The Hindu Tantra Tradition

The Indian Tantras, which are numerous, constitute the Scripture (Shastra) of the Kaliyuga, and as such are the voluminous source of present and practical orthodox "Hinduism." The Tantra Shastra is, in fact, and whatever be its historical origin, a development of the Vaidika Karmakanda, promulgated to meet the needs of that age. Shiva says: "For the benefit of men of the Kali age men bereft of energy and dependent for existence on the food they eat, the Kaula doctrine, O auspicious one! is given" . To the Tantra we must therefore look if we would understand aright bothritual, yoga, and sadhana of all kinds, as also the general principles of which these practices are but the objective expression." The word "Tantra" means "treatise", and is applied to a variety of mystical, occult, medical and scientific works as well as to those which we would now regard as Taantrik. Most tantras were written between the 10th and 14th centuries CE. While Hinduism is typically viewed as being Vedic, the Tantras are not considered part of the orthodox Hindu/Vedic scriptures. They are said to run alongside each other, The Vedas of orthodox Hinduism on one side and the Agamas of Tantra on the other. However, the practices, mantras and ideas of the Atharva Veda are markedy different from those of the prior three and show signs of powerful non-Aryan influence. Indeed, the Atharva Veda is cited by many Tantra texts as a source of great knowledge. it is notable that throughout the Tantras, such as the Mahanirvana Tantra, they align themselves as being natural progressions of the Vedas. Tantra exists for spiritual seekers in the age of Kaliyuga, when Vedic practices no longer apply to the current state of morality and Tantra is the most direct means to realization. Thus, aside from Vajrayana Buddhism, much of Tantric thought is Hindu Tantra, most notably those that council worship of Lord Shiva and the Divine Mother, Kali. A Tantra typically takes the form of a dialogue between the Hindu gods Shiva and Shakti/Parvati, being that Shiva is known in Hinduism as being 'Yogiraj' or 'Yogeshwara,' 'The King of Yoga' or 'God of Yoga' and that his consort is known to be his perfect feminine equal. Each explains to the other a particular group of techniques or philosophies for attaining moksha (liberation/ enlightenment), or for attaining a certain practical result. [Agamas are Shiva to Shakti, and Nigamas are Shakti to Shiva.] This extract from the beginning of the Yoni Tantra gives an idea of the style. Seated upon the peak of Mount Kailasa the God of Gods, the Guru of all creation was questioned by Durga-of-the-smiling-face, Naganandini. "Sixty-four tantras have been created O Lord, tell me, O Ocean of Compassion, about the chief of these." Mahadeva said: "Listen, Parvati, to this highly secret one, Dearest. Ten million times have you wanted to hear this. Beauteous One, it is from your feminine nature that you continually ask me. You should conceal this by every effort. Parvati, there is mantra-pitha, yantra-pitha and yoni-pitha. Of these, the chief is certainly the yoni-pitha, revealed to you from affection." Tantra Mantra Yantra Hindu Tantra The philosophy of Tantra is based on any collection of the 92 Śrutis, the Tantras. Tantra exists in Vaisnava, Shaiva, Ganapatya, and Shakta forms, amongst others. The Tantric tradition, or Tantrika Parampara, may be considered as either parallel to, or intertwined with, the Vedic tradition (Vaidika Parampara). Swami Nikhilananda wrote not only of the close affinity with the Vedas, but also that the development of Tantric thought shows the influence of the Upanishads, the Puranas and Yoga. Reality As Shiva-Shakti According to Tantra, Reality is pure consciousness (chit), which is considered to be identical with both being (sat) and bliss (ananda). In Tantra, this being-consciousness-bliss or Satchidananda is enshrined as ShivaShakti, a conjoined term conveying the inseparable nature of Shiva (the Absolute) and Shakti (the power of creation). In Tantra, any conception of the Divine which does not include Shakti, or the power to become, is considered to be incomplete. History Of Tantra Tantra as a post-Vedic Hindu Yogic movementbegan in North India and flourished in the middle ages before declining in the nineteenth century, partly as a result of persecution by the British and orthodox Hindus, and partly, perhaps, because of the increasing popularity of Bhakti yoga amongst the masses. Legend ascribes the origin of Tantra to Dattatreya, a semi-mythological yogi and the author of the Jivanmukta Gita ("Song of the liberated soul"). Lord Adinath, or Shiva, is the first Guru of Tantra. Things become a little more clear with Matsyendranath (Master of fish). He is accredited with authorship of the Kaulajnana-nirnaya, a voluminous ninth-century tantra dealing with a host of mystical and magical subjects, and occupies an important position in the Hindu tantric lineage, as well as in Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism. His disciple, Gorakhnath, founded laya yoga. Hatha Yoga was penned by Swami Swatamarama as the secrets of Lord Adinath (another name for Shiva) in the 15th century. Tantra evolved into a number of orders (sampradaya) and diverged into so-called "left-hand tantra" (varma marg), in which sexual yoga and other antinomian practices occurred, and "right-hand tantra", in which such practices were merely visualized. Both groups, but in particular the left-hand taantrik, opposed many features of orthodox Hindu culture, particularly the caste system and patriarchy. Despite this, Tantra was accepted by some high-caste Hindus, most notably the Rajput princes. Hindu tantra even briefly enabled a yogic/sufi synthesis among some Indian Muslims. Nowadays Tantra has a large, though not always well-informed, following worldwide. Buddhist and Hindu Tantra, though having many similarities from the outside, do have some clear distinctions. Scholars are unable to determine whether the Hindu or the Buddhist version of Tantra appeared first in history. Buddhist Tantra is always part of the Mahayana school of Buddhism, which has as main aim to help all sentient beings becoming free from problems (Dukkha), in order to achieve this aim, one should try to achieve Buddhahood oneself, in order to be the most profound teacher for others. Buddhist Tantra spread out from (North) India, chiefly to Tibet, where it became known as the Vajrayana school of Buddhism. It also had some influence on Chinese and Japanese Buddhism (notably Shingon). What Is Shiv Tantra Shiva (or Siva), in Hinduism, is one of the major gods and the center of worship of numerous devotional cults. Shiva composes a triad along with Brahman and Vishnu, and his worship called by a variety of names is primary in Hinduism. Shiva does not appear in early Vedic scriptures where the god Rudra, the Howler or Roarer, the Terrible One, is dominant; as Shiva later assumes a more dominant god role it is from Rudra's characteristics that he assumed the role of destroyer. Shiva, in the fullest sense, is a god of the common people, although at first excluded by the Aryans. Representations of a god appearing identical to Shiva have been discovered in the cities of the Indus Valley, especially those of stamp seals, where he is shown three-faced and seated in the lotus position of meditation, surrounded by animals, and wearing what appears to be a headdress of horns. In these small representations he appears to be lean and ascetic, his body marked by painted stripes, and his arms extended over his knees. In other representations Shiva is fair, with four faces and three eyes. The third eye, situated in the middle of his forehead, has a fiery glance from which all created things shrink. Three horizontal lines sometimes represent Shiva's third eye, a mark worn by devotees. It is because the horns of his previously mentioned headdress resemble the horns of the buffalo that Shiva has been associated with the later buffalo god Mhasoba, the deity of primitive pastoral tribes who, though most commonly located in the South, wander all over the subcontinent. The buffalo god was in conflict with the Earth Mother, the goddess of the rival food-gathering (agricultural) people; eventually the two are found linked as male and female, the forerunners, it is presumed, of the Shiva and Shakti (or Shiva-Parvati, Shiva-Durga, etc.) of more prehistoric times. Shiva is also a god of various goblins and demons, minor deities inherited from primitive ages, and is closely identified animals, not only his famous bull Nandi (a bull alone is another motif of the Indus stamp seals) but also a sacred cobra, and the elephant god Maha-Ganapati or Ganesa, his son; he is occasionally glad in a tiger skin or is accompanied by a dear. Possibly all these animals are totemic remnants that have coalesced around this god. Also, over the millennia, innumerable local gods have been absorbed into his more powerful cult and became identified as aspects of Shiva. He has 1,008 names (108 in some recensions), which are but manifestations of his accreted power, and so leading to one of his names of Mahadeva or Mahesvara (the Great God). What Is Rudra Tantra The origin of the name Rudra is uncertain; its etymologies are symbolic. Possibly, the meaning is "the red one." The god is called Rudra in the Puranas because he wept at birth, the word for weeping being the root rut-. In other versions the name may mean "Remover of Pain," for rut is the term given for three forms of pain (physical, emotional, and spiritual) found in the world. Rudra was eventually identified with Shiva, the god of the people conquered by the Aryans, and became so associated with the god that he was on of Shiva's many aspects. In the Vedas Rudra is the god of storms, of howling winds, and is somewhat feared, being separated from the other gods in certain rituals and kept with malevolent spirits and deities. Rudra gives sinners the tortures of hell: He is death, the demon, the cause of their tears, the god that kills. He is also auspicious," the lord of songs, of sacrifices, the sweet-scented divine healer, the most generous of gods who bestows property and welfare, not just to humankind but also to horses, cows, and sheep, the mainstay of the early Aryan economy. As a warrior, he rides his chariot bearing a thunderbolt and shooting arrows from his formidable bow. What Is Kapalik Bhairav Tantra In Hindu culture, Kapalika means bearer of the skull-bowl, and has reference to Lord Bhairava's vow to take the kapala vow. As penance for cutting off one of the heads of Brahma, Lord Bhairava became an outcast and a beggar. In this guise, Bhairava frequents waste places and cremation grounds, wearing nothing but a garland of skulls and ash from the pyre, and unable to remove the skull of Brahma fastened to his hand. The skull hence becomes his begging-bowl, and the Kapalikas (as well as the Aghoris of Varanasi). supposedly use skulls as begging bowls and as drinking and eating vessels in imitation of Shiva. Although information on the Kapalikas is primarily to be gleaned from classical Sanskrit sources, where Kapalika ascetics are often depicted as depraved villains in drama, it appears that this group worshiped Lord Shiva in his extreme form, Bhairava, the ferocious. They are also often accused of having practiced ritual human sacrifices. Ujjain is alleged to have been a prominent center of this sect. The Kapalikas may also have been related to the Kalamukhas ("black faces" or "face of time") of medieval South India. Moreover, in modern Tamilnadu, certain Shaivite cults associated with the goddess Ankalaparamecuvari, Irulappasami, and Sudalai Madan, are known to practice or have practiced ritual cannibalism, and to center their secretive rituals around an object known as a kapparai (Tamil "skull-bowl," derived from the Sanskrit kapala), a votive device garlanded with flowers and sometimes adorned with faces, which is understood to represent the begging-bowl of Lord Shiva

