This is a two part blog (second one follows right below) on residing divinities praised by Abhinava in his Dehastha Devata Chakra Stotra or “The Goddess Within, Hymns to the Divine Mother”.
In this unique stotram, Abhinava explicitly indicates that the human body is of divine origin and should be worshipped as the location of pithas (seats) where var
ious divinities reside. With moving poetics, he indicates how these various deities are constantly offering obeisance to the presiding deity, the heart or hrdaya represented by Ananda Bhairava with his consort Devi, the guru, and two gatekeepers: Ganapati and Vatukanatha. According to Abhinava, the human body is not to be rejected but to be revered as residing place of wonderful deities who can be felt and experienced. This occurs subtly at first, but becomes more established with regular attention and practice.
We’d like to share the original stotra in this post which we suggest that seekers read and reflect.