I was always fascinated by the second Mahavidya, Tara as she is such an important manifestation of Parashakti as adya spanda or the primordial vibration and she imparts to us untold wisdom. A text called The Origin and Cult of Tara, written by Historian Hirananda Shashtri was an invaluable resource for me when I was researching her. Tara is worshipped with great fervor in both Sanatan and Buddhist communities. According to this book, there are primarily three versions of Tara, Ekjata, Neel Saraswati and Uratara. Now please understand, these are not different Taras. Tara is one and undivided…AKHAND!
Ekaiva hi mahadevi naam matrang tridha bhavet…
In Buddhism, Tara is the shakti of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshwar. The Buddhists were inspired to give her a prominent place in their divine pantheon as they realized her power and grace. She is shaktishali(powerhouse) and she is compassionate! She is Prajnaparamhita!
This quote of Mahayan reveals her archetype…
She is the Perfect Wisdom that never comes into being, and therefore never goes out of being.
She is known as the Great Mother….She is the Perfect Wisdom who gives birthless birth to all Buddhas.
And through these sublimely Awakened Ones, it is Mother Prajñāpāramitā alone who turns the wheel of true teaching….
TARA IMPARTS TRUE WISDOM! Let’s get that point nailed into our brains.
I have discussed a thousand times about how Vashishta cursed her ekakshari mantra TREEM and then once he got her grace, he sanctified the beej with an S sound. It became STREEM, so I’ll not waste our valuable time.
Let us discuss her main beej STREEM~
First we take Chandra beej “S”, then add “t” and then “ee” and then bindu “ng” and this forms STREENG or streem. This is ekakshari Tara mantra and is her most powerful sound emanation!
Her next most important EKAKSHARI beej is HOOM, which is known as hoomkar.
If you’re thinking of jumping into Tara/NS sadhna, it is important to practice the above mentioned beej mantras for a few months in the correct vidhi.
Many people chant OM HREEM STREEM HUM PHATT without realizing that when you add pranav or OM, the mantra becomes UGRATARA mantra and this form is not to be worshipped by grihastis. It can bring misery and suffering.
Hreem Streem Hoom is the sound form of Nila Saraswati and gives mahamukti.
In the text Neeltantram, Bhairav tells devi that Tara vidya is SARVAVIDYA PRADHANA, deeply mysterious, not revealed to anyone who is unworthy, brings deep wisdom and this vidya is SANATAN! He reveals that MOOLPRAKRITI manifests in infinite forms, but her blue emanations are always remarkable and unique.
The blue forms of Devi connect us to the akash element and the Vishuddhachakra. What do you think of when you visualize blue? Why, the sky and the seas of course! Right? FYI, both of them are colorless, it is sunlight reflecting through them. Deep azure blue reminds us of deep, dark space which is ever expanding and in which the universe or the multiverse is embedded.
The blue/dark forms of Vishnu, Krishna, Tara all refer to an omniscient consciousness, all-pervading and ever expansive! If you scoop up a handful of water from a blue stream, you’ll see it has lost the blueness, so you see, you cannot truly hold onto BLUE! It is an enigma, a mysterious hue and it connects to the primordial divinity!
The connection between the Absolute known as BRAHMAN and expansive space is enunciated in the Chandogya Upanishad.
3:12:7-9: That which is (designated as) Brahman, even that is this ākāśa (space) outside the body. That which is the ākāśa outside the body, even that is the ākāśa inside the body. That which is the ākāśa inside the body, even that is this ākāśa within the (lotus of the) heart. This Brahman is all-filling and unchanging.
Tara is the primordial ocean of sound from which the vibrations of creation begin! Blue is associated with speech, VISHUDDHA chakra and it is the color of Mahadev’s throat which turned this hue after ingesting halahal. This subject matter deserves its own text, because the connection here is that the vast multitudes of space reside in Shiva’s throat. We, that is the physical world is spoken out byy Mahadev into existence!
Ucchishtha Ganapati is blue and his consort is Neel Saraswati or Tara!
In Neeltantram, Bhairav has explained how the blue form of Devi will ferry us through the oceans of samsara and will bless us with wealth, health, fame and wisdom! As she gives us bhog, she takes us towards moksha. Moksha is Shiv and it is her, the cosmic mother who reveals to us SHIVOHAM tattva.
In the same text, Bhairav reveals how Bramha, Vishnu, Mahesh have all worshipped her to gain their positions in the cosmic lila. It’s not just the trimurti, Chandra, Surya, Varun and Kuber have also practiced her mahavidya to gain siddhis. Rishis like Durvasa, Vashishth, Dattatreya and Brihaspati have been her upasak for eons. Bhairav says that all Devis, Devatas, Upadevatas, Gandharv, Kinnar, Yakshas, all celestial folk worship her in some form or another.
I will give you some revelations of Bhairav from the text Neeltantram. It is one of my absolute favorites and I devise my Tara/NS syllabus partly from there. I study it repeatedly over the years and each time it reveals something new and unexpected.
Bhairav says…
Wake up at Bramhamuhurta and before stepping out of your bed, visualize her as kundlini shakti who is spread all through your Mooldhar to your sahasraar! Visualize your whole body turn deep midnight blue from the root of the spine to the bramharandhra. Sahasraar is two fingers above our physical body and it is this nadi that connects us to the final chakra, the crown chakra.
The text does posit some paradoxical concepts, like visualize her as bright and luminescent as a thousand Suns and at the same time, think of her as being cool and pale like a thousand moons. She vibrates with the energy of a million lightning rays that drop from the skies holding in them the energy of a billion Suns! It is this paradoxical nature of tantric texts that have added to the mystique and disreputation of tantra. Contradictory language and ideas are enumerated for the sake of consciousness expansion. Just like the Vedantin NETI NETI!
Sveta raktanta patalah, translates to her complexion being pink. Imagine a drop of blood mixed with white paint. Think of that pale pink color, the lotus comes to mind. That is the best offering for her as well. She loves padmas. Now after you have held her form in dharana for a decent amount of time, visualize your own body turning pink hued, like a lotus freshly bloomed.
I have enjoyed this part tremendously and during deep meditation I can actually feel my whole body turning pastel pink like a luminescent lotus. Since I love associating colors to concepts, I’ve always toyed with ways to explicate the nuances of a shade of color. For me PINK represents…especially the pale pastel pink of Neel Saraswati…
Femininity and feminine sexuality.
Healing and restoration.
Innocence and nostalgia.
Peace and relaxation.
Playfulness and sexual allure.
Romance and sensual vibes.
Sweetness and release of guilt.
Tranquility and repose.
Warmth and creativity.
I mean I could go on and on…but you get the drift. Each color arouses within me deep contemplation with regards to Mahavidya archetypes. Every shape, every color, every nuance becomes fodder for thought. This is how I connect to Shakti. She vivifies me with ideas and realizations!
Back to Neeltantram…
After your body turns pale pink then bring awareness to the Sahasraar and visualize Tara maa residing there; she is Sushitala, cool and mystical and she is varabhaya, showing us both mudras of varada and abhaya and the best part is that she is always prasannavadana, one who is of pleasant disposition. You can learn her dhyana mantra for clarity and try to bring her image to light in the dark of your mind or else you can just attract her with your love. This part is so important as dhyana is the stage of truly connecting to adishakti Mahamaya!
Then Parasmshiv is worshipped in the sahasraar as Guru and his dhyan must be held here. After this starts the process of manaspuja for a certain sect of Kaulas and for the rest, you have to gather puja samagri and begin to offer tika, pushp, dhoop, deep and naivedya. Proper vidhi of Tara sadhna can only be taught by a living Guru and it is at this stage that Guru will reveal Mahadev’s dhyan and mudras. His archana must be done with total surrender in the sahasraar.
My Guru Dr. Brumnath showed me different mudras for panchopachar here. Usually we do tilak with the ring finger, but in dasamahavidya sadhna, we use a different finger, which I cannot reveal. Similarly, pushp is not offered in the narach mudra, but with one finger and this way is secret. This works the best for samayacharis who perfrom mental worship. Dhup will be offered with the finger denoting vayu tattva, so on and so forth…
O Devi, who assumes a fearsome form, terrifying to all enemies, Bestow your blessings upon your devotees and protect me, who has sought refuge in you.
O Devi, worshipped by both gods and demons, served by siddhas and gandharvas, O Devi, dispeller of inertia and sins, protect me, who has sought refuge in you.
O Devi, adorned with matted hair, having a protruding tongue, Quickener of intellect, protect me, who has sought refuge in you.
O Devi, who possesses a gentle and wrathful form, I bow to you. I bow to you, who is the embodiment of creation. Protect me, who has sought refuge in you.
You destroy the ignorance of the ignorant and have affection for your devotees. O Devi, please remove my ignorance and protect me, who has sought refuge in you.
I invoke the syllables ‘Vaṁ hrūṁ hrūṁ’ with desire, O Devi. I bow to you, who is pleased by sacrificial offerings. I bow to you, the fierce one. Protect me, who has sought refuge in you.
Grant me intellect, grant me fame, grant me poetic skill, grant me, O Devi. Please remove my ignorance, O Devi, and protect me, who has sought refuge in you.
O Devi, who is worshiped by Indra and others, compassionate one, You are the protector of those seeking refuge. Protect me, who has sought refuge in you.
Whoever recites this hymn on the eighth, fourteenth, or ninth day, Will attain success within six months, there is no doubt about it.
The seeker of liberation attains liberation, the seeker of wealth attains wealth, The seeker of knowledge attains knowledge, including logic and grammar.
Whoever recites this hymn with devotion regularly, Their enemies will be destroyed, and great wisdom will arise within them.
In times of affliction, battles, inertia, charity, or fear, There is no doubt that one who recites this hymn will receive auspiciousness.
