CHAPTER V

MAHAVIDYA ICONOGRAPHY: ITS ESOTERIC MEANING

 CHAPTER V

MAHAVIDYA ICONOGRAPHY: ITS ESOTERIC MEANING

V*1 2
Source
3 of Ten Mahavidyas

There is not sufficient material in tantra texts

to show as to why Mahavidyas were ten in number. We find

Hindu Polytheism mentioning that the number of Mahavidya

is selected ten to match the ten chief incarnations of Visnu.

r\

The laakti Cult in Ancient India dittoes ie; so also

3
Bhattacharya alluding to the Guhyatiguhya-tantra. According

to him between 9th to 12th Century A.D. the Southern Vaisnvism

was so much influenced by akti cult that a need was felt

to bring the ten avataras(incarnations) of Visnu into relation

v/ith the ten celebrated tantric Mahavidyas. Of course this

1. Alain Danidlou, Hindu Polytheism, p.268.

2. P.K Sharma, The Sakti Cult in Ancient India/ p.155.

3. N.N Bhattacharya/ History of the Tantric Religion/ p.254.

Krsnamurtih Kalika syad Ramarnurtis tu Tarini/

* -r-.- ,t -t -r LTi-nL--, n. T l I ' .

chinnamasta
1 " ' "' "
Nrsimhah
l_l"*
syad Vamano
^
Bhuvanesvarl//
Jamadactnvah Sundari syan mino Dhuinavati bhavet/
Vagala Kurma-murtihsyad Balabhadrasca Bhairavl//
Mahalaksmlr bhaved Buddho Durga syad Kalkirupinl/
"r 1 # #

Svayam Bhagavatl Kail Krsnas tu bhagavan Svayam//

 190

does not satisfactorily explain as to whether the Mahavidya

incarnations were prior to avataras of Visnu or vice versa.

But the fact remains that the avatara-tattva of Visnu is as

old as the MBh which though refers to various names of Devi

Durga and Kali, a systematic avatara-hood of sakti does not

find place in it. But the Buddhas of all the ten directions in
A
the ekanistha heaven * might have some bearing on numbering the

Mahavidyas to ten. It is more so in view of the Buddhist concept

of the list of Paabhumika Sutra, ~> viz., (i) the joyful (pramudita.)

(ii) the pure (vimala), (iii) the luminous (prabhakari),'

(iv) the radiant (arcismati), (v) the hard to conquer (sudurj aya),

(vi) the turned towards (abhimukhi), . (vii) the fast-reaching

(durangama), (viii) the immovable (acala), (ix) the good mind

(sadhumati), (x) the doctrine-cloud (dharmameqha) . This

hypothesis when set against the Daksa-vaina legend described

in the Puranas lend a belief that the ten quarters representing

the division of Kala, "the Eternal have had some role in figuring
_ 6
the Mahavidya deities into ten in number. Woodroffe narrates

the whole story how Mahadeva refused Jagadamba (Sati) permission

to attend the sacrifice performed by her father Daksa and Devi

4. F.D. Lessing and A. Wayman, Introduction to the Buddhist

Tantric System, p.21.

5- ibid., p.19, f.n.8.

6. Sir J. Woodroffe, Principles of Tantra, Part I, p.260.
 191

reacted violently to cross the vanity of her husband and

assumed a terrible form to frighten Mahadeva with her terrible

teeth and terrible mouth laughing aloud thunderously. She was

naked and turned black, langurous with desire, terribly furious,

bathed in sweat, with dishevelled hair, a lolling tongue and

having four fearful arms with human skull and a necklace of

severed human heads, bloods oozing out of them. At this Mahadeva

wanted to flee and to whatever quarter he fled there stood a

terrible form of the Devi blocking the entire quarters. They

are the Mahavidyas,^ viz., Kali in the North, Sodai in the

North-East, Chinnamasta in the East, Bhumavati in the South-East,

Vagala in the South, Kamala in the South-West, Ehubane^varl in

the West, Matangi in the North-West, Tara above and Bhairavl

7. The diagram below1 sho\^ing ten Mahavidyas at ten quarters:

Upper Region

Tara
NW NE

S
Lower Region
 192

8
below. The DB also elucidates this story wherein Devx

brings King Himalaya to home to seek refuge in Devi1s gross

forms and to adore Her so as to get liberation speedily. But

there is a difference in the name of the Mahavidyas enumerated,

Mahatripurasundarx being a substitute for Kamala or Kamalitmika.

But the Laksmxtantra9 describes Mahividya as one of Laksmi's

emanations and Tara and Anutara as mantras and Vidyis. The

in
ST describes that among the Mahavidya goddesses Kali, Tara,

Sundarx, Bhairavi, Chinnamasti, Mataftgi and Vagala are found

vamicjra and Kamala, BhubaneSvarl, Bala and Dhumlvatl may be

appeased by daksinicira. Sundarx and Bala here are no other

than Kamalitmika and Sodasx respectively. It also describes

Syamala and Siddhvidya Bhairavis as Mahavidya deities. The

Malinlvilaya11(quoted in ^NT,III) gives another list of

Mahavidyas like Kali, Tara, Tvarita, Mahadurga, Chinnamasta,

Vagvadini, Annapurna, Pratyangira, Kamakhyavasini Bala, and

^ailavasinl Matangl. Sometimes thirteen or more often eighteen

Mahavidya goddesses are mentioned as in the Niruttartantra,

patala XV. This list includes Mahisamardini Durga, Nitya,

8. Sir J. Woodroffe, op.cit., p.241.

9. N.N. Bhattacharya, op.cit., p.48.

10. SST, Tarakhanda, VI.16-17.

11. H.H. Bhattacharya, loc.cit., p.348.

 193

Annapurna, Tvarita, Puta, Sarasvati and Jayadurga as

additional Devis over ten. In the Nirada-Pancaratra12 it

has been stated that there are seven crore Mahavidyas. The

MNT describes that the great Goddess is of infinite nature

and She connects Herself with the material World having

chree cjunas, sattva, ra.j as and taroas which are not different

from Her ownself and assumes the forms of the Mahavidva for

the sake of Her devotees. Adyavidya Kali is the bestower of

,. . . .14 - _
direct liberation. The Goddess Tara is of sattva quality and
she is the bestower of knowledge.15 SodasI, Bhubane&varl and

Chinnamasta are of rajas quality and they grant minor liberations

16
like wealth, heaven, etc. Dhumavati, Vagala, Matahgi and

Kamala are of tamas quality. They are invoked especially in

17
connection with satkarma and allied purposes.

It has been discussed earlier that the Paraakti or

Consciousness-Power has got three aspects iccha, kriya and

Jnana sakti before She assumes maya&akti to create the

12. PT, v.6(saptakotir mahavidya upavidyas ca tadr&I).

13. MNT, XIII.4.

14. j>P, p.71 (Kali kalusahara bhoqamoksapradatrin).

15. ibid., p. 132 (tattvajnaparananda tattvainanapradanagha) .

16. ibid., p.179(tanvitattvesvarl Tara trivarga jnanarupini).

17. ibid.(satkarmas are like marana (killing), va^ikarana

" "J
(dominating) , starnbhana (stupifyinq), uccatana
""

(agitating), etc.).
 194

prapanca (Universe). And -these three aspects according to the

aivagamas are suddhavidya tattva and in jsakti-tantric

parlance Mahavidya Kali, Tara and SodasI or Tripurasundarl.

Therefore these three deities belong to Mahavidya proper and

other seven deities of the pantheon are later additions

representing some basic principles of creative power. The

&ST says that according to hadimata Mahaakti is called

Kali in Kerala, Tripura in Kashmir and Tara in Gauda (Bengal) .

Kala (time) devours the world during its dissolution and Kali

devours time and hence so named. Therefore She is conceived

as cause of causes or the primal cause of creation and

destruction. She is also sat representing Being Consciousness

and Bliss, both as with or without attributes according to Her

90
will. As water bubbles appear on water and disappear, so

also all the gods have their origin and dissolution in Kali.

As has already been pointed out the analysis of

vijamantra reveals the knowledge of varna (letters). Every

varna denotes a deity in all his or her aspects. For instance,

in vijamantra KRIM121 'Ka' is prakaSa akti iva, 'Ra'

18. &ST, Kallkhanda, w.24-26.

'

19. MOT, IV.30-32.

20. YT, X. 14 (sacchidanandarupaham ...).

21. SP, p . 82 (vi i amantra of Kali).

 195

vimarsa sakti Devi Mahesvarl, 'I' mayaakti and 'M' nada

and bindu. So 'Krim' represents the adya&akti Mahakali, the

icchaakti flanked with Parama^iva lying on the ground like

an inert object or a corpse and their union responsible for

creation, preservation and destruction. In tantric terminology

every vija consists of two causal elements gross and subtle

and a third element para which is beyond the lav/ of causation

like the abda theory of para, pafeyanti, madhyama and vaikharl.

The gross and subtle elements presuppose an image of the deity

visible to gross sense organs and the mantric image of subtle

nature realisable in mind's eye (buddhiqrahya); but the

consciousness-image of the Devi is realisable only by acquiring

yogic siddhi outlined in the SCN wherein this body has been

taken up as the basis of such three-fold realisation by

- - 22
manipulation of varna feakti or matrka feakti. Every mantra

consists of matrka sakti as it is inherent in all matrkas or

vamas. The matrkas or letters are of two types, those having

bindu or anusvara (0) and visarqah (8) suffixes and those

without them. Letters of the former category are generally used

for the mantras.23 The body(pinda) as microcosm has different

energy centres like the Brahmanda (macrososm) At these bodrly

cakras the matrkas have been placed or imagined. Accordingly

. . -

22. Sir J. Woodroffe, TSP, p.97.

23. &r, 1.108-11.

 196

the lotus of muladhara consists of four petals; in each of

these petals one letter out of four, viz. va, sa, sa and a

is placed. These four varnas represent the Earth(parthiva vama)

* 'mm

and the 1st cakra being the place of the first sensible matter

ksiti (Earth) bear these letters in its petals. According to

others, each of these letters represent a particular colour

allocated to the petals of the lotus. But these hypotheses are

not supported by texts. According to dhvani tattva muladhara

is the source of pronunciation (uccarana sthana) of these

letters. But the vowel sounds connected with these letters are

collected at the time of pronunciation from the throat. In fact

these letters on the petals are vijas of all activities connected

with the tattva of the centre, each letter undergoing variations

according to the vowels. All Beings in prthvitattva(Earth-matter

should be meditated upon in the muladhara. Here are the organs

of feet, the action of walking, smell, the quality of prthvl,

the sense of smell, nivrtti kala and Brahma, the creator and

hence Lord of the tattva. Samanavayu is located here. These

26
letters are also known as atman and vijas of the four Vedas,

of the four yuqas, and of the four oceans. It appears that such

24. Sir J. Woodroffe, op.cit., pp.93-94.

25. Sir J. Woodroffe, GL, p.208.

26. Va of Rk, Sa of Yajur, Sa of Sama and Sa of AV.

 197

imagining are based on an esoteric representation of everything

tantric as otherwise the tantra-teaching would have been

ridiculed by falling in the hands of commoners. The fact

remains that the Vedas as word-powers issue from paraabda

and muladhara being the seat of paraSabda the aforesaid varnas

have been adopted as symbols for the Vedas. For the Vedas in

its primary sense are the World as ideas in the mind of the
creative Brahman revealed to the rsis (seers). As Woodroffe27

has questioned, why should 'va' be the seed of the RV, 1a*
28
of the YV and so forth? The RY explains that the petal 1va1

is Brahma representing rajoguna, and is the vija of Rk; ' a'

is Visnu representing sattvaguna and fea being Pundarikatman

' 1 "* " "~l n ''

is the vija of YV, 'sa' is Rudra representing tamo gun a and is

the vlja of SV, sa is the vija of AV as it is the vl]a of

6akti. According to Woodroffe cakras are of two kinds,

firstly certain facts of objective and universal reality as

thinking them to have been residing in special column as

principle of solidity (prthvi tattva) in the lowest centre of

the body, containing the static or potential energy called

kundalinl sakti. The centre as a lotus has four petals

*

27. Sir J. Woodroffe, TSP, p.94.

28. RY, XIV.73; XV.2; XVI.1,2.

29. Sir J. Woodroffe, op.cit0, p.94, f.n.6.

 198

because of the formation and distribution of yoganadi at

30
that particular point. Solidity is denoted aptly by a cube,

which is the diagram (yantra) of that centre. The consciousness

of that centre as Devata is also borne on an elephant, the

massive solidity, which is emblematical of the solid Earth

principle. The forces which go to the making of solid matter

may, by the yogin be seen as yellow. It may be that particular

substance(dhatu)
' 11
"
of the body and particular vrtti(mode) are
'

connected with particular cakras,and so forth.

The other class of cakra might have possibly only

symbolical reality which are placed before the worshipper for

the purposes of yogic instruction and meditation only as

explained in the Tibbetan tantras. The letters as outer speech

are manifestations only of vaikharl speech. They cannot therefore

exist as such in the cakras which are subtle and not manifested

to gross sensibilities. But they are said to be there not in

this gross, but in their subtle and causal forms. It is these

subtle forms which are called matrka. But as such forms they

are >abda of an ideating movement, or are the cause thereof.

Consciousness which is in its svarupa niabda (soundless), in

its supreme form para^abda assumes a general undifferentiated

30. Sir J. Woodroffe, op.cit., pp.317-479.

31. ibid (see commentary of Pumanandasvarm on SCN).
 199

movement (samanya spanda), then a differentiated movement

(visesa spanda) issuing in clearly articulate speech

P

(sDastatara spanda). The inner movement has outer

correspondence with that issuing from the lips by the aid

of dhvani. This is but the mantra way of saying that

consciousness moves as jsakti, and appears as subject (iabda)

and object (artha) at first in' the subtle form of mind and

its contents generated by the Samskaras, and then in the gross

form of language in the expression of ideas and of physical

objects(artha), which the creative cosmic mind Mahavidya

projects into the World of sensual experience. In this sense

the letters as hidden speech or the seed (vija) of outer

speech, are in the caXras, but the allocation of particular

letters to particular cakras is a matter which if it has a

real and not merely symbolical significance, must receive

the explanation as discussed below.

