The dream on the eve of Shri Chinnamasta Jayanthi (Birthday) is noteworthy. You may be strongly connected with this aspect of Shakti.

Many different variations to this mantra..especially for the beginning bijas...but these are incomplete..my name is sri kalikanando saraswati..tffindme on fb

We will publish the complete japa mantra procedures soon. Variations in mantras are very common. One can follow the mantra given by one's guru and the word of the guru is final, in these matters.

Hi sir. When can we expect the complete japa/stotra/kavacha articles on maa chinnamasta? Also, how can we check which of the above mantras is suitable for a person? Thank you.

Maybe next year or the following year. Those who feel extremely attracted towards the deities have already been chosen by the deities. If one is not certain, the best option is to consult a knowledgeable and professional astrologer and obtain his/her advice, before proceeding further. One's guru may also choose any deity as per his/her own liking and grant the same to us. In my opinion, it is best to go for the deity, we feel most attracted to. The devotion will naturally be stronger and the chances of obtaining our wishes through mantra japa, may also increase.

I also wanted to second 910's request. By the grace of Chinnamasta Devi, I pray that Her kavacham, etc. shall be made available here soon! Thank you for all of your work. The Matangi navaratri articles were indispensable & have made for amazing, powerful sadhana.

We will definitely do it. It may take a few years to see all the information on our site.

Maybe sometime in the future. Probably in the coming years. You may find them on Purnanandalahari.org and also in the books published by Shri Rajesh Dixit.

Nesh. Now I will explain Chinnamastā which is difficult to understand even for the wisest. The reddish and golden Chinnamastā (Buddhi Tattva) is accompanied by the reddish Varṇinī (Ahaṅkāra Tattva) and the dark Ḍākini (Manas Tattva); she is standing on Kāma (Puruṣa Tattva) and Rati (Prakṛti Tattva). The severed head of Chinnamastā alone is the set of the 5 Pure Tattvas: Śiva Tattva, Śakti Tattva, Sadāśiva Tattva, Iśvara Tattva and Śuddhavidyā Tattva. This is why Vasishtha Ganapati Muni says that many heads have been severed since the beginning of life, but only the severed head of Chinnamastā is worthy of worship, and that the wise know that the whole world is under the control of her body separate from the head (I will explain this further later). Now I will explain the meaning of the stories of Chinnamastā. This Goddess is the sum of all the agents illustrated in her meditation. Her central essence is Buddhi Tattva. What is this? I will answer with a quote from Vallalar: "Follow the practice of seeing all beings as your own self (i.e., cultivate the vision of equality with all beings) and get it as your habitual nature. One who gets in his nature this habit of seeing all beings alike, is verily the omnipotent Divine." This is the power of Buddhi Tattva and the main tool for destroying evil in all its forms. There is a story where Kāma (Puruṣa Tattva, but imprisoned by the 5 Kañcukas) and Rati (Prakṛti Tattva, but contaminated by ignorance) were called to pacify Chinnamastā. When Kāma shot the arrow at Chinnamastā, the arrow had no effect on the Goddess, and do you know what she did with that arrow later? She empowered the arrow with the power of the wisdom of the Buddhi Tattva and shot it back at Kāma and Rati. At that moment Kāma’s limitations were destroyed and he became identical with Paraśiva (Puruṣa Tattva = Śiva Tattva). When the arrow hit Kāma, he understood that he was Śiva and saw Rati, who represents the Prakṛti Tattva and all other Tattvas below, as Parāśakti. They copulated, and Kāma, by his love, transformed Rati’s Prakṛti of Ignorance into the Prakṛti of Pure Knowledge (Prakṛti Tattva = Śakti Tattva). A reddish-golden fire arose from their copulation. Seeing this scene, Chinnamastā (Buddhi Tattva) became happy and climbed on top of them, laughing and dancing. The red-golden fire of the copulation between Puruṣa and Prakṛti, both free from all limitations, further empowered Chinnamastā and her Buddhi Tattva. But another problem arose: Varṇinī (Ahaṅkāra Tattva) and Ḍākini (Manas Tattva) were hungry, and without the help of Chinnamastā, they could not feed on that fire generated by the divine copulation between Puruṣa and Prakṛti. Seeing this, Chinnamastā cut off her own head, which signifies the 5 Pure Tattvas, and reversed the flow of the 36 Tattvas, causing the Puruṣa Tattva and Prakṛti Tattva to feed all the other Superior and Inferior Tattvas. In other words, Puruṣa Tattva and Prakṛti Tattva became the greatest Tattvas and the source of power for all the others. The new power of Puruṣa and Prakṛti empowered Buddhi (Chinnamastā) which released 3 streams of blood: the central one feeds the 5 Higher Pure Tattvas; the left stream feeds Varṇinī (Ahaṅkāra Tattva); the right stream feeds Ḍākini (Manas Tattva). It is Ḍākini who passes on this new power to the lower Tattvas up to Pṛthvītattva. When you look at this meditation you realize that the Puruṣa and Prakṛti have dominated and become the source of power of all the 36 Tattvas through the Buddhi Tattva which is Chinnamastā, even though it is below. Chinnamastā holds her head in the form of the 5 Pure Tattvas: Śiva Tattva, Śakti Tattva, Sadāśiva Tattva, Iśvara Tattva and Śuddhavidyā Tattva. All these are fed by Puruṣa and Prakṛti Tattvas now, after the action of Chinnamastā and copulation. Now I will bring some additional information for better understanding. The source of a person’s Soul is in the Forehead and the “Individual Self” is at the top of the head. The Evolving Soul is in the heart and the Instruments are in the form of the Vital, Mental and Physical. Chinnamastā is the reintegration of all these, but with one difference: the Heart Soul (Puruṣa Tattva) dominates and becomes the source of power for everything. That Soul discovers that the source of nourishment is not outside, but within the soul itself. The body changes and the nourishment and power begins to come from within, not from something external. That Puruṣa Tattva becomes the source of power for everything because he is an Atom of the Supreme Power, but present in the world of ignorance. By discovering who he is, he can change the inner and outer nature into attributes of pure knowledge.