Having thus offered salutations and praised, one should display the yoni mudra (hand gesture symbolizing the female reproductive organ).
After the completion of this stava, you have to chant VAGBHAVA BEEJ “EING” 108 times. After chanting this VAG beej you have to offer your jaap and then dandavata namaskaram.
Then recite AKHANDA MANDALAKARAM, which is Guru Stotram.
Shivah shakthya yukto yadi bhavati shaktah prabhavitum Na chedevam devo na khalu kusalah spanditumapi; Atas tvam aradhyam Hari-Hara-Virinchadibhir api Pranantum stotum vaa katham akrta-punyah prabhavati
Lord Shiva, only becomes able. To do creation in this world along with Shakthi Without her, Even an inch he cannot move, And so how can, one who does not do good deeds, Or one who does not sing your praise, Become adequate to worship you Oh , goddess mine, Who is worshipped by the trinity. ~~Shankarachary
It was one of those lazy afternoons in Calcutta and my grandmother settled in for her afternoon nap. The oppressive heat breathed down my neck as I wiped away tiny sweat beads from my forehead and my bored mind kept drifting to the puja room for there I knew, I could feel important reciting mumbo jumbo mantras and conducting my own rituals to the Gods and Goddesses.
Those were the days before smartphones and it was a legit way to entertain myself! The puja room was adjacent to her bedroom, it contained a magical world full of mystical artifacts, Gods and Goddesses, all kinds of spices, beautiful shells and conches and the doors were always closed shut. Not with locks though, which is why I often times slipped into it and began my own pujas and rituals much to the dismay of my family. “Don’t touch the banlingam” or “This is not a play area,” and such sentences were often thrown at me to remind me that I was just a child and the puja room wasoff limits. It’s where grownups do serious stuff.
Cutting a long story short, I did not give into any of their cajoling requests or stern scolding and often found myself in there, again I knew not why! What attracted me so much about it?
I would take down my grandfather’s huge shivling and start my own abhishekham. I would precariously carry the heavy Ganapati marble murthi, my whole body bent like a twig about to snap by its weight in my arms. I never dropped anything though, although I had tons of mishaps with sindur, turmeric, rice and water. I would hide and eat the Bengali sandesh offered to Ganapati while stuffing some on the idol!
I’d laugh mischievously as if I shared some great secret with Ganapati! As my mom pulled my ears to extract me from there, I’d joyously scream and say, “Look ma, the chubby little Ganapati is eating…” However, my favorite article in the whole room was a parad or mercury Srimeru, the three D version of the Sriyantra which was given to my grandfather by his Guru, Paramhamsa Vishuddhananda.
I was always fascinated by the Meru. The formation of such an intricate design, it mesmerized me and I always looked for the right moment to bring it down from the top shelves where it lay wrapped in red silk inside a potli with Tibetan letters on it.
My grandfather disappeared for many months somewhere in or near Tibet (he never told us) each year with his Gurudeva and this had been his habit since he was initiated in his early twenties. Sometimes he would tell me stories of the snow-capped mountains and in it lay nestled a magical place created by the Yogic siddhis of very advanced Mahayogis.
His Guru being one such individual who hailed from that place, my Dadu was allowed access into many of its secrets. This place he called Gyangang and he told me so many fantastic stories. It felt like heaven, if my tiny brain could grasp that kind of concept! It felt like I belonged there for some reason, it felt like home.
My favorite part of the story was, in the third level of Gyanganj there existed the Srimeru in all its 3D glory! It was ethereal and holographic and from that structure emanated massive energy which ultimately created all known matter and anti-matter. This was the energy of all the Gods and Goddesses combined and their leader is Maha Tripurasundari.
She is the Great Empress, Maharagni!
Dadu would say, “She is not just Maharagni, she is Sri Maharagni, the Empress of all the Queens!” At that moment I realized she was my one and only queen, the Queen of my Heart and somewhere in my mind a bulb ignited that not only is she the creator of all things, it is she who sustains all and she is seated atop a majestic lion, which happens to be my favorite animal. May have something to do with an ascendant and four planet stellium in Leo or Simha rashi opposite a lonely moon in the 7th in Aquarius!
But that story of the holographic Meru and Rajrajeswari’s temple in Gyanganj really got me fascinated and I couldn’t shake the story off my mind and I kept revisiting that snowy mountain in Tibet and that Sriyantra vibrating like a gargantuan diamond! If only I could touch it!
Dadu told me that there was a temple of Rajrajeshwari, the Supreme Mother of all, Srimata; his Guru’s Guru, Bramharishi Mahatapa resided there. He was known as the Tibboti and his age was an enigma. It was rumored in Gyanganj that he has lived from the beginning of time in this manvantara and will remain till its end.
Strangely I could visualize the Srimeru and I could put a face to Paramguru Mahatapa. It was all like a fairy tale to me, full of wonder and mystique and I wanted to visit Gyanganj. I had no interest in Snow White or Goldilocks as fairy tales, to me the real fantasy that tugged at my imagination was the snow clad Academy of Yoga, hidden in some obscure corner within the Himalayan range.
I wanted to know everything about the mystical Sriyantra back then; I wanted to know about her so bad and that want never dissipated. It just intensified, which is why I made Srividya my Life’s work. I wanted nothing more than to know about Srimata, her dazzling brilliance so attracted me that I vowed to find my way back to her lotus feet.
Her lotus feet, from under which Brahma gathers cosmic dust to create the fourteen worlds (parallel multiverse structures)! What entitlement you might think! What makes me think I will ever achieve that feat? I am not speaking from a place of entitlement or exclusivity; I am speaking from a place of deep love. The deep love I feel for all the five main deities associated to Srividya. They speak to me, they inspire me, they provoke me, and they captivate me and my whole being.
Who are the five deities of Srividya? 1)Mahaganapati (Ucchishtha Ganapati) 2)Mantrini 3)Varahi 4)Bala 5)Maha Tripurasundari
This is how one enters the sacredness of Srividya…
Krishnanda Agambagish was dumbfounded, astonished and stupefied as he gazed upon the woman of the cow-herding family; her stunning beauty was mesmerizing and he couldn’t take his eyes off her! She looked like an ethereal being, so majestic was she! Her skin was star-shadow black and it glistened like precious onyx. Her movements were strong and powerful, her right leg gracefully lifted as she pressed the cow dung cakes in the walls of the shanty hut.
She had smoldering, jet black eyes and a sculpted, curvaceous figure, her youth radiating like a thousand Suns! She dazzled in the soft bokeh light of dawn as she perspired profusely because of her laborious undertaking. It is not easy to plaster a house with cow manure! Her gaze suddenly shifted and her eyes met Krishnanda’s. Noticing him standing there, staring at her, startled her. Her ghungat cascaded from her head and her luscious hair went spiraling down like dense sheets of water released from the heavens in the time of the monsoons.
There was a wisdom about her although she was barely in her early twenties. There was a strength in her gait, a mesmerizing allure that was inexplicable as she moved and swayed. Her gaze was soft and tender, but in it there was a hint of embarrassment; the emotion was raw because back in those days, married women did not reveal their faces and their gorgeous locks to strangers. Her half moon cheekbones glistened with sweat and she smiled faintly, sticking her tongue out while biting it down gently with her perfect pearl white teeth.
Krishnanda noticed that her right hand was full of cow dung and the way she suddenly lifted it, it made him think of the abhaya mudra. Her left hand was held together tightly in a fist, and she moved it like she was about to hold something and in his imaginative mindscape, he saw the varada mudra taking form. As she stood in front of him, her midnight-black skin and her thundercloud hair running amok in all directions, her lips slightly swollen, as if she’d been stung by a bee, Krishnanda Agambagish was left absolutely speechless in awe.
He did not see her as a woman of the cow-herding tribe. He saw her as the very epitome of Parashakti, such was his connection to the Great Mother! He began to tremble as tears started streaming down his face as he pondered on the mystical experience gifted to him by the great mother. His heart began to tremble with joy as he rejoiced in the mahima of Maa Kali. He fell at her feet, crying with reverence and then he stood up and took his leave. He kept his gaze on her feet as he bowed his way out and he felt a wave of creativity surging deep within.
It was the wee hours of the morning and Krishnanda noticed that it was still empty by the Ganges river bank. He collected mud from the banks of the Ganges and began to sculpt the murthi of Maa Kali, drawing inspiration from the intense chance-meeting with the cow-herding woman. Was she even a woman? He had his doubts.
As he sculpted on, he began to realize that the woman he had seen was so strikingly beautiful and unique that he hadn’t forgotten a single detail about her! Another important thing he noticed, was that the devi lakshans cited in the scriptures could all be found in the woman he had been inspired by. His soul began to scream with joy as he spent long hours crafting this murthi with total dedication and commitment. In his heart he knew that he had seen the form that The Goddess had shown him. It was how she wanted to be known and recognized by us mere mortals through the ages.
While carving out the form of this enigmatic woman, she appeared to him as chaturbhuja and he felt compelled to depict her in such a form. Krishnanda did avahana to devi in this very murthi and the level of love and devotion that he felt, brought forth the very essence of Prashakti Kali in her Chinmayi form. His love made mrinmai maa, chinmayi!
Below I will mention some of Krishnanda Agambagish’s teachings and saying…
He always taught his students to simply SURRENDER to maa Kali and watch her operate through the physical vehicle. It is miraculous…
All is your desire Maa, you are Icchamayi devi. You do what you need to, yet, people think it is me…wrote Rajanikanta..
Krishnanda always stressed on the importance of having a positive mindset and hope. Hope of merging with Maa Kali should be tantamount in our minds and hearts.
The regular perusal of spiritual books was a set routine in his life and he expected all to inculcate this habit. It will set your mind at peace, he would teach!
FEARLESSNESS is very important to a Shakta! When fear drowns our reason, it begins to fester as a parasitic entity, so get rid of that fear, he would teach.
