Concept of Dasha Mahavidya- a Study
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ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review Concept of Dasha Mahavidya- A study Balabhadra Ghadai The rise of Mahavidya represents an important turning point in the history of Shaktism as it marks the rise of Tantras during the Post-Puranic era. The name Mahavidya comes from the Sanskrit roots of Maha,which means great and Vidya, meaning wisdom, knowledge, manifestation or revelation. The Dasha Mahavidyas or the Ten Wisdom Goddesses are actually ten aspects of the Devi or the Divine Mother in Hinduism. But in the context of Tantra it has an extended meaning. Here, it invariably refers to a female deity, to the personification of her consciousness; or to the manifestation of her wide variety of powers in specific forms at different times for different purposes. The popular myth behind the genesis of Dasha Mahavidyas is found in the Devi Bhagabata Purana. Sati, the daughter of Daksha Prajapati and the consort of Lord Shiva feels The adherents of Shakta Tantra believe insulted that She and Siva are not invited to that the Dasha Mahavidyas are the facets of one Daksha’s yajna (Fire Sacrifice) and Sati insists truth, one divine mother worshipped as ten cosmic on going there despite Shiva’s protests. Sati personalities. In Chamunda Tantra we find the becomes further enraged and transforms into the names of Dasha Mahavidyas as – Mahavidyas and engulfs Shiva from all ten cardinal Kali Tara Mahavidya Shodashi directions. Shiva was perplexed and accorded Bhubaneshwari permission to go to her parents’ home. Sati Bhairabi Chhinnamasta cha vidya proceeded ahead to attend the sacrificial ritual. Dhumavati tatha 40 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER - 2020 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 Bagala Sidhhavidya cha Matangi Nilasaraswati, Ugratara and Ekajata. She is of Kamalatmika dark blue complexion. She has four arms holding eta dasha Mahavidya Sidhhavidya a sacrificial sword and severed head or skull cup, prakartita. a lotus and scissors. She places her left leg on the breast of Shiva who lies like a corpse. She is short The worship of Dasha Mahavidya is stature with protruding belly. She has a terrible prevalent among the Tantrics and specially the appearance and is dressed in tiger skin. She wears Shaktas. Except Dhumavati who is represented on her neck a garland of severed human heads. as a widow, the other nine Mahavidyas are to be Tara has strong presence in the Buddhism worshipped along with their Bhairavas. i.e.Shiva (especially the Tibetan Buddhism) and Jain with different names. pantheons also. Her Bhairava is Akshobhya. Kali: Shodashi : Kali is the first of the Mahavidyas and The third Madavidya Shodashi is often the fiercest aspect of Goddess Durga. The identified as Tripura or Tripura-Sundari in the Mahanirvana Tantra ascribes her as progenitor Shodashi Tantra. She is also known as Lalita, including both animate and inanimate objects. She Srividya, Rajarajeswari and Kameshwari. She is stands on corpse (sava). According to Kali Stotra, at the time of meditation, she is in eternal glowing like the Sun spreading delights of joy, bliss playing on the bosom of Shiva. Her compassion and knowledge. She is depicted as complexion is dark and her facial expressions a beautiful young girl of sixteen, of red and golden ferocious. She has three eyes. She is depicted complexion, having four arms holding a noose, a with four hands. In two hands, she holds a sword goad, a sugarcane bow and five flower arrows. and a freshly severed head, representing the fierce Sodashi as Mahavidya combines in herself the battle in which she destroyed the demon determination of Kali, the knowledge of Tara, and Raktabija. The other two hands bless her her own beauty and grace. She is worshipped devotees, granting them liberation in this life and both for enjoyment and salvation. Her Bhairava in the next. She wears a garland which is made of is Kamesvara. human skulls or severed heads. In some Bhubaneshwari: representations, one of the upper hands of Kali is Bhubaneshwari is the fourth deity in the shown in Varada Mudra and one of the lower Mahavidya pantheon. The name Bhubaneshwari hands holds a Trishula. In spite of her seemingly is most often translated as ‘Mistress of the world’, terrible form, Kali is often considered the kindest but Bhubaneshwari is more than the earth we stand and most loving of all the Hindu goddesses, as upon. It is the entire cosmos, the bhubanatraya, she is regarded by her devotees as Mother of the consists of the heaven, the atmosphere, and the whole Universe. Her Bhairava is Mahakala. earth. Her complexion is that of the rising Sun. Tara : She has worn a crescent on her forehead and a Among the Mahavidyas, Tara is next to crown over head. She is three-eyed and her face Kali and she resembles Kali in appearance