Goddess of the Week : Chinnamasta

[Guest guest]

Discussion list

 

Message 1839 omprem request for the goddess of the week :

 

" Her triumph over the senses and her Tandava on the spine of

Kama while he is lying with Rati shows the common bonds

shared with Shakism and the other traditional paths despite the

efforts of many of the adherents of all the paths to claim

difference and superiority"

 

Messsage : 2238 : Devi Bhakta message on : The Assertion of

Femininity in Indian Thought (3)

" two different interpretations of this aspect of Chinnamasta's

iconography. One understands it as a symbol of control of sexual

desire, the other as a symbol of the goddess's embodiment of sexual

energy."

 

 

Message : 2255 Omprem

"I would like to amplify the second explanation on why

Chinnamasta

is significant for Yogis. Chinnamasta not only represents self-

control but more importantly freedom from

desire and the use of that sexual energy, Ojas, to fuel the process

of spiritual enlightenment. The chopped-off head and the three

streams of blood represent the altered state of consciousness as the

prana and apana of the ida and pingala nadis unite to form kundalini

in the sushumna nadi.

 

Message 2261 & 2264 : adi_shakthi16, interpretation

"so, i am all for mastery of the senses ( the five jnanendriyas

and

karmedriyas) but most importantly one must surrender the body, mind

and ego-self to the Divine eneergy! that is where bhakti takes

precedence over all other yogas...."

 

Message 26: Chinnamasta - The Self decapitating goddess

 

An article I wrote sometime back.

 

Message : 145 : A response to my article by evil_djinia ( This is a

repost article )

 

Message 188 & 155 : The 1000 names of chinnamasta.

Now I know why I keep on thinking that there is something incomplete.

Ive yet to continue the 101 – 1000 names. Shame on me !

 

Om ParaShaktiye Namaha

[Guest guest]

Om spiritual travellers

 

Here is Chinnamasta described by Harish Johari in 'Tools for

Tantra':

 

Chinnamasta

 

'Chinna' means 'chopped off', and 'masta' is 'mastak' or 'head'.

Chinnamasta is a goddess who has chopped off her own head.

The head is the seat of all activities of mind, so with the cutting

off of this head, the activities of mind - the mental modification

(vritties) - are stopped, which is the goal of Yoga as defined by

Patanjali in his 'Yoga Sutras'.

 

Chinnamasta is seen dancing the cosmic dance of destruction

(tandava, the famous dance of Shiva, who performs it to bring an

end to the phenomenal world). The phenomenal world is a

playground of worldly desires. The five sense organs, which are

agents of these desires, have their seat in the head, that is, the

brain. The chopped-off head symbolizes the cessation of these

five senses, which enhances the sixth sense, intuition, whose

seat is the sixth psychic chakra (ajna or agya chakra).

 

The goddess is dancing with her two associate dakinis

(sub-shaktis), who are on her left and right side, and the dance

is performed on the body of Kama, the desire principle. Kama is

shown is sexual communication with his wife, Rati, and

Chinnamasta is dancing on his spine. From her headless neck

flow three streams of fresh blood, which is being drunk by three

heads. Two heads of the two dakinis on the right and and left

side and central stream by her own head, which she holds in her

left hand.

 

In their left hands, the two dakinis hold two chopped off heads,

and in their right hands they hold a 'khang' (a swordlike

weapon,broad at the end) smeared with blood. They are dancing

with the goddess and at the same time drinking her blood. Like

Kali, she is naked and wears a garland of human skulls, and her

tongue is protruding. The total image has some affinity with that

of Kali. Kali is know as the fierce one, the Chandi, and

Chinnamasta is even fiercer than Kali and known as Prachand

Chandi. 'Shakta Pramod' scripture says: "she is that Paratpara

Shakti who is the Para Dakini named Bhagwati." 'Para' means

beyond and primordial.

 

She is the shakti of Kabandh Shiva, the one who destroys the

phenomenal world at the time of 'pralaya' (annihilation", the

shakti who is beyond even the primordial nature, 'paraprakriti'.