Everything is made possible because of Maa Kali, so sing her praises. Revel in her grace. Surrender to her love. JOY KALI KALKATTE WALI JAI KALI…
Love and respect all of creation and that’s what Kali will give you in return. It is all her Lila! What else is there?
Maa Kali’s mantras and kriyas, taught by a living Guru must be a daily practice to maintain sanity in this insane world. The first Mahavidya is she!
Transcend duality. HELP EACH OTHER! DO GOOD!
Smile. Laugh. Celebrate!
Such simple, yet profound teachings…
JOY MAA KALI
Learn Kali vidya~~~mantra, tantra, yantra and prayogas…
या सा पद्मासनस्था विपुलकटितटी पद्मपत्रायताक्ष गम्भीरावर्तनाभिस्तनभरनमिता शुभ्रवस्त्रोत्तरीया । या लक्ष्मीर्दिव्यरूपैर्मणिगणखचितैः स्नापिता हेमकुम्भैः सा नित्यं पद्महस्ता मम वसतु गृहे सर्वमांगल्ययुक्ता ॥ ॐ हिरण्यवर्णां हरिणीं सुवर्णरजतस्रजाम् । चंद्रां हिरण्मयीं लक्ष्मीं जातवेदो म आ वह ॥ ॐ महालक्ष्म्यै नमः, ध्यानार्थे पुष्पाणि समर्पयामि ।
MAHALAXMI IS COMPLICATED~
As I sit down to pen down my thoughts on the Mahalaxmi Tattva on this Friday, I have in mind only one keyword for this archetype and that is PERFECTION, but how can we understand such a concept in this imperfect world of duality. It seems almost an impossibility! We, imperfect little beings of flesh and blood, how can we comprehend PERFECTION. We prefer to say, nah, perfection it doesn’t exist! But it does, PERFECTION is verily Laxmi tattva. As HRUDAYAGRANTHIBHEDINI, she pierces through the knot of your heart!
What is perfection? As SHUBHA, she is total auspiciousness!
Perfection is a flawless state where everything is exactly right!!! In the MAHALAXMI TATTVA, this is the prevalent energy-signature, which again, can be hard for us to summarize. Now think back, have you ever had a moment where everything is 100% perfect? Or has there always been some stress to encumber your happiness? Can we truly ever find Laxmi? The point is to try and uphold her tattva every single moment of your life, to become one with her. This is easier said than done…
Laxmi posits a very complicated archetype for us to assimilate, and this is a fact even for Sri Hari Vishnu as he too cannot totally comprehend his shakti, Mahalaxmi! But why?
ALWAYS WORSHIP LAXMI AT NIGHT
On Kojagori poornima, Mata Laxmi is worshipped. We also call this day Kaumadi and back in ancient times, Kaumadi Mahotsav was celebrated in Laxmi sharadiya poornima day. The word Kumudi comes from the concept that on this full moon night, the rare Kumud flowers bloom.
Kumidini also means the full moon and the Laxmi tattva is deeply associated with this cycle of the moon.
Kaumadyang pujaye Laxmi…
In the dhyan mantra, she is described as Aishwarya, as beauty and as abundance. On this Ashwin poornima, you have to be awake at night and this is the illuminated silvery night when she roams the earthly realms and gives us her vibhuti. You have to dress beautifully and smell nice, then stay up all night playing pasha. Jua and satta were played all night. The ancient people would stay up and bet all night and this might surprise the typical middle-class moral police, but this is why her tattva is so complex.
LAXMI IS SRI
Historians like Nrisingha Bhaduri have commented on how the name Laxmi is a later invention, her name in the ancient times was SRI! He also noted how Laxmi puja might not have happened in the ancient times, but on this night of Ashwin Poornima, Kaumadi mahotsav was celebrated with great pomp and fervor. It is interesting to note that the texts mention the worship of Lord Indra seated on Airavat during her puja, however, this practice has been abandoned in the modern times. The deeper symbolism here is that because of Mahalaxmi’s existence, Indra sits on the throne of Swarga!
The etymology of the word LAXMI comes from Laxan which can be translated as signs. When Dushyanta saw Shankuntala for the first time, he was mesmerized by her beauty and he wrote that as the moon has certain markings of auspiciousness, so does she. This moon reference always connects to beauty and glamor and the full moon totally epitomizes MAHALAXMI!
MOON GAZING/CHANDRA TRATAK
Nishithe varada Laxmi…she only boons at night. The night is deep and mysterious, incomprehensible, like Mahalaxmi tattva. This kojagari night is so very magical, if you remain awake all night, you will feel what I felt as I sat gazing at the luminescent full moon on those nights! This was the most magical part of my practice, as I allowed my eyes to soak in the moon rays while observing extended periods of tratak.
In my mind, the SHREEM beej kept playing on repeat. Watching the moon in a transfixed state, I could feel the ocean of my intuition swell up with waves of premonitions that Laxmi mata inserted within me. The beauty, the grace, the abundance was everlasting, it was an infinity that I held through the vision of my eyes. It was magnanimous and one of the most mystical experiences of my life. It was always easier to enter into samadhic states after the intense moon gazing.
ARE YOU AWAKE?
Kojagari in Bengali simply means, “Who is awake…”! The ancients tell us, do not sleep, stay clean, stay beautiful and wait for perfection to permeate your being! The point is that you cannot slumber when perfection hits, you have to remain alert and focused to embody Laxmi. There can be no sloth, laziness or complacency!
Laxmi mata tells us, “Tasmai vidyang prajacchami…the ones who are awake, I will bless you with wealth, health and beauty with a dash of glamor!” When people stay up all night betting, in a sense they are making deals and exchanging money, thereby they are exploring Laxmi.
In no Devi’s dhyan mantra will you find such an iconoclastic, yet practical tattva. Here we speak of the exchange of money and staying up late, two things we do not associate with puja and upasna. Of course, some know Tantric pujas are done at night, but the normal householder is often shocked to learn that devi upasna happens at night. Laxmi should only be propitiated during the night!
LAXMI IS PRIMORDIAL
Laxmi is the daughter of the ocean and during the churning of the kshirasagara, she emanated on the poornima in Ashwin…
Sakra: — O Goddess, who appearest from the milky ocean, wife of the God Padmanabha, I prostrate myself before Thee, who art lotus-born. Deign to explain who a living being is. Sri: — The primordial, absolute I-hood of Hari is myself and I am the transcendental, supreme Goddess.
— Chapter 6 LAXMI TANTRA
Mahalaxmi is the shakti or the dynamism of Sri Vishnu Hari and she is the sustainer of all creation.
PADMA IS HER BEING
When she arose out of the depths of kshirasagara, she held in her hand the padma or lotus. She was accompanied by the wish-fulfilling cow, Kamadhenu, Varuni, Parijat, the Apsaras, Chandra and finally Dhanvantari with amrit. Now you can understand that she brings with herself the power to manifest all kinds of abundance and Kamadhenu is a symbol of that. She brings food as a form of sustenance. is a miraculous cow of plenty who provides the world whatever they desire and is often portrayed as the mother of other cattle.
I salute day and night the goddess who is darling of Padmanabha, Who has lotus like eyes, who lives in lotus, Who has a pretty face like a fully open lotus and who holds a lotus.
LAXMI INTOXICATES
Varuni is the devi of wine or soma and when she appeared with Mahalaxmi, she had in her hand a pot of wine. The inebriated state of God realization is what this amrit brings. UG is madonmatta, intoxicated with this same soma! Thereby we understand that the worship of Laxmi reveals such inebriated states, where we can suspend our ordinary ego-driven awareness to tune into something higher, something more magical.
SHREEM FREQUENCY
Turn on, tune in and drop out…this is what true Laxmi tattva reveals. Drop out from the suffering, the ugliness, the pain and pathos and tune into beauty, self confidence, glamor and attractiveness. Not the kind displayed by the Kardashians or Btown celebs, but a beauty unparallel and PERFECTED. The exploration of Laxmi is about realizing this PERFECTION! You do not need botox, you do not need a stick thin figure, all you need is the willingness to embody Laxmi tattva against all odds. Do this and watch how magical life can become! When we are high, we are happy and excitable and with Laxmi upasna one stays in this vibration, holding the frequency of SHREEM. It is not easy, which is why she is so complex.
THE MAGICAL PARIJAT
It is ABSOLUTELY awesome to note that the Parijat tree blooms only at night, the flowers cascading on the ground effortlessly, making it the only flower that can be offered to the deities after picking them from the ground, implying that once you embody the Laxmi archetype, you will forever remain UNSULLIED! No matter how deep you fall, you will always be picked up as an offering to the GREAT MOTHER MAHALAXMI!
APSARAS ATTEND TO MAHALAXMI
Apsaras are the very epitome of beauty, grace and glamor, so it is befitting that they arrive with Mahalaxmi during the churning of the ocean of milk. In the RIGVEDA, we find the tale of an Apsara who was the wife of a Gandharva, the court musicians of Indra. Urvashi was her name and an entire hymn deals with the conversation between Urvashi and her mortal lover and through that conversation, we learn a lot about these most elegant and beautiful feminine energies, each embodying the tattva of MAHALAXMI.
MOON CONNECTION
Chandra or Soma is obviously crucial in the worship of Mahalaxmi as she emanates on a full moon night! She is deeply connected to both the Sun and the Moon. She sits on a padma and her name is also Padma and the lotus flower rises out of the muck to greet the skies only during the day when the sun light fructifies it. The moon connection is evident in her iconography and the Puranas tell us that Chandra dev is her brother. Interestingly Guru Shukracharya or VENUS is also the brother of Mahalaxmi, which is why Fridays are so very special for her worship and shravan.
