Paurnamasi Devi
Bhagvati Paurnamasi (the potency behind all of Krishna’s pastimes – Parakhya Maha-Shakti) is the pastime incarnation of Yogmaya.
Shri Paurnamasi is completely adept at arranging the most elevated varieties of enjoyment for Shri Radha Krishna. She is not just a revered elderly lady, but a divine personality with immense wisdom, spiritual power, and a key role in guiding the events of Krishna’s life and His devotees. Shri Yogmaya Paurnamasi Devi (Annapurna Devi) Temple is situated beside Sewa Kunj in Vrindavan
Key Aspects of Paurnamasi Devi:
- She helps orchestrate and guide the divine pastimes of Krishna. She ensures that the divine events are aligned with cosmic spiritual principles. She is considered a divine personality whose very name, derived from “Purnamasi,” means “Full Moon.” She is seen as a guiding light for the devotees of Krishna. Her presence is a source of spiritual wisdom, and she is known for imparting knowledge to Krishna’s devotees and helping them navigate the spiritual path.
- She plays a key role in orchestrating the conditions that lead to the Rasa Lila in purity, helping the Gopis achieve the highest level of spiritual devotion to Krishna. She does not arrange any svakiya-lila. Everything she arranges is parakiya. We are all present here, but none of us are related by blood. We are not brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, wives, or husbands, but we are here respecting each other and acting like one family, without any doubt for each other. This is parakiya-lila. Paurnamasi can make this heart-to-heart relationship. Svakiya-lila is a blood relationship, but not necessarily a heart-to-heart relationship.
- She is a master of spiritual rituals and guides the devotees in practices such as fasting, chanting, and meditating on Krishna’s name. Her presence is linked to purification and elevation of consciousness, particularly through rituals connected to the moon and moonlit nights, a theme strongly associated with her name.
- She is a nurturing figure guiding Yashoda Devi and ensures the correct spiritual practices are followed by the people of Vrindavan. She guides them to ensure that they remain devoted and connected to Krishna.
- Sandipani Muni’s mother is Paurnamasi. She is also the grandmother of Madhumangala. She serves all the Vrajavasis, and she solves all problems in Vraja and takes care of everyone there. She has white hair, an effulgent golden body, and she is slim. She does not eat grains. She only takes milk, buttermilk, and fruits. Day and night she is engaged in service which is pleasing to all the Vrajavasis. She is the disciple of Narada Rsi. She meets him at Narada-kunda. He stays there to pray for the blessings of Radharani. There, he is Narada-gopi.
- In Navadwipa she is residing as Praudha Mayi along with Lord Shiva. This Temple is situated inside the tree in market place there in Navadwipa Dhama. Vriddha Siva and his consort Praudha Maya are the eternal protectors of the Nabadwip dhama. Her other mission is to reveal the secret of the Dham to the Devotees and cover it from atheists. Under Her influences conditioned souls, whose vision is covered by false ego will see only the material sides of the dham – dirt, poverty, tiny streets, homeless dogs…But those who get mercy of Prauddha Maya take chance to see the real Holy Dham of Lord Gauranga, which is described by acharyas: “The place where Lord Gaura does His youth lilas, Sri Mayapur, where the ground is soft, where birds are singing wonderful songs and where wonderful animals are, where grow trees and lianas – my life and souls…All glories to the forests of Koladwipa!” (Srila Prabodhananda Saraswati, “Navadwipa-shataka”, 6,7)
Paurnamasi’s brother is called Devaprastha. On his sister’s order, Devaprastha protects Vraja like a general. He has the siddhi that he can go wherever he wants in an instant simply by remembering his sister Paurnamasi.
Devaprastha has large eyes like Jagannatha. He sees everything. Yogamaya performs two types of services i.e. atma-mohini and unmukha-mohini. Atma-mohini means that if you are serving the senses and mind, she will make you serve the soul. Then, there is unmukha-mohini. This means that she will make the soul qualified to serve the Supreme Soul. Then, you will be focused, and you will only serve the supreme soul Paramatma, or Krsna. She gives these two types of potencies. If you are connected to the power of atma-mohini, Paurnamasi will make you feel great sadness in your heart when you neglect the chanting of harinama for one day. When you are connected to atma-mohini, you will always be enthusiastic to perform bhakti, and if there is some obstacle in the performance of your bhakti, you will be very distressed. Then, you will be disinclined to all things that come from Maha-maya.
radhesa-keli-prabhuta-vinoda
vinyasa-vijnam vrajavanditanghrim
krpalutadyakhila-visva-vandyam
sri paurnamasim sirasa namami
By remembering Yogamaya Paurnamasi, we attain all perfection. If you come to Vraja-mandala and remember Paurnamasi, then she will arrange everything for your advancement. She has millions of times greater mystic powers than Maya-devi.
– ISKCON Raichur