dearest, Aiya, please advice us on the mantra and the form of Chinnamasta, out of all forms and mantra, that is best for the upliftment of all of us. I humbly request you to elucidate the connection between Narasimha (VAJRA-DAMSTRA) and Mother Chinna (VAJRA-YOGINI). thank you...

Dear Tivra, forgive me but i just remembered when you told me 'you do not need it (a mantra) at the present time'. I quickly realised that this is the case for a couple of mantra(s) i have requested. Deeply forgive me for forgetting this. Its just reading the explanations provided by you, Dylan, Agni and all our friends lights a spark in me everytime.

Namaste Tivra. Is this Chinnamastā reversing the entire process of bondage through buddhi tattva? Does this indicate that ignorance is the fundamental evil, and Chinnamastā the perfect destroyer of evil, as she keeps creation maintained while smiting the nature of ignorance? Is this the higher manifestation, or ultimate yet evolving phase of buddhi tattva? By the act of cutting off her head, do we see a rejection of anything being separate from the self, even the highest knowledge and subtlest reality? So ahamkara tattva and manas tattva, agents of grasping and identification, are now feeding from purified and Ultimate Purusha and Prakrit tattvas, as are the pure abstract tattvas, which emanate “before” Purusha and Prakriti and are initially fundamental to them, is that in the right track? When the purified (perfected?) Purusha and Prakriti tattvas are nourishing the impure and pure tattvas, all the other tattvas, what becomes of distinction and unfolding? This reddish golden color of Her, was a similar color used when explaining the Grace-light in a certain realm of activity, and if so, are they related? What is it about this reddish golden color? when I try to visualize, it is really something else, effects the mood and focus right away. It feels almost like déjà vu with a quality of a glimpse into a long-forgotten early childhood memory, which creates a beautiful ache in my heart. How strange and specific.

If Buddhi tattva, in its highest form as chief quality of Chinnamastā, has the power to not only reverse the flow of bondage but to feed both the pure and impure tattvas alike, then does this also imply that Buddhi is the true locus of agency within embodied existence? If so, what does this mean for those still caught within ahaṅkāra and manas, who do not yet perceive Buddhi as distinct from intellect or personal discrimination? What awakens Buddhi itself? If Chinnamastā is dancing on Kāma and Rati, now revealed as Paraśiva and Parāśakti, does this mean that the erotic union at the base of the tattvic structure is now the true root of knowledge? Is this why she laughs and dances, not in transcendence, but within the unfolding body of Prakṛti purified by recognition? Did Kāma Deva suspect his original arrow would have an unexpected result? if the soul realizes itself simultaneously at the crown but at the base, and then sees the entire ladder of tattvas illumined from a something like a superposition of above-below, does the bodies own intelligence/potential to be divine all on its own, then recognize its Śrīcakra reality? Does that put it on the path to what hādi vidyā and sādi vidyā may also bestow, or capacities such as the ability to tuck the physical body into the omnipresent Guhya Kali body and reappear anywhere?

In cutting off her head, the five pure tattvas, and reversing the flow of all the tattvas, what is she wielding at coarser levels of manifestation? How does the cutting off of the five pure tattvas cause the imprisoned Purusha tattva to cast of its chains and be equal (yet qualifiedly distinct?) from Śiva tattva, and the ignorant Prakriti tattva to transmute into its true nature, Pure Knowledge? Are the left and right streams Varnini and Dakini drink from respectively Prakriti and Purusha? Is there some kundalini/sushumna implication in which stream Her Head/five pure tattvas, now drink from? Has the reversal of flow performed something like a conditional inversion of Siva and Sakti tattvas, with Purusha and Prakriti tattvas, such that the ground becomes the crown? What happens to a human soul when it experiences the 35th and 36th tattvas being fed from the 24th and 25th? Is this related to how अ and क become the same, and if so, is this related to the serpent biting its tail, the highest coming down to the lowest and showing the endless movement? Where does क्ष sit? Is it possible to understand this Chinnamastā in light of the Turya state becoming a womb for Turyateeta? In light of Lalita having the capacity to make Sakti tattva swallow Siva Tattva?