I meditate on the sister of the moon, who has a face like a full moon, Who wears divine gem studded ornaments and who shows, Blessing and protection by her two hands.
SHE HEALS DISEASES
We can safely assume that mata Mahalaxmi definitely has a lot to do with healing physical diseases as Dhanvantari emanated with her. Dhanvantari is the devata of curing diseases and he is the physician of all Gods and in his hands he holds AMRIT, the nectar of immortality. Now we can deduce that Laxmi upasna gives us immortality. Not in a physical form, as everything born must die! The immortality she metes out to us is about ATMAN realization. We realize that the soul is immortal, the soul is MAHALAXMI!
THE TRINITY~ MAHALAXMI, MAHASARASWATI, MAHAKALI
As I hold the text of Laxmi Tantra in my hands and peruse through it, I see how the archetype of MAHALAXMI has been given primordial importance. She is a part of CHANDI TATTVA, the amalgamation of MAHALAXMI, MAHAKALI and MAHASARASWATI!
MUSINGS
I went to this VISHALAXMI DEVI mandir in the smashan of Channa gram in Burdwan and right next to this temple, there is a PANCHAMUNDI asan of Kamalakanta. In 2018, they built a new temple here near the original and in that place I’ve had some of the most sublime revelations of Mahalaxmi tattva. This 2023 Dhanteras, I felt sort of the same energy. Think of how difficult it is to be a functional responsible adult every single day! How difficult it is to keep a job, pay the bills, look good, maintain a relationship, raise kids, the list is endless, but you get the drift…
HER JOB IS HARD
Now think of how difficult it must be for MAHALAXMI to sustain and maintain life. We are quick to want money and gold from her, but are we in any way helping her sustain the world or are we causing destruction to what she seeks to preserve. If we are a destructive force with money, then how can we realize Mahalaxmi tattva? We have to embody the LAXMI TATTVA within and without if we want to be blessed with her anugraha. This is why Laxmi is chanchala. The minute we become anti-Laxmi in our habits and behavior, she leaves. Nityagatha is her first name in her Sahasranaam and it means that Mata Laxmi keeps on travelling!
Why do we need to be clean? Because when we are clean we are better able to MAINTAIN our physical body and keep it free from harmful bacteria and other pollutants. When we clean our homes, we are better able to maintain the space we live in, so on and so forth and these workings add to the work of MAHALAXMI. If we each maintain and uphold Grihalaxmi, then wouldn’t the world be a better place?
I always meditate that Goddess who has the form of pleasure and salvation, Who takes that form which is dear to the God, Who is the form of divine joy, Who knows everything, who is the mother of all, Who lives on the chest of Lord Vishnu and who is very merciful.
THE DEER
Laxmi’s older iconography depicts her vahana to be a dear. A female dear! Later on, it became on owl. The she-deer was in fact a perfect symbol for Laxmi, both display the chanchal trait. This asthirata of Laxmi in our lives is in fact our own doing. How will she bless us if our energies are anti-Laxmi/anti-Harivishnu? Learn to be a coauthor in her saga of maintaining the world and watch how DHANALAXMI graces you. You have to understand her mammoth task to have BHAGYALAXMI enter your being. Luck is verily her gift.
SHE IS DURGA
Mahalaxmi reveals her identity as DURGA to Devraj Indra by saying she got that name when she destroyed the asur Durgam. The Narad Puran explains that Durga, Mahakali, Bhadrakali, Chandi, Maheshwari, Vaishnavi and Andreye are different names of MAHALAXMI. Understand her as Bramhashakti, she is SHAKTISWARUPINI!
Let us worship her and sing her praises as MATRUKABEEJROOPINI, the root of all letters!
Oh Goddess who is giver of auspicious things, Oh Consort of Shiva, Oh fulfiller of all wishes, Who is to be fit to be surrendered to, Who is the mother with three eyes, Oh Goddess who is white, Oh Narayani, we salute you.
Puna punar namosthesthu sashangam mayutham puna
We salute you again and again, And offer pranams touching the floor, Ten thousand times.
Mahalakshmi who is the consort of Lord Vishnu, Glowing coolly like billions of full moons of autumn, Thus praised by Brahma, Rudhra and other devas, Gave new enthusiasm to the devas by her very cool glance, And with heart full of joy gave several boons, To them as well as to those who salute her, To those in pain, those depressed and those who have lost everything.
You might have noticed that in many temples, especially Tarapeeth, the devi’s feet are worshipped and I’ve explained to you in a video(given at the bottom of the text), how to do mata’s padaseva on a Thursday to appease Jupiter. But why do we worship her feet?
When one worships her lotus feet, she grants you what you desire! If it is financial abundance you seek, then she gives you material wealth. If it is Moksha, a lofty goal indeed that you seek, then she will ferry you to salvation. If like me, you see knowledge and wisdom, then she will impart to you the esoteric arts. Like she does with me.
Each individual worships her lotus feet according to their gunas which generate their inherent desires and dreams and sometimes what they desire may cause them to suffer through numerous cycles of birth and death. Yet, that is their journey and we all have our individual paths to tread and quests to conquer!
Maa Tara is the second Mahavidya and she is the adyaspanda or the first vibration that can be heard in the VOID. She is not naked like Kali, but wears a tiger skin skirt. Kali has veiled herself to appear as sound in the form of Tara. Kali, in her primordial form is the power of electro-magnetism.
Tara’s feet are like padmas or lotuses and although most devi’s and devata’s have eyes like lotus, her feet too appear lotus-like. The pale pink hue, which is connected to Laxmi tattva signifies auspiciousness. Her feet are an omen of good fortune.
In both the Srikul and Kalikul systems, the worship of Devi’s lotus feet is given tremendous importance and an aspirant must learn how to fix his dharana on her charan. I have had vivid visions of her lotus feet, radiant in hue, such a sublime energy emanating from them, leaving me transfixed. These visions are followed by moments of pure bliss, unadulterated joy and connection to Parashakti and Paramshiv!
I am reminded of Soundarya Lahari, where Shankaracharya recounts how Bramha, Vishnu and Mahesh collect the dust from her lotus feet. The dust refers to the pollen grains of the flowers she wears that has been collected at the bottom of her feet. But these are cosmic dusts that create nebulae and pulsar and sometimes an average planet like the Sun that harbors life on a pale blue dot that revolves around it. The astronomers will tell you that we inhabit a solar system created by an average, unremarkable star. But they couldn’t be further from the truth. The Sun is in fact, remarkable!
Lalitha’s feet are full of pollen from the kadamba flowers that she adores, kadamba being one of the sacred five flowers that in actuality represent the four parts of the ANTAHKARANA, the mind, intellect, consciousness and ego, the fifth being the heart chakra, the anahata where the SOUL or atman resides.
Bramha creates fourteen worlds(seven upper and seven lower) with this pollen from her feet which he collected after worshipping them. Vishnu is responsible with the task of sustaining these worlds and ultimately it is Rudra who destroys them in the time of pralaya.
Can you imagine what we mere mortals can achieve just by worshipping her lotus feet?
Can we hope to collect the pollen? Even a minute atom of that pollen which has veiled and limited itself numerous times will be enough to see us through the turbulent samsaric seas of life. Just even a subatomic particle from that pollen!
The dust that the Trinity collect can also be thought of as souls, the ensouled vivified matter that creates the multitudes of worlds. But let us not think of collecting souls just yet! Can we collect that dust to use as a tilak that can open our ajna chakra and remove the shackles of ignorance? Can we visualize the power of the Sun permeating in each particle we receive from her lotus feet and can we use these rays to light the fire within?
Visualize yourself collecting kadamba pollen from Maa Tara’s feet, yes, even she likes Kadamba because verily she is Tripurasundari in another avatar. This dust you will wash off from her padmacharan, treat them like precious diamonds as they will cut away through the material ropes that bind you. A diamond can cut through anything!
By visualizing this during the ritual of charan seva, you will be led to moksha after the realization of the three previous purusharthas. I have noticed that meditation/dhyana on her feet is easier than her whole form. It is a gift for beginners. Forget the rest and just focus on her feet as once you’re able to contemplate on the magnificence of her feet, the secrets and mysteries of her whole form open up to you. Things are revealed if you hold extended practice.
Maya ensnares you with five concealments and these veils are ignorance, ego, attachment, hatred and stubbornness and you can cut away these veils by meditating on her lotus feet. If you’re new to devi worship and want to know how to get her grace speedily, then drop everything and do tratak on her lotus feet. Twenty one minutes of tratak, six months of sustained practice will reveal untold realms out there. Ultimately the knowledge dawns that this world is an illusory projection of Shakti and SHIVOHAM is realized within!
Dhyana on her lotus feet removes the functioning of the ego-driven personality. Nothing is yours and you own no one! It is all her play and to her you shall return. Try tratak on her feet this Guruvar and tell me if you feel this truth that she pervades all of creation. Can you feel her pervasion through the entire cosmos? Every single atom is but a part of her and we all verily reflect her form.
If she graces you with a nano particle of this divine pollen from her lotus feet, you will realize all this and more and honestly it takes very little effort. Visualize this pollen you receive from her feet to be as bright and luminous as the Sun and allow their light to dispel all darkness within.
Tara helps us swim through the material world which is akin to an ocean and keeps us from becoming too attached to people, scenarios and things, so we may wade on till we reach the shores of consciousness. She keeps us from drowning. Although there is pain and loss in the samsaric oceans, she teaches us to balance the karmic equations. and decreases the intensity of suffering.
What is tantra? Simply put, it is shastra, kriyaanushthan and mantra vidya. It is not black magic, it is not vashikaran or ucchatan, it is not sexual orgies.
UG reveals it to me as SHIV/SHAKTI-TATTVA-VIGYAN! Tantra is the mysterious gate way to the Shiv/Shakti enigma and my oh my, is it wondrous?!? The truths embedded in the Agamas can only be realized with a thorough practice of tantra learnt from a living Guru. These teachings are GURUMUKHI!