MANTRA

MANTRA

In the Vedas the mantra (sound) is the primary source from which the universe has sprung (in the Bible: "in the beginning it was the Verb"); it is the primordial vibration presents in every thing, the motor of the universe. Through the study and the search on the mantras the ancient wise man have discovered how we can be in harmony with the cosmos and with ourselves.

The \(Aum) it is the primordial sound, is the matrix of all that exists in the universe. it doesn't have a particular meaning, it is rather a sacred syllable that represents the essence of the vital energy from which the creation has sprung. \ is the combination of three sounds: A - U - M. The A represents Brahma the creator, the conscience, the state of vigil. The U represents Vishnu the preserver, the subconscious, the state of dream. The M represents Shiva the destroyer, the unconscious, the state of deep sleep. It can be noticed as these three letters are tightly correlated with the endless breath of the universe, in which the three strengths of creation, preservation and destruction continually follow one another and how they are correlated with the three dimensions of the human conscience.

The utilization of the sounds for spiritual purpose is universally used. In a lot of religions the continuous repeating of a sentence or a sacred sound with the help of a rosary (japa mala) represents the highest form of meditation. The mantras are the best vehicle in the meditation because through them the mind calms the incessant flow of thoughts and it settles in a state of deep concentration.

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA

HOMAGES TO GANESH

OM GAJANANAN BHUT GANADI SEVATAN KAPITTHI JAMBU FAL CHARU BHAKSHANAM UMASUTAM SHOK VINASHAKARAKAN NAMAMI VIDNESHWAR PAD PANKAJAM

SHUKLAMBAR DHARANDEVAN SASHIVARNE CHATURBHUJAM PRASHANNDANAN DYAYET SARVAVIDNO PASHANTAYE

NAVARN MAHAMANTRA

OM EM HRIM KLIM MAHADURGA NAVAKSHARI NAVDURGA NAVATMIKE NAVCHANDI MAHAMAYE MAHAMOHE MAHAYOGANIDRE JAYA MADHUVAITABHA VIDRAVINI MAHISHASUR MARDINI DHUBHRALOCHANA SANHANTRI CHANDAMUNDA VINASHINI RAKTABIJANTAKE NISHUMBHA DHWANSINI SHUBAN DARPAGHNIDEVI ASHTADASHA BAHUKE KAPAL KHATVANG SHUL KHADGA KETAKA DHARINI CHHITRAMASTAKA DHARINI RUDHIRARAMANSABHOJINI BHUTPRETADI YOGDHVANSINI BRAHMONORADI STUTE DEVI MA RAKSHARAKSHA MAM SHATRUNA NASHAYA HRIM FAT HRUM FAT OM EM HRIM KLIM CHAMUNDAYE BICHCHE

GAYATRI MANTRA

OM BHUR BHUVAH SWAH

TATSAVITUR VARENYAM

BHARGO DEVASYA DHIMAHI DHIYO YONAH

PRACHODAYAT OM

KALI GAYATRI MANTRA

OM KALKAYE VIDMAHE

SAMSAM YASYANNE

DHIMAHI DHIYO YONAH

PRACHODAYAT OM

AWAKENING MANTRA

Awakening Mantra KIRAGRE BASTE LAXMI KARMADHYE SARASWATI KARMULE STUTAI BRAHMA PRAVATE KAR DARSHANAM

Ganesh mantra SUM KAISSYIA KA DANTASYA KAPLO GAJ KARN KA LAMBO DHARASYE VIKTO VIGHNA NASO VINAYAK

These two mantras are very powerful and can be recite in the morning as soon as awake.