Prince. The worship of Chinnamastā demands absolute dharmic conduct at all times and the unshakable vision of seeing everything as the light of one’s own soul. Without these requirements ingrained in the devotee, this Goddess becomes extremely dangerous. She likes the perfect balance between Justice and Compassion. She uses the destructive force of Justice only to uplift someone (even the wicked, through punishment), never to exclusively harm. She is also compassionate enough to enlighten someone in a single blow. When this Goddess strikes this blow on a devotee, if he is unprepared he will attain liberation, but he will lose his body. The central flow of the Goddess’s blood liberates the soul without fail, but not everyone is prepared for the right and left flow of blood that goes to Ḍākini and Varṇinī. For the prepared, Ḍākini and Varṇinī bring about the integration of the instruments and bodies with the newly liberated soul, and preserve them. In a simple metaphor, the body becomes habituated and starts working with its own “nuclear energy” instead of inferior external ones. Almost everyone died quickly after this Goddess struck the saving blow because their bodies did not get used to the new form of “nuclear” energy released from within. But everyone is liberated, without fail. This blow of the Goddess instantly changes the flow of the Tattvas of the devotee who starts feeding on his own soul which is unlimited, eternal and supreme in power, making Kuṇḍalinī travel the entire path in one go. This ascent of Kuṇḍalinī indicates a change in the devotee’s identification; he identifies with the highest truth. Kuṇḍalinī is a power of identification; she identifies with everything with which she unites. As she ascends, a deepening movement also takes place in the heart, making the devotee remain identified with the truth even after the descent of Kuṇḍalinī again. It is the heart that makes the progress permanent, nothing else. It is difficult to achieve success in Chinnamastā without living in society because the Aṅgas of Her Puraścaraṇa are different from the standard. “Japa” is the recitation of Her Mantra (which I will explain). “Homa” is the fiery and intense absorption in the extraordinary mental image of this Goddess with full awareness of every meaning, where the meditation is so intense that it inflames the whole body; the sacrificial animals are the senses. “Tarpaṇa,” “Mārjana,” and “Bhojana” is sincere compassion towards all living souls; it is seeing the non-plurality of objects; it is saying, “Verily all this is Brahman which is bliss.” Those who isolate themselves and do not live in society will not be able to perform these last three Aṅgas. I tell the truth, Chinnamastā likes the last three Aṅgas (Tarpaṇa, Mārjana and Bhojana) performed in society more than Japa and Homa done in secret. Only those who do both achieve success, no one else. Now I will explain the Yantra of the Goddess. Her Yantra is composed of: Bhūpura "śrīm̐" (Universe - Kamalātmikā), Eight Petals "hrīm̐" (Space - Bhuvaneśvarī), Great Yoni "klīm̐" (Time - Kālī), Three Circles "aim̐" (Pure Knowledge - Sundarī/Parabrahma Svarūpa), Yoni "om̐" (Tārā - Sound) and Bindu "hūm̐ hūm̐ phaṭ svāhā" (Chinnamastā - Integral Union between Sound and Light). This is the Great Yantra of Chinnamastā which is identical with her Seventeen-Letter Mantra and the Seventeen Digits of the Moon. The Śaktisangama Tantra says, "Chinnamastā is Kālī, the Supreme Tripura Sundarī and Tārā; between these four there is no difference." The Jayadrathayāmala says, "Between Siddhilakṣmī, Kāmakalākālī, Guhyakālī, Chinnamastā and Kālasaṅkarṣiṇī there are no differences other than the appearance of the idols." Now the seventeen-letter Mantra: om̐ śrīm̐ hrīm̐ klīm̐ aim̐ vajravairocanīye hūm̐ hūm̐ phaṭ svāhā । The sage is Bhairava, the Chandas is Samrāṭ, the seed is "hūm̐ hūm̐", the Śakti is "svāhā" and the purpose of the Mantra is to reveal the true identity of the Puruṣa and Prakṛti in the heart, which produces Liberation and all the Siddhis. The meditation is as follows: "Chinnamastā is as effulgent as infinite suns, moons and fires. In her left hand she holds her own severed head, her mouth is wide open, and the tip of her tongue is hanging out. She is extremely fierce and drinks the blood flow that issues from her throat which has had its head recently severed. Her hair is loose, disheveled and decorated with various flowers. In her right hand she wields a scimitar with the brilliance of lightning. She is naked, decorated with a rosary of skulls and poised in the Pratyālīḍha posture. She wears a necklace of bones and has a serpent as her sacred thread. She is perpetually youthful and extremely voluptuous and attractive. She is standing above Rati and Kāma, who are in inverted sexual union. She is accompanied by Ḍākinī and Varṇinī on her left and right respectively. Varṇinī is drinking from the nectar-like blood flow that is rising from the neck of the Goddess. She is red with a smiling face, has flowing hair and is naked. She holds a skull and a scimitar in her left and right hands respectively. She wears a serpent as her sacred thread and has a fiery splendor. Decorated with various ornaments and a rosary of bones, she is in the Pratyālīḍha posture and is perpetually youthful and voluptuous. On the side is the dark Ḍākinī, whose radiance is equal to fire at the end of an aeon. Her matted hair shines like lightning, her teeth with protruding canines are white as herons and she has full breasts. She is terrible to behold, naked with flowing hair, has a large quivering tongue and is ornamented with a rosary of skulls. Her left and right hands hold a skull and a scimitar respectively. She drinks the ambrosial bloodstream that issues from the neck of Chinnamastā. She is extremely terrifying and holds a terrible skull. A wise devotee should meditate with clarity and great effort in this manner while can." Now the explanation of the Mantra. The letter "om̐" is the head of Chinnamastā; the letter "śrīm̐" is the lotus where Kāma and Rati are lying; the letter hrīm̐ is "Varṇinī" and "klīm̐" is Ḍākinī; the letter "aim̐" is the body of the Goddess, the expression "vajravairocanīye" is the union of Sound with Light, which produces the most terrible and violent force; the letters "hūm̐ hūm̐" are Chinnamastā merged with Kabandha Bhairava; "phaṭ" is the cutting off of the head and "svāhā" is the great sacrifice being gushed forth as the stream of blood nourishing and pacifying all. This Goddess is really terrible and She includes Śarabheśvara and Nṛsim̐ha within Her. In Her less terrible form, Chinnamastā is Guhyakālī, where only Nṛsim̐ha is powerful enough to be Her consort. Śiva had to assume the form of Nṛsim̐ha to withstand the power and ferocity of the Goddess. Hence Nṛsim̐ha is the consort of Guhyakālī and He includes Chinnamastā who is more ferocious. She has to be so fierce because She enlightens the devotee in a single stroke. A guru is highly recommended because the instant liberation granted by Her can cause the physical death of the devotee if he is not prepared to operate physically with Her power. I am happy to explain the beauty of this much misunderstood Goddess.

