BDS Newsletter March 2026

Text Text MALUR SRI BALAMBIKA TEMPLE Address: Maruthi Extension 2nd stage, Kasaba Hobli, Malur Taluk, Kolar District, Karnataka - India Website : http://malurbalambikatemple.com Email : contactus@malurbalambikatemple.org Instagram: balambikadivyasangam Text Issue 11 | Volume 15 |  March 2026  Balavin Kural Text Kshetra Varalaru series: "Sri Kamakhya temple - Shakti peetam at Assam", by Smt. Indumathi OM Gurubyo Namaha. Sri Balambika Charanam. The Kamakhya Temple in Assam is a revered Shakti Peetha, considered the sacred spot where the Goddess's Yoni (vulva) and Garbhapai (womb) descended. It is a unique site where rituals strictly follow Tantric traditions, including both Vamachara and Dakshinachara methods. A central belief is that the Brahmaputra River flows beneath the Yoni shrine, with water continuously seeping into the temple space. While Navaratri and Durga Puja are celebrated, the most significant event is the Ambubachi Mela, which symbolizes the Goddess's annual menstruation cycle, just as every woman experiences. The dates for the Ambubachi Mela are calculated based on astrological almanacs (Panchangam). During this period, the temple is closed for three days, and no one, except a few priests, is permitted inside. It is said that primarily sannyasis (ascetics) and sadhus gather outside the premises, enduring the elements and engaging in yogic practices to receive divine vibrations. The temple doors are reopened on the fourth day, drawing massive crowds of hundreds of thousands of devotees who regard the shrine as the generative center of Mother Earth. It is also believed that those seeking the boon of progeny who offer prayers here will have their wishes granted.The Prasadam (sacred offering) distributed to the multitude of devotees is explicitly described as the Goddess's menstrual essence. This takes two forms: a piece of red cloth called Rakta Vastram (Blood Garment) and a reddish-hued liquid known as Ambuvachi. Furthermore, for those three days of closure, many devotees observe a strict fast. Upon the reopening of the temple on the fourth day of the festival, two distinct types of free meals are distributed: vegetarian fare like khichdi and kheer, and non-vegetarian meals prepared from ritual sacrifices (bali) of fish and goats. A phenomenon associated with the Mela is the belief that the waters of the Brahmaputra River itself run red for about two or three days, starting around the 26th, said to be the menstrual flow of the Goddess, before reverting to its natural color.   Image courtesy kamakhya.org What's inside: Cultural Connect: "Advayataraka Upanishad" The Advayataraka Upanishad is a minor Sanskrit Yoga Upanishad of Hinduism, associated with the Shukla Yajurveda, which focuses primarily on the role of the Guru and the practice of Taraka Yoga. Advaya: Means "non-dual" or "identity" (oneness of Brahman). Taraka: Means "deliverer" or "that which helps one cross over" worldly existence (Samsara). Key Teachings and Concepts: Taraka Yoga: A meditative practice focusing on the "inner light" to realize the non-dual Brahman. Three Targets (Lakshyas): Outlines three types of internal/external introspection for spiritual clarity. The Guru: Defined as an expert in the Vedas, a devotee of Vishnu, who dispels ignorance. Shambhavi Mudra: Describes this state where eyes are fixed externally while the mind remains focused internally. Kundalini Tantra: Discusses awakening Kundalini energy to reach Turiya (pure consciousness). Structure and Historical Context: Verses: A concise text with 19 verses (combining prose and poetry). Classification: Listed as number 53 in the Muktika anthology of 108 Upanishads. Dating: Estimated to have been composed between 100 BCE and 300 CE.The Advayataraka Upanishad stresses on the meaning of the word Guru: the syllable 'gu' means darkness, the syllable 'ru', one who dispels them. Because of the power to dispel darkness, the Guru is thus named.    