V. 2 Mantra Mahavidya

32
From Brahman are produced the Pancabhutas,

ether, air, fire,water, earth in the order stated ana from

them issued the six cakras from ajna to muladhara. The letters

32. Sir J. Woodroffe, GL, p.96.

 200

are placed in the cakras in their alphabetical order i.e.,

vowels as being the first lette s or feaktis of the consonants

which cannot be pronounced without them are placed in the

vifeuddha cakra (throat region), the first consonants 'Ka' to

'Tha' in anahata and so on so forth until the muladhara

wherein are set the last four letters from 'Va' to 'Sa' as

discussed earlier. Thus in ajna there are 'Ha* and 'Ksa' known

as Brahmavij as. In the Viuddha cakra are the sixteen vowels

which originate first from Siva's dambaru, that means from

Brahman Itself, otherwise known as aksarabrahman. Therefore

they are placed in the viuddha, the etherical cakra, either

being the first evolute of the panea primordial mahabhutas;

twelve letters 'Ka' to 'Tha' in anahata, 'Da* to 'Pha' ten

letters in manipura,
r six letters 'Ba'

to 'La'in

svadhistharia
l"~"

and the last four 'Va1 to 'Sa' in muladhara. The connection

of particular letters to particular cakra may also be attributed

to the fact that in uttering any particular letter, the cakra

in which it is placed and its surrounding atmosphere is

brought into play in an esotric manner. Besides the scientific

explanation behind this connection is that by pronouncing a

particular vama in its proper articulation the utterer rests

its action of pronunciation(prayatna) on the particular cakra.

For instance, in uttering 'Ha' the head (ajna) is touched and

in uttering the deep-seated 'Va' the basal cakra or fnuladhctra

 201

33 _
is touched. So the functional aspect of Mahavidya or

Mahavidya-yoga teaches that when the mind is concentrated on

the image or yantra or mantra of a particular Mahavidya Goddess

it is unified with that consciousness. And when the worshipper

is so identified with the vlia-mantra symbolising the particular

Mahavidya Deity then the power of objects as mayaJakti to be

bound with prapanca ceases and subject-object relationship

having come to an end the worshipper and the worshipped become

one and indivisible, 34 the mayin,

- - - and mayika
-
maya difference

thereby coming to an end. This is the essence of Mahavidya

worship in the form of mantra or varna either in vijasvarupa

or in more no of syllables representing mantra.

Thus the mantra-Mahavidyais only the creative

akti assuming that particular form of Mahavidya. In the

35
Svacchandatantra it is stated that vowels beginning with
'A' are presided over by MahalaksmI of consonants beginning

with *Ka' by Br'ahmi, of Ca-varga by MaheSvarx, of Ta-varga

by Kaumarl, of Ta-varga by Vaisnavl, of Pa-varga by Varahi,

of Ya-varga by AindrI, and of Sa-varga by Camunda. Thus

33. Sir J. Woodroffe, akti and akta, p.326-27.

34. MU, 3.2.9(brahmaveda brahmaiva bhavati).

35. N.N. Bhattacharya, op.cit., p.329 lA-varge tu Mahala)c^mih

ka-varge ... saptalokavyavasthitah).
 202

herein we find mantra forms of astamatrka (Eight Great Mothers)

*
<3 /-
descriptions about whom are found in the DM. as a first

instance wherein Devi told to 6umbha that there is no other

akti then Herself and all these are but Her emanations. How

these sapta and

asta
^ 1matrka
1 '* 1 1 1 # '
m mmm
forms were abandoned in favour of
Da&amahavidya is a matter for the historians to discover. But

the underlying principle that Devi is mantratmika has been

accepted in Indian religion long since. According to the

Vamake^varatantra these groups of letters are presided over

by eight vasinl goddesses whose names are Vasini, Kame&varl,
Mohini, Vimala, Aruna, Jayini, Sarvefevarl and Kalinl and the

matrka letters symbolising the deities are known as malinl.

Even the Mahavidya tantras have extended this principle of

realisation of Devata in any object, not merely in mantra,

yantra, ghata, pratima or other ritual objects of worship.

The same power which manifests to the ear in the mantra is

represented in the lines and curves of the yantra, which

- 38
according to the Kaulavali-tantra, is the body of the Devata.

36. DM, X.5.

37. N.N. Bhattacharya, op.cit., p.329.

38. Sir J. Woodroffe, akti and akta, p.328

(yantram maritramayarn proktatfi mantratma devataiva.hi/
dehatmanor yatha bhedo yantradevatayos tatha//)
 203

V.3 Mahavidya Images and its Esoteric Meaning

Now coming to details of Mahavidya images or

iconographic representations of Mahavidya deities it is found

that Kali is the first and foremost deity of-the Mahavidya

39 - -
pantheon. The MET describes Kali as the great progenitor- of

the minutes and biggest things in the Universe, both animate

and inanimate beings. The Universe is begotten of Her free will,

She is the beginning of all. The vidyas and the trinity, all

owe their existence to Her. She is cognisant of the entire

Universe and none in the Universe knows Her. Even She has been

equated with the other Mahavidyls Tara, Soda&I and Bhubaneswari,

etc. She is surrounded on all sides by gods and goddesses. She

is at the same time gross of the grossest and subtle of the

subtlest. She is devoid of all dimensions and yet takes various

forms for the fulfilment of desire of the worshippers. She

appears at times to destroy the Asuras, and assumes four hands

40
and occasionally two, six, eight, ten or thousand hands. She

weilds various weapons for the maintenance of the World and

subduinc; the evil propensities of Yaksas, Raksasas, Magas,

Shutas# pjTGtas and ottiojc icpnolDlG spxxits# If slna is ]piropi"tia"tGd

39. MNT, v.140.

40. Bose_|_H|Mar, Tantras ;Their Philo^oghx^lX-OSSH.1,^, Secrets,
pp.192-93.
 204

all the gods and goddesses are satisfied. She is the Bliss
Divine which is beyond the grasp of human mind. When Parabrahman

in Mahakala is desirous of creation, the objective world

emerges from Him through the creative aspect of Mahakala as

the sakti or Parafeiva. She is the will-power of Mahakala and

mahamaya feakti that taints the prapanca with duality. She is

- 41
Mahayogini responsible for withdrawal of prapanca to Her at
the time of dissolution (pralaya) and therefore the connecting

link between the creation, preservation and destruction. At the

time of dissolution She also destroys all consciousness of time

and inheres eternity and is therefore Mahakalx. She is worshipped

as Adya as from Her the World ensues.

- - 42
According to Kali Stotra at the time of meditation

She is in a state of eternal bliss playing in the bosom of Siva

and standing on His breast on a pratyaliaha pose. The surrounding

is a cremation ground43 where all the worldly objects are being

reduced to ashes or go to their seed stage. By Her independent

will She begets the universe with all its diversifications

41. ibid.
42. J>P, Kalltantra, p.79.

43. ibid., p.,78.

44. ibid., p.80.

 205

and again sucks them to Her breast in the twinkling of an

eye; unobstructed is Her motion and multifarious is Her

45
disport. She is black in colour because it is the seed

stage of all colours covering their visual representations

by Her tamoquna. Yet there is an unsurpassed halo about Her

that does not dazzle the eyes, rather She appears as cool and

appealing as the light of million moons brought together. She

stands on a corpse representing that consciousness-power also

inheres in inamimate objects. Her teeth are terrible' but She

is the benign Mother conferring boon to all by raising her arm

7 48 . -. 4
in verada mudra. ' Her mouth is wide open with lolling tongue'

as if to devour the entire creation. But Her attitude is

50
laughing with a bulging breast of the Mother as n showing Her

great affection to the j ivakula for their sustenance. She is

having three eyes with which she can superintend all the Worlds

peeping through the trikala viz., present, past and future. She

45. ibid., p.84.

46. ibid., p. 83 .

47. ibid., p.77 .

00

48. ibid.,
d

49. ibid., Kalldhy an am, p.1

50. ibid., p.77.

 206

51
carries in one of Her hands a skuli as a receptacle of the

Unseen and the seeds of the Universe and also the remains of

the World at destruction. In another hand She bears a cutting

52 -
instrument (khadga) which breaks the seeds of samskara of

the worshipper to make him fit for liberation. Her hair is

53
dishevelled showing that She is the bestower of freedom from

bondage. Her.outspreading tongue lusciously sucks the blood

coming out of the either comer of her fearful mouth. She

54
wears a necklace of human heads. According to exoteric

explanation this garland is made up of the heads of demons,

whom She, as a power of righteousness, has conquered. According

55
to an inner explanation rendered by Woodroffe, this string of

heads is varnamala (the garland of letters) i.e., the fifty

letters of the Sanskrit alphabet. The Buddhist Demchoqtantra

gives the same interpretation of the garland worn by the great

CfL
Heruka. These letters represent the Universe or names and

forms or in other words abda (subject) and its object (artha).

51. ibid., p.88.

5 2 . ibid., p .80.

53. ibid., p.83 .

54. ibid.

55. Sir J. Woodroffe, 2E. .cit., p.322

56. B. Bhattacharya, Ed. Sadhanamala Vol.11, pp.501-02.

 207

She wears the letters which, She as the creatrix bore and also

those which, She as Destroyer takes to Herself again. The

movements of Her projection of consciousness into the World

of good and evil (dvandvatmaka) is represented by this garland

of varnas. Her nakedness means that Her powers are not limited

by quarters, it has no dimensions. She is Herself the maker

of the Universe57 and also its constituents. She is Brahman

- 58
(Brahmamavi) ana yet established in Her own glory, she is

therefore, worshipped in both aspects, viz., as the bestower

59
of all the possessions of life and also as the mighty akti
60
that grants kaivalya. . In one of her hand-pose she allays
61
fear (abhaya) of Her devotees. The rltattvanidhi describes

Mahavidya goddesses with their iconographic features. The

description given in the Kalitantra as quoted in Hindu Polytheism

is more vivid and clear as shown below:

savarudham mahabhlmalfi qhoradamstram hasanmukhlm/

caturbhujam khadgamundabarabhayakaram//
mundamaladharam Devlrfi lolajihvam digambaram/
" 1 T

evarfi sancintayet kallm '6ma&analayavasinlm//

57. p, Kalitantra, p.80.

58. ibid., p.86.

59. ibid., p.90.

60. ibid., p.236.

61. B. Sriv|stav, Iconography of akti, pp.39-40.

62. A.Danilgu, op.cit., p.462.

 208

Apart from the Kalltantra we find similar references on

03
Mahavidya Mahakall in the PN and descriptions as depicted
64 ,
in the Elements of Hindu Iconography, and Sakti-cult in
65 66 - -
Ancient India and the YH. Though in principle Kali is

one we find innumerable forms of Her. The Todalatantra

describes eight forms of Kali/ viz., Daksina, Siddha, Guhya,

rl, Bhadra, Camunda, lraana and Maha. The 'Mahakala-Samhita

ir - " *

gives nine names, viz., Daksina, Bhadra, iraana, Kala, Guhya,

Kamakala, Dhana, Siddhi and Candika. The JY mentions Kalika,

Dambara, Raksa, Indivara, Dhanada, RamanI, lana, Jrva, vlrya,

Prajnya and Saptarna. Most of these names also find place in

the list of Bauddha-tantric deities. The ST mentions Hamsa

and Vasixarana as deities.

Of all these forms Daksina Kali or Syamakall as

quoted in the Tantrasara has been described as having a terrible

appearance, a fierce face, four hands, untied hair, and a

garland of severed heads around th^ necx. Xn her lower and

upper left hands she holds a freshly cut severed head and a

sword ana in the lower ana upper right hands she exhibits

63. PN, p.13.

64. T. Gopinath Rao, Elements of Hindu Iconography,Vol.X,
Part II, p.123.

65. P.K. Sharma, op.cit., p.153.

66. YH, p.228.

67. N.N. Bhattacharya, op.cit., p.349.

 209

abhaya and varada poses. Naked, dark as dense cloud in

complexion, her body is streamed with blood which oozes

from the garland of severed heads that she wears. Two

corpses serve as her ear-rings. Terrible in face and teeth,

she has well-developed breasts, her girdle is made of hands

cut off from the bodies of corpses. Her face is smiling, but

it is stained with blood falling from both corners of her

mouth. She screams terribly. She lives at the cremation ground.

She has three eyes resembling the orb of the rising Sun. Her

untied hair hung to the right, she stands on the chest of Siva
o8
lying as a corpse. She is engaged in viparita rati (inverted

sexual intercourse) called purusayita with Mahakala. This

inverted sexual intercourse gives the clue that the Mahavidya

upasana symbolised the principle of involution i.e., withdrawal

of prapanca to its source .by means of yoqic process.

- - 69
maanakali resembles Daksinakali. The Tantrasara describes

Her sacred thread as a snake, her physical features being

more or less the same as those of Daksinakali.

She, however,

is surrounded by jackals and yoqinis and intoxicated as a

70
result of drinking wine. But this description is more akin

68. YT, 1.20.

69. Tantrasara, pp.460-61,406.

70. SR, Ch.IV; PT, v.6, p.389.

 210

to the description of Camunda in the SaptaSati Candl.

.

