The 10 Mahavidyas and the Three Gunas

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/1/2002 12:48:14 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

pgd-karolinali writes:

 

> I can understand that the Shakta way of understanding can be different than

> the Vaisnava way of understanding. So I am just looking for confirmation if

> this is like that here, or if it is simply a typo.

>

>

 

I always understood it as Creation, Preservation, Destuction. Creation and

Destruction are opposites no? Your born you live and then die. The Creator is

Brahma the Preserver is Vishnu and Shiva is The Destroyer/Transformr. White,

Red, then Black. The Respective Shaktis would be Saraswati, who is always

very white and often wearing white, Laksmi and Kali the black=Tamas

 

I have a Picture of Durga here as pure Shakti. Underneath her are Kali,

Laksmi, and Saraswati. Obviously the idea is that Durga is this respect is

the totality of these powers. Even though the order is reversed it seems that

Kali and Saraswati again stand opposed.

 

you said.....................

 

"As I understand it,

Saraswati would fit the creative urge, together with Brahma, but that would

be pure rajas. Likewise, Laksmi would be in the role of preservance, but that

is the mode of pure sattva."

 

I would see Creation and Destruction at opposite sides of the spectrum with

something occuring in the middle.

 

Personally though, I often view Kali as all these things! I also focus on

Shakti as Red a lot myself. I always took the Tilak I see upon the foreheads

of Kali worshippers as showing this:

 

Our bodies have three nadis Ida the lunar current on the left, Pingala the

solar current on the right and Sushumna in the center. Now couldn't these be

associated with Tamas, Rajas and Sattva respectively as well? In this case

the thick red stripe you see on the foreheads of some Shaktas would represent

the active Sushumna since it's also the center of the head. The RED would be

the central colour representing balance and union with Shakti in the Sadhak.

 

It's just sort of what I intuited and I sometimes wear something like this

upon my head when I am feeling up to it. It certainly does empower me with

something when I do!

 

Just my ideas and I am sure I'm always wrong!

 

........I really hope I can join some sort of Shakta or Shiva sect while I am

in India!!!

 

 

Jai Kali Ma

 

William

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Yes, our ten-week summer "Ten Mahavidya Marathon" has already drawn

to a close, but I

recently found and reworked an old, lost essay I'd written for the

old Shakti Sadhana Club

about an approach to these goddesses that some of you might find

useful. I originally wrote it in

response to "Saadhnaa" Group's Silent Soul, who asked me: "Could you

shed some light on the

guna balance of these Yoginis ... I mean, which devi represent which

guna?" Here's my answer; I

invite other members to correct or add to my comments as they see fit:

 

WHAT ARE THE GUNAS?

 

First things first: For members unfamiliar with the concept of

"gunas" -- it's a Sanskrit term

meaning roughly "element," but in a more metaphysical sense than,

say, the chemical elements.

When Shakti manifests Herself as Creation (i.e., the known and

unknown Universe and

everything in it), Shaktism teaches us, it all consists of unique

combinations of these three "gunas"

or elements of energy composing the entire material world. They are:

 

1. SATTVA - the element of spiritual lift upward, tending toward

higher Nature

2. TAMAS - the element of material drag downward, tending toward the

lower manifestations

of Nature

3. RAJAS - the element of kinetic movement, which can either

accelerate the movement of

sattva upward or the movement of tamas downward.

 

So, for example, materially speaking, a solid rock consists of mostly

tamas energy, and hardly

any sattva or rajas at all; whereas water has more rajas; and air has

more sattva.

 

On a spiritual level, humans who are brutish, ignorant and/or

materially inclined are said to have

too much tamas; those who are energetic, busy achievers have an

overabundance of rajas; those

who are religiously inclined and saintly have more sattva. All of us,

as humans beings, consist of

some combination of these three gunas -- with sattva usually most

lacking -- but we have the

ability to influence and change that balance in ourselves and others.