Bhūta Shuddhi in the Lakshmi Tantra is a Tantric purification process of the five elements (Panchabhutas) within the body before performing worship of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu. It is considered an inner ritual (antar-yaga) that prepares the practitioner’s body and mind to become a pure temple for the Divine. Bhuta Shuddhi is the name given to the mental process of identifying with the Goddess (the principles) starting from the earth element and ending in Prakruti. This is done from sounds representing Ka and ending in bha. Bhūta means Elements. (Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether). And Śuddhi is nothing but Purification. So Bhūta shuddhi means purifying and transforming the five elements within that make up the body and mind. The practice involves purifying the Panchabhuta Earth (Prithvi) which gives us the stability, body structure, Water (Apas) makes our emotions and flow, Fire (Agni) helps in digestion and transformation, Air (Vayu) we have controlled breath and movement. Ether (Akasha) makes us realise space and consciousness. These elements gradually dissolved into subtler elements and finally into pure consciousness.The process is described in Lakshmi Tantra where the transformation occurs through a process. From Earth to Water, Water to Fire, from Fire to Air, from Air to Ether and from Ether to Pure consciousness. With this process, the practitioner then recreates a divine body made of mantra and light. After this the deity (Lakshmi–Narayana) is installed in the purified heart. This process makes the practitioner a living shrine of the Divine.The spiritual purpose of Bhuta Shuddhi aims to remove mental impurities and karmic residue, transform the physical body into a sacred body. This aligns the individual with cosmic consciousness, and also allows and prepares the mind for mantra japa and deity worship. On a much deeper level, it means releasing heavy thoughts, calming emotional turbulence (water), balancing the inner fire (anger, ambition), regulating the breath and nervous system (air), and expanding awareness (ether). When these elements within us are purified, the mind becomes calm, luminous, and receptive to Lakshmi’s grace. The essence of Bhuta Shuddhi in the Lakshmi Tantra is the alchemy of transforming the human body into a divine vessel by purifying the five elements within with appropriate Nyasa, mantras, and mudras. From Lakshmi Tantra. Balambika charanam  Image courtesy https://www.samyama.org/pancha-bhuta-shudhhi-kriya/ Devotee Speaks: "Bhuta Shuddhi", by Smt. Roopa V Rajan Below is the integration of Agasthiar’s Pancha Bhūta with Bālā Tripurā Sundarī, how the five elements dissolve into the ever young Goddess within.  Agasthiar says: “Aindhum avalē; avalē aindhum”. The five are She; She alone is the five. Bālā is not above the five elements, but Bala is the secret harmony of all five elements. We see all the five elements with Bala.  PṚTHVĪ (Earth) BĀLĀ AS STABILITY OF INNOCENCE. Siddhar insights are Earth is weight, memory, karma. When an unrefined earth element brings heaviness, depression, and inertia. Bālā’ in Action. Bālā lightens Earth. She removes karmic heaviness, brings childlike trust, softens rigid self-identity.  Hence it brings out our Inner recognition: “I am held by the Mother.” Result: Safety without fear  JALA (Water) BĀLĀ AS SWEET FLOW.  Siddha Insight: Water is emotion, attachment, and longing.  Bālā’s Action: She purifies emotion without suppression. Turns grief into tenderness. Desire into devotion. Loneliness into intimacy. Inner recognition: “What I feel is allowed by Goddess”. Result: Emotional healing. AGNI (Fire) BĀLĀ AS GENTLE TRANSFORMATION. Siddha Insight: Fire wrongly used creates anger, and burning thoughts. Bālā’s Action: She cools the fire without extinguishing it. Our Ego in fire becomes inner light. Effort becomes effortless clarity. Inner recognition: “I don’t need to fight to know.” Result: Peaceful intelligence.  VĀYU (Air) BĀLĀ AS RHYTHM OF PRĀṆA. Siddha Insight: Air governs thought speed and anxiety. Bālā’s Action. She slows the breath naturally. Thoughts lose urgency. The mind becomes playful, not restless. Inner recognition:“Life breathes me.” Result: Mental lightness  ĀKĀŚA (Ether) BĀLĀ AS EVER-PRESENT AWARENESS Siddha Insight: Ether is space, silence, consciousness. Bālā’s Action: She reveals awareness as sweetness, not void. Silence becomes loving, Emptiness becomes fullness. Inner recognition: “I am not empty—I am being held.” Result: Non-dual bliss.  