Extremely interesting Tivraji. Please explain the srividya krama linked to ma chinnamasta and how it is tied to the ajnata guna. Please tell us the krama of ma chinnamasta and the different forms she has and what the powers of each form are. Please tell us the siddhis and abilities one gains when worshipping ma chinnamasta and how to gain siddhi of her quickly. Please tell us if there is a nyasa associated with her, like the mahasodha nyasa

Thank you for sharing all this radiant knowledge Tivra! Can this from Vallalar be incorporated into the intention or vow for Panchakuta Tripurabhairavi mantra: "Follow the practice of seeing all beings as your own self (i.e., cultivate the vision of equality with all beings) and get it as your habitual nature. One who gets in his nature this habit of seeing all beings alike, is verily the omnipotent Divine." Is it possible to reveal the krama of Chinnamastā? I once had a random thought that Chinnamastā for this universe seemed partially similar to Kamakala Kālī for the entire creation. Is there any sense to that? Thank you for filling our hearts with joy here, once again ❤️‍

I’ve no clue about source or veracity, but there are some message board and discussion forum mentions of either/and Chinnamastā Bagalāmukhī śakti or Bagalāmukhī Chinnamastā one. Also notes about Chinnamastā being like “red bagalamukhi”. Rakta Bagalamukhi with Chinnamasta flare is also mentioned independently, but again, I’ve not seen any confirming sources. Sorry for the stampede of questions, this one really occupies my mind, due to past sadhanas and guidance of mystics and astrologers I had as child. Assuming mars is atmakaraka, and Rahu-ketu is conjoined there as well, does this indicate Chinnamasta should be considered with utmost caution, even after attaining the siddhi of pañchakuta bhairavi vidya? What about Moon atmakaraka, still with Rahu-kethu conjoin?

namaste Tivra, what an honour to hear about the Goddess and Her compassion towards us. I pray hope She can motivate us and guide us. Thank you for your compassion and time to let us into a close vicinity to our Mother.