Tantra, mantra and yantra are the three limbs of this ancient system and it teaches us self realization through practices like nyas, mudra, upasana, yog, pancha tattva samiksha and Shatachakra sadhana. Devi/devata realization dawns upon our consciousness as we explore kundalini tattva by pranayam, dhyan and mantra jaap. It awakens the kundalini slumbering at the base of our spine, at the muladhar to rise up and meet her Paramshiva who resides in the sahasraar. Kundalini tattva is known as MATRITATTVA! All is the mother!
Tantra gives us the keys to live and experience deeply, it enhances and strengthens our knowledge and wisdom. “Tanoti vistaarang karoti…” It improves our lives totally, in all aspects. We look better, we feel better, we talk better…and the best part is, we are happy! We feel the surge of devi’s anugraha as we wade through the messy seas of life. The monkey brains that keeps chattering throughout the whole day is silenced, and finally we can hear the soundless sound, the voice of the silence!
“Mananat trayete eeti mantrah”, signifies the connection we can forge with the mantra devata to transcend and remove the agyatpaash, the noose of ignorance, so we can fly like a bird, untethered to the shackles and challenges of the flesh. There is just so much to explore!
UG IS SHIV/SHAKTI CONSCIOUSNESS
UG reveals to me something about the consciousness of Shiv/Shakti. Their combined energy is present everywhere and in everything from beginning to end. Then you ask, why don’t I realize myself as Shiv/Shati. It’s simply because, they exist in you in a diluted state and it is only through tantra, mantra and yantra can you purify your being and truly realize how glorious a being you truly are!
Shakti is responsible for the creation, whereas Shiva provides the foundation and she is incessantly creating these multitudes of worlds and veiling her true essence in matter and thereby limiting herself. You and me are the devi no doubt, but we are limited avatars of her.
Boshon poro maa…as she wears the garment of matter, even if it is of the highest worlds, she is clearly imposing upon herself a limitation. As she spirals downwards through viprarit maithuna, she keeps on adding these “garments” thereby increasing the limitations and challenges.
If you watch Carl Sagan explaining to you one and two dimensional beings, you’ll realize that we, of the third dimension are seriously ill-equipped to understand the play of shakti in all the dimensions. We are truly limited and hopeless to understand the true plan or lila of shakti.
SRICHAKRA & THE 5 DOWNWARD POINTING TRIANGLES
What was revealed to me is, that during maithun between Shiv/Shakti tattva(UG and UM are also SHIV/SHAKTI TATTVA) that they release a wave of power(FREQUENCY) and some sort of suggestive impulses which molds the pre-existent primeval matter into certain forms. What we call ATOMS is created by their impulse; they generate matter and anti-matter! As Devi is engaged in coitus with Shiva, her energy manifests in a triad of 3, so 3 into 3=9! This is the secret of the sriyantra and the five downward pointing triangles are her energy in a downflowing wave. She goes sweeping down and creating worlds out of ensouled forms and vivified matter. Think of how a waterfall flows downwards and creates a stream, this is how her energy falls and creates a plethora of worlds.
As she flows downward through her five triangles in the srichakra, she keeps creating lower planes of existence, with the atoms a little denser, so on and so forth! This process is repeated and matter grows denser with each world of the descending arch and during pralaya, as she watches Bholenath destroy the worlds, she absorbs within herself all the experiences of all the rounds of life and nothing is ever lost.
She continues the formation of the bodies on lower planes by the material ensouled within her through the outpouring of love, which can be termed as her anugraha. It is only her anugraha that has brought us into existence and it is her anugraha that is propelling us to look at the deeper mysteries of tantra and mantra sadhna.
YOU CAN NEVER TRULY UNDERSTAND UG
UG’s consciousness will forever remain an enigma outside the planes of Surya Devata; there can be no true conception. I experienced him as the DIVINE FIRE. Surya is the planetary ruler of Krittika or the Pleiades and we can see why and Krittika has dahana shakti or the power of agni. Surya devata brings to us a limited energetic understanding of UG! I see UG/UM as the DIVINE FIRE and I visualized sparks from his fiery body fall into the matter of various worlds. These sparks, although a part of him, are separated, albeit temporarily. I have seen these worlds burn bright and then decay and die and I have watched his essence permeating as left overs. I have seen that these sparks to return to him, in essence. Not as living worlds, but what is left over, must always return. This is the return to innocence
The intense burning and the subsequent destruction of the spark seem to me to be the primary objective of these sparks. The left over essence is for UG/UM! What is left over? The experiences, the tears, the joy, the sadness…madness and civilization remain? It’s unfathomable really, only sadhna opens the doors to deeper perception.
SHAKTI IN HER VARIOUS FORMS AS DASAMAHAVIDYAS
Mata veils herself as she becomes the different Mahavidyas, but the naked Kali reminds us that no matter how long shakti falls into worlds of matter, she can never truly hide her essence. She cannot entirely veil herself beyond a certain extent. Us humans hold archetypes within from this assimilated knowledge that is held within the vivified matter that constitutes us.
Shiva is incomprehensible, it is Devi, in all her forms who makes him comprehensible!
As Lalita Tripurasundari, she has three aspects, which are quite distinct and apparently separate, and yet they are fundamentally one and the same. Bala, LTS and Tripura Bhairavi, embody the maiden, mother and crone archetypes of the same Devi. The Triadic structure can be found in the tripartite system of knowledge in Srividya, Sriyantra, Panchadashi and LTS are one and the same.
Our higher self resides in her causal body and this part of us is known as the soul in various cultures. Although our Higher Self is a manifestation of the devi, but it is infinitely far from being a perfect manifestation. Only by realizing her shakti within through tantra, mantra and yantra can we truly become Shiva and realize the truth SHIVOHAM!
SHAKTI IS EVERYTHING
As the energy of UG/UM travel downwards, each descent from plane to plane is not just the mere veiling of spirit, but it also means that there is a diminution in the amount of SHAKTI expressed. The intuition we have within, is a direct connection to the Devi. We can call her by any name, Kali, Tara, Tripurasundari, Bhairavi or Durga or Chandi, she is verily the one and the same.
When Devi involves herself in worldly matters, we have to realize that only a minute part of her essence is available to us mere mortals and that part of her is expressed in three different aspects. We cannot perceive of Devi in her ABSOLUTE form, for our minds cannot visualize that grandeur.
The imagery and the symbolism of the Dasamahavidyas is a veiled and coded representation of a minute part of Shakti, so don’t think for a second you can discover the true essence of Shakti or as a matter of fact, UG!
UG is an enigma, imperceptible to us humans, so we shouldn’t even attempt too understand him through the intellect. Even our intuition falls short. Only if we can love him and accept him as our EVERYTHING, only then we can come closer to solving his mysteries, yet, that remains a tall claim!
UG rules the vishuddha chakra from which our speech or our voice emanates. The sadhna of UG makes us hear the VOICE OF THE SILENCE. The great void is no longer scary. The silence then speaks to us, but we have to be ready to listen.
Learn UG/UM puja vidhi, nyas, mudras etc etc
Get mantra deeksha through 8 levels to totally incorporate the mysteries of UG within your being…
“The Vamakeshvara Tantra says that Tri-pura is threefold, as Brahma, Vishnu, and Isha; and as the energies desire, wisdom, and action, the energy of will when Brahman would create; the energy of wisdom when She reminds Him, saying “Let this be thus” ; and when, thus knowing, He acts, She becomes the energy of action. The Devi is thus Ichchha-shakti-jñana-shakti-kriya-shakti-svaru-pini.”
― Arthur Avalon
VAMAKESHWARA TANTRA
The text Vamakeshwara Tantra is truly a reservoir of profound knowledge that I enjoyed so thoroughly, it left me awesomely fulfilled and I wanted to share some exquisite pearls of wisdom from there for you all to explore and add to your spiritual knowledge base as this text is so unique and exquisite; one of the hallmark pieces that can be considered to be the crown jewel of Srividya.
Sri Bhaskaraya penned this work and since the 18th century, it has been considered as the most sacred treasure trove of Srividya, gaining recognition as the 65th Tantra. There was a time before Srividya in the land of Bharat, when we find primarily four schools of tantra. Adi Nath of Uddiyan taught material siddhis which can be considered black magic in today’s parlance, so on and so forth.
We find a detailed list of these 64 tantras in Soundarya Lahari, 15th century and such a list is also available in the text we are discussing today, Vamakeshwara Tantra, which sadly is not a complete text. There are 800 verses and khadgamala with many sahasranaam stotrams. This 800 verses are further subdivided into two primary parts, Nityashodashikarnava and Yogini Hridaya . The first part is also called Chatushati and both parts have commentaries written by famous Tantriks from Kashmir to Kerala and this text is invaluable in our journey for the quest of tantric knowledge.
Yogini Hridaya is often considered a separate text to Vamakeshwara Tantra, although it is one and the same as Nityashodashikarnava(ocean of the 16 nityas), again a very esoteric lunar science modality. In Gyangaj, we call it Chandra Gyan. This text is highly coded, only for initiates and is divided into three chapters corresponding to three parts (sanketa) described as chakra (or yantra), mantra and puja, or worship.
This text follows the tradition of KADI Vidya, which pertains to the letter KA and its root tattva is the exploration and unravelling of the mysteries of the panchadashi, KA E I LA HREEM; it’s deity is LALITA TRIPURASUDARI and its Yantra is the Sriyantra. The point to remember is that LTS is both the mantra and the yantra. The mantra is her sound body whereas the yantra is her sacred geometric representation.
WHO IS MATANGI?
