Dhumavati- awful or awesome?

[Guest guest]

Dhumavati or dhoomavati is one of the ten gresat mahavidyas. As such

she is to be honored and worshipped just like the other mahavidyas.

True, she is known as the Goddess of pverty - at least that is what

her icons (portrayls) make us believe. She is often shown as wearing

tattered clothes, dishevelled hair -she is tall and lanky, ,,

awkward looking, etc- in other words, terrifying... but is our divine

mother really terrifying? or does she assume this terrifying form to

drive away evil forces or negative energies- this is the question

sadhakas and bhaktas need to ask.

 

To a real bhakta or a rasika, none of the divine mother's forms are

terrifying or awful... behind every form that the divine mother

assumes, there is a deep esoteric meaning...

 

here is a description of dhoomavati that caught my eye...

 

"DHUMAVATI is the night of cosmic slumber. As the state of existence

when everything in the universe remains inert, she symbolizes

darkness veiled within herself revealing the potential of ignorance,

she provides the chance of self-illumination. "

 

this may also be the reason why this Goddess is worshipped on a

moomless night.

 

again,

 

"`In the beginning, Darkness was hidden by darkness, only Non-Being

existed. From the Non-Being the Being was born. Into the Non-Being

shall the Being dissolve again.'' The primal state before creation is

also the ultimate state after creation is withdrawn. This then again

becomes the primal state for the next cycle of creation. This primal

state is Dhumâvati. "

 

ONE MYTH SAYS Dhumâvati killed her husband Shiva. BUT what does

shiva represent here? not Shiva the God BUT shiva- a state

of 'being.' from, "non-being emerges being. " she is 'non-being' who

killed being (shiva) to be 'being' again. bEING AND NON-BEING ARE TWO

SIDES OF THE SAME REALITY.

 

to those upasakas who worship dhumavati with love and devotion, she

is compassionte personified. She helps one fight the intenal enemies

of kama (desires), krodha(anger), lobha (greed), moha (lust),

matsarya (jealousy), mada ( intoxication)!

 

Is dhoomvati really dark ? she has no doubt a smoky hue but in her

darkness, one can sEE a ray of light. Just like Kali.

 

yES, like KALI, dhoomvati also represents ultimate destruction-

destruction of what ? ego and desires.

 

In her outward maniifestation, dhoomvati LOOKS FRIGHTENING , full of

despair, poor, hungry and a harbinger of misfortune . but in reality

she gives spiritual 'wealth' to sadhakas to find the meaning of

existence in non-existence.

 

again, dhoomvati upadsana should be undertaken only under the strict

guidance of a guru and is not recommended for everyone.

 

harsha and sankara and others are welcome to add their illuminating

comments on this 'awesome' goddess!

 

again, all forms of the divine mother are worshippable!!!

 

om sree matrayaii namaha!!!!!

 

love

 

ps - in fact, in the group picture ( i believe this is a rajastani

painting) dhumavati does not look frightening at all!! rather, she

looks serene and very calm!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Da smaâdhi. It cannot be recommended for lesser mortals who are more

likely to misuse this great vidyâ. The purpose of sâdhana is to

manifest the Existence concealed in Non-Existence, the bliss hidden

in pain!

 

- Amritananda

[Guest guest]

Thanks Adi, for an absolutely beautiful post on our new Goddess of

the Week, Dhumavati.

 

You very clearly brought out the deeper teachings behind her dark

and fearsome nature, but note that our front page illustration is

unusual in that "Dhumavati does not look frightening at all!! rather,

she looks serene and very calm!!!"

 

She also looks young and even attractive -- or at least, not at all

repulsive, as most of her dhyanas describe her: An unkempt, ugly,

snaggle-toothed old woman with a nasty disposition -- and a widow to

boot, such an inauspicious role in orthodox Hinduism! This is, of

course, totally in keeping with the function of the Mahavidyas,

forcing us to face up to and even kneel before and worship those

aspects of the Feminine Force that the orthodox would prefer to shun,

disdain and avoid.

 

But Kinsley, in his study of the Mahavidyas, notes that a young

Dhumavati who is not ugly is capable of teaching the same lessons as

the more traditional form:

 

"A plausible explanation of [such images of Dhumavati] might well

relate to the reputation of widows as dangerous to men. Attractive

young widows, who in most upper castes are prevented from remarrying,

are considered particularly threatening. Because her husband has died,

the widow is a woman who has lost her social identity, at least from

the point of view of the Hindu law books. From the male perspective,

she is a social misfit, and if she is attractive and still in her

childbearing years, she represents a temptation. She might also be

understood to have strong, unsatisfied sexual longings, particularly

in light of the (male-authored) texts that females are sexually

insatiable. ... Hints that Dhumavati possesses sexual attractiveness

and allure can be found in her thousand-name hymn."

 

Just my two paise, to add something to the discussion of this

wonderfully fascinating Goddess form.

 

Aum Maatangyai Namahe