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 ❤️‍

is it significant that hūm seed appears deeply associated with both Viparīta Pratyangirā and Chinnamastā?

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

Very very interesting post. I am extremely interested to learn more about shadanavya shambhava and how it is linked to Sadi vidya as Tivra Ji said it was. How does that work? Is shadanavya shambhava linked to the surya vigyan practiced in gyanganj by saints like Vishuddhananda Paramahansa? This allowed him to use a special magnifying glass to create objects at will. Perhaps the practices are linked. Maybe it is also connected to gayatri vidya..

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.

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?

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?

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.

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.

another extract on the Sadanvaya Shambavi The Shaḍanvaya Shambhava Krama: A Deep Dive into an Esoteric Sacred Tradition Sri Gurubhyo Namah [Content from the initial sections retained] With this context, let us explore the Shaḍanvaya Shambhava Rashmi Puja. I debated whether to begin with scriptural sources such as the Sri Vidyarṇava or the Saubhagyaratnakara. While these explain the procedural details, they often omit the essence, purpose, and outcomes. As always, the Guru Mandala guided me, and I decided to begin with a shloka from Saundaryalahari—specifically, the 14th verse. This shloka is enigmatic, listing specific numbers associated with each of the five elements and the mind: Earth (Kṣiti) – 56 Water (Apas) – 52 Fire (Agni) – 62 Air (Vāyu) – 54 Ether (Ākāśa) – 72 Mind (Manas) – 64 Most readers interpret the verse superficially: that all these elements emerge from Devi’s lotus feet. They focus on the poetic beauty or chant it for its devotional value. But the true seeker must ask: Why these specific numbers? What is their deeper meaning? These numbers encode the foundational architecture of the cosmos—both macrocosmic (brahmāṇḍa) and microcosmic (piṇḍāṇḍa). In this esoteric framework, each number represents a set of primary energy rays or “rashmis” that emanate from six energy fields aligned with the six chakras. These rays originate from Devi’s lotus feet and are associated with the six shaktis: Parā Śakti (Ajnā Chakra – Mind) – 64 Rashmis Icchā Śakti (Viśuddhi Chakra – Ether) – 72 Rashmis Jñāna Śakti (Anāhata Chakra – Air) – 54 Rashmis Kriyā Śakti (Svādhiṣṭhāna Chakra – Fire) – 62 Rashmis Kuṇḍalinī Śakti (Maṇipūra Chakra – Water) – 52 Rashmis Mātrukā Śakti (Mūlādhāra Chakra – Earth) – 56 Rashmis When you add these up—64 + 72 + 54 + 62 + 52 + 56—you get 360, symbolizing the full circle of time, energy, and existence. These rays form the basis for a special puja known as Shaḍanvaya Śāmbhava Rashmi Pūjā. Let us now delve deeper into the structure of these energy fields: Parā Śakti (Mind/Ajnā Chakra): Divides into four dimensions—Parā, Paśyantī, Madhyamā, and Vaikharī—representing stages of sound and consciousness. This creates 4 pairs of shakti and shiva, totaling 64 rashmis. Icchā Śakti (Ether/Viśuddhi Chakra): Manifests as five faculties—Kartum (to do), Kārayitum (to make others do), Upakartum (to assist), Pratikartum (to obstruct), and Udāsitum (to detach). These, paired with their male counterparts, form 72 rashmis (36 x 2). Jñāna Śakti (Air/Anāhata Chakra): Emerges as Nirālamba (independent) and Sālamba (dependent) forms of knowledge—Jñātṛ (knower), Jñāna (knowledge), Jñeya (object of knowledge)—totaling 54 rashmis (27 x 2). Kriyā Śakti (Fire/Svādhiṣṭhāna Chakra): Encompasses seven key spiritual actions—Īṣṭa (worship), Pūrtam (protection), Svādhyāya (self-study), Japa (chanting), Pūjā (ritual), Tapa (austerity), Dāna (charity)—and their complements, totaling 62 rashmis (31 x 2). Kuṇḍalinī Śakti (Water/Maṇipūra Chakra): Manifests as four dynamic processes—Unnaya (ascension), Laya (merging), Pratyāvṛtti (return), and Viśrānti (rest)—forming 52 rashmis (26 x 2). Mātrukā Śakti (Earth/Mūlādhāra Chakra): Represents the eight Varga groups of Sanskrit phonemes—A, Ka, Ca, Ṭa, Ta, Pa, Ya, Śa—each with its own energy signature. These, combined with male counterparts, result in 56 rashmis (28 x 2). These Rashmis, in their totality, define the elemental and energetic make-up of creation. They also correspond to the layers of subtle veils (āvāraṇas) covering the inner Self: Agni Rashmis (Mūlādhāra + Maṇipūra = 108) – the veil of Fire Sūrya Rashmis (Svādhiṣṭhāna + Anāhata = 116) – the veil of Sun Soma Rashmis (Viśuddhi + Ajnā = 136) – the veil of Moon Each veil corresponds to a granthi (knot) in yogic anatomy that must be pierced during spiritual ascent. These insights are supported by shlokas from Gaudapāda's Subhagodaya Stuti and Bhairava Yāmala Tantra, which also link these Rashmi counts to the 360-day solar year. In the ritual practice, these Rashmis are worshipped as divine couples (dampatis) using the names found in the Khadgamālā. Each pair represents one Rashmi and is worshipped accordingly within the Śrīcakra or in a special Yantra known as the Shaḍanvaya Śāmbhava Yantra. This Yantra consists of a central Shatkona (hexagram) surrounded by six more interlinked Shatkonas representing the six energy fields. The central Shatkona is dedicated to Lalitā Mahātripurasundarī and Kāmeśvara, while the surrounding six are dedicated to: Parēśvarī-Parēśvara (Mind) Viccēśvarī-Viccēśvara (Ether) Haṃsēśvarī-Haṃsēśvara (Air) Saṃvartakēśvarī-Saṃvartakēśvara (Fire) Dvīpēśvarī-Dvīpēśvara (Water) Navātmakēśvarī-Navātmakēśvara (Earth) Each of these pairs has its own Rishi, Chandas, and Mantra. Their worship includes special Nyasas with Urdhvamnaya prefixes. The full ritual also includes installing the Navanātha Chakra from Ajnā to Unmanī, the Martāṇḍa Mandala (Sun Mandala), and a Shiva Linga for the Shaḍanvaya Pujā. The worship proceeds from the core outward—beginning with the central Shatkona and progressing to each energy field. In the simplified version, the Rashmis are mapped onto the Avarana Devatas of the Śrīcakra. In the elaborate version, they are allocated to specific triangular segments within each Shatkona, with each segment representing a Rashmi pair. A Samayācāra version of this ritual also exists, where the Rashmis are assigned to the petals of the lotus in each chakra (e.g., 62 Rashmis on the 10-petaled Svādhiṣṭhāna chakra). This form is deeply meditative and highly internalized. I will be performing this expanded Shaḍanvaya Śāmbhava Pūjā tomorrow on Guru Pūrṇimā, as I have done annually since 2010. This will mark my 12th consecutive year. I had the rare fortune to perform this ritual at Lake Manasarovar in 2014 and once again at the North Face of Mount Kailash. Witnessing this pūjā, even once, is a blessing. According to the shastras, merely contemplating a single aspect of the Shaḍanvaya can bestow jīvanmukti. May the blessings of the Guru Maṇḍala kindle the fire of sādhanā within each of you.