AGASTHIAR’S SECRET: BĀLĀ AS THE SIXTH ELEMENT Agasthiar reveals: The five elements dissolve into a sixth state, called Sukshma Chaitanya that is BĀLĀ. Bala is Consciousness before division, joy before desire, Knowledge before thought. BĀLĀ MANTRA AS PANCHA BHŪTA KEY ॐ ऐं क्लीं सौः Agasthiar’s inner mapping: AIM comprise Ether + Air (Awareness & movement),  KLĪM comprise Fire + Water (Transformation & devotion) SAUḤ comprise Earth dissolving into bliss. FINAL REALISATION (Agasthiar’s Essence): “When the elements rest in love, the Goddess appears as youth. When effort ends, Bālā remains.”  Bālā is not attained. She is remembered.  Balambika Charanam  Know your Mythology: "The Midnight Sentinel: The Mother Who Walks the Boundaries", by Thulasinathan Kandasamy  In the sacred traditions of the South, the Divine Mother is not merely a silent statue in a sanctum. To the villagers, she is the Kaval Deivam—the eternal night-guardian who patrols the boundaries while her children sleep. There is a time, long after the temple bells have fallen silent and the last oil lamp flickers in the wind, when the village enters a different realm. It is said that in the stillness between midnight and dawn, a soft rustle of silk and the rhythmic "clink" of heavy anklets can be heard echoing through the muddy lanes. While the world sleeps, Maa Mariamman rises. She carries a trident and a pot of turmeric water. In her fierce form, she is the Plague Mariamman, the one who once stood between the city of Coimbatore and the "Black Death" of 1903. She is the one who walks the perimeter of the village, her eyes glowing with the intensity of a thousand lamps, scanning the shadows for anything that threatens the peace of her house. The elders tell of a time during a great famine when the air was thick with the "heat" of disease and the shadows of negative energies. A lone traveler, lost in the storm, sought refuge near the village border. As he crouched under a neem tree, he saw a tall, majestic figure in a blood-red saree walking toward the village. Anything near her was glowing along with her. Her hair flowed like the dark monsoon clouds, and in her hand, the iron trident hummed with a divine vibration. As she walked, she paused at every crossroad, striking her trident into the earth. With every strike, the "heavy" air seemed to clear. The "spirits of fever" and the shadows of negativity shrank back, unable to cross her divine energy. She was the Filter of the Universe, consuming the darkness so that only the light of the morning could reach the doorsteps of her devotees. This is why, even today, we find her shrines at the Kottai (Fort) entrance or the village boundary. When we smear her idol with turmeric or offer her cooling milk, we are not just performing a ritual. We are acknowledging that she has spent the night absorbing the "heat" of our struggles. Historically, during the great plagues of Tamil Nadu, the Mother was the only Vaidyar (Doctor) the people had. She taught us the power of Neem and Turmeric—nature’s weapons against invisible enemies. But more importantly, she gave us the assurance that we are never truly alone in the dark. Whether it is a physical disease like the plague of old, or the modern "famines" of anxiety and fear, the Mother Goddess stands as the ultimate shield. She is the one who destroys the internal demons of ego, and she is the Mariamman who cools the burning fevers of life. When you look at the temple threshold tomorrow morning, look closely at the dust. You may not see the footprints, but the peace you feel in the morning air is the proof that She has finished her rounds. She who walks the night, ensures our light.  Image courtesy: https://storytrails.in/culture/ mariamman-the-village-goddess-who-travelled/ Devotee Speaks: "Bhuta Shudhi", by Smt. Roopa V Rajan Bhūta Shuddhi in the Lakshmi Tantra is a Tantric purification process of the five elements (Panchabhutas) within the body before performing worship of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu. It is considered an inner ritual (antar-yaga) that prepares the practitioner’s body and mind to become a pure temple for the Divine. Bhuta Shuddhi is the name given to the mental process of identifying with the Goddess (the principles) starting from the earth element and ending in Prakruti. This is done from sounds representing Ka and ending in bha. Bhūta means Elements. (Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether). And