more is ever lit up with smile. In her two hands she than any other Mahavidya. She is also known as holds the noose and the goad and the other two SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER - 2020 41 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review the pose of granting boons (varada) and assurance Dhumavati: to her devotees to allay their fears (abhaya).Her Dhumabati is the seventh of the Ten three eyes represent ichha, kriya and jnana Mahavidya Goddesses.She is represented as an sakti. Her Bhairava is Tryamvaka Siva. old widow and is associated with things Bhairavi: considered inauspicious and unattractive. She is often depicted on a horseless chariot or riding a Bhairavi is the fifth Goddess of crow usually in a cremation ground. She holds a Mahavidya pantheon. She is a fierce and terrifying winnowing fan in one hand and shows varada aspect of the Devi virtually indistinguished from pose in the other. She is described as a giver of Kali, except for her particular identification as the siddhi (supernatural powers), a rescuer from all consort of Kala Bhairava, an aspect of Lord Shiva. troubles, and a granter of all desires and rewards, She is dressed in a silken cloth and wears a including ultimate knowledge and (Moksha) garland of heads on her neck. She resembles the salvation. Her ugly form teaches the devotee to luster of a thousand rising suns and her three eyes look beyond the superficial to look inwards and resemble red lotus and the moon shining in her seek the inner truth of life. Dhumavati has no bejeweled crown. In her four hands she holds a Bhairava. rosary of beads, a book, the poses of granting Bagala boons and assurances. As a goddess she is Tripura Bhairavi while as a Mahavidya she is designated Bagala is the eighth Mahavidya Goddess. She is related to Mahavidya Tara as both are as Bhairavi only. Her Bhairava is goddesses of speech. In her chaturbhuja (four Dakshinamurtty. armed) form, according to the Sri Tatwanidhi, Chhinnamasta: she sits upon a golden throne. She is of yellow In the Tantric pantheons the sixth Great complexion and is three eyed.In her four hands Cosmic Wisdom is Chhinnamasta, the goddess she holds a trident,a cup,a mace and tongue of without head. She is also known as Trigunamayee; the demon. With her right hand she strikes him on bright as tens of millions of suns shining together. his head. She has the features of a beautiful Her mouth is expansive. Her hair is dishevelled woman. She is adorned with garlands and ornaments. Bagala Devi symbolizes cessation of and adorned with varieties of fragnant flowers. In all dualities or dwandas, at the realization of which her right hand, she holds a sword and wears a pure consciousness emerges.Her Bhairava is garland of human heads around her neck. She is Ekavakttra Siva. naked and of fearful appearance. Her right leg is in front while her left leg is a little behind. She Matangi: wears a serpent as a Sacred Thread. She is The ninth Mahavidya is Matangi or associated with two nayikas named Dakini and Matangini. She has dark emerald complexion and Sakini.They also drink blood springing out of the possesses a disc of a moon on her forehead.The throat of the goddess. She is also known as three-eyed goddess is seated on the crown Prachanda Chandika. Her Bhairava is decorated with jewels. Her eyes are intoxicated.In Kavandha. each of her four hands, she holds a noose, a 42 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER - 2020 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 mace, an axe and a hook. According Devi Purana, holding a lotus while the othe two hands are Goddess Matangi has dark complexion and yet bestowing blessings.There is slight difference in is lavishly elegant and beauty with very refined iconography between Kamala and Lakshmi. beautiful features. She resembles Devi Saraswati Kamala’s depiction includes two elephants with in appearance especially, the way she holds the their trunks raised, a feature which is often absent divine musical instrument veena. Matangi is said from images of Lakshmi. The elephants that attend to be the Tantric form of Saraswati who is the Kamala and shower her with water symbolize the goddess of art, music and learning. There are fertile rains of monsoon that bring forth the lush various forms of Matangini: Uchhista Matangini, plants and flowers of the growing season, and Raja Matangini, Sumukhi Matangini, Vasya thus the spiritual wealth that grows through the Matangini and Karna Matangini. Her worship is passion of devotion and practice, which must be prescribed to acquire supernatural powers, done regularly to bear fruit, just as rain is needed especially gaining control over enemies, attracting for a healthy crop. Her Bhairava is Sri-Vishnu. people to oneself, acquiring mastery over the arts and gaining supreme knowledge. Her Bhairava is This, in brief, is all about the Dasha Dakhinamurtti.