Maybe this is purely imagination but that name but that brilliant name, vajravairocanīye, and its meaning, really to me seems to recall the cosmic dark ages, before radiation and matter had decoupled then conditions of gravitational instability and ionization eventually led to stars and galaxies producing visible light, quite a bit after the Big Bang. Just out of curiosity and in case this stuff is of interest to fellow seekers who search for harmonies between natural sciences and maths, what is only temporarily treated separately as spirituality, I would like to see if anyone see Chinnamastā here: In the first microseconds after the Big Bang, the universe was dense, unimaginably hot plasma filled with fundamental particles and radiant energy. Photons, electrons, quarks, and gluons interacted in a state of constant collision. As the universe expanded and cooled, quarks formed protons and neutrons, which then combined during the first three minutes in a brief window of nuclear fusion called Big Bang nucleosynthesis. This produced helium, deuterium, and trace amounts of lithium. After this period, no new elements formed for a long time. The universe remained hot and incandescent, with photons in abundance, but this light could not travel. The presence of free electrons meant photons were endlessly scattered, trapped in a radiant fog where no illumination or transparency was possible. several hundred thousand years then pass while the universe continues to expand and cool. Gravity began to act on tiny fluctuations in matter density, creating pressure waves that rippled through the coupled photon-baryon fluid. These oscillations were the origin of the so-called baryon acoustic waves. Despite being technically full of light, the universe was still opaque. Light as we know it could not yet move in a straight line. At about 380,000 years after the Big Bang, the temperature dropped low enough for electrons to combine with protons and form neutral hydrogen. This event, known as recombination, allowed photons to decouple from matter. So then immediately the fog lifted and the photons could propagate freely across space (still with us today too, redshifted into the microwave range as the cosmic microwave background). What followed is sometimes called cosmic Dark Age proper. The universe is transparent, but there were no stars, no galaxies, no new sources of light. Only the dim relic radiation of the Big Bang remained. The hydrogen and helium atoms floated in vast silence and darkness. Gravity continued to work on density fluctuations, pulling matter into growing clumps. Eventually, in the densest regions, hydrogen clouds collapsed and ignited to form the first stars, ending the Dark Age and initiating the epoch of reionization. But for several hundred million years, space was unlit by anything but the ancient microwave whisper of the primordial light. Not to meander too much I promise all the above is pretty relevant to what’s next, and the Chinnamastā sight: Before photons could move freely, the dominant medium of wave propagation was not light but sound. The early universe, being a hot plasma, supported longitudinal acoustic waves. These baryonic sound waves were not “heard” in any conventional sense, but they carried massive energies and traveled at roughly half the speed of light. The interaction of radiation pressure and gravity produced rhythmic compressions and rarefactions in the matter-radiation fluid, imprinting a soundscape onto the density of the universe. These sound waves left faint but measurable scars in the distribution of galaxies, known as baryon acoustic oscillations. The wavelength of these early sound waves was immense (on the order of hundreds of thousands of light-years ) and their frequency was extremely low, lower than the human ear could ever conceive. They were a deep, structure-shaping hum in spacetime itself. Though weaker in raw intensity than gamma-ray bursts or gravitational waves today, their scale was far vaster and their influence more enduring. Unlike a gamma-ray burst, which erupts and fades, these primordial sounds permanently sculpted the geometry of the cosmos. In this way, one might think of them as one of the most ferocious events of this universe. They encoded the universe’s earliest harmonics, a kind of acoustic fossil still visible in the large-scale structure of galaxy clusters across the sky. The Chinnamastā sense: these baryonic acoustic oscillations occurred before light was able to travel freely, before the 380,000-year mark after the Big Bang. When everything was opaque and indescribably hot and energetically dense, there was incomprehensibly low-pitch sound roaring through baryon-photon fluid, etching the early universe. Sound coupled with light. Maybe?

dear Tivra, in a previous post, you also mentioned the 5-letter mantra of Mother Chinna.., i was wondering if it was 'om srim hrim klim aim' or from other sources, the mantra of 'om hum svaha om', kindly let me know me if i am worthy of such a knowledge.

Dear tivra sir! Thank you for telling us about the chinnamasta mahavidya and information related to her. Please could you also tell us about dhumavati mahavidya and kubjika devi just like you told us about chinnamasta mahavidya . I want to know more about these 2 goddesses. There is very less information about dhumavati mata and kubjika devi on the internet . What are the benefits of their upasana? What is the yantra, mantra for the 2 goddesses?

wow Nesh, that's an excellent rendition of Big Bang physics. It was a nice read! :)

Thank you. past couple years, largely because of info on manblunder and kamakotimandali, early universe conditions have become especially interesting. I really want to see it all tied up neatly, along with a grand unifying theory for physics being made rigorous. Do you think we might one day see science and spirituality come to be considered harmonious, and perhaps even closely linked fields?

res. Tivra Sir Pranam,

can married person ( newly married _ ) Chants Maa Chhinamasta's Sahasranaam ? because heard Maa as - 'Celibacy Oriented Devta' pls. guide Sir. Jai Maa 

For contemplative purposes, would it be possible to explain the unique coloration of Chinnamastā’s yantra? The monochromatic palette except the golden bindu and first āvarana is striking.