Simply put, the primary

purpose of any Shakti Sadhana (or any other sadhana, for that matter)

is to harness rajas to help

us increase our balance of sattva and reduce our drag of tamas --

i.e. to try and achieve a

perfect equilibrium of the three gunas, which yields Enlightenment.

 

WHAT THE 10 MAHAVIDYAS TEACH US ABOUT THE GUNAS

 

Now, to answer Silent Soul's question about which Mahavidyas

"represent" which gunas: Well,

since they're all pure manifestations of Goddess, they don't really

have the same guna-balance

problems that we humans do. But they do *symbolize* certain gunas.

 

To show you what I mean: In popular Hinduism, the three best-known

goddesses are probably

Kali, who, as the destructive urge, represents tamas. Lakshmi, as the

preserver of life and

material fortune in the workaday world, represents rajas. Saraswati,

as the creative urge,

represents pure sattva.

 

The Mahavidyas -- as more esoteric manifestions of Devi -- offer a

different and considerably

more complex symbolism illustrating the interplay of the three gunas

in the areas of creation,

preservation and destruction. It should be noted that this symbolism

represents both the

evolution of the material universe AND the individual seeker's

spiritual evolution within that

material universe. And so we have:

 

1. KALI - She represents all three gunas in EQUILIBRIUM: pure ecstacy

and perfect

satisfaction. She is Shakti unmanifest, in union with Shiva, as One.

Iconographically, Shakti-

Shiva is said to stand in the midst of the spent funeral pyre in

which the world was reduced to

ashes in the previous cosmic cycle of time.

 

2. TARA - She is the first disturbance of the equilibrium; a slight

imbalance toward SATTVA,

the spark of creative urge.

 

3. TRIPURA-SUNDARI - She represents the point where the balance of

SATTVA moves

beyond mere creative urge, and begins to unfold into creation itself.

She is Shakti descending

from Pure Conscious Energy to Manifest Energy, creating the heavens

and worlds as She falls ...

 

4. BHUVANESVARI - She represents Shakti manifesting as the Material

World, marking the

regression of SATTVA and the beginning of RAJAS in ascendance.

 

5. BHAIRAVI - She represents the continuing ascendance of RAJAS, as

the manifest world

divides into apparent difference -- the different people we perceive,

the different shapes and

forms around us. As Shakti's representative of differentiation, She

is also the coiled Kundalini

(individuated Shakti) in every human's root (muladhara) chakra.

 

6. CHINNAMASTA - She represents the victory of RAJAS, the bustling

activity of the

manifest world: Mother Nature sacrificing Herself to feed Her

children, and in turn, consuming

them to replenish Herself.

 

7. DHUMAVATI - She represents the first inkling of TAMAS, the urge to

destroy. She is

world-weariness; impatience and disgust with the world's endless

cycle of ultimately meaningless

activity. Still strongly affected by RAJAS, She demands this and

that, but nothing really satisfies

Her anymore.

 

8. BAGALAMUKHI - She represents the ascendance of TAMAS, activated by

RAJAS

toward active destruction. Under Her inflience, individual humans

begin to actively battle their

illusionment in the web of material existence, and strive for Supreme

Reality again.

 

9. MAATANGI - She represents the acceleration of TAMAS toward

destruction. She is

erotically charged Shakti, no longer desiring anything but (re)union

with Her Shiva, and now

pulling toward Him of Her own accord.

 

10. KAMALA - She is the victory of TAMAS, as the illusion of the

material world is

completely destroyed, and Shakti is reunited with Shiva. With that

consummation,

EQUILIBRIUM is restored, and we are back to KALI again.

 

Please be aware that this is only one possible interpretation; many

others are arguable. Because

the Mahavidyas are some of the most potent, symbolically rich

manifestations of Devi you'll ever

find. They are a bottomless, endless study and fascination. The more

you contemplate them, the

more they teach you. They are, after all, the "Wisdom Goddesses."

 

Aum Maatangyai Namaha

[Guest guest]

söndagen den 1 september 2002 05.09 skrev devi_bhakta:

> To show you what I mean: In popular Hinduism, the three best-known

> goddesses are probably

> Kali, who, as the destructive urge, represents tamas. Lakshmi, as the

> preserver of life and

> material fortune in the workaday world, represents rajas. Saraswati,

> as the creative urge,

> represents pure sattva.