Śuddhi is nothing but Purification. So Bhūta shuddhi means purifying and transforming the five elements within that make up the body and mind. The practice involves purifying the Panchabhuta Earth (Prithvi) which gives us the stability, body structure, Water (Apas) makes our emotions and flow, Fire (Agni) helps in digestion and transformation, Air (Vayu) we have controlled breath and movement. Ether (Akasha) makes us realise space and consciousness. These elements gradually dissolved into subtler elements and finally into pure consciousness. The process is described in Lakshmi Tantra where the transformation occurs through a process. From Earth to Water, Water to Fire, from Fire to Air, from Air to Ether and from Ether to Pure consciousness. With this process, the practitioner then recreates a divine body made of mantra and light. After this the deity (Lakshmi–Narayana) is installed in the purified heart. This process makes the practitioner a living shrine of the Divine.The spiritual purpose of Bhuta Shuddhi aims to remove mental impurities and karmic residue, transform the physical body into a sacred body. This aligns the individual with cosmic consciousness, and also allows and prepares the mind for mantra japa and deity worship. On a much deeper level, it means releasing heavy thoughts, calming emotional turbulence (water), balancing the inner fire (anger, ambition), regulating the breath and nervous system (air), and expanding awareness (ether). When these elements within us are purified, the mind becomes calm, luminous, and receptive to Lakshmi’s grace. The essence of Bhuta Shuddhi in the Lakshmi Tantra is the alchemy of transforming the human body into a divine vessel by purifying the five elements within with appropriate Nyasa, mantras, and mudras. From Lakshmi Tantra. Balambika charanam   Image courtesy: https://www.samyama.org/pancha-bhuta-shudhhi-kriya/ Know your Mythology: "The Midnight Sentinel: The Mother Who Walks the Boundaries", by Thulasinathan Kandasamy  In the sacred traditions of the South, the Divine Mother is not merely a silent statue in a sanctum. To the villagers, she is the Kaval Deivam—the eternal night-guardian who patrols the boundaries while her children sleep. There is a time, long after the temple bells have fallen silent and the last oil lamp flickers in the wind, when the village enters a different realm. It is said that in the stillness between midnight and dawn, a soft rustle of silk and the rhythmic "clink" of heavy anklets can be heard echoing through the muddy lanes. While the world sleeps, Maa Mariamman rises. She carries a trident and a pot of turmeric water. In her fierce form, she is the Plague Mariamman, the one who once stood between the city of Coimbatore and the "Black Death" of 1903. She is the one who walks the perimeter of the village, her eyes glowing with the intensity of a thousand lamps, scanning the shadows for anything that threatens the peace of her house. The elders tell of a time during a great famine when the air was thick with the "heat" of disease and the shadows of negative energies. A lone traveler, lost in the storm, sought refuge near the village border. As he crouched under a neem tree, he saw a tall, majestic figure in a blood-red saree walking toward the village. Anything near her was glowing along with her. Her hair flowed like the dark monsoon clouds, and in her hand, the iron trident hummed with a divine vibration. As she walked, she paused at every crossroad, striking her trident into the earth. With every strike, the "heavy" air seemed to clear. The "spirits of fever" and the shadows of negativity shrank back, unable to cross her divine energy. She was the Filter of the Universe, consuming the darkness so that only the light of the morning could reach the doorsteps of her devotees. This is why, even today, we find her shrines at the Kottai (Fort) entrance or the village boundary. When we smear her idol with turmeric or offer her cooling milk, we are not just performing a ritual. We are acknowledging that she has spent the night absorbing the "heat" of our struggles. Historically, during the great plagues of Tamil Nadu, the Mother was the only Vaidyar (Doctor) the people had. She taught us the power of Neem and Turmeric—nature’s weapons against invisible enemies. But more importantly, she gave us the assurance that we are never truly alone in the dark. Whether it is a physical disease like the plague of old, or the modern "famines" of anxiety and fear, the Mother Goddess stands as the ultimate shield. She is the one who destroys the internal demons of ego, and she is the Mariamman who cools the burning fevers of life. When you look at the temple threshold tomorrow morning, look closely at the dust. You may not see the footprints, but the peace you feel in the morning air is the proof that She has finished her rounds. She who walks the night, ensures our light.   