DHUMAVATI _ the Widow Goddess

12/21/13

DHU MAVATI : The Widow Goddess

DHUMAVATI : The Widow Goddess

MAADHUMAVATI:TheWidow MAADHUMAVATI: TheWidowGoddess Goddess ThisistheseventhoftheD Thisistheseventh oftheDasaMahaVi asaMahaVidy dyas.Accordi as.AccordingtoThodal ngtoThodalaT aTantaraMaaDHUMAV antaraMaaDHUMAVATHI ATHI istheequival istheequi valentof entofVarahaAv VarahaAvatara. atara. "Dhumavathiisugly,unsteadyandangry.Sheistallandwearsdirtyclothes.Herearsareugly andrough,shehasl andrough, shehaslongteet ongteeth,andher h,andherbreastshangdown. breastshangdown.Shehasal Shehasalongnoose.Shehasthe ongnoose.Shehasthe formofawidow.Sheridesinachariotthathasabannerontopdecoratedwithacrowemblem. Hereyesarefearsome,andherhandstremble.Inonehandsheholdsawinnowingbasket,and withtheotherhand with theotherhandshemakesthegestureofconferring shemakesthegestureofconferringboons.Hernaturei boons.Hernatureisrude. srude.Sheis Sheis alwayshungryandthirstyandlooksunsatisfied.Shelikestocreatestrife,andsheisalways frightfulinappearance" DavidKinsley–TantricvisionsoftheDivine DavidKinsley–Tantricvisionsof theDivineFeminine. Feminine. TheabovetranslationofoneoftheDhyanaSlokas Theabove translationofoneoftheDhyanaSlokasofMAADH ofMAADHUMAVA UMAVATIdepi TIdepictsherasUgly ctsherasUglyto to saytheleast.DavidKinsleycompareshertothe Goddesses GoddessesJyeshtaandAlakshmi. JyeshtaandAlakshmi. ButthereisamajordifferenceintheMAADHUMAVATIgivesboonstotheUpasakas. TounderstandtheconceptofMAADHUMAVATI,weshouldlookattheentireDasaMaha Vidyas.TheDasaMahaVidyascouldbeclassifiedasunder: FearsomeGoddesssrepresentingpurepower MAAKALI MAATARA MAATRIPURABHIRAVI BeautifulGoddesswithpower MAALALITHATRIPURASUNDARI MAABHUBANESHWARI GoddessrepresentingspecificSiddhis MAABAGALAMUKHI MAACHINNAMASTHA MAAMATHANGI Goddesswhoispurebeautyandki Goddesswhoispurebeauty andkindness ndness MAAKAMALATHMIKA GoddesswhorepresentsUgliness www.tami lbr ahmi ns.com/r el ig i on/11217- dhumavati- wi dow- g oddess.html

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12/21/13

DHUMAVATI : The Widow Goddess

MAADHUMAVATHI Theaboveclassificationismyown.Nowwhydoweneedanuglygoddessandwhatisthe messagebehindherugliness?IbelievethattherelationshipbetweenMAAandherBhakthais liketheonebetweenasixmontholdchildanditsmother.Thechilddoesnotcarewhetherthe motherisbeautiful,ugly,richorpoor.ToenableanUpasakatodevelopthisattitudewe haveGoddesseswhoarebeautifulandfearsome.ButanUglygoddesswasalsorequiredto drivehomethepointthatMAAhasnophysicalappearanceandsheisMAAwhetherthe depictionifBeautiful,FearsomeorUgly.IfIcanperceiveSMASANAKAALIwithdisheveledhair, garlandofskulletc.dancingintheburningghatasbeautifulwhatistheprobleminimaginingand acceptingMAADHUMAVATHI.Itisonlyaconditioningofthemind,whichisabletoperceivethe truthbehindmereappearance.Inactuallivedon'tthepeoplewhohaveuglymotherlovethem? Therearemanyuglypeopleintheworld.Don'ttheymakegoodmothers,goodlovers,good husbands,andgoodwives?Wehaveageneralopinionthatgood-lookingpeoplearegoodand uglylookingpeoplearebad.Thisisnottrue.IfeelthatMAADHUMAVATHIwasconceivedto drivehomethepointthatphysicalappearanceisnottheendall. TheGayatriforMAADHUMAVATHIis OmDhumavawatyaividmahe,Samharinyaideemahi. ThannoDhumaPraochadhayat Hereitisseenthatsheiscalleddestroyerofenemies(samharinyai). HerMantraisaverypowerfulmantra,whichisusedtodestroyenemies. HerMantrais Om,Dhoom,Dhoom,DhumavathiSwaha!! Therearemanymorerestrictionsonthismantrathananyothermantra.MAADHUMAVATHI mantraisassociatedwithTantricswhoperformPrayoga.OneofthereligiousmagazinesinTamil hadgiventhismantraforgeneralworshipofthepublic. KinsleymentionsatempleofMAADHUMAVATHIinVaranasi.IhavevisitedatempleofMAA DHUMAVATHIatKamakhya(Gowhati,Assam).Thereisnoimageinthetemple.AllDasa MahaVidyashaveseparatetemplesatKamakhya,whichisconsideredtobethemostholyplace forallSakthas. JaiMAA!!!

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