‘Vaishnavi’ resources the one who is related to lord
"Vishnu’’. Goddess Vaishnavi is the materialization of the collective
spiritual strengths of Mata Maha Kali, Mata Maha Lakshmi and Mata Maha
Saraswati. It is describe in Durga sapatshati that the goddess was born as a
young girl of extraordinary beauty and strong point, out of the collectively
pooled 'Tejas' of various 'Devtas' and three lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar.
The urgent purpose of the creation of the goddess was the total destruction of
Asura (devil) Mahishasura. However a further purpose of her creation was that
she might usher on earth an era of pious and ascetic life so that the peace
could prevail upon the world and she during her penance could rise to higher level
of spirituality and eventually combine with Vishnu.
The ‘Goddess having been produced by the Devtas and the
three lords appointed the person form in the residence of one Ratnakar as his
daughter whom the family named as Vaishnavi. The girl right from her childhood
displayed a hunger for information which was similar to a current and which no
amount of teaching and learning could sufficiently satiate. Subsequently,
Vaishnavi started looking into her inner self for knowledge and quickly learned
the art of consideration and realize that consideration and reparation only
could bring her close to her superior objective. Vaishnavi thus relinquished
all household comfort and went deep into the woodland for Tapasaya
(meditation).
Meanwhile, Lord Rama, during his fourteen years of expel
happened to visit Vaishnavi who predictable him immediately as no ordinary
being but the incarnation of Lord Vishnu and immediately asked him to merge her
into himself so that she could become one with the supreme creator. However
Lord Rama, knowing that it was not the appropriate time, dissuaded her by
saying that he will visit her again after the end of his exile and at that time
if she succeeded in recognizing him, he will fulfill her wish. True to his
words, Rama visited her again after being victorious in the battle, but this
time he did so in the guise of an old man. unluckily, Vaishnavi was unable to
recognize him this time and was distraught. Upon this, Lord Rama consoled her
that the appropriate time for her being one with the creator had not come and
he will eventually do so in ‘Kaliyug’ in his incarnation of ‘Kalki’. Rama also directed her to meditate and set up
an Ashram at the base of Trikuta hills to elevate her level of spirituality so
as to bless the mankind and rid the poor and destitute of their sufferings and
only then will ‘Vishnu’ merge her into himself.
Vaishnavi, after immense hardships reached the foot of the
Trikuta Hills and after setting up her ashram there she began to meditate. As
predicted by Lord Rama, her glory spread far and wide and people began to flock
to her Ashram to seek her blessings. As the time passed, a Tantrik named Gorakh
Nath who had a vision of the episode between Lord Rama and Vaishnavi in the
retrospective time structure, became enquiring to find out whether Vaishnavi
has been able to achieve a high level of spirituality or not. He, therefore,
sent his most able disciple ‘Bhairon Nath’ to find out the truth. Bhairon Nath
on locating the ashram started observing Vaishnavi secretly and realised that
though a ‘Sadhvi’ she always carried bow and arrows with her and was always
surrounded by langoors (apes) and a ferocious looking lion. Bhairon Nath was
enamored by Vaishnavi’s extraordinary beauty and losing all good sense he began
to pester Vaishnavi to marry him. Meanwhile a staunch devotee of Mata Sridhar
organised a Bhandara (Community meal) in which the whole village and Guru
Gorakh Nath along with all his followers including Bhairon were invited. During
the course of Bhandara Bhairon Nath attempted to grab Vaishnavi but she tried
her best to daunt him. On failing to do so, Vaishnavi decided to flee away into
the mountains to continue her ‘Tapasaya’ undisturbed. Bhairon Nath however chase
her to her purpose. The goddess after halting at Banganga, Charan Paduka, and
Adhkwari, finally reached the holy cave Shrine. When Bhairon Nath continued to go
after her despite the goddess trying to avoid a confrontation, the goddess was
compelled to kill him. Bhairon Nath met his ultimate fate when the goddess,
just external the mouth of the cave, beheaded him. The severed head of Bhairon
fell with a force at a distant hilltop. Bhairon Nath upon death realised the
futility of his mission and prayed to the deity to absolve him. The almighty
'Mata' had mercy on Bhairon and gave him a boon that every devotee of the
goddess shall have to have the Darshans of Bhairon after having the Darshans of
the goddess and only after that shall the yatra of a devotee be complete.
Meanwhile, Vaishnavi decided to shed off her human form and assuming the face
of a rock she immersed her self into meditation forever.
Thus Vaishnavi, in the form of a five and a part feet tall
rock with three heads or the ‘Pindies’ on the top is the final target of a
devotee. These Pindies constitute the Sanctum Sanctorum of the holy cave known
as the temple of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji, which is revered by one and all.
Locality
Mata's cave shrine is nestled in the mighty Trikuta mountain
61 kilometres north of Jammu at a height of 5,200 feet above the sea level in
the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Suitable time: The shrine is visited all through the year,
but the pathway is hard during the winters due to snowfall.
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