 

The three streams of blood coming from the neck represent the

three nadis, the ida, pingala, and sushumna. Her two attendants

drink ida and pingala, and she herself drinks sushumna. This

explains the loss of her head, the seat of the desires, located in

the five chakras, which are up to the neck, and the head, which is

ruled by the brain stem, the controller of basic instincts. The

chopped-off head is the seat of higher consciousness, the

cerebral cortex and its two hemispheres. The cosmic dance of

destruction is performed on the spine of Kama, the principle of

desire, while he is sexual communion with his wife, Rati. In other

words, Chinnamasta is the shakti which takes her sadhak away

from the sensuous involvement, grants him the upward flow of

energy [kundalini], complete control over the sexual impulse and

other primary impulses and instincts. She is located in

sushumna, which destroys ignorance. Only sushumna goes up

to the cerebral cortex, the seat of higher consciousness.

 

Worship of Chinnamasta brings power of will and vision. While

meditating on her, one must see her dancing on one's own

spine and concentrate on her head drinking the middle stream

of blood coming out of her headless neck.

 

 

Jaya Maa

 

Omprem

[Guest guest]

Well, I must say that this is a tough image for me. I read the words

and they make sense, intellectually, but on a visceral level I'm not

in tune.

 

I can't tell if this image would resonate with a person more exposed

to the reality of people being beheaded by swords or by a person much

less exposed to the nitty gritty of dismemberment.

 

Personally, I'm fairly sensitive to images of violence against the

human form. I don't attend movies that show gratuitous violence, and

at the movies that include that for good cinematic reasons you might

find me closing my eyes or looking away at the moment such things are

displayed. I have seen the results of actual violence against a human

being and sometimes I think people who can see dramatic recreations

simply haven't seen the real thing.

 

On the other hand, although I swoon at the sight of needles I was

able this weekend to administer subcutaneous fluids to my 21 year old

cat getting most of the fluids actually into the cat without

fainting. I didn't feel really good, but I got the job done.

 

I do believe that any conception of the divine female must include

the reality of natural destruction as well as the more attractive

aspects of motherly love and compassion. And the concept of self

sacrifice is also compelling, particularly combined with the image of

the female. The Aztecs honored women who died in childbirth with the

same rituals and honors as a soldier who died in war. Motherhood is

risky and self sacrificing at its heart.

 

So called "ugly" images of the Goddess have been challenging to me at

various points. Out of an ugly reality I was drawn to the beautiful,

peaceful, loving image of the Divine Mother. Living in a world that

so values male power I sometimes question if old or hostile images of

the female divine are driven by male, or simply cultural bias.

However, I am a product of these cultural biases, therefore I work

through some of my preconceived notions to find the power of images

like Kali or the Sheila-na-gig or the Furies and the Gorgon. Even

Calliach the destroyer now appeals to me on some level.

 

However, this one is really not an image with which I am presently at

peace. I do not find myself currently willing to answer the call to

meditate on Her - dancing on my spine or otherwise.

 

I do find the commentary about Her interesting though. I am grateful

to all for sharing their viewpoints on this.

 

Bright Blessings,

 

prainbow

[Guest guest]

OM Prainbow

 

You seem to have allowed yourself to be upset over the

depictions of Chinnamasta because of your strong antipathy to

violence.

 

Instead of focussing on what you construe to be violence

surrounding the concept of the headless Chinnamasta and her

attendents, all of whom are drinking the goddess's blood, why

not accept this concept as a graphic metaphor and focus on the

meaning of the metaphor?

 

The blood merely represents prana, and particularly Kundalini,

the prana that is necessary for spiritual enlightenment.

 

The headlessness merely represents conquest of the senses

and the kleshas (ignorance, egoism, attraction, repulsion, and

lust for life) that are the obstacles to spiritual enlightenment. The

headlessness also represents the conquest of space and time

and the triumph over the physical laws that operate therein.

 

People are so attached to a conventional concept of the universe

and so attached to looking outward in their interactions with that

universe that often an arresting image such as Chinnamasta is

required to get them to consider other possibilities of existence.

 

The heads of Chinnamasta and her attendents have been

chopped off but still they live and, moreover, live as divine

beings. The question should arise, "How is their continued

existence possible?" and "What is this depiction telling us."