Siddhakali is also a form of Daksinakall having three eyes

and dishevelled hair. She drinks amrta from a skull held in

her left hand. She wears a girdle and a jewelled crown. Her

complexion is that of a blue deep lotus. She has a flaming

tongue. The Sun and Moon are her ear-rings. She stands in

aliaha posture i.e., with the left leg in an advancing position 71

Guhyakall is of the colour of clouds; She wears black garments,

has a lolling tongue, terrible looking teeth, sunken eyes,

smiling face, necklaces made of serpents and has a crescent on

the head. She frequently licks a corpse. Her sacred thread is

a snake and she has the thousand-hooded Ananta (serpent king)

on Her head. Siva stands as a child to her feet. But such a

description conforms to pure sakta cult and not to that of

Tantra-Mahavidya. According to the Mahakalasamhita Guhyakall

has ten faces. Bhadrakall is described in the Tantrasara as a

hungry Goddess ready to devour everything and in some, tantras

as MahisamardinI. Her eyes are sunken, face black as ink, hair

untied and teeth blue-black like the jambu fruit. She holds

a terrible and flame-like noose in both hands. In another

description/3 her colour is like that of the clouds. Her

71. Kalltantra, X.33(pratyalldhapada).

.... .... 1 1

72. PN, IX, p.7S4.

73. PST, XXXII.9.

 211

teeth are white and terrible. She is three-eyed and having

four arms holding a kapala, (skull) ParaSu, damaru and trifiula.

And Mahakall also known as MaharaudrI and Katyayani is
_ 74
described in the Tantrasara as having five faces, each

containing three eyes, and in her hand she holds a spear and

trident, a bow and arrow, a sword and shield and exhibits the

vara and abhaya pose. Raksakali is described as of white

complexion, three faces, six arms, nine eyes and matted lock
of hair. Camundakall is described in the Tantrasara.75 She is

having a pleasant face but her teeth terrible. She has a

khatvahqa (a long bone with a skull) and a sword in her two

right hands and a noose and a human head in the two left hands.

She wears a tigerskin and sits on a corpse (like Tara Mahavidya).

76 - -
In the &ritattvanidhi Kali has been described as having eight

hands holding conch, a disc, a mace, a pot, a pestle, an

elephant goad, a noose and a thunderbolt. Her colour is that

of clouds. Thus the division of Mahavidyas into ten represents

the whole cycle of existence like that of day and night which

can be divided into ten main parts, all representing the ten

aspects of the Divine Transcendent knowledge, to know then is

knowing the secret of the universe. They are the energies of

74. Tantrasara, p.406.

75. ibid., pp.381,608.

76. B. SrivgjStgva, op.cit., p.34.
 212

which the universe is the pulsation.77 But Kali is also an

emanation from Candika as described in the DM7 This

manifestation was made to kill the Raksasas and therefore

bears tamoguna which her cloud like colour implies. She was

emanated from Durga's forehead at the point where the eyebrows

of Devi knit in anger meet. This is the centre between the

eye-brows, the seat of Ijnacakra, the seat of will and vision.

Thus Kali is put forth from a highly mentalised vital

consciousness, a power of effectuating will and vision.7^ The

esoteric meaning of these emanations is that these are

spiritual facts and any aspirant taking up the Mantra-sadhana

is able to feel the presence of these emanations at various

stages of his seeking according to his competence to receive

such power of high voltage. According to the editor's note

80
on the &P, the Mahavidyas are not only ten in number but

the forms of each of their worship are also ten. So each

Mahavidya has a particular mantra and a particular yantra,etc.

77. A. Danielou./ op.cit., p.268.

78. DM, VI.6.

79. S. Shankarnarayanan, Glory of the Divine Mother, p.29.

80. &P, Vijnapti, p.3(tesu ca sarvesu tantresu tattad devatayah

dhyanam, yantroddharah, mantraddharah, pujavidhih,

stotram kavacam-hrdayam-upanisad- satanama-

sahasranama ity etani dasadasa angani santi).

 213

For instance, the Kali viia~mantra is, krim,krim, krlm,

hrim, hrim, hrim, hum, Daksinekalike, krlm, krlm, krlm,
11 " 1 "" 1 I" n

hrim, hrim, hum hum, svaha". The esoteric meaning of this

vil'amantra has already been discussed. The mantra has to be

recited repeatedly and this repetition of a particular number,

known as pura^carana, it is believed, brings various mundane

and heavenly results known as bhukti and also transcendental

result mukti or liberation. Instead of an image Devi may be

worshipped in the form of a yantra. Each Mahavidya Goddess has

Her own yantra, or a geometric symbol of some triangles arranged

in a particular order with some circles and ultimately the

circles covered in all the four quarters by a square having

four doors known as bhupura. The Kall-yantra has been

described as under:

adau trikonam alikhya trikonam tadbahir likhet/

' ' > 9 * T"' ' "" ifHin ^ Jni

tato vai vilikhen mantrl trikonatrayam uttamain//

_""1 ' " . ' ' 1 111 - -il Tl- ^

tatas trivrttam alikhya likhed astadalam tatah/

*11 " ' " ' * 1

vrttarn vilikhya vidhival likhet bhupuram ekakam//

All these yantras are just some sort of modifications of rl

Yantra,82 the esoteric meaning of which is discussed below.83

81. |P, p.4.

82. ibid., p.154

83. Sir J. Woodroffe, Ed. TRT, Introduction, p.5.
 214

3 02 ri Cakra What - It Means ?

Yantra represents the body of the Devata and the

whole- universe and also that of man as also the Siva-6akti-svarupa

or atman. It is thus the symbol of Devi as She is in her own

form (svarupa) ana as She is in the form of the Universe

(vijvatman). The yantra is composed of nine triangles (more or

less in case of a particular Mahavidya) and cakras one within

the other until the central point or bindu is reached. In each

of the nine cakras Mahavidya is worshipped in its centre under

one of its nine names united with the paduka-mantra of seven

letters. The nine triangles are four with points upwards, i.e.

the srikanthas or iva element, and the five downward pointed

triangles or Sivayuvatis, the feakti element. All ate formed by

the rnulaprakrti of the Sivabindu, the ninth being the rnulaprakrti

and other eight vikrtis, which in relations to their products

^tp nrakrtis. The nine cakras also represent srsti(creation),

^ r . ... ...... . ' "

sthiti (maintenance) and samhara (absorption), each set of

three being formed of the combinations, srsti srsti, sr>jti sth-uti,

srsti-samhara; samhara-srsti, samhara-sthiti, samhara-samhara.

The object of worship is the realisation of the unity of 3nata,

jnana, jneya which is the aim and object of every advaitin. The

j^tne cakras are: (i) bhupura or the outer square, (ii) sixteen
 215

petalled circle, (iii) eight petalled circle, (iv) first set

of fourteen angles (v) second set of ten inner angles (vi)

third set of ten angles within these (vii) fourth set of eight

angles within these (viii) three angles within these and (ix)

the point or bindu. These are named as trailokyamohana,

sarvasaparipuraka, s ary as amks obhana, sarvasaubhaqyadayaka,

sarvarthasadhaka, sarvaraksakara, sarvaroqahara,sarvasiddhiprada

and s arvanandamaya.
84
Since this yantra represents the entire process
of creation and destruction, its description from the outer

cakra to bindu is known as layakrama and from bindu to bhupura

as srstikrama. The central bindu or the Supreme united Kama&vara

and Kamesvari is Devi Tripura or Lalita who is atman, whether

as jivatman in bodies or as the bodiless paramatman. For

ICamesvara is the Supreme sarn.v it without upadhi and Kamesvari

is His akti. This bindu is in the innermost triangle or

All-blissful (sarvanandamaya) cakra. The word yoni in this

worship does not mean the generative organ of a woman but

means karanam or cause, the womb of the universe. This bindu

is threefold, one above being the face of Devi and the two

below Her breasts. This symbolism of worship in anthropomorphic

84. ibid., Cii.XXXV.

cf. IM' with Dip ilea and Setubandha tlka ' Cakrasamket anirupanam1 .
 216

forms were employed in all religions. However, in a more

abstract sense the three bindus are sun, moon and fire? not

the luminaries or elements so called but names given to the

prakaa and vimar6a aspects of the para-bindu differentiating

to create the Universe, such aspects being again symbolised

by the single and double bindus, the anusvara and visarqa

breathings respectively. In the triangle surrounding Devi

are the nine Lords or nathas. These are the nine apertures

which exist both in the cosmic and individual bodies namely

the two eyes and mouth (divyaugha), the two ears and penis

(siddhaugha) and the two nostrils and anus (manavauqha). Devi

is the vimarfea sakti of Prakasa iva. Some of the deities of

the Mahavidya pantheon are Red. Redness is the vimar&a of

all this, viz., Kame&vara, Devi and the sadhaka*s self. Raga

and redness are one. It is said that one's Atman is Devi

Mahavidya whose body is the universe (vi&vaviqraha). Redness

is Her vimarfea and worship is the meditation on this. The binau

is surrounded by a triangle or the siddhiprada cakra. At the

corners of this triangle which is the second cakra are the

saktis KameSvarl distinct from Supreme akti stated earlier,

Vajrefivarl and BhagamalinI who are Avyakta or Prakrti, Mahat,

85. Bhavanopanisad, sutra 28(of Bhaskararay1s commentary),

Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series, 1963.

86. ibid (lauhityam etasya sarvasya vimarfeah) .

 217

the cosmic Buddhi and Ahamkara. The three corners are the

githas Kamarupa, Purnagiri, Jalandhara. In the centre is

Uddiyina pi tha. In the spaces outside this triangle are the

five bow of kama, raga which is his noose and dvesa which is

his goad.

The third cakra (sarvaroqahara) is composed of

eight angles being the first eight angles formed by the

intersection of the triangles, other than that already

described, which are Vasini, Kamevarl, MohinI, Vimala, Aruna,

Jayini, SarveSvarl and KaulinI, which are the Devatas of Cold

(Sita), Heat(Usna), Happiness (Sukha), Pain(Buhkha), Desire

' "" "

(Iccha) and Sattva, Ra j as and Tamas. At this state the sadhaka

strives to control the cfunas and to remain unaffected by the

dvandvas (the contradictories).

The fourth or sarvaraksakara cakra is composed of

ten angles presided over by the ten |>aktis, viz., sarvajna,

sarva^aktiprada, sarvaisvaryaprada, sarvajnanamayI/

sarvavyadhivinaini, sarvadhara/ sarvapapahara, sarvanandamayi,

sarvaraksa, sarvepsitaphalaprada. These are the devatas of the

functions of the vital fire (vahnikala) which are recaka

(elimination) pacaka (digestion), Jjosaka (that which removes

the dosa of iatharaqnl), dahaka (burning) plavaka (flooding,

that is spreading of rasa which helps jatharaqnx), ksaraka

(bile secreting), udqaraka (belching), ksobhaka (churning of

the food) jrmbhaka (vavming) and rnohaka (that which causes pin

and fainting).
 218

The fifth outer cakra sarvarthasldhaka of ten

angles is presided over by Devis Sarvasiddhiprada, Sarvasampatprada,
Sarvapriyamkarl, Sarvamaftqalakarini, Sarvakamaprada, Sarvaduhkha-

vimocini, Sarvamrtyuprasamini, Sarvaviqhnanivarini.Sarvanqasundarl,

SarvasaubhaqyadayinI. These are the Devis of the ten pranas

which are controlled by their worship. The sixth cakra

(Sarvasaubhaqyadayaka) has fourteen angles in which are the

saktis viz., Sarvasamksobhini, Sarvavidravinl, SarvakarsinI,

Sarvasammohini, Sarvastambhini, Sarva 1 rmbhinj, Sarvavasarnkarl,

Sarvaranjinl, SarvonmadinI, Sarvarthasadhinl, Sarvasampattipuranl,

Sarvamantramayi, Sarvadvandvaksayarakari, who are AdhiBevatas

(secondary deities) of the fourteen principal nadis, viz.,

alambhusl, kuhu, viivodara, varana, hastijihva, yaovatl,

payasvinl, qandharl, pus a, samkhini, sarasvati, ida, pinqala and

susurnna.

The seventh cakra is the eight petalled

Sarvasamksobhana cakra which surrounds the circle in which the
' "u ' r r 111 ' ' * "" u' "**"

other triangles mentioned are placed. Devis here are

An ah g aku suma, Anahgamekhala, Anahgavegini, Anahgamadanatura,

AnanqamalinI which are devatas of the buddhi of speech(vacana),

grasping (adana) walking (gamana), excreting or rejecting

(visarga), pleasurable feeling (ananda), relinquishment (hana),

concentration (upadana) and detachment(upeksa).

 219

Outside this again is a lotus of sixteen petals

which is the Sarvafeaparipuraka cakra. Here the sixteen aktis,

namely Kamakarsini, Buddhyakarsini, Ahamkarakarsini,iabdakarsinl,

Jlim 1 I 1-U III 111 L -Bn-lJ -I

Sparsakarsini/ Rupakarsini, Rasakarsini, Gandhakarsini,

Cittakarsini, Dhairyakarsini, Smrtyakarsini, NamakarsinI,

Vx-jakarsini, AtmakarsinI, AmrtakarsinI, arirakarsinl, who are
""" "J' ~r,r * 111 L 1 ' u

Devatas of the attainment of the object of desire by, in

particular, the acquisition and strengthening (as regards the

self) and the control (as regards others) of powers over buddhi,

aharakara, sabda (such as hearing at a distance), sjoar|a, rupa,

rasa, gandha, citta; steadfastness, memory, name(attraction by

saying), growth, the subtle body, revivification and the gross

body.87 These sidahis are acquired by worship in the cakra.

