive understanding of the great mysteries of creation and makes her appreciate the indescribable reality of the Infinite.
In the Vedas, Bhuvaneshwari is known as Aditi, the Great Cosmic Mother, infinite and indestructible - the origin of all manifestation - the primordial space.

The space of our consciousness is also created by Bhuvaneshwari. On the level of creation, space has several levels of manifestation and is in perfect harmony with the resonances of all subtle energies. For instance, in the physical space that is around us there is also mental space, which is as infinite as physical space.

This mental space has several levels of subtlety, which culminate with the supreme space of the pure divine consciousness, which is beyond all manifestations. Bhuvaneswari is the one who enfolds within herself all these different types of space.

According to Hinduism, the whole macrocosm is contained in the small, subtle space in our hearts. In other words, the heart is Bhuvaneshwari’s residence!

One of the methods that allows us to commune with this Great Cosmic Wisdom which is a gigantic sphere of force, is to make an investigation of this mysterious, subtle space of our spiritual heart.

Because She represents space, Bhuvaneshwari is complementary to Kali, who represents Time. The two goddesses represent the two main faces of the Great Goddess, Shakti, which is infinity (space) and eternity (time).

In other words, we may say that Bhuvaneshwari creates the stage on which Kali performs Her dance of life and death. Consequently, Kali creates the events in time whereas, Bhuvaneshwari creates the objects in space.

This analogy of Bhuvaneshwari with the stage of the universe allows us to notice that the supreme goddess is, at the same time the observer and the enjoyer of Kali’s dance of life and death.

When our understanding deepens, we will see that all events are nothing but “sequences” of the Divine Mother, Kali’s gigantic consciousness (Time) and all locations in space are mere phases of resonance with the Divine Mother, Bhuvaneshwari.

Bhuvaneshwari is in fact the “base” on which we are supported and at the same time the subtle reality that impregnates us every moment. Once we know this, we will be able to practice very high yogic techniques with success which will lead us to spiritual freedom.

Since she represents space Bhuvaneshwari is connected with the cardinal points - north, south, east and west which are nothing but different visions of this Great Cosmic Being’s presence, each of them having distinct qualities.

In the same way Kali creates the “directions” of time, which we call present, past and future. The tantric spiritual tradition notes the fact that space is mysteriously bound up with time. Tantric writings say that Bhuvaneshwari represents the Creator’s initial creative vision.

For instance, the spatial direction “east” always points to the beginning of an action, while north represents spiritual illumination. West is correlated to experience and the process of spiritual maturity and south represents the fullness of the spiritual realisation.

Because of this, we may state that in a mysterious way, space contains time and vice versa. Each moment in time is characterized by a location and direction in spatial orientation. Therefore, as modern science has only now discovered, one cannot exist without the other so they have given the name space/time to this identification.

Modern science has also reached the conclusion that “akasha” or space is the “matrix” from which are born the rest of the elements - air, fire, water and earth. This was known to the rishis thousands of years ago.

Under this aspect of primordial substance from which emerges everything in the manifested world, Bhuvaneshwari is also known as Prakriti or Nature. Therefore, she is also Maya or the cosmic illusion.

However, we need to remember that this primordial space, is essentially pure consciousness and consequently it is an ineffable expression of endless freedom and bliss.

Our imagination determines the direction of our field of experiments. Thus, when we direct our minds to a certain space-time area, we will perceive various events and places that are characteristic to that particular area.

When we measure, appreciate, or compare the different things or situations in life, we simply fall into Maya’s illusory trap, forgetting that the only reality is that fundamental unitary space, the primordial matrix from which all things have appeared.

Any manifested form is in fact only a series of energy waves that exist in subtle forms and resonates with the macrocosmic sources of the energy of the Infinite.

Therefore, one of the important methods of transcending the illusion is to learn to see that we are surrounded by the sacred space of the Divine Mother, Bhuvaneshwari. Thus what we call as space, is her gigantic, ineffable consciousness that surrounds us in a loving embrace.

Consciousness is also the fundamental “field” in which all things and events appear and manifest. Consequently, an awareness of this fundamental reality will immediately grant us the ability to access her modalities of expression, through the simple act of focusing our will on the desired object.

Bhuvaneshwari is the space in which God’s endless will and love manifest. Such sublime love does not limit a person’s options and does not try to obtain or keep anything for itself.

On the other hand, this ineffable space of love is a nurturing space that grants people the possibility of infinite growth and development.

If love does not create this feeling of space and freedom, it does not represent a divine love but is merely the egoist expression of a possessive and non-spiritual affection. This type of possessive love leads to suffering and jealousy. By worshipping Bhuvaneshwari it is possible for such people to transcend their pitiful limitations. The universal love has no form and does not focus on one form or object. It is this love that gives birth to “iccha shakti” or desire to create.

This divine game (lila) is continuously effervescent because space (akasha) represents an infinite potential energy, which is always updated in the infinite ways and forms of manifestation.

Therefore, the yogic spiritual tradition says that the whole universe comes from the infinite space of the Divine Consciousness. This ineffable state can be reached only through Bhuvaneshwari’s grace. Thus, she represents “the void” from which everything comes into being.

The Puranas have given her a form by meditating on which we can become enlightened. She has the colour of the rising sun with the crescent moon on her forehead, four hands and three eyes. In two of her hands, she holds a chain and a stake and the other two hands are held in the abhaya mudra, (removing fear) and the varada mudra (giving boons).

Sometimes she is shown with a lotus and a jewelled bowl in her hands and in some places her left foot is placed on a jewelled bowl. Thus, meditating on her enchanting form, the sincere votary can become enlightened.

Aum bhuvaneswaryai namha!