Before opening the eyes you have to pass the palms of the hands on the face, then hold them togheter. Opening the eyes, you'll recite the mantra of the awakening looking only at the palms. Then for seven times you'll recite the mantra passing the hands on the whole body. At the end you'll recite the Ganesh mantra.

MANTRAS TO LIGHT INCENSE

SADAH BHAVANI DAHINE SAMUKU RET GANESH PANCH DEV RAKSHA KARE BRAHMA VISHNU MAHESH

TUMEVE MATA CHE PITA TUMEVE TUMEVE BANDHU CHE SAKA TUMEVEH TUMEVE VIDDHYA DEVANAM TUMEVE TUMEVE SARVAM MAM DEV DEVAH TRAHE MAN TRAHE MAN TRAHE MAN

MAHA MRITYUNJAYA MANTRA

Om Tryamlakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pusti-vardhanam
Urva-rukamiva Bandhanan Mrtyor-muksheeya Ma-amritat

Om. We worship The Three-Eyed Lord Shiva who is fragrant and who increasingly nourishes the devotees. Worshipping him may we be liberated from death for the sake of immortality just as the ripe cucumber easily separates itself from the binding stalk.

OM SARVESHAM SVASTIR BHAVATU

SARVESHAM SHANTIR BHAVATU

SARVESHAM PURNAM BHAVATU

SARVESHAM MANGALAM BHAVATU

Om, may auspiciousness be unto all

may peace be unto all

may fulness be unto all

may prosperity be unto all

SARVE BHAVANTU SUKHINAH

SARVE SANTU NIRAMAYAH

SARVE BADRANI PASYANTU

MA KAS-CHID DUKHA BHAG BAVET

May all be happy

May all be free from disabelities

May all look to the good of other

May none suffer from sorrow

SHANTI MANTRA (Peace Mantra)

we are everything, we are together

SAHANA BHAVATU SAINAI BHUNATKU

SAHAVIRYAI KARAVAVAI TEJASVI NAMADHI TAMASTE

MAHAVADHYAI SHAVA HE

OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI OM

KARPURA-GAURAM KARUNA-VATARAM

SAMSARA-SARAM BHUJAGENDRA HARAM

SADA VASANTAM HRIDAYA RAVINDE

BHAVAM BHAVANI SAHITAM NAMAMI

White as camphor, the avatar of Karuna (god of Compassion), adorned with the garland of the Serpent King, ever dwelling in the lotus of my heart, to the Lord and Lady, Shiva and Shakti together, to them I bow down.

Om ghorebhyo atha ghorebhyo ghor aghor tareabhyo

Sarvebhyo Sarv Sherwebhyo namastu astu rudra rupebhyo swaha Om

TANTRA

A hypothesis and the principles derived out of it make the rock bottom of any systemised knowledge. When the same principle is ascertained as law, it is rendered the form of pure science. Now it is clear that science is the knowledge brought under general principles through minute analysis and experimentation.

Tantra is an eminent science having thousands of principles. In fact, it is the system of our life and a science of practice and practical knowledge. Through Tantra, we can attain superb powers by attracting and deriving the divine faculties pervading the entire cosmos. The aspirant of Tantra makes his internal capacity sharp and intensely forceful just like a magnet. This science is the process of activating the various dormant vital glands and Chakras of the astral form, present inside the human body. It makes us aware of the truth that a person can get liberation from his own subjugation, can achieve immense power and even with the physical body present, can free himself from his body and expand his faculties infinitely.

Each and every element of the nature is associated with the other. Every action has a definite basis and for that action, there also exists an equal and opposite reaction. This uninterrupted succession of atomic process is going on in our atmosphere. Formation of water vapours, rain from the clouds due to attraction between positively and negatively charged atoms, storms, tempest and earthquakes, all are interrelated to each other.

Tantra is the process of intensification of our peculiar inner potentialities so that we can command this atomic arrangement which in other words is known as 'Siddhi'. The flow of energy is going on ceaselessly in the environment and when your own inner energy becomes capable of influencing the external ones, nothing will remain impossible for you and this is the science of Tantra in which the aspirant's wish is first and foremost.

Fear of Tantra is baseless

The notions of an ordinary person about Tantra are not worthy to mention as this science of power has been misused very much. Those who are quite conversant with Tantra, by awakening their internal cosmic faculties, acquire knowledge to progress ahead and by activating the internal Chakras become ultimately successful in attaining Self realisation and thereby Supreme Bliss, whereas the imperfect Tantriks focus their attention towards the leftist part which hitherto has been utilised by such Tantriks in causing pain and harm to others and in achieving sensual enjoyment. Thus they involve themselves in a wrong direction. Although they can cause damage to the common men, yet eventually such Tantriks undergo severe sufferings and their lives get highly miserable.

This is human nature that every person focuses his attention first on the bad aspect of any subject and not on the virtuous one. This attitude proves harmful to them. As I have said earlier that Tantra is a process of activating internal cosmic faculties of the invisible world and making them favourable for oneself. During this process, that vigorous energy at first affects the person who is trying to overpower it and if at that time the aspirant does not get frightened, the divine energy itself behaves like a slave and then performs all the miraculous deeds at the will of the aspirant. To explain further I am citing an illustration- If you go outside during winter without wearing woollen clothes, what will happen? The frozen particles of cold wave will fall violently upon you and you will fall sick. But in case you are totally prepared- you have a healthy physique covered with woollen clothes, cold cannot affect you in any way and you will proceed ahead without any fear. The same is the case with Tantra. If you are not afraid, have the required equipment and also a sound knowledge then Tantra is the easiest way for you to acquire the divine powers.

To emerge successful in Tantra, fearlessness as well as elevation of inner consciousness are absolutely essential because in this Sadhana, the power is to be evolved from within.

Confidentiality in Tantra

In our ancient scriptures, there is great emphasis on the fact that the real Tantra should be kept confidential. What is the reason behind this secrecy? If this science has got usefulness, it should be popularised and propagated everywhere, every person should have its knowledge. But this is not the case. What is the reason behind it?

The real Tantra and its secrets were passed on verbally by the competent Guru to his disciples only. The disciples memorised that science and also got realisation of 'Siddhi' but the Guru got his disciples to promise that this knowledge would be granted to only those who really deserved it. So they had this relevant argument behind their secrecy. As I have written above that every action has equal and opposite reaction. For example if you disturb anyone - tease a dog, bull or snake, it will certainly attack you. You should have strength to fight them and ultimately bring them under your control. The same is true for Tantra. If a suspicious, weak and fearful person starts Tantra Sadhna, he on experiencing some distress or crisis, generally leaves it midway and thus puts himself in danger due to reversible reaction of the Sadhna because at that moment the inner energy of the aspirant is feeble and so is easily overpowered by the external forces. This is the reason why only a competent Guru is capable to impart the knowledge of Tantra. A Guru minutely and completely analyses the disciple and on getting assured that his disciple would never misuse that power, he starts teaching Tantra Sadhna. Immediately after getting success, the aspirant becomes very much energetic and his vigorous activities must be utilised for public welfare as well as for Self Realisation and not for causing harm to others.