Matangini devi is the ninth form of the Dasamahavidyas and she is considered a siddhavidya, a specific type of wisdom. Many consider her to be a tantric form of Parvati. MAT in Sanskrit means opinion and she is the emanation of the devi who is the very embodiment of our cogitative processes and intellect.
She is the archetype of SHRUTI, learning and assimilating through listening. The Vecic knowledge system depended on HEARING, as the tradition was passed down from guru to shishya through shravan.
She is the process of Madhyama becoming Vaikhari, which is why she is termed as a chandal or the outcaste. She is the Goddess of the Spoken WORD and her dominion iis over speech, music, knowledge of all types and arts.
Mostly people of Kaliyug desire to use her vidya for vashikaran or sammohan, but little do they realize that she can impart a whole new world of knowledge to us, if we develop the patience. The chandals burn dead bodies and it is through her vidya that we can burn the dead body of our ego personality. Transmutation is her power and she is associated to the Sun and sometimes to Mercury, which is why she is fiery and radiant.
The esoteric mantras I am about to reveal from today are from this very text which describes Matangi as Sarvasiddhidayini. The mantra I am about to reveal gives total VAKSIDDHI.
MANTRA FOR VAKSIDDHI
OM HREEM KLEEM HOOM MATANGYAI PHATT SWAHA
This mantra is the MAHAMANTRA of Matangi devi.
The Rishi who channeled this mantra is DAKSHINAMURTHI.
The CHANDAH is VIRAAT.
The DEVATA of this mantra is obviously MATANGI.
If guru gives you this mantra, there will be sarvakarya siddhi! Such a powerful energy this brings!
The Karanga nyas is taught in workshops as is Shadanga nyas.
Om Hraam hridaya namaha/angushtabhyam namaha
Om Hreem shirasi swaha/Tarjanibhyam namaha
etc…etc…
Now we will discuss her yantra. First you have to draw the SHATKONA and surrounding it, draw ASHTWODAL PADMA, the eight petalled lotus. The moola mantra must be written in the middle of the shatkon and puja archana is to be done. But preparations of the yantra is very crucial to the success of the puja, remember to keep the bhava and try to analyze the sacred geometry of the yantra.
This is explained to advanced students in the workshops, so I will not reveal this here.
The ashtwadal holds 8 avarana devis/shaktis and they are Manobhava, Rati, Preeti, Kriya, Shraddha, Anangakusuma, Anangamadana, Anangalalsa. They have to be propitiated so you may be allowed entry into the sanctum sanctorum of Matangi.
After the puja of the Ashtashaktis, you have to suspend your conscious mind and enter into deep dhyana and you have to be able to visualize her form. She is shyamvarna or dark like the rain clouds. The crescent moon adorns her forehead and she is trinayana. Once you hold dhyana for sometime, the worship starts. Offerings are made. You can opt for panchapuja or shodashapuja, depending upon your capacity. Make sure to offer her payasam of molten jaggery with rice.
Many people do purashcharan of Matangi, because they don’t have a guru who can impart the truth. You see, in the case of SIDDHAVIDYAS, there is no need for purashcharan. The mantras are so potent. During homam, you have to give ahutis in the name of the ashtashaktis as well. Matanga Bhairav must be propitiated as well, at the beginning of her puja and at the end as well. Just smaran is enough in the beginner’s level.
In Many tamasic sadhnas, the sadhak offers meat and eggs in the smashan with guggul dhoop after deeksha, but this is not mandatory. You can leave sweet offerings in the smashan too.
Many take deeksha in Matangi vidya for creative aspirations. This is the vidya for artists, poets, writers, musicians and anyone who wants to display their creative side. It works even when your creativity is blocked. In fact, it acts like a miracle!
If the above mantra is recited after making offerings in the smashan and after yantra creation on the cremation ground, it gives the power of agnistambhan and the ability to stop someone’s speech, or vakya stambhan. It can also help when you are a victim of verbal diarrhea!
The way Garuda destroyed the snakes, your enemies will fall like flies if this mantra is siddh.
One can verily become Brihaspati if one can worship Matangi with total love and devotion. There will be no one like them in poetry composition, oratorial debate and in conversational skills. I attribute all my speaking skills to Ucchishta Ganapati and Matangini devi.
On this VASANT PANCHAMI, the day of Saraswati puja, I will be offering Matangi initiations. I’ll also be doing a group puja! Email tina@tinaheals.com to know more.
Sarvasiddhi is granted to her devotee and the legions of Kubera do dhanvarsha on your residence. Abundance graces your being. You never lack for anything. Your life is fulfilled.
Many people teach that you cannot do Matangi puja without meat or fish, but this is not true. Offer her pranayam and khechari with kumbhak and you’ve done the needful. She updates your DNA with solar flares and solar radiation. Sun gazing is such a powerful practice when you are a devotee of Matangi. A truly magical touch she brings to your life, try it!
Now we will discuss my absolute favorite mantra of Ucchishtha Chandali. Some of you have been initiated in this mantra and you know first hand the power and potency of this mantra.
MANTRA OF UCCHISHTHA CHANDALINI, the mantra that gives total attractive prowess!
When you worship Matangi with this mantra, you can control minds and attract those you desire. Which is why this mantra is not given to people with a greedy and salacious mindset. It is given to students of sattvik temperament who can channelize this energy for the greater good.
This mantra is EKAVINGSHAK VARNATMAK and is gupt. This vidya is totally gurumukhi and cannot be done by oneself.
MANTRA OF JESHTHA MATANGI/ UCCHISHTHA CHANDALINI to control the THREE WORLDS
In the text MANTRADEVPRAKASHINI GRANTHA, there is another powerhouse of a mantra.
The ancients have taught that this mantra not only allows you to control the three lokas, but it also destroys your sins.
Matangi provides sukha in the physical world and moksha after the termination of the physical body. Sukha translates to BLISS or happiness and one will always find a Matangi devotee with a beautiful smile on their lips. Matangi gives us a taste of soma as we learn to hold the khechari mudra. She intoxicates us…which is why UG is madonmatta, totally inebriated with amrit.
The mantra’s mahaatmabal translated as the spiritual power of this mantra enhances your wealth and dominion, giving you supernatural powers. Once you get Matangi’s anugraha, all that you desire becomes yours. But be careful of what you wish for; you don’t want to be ensnared in karmic quagmire.
A bit of info on this mantra and puja vidhi.
After consuming food, without achaman, one has to offer BALI in the mool yantram. Then devi is visualized in the heart chakra and keeping mindful of your intentions you have to do jaap. The bali is always an ucchishtha dravya, an offering that has been partially consumed.
You do not need to check tithi, nakshatra or anything in the panchang. As Guru instructs, this sadhna can be done anytime. There is absolutely no need to do anga nyas or karanga nyas with this mantra! There is no need to consider aridosh or ashouch, as such events or happenings have no effect on this mantra.
No reeti rivaaz or niyam needs to be followed, no shuddhi karan needs to be performed…just surrender with an open heart and with love and devotion.
An awesome tip…
Although this mantra vidhi is gurumukhi, I give you all the permission to memorize this mantra and do it 108 times. If you have this mantra memorized, no harm shall come to you.
Ucchishtha Chandalini’s form is sublime…her beauty unparalleled…
Let us discuss her dhyana…
She sits on a dead corpse, on a shavaasan. Her saree is blood red. Her complexion is like molten lava and her whole body is decked with the most precious of jewels. She looks like a sixteen year old and her neck is garlanded with gunja flowers. She is two handed and in one hand she holds a skull and in the other, a karittrika.
This form is rare, as Matangi is visualized as primarily green or blue. We do not reveal this red complexioned form to many! Think of her as JYOTIRRUPA, as in she is visualized as a flame!
After doing dhyana in this manner, a learned tantric will offer ucchishtha bali and then will commence on the task of jaap. Make sure to be ekagrachitta, concentrated and focused and then proceed in the mantra jaap.
The homam is also done with leftovers or ucchishtha dravya.
This practice brings such awesome siddhis, that I have been baffled one too many times!
During homam menstrual blood is offered to her in small bits of cloth and this is total taboo in the Brahminical system; which is why she transcends tradition and allies herself with pollutants. This is not something I made up. It is mentioned in BRIHAT TANTRASAR.
Remember we spoke about her eight avarana shakti who have to be worshipped in the ashtwadal? Each of those shakti represent an attribute.
RATI is sexual pleasure.
PREETI is love.
MANOBHAVA is passion.
KRIYA is action.
SUDHA is amrit.
ANANGAKUSUMA is the power to make one’s body as beautiful as flowers.
ANANGAMADANA is the enchantress.
MADANALASA is the ability to enchant the god of love.
Now you are possibly understanding that these are some of the traits and attributes that shine through with Matangi worship.
So, what are you waiting for?
Dive into Matangi worship with gurumukhi teaching….
The sacred Mahavidya responsible for our rescue and safety in all ways, physical, mental and emotional is known as Tara. Now the Sanskrit word is Traan, and it can loosely be translated as rescue, saving, protection etc etc. It is Tara or TARINI who rescues us from drowning in the seas of life and grants us absolution and salvation.
Many people have doubts! Is Kali the same as Tara, possibly because there are a lot of similarities in their iconography, but believe me when I say this, Kali and Tara have distinct differences. They are one, abhinya of course, but to the initiate, the contrast between their energies is perceptible!
I am going to repeat again….PARASHAKTI is one, but when she displays divergent attributes, we call her with different names. Get this loud and clear…Tara and Kali are ONE and the same.
My Didun would say, “Jini Kali, tini Tara…” It meant that the one you call Kali is verily the same as Tara, there is no difference. The ancient tantrics understood and realized the subtle and sometimes overt shades of shakti’s expression and they gave her many names and imagined many forms.
Tara’s Bhairav is Sadyojatat. In the text Devirahasya, it is stated that as Tripurasundari has Kameshwar as her consort and Chinnamasta has Kaalrudraa and Jagadhatri Durga has Neelkantha Shiv, Tara’s masculine counterpart is Sadyojatat.