Nesh. The single syllable Mantra of Chinnamastā is "hūm̐". She is the root. She and Śrī Viparīta Mahāpratyaṅgirā are practically the same Goddess. Viparīta Mahāpratyaṅgirā holds the noose of Lalitā and a flaming thunderbolt which is the fusion of Lalitā's goad, bow and five arrows. When the bow and five arrows become identical with the goad, there arises this flaming thunderbolt which Viparīta Mahāpratyaṅgirā holds. But Śrī Atharvaṇa Bhadrakālī is quite different from these two and uses a different logic. This seed "hūm̐" is an extraordinary power that is born in the Trikoṇā of the Śrīcakra and reaches the "Bhūpura" without passing through the other Chakras because this power does not travel, but teleports. Teleportation is superior to speed. So there is no force faster than this. It is said that the Trikoṇā and the Bhūpura of the Śrīcakra are a kind of "brothers". It seems that it is the same force hidden in these two Chakras.

Tivra, words fail to express my joy at learning of these exquisite symmetries and connections. It is an unbelievable privilege. So many parallel strands began to show their luminous design, even more hints become apparent. Maybe such as the nature of Chinnamastā’s association with Guhya Kali’s lightning energy, or being described as her Vāhana. What a brilliant architecture, the Divine Parents have blessed us with!

Namaste Tīvra, could you kindly advise whether "hsraim̐ hsklrīm̐ hssrauḥ" may be recited mentally amidst daily activities? Otherwise, for individuals who are both employed in offices and occupied with worldly commitments, attaining the target of ten million repetitions would remain unattainable. Thank you!

Vanakkam ayya. My repeated obeisances to you. This is a question that has been plaguing my mind for a lot of time now, regarding the supramental. The Vedic seers could reach the stage of Guru Turya, but in what sense are the other stages higher? What about something like Trika, which explains why Śiva is supreme in a logical manner. Is it a Gott v Gottheit situation? Is Aruṭperumjothi the cause of the Śiva described in Trikā? How can this be? Is there greater bliss at the 17th stage? Is it because the individual retains their identity? Does it mean the other darśanas are false?

I have similar questions regarding arut perum jothi and the śiva of Trika. From afar it seems obscure and mysterious, but there are many books available that might provide the clarity and insights. Some of the understandings may lie purely in experiential qualia of evolving consciousness. In Gott vs Gottheit sense, Arut Perum Jothi seems especially unique, having characteristics of Gott and Gottheit. Not impersonal or unconscious, but also uncreated and beyond abyssal, beyond any sort of beyond or totality as well. Maybe a growing understanding lies in seeing Arut Perum Jothi as both Gott and Gottheit. Perhaps also, due to his supramental nature, all human language and inklings will fail to come anywhere close to describing the reality of Arut Perum Jothi, even with many lifetimes of study and meditation and libraries of reading material. Personally have barely read about this topic, but from expert commenters here, one might sense that through the rasas we humans could have in common with Arut Perum Jothi, which I believe would be compassion primarily, and grace, there is a way to come to know Arut Perum Jothi. Perhaps through a process of ever more naturally embodying just what the names Arul Śaktī and Arut Perum Jothi tell, there lies the path to understanding. would be very excited to read explanations that compare the complete and beyond-supreme Śiva conceptualization of Trika. Ideally from acolytes of both traditions.

Tivra Ji please tell us about the consort of chinnamasta, krodha bhairava. Nothing is known about him and he is very mysterious. Please explain. Is he linked to the guhya shodashi mantra, there seems to be some connection between the guhya shodashi and krodha bhairava.

hi nesh, this is from 6th Thirumurai from Thiruvarutpa: THIRUVADI-NILAI (STATE OF THE DIVINE FEET) அடர்மலத் தடையால் தடையுறும் அயன்மால் அரன்மயேச் சுரன்சதா சிவன்வான் படர்தரு விந்து பிரணவப் பிரமம் பரைபரம் பரன்எனும் இவர்கள் சுடர்மணிப் பொதுவில் திருநடம் புரியும் துணையடிப் பாதுகைப் புறத்தே இடர்கெட வயங்கு துகள்என அறிந்தே ஏத்துவன் திருவடி நிலையே. Translation : Because of the dense veil of impurities, Even Brahma, Vishnu, Īshwara, Sadāśiva, The primal Bindu, the sacred syllable Om, The Supreme Brahman, Paraparam The Supreme beyond all supremes (Paran), All of them are but dust particles Clinging to the eternal and compassionate Sacred Feet of Refuge, That shine and dance in the Expanse of Radiance.

Prince, thank you! This looks like what I am looking for. Is there an English translation of Thiruvarutpa?