Due to the afore mentioned reasons, the methods of Tantra Sadhnas have been written incompletely, or in symbols and one, who performs Sadhna according to what is written in scriptures can never be successful as the complete knowledge can be attained only through the guidance of a Guru.

How Tantra became a taboo

What then happened in between that has made Tantra a taboo today ?

Perusal of the past reveals that after Gorakhnath pseudo gurus like Bhayanand started the misuse of Tantra and thus got introduced vile practices like meat eating, sex and money spinning into the system. These false Tantriks not just used these rather expounded that without them success is impossible in field of Tantra. These unconscientious one's even stooped so low as to resort to drinking, rape and swindling.

It was then but natural for the common man to keep distance from such practicers who were unfortunately more in number than real masters of Tantra. Soon society began to shun Tantra and a belief was generated that Tantra itself is a vile practice and has no useful applications in life.

But the problem was not with Tantra rather with the charlatans who used Tantra as an excuse to give vent to their beastly cravings. In fact Tantra is a science that can instill totality in life. A question may arise that when there are Mantras to procure divine blessings why do we need Tantra?

Wise and capable persons do not come to their conclusions in a moment, but only after a careful analysis of any thing. When the left wing of Tantra got predominant and those, who were keen to do these leftist Sadhnas for their petty and selfish ends, did not get success, they turned into big critics of Tantra and only those persons created misconceptions about Tantra.

Apart from this, the British education and Moghal's culture had an attack on the fundamental elements of Indian society i.e. religious rites, Mantra, Tantra etc. They were aware of the fact that this great science of Vedas, Upnishads and Mantras was responsible for the highly elevated Indian culture, so they thought that if they circulated misconceptions against this science, the Indian people would spontaneously become slaves and unfortunately they succeeded in their evil mission. It should be remembered that psychological subjugation is more dangerous than physical one and this was the mental dependence which caused our deterioration from the heights of prosperity.

The objective of 'Mantra Tantra Yantra Vigyan' is to present the proper and complete knowledge of these occult sciences in simplest form before the people so that they themselves verify it and emerge successful in life through it's use. Only then this science will flourish and we will get deliverance from mental over subjugation and will also regain our self respect and an exalted spiritual stature.

The Real Benefits of Tantra

Tantra is basically the source of energy and if you master this science, you can easily conquer your materialistic obstacles, other persons can be influenced by you and their activities can be channelised according to your own will. The harmful effects of planets, influences of an evil eye and evil spirits can be removed. It is also helpful as a remedy of mental tension, unbearable pain and other physical and psychological ailments. The scope of Tantra is very wide including Vashikaran, Maran, Ucchattan, Hypnotism, Divine Vision etc., which in many ways are beneficial in modern life.

In fact, Tantra leads to the path of self surrender and it pertains to all the aspects of physical and parapsychological life. Life, a divine gift bestowed upon by the Almighty can be fully purposeful by regenerating one's inner creative faculties and giving 'Karma', a predominant role in our lives and this is the genesis of life's purposefulness and success.

An unchallenged master of Tantra himself, Gurudev's Sadhana discourses often pivoted on this science and he once said :

"One who fears Tantra cannot be a human ; and a Sadhak he never can be. In the times of Guru Gorakhnath Tantra was a much respected science popular in all stratas of society for it has in it solutions to all problems of life.

Actually Mantra is a prayer, it is a request put to the concerned deity to help one. But it is not necessary that the deity shall be moved by one's plea. On the other hand if one uses Tantra one could compel the divine power to help. Tantra in fact is a guarantee that the concerned deity shall without fail have to shower its blessings.

A prayer may fail to touch the heart of the deity but Tantra forces it to grant the desired boon. The Sadhanas in Tantra and Mantra methods might appear similar yet Tantra is a thousand fold more powerful and unfailing.

Tantra gains all the more significance in the present times when every person has no spare time on hands. One cannot be expected to devote several hours each day to long Sadhana procedures. Today every one wishes for instant success and Tantra sure can bring it ; for Tantra means performing a Sadhana by a special meticulous procedure. Nothing is left to chance and all aspects are taken care of, so that success is sure and instant.

Still if due to human weakness some imperfection creeps into the Sadhana or Mantra chanting there are no negative results as is often (wrongly) believed by most people. Only result shall be that the desired wish shall not be fulfilled, but then one could try again.

Tantra is a jewel of the Sadhana world that can solve quickly and effectively all problems of human life like poverty, misery, unhappy married life, being childless, jobless, failure in business or health and so on. To resort to Tantra means adopting a sure way to success.

Chakras

The Shakta Theory of Chakras

Nepalese painting, 18th century.
Image from Ballabene's Paranormal Pages

Developed Shakta doctrine postulates seven chakras (see image). These are called the Muladhara or "Root Support" at the base of the spine with four "petals", the Swadhishthanaor "Own Abode" at the root of the genitals with six, the Manipura or "Fullness of Jewels" at the level of the navel with ten "petals", the Anahata or "Unstruck Melody" at the heart-centre with twelve, the Vishuddha or "Complete Purity" at the throat with sixteen, and finally the Ajna or "Guru's Command" at the brow with two "petals". The Crown centre, theSahasrara-Padma or "Thousand Petalled-Lotus", located at the very top of the head, is technically speaking not a chakra at all, but the summation of all the chakras.

The chakras are strung along the central or Sushumna channel (usually located at the spine). In the lowest chakra, the Muladhara, at the base of the spine, there lies the kundalini-shakti, the latent consciousness-energy, the microcosm of the cosmic creative shakti. When this is aroused, it can be made to ascend the sushumna, either ac-tivating or dissolving (depending on the yogic tradition) each chakra in turn, until it reaches the highest or crown chakra, the Sahasrara, where dwells the Godhead or Supreme Shiva (Paramashiva). As the Kundalini-Shakti unites with Paramashiva, the original transcendent equilibrium is restored, and the yogi returns to the state of oneness with the Absolute.

The chakras are described as stations or centres of pure consciousness (chaitanya) and consciousness-power. They are focal points of meditation; iconographic structures within the occult or "subtle body". Apart from the Sahasrara, each chakra is described by means of a whole lot of symbolic associations or correspondences. Building upon the initial later Upanishads speculation, each chakra, as well as having a specific position in the physical body, element, mantra, and deity, also has a particular number of "petals", each associated with one of the letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, a corresponding colour, shape, animal, plane of existence, sense-organ, mantric sound, and so on.

As is usually the case with intellectual esoteric systems, a lot of these correspondences are arbitrary, for example, smell and feet with Muladhara, taste and hand with Swadhishthana, sight and anus with Manipura, etc. These associations are all based on the Samkhyan sequence of tattwas and their attributes.

