Hare Krishna to all! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I would like to get clarifications about the history of worshipping Goddess Ambika or Parvati. According to Srimad Bhagavatam Rukmini Devi visited the temple of Ambika and Lord Krishna Kidnapped Rukmini Devi. It indicates that worshipping Ambika might be there even before the birth of Lord Krishna.
SB 10.53.39: Bound by their swelling love, the city's residents spoke in this way. Then the bride, protected by guards, left the inner palace to visit the temple of Ambika.
SB 10.53.40-41: Rukmini silently went out on foot to see the lotus feet of the deity Bhavani. Accompanied by her mothers and girlfriends and protected by the King's valiant soldiers, who held their upraised weapons at the ready, she simply absorbed her mind in the lotus feet of Krishna. And all the while mṛdańgas, conchshells, paṇavas, horns and other instruments resounded.
We read in the same Bhagavatam that Lord Krishna blessed Yogamaya or Mayadevi before his birth (past time in Vraja):
SB 10.2.11-12: Lord Krsna blessed Mayadevi by saying: In different places on the surface of the earth, people will give you different names, such as Durga, Bhadrakali, Vijaya, Vaisnavi, Kumuda, Candika, Krsna, Madhavi, Kanyaka, Maya, Narayani, Isani, Sarada and Ambika.
My questions: When did Ambika worship start? Was it before or after the blessing of Lord Krishna as stated in SB 10.2.11-12?
I will wholeheartedly appreciate your valuable time and generous response.
Hare Krishna!
Your insignificant servant,
Amal
Replies
Hare Krishna Prabhu! Thank you for your response and valuable time. Lord Krishna declares in Bhagavad Gita:
BG 7.16: O best among the Bhāratas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me — the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.
While Krishna likes people who are in search for knowledge, I don't know why an exalted devotee like you are angry for asking a question. From my limited knowledge I understand that searching for truth can only be done through asking questions and getting answers from senior exalted devotees. ISKCON is very open to answer questions from all sorts of people. That's why we see ISKCON temples and devotees almost in every county of the world.
However, if I hurt you directly or indirectly for asking the question, please forgive me.
hare krishna!
yes we must ask,what?
we must ask if its useful for our devotional service.otherwise the answer is -samshayatma vinashyati-asking unnecessary questions and going after these knowledge is good for nothing to us, is mere a waste of our time,and is not encouraged in any scriptures.thats what i meant,infact we cant expect to have complete knowledge on these matters,then whats its use,please think!
i am telling this from my own experience ,with such a mentality i spent much time after many such knowledge what infact proved useless for me.you know that the time factor is unimaginable and repetes often,then its impossible to find the end of this circle and arrange the events in puranas in chronology.there i can quote so many texts,some may appear contradictory too,but thats in our mundane knowledge.spiritually krishna lilas are eternal.no need of forgivenes as you may be more exalted a devotee than me.
Hare KRsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO>
While I do not have answer to your specific question of beginning of prayers to Parvati, I just wanted to point out that even SIta devi prayed to Gauri at the pushpa vatika where She saw Lord Ram for the first time and went bac and prayed again to get only Him as husband. That was beginning of Treta Yuga. Krsna leela was enacted on earth at the end of Dwapar yuga 2 chaturyugas later.
So Ambika was prayed even 2 chaturyuga before Rukmini prayed to her.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Rashmi
Hare Krishna Rashmi Mstaji! I sincerely appreciate your kind help to provide me the insight about goddess Ambika's worship. I think the time of maharajah Bharat was even before the past time of Lord Ram Chandra.
So nice of you to let me know that Mata Sita Devi also worshipped to goddess Ambika ; wonderful valuable information.
Rashmi mataji, please accept my humble gratefulness for your continual support to find answers of my inquiries .
Your insignificant servant,
Amal
SB 10.2.11-12: Lord Krsna blessed Mayadevi by saying: In different places on the surface of the earth, people will give you different names, such as Durga, Bhadrakali, Vijaya, Vaisnavi, Kumuda, Candika, Krsna, Madhavi, Kanyaka, Maya, Narayani, Isani, Sarada and Ambika.
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krishna gave her blessings to be adored with different names on different parts of the world, spreading her glory all over the planet ,which she didnt had that before.
its incorrect to think that krishna gave her blessings on something she aready has.
he gave her blessings for something she didnt had before,
and that is worship with different names all over the world.
by the way ,this names are just the main ones,
in the western part of the world she has many different names .
Hare Krishna Dean Prabhu! I am grateful to you for your valuable response, time and guidance. I am very blessed to get answers of my inquires from you. I don't have appropriate words to express my gratitude for your continual help.
Prabhu, at the end of your response you have mentioned, " in the western part of the world she has many different names". I want to know did you mention outside India? And what are those names?
Your insignificant servant,
Amal
Frequently used titles for Mary in the English-speaking world include
--people dont know that actually they adore mother ambika, the best of goddesess .
--all glories to her who are great vaishnavi , servant of the lord.
Hare Krishna Dean Prabhu! Thank you very much for providing different names of goddess Ambika. I humbly pay my gratefulness for your kind support .