 

The imagery draws our attention to the four other bodies or

Koshas that each of us has in addition to the physical body. It is

these four bodies (Pranamaya Kosha, Manomaya Kosha,

Vijnanamaya Kosha, Anandamaya Kosha) that are responsible

for enabling us to reach whatever level of spiritual attainment that

we currently enjoy and will enjoy. These four bodies also survive

the death of the physical body. Chinnamasta imagery reminds

us of this.

 

One of these four bodies is the causal body (Anandamaya

Kosha), the seat of the soul. So, now we are explicity reminded

that each of us has a soul. Furthermore, taking Kundalini up

through the major chakras, as represented by the central blood

stream, shows that we are that soul, and that what we originally

thought of as 'our' soul is actually the same Soul, the same

Divinity, manifesting in everything.

 

The Chinnamasta imagery tells us that instead of looking

outward and entertaining ourselves with the vagaries of Maya,

we should be looking inward, purifying ourselves, enabling

Kundalini to form and rise so that we become living examples of

that imagery .

 

The dramatic imagery of Chinnamasta is but an excellent,

multi-layered symbol of the basic philosophy of Yoga/Vedanta.

 

OM namah Sivaya

 

Omprem

[Guest guest]

Thank you ompremji for a lucid explanation of the icon of

chiNnamasta!!!

Yes! THe 'headless' Chinnamasta teaches you how to keep your 'head'

on your shoulders - while being in the 'mundane world' of sensuality

and sexuality, you can be like a 'LOtus' - be 'of the world'not in

the world1 Hatha yoga teaches you how to stand on your 'head'

(shirshasana) - our chiinamasta goes one step further and shows you

how to stand on your two feet minus the HEAD1 (no ego!) GUYS, ANY PUN

INTENDED IS UNINTENTIONAL!! as our chumki always reminds us all of us

have egos- some of us have the ego of a 'golf course' -others the ego

of a 'pea' pod! SMILES, CHUMKI!!

 

Let me share WITH you a description of Chinnamasta ..

 

[from http://www.hubcom.com/tantric/cchinna.htm ]

 

Shri Cchinnamasta Devi

__________

 

Her left foot forward in battle, she holds her severed head and a

knife. Naked, she drinks voluptuously the stream of the blood

nectar flowing from her beheaded body. The jewel on her forehead

is tied with a serpent. She has three eyes. Her breasts are

adorned with lotuses. Inclined towards lust, she sits erect above

the god of love, who shows signs of lustfulness. She looks like

the red China rose. - Chinnamasta Tantra, quoted in Alain

Danielou's Hindu Polytheism.

 

This devi is the Hindu equivalent to Vajra Vairochani. Her six

mantras used in Her six-way nyasa are 1) Shrim Aim Klim Sauh

Shrim Hrim Klim Aim Haum 2) Om Krim Strim Krom 3) Im Hum Phat 4)

Shrim Klim Hum Aim Vajravairochaniye Hum Hum Phat Svaha. 5) Shrim

Hrim Hum Aim Vajra Vairochaniye Shrim Hrim Aim Phat Svaha and 6)

Shrim Aim Klim Sauhm Shrim Hrim Klim Aim Haum Om Shrim Klim Hum

Aim Vajra Vairochaniye Hum Hum Phat Svaha.

 

Yantra puja is from the circumference to the centre. The weapons

are on the outside of the yantra and are vajra, dart, stick,

cleaver, noose. goad, elephant hook, trident, lotus and chakra.

In the bhupura are the Lokapalas, the guardians of the directions

and sub-directions.

 

At the tip of the petals, starting from the east, are the

Bhairavas Karala, Vikarala, Atikarala, Mahakala.

 

In the eight petals, starting from the east, are her attendants

Ekalinga, Yogini, Dakini, Bhairavi, Mahabhairavi, Indrakshi,

Asita, Asitanga and Sanharini. Weapon shaktis are in the two

central triangles: Khadga, Sukhadga, Vajra, Pasha, Ankusha,

Astra.

 

 

__________

 

lOVE AND CELEBRATE THE MOMENT!