In addition to the seven major chakras arranged along the spine there are also chakras in the hands, feet, genitals, and so on. Also in addition to the seven major chakras, there are also a number of other chakras along the spine which are sometimes referred to. In his exhaustively detailed and definitive work on the chakras according to the traditional Indian understanding, Layayoga - an Advanced Method of Concentration, Shyam Sundar Goswami, citing numerous references, describes thirteen chakras altogether; the seven standard chakras there are six minor ones. The following lists the chakras according to the 13-chakra model.

chakra	position	petals	tattwa	element
Sahasrara	above head [note]	1000	transcendent	transcendent spirit
Guru	above head	12
Nirvana	crown	100	origin of mind	mind
Indu	forehead	16	buddhi
Manas	forehead	6	chitta
Ajna	brow	2	manas
Talu/Lalana	roof of mouth	12 or 64	n/a	n/a
Vishuddha	throat	16	space	elements
Anahata	heart	12	air
Hrit	heart	8	n/a
Manipura	navel	10	fire
Svadhisthana	genitals	6	water
Muladhara	base of spine	4	earth

Reference is also made in all Tantric texts to the nadis or channels of vital-force (prana). According to the traditional Tantric teachings, the seven chakras are strung like pearls or jewels along the brilliant thin thread of the sushumna nadi, which is the primary nadi in the body. On either side of the sushumna are the two main secondary nadis: the white moon-like ida on the left, containing descending vitality (apana), and the red sun-like pingala on the right, containing ascending vitality (prana in the narrow sense of the term). The tantric yogi aims to direct the subtle airs from these two primary side channels into the central sushumna nadi, and so activate the latent Kundalini energy. This then ascends through each of the chakras in turn, and when it reaches the top of the head, the yogi attains Liberation

The understanding of the chakras and kundalini in the West derives largely from Sir John Woodroffe's The Serpent Power, a very technical work, first published in 1919 under the psuedonym Arthur Avalon. The first (and still one of of the only) serious books on the chakras and Kundalini yoga to be published in the West, it is actually a translation of two sixteenth century Bengali texts and their commentaries, together with Woodroffe's own long and detailed introduction. Woodroffe's book - his own chapters cover Shakta metaphysics and cosmology, Patanjali Yoga, and Tantric practice, as well as the chakras themselves - is unfortunately very difficult for the beginner, but it served as the inspiration and chief reference text (usually without acknowledgment) for many Western occult-esoteric writers

Wisdom Goddesses

Wisdom Goddesses : Mahavidyas and the Assertion of Femininity in Indian Thought

There exists in India a group of strange Goddesses, ten in number. One of them is shown holding her own freshly severed head, which feeds on the blood flowing from her headless torso; another holds a pair of scissors while sitting triumphant atop a corpse;

a third is depicted as an old and ugly widow riding a chariot decorated with the crow as an emblem. The series continues - an unusual assemblage to say the least.

The story behind their birth is equally interesting and paradoxically of a romantic origin:

Once during their numerous love games, things got out of hand between Shiva and Parvati. What had started in jest turned into a serious matter with an incensed Shiva threatening to walk out on Parvati. No amount of coaxing or cajoling by Parvati could reverse matters. Left with no choice, Parvati multiplied herself into ten different forms for each of the ten directions. Thus however hard Shiva might try to escape from his beloved Parvati, he would find her standing as a guardian, guarding all escape routes.

Each of the Devi's manifested forms made Shiva realize essential truths, made him aware of the eternal nature of their mutual love and most significantly established for always in the cannons of Indian thought the Goddess's superiority over her male counterpart. Not that Shiva in any way felt belittled by this awareness, only spiritually awakened. This is true as much for this Great Lord as for us ordinary mortals. Befittingly thus they are referred to as the Great Goddess's of Wisdom, known in Sanskrit as the Mahavidyas (Maha - great; vidya - knowledge). Indeed in the process of spiritual learning the Goddess is the muse who guides and inspires us. She is the high priestess who unfolds the inner truths.

The spectrum of these ten goddesses covers the whole range of feminine divinity, encompassing horrific goddess's at one end, to the ravishingly beautiful at the other. These Goddesses are:

1) Kali the Eternal Night
2) Tara the Compassionate Goddess
3) Shodashi the Goddess who is Sixteen Years Old
4) Bhuvaneshvari the Creator of the World
5) Chinnamasta the Goddess who cuts off her Own Head
6) Bhairavi the Goddess of Decay
7) Dhumawati the Goddess who widows Herself
8) Bagalamukhi the Goddess who seizes the Tongue
9) Matangi the Goddess who Loves Pollution
10) Kamala the Last but Not the Least

Kali the Eternal Night

Kali is mentioned as the first amongst the Mahavidyas. Black as the night she has a terrible and horrific appearance.

In the Rig-Veda, the world's most ancient book there is a 'Hymn to the Night' (Ratri sukta), which says that there are two types of nights. One experienced by mortal beings and the other by divine beings. In the former all ephemeral activity comes to a standstill, while in the latter the activity of divinity also comes to rest. This absolute night is the night of destruction, the power of kala. The word kala denotes time in Sanskrit. Kali's name is derived from this word itself, as also from the Sanskrit word for black. She is thus the timeless night, both for ordinary mortals and for divine beings. At night we nestle in happiness like birds in their nests. Dwellers in the villages, theirs cows and horses, the birds of the air, men who travel on many a business, and jackals and wild beasts, all welcome the night and joyfully nestle in her; for to all beings misguided by the journey of the day she brings calm and happiness, just as a mother would. The word ratri (night) is derived from the root ra, "to give," and is taken to mean "the giver" of bliss, of peace of happiness.

Tara the Compassionate Goddess

The similarities in appearance between Kali and Tara are striking and unmistakable. They both stand upon a supine male figure often recognizable as Shiva but which may also be an anonymous corpse.

Both wear minimal clothing or are naked. Both wear a necklace of freshly severed heads and a girdle of human hands. Both have a lolling tongue, red with the blood of their victims. Their appearances are so strikingly similar that it is easy to mistake one for the other.

The oral tradition gives an intriguing story behind the Goddess Tara. The legend begins with the churning of the ocean. Shiva has drunk the poison that was created from the churning of the ocean, thus saving the world from destruction, but has fallen unconscious under its powerful effect. Tara appears and takes Shiva on her lap. She suckles him, the milk from her breasts counteracting the poison, and he recovers. This myth is reminiscent of the one in which Shiva stops the rampaging Kali by becoming an infant. Seeing the child, Kali's maternal instinct comes to the fore, and she becomes quiet and nurses the infant Shiva. In both cases, Shiva assumes the position of an infant vis-à-vis the goddess. In other words the Goddess is Mother even to the Great Lord himself.

The distinguishing feature in Tara's iconography is the scissors she holds in one of her four hands. The scissors relate to her ability to cut off all attachments.

Literally the word 'tara' means a star. Thus Tara is said to be the star of our aspiration, the muse who guides us along the creative path. These qualities are but a manifestation of her compassion. The Buddhist tradition stresses these qualities of this Goddess, and she is worshipped in Tibet as an important embodiment of compassion.