Mahadev has five faces, he is called Panchanan Shiv and they are Sadyojatat, Vamadeva, Tatpurusha, Aghora and Ishaan and each face is endowed with an attribute…
Ishana: Associated with Srishti Shakti (Power of Creation)
Tatpurusha: Associated with Thoridhana Shakti (Power of Concealment)
Aghora: Associated with Samhara Shakti (Power of Dissolution)
Vamadeva: Associated with Stithi Shakti (Power of Sustenance)
Sadjyota: Associated with Anugraha Shakti (Power of Blessing)
Tara’s bhairav emanates pure compassion and so does Tara…
Quoting from Devirahasya…
SADYOJATAT MAHAKAALSTARAYAH BHAIRAVA SMRITAH.
KAMESHWARSTRIPURAYA DURGAYA NEELKANTHAKAH
BHAIRAVASCCHINNAMASTAYA KAVANDHA SHIV EERITAH.
Sadyojāta (सद्योजात) is a part of the five emanations of Nishkala Shiva and the five are known as PANCHABRAMHAS. According to the Rūpamaṇḍana, the colour of the body, garland, sandal-paste and the garments of Sadyojāta is white. His head is adorned with a jaṭamakuṭa, ornamented with the crescent moon.
He has a very pleasant disposition and is very attractive, his face radiating with joy. He is trinetra and dwibhuja, holding the abhaya and varada mudra in both hands.
The Śrītatvanidhi offers a different description. For Sadyojāta should have, according to this work, four faces; each of these faces should have three eyes; the colour of Sadyojāta is always white with his face towards the West. Two of the hands of Sadyojāta hold the varada and abhaya mudras and the two remaining ones keep the vedas and the akṣamālā.
Noteworthy fact is that Sadyojāta is distinctly given greater importance than the rest.
Tara rescues us from the overwhelming dread and fear we face as we pivot through the samsara. Samsaric life can indeed be frightening, terrifying, alarming and shocking and we find ourselves suffocating; there seems to be no answer to the perturbations of our extroverted minds. From this state of abject hopelessness and uncertainty, it is Tara who takes us to safety. Tara gives us stability in this unstable world.
OM SHARANGAT DINART PARITRAN PARAYANE, SARVASYARTI HARE DEVI NARAYANI NAMOSTUTE~
Take us to safety Oh divine Mother, save our souls!
In the text Shaktisangam, in SU KHANDA it is clearly stated, that Kali, Tara, Tripurasundari and Chinnamasta are one devata and there is no bhed or difference in them.
The mystery further deepens when the ancients tell us that Kali and Tara can interchange with Shiv tattva and when Tara becomes Shiva, Kali is her shakti and when the roles are reversed, Tara becomes Kali’s shakti. Now this nigur tattva is for advanced students only and I will not further enumerate. But serious students can study the Sundari Khanda of Shaktisangam Tantra. Although I warn you, a mere reading will never be able to unravel the deeper meanings, for that you need tantric sadhna which is Gurumukhi.
Tantrics who have been initiated in Kali and Tara vidya are especially venerated in the Shakta tantric eco-system. In the text Taratantra it is clearly mentioned that without siddhi of Kali and/or Tara mantra it is impossible to gain shree, that is wealth and abundance, in the correct way. These mantras impart luxuries untold, glamour, fame and celebrity status and ultimately guide you to moksha after total fulfilment of desires; and they’re really quick-acting.
Tara gives tremendous creativity and this is exemplified in her Bhairav Sadyojatat carrying Shiva’s creative powers. Each face of Shiva holds a power, a secret. Let us discuss the unique attributes of each face of Shiva.
Ishana faces southeast and carries Shiva’s Iswara aspect.
Tatpurusha is east and symbolizes Shiva’s human aspect and the ego of Shiva.
Aghora’s compass is south and symbolizes Shiva’s destructive and regenerative nature.
To the north stands Vamadeva, representing Shiva’s healing, protecting, and preserving nature.
Finally, to the west is Sadyojata, depicting the creative side of Shiva.
The Dasamahavidyas and their mysteries are inextricably interwoven in the human deha tattva or physical science/anatomy. Without revealing much I will tell you about the concept of the NAVADWAAR or the nine doors in the human body. Doors correspond to the orifices of the human body and seven of these nine “doors” are in the human head.
What are the seven doors? The two eyes, the two ears, the two nostrils and the mouth make up the seven doors. The other two “doors” are of course our private areas, the yoni/lingam and the anus. The tenth one is absolutely secretive. It is imperceptible and is the Bramha nadi in the Sahasrar chakra.
The above mentioned ten “doors” have ten adhishthatri devis and these devis are known as the Mahavidyas. The importance of these mysterious “doors” cannot be denied as they are receptors of Shakti. Shakti expresses her kriyas through these “doors” and Tara is associated to the left ear.
Tara’s akshamala japa vidhan is totally different from Dakshinakali, in fact it is the total opposite. When we do akshamala jaap we begin from khs to a and for Kali, we begin with a and end with ksha. This movement is from left to right, but Tara’s movement is from right to left. Tara’s beej is absorbed through the left ear. Now without a doubt you realize how Tara holds the “door” of your left ear, so next time be aware of what kriya happens within when you do Tara jaap.
The best part about devi Tara for me was her name. Tara is what we call stars in Bengali and stars have been the scaffolding upon which my imagination and creativity have grown like creepers reaching out to light. The stars speak to me, they sing to me and they teach me lessons that sometimes I jus refuse to learn. But they never give up….like Tara. They are forever guiding me, coaxing me, cajoling me to spiral upwards like the lotus from the muck.
Tri also means to “scatter” and although some think that this connects to the numerous scattered stars, I think more on the lines of Tara ordering the scattered thoughts and emotions. Tara brings order from chaos, so does Bagla and both of them are devis of speech. I digress….
Tara is known intimately by me, since I can remember…I have known her as the sparkling star of my existence…
It is, of course a known fact that the temple of Maa Kali and the City of Joy, Kolkata(previously known as Calcutta) are inextricably linked; it is as if the destiny of the Bengali people is connected to this fierce form of the Goddess, the first mahavidya Kali in an inexplicable way. Words cannot even define this connection we feel as a people. All you need to do is listen to Shyamasangeet to understand the depths of emotion and intensity that was once reached by a Shakta tantric Ramprosad! His work is unparalleled; it reveals truly deep emotions with simplistic words of love and devotion that is bound to strike a chord in most people’s heartstrings.
Kalighat is known as a Mahatirtha or “The great pilgimage” and this temple stands as a repository of the hopes and spiritual yearnings of lakhs and lakhs of Sanatanis. We Hindus are a unique bunch having derived our sanskaras from our deities and for us Bengalis, our sanskaras are directly imbibed from the Great Mother, Kali. The very epitome of Adi or Parashakti!
The footfall of the temple is astounding! Daily, lakhs and lakhs of pilgrims visit this ancient place of worship and many are not even Hindu. The allure and mythology/history of Kalighat is mysterious and there are many unsolved anomalies and strange things that have transpired in this punya bhumi for which the rational mind can find no explanation. The winds sing of untold stories and unknown secrets of this temple and one can feel this air of mystery as one enters into the vicinity of the temple and upon entering the Garvagriha one can only surrender to the glory of Kali in utter stupefaction!
As Science has made much progress, it can be assumed that in this era, people are losing faith in the mysterious power of Mahakali, but it is quite the opposite. There is so much Science cannot prove and it looks rather dogmatic when it refuses to accept the existence of consciousness. Western Science is materialistic, whereas the Science of the ancient tantriks was open to the wonders of the spirit.
10 FUN FACTS OF KALIGHAT
The temple is built on 11 bighas 11 kathas and 3 chataks. The magic of 11.11!
The murthi is Kali resides within and she is made of black koshti pathor; she is chaturbhuja and lolhajiwha, meaning she has four hands and a huge tongue, all made of solid pure gold.
Mata Kali is the adhishthatri devi of Bengal and Calcutta.
The name Kolkata is possibly derived from the word Kalighat.
Maa Kali’s avirbhav, as explained in Chandi Puran is from Goddess Chandika and she was born to destroy the demon Raktabeeja.
Of the ten Mahavidyas, it is Kali who imbues us with the highest sattvik gunas and she is a manifestation of nirvikar nirgun Bramhan. She is ADIRUPA!
Kali is without any beginning or end; she is the energy that is forever flowing through every single atom and/or galaxy.
She is Kaivalyadayini, the one who blesses us with ultimate knowledge and total peace.
In the text Kalitantra, she is called the ruler of TIME! Time is birthed from her and she holds total control over it.
Mahanirvaan tantra teaches us that no one can escape the grasp of Mahakaal as it is He who consumes all of creation, but Kali stands on his chest and keeps him pinned down which is why she is given the name Kalika, signifying she has defeated Mahakaal himself.
WHY IS EVERYONE SCARED OF KALI?
As stated in the Taittvaj upanishad, Vayu flows harmoniously because he is afraid of Kali. The Sun rises every morning because of his utter fear of Kali! The situation is same with Indra, Agni and Pancha bhutas who are executing their duties with perfection because of their abject fear of Kali’s wrath.
Mahakaal will destroy all of creation during mahapralaya and will be subsumed in Kali’s being. At that stage, nothing and no one will exist other than Kali herself. Kali is of Tamo Guna and she is the primary devi of Tantra.
One who consumes Mahadev himself, how scary must she be!
The devatas fear her and so do human beings. Don’t get me wrong, Shakti is to be feared, but the Bengali has figured out a way to embrace Parashakti and call her maa, AS IF CALLING HER MOTHER SOMEHOW QUELLS HER WRATH! Weirdly enough, I think it does!
