400th Prakash utsav of Mata Shri Roop Bhawani ji

ॐ अलख ।.
अलख साहिबा
माता श्री रूपभवानी सर्वदा  सदा  सहाय ।

Mata Shri Roop Bhawani ji is called ” Sharikaswaroopa “.    Her father was a staunch and ardent devotee of Sharika Bhagwati  , And after intense meditation at this  place , Sharika Bhagwati  appeared before him and had asked Pandit MadhevJoo Dhar  to ask for any Boon.  Pandit Madhav joo Dhar prostrated at the Lotus feet of the Mother of the Universe and asked HER  “please be born as my daughter.”  His wish was fulfilled and Mata Shri Roop Bhawani ji was born to Pandit Madhav Joo Dhar and his wife.  on  ज्येष्ठ पूर्णमासी  in 1621 AD ( ज़ेठ् पुनिम् ).

Alakhishvari’s childhood at Dedmar,  Nawa Kadal, at her father’s place, which we call  Janambhoomi Asthapan,….
Bhawani ji studied , Sanskrit, Sharda Script and Persian language ,the later unfortunately was the court language of Her times.

Mata Shri Roop Bhawani ji regularly used to  accompany her father to Hari Parbat , the Abode of Mata Shri Sharika Baghwati,  well before sunrise. Whole of Hari parbat is a very sacred spot where ( त्रिकोटि देवता ) reside. As per Kashmiri Pandit belief every pebble here is sacred ( इस सिद्धपीठ के हर कंकर में शङ्कर का वास है ). It is said that young kids accompanying their parents for early morning circumambulation ( प्रदक्षिणा )  to this Praduman Peeth ( प्रद्यूमन पीठ ) would be advised to walk with caution without kicking even a little pebble here.  Such is the sanctity of this Sidhipeeth for us since times immemorial. There are numerous spots dedicated to various deities  on the Parikrama rout of this most sacred hillock   in “shilla”,  form starting with Ganshibal dedicated to Lord Ganesha   ,Saptarshis near four Chinar trees, just near by is the temple dedicated to Goddess Mahakali,  then is the main Sanctum sanctorum of Mata Chakreshwari Shri Sharika  on the hillock of Hariparbat  at Devi Aangan which is the most   famous and highly charged places. It is is a “sidhi peeth, a  place highly charged with deep divine vibrations , where many  have attained spiritual glory..
Mata  used to accompany  Her father Pandit Madhev Joo Dhar to circumambulate the abode  of Shri Dharika Bhagwati daily .
It is said that mata shri Roop Bhawani ji used to meditate at  place called  “sidhi peeth”  under a chinar tree  called “sahibe booni”, we  can’t say was this chinar called ” sahibe booun ” because Mata shri Roop Bhawani ji used to meditate there. As word ‘Sahibe’ is synonyms with the name of Mata shri Roop Bhawani ji ,Or was it named so ,as many saints also used the same place  for  meditation.  It is said that  swami Sahaib Koul had also  meditated  at this place so did many many other saints  like  Reshpeer , Bhagwan Gopi nath ji  and  Krishnjoo Kar ( who by his Grace – अनुग्रह  is said to have transformed a simple deformed boy of Alikadal, Peer Pandit Padshah into an uncrowned King among the Mystics of Kashmir, of whom  even Mughal Emperor was in awe ) also  meditated at this place and touched the pinnacles of Spiritual Glory.  Vedānta says….
उमासहायं   परमेश्वरं  प्रभुं  त्रिलोचनं  नीलकण्ठं  प्रशान्तम् ।
ध्यात्वा मुनिर्गच्छति भूतयोनिं समस्तसाक्षिं  तमस: परस्तात् ॥
“ By meditating upon Lord Parameshwara consorted by Divine Mother Uma, the Highest Lord, the All Powerful, the Three Eyed, the Blue Necked and the Ever Tranquil, – a True person reaches Him, Who is the source of all the Manifested Universe, the Witness of all and Who is beyond all darkness.”
.. it is therefore, very obvious that many Kashmiri Pandit Saadaks obtained Sidhi here and  got liberated. It is here that a cry issued forth from the bosom of a great Kashmiri Pandit Mystic Pt. Krishnjoo Kaar in the form of a highly melodious and devotional Persian poem ( Leela ).  I reproduce a few couplets here under with their English Translation…..
चक्रेश्वरत हाजत रवां साज़ो गदा रा पादशाह
वाह वाह च लक्ष्मी थाप्ना श्री शारिकादेवी नम: ।
गुल अज़ सरे मे कुनम ब्रंज अज़ दिलोजाँ अर्पनम्
पूज़ा   तुई   ख्वाहांकुन्म    श्री  शारिका  देवी  नम:।
श्री ईष्टदीवी शारिका दासो तु अहकर कृष्ण कार
गोयद  तोता  जोयद  अता   श्री शारिका  देवी नम:॥
“ Chakreshwari Tirath is the fullfiller of all wishes of the devotees. It has the capacity to make a king out of even a beggar. What a Great Seat Maha Laxmi Amba. I offer my Salutation to Thee, Mother Sharika.”
“ Instead of flowers I wish to offer my head to you, instead of grains of rice (अर्ग ) I am desirous of offering you my heart and soul and that would be a befitting worship to you.  I offer my Salutations to Thee, Mother Sharika.”