The Most Compassionate Lord Vallalar has said: Sanskrit is our mother tongue and Tamil is our father tongue.

Dear Nesh, you may check out 'English Renderings of the Tiruvarutpa' or please check out Volume 2 of Arut Perum Joti and the Deathless Life. I would highly recommend you to learn Tamil, for it is the best way to understand and enjoy the songs within. I am highly fortunate here to have learnt Tamil ever since a very young age (I am still learning now) even though I am not from India.

Thank you! I am going to move Tamil up in priority to learn. honestly it is pure laziness on my part that I have not. My dad is from Chennai, and I work in TN some times. Really have no excuse for not speaking at least a little bit by now. Why did you learn from a young age, if I may ask?

Namaste Prince. Tumburu Rudra or Bhairava is the main deity of the Vāma Tantras. He has four faces as well as four śaktis. These correspond to the four Tantras of the tradition: Śiraścheda, Viṇāśikhā, Saṁmohana and Nayottara. The four Goddesses are: Jayā, Vijayā, Jayantī and Aparājitā. They are the four colors of the quarters of a maṇḍala: white, red, yellow and black. In that respect, they embody the four kalās or cosmic spheres: Nivṛti, Pratiṣṭha, Vidyā and Śānti. Tumburu Bhairava, who is in the middle, is Śāntyatīta. Importantly, He is referred to as the resonance of consciousness and the Fire of Time. Referring to Kālī, the Manthānabhairava Tantra says: "Haṁsa operates by the impulse of the power of consciousness and the Kulakrama is in the belly of Haṁsa... Timeless, it is the process of manifestation. She differentiates all things and so is called Kālikā. She is Kālī, the energy of Kula called the Skeleton of Time. Time arises within Kula. Free of time, it is undisturbed."

Thank you. Could you please tell if there is a public version of the Sammohana Tantra online, where we can find this text?

Namaste AlphaOm. The Vāmatantras are scarcely available today, and not much else exists concerning them in particular. However, the Vīṇāśikha Tantra is available in Sanskrit and English in a book by Teun Goudriaan.

thank you dylan

Namaste. Thank you very much for this interesting reference. From the introduction to this book I understood that all modern mentions and cites from Sammohana Tantra, including J. Woodroffe, refer to some later text or individual chapters of other tantras. Could you please give some explanations as to who could be the Sammohana rishi, who appears in the viniyoga of the Matangi (Sarva-Sammohini) mantra and who is apparently associated with some other deities of similar forms, such as Saraswati Mohini...

Namaste Prince. The word kalā means to throw out or circumscribe limits, or a part of something. This is an appropriate description for the phases of the Moon. Besdies just being a description of each phase of the lunar cycle, it coincides with the Moon's symbolic meaning. As the Nityās, they constitute the pulse of consciousness as time and the vital breath. The 21,600 breaths in a day are split into fifteen parts of 1,440 breaths each. Time is essentially the perception of succession amongst entities, and so is itself undifferentiated from the divisions it manifests. For this reason, kālaśakti is the Lord's creative power. The various phases of the Moon embody this succession. However, as the Moon remains essentially unchanging despite the appearance of succession, so does the highest reality remain unchanging despite manifesting itself as all things. When we worship the Nityās, we are engaged in a contemplation through which the divisions of time are subsumed into the eternal present of unchanging consciousness on account of the recognition that these divisions are ultimately held within this infinite presence. They are arranged around the central triangle because it is the Kula, the ocean of the energies of consciousness, simultaneously the totality of all things and the source. Hence, it is sometimes called the Island of the Moon, which is to say that it is the ocean of consciousness which is filled with its energies which arise from and are withdrawn into it like waves. Notice the ambiguity between the possessor and the possessed; island and ocean. Now the phases of the Moon also suggest the sixteen vowels. The letters are the reflective awarenesses that the supreme reality has of its own nature, manifesting as the totality of all things which are denoted by the letters, their denotators. In the normal ordering of the letters, the vowels and consonants are separated. The vowels represent the state of arousal or agitation, that is, the tendency of pure consciousness towards extroversion but still inwardly filled with an overarching oneness. You can think of this like all of the colors of a peacock's feathers which are contained in an archetypal, potential form in the yolk of the egg. The consonants, then, represent the act of arousal or agitation, that is, the external manifestation of the energies of consciousness which have built up within it like the waxing fortnight. From this we can understand that the vowels as the kalās of the Moon are the energies of consciousness which, having developed within it, spill out. For that reason, they manifest as the totality of all things. This is likened to the fact that consonants cannot be pronounced without a vowel sound, so the vowels are the 'seeds' which empower the 'wombs' of the consonants. Now concerning the sixteenth, there are varying views in the scriptures, though for the most part it is understood to be the Full Moon. In Śrīvidyā it is Mahānityā, the center of the lunar energies, that is, their source and essential nature. The Nityās are like extensions of Herself, Her rays. However, in other sampradāyas it is, naturally, understood to be the culmination of the lunar energies. It is visarga, the last vowel. Visarga is a slight continuation of the preceding vowel, and so represents the state of consciousness which, full to brimming with its energies, is ready to be emitted (another meaning of visarga). Keep in mind that this 'emission' is nothing more than the externalization or concretization of the reflective awareness of consciousness, but which is nevertheless entirely within itself. After all, where else could it go? Likewise, visarga is simultaneously the cause of this emission and is itself the emission. In Devanagari, visarga is written as two dots, one above the other. This symbolizes this 'internal exteriorization', a referentiality wherein that which is beheld is none other than the beholder. Again, this is symbolized by the fact that the enunciation of visarga is very slight. This is the intermediate form of the Unstruck Sound, the inferior form being the letter Ha, which is more enunciated than visarga and, being the last consonant, represents the entirety of the consonants, that is, the act of arousal/agitation. For those who have heard the Supreme Speech, this is nothing more than one's own reflective awareness; the relish of one's essential nature as the Moon of objectivity is consumed by the Fire of the subject, like ghee offered into a homa kuṇḍam. Now the New Moon is the supreme and most essential form of the Unstruck Sound, the inner, unchanging source of this activity. The Triśirobhairava Tantra says: "The form of the seventeenth energy of the Moon is the immortal nectar which is the supreme form of emission." It is the supreme reality's reflective awareness of its own nature which, though manifesting as Ḥ and Ha, remains reposed in its essential nature. That being the case, Ḥ and Ha are essentially just this. This is a great secret that cannot be fully conveyed with mere words. It is the Light of the Light of the Moon. If the Full Moon is the totality of all the other phases gathered together, the New Moon is its luminosity. I will end by saying that this all isn't just an idea. It is a reality which can be unveiled before your very eyes. Performing this greatest of sacrifices, who could stay on the ground?