Outside the sixteen petals in the surrounding space

_ 88
of the bhupura are the ten rnudraaktis, namely, Sarvasamksobhini,

Sarvavidravini, Sarvakarsini, Sarvaveakarini, Sarvonraadini,

Mahanku^a, Khecarl, vljamudra, Mahayoni and Trikhandika. The

first nine mudras belong to the nine cakras of the rlyantra

respectively, the tenth being above'all. The nine roudra aktis

represent the nine adharas other than the last which is above

all. According to Bhaskararaya, the nine adharas. are the

87. Sir J. Woodroffe, op.cit., p.10.

88. Bhavanopanisad, v.12.

89. LSN, v.130.

 220

six yogic cakras or plexus, viz., muladhara, svadhisthana,

l_ '
manipura, anahata, visuddha and anjna, and the two lotuses

of a thousand petal and lambikaqra, a centre approximately

below the eyes and behind the nose.

Outside the sixteen petals are four circular lines

containing three circular spaces. The outer circle is on the

same level with the sixteen-petalled, eight-petalled, and

first outer fourteen-angled cakras and connected with these

cakras. The middle circle is on the level and connected with

the two sets of ten angles and eight angles; and the innermost

circle is on the same level and connected with the inner cakra

of three angles.
Outside these and on the outermost line of bhupura

the ten siddhis, viz., anima, laghima, etc. are worshipped.

These are not different from niyati and the nine rasas. Four

are at the doors, one at each; four at the corners, one at

each, and one is above and below. At the middle line the

eight matrkas are worshipped, four at the doors and four at

the corners. These are Brahmx, Mahesvarl, Kaumarl, Vaisnavi,

Varahl, IndranI, Camunda and Mahalaksml, considered as

* *

constituted of kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya,

papa and punya. So these matrkas are not Mahavidyas but their

different aspects and are therefore lesser divinities. Brahmi

is conjoined with kama because she creates MaheSvari with
 221

krodha because she destroys, Kaumarl with lobha because being

youthful she is full of longing, Vaisnavi with moha because

~ 1 * 1
' 1
she fascinates the Universe by her moha, varahl with mada

because the boar is an obstinate and proud animal, IndranI

with ^atsarya because Indra's consort is a jealous Devata,

Camunda with papa because by and through her meditation injury

is done, Laksmi with punya because she is benign and leads the

worshipper to all virtuous acts. On the inner line of bhupura

the ten dikpalas, i.e., presiding deities of ten quarters are

worshipped, placed in the same wav as the siddhis. These mudra

aktis, dikpalas, mitrkas and siddhis constitute the ninth cakra

called trailokya-mohana. The siddhis are first worshipped for

the self protection during sadhana. The matrkas are worshipped

to suppress all evil inclinations associated with each of their

names and to gain virtue, and the dikpalas for protection of the

sadhaka and his sadhana. The bhupara is that in which the whole

yantra is placed. The TRT says that after v/orship in the manner

enjoined let the sadhaka consider himself as identical with

-r 90
Devi (devyatman).

90. Sir J. Woodroffe, op.cit., p.10 (svatmanam tatsamam smaret).

 222

'"if*

3.3 Different Upacara of Mahavidya Worship

From the above discussions of Woodroffe it is

ascertained that the principle involved in Mahavidya worship

is a very profound psychological factor in human knowledge.

The object of worship is to realise the unity of jivatman with

Mahavidya either through mantra, pratima or yantra of Mahayidyas

which symbolically represent the whole universe including

iva~akti. But the spirit of this realisation of truth is a

personal experience of the sadhaka. What is sought in the

worship is not a mere play of imagination but that actual

experience which it indicates and to which it leads. The mind

must be first prepared to fully receive the truth without a

least bit of doubt entertained in it and then realise the

truth taught. Such preparation consists in placing before

it successively and continuously the idea that everything

which exists in Brahman and therefore in the pinda(human body),

.' '

from the divine aspect, a feakti. The universe is the body of

the Mother Mahavidya.91 But all is akti whether -as the Mother

in Her Supreme self or in the form of every object in the

Universe. Matter is not something wholly apart from spirit.

91. be, p.182 (vivesvarl ca visvatma vivel vifevarupinl) .

 223

It is an aspect assumed by spirit. Further as the Vedanta

says, "All this is Brahman", every single thing or person is

Brahman in that particular form. It needs no reduction for

- 92
that purpose. The Brahma-svarupa is pure spirit and its

power or akti which manifests in the Universe is that same

spirit in material form. But the matter also of these forms

is akti for there is nothing but feakti anywhere in anything

which appears to us. Therefore mind and senses in their varying

forms are each in their devata. aspect particular aktis i.e.,

the whole universe is informed by and is the manifestation of

spirit but a particularly named devata is that spirit in the

particular manifestation to which the name is given.

This Brahman of &iva-sakti is the name of the

Universal spirit in Mahavidva form. But sakti in that aspect

in which it exists at rest in muladhara as the static centre

round which all the bodily forces revolve is called

0*5
Kundalini Devi. Sakti as the source of, and manifesting as
"~'r - ^ n - IJ- ' ' -

the vital functions is prana-akti and each again of these

functions is a separate sakti, i.e., the genex'al feakti

manifesting herself in that particular way. It should not

92. ibid(qavatri caiva savitrl brahman! brahmarupini).

93. Sir J. Woodroffe, The World as Power, p.404.

 224

therefore be construed that i-sakti being numerous is not one.

All these different forms are apparent of One Supreme akti,

the Mahavidya in iva-6akti union. The sadhaka has to realise

this in his worship. He looks upon each part and function of

his body as a akti or Devata or more simply in earlier stages,

as presided over by a Devata (adhisthatri-devata). But the

correct view is that the mind is akti, i.e., a particular

manifestation of &akti, the Supreme Divine. By continual and

repeated practice in cakra after cakra from muladhara to

sahasrara everything becomes divinised. Nothing is gross and

inert but is an aspect of feakti particularised in that form.

In worship of Mahavidya by way of nyasa, pranapratistha, etc.,

this is at first merely thought of to be true in a gradual

process of ultimately realising the presence of akti in

everything and every being. Mind by constant and earnest

association of the divine with the Universe familiarises

itself with and then realises the truth. The dvaita (duality)

continues at this stage. Thereafter it realises that particular

aktis are fragments of One Power, the Adya&akti Mahavidya.

Even Advaita feeling continues at this stage. And ultimately

the sadhaka, both in his essential nature (atman or spirit)

and in his mind and body (particular aspects of feakti) becomes

one with that Supreme akti which is the end of all Vedantic
 225

monistic teaching 'Saham* (She I am) or ivo1 ham (I am Siva) . ^

This is the same as Vedantic aphorism fiat tvaro asi (thou art
95 _ _
that), the ultimate union of sadhaka and sadhya by

annihilating all dvandvas (differences and dualities) and

establishing identity(abheda).

However Divinity as it is in Itself cannot be

easily seised by the mind. It is necessary/ therefore to have

the image of Devi placed before the sadhaka as a representative

of Herself known as pratxka or pratima. This may be an external

object or mental one. The external objects are of varying

degrees of grossness and subtlety. The grossest object is the

image of three dimensions as the murttis of ten Mahavidyas.

Less so is the pictures and paintings on the flat. Then comes

the emblem/ which may be quite unlike the Divinity of which

it is an emblem, such as the aligrama stone and lastly the

yantra, the diagrammatic body of a mantra which is otherwise

known as vidya. Thus outer worship consists of an outer object

with physical act such as bodily prostration, offering of

flowers and so on; or it may be wholly or partly mental, as

in the latter case, where both the form of the divinity is

imagined as in dhyana of the Mahavidyas as also the offerings.

94. SP, p.135 (jlvanmuktah 6ivo bhavet) .

cf. ibid., p.229(qurucaranaparo1 ham bhairavo * ham Sivo1 ham).

T

95. J. Vasudeva Kirtikar, Studies in Vedanta, p.74.

 226

These ingredients of worship are called upacaras. These

rites are really psychophysiological in the sense that these

are physical as to be done by mudras and nyasas and other

outer actions at the time of worship and mental as recitation

of mantra, jaa, dhyana, etc. In image worship, the mind is

shaped into the form of the Mahavidya worshipped. But the

perception of this material image is not the object of worship

but to see the power or divinity inside the object perceived.

This the worshipper invoices into -the image by avahana mantra

and mudra (welcoming by performing a peculiar gesture of the

hands and palms) and life giving(pranapratistha) ceremonies

and bidding good bye(visarjana) at the end of the worship,

thereby the sadhaka informs his own mind with this notion that

the deity is present. He is also conscious of the presence of

and meditates on the Divinity and its attributes by stotras,

hrdava, and kavaca, atanama and sahasranama. This keeps the

mind of the worshipper undistracted and thereby helps it in

its transformation to divine. Such transformation of body and

mind into consciousness of divine is effected by the following

means.
-96
Gesture of hands or mudra is a common part of

the ritual worship. These are necessary movements of the hands

and body. Since gesture emphasises and intensifies thought mudra

96. &P, Kalltantra, p.31.

 227

is adopted for concentration and complete association of

body and mind in worship. It symbolises the state of the

personality of an individual in worship. These are practised

after one attains perfection in various asanas. A mudra

stabilizes the union of prana and apana so that the natural

rhythm is not broken. The practice of mudras produces firmness

of the body and equanimuty of the mind of the individual. In

the Gheranda Samhita there are references to twenty-five

- 97
different types of mudras. In the HP there are references
98 _
to ten mudras. In the JjS there are references to mahamudra,

mahabandha/ mahabheda/ khecari, ;j alandhara, mulabandha,

viparitakarana, uddiyana, vajroti and akticalana. An individual

is able to conquer the process of decay and death of his body

by mudras. He can have perfect equanimity of the mind and have

apprehension of the light of pure consciousness by the practice

of mndras. Besides the performance of mudras has direct action

upon the kundalinl akti. Sakti-calanl-mudra arouses and

1-1 ' " _ -I '

activates the kundalini akti and it is made to ascend towards

the sahasrara (above the cerebral region). When the kundalinl

akti and Sadasiva are held in perfect union and equipoise the
99
real knowledge dawns on the individual. Diagrams of a few

mudras are illustrated prepage.

97 . W, 1.55- 56.

98. is, 1.23, 24.

99. A. iN. n
Sinha, STY, pp.125-26
 228

Mudras are performed by sitting on asanas. These

are the correct postures of the body which contribute to the

production of equipoise in human organism. By Yoga practice

an individual can experience a feeling of physical well-being

and happiness by spontaneously and habitually adopting correct

bodily postures thereby various hinds of physical discomfort

can be overcome. Even various kinds of viral, bacterial and

deficiency diseases can be warded off through the performance

of asanas. This also helps arresting the natural decay and

aging of body. Longivity is prolonged and each type of asana

helps the body and mind in one particular way like garbhasana

increasing the capacity for stress tolerance, utthitadvipadasana

purifying the vital airs, pacimottanasana destroying the

microbes in the stomach and removing indigestion, feirsasana

increasing health, beauty and power of the body, padmasana

fulfilling all types of desires and so on and so forth.

Padmasana is a common asana adopted for worship of the

Mahavidyas.100 Asana or seat has got more importance in Yoga

than in ordinary worship called sadhana. The principle as

regards asana is to secure a comfortable seat, because that

is favourable to meditation and worship. If one is not

comfortable there is distraction and worry. Both mudra and

100. &S, 1.23,24.

 229

asana are therefore, ancillary to worship. Asanas bring

about spiritual transformation in the personality of an

individual. The physique of an individual can be brought

to a state of perfect poise and mental equanimity through

regular performance of asanas. The range of knowledge can be

considerably increased in an individual through regular

performance of asanas.
101 .
Nyasa is an important aspect of worship. It means
placing of the hands of the worshipper on different parts of

his body and at the same time uttering the appropriate mantras

and imagining that by his action the corresponding parts of

the body of the Devi are placed there in his own body. The

rite terminates with a movement of the hands 'spreading' Devi

all over the body. How Devi can be spread over the worshipper's

body? It means the supreme Mahavidya, the all-pervading Immense

should be thoroughly felt over his limbs by the worshipper at

the time of his worship. What is all-spreading cannot be moved

or spread. What can, however be 'spread1 is the thought of the

worshipper who with appropriate bodily gesture, imagines that

10 '
Devi pervades his body and thereby it is renewed and divinised.

101. Kriyakandavaridhi, II, p.120(nylsas tu taranayatl viddhi).

102. |>P, 0.26 (atmanam devlrupam vibhavayet) .

 230

By imagining the body of the Devi to be his body he purifies

himself and affirms his unity with the Devi.103 There are

as many as twelve or more nySsas.104 The rsyadi nyisa has

to be made in favour of the mantra**drasta on head chanda on

the mouth and Devata or presiding deity on the heart. It has

to be done in order to reap the fruit of the worship. Otherwise

the mantra or worship becomes ineffective. Similarly rwisa

of vl1a-mantra has to be made on the anus, that of akti on

the feet and that of kllaka on all limbs of the body. The

matrka nyasa ^ should be performed after purifying the

materials of worship. Matrka akti is of two kinds, viz., oara

'.------------------- -

and apara. Para-matrka resides within susumna

# '
and apara matrka
' 1
IUI" m .

exists within the body. External matrka is but another name of

apara matrka. The nyasa of inner matrka should be made on the

petals, pericaps- and so on and so forth, of the six cakras and

the nyasa of the mantras of outer matrka should be made, in

order on the forehead, face, eyes, ears, nostrils, cheek, lips,

teeth, head, mouth, hands, feet, joints, sides, back, navel,

belly, heart, shoulders and from heart to hands, from heart

to feet, from heart to belly and from heart to face. If

103. ibid., p.27(atrnanarh uddhacaitanyanandamayam devatarupam

vibhavayet).

104. ibid., pp.8-28.

105. ibid.
 231

the matrka mantras (letters of the alphabets) are placed

in the reverse order, than the mjtrka is called sarfihara Matrka106
... ' ^ " "ll~l

and if they are set forth in the order of the places of their

origin from srikantha downwards, then it is called

srikanthadimatrka Matrka may also be used with ' nbindu(o) and

' "" 1-1 **

visarca (:) so as to make the worship full-proof to grant

vidya, bhoqa (enjoyment) and liberation. Matrka nyasa grants

wealth, fame, longivitv ana destroys the evil of the ge.