Shodashi the Goddess who is Sixteen Years Old

Shodashi or Tripura-Sundari is believed to have taken birth to save the gods from the ravages of a mighty and wrathful demon. The tale begins when Shiva burnt down Kama, the god of love, who tried to distract Shiva from his meditation. One of Shiva's followers then scooped off Kama's ashes and formed the image of a man out of them. This man then persuades Shiva to teach him a powerful mantra. By the power of this mantra, one could gain half the might of one's adversary. But because he was generated from the ashes of Shiva's wrath he is transformed into a fierce demon. Intoxicated with his new found power he proceeded to rampage the kingdom of the gods. Apprehending defeat and humiliation, the gods all propitiate Goddess Tripura-Sundari to seek her help. The goddess appears and agrees to help them. Taking the battlefield she heaps a crushing blow on the mighty demon, thus saving the gods.

Iconographically this Goddess is shown seated on a lotus that rests on the supine body of Lord Shiva, who in turn lies on a throne whose legs are the gods Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and Rudra.

This is a direct and hard-hitting portrayal of the Goddess dominating the important male deities of the Hindu pantheon, a central belief of the Mahavidya ideology. She is the savior of all, the Last Refuge.

She holds in her hands a pair of bow and arrows. The bow significantly is made of sugarcane, a symbol of sweetness. Her darts thus are sweetness personified. One of her epithets is 'Tripura-Sundari,' meaning 'One who is beautiful in the three realms.' Another of her names 'Lalita' implies softness. These two qualities give rise to images that depict her as ravishingly beautiful and of unsurpassed splendor.

The word 'Shodashi' literally means sixteen in Sanskrit. She is thus visualized as sweet girl of sixteen. In human life sixteen years represent the age of accomplished perfection after which decline sets in. Indeed sixteen days form the completed lunar cycle from the new moon to the full moon. The full moon is the moon of sixteen days. This girl of sixteen rules over all that is perfect, complete, beautiful. Her supreme beauty too has an interesting story behind it:

Once upon a time Shiva referred to Kali (his wife) by her name in front of some heavenly damsels who had come to visit, calling her "Kali, Kali" ("Blackie, Blackie") in jest. This she took to be a slur against her dark complexion. She left Shiva and resolved to rid herself of her dark complexion, through asceticism. Later, the sage Narada, seeing Shiva alone, asked where his wife was. Shiva complained that she had abandoned him and vanished. With his yogic powers Narada discovered Kali living north of Mount Sumeru and went there to see if he could convince her to return to Shiva. He told her that Shiva was thinking of marrying another goddess and that she should return at once to prevent this. By now Kali had rid herself of her dark complexion but did not yet realize it. Arriving in the presence of Shiva, she saw a reflection of herself with a light complexion in Shiva's heart. Thinking, that this was another goddess, she became jealous and angry. Shiva advised her to look more carefully, with the eye of knowledge, telling her that what she saw in his heart was herself. The story ends with Shiva saying to the transformed Kali: "As you have assumed a very beautiful form, beautiful in the three worlds, your name will be Tripura- Sundari. You shall always remain sixteen years old and be called by the name Shodashi."

Bhuvaneshvari the Creator of the World

A modern text gives the legend of origin of Bhuvaneshvari as follows:

'Before anything existed it was the sun which appeared in the heavens. The rishis (sages) offered soma the sacred plant to it so that the world may be created. At that time Shodashi was the main power, or the Shakti through whom the Sun created the three worlds. After the world was created the goddess assumed a form appropriate to the manifested world.'

In this form she came to be known as Bhuvaneshvari, literally 'Mistress of the World.'

Bhuvaneshvari thus remains un-manifest until the world is created. Hence she is primarily related with the visible and material aspect of the created world.

More than any other Mahavidya with the exception of Kamala (mentioned later), Bhuvaneshvari is associated and identified with the energy underlying creation. She embodies the characteristic dynamics and constituents that make up the world and that lend creation its distinctive character. She is both a part of creation and also pervades it's aftermath.

Bhuvaneshvari's beauty is mentioned often. She is described as having a radiant complexion and a beautiful face, framed with flowing hair the color of black bees. Her eyes are broad, her lips full and red, her nose delicate. Her firm breasts are smeared with sandal paste and saffron. Her waist is thin, and her thighs, buttocks, and navel are lovely. Her beautiful throat is decorated with ornaments, and her arms are made for embracing. Indeed Shiva is said to have produced a third eye to view her more thoroughly.

This beauty and attractiveness may be understood as an affirmation of the physical world. Tantric thought does not denigrate the world or consider it illusory or delusory, as do some other abstract aspects of Indian thought. This is made amply clear in the belief that the physical world, the rhythms of creation, maintenance and destruction, even the hankerings and sufferings of the human condition is nothing but Bhuvaneshvari's play, her exhilarating, joyous sport.

Chinnamasta the Goddess who cuts off her Own Head

One day Parvati went to bathe in the Mandakini River with her two attendants, Jaya and Vijaya. After bathing, the great goddess's color became black because she was sexually aroused. After some time, her two attendants asked her, "Give us some food. We are hungry." She replied, "I shall give you food but please wait." After awhile, again they asked her. She replied, "Please wait, I am thinking about some matters." Waiting awhile, they implored her, "You are the mother of the universe. A child asks everything from her mother. The mother gives her children not only food but also coverings for the body. So that is why we are praying to you for food. You are known for your mercy; please give us food." Hearing this, the consort of Shiva told them that she would give anything when they reached home. But again her two attendants begged her, "We are overpowered with hunger, O Mother of the Universe. Give us food so we may be satisfied, O Merciful One, Bestower of Boons and Fulfiller of Desires."

Hearing this true statement, the merciful goddess smiled and severed her own head. As soon as she severed her head, it fell on the palm of her left hand. Three bloodstreams emerged from her throat; the left and right fell respectively into the mouths of her flanking attendants and the center one fell into her mouth.

After performing this, all were satisfied and later returned home. (From this act) Parvati became known as Chinnamasta.

In visual imagery, Chinnamasta is shown standing on the copulating couple of Kamadeva and Rati, with Rati on the top. They are shown lying on a lotus.

There are two different interpretations of this aspect of Chinnamasta's iconography. One understands it as a symbol of control of sexual desire, the other as a symbol of the goddess's embodiment of sexual energy.

The most common interpretation is one where she is believed to be defeating what Kamadeva and Rati represent, namely sexual desire and energy. In this school of thought she signifies self-control, believed to be the hallmark of a successful yogi.

The other, quite different interpretation states that the presence of the copulating couple is a symbol of the goddess being charged by their sexual energy. Just as a lotus seat is believed to confer upon the deity seated atop it's qualities of auspiciousness and purity, Kamadeva and Rati impart to the Goddess standing over them the power and energy generated by their lovemaking. Gushing up through her body, this energy spouts out of her headless torso to feed her devotees and also replenish herself. Significantly here the mating couple is not opposed to the goddess, but an integral part of the rhythmic flow of energy making up the Chinnamasta icon.