She is the great mother after all and we are all her children! We created an intimate relationship with her, exemplified in the devotion of Ramakrishna and Bamakhyapa. To tell you the truth, She has never made me fearful, on the contrary, she has stilled my chaotic mind when I have been doused with fear or anger.
SHIV & KALI ARE ONE AND THE SAME
Shiva is the consciousness and Kali is dynamism.
Shiva provides a foundation upon which Kali performs kriyas of srishti, sthiti and samhaar.
It is her creation, but ultimately she transports our soul to Shiva. As only a mother can introduce a child to the father, Kali takes it upon herself to return us to consciousness, our father, SAT-CHIT-ANANDA!
No matter how much we aimlessly wander, she keeps a watchful eye on us to guide us back to our inherent truth- SHIVOHAM!
Shiva is Shava or a corpse without the animation Kali provides and it is only when she is unmukhi, she engages in viparit maithun with her consort Mahadev and creates realities. One can feel the pulse of her energy vibrating through every subatomic particle and it is her unseen actions that keep the wheels of life spinning.
KALI IS EVERYWHERE
You can feel her in your breath and in every thing you do. Just observe and be open to psychic insights, you’ll feel her energy I promise you!
Every religion is unknowingly seeking her and every philosophy wants to discover her secrets.
In the tantric system, Shakti tattva is a much coveted system; to be a kaula is to seek Shakti and to experience her glory and grace. Shakta tantra has gained an almost cult-like following and people from all over the world understand its veracity and merits.
All the tattvas, from Mahatattva to the panchamahabhutas originate from her and it is Shakti that is responsible for the creation of all the gunas and the tattvas.
Pondering upon the subtle mysteries of tantra, it is mentioned in Mahanirvaan tantra that it is only she who has succeeded in fine-tuning and sometimes outright dismissing the rules of Mahakaal who is a very powerful entity. Mahakaal is the Universe in which all life must live and finally be extinguished. But Adyashakti Kali is not limited or confined to the rules of Life. No one can escape Mahakaal except Kali! One of her names is KAALVIJAYINI.
RAMAKRISHNA, THE ECSTATIC MYSTIC OF BENGAL
Ramakrishna used to say, “Bramhanda-udara maa Jagaddhatri”; she is Bramhamayi, Siddhidatri and Shakti-swarupini. Parabhram is nirguna, without any attribues and Shakti is the vibration. Shakti is the wave inside the void and it is her oorja that has created us all.
The Saint used to teach how Kali was solely responsible for preservation of the worlds and how she was the ultimate lila of Parabhram.
He has thus described his first vision of the Mother: “I felt as if my heart were being squeezed like a wet towel. I was overpowered with a great restlessness and a fear that it might not be my lot to realize Her in this life. I could not bear the separation from Her any longer. Life seemed to be not worth living. Suddenly my glance fell on the sword that was kept in the Mother’s temple. I determined to put an end to my life. When I jumped up like a madman and seized it, suddenly the blessed Mother revealed Herself. The buildings with their different parts, the temple, and everything else vanished from my sight, leaving no trace whatsoever, and in their stead I saw a limitless, infinite, effulgent Ocean of Consciousness. As far as the eye could see, the shining billows were madly rushing at me from all sides with a terrific noise, to swallow me up! I was panting for breath. I was caught in the rush and collapsed, unconscious. What was happening in the outside world I did not know; but within me there was a steady flow of undiluted bliss, altogether new, and I felt the presence of the Divine Mother.” On his lips when he regained consciousness of the world was the word “Mother”.
THE NECKLACE OF HUMAN HEADS
Everything about Kali is symbolic and nothing can be explained away with ease. She may appear strange to the uninitiated, but to me she is my mother, my maa whose presence I feel everywhere, in the wind, in the rains, in flowers and in my heart.
Never fear ADISHAKTI, Kali as that will only you shove down to ignorance about the great secrets and mysteries of this Universe, because in her form resides the whole explanation of cosmic mysteries. But to the profane, she is destruction or demonic.
The fifty-one human heads are symbolic of the of the letters of the Sanskrit language and these were the precursors to self expression and wisdom. The Word becomes manifest and reality vibrates into existence. Each letter holds a certain frequency, a resonance that has the ability to create, preserve or destroy.
KALI AND BLACKNESS
Was there any color at the beginning of creation? All around was a blackness; there was no color, no light, just tamo or total darkness prevailing upon the face of the world. All colors evoke emotions and Kali is beyond emotions. This darkness is Kali as she Adi, the first and the only and there is nothing here yet. When Pralaya arrives, everything is absorbed into this very darkness.
Kali’s black complexion suggests that all in the color spectrum is absorbed by her. Black is not a primary, secondary or tertiary color, as it is no color at all! In fact, Black is produced by the absence of light. Light is an illusion whereas black is the truth!
Saturn, the most feared planet is associated to black. Makes sense as his Mahavidya is Kali and together they bring to mind key-words like authority, power, the unknown, elegance, sophistication etc etc.
Black also brings intimacy and a sadhika like myself found great intimacy with Shakti in the form of Kali. When I look out to the skies, I feel her energy in the blackness of space!
MURTHI PUJA OF KALI
Around the 14th/15th century, there appeared on the tantric stage a very accomplished siddh upasak named Srimat Krishnachanda Agambagish who used to worship maa Kali in proper tantrokta way. He would do anganyas, Peethnyas, Pranayam, Rishyadi nyas, matrika nyas, Shodanyas and perform each ritual by the book.
However, on a certain occasion, a question popped into his mind. “What if I worshipped the devi in her sthula form?” But he had no idea of what kind of face or hair she should have; I mean it’s not that easy to visualize the correct form of Adirupa Kali. He thought that by giving Mata a human form that was manamohini, a disciple could enter dhyana states without much effort. It is not easy to hold the abstract in your meditation. He wanted to incorporate parabhakti with the difficult acharas of tantric kriyas, so one could attain spiritual heights hitherto undreamt of.
In our ancient texts, there is the mention of Parvati telling her father Himalaya Parvat to worship Kali in her embodied form.
To learn more about how Kali’s murthi puja became prevalent, join me in the next installments.
After writing two precious books on Ucchishta Ganapati, you might ask what is the need of a third one?
This third book will be invaluable in your collection, if you’re looking to immerse yourself in his archetype! The previous books did have practical information, but it delved more into understanding UG in totality. This particular book should be read only after reading the previous two and mostly after initiation.
Twenty-three long years have I spent with UG. Twenty-three long years where I have delved into his energy shield and channeled information from him. I have followed his signs and have tried to share what I have learnt from this long commitment.
What did I learn? What did I get? Why did I stick with it?
To answer these questions, I’d have to be explicitly clear with you.
I learnt to be a better version of myself and that is the best gift UG gave me!
I got so much! I got my identity, my internal peace! I got my spiritual muscles; I got physical and mental strength and I got my profession! What more can, I hope? What more can be said? There is the sweet smell of surrender and divine love!
As I have repeatedly told you, UG gives us the four purusharthas, Artha, Kama, Dharma and Moksha. In fact, if you worship UG and UM, you’re in fact, worshipping Shiva/Shakti!
You can decide to spend your whole life in his upasna, but if you’re looking to foray into Shakta Tantra, then remember, you cannot proceed without his invitation. It is he who allows you to enter into the realm of the Mother! Without him, there is no entry into tantra, mantra and yantra!
One might argue, there are so many variants of Ganesh, then why Ucchishta Ganesh. I have spoken at length about how UG is GUNESHWARA and how his tattva connects to the primordial Purusha/Prakriti, so I’m not going to harp on that very topic.
However, to simplify this one query, “Why UG?”, I’d like to tell it to you in the simplest of terms. It is because UG is the form of Ganesha who responds to us humans, the quickest!
It is his grace and anugraha on me that has kept me going in-spite of terribly adversarial currents in the seas of life. I’d be swept away if it was not for his noose holding me. I’d be stuck in the quagmire of banality if he did not shove me with his goad. “Get moving”, he would say, even if I did not want to and had to move kicking and screaming. I did not always understand his ways, but the wisdom of his moves, dawned on me and I counted myself as rather fortunate to experience his lila up-close-and-personal. It is not everyday that one finds such a friend! That moment when he chose me, that sealed my fate and I became who I am today.
His benevolence has left such a deep-seated impact on my life, that I felt it was necessary to share his wisdom, his vidya, his puja vidhi. I asked him for permission and began to teach people his ancient puja vidhi. I taught students in all three paths, Dakshinachar, Vamachar and Samayachar and with each class, I felt my connection with him go deeper.
He revealed to me many cosmic secrets which opened my eyes to a whole new reality! Many facets of tantra began to reveal themselves to me. Immersion into tantra gave me a distinct feeling. The feeling that I was home. In-spite of the drudgeries and atrocities of the world, I didn’t sink. I kept myself afloat, with love in my heart, with compassion in my soul.
The journey has been so intensely fulfilling that I suggest you try to connect with him; not just for receiving gifts, but for total physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Mindless wants and desires will leave you hollow, unsatisfied. But with a connection to UG/UM, Adipurush and Adishakti you will be satisfied and contented beyond belief. All you need to do is learn the puja vidhi, mantra and dhyan to establish a long-term connection. Make his worship a lifetime commitment and you’ll never look back.
Don’t come to him for a quick vashikaran, or a sammohan spell, but just let yourself go. Let him consume your wants and desires and fill you with satiation. That is the divine essence filling all the atoms within your body, when you finally connect to your Higher Self in the form of UG/UM! That ecstasy is unparalleled. It is what Mira felt when she surrendered to the feelings of love and devotion for her Kanha. The dance of the divine within is the ultimate realization of the true self. One learns to see through the lila, the matrix, the simulation! One can then grasp one’s true essence.
Healing with Tinaheals 