Vidya nyasa should be done on the head, muladhara, heart,

three eyes, two ears, mouth, two arms, back knees and navel.

One vino performs it attains the state of iva Paupati. There

is also sodha nyasa by which one overcomes snake-poison and

death from accidents and all evils wrought by planets(grahadosa)

207
and diseases. All harmful things are destroyed by this nyasa.

The sadhaka becomes a poet ana his enemies turn friendly. The

eight forms of siadhi are also attained by this nyasa. There

are other kinds of nyasa like tattva nyasa, jlva-nyasa,

kara-nyasa and yyapaka nyasa, etc. The purpose of all these

nyasas is to acquire riches in this World and liberation here

and hereafter. It also grants Brahma-bliss. The principle

behind nyasa is to establish one's Istadevata as differentiated

106. ibid., p.16.

107. ibid., P.19.

 232

iflnntra-feakti in all parts of one's body, and then by means of

vyapaka or comprehensive nyjsa to feel the presence of the

Devata as one undivided entity whose substance is mantra all

over one's body from the feet to the crown of his head.108

Such nyasa makes the worshipper fearless (vira), a prerequisite

for worship.
Similarly Devi's kavaca100 is nothing but an

indestructible armour which covers the body of the worshipper

for undisturbed worship or sadhana. This is also a psychological

therapy of fearlessness and conviction enveloping the spirit and

energy of the worshipper. Reading out hrdaya stotra of the Devi

speaks of the nature of sakti worshipped that grants the

worshipper bhukti and mukti. Thereafter satanjma and

sahasramama, i.e., 100 and 1000 names of Devi Mahavidya have

to be recited by the worshipper to appease Her.

_ _ _ ]_1Q
But all these also precede pranayama. According

to the Gautamiya-tantra, pranayama is of two kinds, viz.,

saqarbha and niqarbha (i.e., pregnant and non-pregnant).

Saqarbha pranayama is performed alonq with japa of mantra

(recitation) and niqarbha pranayama is that which is performed

108. ibid.

109. ibid., pp.81,128.

110. ibid., Sodasl-tantra, p.159, Tara-tantra, p.122.

 233

without any mantra and only according to counts. This pranayama

is nothing but breath control that induces mind to be free

from modification and thereby making the worshipper fit for

sadhana. And pranayama without purification of elements or

- Ill -
bhutafeuddhi is not efficacious. The elements(bhutas) are the

five tattvas, ether, air, fire, water and earth (viz., ksiti, ap,
112
tcjas, marut, vyoma). In the Gandharvatantra * it is described

that a jlva1s body constituted of five elements ana ever

associated with faeces and urine is, in its nature, unclean. In

order that this unclean body may be purified, it is dried up

- 113
by means of Vayumantra and burnt and reduced to ashes by
114
means of Aqnl mantra. A shower of nectar is caused by means
11s
of Candramantra and a flooding of water by means of
Varunamantra.116 The five elements composing the body are

ourified in this way by coming in contact with the unmanifest

Hahavidya brought about by means of recaka (exhalation),

ouraka (inhalation) and kumbhaka (retention) of breath with

111. ibid., p.7. ;

112. Sir J. Woodroffe, op.cit., p.477.

113. yam, the vlia of V-ayu-tattva

114. ram, the vlja of Teias-tattva.

115. urn.

116. yarn, the vi.1 a of Jalatattva

 234

the help of the said mantras. After performing purification

of elements one should place the water, flower, etc., meant

for worship before the Devi and perform matrkanyasa,

mantranyasa, pranayama and rsinyasa. Pranayama helps achieving

stability of the body checking wastage of vital energy and

purifies the nerves (nadi) and removes the toxic substances

from them. The electrical potency of the Human Central Nervous

system and the neurophysiological system are controlled through

the practice of pranayama. Thus the body chemistry can be

9

regulated in an individual by altering the dietary habits and

his electrical potency can thus be controlled. The altered body

chemistry and. regulation of electrical potency through change

of food habits and pranayama can produce effects on human

117 - -
epistemology. And by bhuta&uddhi a sadhaka can ascend to

the higher states of consciousness through the purification

and spiritualisation of the body.

All these outer processes ultimately and in an

118
inner exercise known as mantra japa or recital of mantras

according to prescription. It has already been discussed that

mantra is the divinity. It is Divine Power manifesting in a

117. A.K. Sinha, op.cit., p.125.

118. Sir J. Woodroffe, Introduction to Tantrasastra, p.103

(vidhanena mantroccaranam).
 235

sound, body. In japa the sidhaka strives to realise his unity

with the mantra or Divinity. And to the extent he is able to

do so the mantra-sakti supplements his sadhana-&akti. By

repetition of mantra the human sheathes assume the mantric

consciousness and are transformed into that consciousness of

Divinity of which mantra is the outer manifestations. Japa is

of three kinds, gross subtle and supreme. In gross form mantra

is audibly repeated the objective body-aspect or sound

predominating; in the subtle japa there is no audible sound,

the lips and other organs forming themselves into the position
which by contact with the air, produce the sound of the letters.
13 9
In Para japa ' it is absolutely mental ana there is emphasis

on the Deity or the subjective aspect. This japa is a means for

the ritualistic realisation of mantra Mahavidya by mind, of the

120 121
unity of human power and Divine Power. In the Picchila-tantra

it is said that after performing pranayama thrice, one should

do the rsi nyasa and thereafter japa. The japa of different

kinds has relative values, attachable to thought and its

materialisation in sound and word. Japa should be done with

119. Sir J. Woodroffe, Sakti and 3akta, p.305; YH, 11.20.

120. Sir J. Woodroffe, Principles of Tantra. Part II, p.510.

121. quoted in Tantrasara, p.75.

 236

physical and mental cleanliness and for a specified number

of times and atleast for 108 times in the minimum to be

effective, why the effective number is 108 is nowhere

explained but is recommended as the ordains of guru, the

preceptor, whose words are supreme in the world of sadhana.

The counting is done with a mala or rosary or with the thumb

of the right hand upon the joints of fingers of that hand. ^

Puracargna consists in the repetition of a mantra

for a large number of times but basing on the syllables of the

mula or original mantra, generally one lakh times for each

syllable in a mantra. During this period the worshipper has

to maintain celebacy and live on sattvic food of milk, fruit

and honey, etc. Puracarana in order to be efficacious should

X 23 124
commence and end with pranava so that fourfold fruits of
125
religion can be obtained. ^he RY says that a rosary of

rudraksa beads should never be used in japa during the day.

But it is not reprehensible in puracarana. Such repetition

of mantras liberate individuals from the bondage of ignorance

and suffering. Mantras are of the nature of the spiritual light.

122. Sir J. Woodroffe, op.cit., p.511.

123. On.

124. dharma/ artha, kama and moksa.

125. KUT, pp.320-26.

 237

log
They represent the union of Siva and jjakti. They symbolise
the various manifestations of Siva and akti. These are

revealed to rsis (seers) who intuitively apprehend their

secret meanings. The nature of the ultimate reality can be

known by the power of mantras. An individual may evade the

possibility of rebirth and transmigration by the power of

mantras. 127 Mantras give intuitive consciousness of the

nature of the transemperical reality. Hence an individual

may intuitively apprehend the nature of pure consciousness

through repetition of mantrasMantras are spiritual in

nature. They are the manifestation of abda-brahman (reality

as pure sound). They represent various deities through which

feabdabrahman manifests itself. When an individual becomes

conscious of the meaning or a mantra it gets awakened. This

130
is known as mantracaitanya. The awakened mantra reveals

real knowledge. The meaning of mantras cannot be understood by

reasoning. They are trans-empirical in their nature.. It is

not 'thought form' as argued by A. Danielan in his

126. YH, p.90(Setubandha tika).

127. Sivasutra Varfcika of Bharadvaj a, 11,1.6.

128. YH,1 II.28(Setubandha tika).

"

129. ST, 1.13.

130. KUT, XV.61? MKT, III.31.
 238

Hindu Polytheism. Mantras have nothing to do with 'thought

forms' or intellectual concept. They are not devices for

producing illusions through black magic The secret meaning

of mantras are directly revealed by the divine grace to

deserving individuals.* The very 'principle of grace' is

a logical.

There is a synthesis between the combination of

alphabets, the sound and the meaning in a mantra. The Supreme

divine principle, the Universe and the human personality may

be represented by various mantras. All the fifty letters of

the Sanskrit language are inscribed on the six cakras which

are located in the body of every individual as well as in the

person of Mahavidya, being the body of the entire universe. The

ultimate reality expresses itself into the Universe through

the vibrating pure sounds of alphabets. An individual may find

his way back to pure consciousness from which they emerged

through intuitive apprehension of the relationship between

rnarrttas, their pure sounds and meanings. There is perfect

concord between atoms, personality and the universe because

they are nothing but the particularisations and individuations

of the identical spiritual reality expressed in the mulamantra

om, the symbolic name of the transempirical reality from which

131. A.K. Sinha, op.cit., p.136.

 239

all other mantras are derived. Human thought structure and

linguistic forms are but distorted forms of this pure sound

or pranava. Even if the mantra of a particular deity is not

known, pranava as the base mantra would serve all purposes.

Qm reveals the harmonising principle relating to an individual,

the universe and the divine principle as the trinity of pure

consciousness (Siva), pure creative energy (_|akti) and their

unity in bindu (oiva-sakti). Kundalini Sakti in human body at

the base cakra muladhara and 3iva-consciousness in sahasrlra

13 2
in polarised forms can be utilised by their union for

realisation of this ultimate unity in om. The utterance and

intuitive apprehension of the meaning of the pure sound om

_ _ _ 133
and the vija mantras of different Mahavidyas may lead an

individual from the experience of the manifold universe to

intuitive consciousness of the nondual nature of the ultimate

reality. So the vija-mantra may serve as the vehicle for an

individual in emancipating him from ignorance and suffering.

It is the connecting link between an individual, the universe

and the ultimate reality by realising which he becomes Siva.

This is the underlying principle behind all Mahavidya Upasana.134

132. Sir J. Woodroffe, TSP, p.48.

133. krim for Kali, hrlm for Bhubanesvarl, hum for Tara,
srim for Kamalatmika, etc.

134. P, Taratantra, pp.119-149.

 240

V.3.4 Tara

We may now come to the peculiarity of the image of

Tara, the Second Mahavidya in this Pantheon. She is also known

as iMilasarasvatx and Ugratara. She is of dark blue

36
complexion whereas Kali is of dark colour, as sombre as the

clouds at the time of universal dissolution. Tara places her

left leg on the breast of iva who lies like a corpse. She
is of short stature with protruding belly.138 she has a terrible
, . - , 139
appearance ana is aressea in tigerskin. she wears on her neck
140
a garland of severed human heads. She is in the prime of her

youth and adorned with pancamudras. She is having four hands

and her tongue is held out a bit. She wears a single braid of

matted hair on her head. The rsi Aksobha resides on her forehead.
1-1

Her complexion is as effulgent as that of the newly rising Sun.

She is three-eyed. She stands in the midst of a funeral pyre.

135. ibid., Uqratara iaya candi, etc., p.134.

ri'" '

136. ibid., p.128(Nila mam patu devei, etc.).

137. ibid., p.119 i in

(pratyalldhapadarpitanghrl-^avahrd, etc.).
#

138. ibid(kharva nilavialapingalajata).

139* ibid., p.127(vyaqhratvakparivita, et.).

140. ibid., p.l23(svetasthipattalikam, etc

 241

The range of her teeth is terrible. She is laughing,

engrossed in her emotion, and is decked with valuable

1. ^!L "1 ao
ornaments worn by women,, She takes a blue lotus on
one of her hands, a kartri143 and a khadga144 in other two
145
hands and a vessel of skull in one hand. She takes her
stand on a white lotus in the midst of a wide expanse of

water. There are snakes on her head and at different places

of her body like kankana, etc. It has been said that Tara,
though a Buddhist tantric goddess146 has been equated with

Kali of Dasa Mahavidya. According to the ST14^ Kali, Tara,

Tripurasundari and Chinnamasta are one and the same. But the

respective Mahavidya mantras being quite different from each

1 4ft
other they cannot be treated as one deity. The Tantrasara ~

describes this Goddess in the line of Buddhist description.

She is youthful, fierce, short-statured and big-bellied. She

stands in a pratyalldha pose and wears a garland of skulls

has a lolling tongue; in her right arms she holds a sword

141. ibid(kartri khadqakapalanllanalinai raj at karam indubham).

142. ibid (vivavyapakavarimadhya vilasat svetambuj anmasthitam) .

143. ibid (kanclkundalaharakafikanalasat keyuramanjlratarfi) .

"i-n ",r~ "1"' "r""" '

144. ibid (aptairnaqavaraivibhusitatanum araktanetratrayam).

145. ibid (pinqo1graikajatam llasat svarasanam danstrakaralananam).

146. ibid (carmadvaipivaram katau vidadhatlm svetasthipattalikam).

147. .ibid., Kalltantra, P.81(tvam Kali tvam ca Tara tvam asi

girisuta Sundarl Bhairavl tvam).

148. Tantrasara., p415.

 242

and knife and a skull and lotus in the left, her head
- 149
adorned by the Dhyani Buddha Aksobhya. She is known as

Tarini and her dhyana mantra occurs in a number of tantric

150
texts. Tantrasara describes Her as prone to grant

liberation and Her worship bestows knowledge, poetic ability,

wealth, success in business and position in the royal court.

