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Rani
Ma Vaishno Devi followed and worshiped Lord Vishnu and considered him
as HER ideal.
At about 2 kms from Katra, from where we start our Rani Ma Yatra today,
is situated an old village, Hansal, also called (Hansalli). Around 700
years ago, there lived a very poor priest named Pandit Shirdhar, who
was very heartily devoted to Rani Ma Vaishnodevi. He used to sing his
daily prayers and performed Rani Ma Puja daily. He also used to worship
little girls (called Kanya Pujan) regularly. And as faith was, he was
childless and had no children of his own.
His
daily Puja and Prayers for Rani Ma Vaishnodevi went on for many years.
At last seeing his firm-faith and the true devotion, Rani Ma one day
came to Panditji, in the form of a little innocent girl.
Pandit Shridhar had been busy in his daily preparation of Kanya Pujan,
where, some little girls were present before him. Rani Ma Vaishnodevi
manifested herself in those little-girls. As per the Hindu tradition,
while Pt. Shirdhar had been washing the feet of these little girls,
his sight fell on Rani Ma manifested Herself in the form of a little
girl. Panditji was astonished to see HER celestial beauty in vermilion
garbs; SHE wore on HER divine body. He had never seen the little girl
before, and SHE did not even seem to belong to his village. Anyway,
he worshipped as usual. When the Puja was over, all the girls returned
to their homes after getting their offerings from Panditji, except Rani
Ma who remained seated.
Panditji was very much confused and was about to enquire and ask Rani
Ma, that Rani Ma Herself spoke to him and said " I have an important
task for you." Panditji was spell bound and was astonished more
and more to listen to such a conversation from that little-girl. Rani
Ma asked Panditji to invite people from neighboring villages for a collective
lunch - called Bhandhara. Panditji was very much confused and before
he could say anything or ask Rani Ma about HER, Rani Ma disappeared.
[Read More: Bhumika Temple - About 2 kilometers from Katra on Panthal
Road, is situated Bhumika Temple. This is the place, where Pt. Shirdhar
had the sight of Rani Ma Vaishnodevi - The Divine Girl. At this very
place Pt. Shridhar arranged the Bhandhara.
Pt. Shirdhar went on thinking hard - who this little girl was?, but
was unable to find an answer to it… SHE might be an "Eternal-Girl",
or may be Rani Ma Vaishnodevi Herself and the more he thought the more
he got confused, and worried for the "Bhandhara", as it was
not possible for him to keep such a huge Bhandhara. He could not think
of anything, and in the end, he decided to obey the Divine Girl and
went to tell and invite the people in the neighboring villages.
He went on to invite people from one village to another. On his way, he came across a group of saints. He very humbly bowed before them, and with his folded hands, extended an invitation to them also to attend Bhandhara, the next day. Gorakhnath - the leader of the group of saints - told him that he was mistaking in inviting them at home, as even Lord Indra had not been able to satisfy them. Pt. Shridhar got afraid and related them the event and told them of the Divine-Girl. Gorakhnath in his anxiety accepted Panditji's invitation. He also wanted to see, such a girl, who could prepare food for so many peoples and was very curious to find Who this Girl was?
Panditji was fully exhausted when he returned home, and so he went fast asleep immediately on returning home. The next morning, once again, he started worrying about the arrangements for Bhandhara. He just sat in his home, thinking, when people began to gather outside his small hut. Gorakhnath and Bhairavnath, a disciple of Gorakhnath, also arrived along with their disciples.
Panditji was not able to understand what was going on, and to his surprise,
all of a sudden Rani Ma Vaishnodevi - The Divine Girl, entered into
the little hut. No one could know - which way SHE had come! How and
when did SHE arrive? Rani Ma told Panditji, "Don't worry, and get
up! Everything will be arranged very soon. Tell your guests to come
in and sit in the hut." Pt. Shirdhar, immediately got up, and came
out to the eagerly awaiting crowd. He invited them to come inside the
hut and have food. Gorakhanth then asked - How can we sit in your hut?
It does not have a sufficient space for all of us. Panditji folded his
hands and said. No problem - please come in .....
All people who were invited began to enter one by one in the hut. All
of them were astonished to see, that all of them had entered and sat
inside the hut and still a small space was left in the corner of the
same hut, which was very small !!
Rani Ma began to serve food from a small vessel in HER little hands.
The foods of their respective choice and likings! Everyone was surprised
and Rani Ma bhakt Pt. Shirdhar was overwhelmed with joy.
Gorakhnath and his senior disciple Bhairavnath were very much amazed
and began to consult between themselves - and said SHE seems to be an
Eternal Power. Who SHE was? and when Rani Ma reached Bhairavnath to
serve him the foods, he asked, "Shall I get the food of my choice?"
"What do you want?" Rani Ma asked him politely.
Bhairavnath asked for meat and wine. Rani Ma very gently told him that
he was sitting in the hut of a pious Vaishnav Brahmin, and that only
vegetarian food will be served.
Bhairavnath turned a deaf ears to the words, as he wanted to cross-examine
the Girl. Nevertheless, Rani Ma knew his evil desires and as soon as,
Bhairavnath could rose up with some seditious thinking and tried to
catch hold of Rani Ma hand, Rani Ma disappeared.
Bhairavnath was an expert at the science of meditation and was a tantrik.