Mata Shri Roop Bhawani ji used to regularly visit Hari Prabhat for “sadhna” even  after Her  marriage,   and  regularly meditated at her chosen spot.
At the age of 8 she was married in the saproo family who resided in Dedmar area

Legends say that her mother  in law  was not a kind hearted lady ,she used to taunt his son,  and as a consequence  he started doubting  his wife, Mata Shri Roop Bhawani. He therefore,  decided to follow her  and one day he saw  her walking towards  Hari parbat and after walking for few minutes he saw Mata Mata Shri Roop Bhawani ji  stoping and a lion came and  fell/ prostrated at her feet.
Her husband saw a large congregation of people who where waiting  for Mata Shri Roop Bhawani ,they prepared a prasad of kheer which was offered to a daity  ,  and same was distributed among the devotees present, Mata looked back and saw her husband, she requested him to join her( Mata knew that Her husband was following Her ).She said ” come with me , will help you cross this Bhavsaagar ” ( यथ बवसरस दिमय तार ) ). Seeing this he was so frightened  that he yelled at her. . “ You are a witch you are a witch (daen hai chekh ,-  तुम डाईन हो ).

Mata requested him not to make any noise  and repeated “ Come join me, I will make you cross the Bhavsaagar   (यि बेव्सजर्स दिमय tar ). He kept on repeating you are a witch ( daen) and ran towards his home. Reaching home he   told  his mother, “ she is witch… she is witch”…
( Ye che dayen  ye che den ..) ….
And it is said that after this incident Mata  left her in-laws house, never to return back again..  this was the end of her married life.
After  renouncing her in-laws house ,Mata  Shri Roop Bhawani ji  went to Chasme-Sahibe, near Godavari hills to start her  first cycle of twelve and a half years  sadhna and   afterwards to  Watshun, Manigam ,Laar, Vaskura and then back to Srinagar
Respected Devotees of Alkashwari Mata Shri Roop Bhawani  , The 400th  Prakash Parv , Prakatya Divas  ( प्राकट्य दिवस ) Sharika swaroop Mata Alakhishvari Roop bhavani falls on jyeshth purnima in the month of June 2021
May She shower Her Grace on all the devotees.

अनन्त संसार  समुद्रतार  नौकायिताभ्यां गुरुभक्तिदाभ्याम्।
वैराग्य साम्राज्यदपूजनाभ्यां नमो नम: श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् ॥

“ Salutations to the Holy sandals ( पादुका )
of  our
Shri Guru ( Mata Roop Bhawani ) which symbolise the boat that take us across the limitless ocean of Samsara.
This foot wear of the Guru invokes devotion in us for the teacher and their ( पादुका ) worship gives the devotees the kingdom ( साम्राज्य )
called dispassion ( वैराग्य )”

आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतोऽदब्धासो अपरितासउद्भिदः।
ऋग्वेद !