151
A number of mantras and kavacas have been coiriposed for

propitiation of this Goddess. Of the different forms of Tara,

150
Ekajata is important. She is so called because her matted
- 153
locks are considered to be formed of Rudra. Tne Tantrasara

describes Ugratara form as standing in pratyalidha pose with

her right foot on a corpse, she holds a sword, blue lotus, a

knife and a vessel in her hands. She is short-statured with

brown-matted locks and fierce snakes on her body. She destroys

the inactivity of the whole World having put it in a skull-cup.

She is also known as Mila Sarasvati. This Goddess is said to

have originated in a lake called chola to the east of Mount

149. Milatantra, Patala III.

150. PM, IX.

151. Taratantra, VI.3-4.

152. Tararahasya, Patala I

153. Tantrasara, pp.430-31.

 243

Meru. While She was performing austerities her energy

fell into the lake and that had caused her complexion to

become blue. There are also other forms of Tara collectively

known as Asta

Tara or AstatarinI

(may be equated with Buddhist

concept of the Astamahabhaya-Tara). They are known as Tara,

Ugra, Vajra, Mahogra, Kali/ Sarasvatl, ICamevarI and
- - 155
Bhadrakali. The YH describes her as the source of light

and also representing the power of hunger. The Devi

156 - -
sahasraranama describes Tara as the deity who leads to the

other shore thereby meaning that She liberates from this World.
157
In the Jaina Iconography she is described as seated on a

lotus. She holds in her four hands a citrus, two lotuses and

a rosary. With this form She is known as Dharini YaksinI in

the Jain scriptures, particularly in the 8vetambara concept.

Among the Diqambara Jainas she is conceived as riding on a

154. PT (pratyalldhapadarpitanghri Savahrd ghora ttahasapara

khadqendivarakartrikharparabhuj a humkaraviiodbhava/
kharva nilavisalapingalajata.jutai ka naqair juta/
iadya nyasya kapalakartr jaqatam hantyugratara svavam/
reproduced in SP, p.119).

155. YH, pp.275-76.

156. P, v.88, p.140(taranlmandaladhyeya taranlbhavasagara).
"1 ' '"j.-

157. B.C. Bhattacharya, Jaina Iconography, p.100.

 244

swan and holding a snake, a vajra, a mrga in the three of

1 5R
her hands. The fourth hand is in the varada posture. But

the Buddhist Taras as described in the Sadhanamala are

emanations from Amoghasiddhi and they are different from

Mahavidya concept in the sense that though these are all

different ways of sadhana, the ultimate realisation is different

in both the cults. The ipritattvanidhi^50 describes only one

form of Tara/ which is known as Ugratara, an adoption from the

Buddhist pantheon; though this name is not found in the

Sadhanamala and in the Jaina list of goddesses. According to

FT1 she is Ugratara because she is fierce(uqra) Goddess and

protects her devotees from all fierceness (Ugratarinl). She is

of sindura colour. She is in the pratyalidha pose and holds in

three hands a sword (khadqa), a spear (sula), and a kharpara

(vessel). In the rest of the hands she shows the varada gesture.

The Mahavidya Tara is more or less, akin to the Buddhist

Mahacinatara, who also stands on a corpse. But in all cases

their mantras are different. The dhyana of Mahacinatara

158. ibid., p.101.

159* B. Bhattacharya, Sadhanamala, Vol.I, pp.200-10.

160. B. Srivastava, opcit, p.35

161. PT, p.376.

 245

in Sadhanamala X o 2 and those in the Tara rahasya of Brahmananda,

who flourished in the middle of the 16th century and in the

16 3
Tantrasara of Krsnananda Agamavagisa are identical. A

comparison of the two dhyanas will at once reveal how the

original composition of 6alvatavajra16^ has been modified in

the Tantrasara by a Hindu tantric author. Some lines just have

been reproduced as in the original dhyana and all grammatical

errors rectified. This is evidently the recognised method of

Hinduising a Buddhist tantric dexty. According to critics 1 o5

it is remarkable that the Hindus retained in their dhyana of

Tara the effigy of Aksobhya bespeaking as it does, the Buddhist

origin of the Goddess, for it is well-known that the Hindu

gods or goddesses are not in the habit of wearing a miniature

figure of their Sires on the crown. Moreover, Aksobhya is

unknown in the Hindu pantheon except when he is borrowed from

the Buddhists, and Hindu Sastra .fails to explain the

desirability of putting his figure on the crown of Tara. But -

it may be pointed out that the corpse under the feet of the

Hindu Tara is not a mere corpse but is the prostrate form of

Mahadeva to whom She is attached as a feakti and Aksobhya

1o2. Sadhanamala, Vol.i, p.210.

163. Tantrasara^ p.415.

164. B.C. Bhattacharya, IBI, p.190.

165. ibid., p.191.

 246

overhead appears to be redundant. Some people also equate

this Tara Mahavidya with Ekajata, another emanation of

Aksobhya. But EkajatasxX 6 6 are of different forms of two-armed,

four-armed, eight-armed figures whereas Tara is four-armed

and is having a lotus, a kartri, a kapala (skull-cup) and a

sword, of course, found either in one of the hands of different

Ekajata forms. In Buddhist Tantras Taras are of green, while,

yellow, blue and red colour. But the only blue formed Mahacina

Tara has been incorporated wholly into the dindu-tantric pantheon.

The trailokyavijaya mudra of Astabhuja-Kurukulla might be

J 7" " ...... *'11

having some bearing on the trailokyavij aya mantra of Tara in

Mahavidya pantheon. But the fact remains that the Buddha tantras

have so varied forms of goddesses with their detailed dhyana

and mantras that it will not be out of place to mention that

Mahavidya forms have greater semblance in icons with one or

more of the Buddhist tantric deities in their varied aspects.

But their mantras are different and the detailed pujavidhi

prescribed for Mahavidya goddesses are absent in the Sadhanamala,

which more or less abounds in prescriptions of Yogic methods

for realisation of respective goddesses and their attributes.

Like Tara, all Ekajata goddesses are of blue colour, have

tiger-skin round their loins, are one-faced and three-eyed,

166. ibid., p.193.

 247

but unlike Tara have brown hairs rising upwards on their

heads. But both Tara and Ekajata are short, pot-bellied,

*1 *7
wrathful and standing in the pratyalldha attitude. But
*

168
unlike Tara's smiling and graceful face their faces are

distorted with anger; with garlands of head hanging from

169
thexr necks they rest on corpses, are terrible in

appearance and bear the image of Aksobhya on the crown. They

have youthful bust and they laugh horribly and are conceived

on the orb of the Sun over the double lotus. The Icons of

green Taras are more akin to Mahakali form. The Red Tara icon

may somewhat be equated with Tripura-sundari or Sodasi and

MatahginI form and the yellow Tara with Kamalatmika and

Vagalamukhl. Vajra Yogini, an emanation of Ratnasambhava,

identical in appearance with the Mahavidya Goddess, was borrowed

and incorporated wholly into the Mahavidya pantheon in a later

stage when the Vajrayana waned. In other words it may be argued

that Mahavidya goddesses are mere Hindu adaptations.of the

Va.jrayana goddesses after the latter fell into disrepute and

was banished from the soil of its birth. They assumed Hindu

167, P, Taratantra, p.128.

168. ibid*/ p.126.

Sadhanamala,
" "' * Vol.I, p.266 (sarosa
' karalavaktra mundamala

pralambitah).

170. B.C. Bhattacharya, op.cit., p.247.

of. Sadhanamala, Vol.xi, pp.45263.

 248

methods of worship and are called Yoginls as surest forms

of Yoga-vidya granting boon as is evident from the varada

and abhaya mudras depicted in their hands. The Chinamasta

deity like that of the Buddhist appears with her own severed'

head held in her hand and drinking her own blood oozing out

of her own headless trunk. She is accompanied by two yoginis

on either side of her who are called Vajravairoca.nl and

Vajravarnini. She is nude and her right leg is stretched while

the left is bent down. There is instruction to the worshipper

to meditate on the streams of blood issuing from the severed

171
head and into the mouths of the two yoginis on her either side.
- - 172
.3.5 Sodni The third Mahavidya Sodas! often identified as

Tripura or Tripura-sundari in the Soda6itantra 1.7' 3 is described

as having four arms holding a noose, an elephant hook, an arrow,

174 - -
and a how. m the sritattvanidhi Tripurasundari is described

as having four hands and of sindura colour. In her hands she

has a noose, an elephant hook, a sugarcane bow and the flower

arrow. She in iconographic features is identical with

171. SP, Chinamasta Tantra, pp.221-246.

172. A. Daniclou., op.cit., p.46l.

173. |P, pp.170,178,180,181.

174. Srivastava, op.cit., p.35.

 249

- - -175 -
Rajarajefevari described in Sodasi Kalpa. H.K. Sastri
.

finds perfect similarity in iconographic features of this

76
Goddess with Lalita and Tripurasundari. This Goddess is

extremely beautiful and of dazzling brilliance. She is also

177
described as standing in the orbit of Sun. There is also
178
a form of this Goddess as described in the >T as

Balatripurasundari. She is a Goddess of red colour and bright

179
like the light of thousand Suns. She has four heads in

which she holds a book(vidya), a rosary, the other two hands

having abhaya and varada poses. Her name is Tripura as She

represents the threefold tantric abstractions like trifoona

(triangle), trisakti (three forms of akti-iccha, jnana, kriya),

trivindu (viz., rakta, sukla and misra), tripltha (Kamarupa,

1o0
Purnacriri and Jalandhara), trilihga (Vana, Itara, Para), etc.

<i r| ^
q'-he Tantraseraauotos the dhyana or Sodasi from the YH wherein

175. ibid./ p.36.

176. H.K. Sastri, South Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses,p.220.

177. A. DanielOU, op.cit., p.464 (hhanumandalamadhyastha) .

178. ST, p.309.

179. |P, p.175.

180. Kamakalavilasa, pp.13-14.

181. Tantrasara, p.319.

 250

she has been described as a very beautiful and youthful

damsel. Her nature is benign. She is installed on a red

lotus, her garments being red. In the Mahakalasamhita her

dhyana mantra has been elucidated. She is seated on a pedestral

comprising of Brahma, Visnu, Rudra, lvara (Indra) and Sadaiva

and the altar on which she takes her seat is iva Himself.

On the later is Mahakala with whom the Mahavidya sports in

joy. The LSN describes Her as of three eyes, Her hue is like

that of red sindura, the diadem of precious stones she wears

has a crescent on it shining wonderfully; that she is easily

accessible is indicated by her benign smile, having for her

children inexhaustible store of the milk of life in her full

breast; the vessel of honey in one hand and the red lotus in

the other symbolises joy and wisdom of which she alone is the

source; and her feet placed on the precious pot full of valuable

gems indicate that these are not difficult for those who

surrender to her feet and take refuge in her. This description

of Lalita does not strictly conform to the Mahavidya Icon. But

the fact remains that the yantra of Sod-asi is Srlyantra or

" L "'

oricakra and this Dev! is r!vidya. rividya enjoins the

worship of parafeakti, the ultimate Reality as Mother of the

Universe. This worship based on meditation recognises three

182. LSN, p.38.

 251

levels according to the capacity (adhikara) of the aspirant.

They are. known as para, apara, and parapara in the order of'

achievement. In the first, the dualistic vision is thinned

down next to zero. The limited 111 (ahanta) of the sadhaka is

replaced by the unlimited Divine. '.I* The worshipper comes to

the settled conviction that every act of his is the expression

of the divine will. His gross body and the subtle one are made

to dissolve into the divine by the constant reflection on

* Sahara1, 'I am She1 . This parapuja is the highest form of

- 183
feakta-tantric worship. This worship is based on the conviction

that the limited 1aham1 or 'I' is a superimposition on the

unlimited 'I1, the Supreme Reality which is the substratum of

all internal and external experiences and hence called

- . t 184
ccatanyarupini.

Apara worship is the worship of ri yantra by which

the experience of the world is transformed into the divine

185 -
illumination of samarasya or Brahman-Atman unity. Beginners

who are not mature for totally dispensing with material aids

have recourse to this type of exercise. When their minds are

183. Vimalananda, Ed. >ri Lalitambikasahasranama Stotra., p.56.

184. SP, p-188(caitanvarupini nitya, etc.).

185. Tat tv a Sandoha, v.13.

 252

properly trained in the use of yantra# tantra and mantra

they can adopt subtle forms of worship like para one. The

third type of aspirants come between the first and second

group. These parapara worshippers have only a partial experience

of the internal and external aspects of Reality. They adopt

symbolic worship on their long journey to reach light of

consciousness, the Mahavidya Soda&i. The worship of this

Mahavidya demands offering of all the dual experiences186 of

sensation and preceptions into the sacrificial fire as oblation.

The ultimate goal, of this worship is to achieve the experience
of non-dualistic reality.

T.3.6 Bhuvane&varI

BhuvaneSvari is the fourth deity in the Mahavidya

137
Pantheon. Her complexion is that of the rising Sun. She has
. ,188 _ n 189
worn a crescent on her forehead and a crown over head.

186. LSI'], v.125 (Bhaskararaya tika) .

187. SP, p.193.

188. ibid (udayaddinadyutim indukiritam tungakucan

nayanatrayayuktaifi smeramukhim varadanku^ apa^abhltika-
ram parabhaje bhubane^im).

189. ibidi# p.193.

 253

Her breasts are full as if surcharged with milk.190 she is

three-eyed and her face is ever lit up with smile.191 In her

two hands she holds the noose and the goad and in the other

two the pose of granting boons (varada) and assurance to her

i Qo
devotees to allay their fears (abhaya). She is the lady
193
of the spheres. She adorns herself with various ornaments

like kundala,'
' ""
hara
l
T-- I
(garland), qraiveyaka/ kind mani
I O'"
(iewel},
valaya, etc. She sits on the lotus throne and has three eyes.19"1

The Bhuvanefvarl-tantra depicts the Goddess in the same way as

_ i95
in the sritattvanidhi. Herein She is described as the

Goddess having the moon diadem, large breasts and three-eyes.

