Mahāṣoḍaśī Mantra: First Line hṛīṁ
Channel: Consciousness Research Centre
Date: 02/09/2019

This series is classified as Vivartha-vāda | Rāja-yoga | Suśupti | Viśuddhi-cakra

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After śrīṁ श्रीं is hrīṁ ह्रीं, which is also known as māyā-bīja. This is the combination of the characters ha + ra + ī + nāda + bindu (ह + र + ई + nāda + bindu. Ha refers to the Divine Light of Śiva which also encompasses prāṇa and ākāśā, two important principles without which we cannot exist. 

The second component of hrīṁ is ra (र) which is also known as agni-bīja. Now the properties of ra are added to the properties of ha. Properties of ra are fire (the fire that is needed for our sustenance), dharma (Agni is known for dharma) and of course agni, fire itself.  It is said that when sun sets he hands over his fire to Agni, and takes it back when he rises again next day. Thus Agni also becomes a sustainer, like the sun. Śiva is also known as Prakāśa, the original divine Light. 

Third part of hrīṁ is ī which focuses the aspirant’s energy and motivates him to pursue the path of Dharma. Nāda refers to Universal Mother, who reflects the Light of Śiva to the world. She is also known as Vimarśa, meaning reflection, intelligence, etc. And the bindu (dot) is the dispeller of sorrow, which actually means dispelling innate ignorance, the cause of our sorrows.

Hrīṁ ह्रीं is also known as Bhuvaneśvarī-bīja. Bhuvana means the earth and Īśvarī means the ruler. She is known as Bhuvaneśvarī because She rules the earth. Ha means Śiva and ra means prakṛti (which can be explained as Nature or original substance. Lalitā-Sahasranāma 397 is Mūlaprakṛtiḥ). 

Ī means Mahāmāya, the Divine Power of illusion. Nāda means Śrī Mātā, the Universal Mother.  The dot, known as bindu is the dispeller of sorrows. Therefore, hrīṁ can also be explained thus: Śiva (ha) and Śakti (ra) unite to cause creation (nāda), making a person afflicted with illusion. They can remove this illusion if an aspirant contemplates Them, and this removal of ignorance is done through bindu or dot.