Exploring the Divine Mother - A Journey through the Sacred Sati Piths with Himansu Chattopadhyay’s Insightful book ’51 PITH’: A Bengali Book Review
We inhabit a world filled with adversities, pain and suffering. Each day, we confront the harsh realities of existence, steadfast and unwavering, piercing the heart of falsehood like a sword. Our minds are besieged by countless questions. Can this physical form our present vehicle of manifestation, transform progressively to express a higher life under the Divine Mother's grace? Shall there be continuity or a sudden emergence of something new, guided by her eternal wisdom? Will there be a gradual transition from our current state to what our inner spirit aspires to become, or shall there be a break, necessitating the discarding of this human form and awaiting the appearance of a new one, the process of which is foreseen only by the Divine Mother? It is through her boundless compassion and omnipotent power that we seek answers, for as per my personal belief she is the source of transformation and enlightenment.
The book ‘51 PITH’ written by Himansu Chattopadhyay, is one that I have cherished reading. This work explores the Shakti Piths of the Mother Goddess. According to the Puranas, a Shakti Pith (or Shakti Peetha) is a revered site in Hinduism dedicated to the Goddess Adi Shakti, symbolizing the divine cosmic energy. These sacred locations are believed to mark the parts of Goddess Sati's body or her ornaments fell to Earth after her self-immolation and the subsequent dismemberment of her body by Lord Vishnu's Sudarshana Chakra.
In Hindu mythology, Mother Sati, the daughter of King Daksha and the wife of Lord Shiva, faced her father's disapproval of her marriage. Daksha did not invite the couple to a grand yagna (sacrificial ritual) he organized. Despite Shiva's absence, Sati attended the yagna, where her father insulted her husband. Unable to bear the humiliation, she immolated herself in the sacrificial fire. Shiva, devastated and enraged, carried Sati's charred body and performed the Tandava, the dance of destruction. To prevent the universe from being destroyed, Lord Vishnu used his chakra to dismember Sati's body and the pieces fell at various places on Earth, creating the Sati Piths or as I call them Shakti Piths.
There are traditionally 51 Shakti Piths, though some texts mention more. Each Shakti Pith corresponds to a specific body part or ornament of Sati, with a temple or shrine dedicated to Shakti in her various forms at each site.
From my understanding of the author's writings, I assumed that the author does not believe in Karmic Activity. He reasons that since nothing from birth to death is in our control, we cannot act according to our wishes. He has realized that if one takes refuge and prays to the divine Mother, She never sends them away empty-handed. This aligns with the thoughts shared by many revered saints about the wishes of the Eternal Mother, whom many term as Mahamaya. As a devotee of the Eternal Goddess Mother, I feel fortunate to have read this book, which has taught me much about the Shakti Piths. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the author for his dedication, writing style and research, which allow ordinary people like me to learn about Adi-Shakti, the Eternal Mother.
The author describes in detail various Shakti Piths of the Mother Goddess in India and neighbouring countries and notes that not all Piths are Sati Piths. Many holy places dedicated to the divine mother have spread far and wide due to the enlightenment of various enlightened holy saints. However, Sati Piths are those where any part of the Goddess fell. According to the author, the Devi Bhagwat mentions 108 Piths, but not all are Sati Piths, as no part of the divine Goddess fell there. There are also places where opinions differ on whether parts of the Divine Goddess fell or not.
I learned from reading this book that the author never tried to perform traditional puja practices in his personal life but always felt drawn to visit the different Sati Piths around the world. I was pleased to learn that the author travelled to all 51 Sati Piths mentioned in his book. My immense respect goes to the author.
Reflecting on the author's writings, I recall the words of Rishi Aurobindo as many thoughts played in my mind as I write. The questions are many, but the answer is one: it is the Mother. From her, the flow of energy starts and in her it stops.
A Day may come when She must stand unhelped
On a dangerous brink of the World’s doom and hers
Carrying the World’s future on her lonely breast,
Carrying the Human hope in a heart left sole
To conquer or fail on a last desperate verge.
Alone with death and close to extinction’s edge,
Her single greatness in that last dire scene,
She must cross alone a perilous bridge in Time
And reach an apex of World –Destiny
Where all is won or all is lost for human.
(Sri Aurobindo)
Personally I believe that Spiritualism starts from the Mother, encircles her and fades into her. She is the root and the end. One day my mother said that almighty powers are shut in Nature and she replied:
"It’s all Mother Shakti (Divine Mother’s Universal Power)."
The Divine Mother embodies the cosmic energy that sustains and nurtures the universe. Her presence permeates all from the smallest atom to the vast expanse of the cosmos. She is the vital force that unites all beings, ever reminding us of her boundless compassion.
By her blessings, we achieve enlightenment. Her grace unlocks our hearts and minds and guides us towards higher consciousness and self-realization. She enables us to transcend the illusions of the material world, illuminating our path with her radiant light.
Rudyard Kipling once said:
‘If I were drowned in the deepest sea,
Mother o’mine, O mother o’mine!
I know whose tears would come down to me,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!’
I remember my mother telling me to break out of my little shell, where I was stuck, just bouncing around like moths around a light bulb. Our thoughts and awareness are like that small animal constantly bumping into things because everything feels strange. True knowledge comes from diving into things, expanding our minds, so that we can move freely.
That, in simple terms, is spiritualism, which I learned from my mother and it started there and will end there.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book ‘51 PITH’ by Himansu Chattopadhyay. If I were to rate this book on a scale of 1 to 10 stars, with 10 being the highest, I would obviously award it 9 stars.
Before ending I wanted to quote a few lines about ‘Mother’ from Swami Vivekananda/CW/Volume 7/Inspired Talks (Recorded by S.E. Waldo on July 2, 1895)
… Mother is the first manifestation of power and is considered a higher idea than father. With the name of Mother comes the idea of Shakti, Divine Energy and Omnipotence, just as the baby believes its mother to be all-powerful, able to do anything. The Divine Mother is the Kundalini (“coiled up” power) sleeping in us; without worshipping Her we can never know ourselves… Every manifestation of power in the universe is “Mother.” She is life, She is intelligence, She is Love… Established in the idea of Mother, we can do anything. She quickly answers prayer…
(Please note: These are my personal thoughts based on reading this book. Your views, facts and opinions after reading the book may differ. Feel free to comment if you believe any facts in this article should be reconsidered and re-examined. Thank you once again for pointing it out.)
That's all from me in this brief article. I hope you enjoyed my personal thoughts and opinions. Please share your views or comments on the book review and recommendation of "51 PITH" by Himansu Chattopadhyay.
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Mainak Majumdar, Book Critic
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