She has smiling face and shines like the rising Sun and her
196
hands showing the mudras already described above. In some

other descriptions the Goddess is found having on Her head a

serpent(naga), a lihga and a yoni and holds in Her four hands

a cup, a mace, a shield ana the sriohala. Her colour is like

190. ibid.

191. Ibid. :

192. ibid.

193. Srivastava, op.cit., p.36.

194. A. Danidlqu-, op.cit., p.464.

195. Sriyastgva, loc.cit., p.36.

196. Srivastava, Ed. Sritattvanidhi, v.31('varada1 and abhaya').
 254

197 , 198
the molten gold. The 0?, describes two forms of

Bhuvanevari with the names as Saubhagya-Bhuvane sv ar i and

Maya-Bhuvane&vari. The former is of the sindura colour and

has three eyes and broad (pina) breasts. She adorns her person

with various jewels and holds in her two hands a cup and a red

lotus. Maya-BhuvaneSvari is of blue colour and has crescent on

her head. She has three eyes and four hands. The hands hold a

cup and a lotus and one of her hands is in the abhaya pose.
The fourth hand has not been described. She is adorned with

ornaments having her seat on a red lotus throne. We have a

very beautiful BhuvaneSvarl image in the precincts of rl

Jagannath temple at Puri close to Laksml Handira and her icons

_ 199
closely resemble that described in the Bhuvanesvan-tantra.

She is called Bhuvanefei or Bhuvane&vari as She is

the protectress of the World. The Sun and Moon represent the

yogic nadis by manipulating which the Lady of the quarters

9

could be realised. Her three eyes represent her Iccha, kriya

and inana feakti. Her highly developed, breasts represent her

"Worldmotherhood ever smiling and benign to grant amrosis

197. H.K. Sastri, op.cit., p.279.

198. ST, pp.247-65.

199. &P, pp.198-200

 255

from her breast to the willing worshipper. The noose

represents that as maya-akti the controlls the mayic world

of names and forms (namarupatmaka jaqat) and goad in her hand

is a symbol that by her grace the worshipper can bring his

sense-powers under his control to realise her benign grace

and motherhood. Only after such control the worshipper is able

to get boon of bhukti and mukti and his fears allayed as shown

in the abhaya and varada mudras of her hands.

.3.7 Bhairavi

-r200
Bhairavi or Tripura-Bhairavi as sne is oxten

called is the fifth Goddess of Mahavidya pantheon, who relieves

201
her worshippers from all types of distress. The PS explains

the word Bhairavi in the following manner. The letters 'bha'

symbolises bharana or maintenance, 'ra* symbolises ramana or

sport like creation and 'va1 symbolises vamana or release by

way of either destruction or liberation. She has many forms

and of them Tripura-Bhairavi resembles the lusture of a thousand

rising Suns.202 Her three-eyes resemble red lotuses and the

200. A. Danidlo^, op.cit., p.465.

201. PS, 1.12.

202. |>P, Tripurabhairavl tantra, p.249.
 256

moon shines in her bejewelled crown Her garment is red.

She has a garland of heads round her neck.^0^ Her breasts
205
are covered with blood. She holds a rosary and manuscript
j. , , 206 . _ _
m two hands like Prajnapararnita Goddesses of Buddhist-tantric
pantheon and shows varada and abhaya poses like many other

Hahavidya goddesses. The Caitanyabhairavi form holds a noose,

a goad and also a skull in her left hands. Bhuvanesvarl

Bhairavi is benign, clad in red garments and decked with a

variety of ornaments. She has three eyes, highly developed

breasts, four hands holding a noose and a goad, showing abhaya

and varada postures. Sampatprada-Bhairavi is a youthful Goddess

of the type of Sodal, she has an erotic figure. She shows

varada and abhaya poses and carries a rosary and a manuscript.

Satkuta-bhairavi has the complexion of the rising Sun. She is

adorned with necklaces made of severed human heads. Her breasts

are developed looking like golden jars. She holds in her four

hands, a noose, a goad, a manuscript, and a rosary. Rudra-

Bhairavi wears a garland of severed heads from which bcLood
/

oozes. She uses Siva as her throne and holds in her ten hands

203. ibid.

204. ibid.
205. Srivastava, Bd. Sritattvanidhi, v.125.

206. A. Dani&lQU, op.cit., p.465.

207. Phetkarinitantra, Patala 7.

 257

the trident, kettle drum, sword, shield, bow, arrow, noose,

goad, manuscript, the rosary. This Goddess is more akin to

Bhairavi goddesses of Buddhist-tantrie religion. Annapurna

Bhairavi, also known as Nitya, is the distributor of food.

She is having Bhumi and Sri beside her. She wears a crescent

on the head, a crown sparkling with the lusture of nine kinds

of gems and a waist band. The TRT describes sixteen

different kinds of Nitya goddesses and it covers various

aspects of Mahavidya upasana, though there is strictly no

resemblance between Nitya and Mahavidya goddesses. Samvit-

-209
Tripura is a peaceful Goddess having three eyes. Her colour

is white. In her four hands she holds a book, a rosary, a pot

full of ambrosia and the remaining one has in the teaching

(vyakhyana) pose. In brief, Bhairavi icons are available

both in benign and fearful forms, representing their respective

charges and though Bhairavi is destructive in her character in

popular thinking which is still lurking in the minds of the

common people.her benign character is exhibited from her hands

holding a book i.e., vidya or jaana) and a rosary that

represents the contemplative yogic method of which she is the

upholder and forerunner.

28. PN, IX, pp.809-13.

209. Srivastava, op.cit., p.38.

210. &T, XI.85.

 258

'.3.8 Chinnamasta

Chinnamasta, the next Mahavidya is contemplated as a

mode of sadhana on a pure and full-blown lotus in the region of

211
the navel. Within it is the solar region and it is surrounded

by three qunas, viz., sattva, rajas and tamas. Within that

**

region is the Goddess Chinnamasta who is also effulgent as tens

212
of millions of suns shining together. Her mouth is expansive,
213
terrible to look at, with tongue emitting out. The Goddess
21*4
is drinking the blood that gushes forth from her severed throats:

Her hair is dishevelled and adorned with varieties of flowers.'

In her right hand She holds a sword and wears a garland of human

heads on her neck. She is naked and of fearful appearance.

Nakedness is the emblem of Great Freedom not bound by limitation

of time and space and fearfulness is the symbol of destruction.

The garland of human heads are varnamala depicting the matrkas

of names and forms i.e., Devi's creative faculty of the changing

Universe. Her right leg is in front while her left leg is a

little behind. This shows Devi1s preparedness or uchhunavastha

211. BOSE & HALDAR, op.cit., p.196.

212. &?, Chinnamasta-tantra, p.221.

213. Srivastava, op.cit., p.38.

214. A. DanillO^, ^p.cit., p.46.

215. P, p.228.
 259

for creating the World. There is a serpent worn by her as

a sacred thread. The serpent represents the ICundalinl Sakti

""1" ' "" ' 1 1
present in every human body by arousing which a worshipper

can realise Devi1s ultimate State in the form of sayujya mukti.

She is on a standing posture on Rati and Kama210 embracing

each other in sexual enjoyment. This means that when the

kundalini in muladhara
' 1 1
""
is united with Siva in sshasrara.
' - . *

realisation or liberation flows which is not other than the

svarupa of Devi Herself. Her appearance is that of a woman of

sixteen years which means that she is ever youthful as She has

neither beginning nor end and therefore time cannot wither her.

Her heavy and rising breasts connote that the realisation of

this Goddess would bring all possible pleasure here and

hereafter. On the left and right hand side of Devi are standing

two fearful yoginis Dakin1 and Varnini of emaciated body with

swords in their hands and cups holding the blood-nectar

- 217
streaming out of the kabandha of Devi's body. Varnini
""

is red in complexion, naked and with dishevelled hair. Devi

218
holds her own severed head on her left hand. She is of

216. ibid (tanmadhye viparitamaithunarata pradyumnasatkaminl).

217. ibid., p.228(chinnatmiyasirasamuchhalad asrgdharam

pibantirft par am) .

218. ibid.
 260

glowing splendours and bedecked with ornaments. The effulgence

of Dakini on her left is like that of the Sun of the time of

OIQ
the termination of the Kalpa, resplendent like fire her

matted hairs sparkle like lightning. Her face terrible and

teeth frightful she bears a heavy and prominent breast. She is

found squaffing the blood gushing out in another stream from

the neck of the Goddess. As has already been pointed out she

can be equated with the Buddhist tantric Goddess Vajrayoginl.

- 220
The Chinnamasta-tantra describes this Goddess as naked and

drinking voluptuously the stream of the blood nectar flowing

from her beheaded body. She has three eyes. Her breasts are

adorned with lotuses. Inclined towards bust she stands erect

above the God of love who shows signs of bashfulness. She looks

like red rose and her eyes are blue. But the Vajrayogini ^

of Buddhist tantra is of yellow colour who carries in her left

hand her own head severed by herself with her own kartri held

in her right hand. Her left hand is raised upward while the

right is placed below. She is nude and her right leg is

stretched while the left is bent down. The stream of blood

issuing from the severed body is falling into the mouth of

219. ibid.

220. ibid., pp.228-29.

221. A. Danidiom, op.cit., p.465.

222. B.C.Bhattacharya, IBI, pp.247-48.

 261

the severed head and into the mouths of the Yoqinls called
, , _ 090
Vajravaxrocani and Vajravax-nini on either side of her.

She is also called Pracandacandika who bestows on her

worshipper anything he wants. Her grace at once makes him

iva. Of her numerous ahyanas the one quoted in the Tantrasara

. 224
xs the most widely known. According to this description the

worshiper should imagine the Devi on his own navel with the
225
red orb of the Sun in its pericarp. " The orb is identified

with the Yoqini triangle. Here she stands naked and with

dishevelled hair on Rati and Kama engaged in inverted sexual

intercourse. This implies that the path of mulcti is in relation

inverse to creation or worship of Devx is a method of involution

because creation is evolution from Devi as pure consciousness.

.3.9 Dhumavatl

The Goddess Dhuruavati comes next in the pantheon.

. . 226
She is invoked for the purpose of destroying enemies. She
. _ - 227
is pale (vivarna) / / tremulous (cancala) and angry (rusta).

223. ibid.

224. PN, IX, pp.316-17.

225. Sp, p.223 (nabhau suddha saroja vaktravilasad ...mahat).

226. H.H. Bhattacharya, opcit./ p.353.

227. P, p.277. .
 262

She is rough, her robes are unclean228 and her hair is

untied. She is widow and has only a few teeth,, She rides
a chariot on which the banner depicts a crow.230 She is tall

and has hanging breasts, harsh-looking-eyes, big nose and

generally a symmetrical feature.231 She holds a winnowing fan

in one hand and shows varada pose in the other which is

trembling. She is always hungry and thirsty, terrorising and

232 o^ o
quarrelsome.^ A The Narada Pancarjtra equates Dhumavatl

with VagalamukhI but the former is an old widow while the

latter is youthful and has a golden complexion Moreover when

the former is querulous and insatiable the latter is grave

and drunk. Dhumavatl is stern and of tall stature. Her hair

is disorderly and colourless, she is without teeth. Her eyes

are stern without slight tenderness. Her nose is big, and the

body and eye crooked. All this slows that Dhumavati is the

Goddess of povex'ty and misfortune. Once all is destroyed

228. ibid(vivama
1 " ~~ #
cane
"" 1 1
ala-Tr-irusta
^ 1"
dlrgha 1ca malinambara)
' """
.

229. ibid (vimuktakuntala ruksa vidhava viraladvija).

1

230. ibid (kakadhvaj aratharudha).

231. ibid (vilambitapayodhara).

232. Phetkarinl tantra, Patala VII.

233. N.N. Bhattacharya, op.cit., p.353.

 263

the universe goes into smoke, hence the power of ultimate

destruction is called Dhumavati, the smoky one. Her vistage

can be seen in the destitute, the beggars, the lepers, the

diseased. She dwells in the wounds of the earth, in desert,

ruined houses, tatters, hunger, thirst, widowhood, quarrels

23 4t 23 S
and the mourning of children. The ritattvanidhi describes

this Goddess slight differently as surrounded by a band of

pisacas. She is of red complexion, also wears a garment of the

same colour. Her teeth are protruded and fearful. She wears

kundalas in her ears. She also adorns herself with the

skull-garland and laughs loudly. Her two hands hold skull

(kapala) and sword (asl). She has three eyes and a crescent

on the head. She can be compared with Kalaratri.

V.3.10 Vagala

VagalamukhI is the eighth Mahavidya Goddess.

According to the Sritattvanidhi^ she is of yellow complexion,

three-eyed and having four hands holding in than a trident,

a cup, a mace and the tongue of the enemy. She has the features

234. A. Dan id loo* op.cit., p.465.

235. Srivast|V, op.cit., p.39.

236. ibid.
 264

of a beautiful woman so far her lips, neck and breasts are

- m _ 9?7
concerned. The Vagalajtukhi tantra describes her as a

two-armed Goddess# who with the left hand grasps the tongue

of her enemy and with a mace in the right hand tortures him.

She is clad in yellow garments, sits in ardhaparyankasana

on a jewlied throne beset with gems in a mandapa sresplendent

with gems in the midst of an ocean of nectar. She is adorned

all over with garlands and ornaments. In fact her mantra238

shows that she is always invoked to kill the enemies or bring

them under control. And a peculiar thing is that Vagala has

been described in this tantra as the akti or visnu,239 althouqh

the Mahavidyas are generally contemplated as sadnana iSaktls

of the maharudra wa'neSvara Parama Siva like Jambhala in Yab-yum

. 240 -
positron of Buddhist tantras. Vagala icon symbolises

cessation of all dualities or dvandvas at the realisation of

which there will be no enemy but only self emerging with pure

consciousness of whitish yellow light which is her bodily

complexion.