The image of Chinnamasta is a composite one, conveying reality as an amalgamation of sex, death, creation, destruction and regeneration. It is stunning representation of the fact that life, sex, and death are an intrinsic part of the grand unified scheme that makes up the manifested universe. The stark contrasts in this iconographic scenario-the gruesome decapitation, the copulating couple, the drinking of fresh blood, all arranged in a delicate, harmonious pattern - jolt the viewer into an awareness of the truths that life feeds on death, is nourished by death, and necessitates death and that the ultimate destiny of sex is to perpetuate more life, which in turn will decay and die in order to feed more life. As arranged in most renditions of the icon, the lotus and the pairing couple appear to channel a powerful life force into the goddess. The couple enjoying sex convey an insistent, vital urge to the goddess; they seem to pump her with energy. And at the top, like an overflowing fountain, her blood spurts from her severed neck, the life force leaving her, but streaming into the mouths of her devotes (and into her own mouth as well) to nourish and sustain them. The cycle is starkly portrayed: life (the couple making love), death (the decapitated goddess), and nourishment (the flanking yoginis drinking her blood).

Bhairavi the Goddess of Decay

Creation and Destruction are two essential aspects of the universe, which is continually subject to their alternating rhythms. The two are equally dominant in the world and indeed depend upon each other in symbiotic fashion. Bhairavi embodies the principle of destruction and arises or becomes present when the body declines and decays. She is also evident in self-destructive habits, such as eating tamsic food (food having a quality associated with ignorance and lust) and drinking liquor, which wear down the body and mind. She is present, it is said, in the loss of semen, which weakens males. Anger, jealousy, and other selfish emotions and actions strengthen Bhairavi's presence in the world. Righteous behavior, conversely, makes her weaker. In short, she is an ever-present goddess who manifests herself in, and embodies, the destructive aspects of the world. Destruction, however, is not always negative, creation cannot continue without it. This is most clear in the process of nourishment and metabolism, in which life feeds on death; creation proceeds by means of transformed energy given up in destruction.

Bhairavi is also identified with Kalaratri, a name often associated with Kali that means "black night (of destruction)" and refers to a particularly destructive aspect of Kali.

She is also identified with Mahapralaya, the great dissolution at the end of a cosmic cycle, during which all things, having been consumed with fire, are dissolved in the formless waters of procreation. She is the force that tends toward dissolution. This force, furthermore, which is actually Bhairavi herself, is present in each person as one gradually ages, weakens and finally dies. Destruction is apparent everywhere, and therefore Bhairavi is present everywhere.

A commentary on the Parashurama-kalpasutra says that the name Bhairavi is derived from the words bharana (to create), ramana (to protect), and vamana (to emit or disgorge). The commentator, that is, seeks to discern the inner meaning of Bhairavi's name by identifying her with the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction.

Dhumawati the Goddess who widows Herself

Dhumawati is ugly, unsteady, and angry. She is tall and wears dirty clothes. Her ears are ugly and rough, she has long teeth, and her breasts hang down. She has a long nose. She has the form of a widow. She rides in a chariot decorated with the emblem of the crow. Her eyes are fearsome, and her hands tremble. In one hand she holds a winnowing basket, and with the other hand she makes the gesture of conferring boons. Her nature is rude. She is always hungry and thirsty, and looks unsatisfied. She likes to create strife, and she is always frightful in appearance.

The legend behind Dhumawati's origin says that once, when Shiva's spouse Sati was dwelling with him in the Himalayas, she became extremely hungry and asked him for something to eat. When he refused to give her food, she said, "Well, then I will just have to eat you." Thereupon she swallowed Shiva, thus widowing herself. He persuaded her to disgorge him, and when she did so he cursed her, condemning her to assume the form of the widow Dhumawati. This myth underlines Dhumawati's destructive bent. Her hunger is only satisfied when she consumes Shiva, her husband and who contains within himself the whole world. Ajit Mookerjee, commenting on her perpetual hunger and thirst, which is mentioned in many places, says that she is the embodiment of "unsatisfied desires." Her status as a widow itself is curious. She makes herself one by swallowing Shiva, an act of self-assertion, and perhaps independence.

The crow, which appears as her emblem atop her chariot, is a carrion eater and symbol of death. Indeed, she herself is sometimes said to resemble a crow. The Prapancasarasara-samgraha, for example, says that her nose and throat resemble those of a crow.

The winnowing basket in her hand represents the need to discern the inner essence from the illusory realities of outer forms. The dress she wears has been taken from a corpse in the cremation ground. She is said to be the embodiment of the tamas guna, the negative qualities associated with lust and ignorance. She is believed to enjoy liquor and meat, both of which are tamsic. Dhumawati is also interpreted by some Tantra scholars as "the aspect of reality that is old, ugly, and unappealing. This is further corroborated by the fact that she is generally associated with all that is inauspicious and is believed to dwell in desolate areas of the earth, such as deserts, in abandoned houses, in quarrels, in mourning children, in hunger and thirst, and most particularly in widows.

Bagalamukhi the Goddess who seizes the Tongue

The legend behind the origin of goddess Bagalamukhi is as follows:

A demon named Madan undertook austerities and won the boon of vak siddhi, according to which anything he said came about. He abused this boon by harassing innocent people. Enraged by his mischief, the gods worshipped Bagalamukhi. She stopped the demon's rampage by taking hold of his tongue and stilling his speech. Before she could kill him, however, he asked to be worshipped with her, and she relented, That is why he is depicted with her. She is almost always portrayed in this act, holding a club in one hand, with which she is about to strike her enemy, and with the other hand pulling his tongue. In this myth, by stopping the demon's tongue, she exercises her peculiar power over speech and her power to freeze, stun, or paralyze.

The pulling of the demon's tongue by Bagalamukhi is both unique and significant. Tongue, the organ of speech and taste, is often regarded as a lying entity, concealing what is in the mind. The Bible frequently mentions the tongue as an organ of mischief, vanity and deceitfulness. The wrenching of the demon's tongue is therefore symbolic of the Goddess removing what is in essentiality a perpetrator of evil.

Matangi the Goddess who Loves Pollution

Once Parvati, seated on Shiva's lap, said to him that he always gave her anything she wanted and that now she had a desire to visit her father. Would he consent to her visiting her father, Himalaya, she asked? Shiva was not happy about granting her this wish but eventually complied, saying that if she did not come back in a few days, he would go there himself to ask for her return. Parvati's mother sent a crane to carry Parvati back to her family home. When she did not return for some days, Shiva disguised himself as an ornament maker and went to her father's house. He sold shell ornaments to Parvati and then, seeking to test her faithfulness, asked that she have sex with him as his payment. Parvati was outraged at the merchant's request and was ready to curse him, but then she discerned with her yogic intuition that the ornament vendor was really her husband, Shiva. Concealing her knowledge of his true identity, she replied: "Yes, fine, I agree. But not just now."

Sometime later, Parvati disguised herself as a huntress and went to Shiva's home, where he was preparing to do evening prayer. She danced there, wearing red clothes. Her body was lean, her eyes wide, and her breasts large. Admiring her, Shiva asked: "Who are you?" She replied: "I am the daughter of a Chandala. I've come here to do penance." Then Shiva said: "I am the one who gives fruits to those who do penance." Saying this, he took her hand, kissed her, and prepared to make love to her. While they made love, Shiva himself was changed into a Chandala. At this Point he recognized the Chandala woman as his wife Parvati. After they had made love, Parvati asked Shiva for a boon, which he granted. Her request was this: "As you [Shiva] made love to me in the form of a Chandalini [Chandala woman], this form should last forever and be known as Uccishtha-matangini (now popularly known as Matangi)."