Namaste Dylan For a beginner, would you recommend Abhinavagupta’s commentary on Bhagavad Gita? I just stumbled on this, looks very cool. Also potentially very useful for discourse with so-called mainstream Hindus.

Yes Nesh, it is definitely a great read.

thank you for explaining it beautifully dylan

Namaste Prince. Descending from dvādaśānta, the central point of the maṇḍala, Kuṇḍalinī is Mahāmāyā and generates the world of transmigration. She is Śaktikuṇḍalinī, coiled like a sleeping serpent as though She has drunk poison. But, awakened by one-pointed awareness, She attains Her supreme abode. In doing so, the Goddess undergoes multiple births. It is said in the Manthānabhairava Tantra: "The Kaulika reality manifests in the seventh birth, that of the Śāmbhava state, which is the last... A Buddhist in the first life and a Jaina in the second. Then a Vedika the third, a Vaiṣṇava in the fourth, a Saura in the fifth and a Śaiva in the sixth." The seventh birth of the Goddess is as the daughter of Himavat. What this means is that one's awareness progressively becomes more and more purified until eventually attaining the Śāmbhava state, which is described as such: "One whose mind is free of thoughts is successful - this is the alchemical potion. Thought is only delusion and thought is in the mind. Once thought has been destroyed then there is success without any doubt." The various mantras and their deities are reflective awarenesses, each a kind of wisdom. For instance, in the scheme of the Paraśurāmakalpasūtra, Mahāgaṇapati, the primordial resonance of consciousness which rules the totality of all things which unfold from it, is practiced first as the reflective awareness of the oneness of all things within pure consciousness through the recognition of one's true nature. Śyāmalā and Vārāhī are the subtle and gross - inner and outer - aspects of reality, the former being the aesthetic wonder of one's true nature and the latter being the secret festival of the relish of one's true nature. Bālā, the slayer of the thirty sons of Bhaṇḍāsura, overcomes the lower states of consciousness. As it is said in the Śivasūtra: "Māyā is the lack of discernment of the principles beginning with Kalā." You can probably understand somewhat the significance of the Pañcadaśī and Mahāṣoḍaśī mantras from my previous comment about lunar symbolism. It is worth quoting a passage from Tantrāloka here: "The perception of the object of knowledge, along with the metaphysical principles that constitute it, which is full or less complete, is the knowledge that, increasingly higher, quells each corresponding form of transmigratory existence. 'I am unsullied by attachment and the like', 'I am inwardly empty' and 'I am not an agent' - this kind of knowledge, whether collectively or individually, liberates from only that much bondage. Therefore, even though someone may be free from one limitation, he is not liberated because other limitations continue to exist. He who is truly liberated is free of all limitations."

All the Daśamahāvidyās can be worshipped on the Śrīcakra. This is followed in the Dakṣiṇāmūrti tradition. In the sixteen enclosure Śrīcakra worship, they are all worshipped together. They can also be worshipped separately as outlined in this tradition.