237. A. Daniel&u# op.cit., p.465; PN, IX, p.825.

238. &P,
1
p.304 (om hrim vagalamukhi sarvadustanam
1** 1
vacam
"" " 1
mukham
^ i

stambhaya, jihvam kilaya buddhimnafeaya hrim om

svaha).

239. ibid., p.315(om vaqala visnuvanita visnu Saifikarabhaminl/

..... *
1 '' . ..rr 1 # *,lm r"' 1 1 " " 1 _l~'" "

vahula vedamata ca mahavisnuprasurapi).

240. B.C. Bhattacharya, op.cit., p.17(Introduction) .

 265

V.3.11 Matangl

The ninth Mahavidya is Matangl or Matangini,

the Goddess o royalty. She is contemplated as the deity

defeating demons and establishing the rule of peace# calm

and prosperity. In the Matangl tantra she is described as

dark# with a white crescent in her garland and with three

lotus eyes. She sits respindent in a jewelled throne in

ardhaparyankaSana. She holds a noose# a sword, a shield and

241 242
an elephant hook. Her head is adorned with by the moon.

There are various forms of Matangl viz., Ucchista-matahgx,

Raja-matadgl# Sumukhx-mataftgi, VaSya-matahgx and Karna-matangl.

Ucchista-matangi wears a black-robe# her feet graced with

red-slip or wash. She has developed breast, garlands of pearls

and corals around her neck and ear-rings made of conch.

Sumrukhi-matangi sits on a corpse. She has red robes and

ornaments and is a youthful maiden of sixteen with highly

developed breasts. Her left hand holds a skull and the right

hand a chopper. Raja-matangl is conceived of as residing

within a triangle inside the pericarp of a lotus. She has

long hair# a garland of kadamba flower around the neck, the

241. A. Danidlou# op.cit., p.456? &P, p.331.

242. PN# IX, p.827.

 266

moon on her head and a tilaka mark on her forehead. She

has a smiling face which looks bright because of mild

perspiration. The region below her navel is marked by

trivali tinder which is the pubic hair. She is clad in

beautiful robes and decked with ornaments of pearls. She is

two-armed and fickle-eved owing to her drunken condition, she

is a maiden of sixteen with big, round, firm breasts. Suka

and Sari are her companions. She is the embodiment of sixty

243 - . -
four arts. Matangi1s icon represents power of domination.
, _ 244
According to the Sritattvanidhi her one leg rests upon a

lotus, the other is on the throne itself. In one hand She

-r - - - 245
holds a vina and in other a mala.

7.3.12 Kamalatmika

The last Mahavidya is Kamala or Kamalatmika, who

can be safely eguated with Hindu Goddess LaksmI otherwise

known as Sri. She is of golden complexions bathed by four

white elephants which bold golden jars of nectar in their

243. ibid., pp.828-32.

244. Srivastav, op.cit., p.40.

245. Raj amataAglkalpa as quoted in Elements of Hindu

Iconography, Vol.i, Part II, p.372.
 267

. 246
^P^s-ised. trunks. She herself holds two lotuses in her
247
two upper hands and shows varada and abhaya poses with
2 48
her two lower hands. She is seated or standing on a lotus.

She wears a crown sparkling with gems and silken clothes.249

One of her forms is Mahalaksmi of youth glamour bedecked with

ornaments and select flowers and clad in the best of robes as

the Goddess in charge of all worldly treasures and whose

worship endows the worshipper with all worldly riches and

enjoyments (bhukti). Her perfectly comely body radiates the

highest degree of eroticism. Samrajyalaksmi is also a form

of Kamala, her complexion being like that of the atasi flower.

She is adorned with pearl ornaments, she has eight hands

holding a conch wheel, club, lotus, bow and arrow, and showing
251 -
varada and abhaya poses. as Kamala She is the consort of

Sadasiva, an aspect of Visnu. In the Kamalatmika-tantra she is

246. >P, p.353 (kantya kancanasannivam . ..,riyam) .

247. ibid (bibhranarfi varam abjayuqmam abhaya*

ri m "" ^
* hastai
nil nil tii -1 in in' r ^

kirito* j jvalam).
*
m

248. ibid (ksaumabaddhanitamba-bimbalalitam vanderavindasthitam).

l""

249. &T, VIII.74-78.

250. ibid.

251. PN, IX, p.840.

 268

described as of golden complexion bathed in the stream of

amrosia flowing from golden vessels held by the trunk of

252
four white elephants. This connotes that once pleased

She can deliver in abundance whatever the devotee desires

of Her. Her hands grant boon, allay fear and hold two lotuses.

She has a brilliant diadem of gem over her head. Her hips like
253
ripe fruits, are loosely draped in silken garment. The
254
Sritattvanidhi collects her eight forms namely Laksmi as

the consort of Visnu, Gajalaksmi, Mahalaksmi, Sri, Viralaksmi,

two armed Viralaksmi, eight armed Viralaksmi, Prasanna Laksmi,

etc.

V .3.13 Esoteric Thinking

Thus the ten Mahavidyas represent stages in which

feakti manifests herself and the stages in which she withdraws

the creation to herself and other stages exhibiting preservation

of the creation. But formally each individual Mahavidya is the

basic representation of all these three aspects as embodiments

252. |P, pp.353-381.

253. A. Dan igloo., op.cit., p.466.

254. Srivastavg# op.cit., pp.40-41.

 269

of triguna responsible for the nama-rupa universe. It is

also predominant consciousness holding our actions and

directing them In accordance with our feelings and realisations.

This is the functional aspect of all Mahavidyas. And

ultimately the worshipper realises that pure consciousness

with its unsevered power governs all objects, whether animate

or inanimate. From this point of view, Kali is pure ecstacy,

a feeling of perfect satisfaction. She is above all senses of

positivity and negativity. When She first awakens with the sense

of positivity, She becomes Tara. She finds Herself as Brahman,

255
the fountain source of all this nama-rupa jagat. She stands

in the midst of a funeral pyre^ in which the world was reduced

to ashes in the previous kalpa. The seeds of the previous

manifestations germinate here. She it is who severs the eternal

into many. Then the Goddess appears as SodaSx, complete in

257
sixteen katas or phases of feakti to give shape to her wishes.

The wish descends through five senses of perceptions, viz., sound,

touch, form, taste and smell, and hence the conception of five

255. |ose_&=Haldj|r, op.cit., p.199.

256. &?, v.17, p. 129icitamadhyasthita devx mararxe patu

sarvada, Tara Kavacam).

257. ibid., Soda^Itantra, Upanisad, p.177.

1 " "" *
 270

gods as seats o the third Mahavidyj.258 Then the consciousness-

power further descends to assume nama-rupa lokas and is then

known as Bhuvane&varl, the Mahavidya of the World-phenomenon.28^3

She stands for the forces that constitute the material World.

The Consciousness-power then appears in each unit of creation

so that the process of multiplication continues unabated. She is

then known as Bhairavi, the source of ego-consciousness or of

250
all I-ness. she moulds the individual appearances and appears
as kundalinl in individual self as source of all changes.281
/

By Her grace the individual self again merges with the Supreme

Self Siva from which it has come. It is due to Her

manipulations, individuals run for fulfilment of worldly

satisfactions and even for God-realisation. To do this akti

has to sever herself. This is what is meant by the appearance

of Mahavidya Chinnamasta with a severed head. She drinks her

258. ibid., Pancamahapreta as seats of sodasi, Sodasitantra, 0.171.

" " 1 - 1 T

259. ibid., Bhubanelvarl tantra, p.203(na vidyate kgapi tu

tu janma.... yasyah) .
m

260. ibid., Bhairavlhrdayam, pp.261-62(bhavanubhavabhavinim

bhajami).

261. ibid., p.270(muladharanivasl ca muladharasthita sada, etc.).

262. ibid., p.269 (nana tejasvinl devl parabrahma-kutumbinl).

 271

263
own blood.. What it means? The individual re present at ion

of Being by the association of nama rupa in the form of

Dak ini and Varninl is having his being in the mother and yet

does not know that he is virtually sucking the life-blood of

the mother. She represents the fcakti by which the Great Mother

sacrifices herself for the happiness of her children, she severs

herself m her love for her children and feeds them with her own

blood. She is unique in both her aspects. In one hand she holds

her own head and feeds it with her own blood. In other words,

She is turned inward and is in eternal communion with her own

self, here figuratively taken as head, the crown of the body

or Outwardly She is constantly taking up forms of anger,

264
thirst, even mantric knowledge in individual being and again

she brings about fruition of these desires. The consciousness-

power then further gets down and makes the individual forgetful

of his own source and makes him think himself as utter helpless,

afflicted with thirst and hunger and suffering the pangs of

birth and death. She is then known as Dhumavatl, a widow, seated

263. ibid.# p.221 (pratyalidhapadam sadai va dadhatlm cchinnaifi

&irakartrkam dig vastram svakabandha^onita-
sudhadharam pivantlm muda).

264. ibid., p.230(sa vidya pranavady anta, etc.).

 272

on a chariot on which mounts a crow, cawing, eternally

OAR
demanding this and that. Here feakti reaches the nadis
i"

of her downward course and again turns inward to carry the

individual being steeped in ignorance and misery to a state

of bliss, smarting under pains from Dhumavatl when the

individual pines for relief, Mahavidya Vagala revives in

them the sense that they are- Brahman in essence. She is

therefore represented as holding by one hand the tongue of

the evil force i.e., our world-mindedness and belabours

the enemy with a mallet in her other hand. She instils a

desire in the individual to shun his worldly propensities

and control the loose thoughts that have dragged him downwards.
267
This t-iahavidya appears with mallet in hand to bring about

the enjoyment of individuals according to their necessity

and also in their proper sequence. The next nahavidya Mi.tahgx

268
has steps like those of an infuriate elephant. Her eyes are
269
rolling under the influence of drink and her movements

265. ibid., p.277.

266. ibid., p.303 (Vagalamukhltantra).

267. ibid (dhrtamudgara vairilihvam).

' ' w r

268. ibid., P.333(matanqinlm, etc.).

269. ibid., p.334 (madodqhu nitanetrapadmaffl).

 273

be speak of herself as engrossed in her own feelings. She

has been called the Dharmapatnx, the eternal consort of Siva

and is running after him to be one with him. in the

Qhysnaroantra she has been called as the presiding deity of

270 971
the World. She has been called mantra^akti, x a force

that makes the words come true, pervading the universe.

Finally the Consciousnesspower appears as ICamala, who

represents pure Self-consciousness herself bathing in the

calm ocean of happiness. The four elephants pouring ablutions

of nectar over her are dharma, artha, kama and moksa.272 She

is herself the enjoyer and the enjoyed. The conscious force

thus merges again into consciousness. The functional aspect

of Mahavidyas is playing on in this way in the macrocosm and

the microcosm and thereby bringing the transcendental into the

273
mundance experience of materialism and withdrawing it

270. ibid., p.331 (vedair bahudandair asikhetaka-pa&ankufeadhararn).

cf. ibid., p.334 (smarami bhaktya jagatam adhlfce).

271. ibid., p.333 (akrtrimanam vacasam).

cf. ibid., p.334 (matanginim vagadhidevatam, etc.).

272. ibid., p.353 (kantya kancanasannivam ...asicyamanam rlyam).

273. ibid., p.355 (yatha tvam acala krsne tatha bhava mayi
1

sthira).
 274

thereafter and so on and so forth. So the Mahavidyas in

their functional aspect represent the ten highest principles

of Universal nature responsible for creation, preservation

and dissolution.

But how this is realised or how this pure

consciousness reveals? She reveals her symbolic message through

spontaneous and subtle spanda. Spanda is eternal, universal and

spontaneous vibration. Sound and light waves are the

manifestations of spanda. All forms of creativity are the

manitestations of spanda. The message of the ultimate reality

is revealed through spanda. The sense organs of human beings

are too crude to decipher the meaning of spanda. The kundalinl

^ 1 #'

when aroused can alone intuitively apprehend the meaning of

spanda because the aroused kundalinl in an ascending stage

produces the vibration of sound which is in harmony with the

rhythm of Cosmic sound 'AUM' produced by spanda. From aUm1

all other mantras have taken shape. And as Parafeabda this

mantra Mahavidya has the power to create, preserve and

annihilate the universe and the individual worshipper who has

realised this by arousing his kundalinl becomes himself a

-
l" ~ * " IJI
creator, preserver and destroyer or is himself in Godhood and

having in store the energy which is the source of all activities.

And it is the energy wave of ure consciousness and it

 275

energises all phenomena of nature. It is the wave of bliss,274

and as such it materialises itself into various forms of

objects and acting living organisms. In brief, conscious

vibration precedes the materialisation of various objects and

individualism of individuals. All vibrations, waves and

activities in the universe are the manifestations of spanda

which is both immanent in Nature and yet transcends it. All

vibrations originate from the sportive dance of Siva and

Sakti. Tantra-yoqis describe having intuitive consciousness

of the pure spontaniety of spanda during the fourth state,

i.e., ecstasy (turiya caitanya). The ascending kundalini

enables them to be intuitively aware of the subtle vibration

of Pure consciousness when it rises beyond Brahmarandhra and

floats through the stream of higher consciousness. And this is

the essence of mantra caitanya in all Mahavidya Sadhana. For

27 6 . .
that in the Samvid-Aqni of Mahavidya homa all bhedas have

to be sacrificed.

274. Samkaracharya, Anandalahari.

275. Siva is therefore called 'Nataraj1, the Supreme Dancer.

276. YH (Dipika tika), p.243 (samvid agnau ...udbhavam).