4. Eligibility to attain and sustain the power

Being free from malice is the first eligibility to attain and sustain the power. We can learn this from Durga Saptshatee which is chanted to please the Goddess of Power. Chanting of the Argala strotram is a pre-requisite for chanting the main Saptashatee, and in Argala strotram prayer for elimination of malice has been repeated 22 times. Argala means - fetter or bolt of the door. Procedure of chanting Argala strotram is prescribed to open the door of the Power.

Most of worshipers who chant the verses of Durga Saptashatee, necessarily chant the Argala strotram. One of the prayers in this strotra stands for elimination of malice. The verse is: "रूपं देहि , जयं देहि , यशो देहि , द्विषो जहि .” This prayer has been repeated 21 times (verses 3 to 23).

The dominant idea and object in the shakti pooja is to attain power and victory। Commonly, it is interpreted that ‘द्विषो जहि ’ means elimination of enemies or those who are malicious to me / the worshiper. Further, this interpretation is natural for a human mind while worshiping and meditating for attaining the power. But, I think, this interpretation is wrong and dangerous to worshiper himself because, when he is thinking about elimination of some others, he himself is malicious. Neither there is any word in this verse nor is there any indication by context, showing that user of the ‘द्विषो जहि ’ weapon is excluded from it’s target area. Wordings are simple and clear but psychologically, there would be hardly any likelihood that the worshiper would think so in the zeal of attaining the power. To my mind ‘द्विषो जहि ’ in the context of persons, simply means - ‘ O devi ! eliminate malicious deeds’ and in the context of thought process, thought vibrations and social relations it means elimination of hostility. This point is more explicit in verse 13 of the same strotra where it is prayed that:

“विधेहि द्विषतां नाशं विधेहि बलमुच्चकै:, रूपं देहि , जयं देहि , यशो देहि , द्विषो जहि .”

Here, विधेहि द्विषतां नाशं is also commonly interpreted in same manner and it may sound like praying for elimination of those who are thinking maliciously against the worshiper. But, the user/worshiper also is not beyond the range of this weapon. It simply means that ‘O Devi, provide for elimination of those who are thinking and acting maliciously’. I would submit my conclusion in hindi language on both prayers thus- ‘ He Devi! dvesh ka nash karo, dveshyukt karm ka nash karo tatha dvesh karne wale ka nash karo’. Interpreting otherwise would be twisting the simple words that would not be free from risk in shakti upasna.

Thus first eligibility criteria for Devi upasna is that a person must be clean hearted and free from malice. It is not only prescribed but has been reminded and warned 22 times at the door (argala) itself.

Application of above prayer to Law and administration : I have tried to submit in above lines that, if the worshiper is not clean hearted and malice free, then he is asking for destruction of himself. Now, the main object of Devi pooja is to obtain power, strength and energy. When a person is granted power to do something, it is presupposed that he will use the power without malice. A malicious action is liable to be set aside. By द्विषो जहि we pray for nullification of malicious actions and hostility, and by विधेहि द्विषतां नाशं we pray for making provisions for destruction of those who would be thinking and acting maliciously. Thus, the power can not stand with malice. If an authority has acted maliciously, the action will be quashed or nullified and if he continuously does so, he is making arrangement for destruction of his power as well as himself . It is also significant that in the argala strotra the prayer ‘द्विषो जहि’ has occurred 21 times the prayer विधेहि द्विषतां नाशं has occurred once in verse 13 i.e. in the middle of verses 3 to 23. The frequency of prayers signifies that the former is indicative of many malicious actions of a person and the later is indicative of that person. The first eligibility criteria for having power is that a person must be clean hearted and free from malice. It is not only prescribed but has been reminded and warned 22 times at the door (argala) of the house of the power.

Let us be clean hearted and free from malice before attaining and exercising the power.