Spirituality

Divine Mother Anagha : Shakti of Lord Dattatreya

The sage couple Anusuya and Atri are considered as one of the main contributors of the Rigveda. They did hard penance to have a child, with the qualities of all three primary deities of Sanatana. Due to their hard penance, the holy trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh took a singular form of Lord Dattatreya.

Dattatreya is considered a father to various sects of Hinduism such as the Natha sect, Bhakti sect, Avadhuta sect, and he is also known as the first master of Yoga and Tantra. Considered as an Adi Guru (the first teacher), it is believed that his worship grants supreme knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom to his worshippers.

As Lord Shiva has his Shakti as Divine Mother Parvati, even Lord Dattatreya has Anagha Devi, considered the Shakti (power) of Lord Dattatreya. As Lord Dattatreya is regarded as the incarnation of Tridev (three gods), Divine Mother Anagha is also considered the combined avatar of Divine Mother Lakshmi, Parvati, and Sarasvati. Being the power of Lord Dattatreya, she resides within him.

The Story

When Lord Dattatreya was five years old, all the sages knew who he was and started worshiping him. Lord decided to test their knowledge. He entered into a pond and started meditating in the middle of it. Most of the sages left, but few stayed with him. After a hundred years, a gorgeous woman came out of the pond.

As she was drinking wine, some termed her Madhumati. As her celestial dance was like a river flow, few called her Nadee. Rest prayed to her as a Divine Mother. And when Lord Dattatreya got out of the pond, she appeared ascetic. She was named Anagaha.

Anagha means sinless. The sages who misunderstood her as sinful due to her dancing and drinking were annihilated. And the sages who prayed to her, considering her as the manifestation of the divine energy, received the blessing of ultimate knowledge.

What Divine Mother Anagha signifies:

Here, Lord Dattatreya made it very clear that the sin lies in the eyes of the observer. Sages, who considered the Divine Mother Anagha as just an intoxicated dancer, were punished for their perspective. Sages, who recognized that the divine is not bound by gender, name, age, or appearance, were gifted with the never-ending bliss.

Agha means the feeling of a doer. The one who thinks that he is in total control and is doer experiences the pleasures and pain. Anagha is the one who removes the feeling of Agha from the seeker, taking him one step closer to salvation.

How to perform Anaghashtami Puja?

Every eighth day after the full moon (Ashtami) of Hindu month, Margashirsha is considered the auspicious time to pray to Divine Mother Anagha. This puja is performed to invite peace and prosperity in the family. Few tips could come in handy while performing Anaghaashtami puja.

1.Puja must be performed in the morning.

2. Both husband and wife must follow a fast on the day of this ritual.

3. Rangoli should be drawn outside the entrance door, inviting the pious forces of the universe.

4. Vigrahas or pictures of Lord Ganesh, Lord Dattatreya, and the Divine Mother Lakshmi should be placed on a table.

5. Mangal Kalash, containing rice, water, betel nut, mango leaves, and Swastika is drawn over it, should be kept beside the idols.

6. Keep a Ghee (clarified butter) lamp on the right and put an oil lamp on the left side of the table to destroy evil energies and invite the pious points in our homes.

7. Keeping your eyes closed, get into the meditation while chanting the mantra of the Divine Mother Anagha.

“Shree Anaghalaxmi Sahit Shree Anaghadattaya Namaha”

Kartiviryaarjuna was one of the most favorite disciples of Lord Dattatreya. It is believed that Lord himself has taught the Anagha Puja to his favorite disciple Kartavirya Arjuna. Worshipping Dattatreya grants self-knowledge to a seeker. But, worshiping Divine Mother Anagha removes the obstacles in life, along with gaining self-knowledge.

By doing this worship ritual, one can be free from all the sins in this and sins from past lives 

and progress in spiritual and worldly life.  

We hope this blog helped you to get information on the Divine Mother Anagha. In case of any queries, please write to us at info@chamundaswamiji.com.