Re: Mother Divine and Grahas: Observations
Hari Oṁ
~~~~~
Namaste
If we step back we are looking at Śrī Devī in her various forms we can see some groupings and commonalities.
Since it is Śrī Devī we're viewing it makes sense that there's overlap. The 10 Qualities of Śrī Devī are not rigid walls where one starts
and the other stops. I think this will help:
- Kālī + Chinnamasta + Dhūmāvatīi+ Bagalamukhi share the characteristics of Power and Force - either manifest or unmanifest.
- Tripurasundarī + Bhuvaneshvarī + Tripura Bhairavi + Matangi + Kamalatmika share the charisticis of Beauty, Light and Delight.
- Tripura Bhairavi + Bagalāmukhi + Mātangi has the characteristics of the Force-of-Sound, either expressed and unfolding or impeded and controlled.
It's noted by observation that Tara takes on certain characteristics of Kālī and Tripurasundarī.
Another observation is that of perception name and form become possible with prakāśa ( light) +nāda (sound). We can leave for a later post, yet a most interesting subject.
Looking at it from another view I found this grouping to be quite useful (provided by David Frawley¹.
- Kālī (Saturn) + Chinnamasta (Rahu) = Time and transformation
- Tara (Jupiter) + Mātangi (Sun) = The Word, manifest and unmanifest
- Tripurasundarī (Mercury) + Kamalatmika (Venus) = Beauty/suśamā, Unmanifest and Manifest
- Bhuvaneshvarī (Moon) + Dhūmāvatī (Ketu) = Space/ ākāśa, manifest and unmanifest
- Tripura Bhairavi (Lagna or one's ascendant) + Bagalāmukhi (Mars) =Energy, in stillness and in motion
If we looked just at a word or two for each devatā, it perhaps would look like this:
- Kālī (Saturn) - Time -kalā
- Tara (Jupiter) - wisdom- jñāna
- Tripurasundarī (Mercury) - light - prakāśa
- Bhuvaneshvarī (Moon) - space, ākāśa ( the space for existence to exist)
- Tripura Bhairavi (Lagna) - śakti/energy of tapasya for burning up blemishes and weakness
- Chinnamasta (Rahu) - power or śakti of striking for the Supreme
- Dhūmāvatī (Ketu) - void or sūnyata
- Bagalāmukhi ( Mars) - śakti of restraint; vāk stambhanakari i.e. paralysis or stupefaction over speech
- Mātangi (Sun) - śakti of expression; vāgvilāsa , grace and elegance to speech
- Kamalatmika (Venus) - Delight, joy, Fullness of Being - ka (splendor and light)
Yet one could ask , what is the overall goal or intent of the devatā-s? Nothing less then svasaṃvedana ( self-consciousness) in its fullest.
And what is that? Pratyabhijñā or the re-recognition of the SELF (svātman).
This begins, says Abhinavagupta, by the individual becoming sahṛdaya - possessed of the heart, full of feeling. What is Abhinavagupta alluding to here? He is suggesting that the individual open one's self the finer levels of existence, of Being. This has been called the 'heart', consciousness, Supreme Consciousness, anuttara, the un-passable. We can talk more on this if there is interest, yet it would be best to have the strong start on the meditation folder on this subject.
But why then the review of the daśa mahāvidyā-s ? how does this fit in. This is the wisdom Śiva offers - He says Śaivī mukhaṃ Ihocyate - Śakti ( Śrī Devī) is the entrance door ( mukhaṃ or mouth, opening ) to Śiva. This is said in Vijñāna Bhairava , the 20th and 21st kārikā, Śiva is known through Śakti.
Last, I will list out the various books I used as reference material for the posts on the daśa mahāvidyā-s in the foot notes below.
hari oṁ हरिॐ
praṇām
words and references
- sahṛdaya सहृदय - possessed of the heart, full of feeling , sensible , intelligent
- svātman स्वात्मन् - one's own SELF or nature
- The 10 Great Cosmic powers (daśa mahāvidyās) - Śrī Śaṅkaranārayānan
- Vedic Remedies in Astrology - Sanjay Rath
- Tools for Tantra - Harish Johari
- Tantric Yoga and the Wisdom Goddesses - David Frawley
- Secrets of the Rig Veda - first 121 suktā-s - R.L. Kashyap
- Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad - Svāmi Śivanānda
- Chāndogya Upaniṣad - Svāmi Muni Nārāyaṇa Prāsad
- 10 Principle Upaniṣads - Svāmi Śivanānda
- The Triadic Heart of Śiva - Kaula Tantricism of Abhinavagupta - Paul Eduardo Muller-Ortega ( this is a study of Parātrīśikālaghu-vṛttiḥ written by Abhinavagupti-ji)
- Definitions rooted in the works and offerings of Sanskṛit-Engligh Dictionary 2002 Edition - M.F. Monier-Williams ( first published 1872)
- Abhinavagupta-ji , his tradition.
From my studies, svāmī Lakmanjoo's guru was svāmī mahatābakak and his was svāmī Rām… the lineage is traced back to durvāsā ṛiṣi.
It is said durvāsā ṛiṣi received knowledge of bhairava tantra from śrikaṇṭhanathā (śiva) Himself. Accordingly durvāsā ṛiṣi was instructed by śrikaṇṭhanathā to expand the thought of bhairava tantra in all the universe with no restriction to varna or jāti, male or female.
The first to receive his dīkṣā was Tryambakanātha, his son. What is of special note this sisya (śiṣya) was a mind-born son. He also created two more mind born sons and a mind born daughter for the upliftment of the family of man. Her name was ardhatryambakā.
Why did durvāsā ṛiṣi pursue this venue? He was a brahhmacārī and therefore ūrdhvaretah or one preserving ones sexual energy and no displacement of sukra.
From father to mind born son and daughter, some of the children also created mind born śiṣya-s. It's said that 15 siddhas were created in this manner. It was this 15th siddha that was unsuccessful in creating mind born śiṣyas.
For this he searched for a female with all sattvic qualities to produce his children and śiṣyas. Up to this point it was always father-to-son initiation.
Yet starting with somānandanātha muni the dīkṣā began from Master to disciple. It is from this lineage that Abhinavagupta came to be initiated into this great knowledge of kaśmir śaivism.
Last edited by yajvan; 07 March 2011 at 01:23 PM.
यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
because you are identical with śiva
_
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