The key to this legend is the essence of the word 'Chandala.' The Chandalas are believed to constitute the lowest strata of the caste hierarchy in orthodox Hindu belief. Associated with death and impurity they have always survived on the fringes of mainstream society. Derogatory in the extreme sense, The label chandala itself has become the worst kind of slur. Thus by disguising herself as a Chandalini, Parvati assumes the identity of a very low-caste person, and by being attracted, Shiva allows himself to be identified with her. Both deities self-consciously and willingly associate themselves with the periphery of Hindu society and culture. The Chandala identity is sacralized therefore, in the establishment of Goddess Matangi. This goddess summarizes in herself the polluted and the forbidden.

Another myth related to Matangi reinforces this belief. Once upon a time, Vishnu and Lakshmi went to visit Shiva and Parvati. They gifted Shiva and Parvati fine foods, and some pieces dropped to the ground. From these remains arose a maiden endowed with fair qualities. She asked for leftover food (uccishtha). The four deities offered her their leftovers as prasada (food made sacred by having been tasted by deities). Shiva then said to the attractive maiden: "Those who repeat your mantra and worship you, their activities will be fruitful. They will be able to control their enemies and obtain the objects of their desires." From then on this maiden became known as Uccishtha-matangini. She is the bestower of all boons.

This legend stresses Matangi's association with leftover food, which is normally considered highly polluting. Indeed, she herself actually arises or emerges from Shiva and Parvati's table scraps. And the first thing she asks for is sustenance in the form of leftover food (uccishtha). Texts describing her worship specify that devotees should offer her uccishtha with their hands and mouths stained with leftover food; that is, worshippers should be in a state of pollution, having eaten and not washed. This is a dramatic reversal of the usual protocols for the worship of deities. Normally, devotees are careful to offer particularly pure food or food that the deity especially likes. After the deity has eaten it, the food is thought of as blessed and returned to the worshipper to partake, and is believed to contain the grace of the deity. The ritual give-and-take in this case emphasizes the inferior position of the devotee, who serves the deity and accepts the deity's leftover food as something to be cherished. In the case of Matangi however, worshippers present her with their own highly polluted leftover food and are themselves in a state of pollution while doing so.

In some rituals she is known to have been offered a piece of clothing stained with the menstrual blood in order to win the boon of being able to attract someone. Menstrual blood is regarded as taboo in the performance of religious functions, but in the case of Matangi these strict taboos are disregarded, indeed, are flaunted.

Kamala the Last but Not the Least

Kamala as the tenth and last of the Wisdom Goddesses shows the full unfoldment of the power of the Goddess into the material sphere. She is both the beginning and the end of our worship of the goddess.

The canonical texts are quite specific regarding her iconography:

'She has a beautiful and golden complexion. She is being bathed by four large elephants who pour jars of nectars over her. In her four hands she holds two lotuses and makes the signs of granting boons and giving assurance. She wears a resplendent crown and a silken dress.'

The name Kamala means "she of the lotus" and is a common epithet of Goddess Lakshmi. Indeed, Kamala is none other than the goddess Lakshmi. Though listed as the last of the Mahavidyas, she is the best known and most popular. Several annual festivals are given in her honor. Of these, the Diwali festival is most widely celebrated. This festival links Lakshmi to three important and interrelated themes: prosperity and wealth, fertility and crops, and good luck during the coming year.

The elephants pouring nectar onto her are symbols of sovereignty and fertility. They convey Kamala's association with these highly desirable qualities.

Though equivalent to Lakshmi, important differences exist when Kamala is included in the group of Mahavidyas. Most strikingly, she is never described or shown accompanying Vishnu, who otherwise is her constant and dominating companion in all representations.

In this respect unlike Lakshmi, Kamala is almost entirely removed from marital and domestic contexts. She does not play the role model of a wife in any way, and her association with proper dharmic or social behavior, either as an example of it or as the rewarder of it, is not important in the Mahavidya context. Here a premium seems to be put on the independence of the goddesses. For the most part, the Mahavidyas are seen as powerful goddesses in their own right. Their power and authority do not derive from association with male deities. Rather, it is their power that pervades the gods and enables them to perform their cosmic functions. When male deities are shown, they are almost in supporting roles (literally as when they are shown supporting Shodashi's throne), and are depicted as subsidiary figures.

Conclusion

It is striking how female imagery and women are central to the conception of the Mahavidyas. Iconographically, they are individually shown dominating male deities. Kali and Tara are shown astride Shiva, while others like Shodashi sit on the body of Shiva which in turn rests upon a couch whose legs are four male deities! Most significantly none of the Mahavidyas is shown as the traditional wife or consort. Even Lakshmi, who is widely known for her position as Vishnu's loyal wife is shown alone. It is also noteworthy that the severed heads that decorate the goddess's bodies are male, as are the corpses that lie beneath them.

Moreover, related Tantric texts often mention the importance of revering women. The Kaulavali Tantra says that all women should be looked upon as manifestations of Mahadevi (the Great Goddess). The Nila-tantra says that one should desert one's parents, guru, and even the deities before insulting a woman.

Finally the question remains: Why would one wish to worship a goddess such as Kali, Chinnamasta, Dhumawati, Bhairavi, or a Matangi, each of whom dramatically embodies marginal, polluting, or socially subversive qualities? These goddesses are both frightening and dangerous. They often threaten social order. In their strong associations with death, violence, pollution, and despised marginal social roles, they call into question such normative social "goods" as worldly comfort, security, respect, and honor. The worship of these goddesses suggests that the devotee experiences a refreshing and liberating spirituality in all that is forbidden by established social orders.

The central aim here according to Tantric belief is to stretch one's consciousness beyond the conventional, to break away from approved social norms, roles, and expectations. By subverting, mocking, or rejecting conventional social norms, the adept seeks to liberate his or her consciousness from the inherited, imposed, and probably inhibiting categories of proper and improper, good and bad, polluted and pure.

Living one's life according to rules of purity and pollution and caste and class that dictate how, where, and exactly in what manner every bodily function may be exercised, and which people one may, or may not, interact with socially, can create a sense of imprisonment from which one might long to escape. Perhaps the more marginal, bizarre, "outsider" goddesses among the Mahavidyas facilitate this escape. By identifying with the forbidden or the marginalized, an adept may acquire a new and refreshing perspective on the cage of respectability and predictability. Indeed a mystical adventure, without the experience of which, any spiritual quest would remain incomplete.

Source:http://www.kheper.net/topics/Tantra/Mahavidyas.html

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References and Further Reading

• Danielou, Alain. The Myths and Gods of India: Vermont, 1991.
• Frawley, David. Tantric Yoga and The Wisdom Goddesses: Delhi, 1999.
• Jansen, Eva Rudy. The Book of Hindu Imagery, The Gods and their Symbols: Holland, 1998.
• Kinsley, David. Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine: New Delhi,1997.
• Walker, Benjamin. Encyclopedia of Esoteric Man: London, 1977