कल्याण कारक, न दबने वाले, पराभूत न होने वाले, उच्चता को पहुँचाने वाले शुभ कर्म व विचार चारों दिशाओं  से हमारे पास आयें।और हममें प्रवेश करें।

ओम् ग्वर अन्तर् तथ् निर्मलम्  शुद्धं अत्यन्त विद्याधरम् ।
लल्ल नाम लल् परमा ग्वरम् शिव माधव नाहं परं ब्रह्म सोहम् ॥
(रुपभवानी रहस्योपदेश से)
This day in 1621AD  in the month of Jeshth, on full moon ( पूर्णमासी  ), Mata Shri Roop Bhawani took the human form. Her father  Pandit Maadhav Joo Dhar lived in Mohalla Dedmar in Srinagar, Kashmir. Her father was an ardent devotee of Sharika Bhagwati and it is believed that Jagadamba Sharika was born as MaadavJoo’s daughter.
She is thus Known to be Sharika Swaroopa.

From 1350AD onwords, with the onset of Islamic Rule,  the  Sanantan Dharma, as a way of life in Kashmir was decimated  and destroyed  by the Abrahamic cult. People of the valley, mostly Brahmins, where forcibly, deceivingly and ruthlessly converted to Islam.  Institutions of Sanatan Dharama were decimated, temples desecrated, hundreds of Libraries housing millions of books and manuscripts were burnt down.  soon, within a hundred years of Islamic Rule, the land of Rishis and scholars of Shaiva Darshana was converted into Satanic Land.
In such chaotic and tumultuous times, Mata Roopbhavani,   a Yogbrasht, a  Punya Atama in her previous birth, had to take the human form, to complete her Sadhna chakra  and become a Jeewan Mukhta.  Her main  objective was to  free the valley from the tyranny of Islamic fanatics and thus Mata  tried hard to irradiate  the valley from the nemesis of islam.  She preached love and compassion for seeking the Divinity within us by diving within.

लुत्र वित्र न आसा न गुत्री न बाशी
न  कुली  न  कृत्यं   महानन्दरूपम्  ।
शयुम्  थान  वासी आदि सर्वमध्यं
जिता  संन्यासी  ब्यन्  बिन्दु  नादी ॥
अन्तर्मुखी दृष्टी निर्वान रहस्य तती परमगती॥

न    जया    न  जन्मी  दग्दकर्मकाण्डी
यथा    शान्तबस्मी   अरूपा  स्वरूपम् ।
सूह    सर्व्रत्र   सुखी   अदेहो    समाधि
अमोहसावदानं तथ् निष्कल निराकार ॥
अन्तर्मुखी दृष्टी निर्वान रहस्य तती परमगती ॥
( माता के निर्वाणदशश्लोकी से )

Mata bid good bye to this world, along with her mortal frame, in 1721 at ripe old age of 100 years, on  7th day  in the  month of Magh.

Let us celebrate her Prakash Divas , Prakatya Divas  ( प्राकट्य दिवस )by remembering her and her Sadhna  Chakra that she did for the betterment of masses for 50 years of her life at 4 different places across Kashmir valley. Each Sadhna Chakra lasted for 12.5 years at one place beginning with her penance at Chesham e Sahib
Mata spoke extempore thousands of
wakhs/ Shrukhs .(.sacred sayings ) which were noted down by her devotees.  Only few hundred of them have been preserved and are available in written form on Birch bark ( bhojpatra leaves ) in manuscript form in Sharda Script.
These wakhs are In a language that is a mixture of Sanskrit, Persian, kashmiri, hindi and even punjabi and were written in sharda Script.
These sacred Vaaks/ Shruks  are  Rishi updesh, but very difficult  to understand their subtle message.  The languages used contains archaic Kashmiri which is not in common use now. Understanding the subtle and esoteric meaning of each wakhs is beyond my capability and comprehension.
Though some people have tried to give the simple meaning of these Vaaks, but only a Sidha Yogi can do justice to this and write a detailed commentary on the very very terse Updesh of Sharika Swaroopa Mata Alakhishvari

सहज़ त आनन्द रह हा दारिथ्
पानय   पान   संदारिथ्  क्यथ ।
कृपाय्  च्याञे  गछ़  हा  तरिथ
ईश्वर  रूप  स्वरिथ्  तह क्यथ् ॥
(  माता के रहस्योपदेश से )

Kanwal Dhar

With In put Credits:…
#Pandit #A.#K.#Razdhan