On Phalaharini-Kali Puja

On Phalaharini-Kali Puja.

Phala Harini means one who eats up the results, the Karma-phalas, of all the karmas done in the worshipper’s past and present lives and grants him Mukti, liberation from Samsara. 

Puja or worship means complete self-surrender.

On the night of the 5th of June, 1872,  Sri Ramakrishna worshipped the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and invoked the Divine Mother of the Universe in her. 

Here is the description.

(A.D. May 25, 1873) had elapsed. It was the new-moon day, the holy occasion for the worship of the Phalaharini Kali Devi. 

It was the day of a special festival at the Dakshineswar temple. 

The Master had made special preparations on that day with a view to worshipping the Mother of the universe. 

Having finished the nocturnal service and worship of Radha-Govinda, the first priest, Dinu, came to help the Master in the preparations. 

It was 9 p.m. when all the preparations for the mystery-worship of the Devi were completed. 

In the meantime, the Master had sent word to the Holy Mother to be present during the worship. 

She came to the room and the Master started the worship.

The Master sprinkled consecrated water on the Holy Mother and worshipped her

The Master beckoned to the Holy Mother to sit on the wooden seat decorated with Alimpana. 

While witnessing the worship, the Holy Mother had already entered into a divine semiconscious state. 

Not clearly conscious, therefore, of what she was doing, she, like one charmed with Mantras, sat facing north to the right of the Master, who was seated with his face to the east. 

According to scriptural injunctions the Master sprinkled the Holy Mother repeatedly with the water purified by Mantras from the pitcher placed before him. 

He then uttered the Mantra in her hearing and then recited the prayer:

“O Lady, O Mother Tripurasundari, who art the controller of all powers, open the door to perfection; purify her (the Holy Mother’s) body and mind, manifest Thyself in her and be beneficent.”

Sri Ramakrishna went into Samadhi at the end of the worship. He offered Japa, worship, etc., at the feet of the Devi

The Holy Mother also lost normal consciousness and went into Samadhi. The Master too uttering Mantras in the semiconscious state, entered into complete Samadhi. 

The worshipper in Samadhi became perfectly identified and united with the Devi in Samadhi.

A long time passed. Returning to the semiconscious state again, he offered himself to the Devi. 

He now gave away for ever at the lotus feet of the Devi his all—the results of his Sadhanas, his rosary etc.— along with his self, and saluted her uttering the Mantras:

“O Thou, auspiciousness of all auspicious things, O doer of all actions, O refuge, O three-eyed One, O Thou fair-complexioned spouse of Siva, O Narayani, I bow down to Thee, I bow down to Thee.”

The worship was at an end. The Master’s Sadhana reached its culmination with the worship of the Ruler of the universe, the divine Mother in the body of a woman, the embodiment of spiritual knowledge itself; the god-man attained perfection in all respects.

By invoking the Universal Mother, and offering all the results of his life-long Sadhana, Sri Ramakrishna made Holy Mother the Universal Mother.

Since that time Sri Sarada Devi became the Trustee and distributor of Sri Ramakrishna’s powers for all his future children.

On this Sacred Day may Sri Ramakrishna and Holy Mother bless us all with Bhakti and Jnana.

Photo 1: Mother in the Dakhshineshwar Kali temple.

2: Jairambati

3: Baghbazaar

4: Nilambar Babu house

5: Belur Math.

Jai Maa