He closed his eyes for a moment and saw with the help of his yogic-powers
(tantrik powers) that Rani Ma had proceeded towards the Trikuta Hills,
in a subtle form of "Air". Bhairavnath started chasing Rani
Ma. [Read More : Darshni Darwaza - Rani Ma Vaishnodevi proceeded
through this way, after disappearing from the Bhandhara. One can get
a clear view of the hills, from this place. Hence it is called Darshni
Darwaza, i.e., a gate to the hill-site one and a half kilometer from
Katra.]
During this chase, Rani Ma felt thirsty, and SHE perched an arrow with HER bow on the land and a stream of water flew out. This place is called Ban Ganga. [Read More : Ban Ganga - Starting form Katra and passing through Darshni Darwaza, Ban Ganga is a streamlet gushing out from the hills over a bridge. The stream is regarded very sacred and many bhakts take a purificatory bath in it before proceeding further. A beautiful idol of the goddess is place in the corridors of Ban Ganga temple.
Rani Ma stopped for some time and looked behind at Bhairavnath who was
chasing her. [Read More : Charan Paduka - The place where Rani Ma
rested have marks of the impressions of HER feet and were printed on
a stone as SHE stopped here. The foot prints are still visible on the
stone, preserved here in the temple. Hence, the place is called "Charan
Paduka" i.e., the holy foot prints.]
At a considerable distance from Charan paduka, Rani Ma reached a small
charming plateau, called Ardhkwari, where a mendicant was practicing
his meditations opposite a small tunnel. SHE gave HER divine sight to
the mendicant and told him not to tell any thing about HER visit to
any one. Thereafter, Rani Ma went into the tunnel and took rest for
full long nine months, as if the child in the womb of a mother. Rani
Ma spent the nine months in complete devotion. Hence, the tunnel was
called "Garabh Joon".
Searching
for Rani Ma, Bhairavnath reached here. He asked the mendicant "
Have you seen a girl on this plateau?" The old mendicant replied,
" SHE is the supreme power in the whole world, whom you think to
be an ordinary girl and that she is Adikumari", i.e. A virgin since
the very beginning of this earth. He told Bhairavnath either to run
away or to beg pardon from HER. The moment universe came into existence
since then SHE has maintained virginity better you go back. Bhairavnath
again put a deaf ear to the advice and entered into the tunnel. Rani
Ma Vaishnodevi was aware of it. Rani Ma with HER divine powers made
another opening of the cave by strucking a path at the end of the tunnel
with the help of HER trident and moved ahead towards the Holy cave at
Darbar (Bhavan). [Read More : Garabh Joon - The tunnel is about 15
feet long that starts horizontally and ends vertically. This place is
about 5 kms from Charan Paduka.]
On reaching at the Holy cave at Darbar Rani Ma with all HER powers looked
as Rani Ma MAHA KALI and in the end Rani Ma with HER Trishul cut the
head of Bhairavnath and threw it with such a force that it went at a
distant Mountain. The place at which the head fell is now Bhairav temple.
According to the katha the big rock at the entrance of the Holy cave
is the remaining body of Bhairavnath.
Bhairavnath then started pleading Rani Ma, and begged to Rani Ma to
forgive him, for his sins.
Merciful
Rani Ma Vaishnodevi forgave Bhairavnath for all his sins and blessed
him and granted him a wish that whenever HER bhakts will come to Bhavan
for HER Darshan their yatra will not be completed unless on going back
after HER Darshan the bhakts pay homage at Bhairavnath temple.
On the other side, Pt. Shirdhar was very much disappointed with the
sudden disappearance of Rani Ma. He was very much worried about Rani
Ma, and went on for fasting for many days, even leaving food and water.
Kind hearted Rani Ma Vaishnodevi, again appeared before him, in his
dream one night. In his dream, Rani Ma showed him HER shrine - the Holy
cave and asked him to follow HER through the route. Panditji followed
Rani Ma and reached Rani Ma Pavitra Gufa. Pt. Shirdhar was very happy
when he woke up in the morning. All his distortion was removed.
From that very day, Panditji began to search for the Holy cave of Rani
Ma, which he had seen in his dream. He was very much disturbed and wanted
to find Rani Ma Holy cave as soon as possible. He started recounting
and following the route as Rani Ma has directed him, and once while
climbing up the hills, Panditji was able discover the Holy cave, the
same which he saw in his dream.
Panditji
entered inside the Holy Cave .…. And to his astonishment, he got
the Holy sight of the abode of Rani Ma Vaishnodevi to the success of
his life. He saw, Rani Ma Vaishnodevi, represented by three goddesses,
viz. Rani Ma Maha Laxmi (the goddess of beauty and wealth), Rani Ma
Mahakali (the vanquisher of evil (right)), Rani Ma Maha Saraswati (the
muse of art and learning (left)). Pandit Shirdhar read hymns and verses
in praise of Rani Ma Vaishnodevi, with his hands folded before HER,
and offered "Aarti", and bowed and prayed by all means. Rani
Ma Vaishnodevi was very much pleased with him. SHE granted him a boon
of four sons, and said that his descendants will continue to worship
HER. Since that day, the descendants of Pt. Shirdhar have been worshipping
Rani Ma Vaishnodevi, inside the Holy cave (Pavitra Gufa).
Thereafter, Pt. Shirdhar made known to this world of the Holy Cave and
existence of Rani Ma Vaishnodevi in the Pavitra Gufa. This is how, we
all came to know of our beloved Rani Ma Vaishnodevi ..... and had been
blessed by HER all through these years .....