Image courtesy: https://storytrails.in/culture/ mariamman-the-village-goddess-who-travelled/ Kshetra Varalaru series: "Kshetra Varalaru of Sri Kamakhya temple - Shakti peetam at Assam", by Smt. Indumathi OM Gurubyo Namaha. Sri Balambika Charanam. The Kamakhya Temple in Assam is a revered Shakti Peetha, considered the sacred spot where the Goddess's Yoni (vulva) and Garbhapai (womb) descended. It is a unique site where rituals strictly follow Tantric traditions, including both Vamachara and Dakshinachara methods. A central belief is that the Brahmaputra River flows beneath the Yoni shrine, with water continuously seeping into the temple space. While Navaratri and Durga Puja are celebrated, the most significant event is the Ambubachi Mela, which symbolizes the Goddess's annual menstruation cycle, just as every woman experiences. The dates for the Ambubachi Mela are calculated based on astrological almanacs (Panchangam). During this period, the temple is closed for three days, and no one, except a few priests, is permitted inside. It is said that primarily sannyasis (ascetics) and sadhus gather outside the premises, enduring the elements and engaging in yogic practices to receive divine vibrations. The temple doors are reopened on the fourth day, drawing massive crowds of hundreds of thousands of devotees who regard the shrine as the generative center of Mother Earth. It is also believed that those seeking the boon of progeny who offer prayers here will have their wishes granted.The Prasadam (sacred offering) distributed to the multitude of devotees is explicitly described as the Goddess's menstrual essence. This takes two forms: a piece of red cloth called Rakta Vastram (Blood Garment) and a reddish-hued liquid known as Ambuvachi. Furthermore, for those three days of closure, many devotees observe a strict fast. Upon the reopening of the temple on the fourth day of the festival, two distinct types of free meals are distributed: vegetarian fare like khichdi and kheer, and non-vegetarian meals prepared from ritual sacrifices (bali) of fish and goats. A phenomenon associated with the Mela is the belief that the waters of the Brahmaputra River itself run red for about two or three days, starting around the 26th, said to be the menstrual flow of the Goddess, before reverting to its natural color  Image courtesy kamakhya.org Cultural Connect: "Advayataraka Upanishad" The Advayataraka Upanishad is a minor Sanskrit Yoga Upanishad of Hinduism, associated with the Shukla Yajurveda, which focuses primarily on the role of the Guru and the practice of Taraka Yoga. Advaya: Means "non-dual" or "identity" (oneness of Brahman). Taraka: Means "deliverer" or "that which helps one cross over" worldly existence (Samsara). Key Teachings and Concepts: Taraka Yoga: A meditative practice focusing on the "inner light" to realize the non-dual Brahman. Three Targets (Lakshyas): Outlines three types of internal/external introspection for spiritual clarity. The Guru: Defined as an expert in the Vedas, a devotee of Vishnu, who dispels ignorance. Shambhavi Mudra: Describes this state where eyes are fixed externally while the mind remains focused internally. Kundalini Tantra: Discusses awakening Kundalini energy to reach Turiya (pure consciousness). Structure and Historical Context: Verses: A concise text with 19 verses (combining prose and poetry). Classification: Listed as number 53 in the Muktika anthology of 108 Upanishads. Dating: Estimated to have been composed between 100 BCE and 300 CE.The Advayataraka Upanishad stresses on the meaning of the word Guru: the syllable 'gu' means darkness, the syllable 'ru', one who dispels them. Because of the power to dispel darkness, the Guru is thus named.  