 

I really don't want to critisise here, but as this does not match what I

understand, so I am trying to understand better. As I understand it,

Saraswati would fit the creative urge, together with Brahma, but that would

be pure rajas. Likewise, Laksmi would be in the role of preservance, but that

is the mode of pure sattva.

 

I can understand that the Shakta way of understanding can be different than

the Vaisnava way of understanding. So I am just looking for confirmation if

this is like that here, or if it is simply a typo.

 

-- Prisni

[Guest guest]

Good Morning and happy home-coming!

 

since you have invited members to add comments, i am presenting

my 'humble' views...

 

You write ...

 

To show you what I mean: In popular Hinduism, the three best-known

goddesses are probably

Kali, who, as the destructive urge, represents tamas.

Lakshmi, as the preserver of life and material fortune in the

workaday world, represents rajas. Saraswati, as the creative urge,

represents pure sattva.

 

The goddesses are beyond all GUNAS OR 'GUNATEETA' FOR THEY ARE PURE

CONSCIOUSNESS=PURE ENERGY! THAT IS WHY THEY ARE ADDRESSED

AS 'NIRGUNA'

 

but by the same token, when the goddesses assume certain 'forms'

or 'rupa' they do exhibit certain 'gunas' like us mortals --for

example, KALI in her 'roudra' rupa while slAYING 'RAKTABIJA' DID

DISPLAY 'RAJAS' BUT THEN AGAIN THE QUESTION ARISES WHO IS raktabija?

was he a real demon ? or does raktabija represent the unfulfilled

sexual or carnal desires in a man/woman ? so, when mother kali slayed

raktabija she did display the 'rajo' guna -an act of passion,,, but

on closer examination, you will see that when mother kali destroys

the 'lust' factor in us human , she is taking us one step towards the

divine light- is that not an act of SATTWA? so, all these godeeses

cannot be placed in water-tight compartments- saying one represents

rajas, the other represents sattwa... etc... the same goddess can

dosplay different gunas at different times... and the same act of the

goddess can be viewed as rajasic or sattwic depending on

interpretation...

 

in mu humble opinion, there is no such thing as a 'vaishnava'

or 'shakta' interpretation of gunas...

 

take sree LAKSHMI FOR EXAMPLE..SREE LAKSHMI grants 'material'

wealth to those who are in 'rajasic' mode AND 'SPIRITUAL' WEALTH to

those who are in the 'sattwic' mode... so it is the guna of the

spiritual aspirant that is reflected in the goddess!

 

again, Durga mata is known as 'moksha-datri" - therefore one who

grants 'liberation' or moksha is certainly full of 'sattwa' but she

is also a warrior goddess who is 'merciless' in destroying the

enemies - in fact, all the kshatriyas (warrior class) worship Devi

durga before going to the battlefield for 'they want to enter the

battelefield as lions' and not be chicken-hearted ! In srimad bhagwat

gita, lord krishna asks arjuna to pray to goddess durga to bless him

with strength, valor and leadership qualities- all rajo guna! but

our mother durga is also known for her infinite mercy, compassion,

kindness - in fact her right hand is always in the 'abhaya' mudra- "

do not fear' - " i will protect you" -a very sattwic gesture...

 

ON THE MAHA VIDYAS...

 

YOU WRITE

 

CHINNAMASTA - She represents the victory of RAJAS, the bustling

> activity of the

> manifest world: Mother Nature sacrificing Herself to feed Her

> children, and in turn, consuming

> them to replenish Herself.

 

WELL, TO ME goddess chinnamasta represents pure sattwa because the

severed head in her hand represent the 'ego' in man/woman and of all

the things 'ego' is man's worst enemy and a deterrant to

enlightenment- by slaying the ego, goddess chinnamasta is a becon of

light and hope and is therefore full of sattwa!

 

in the ultimate analysis, all the goddesses are beyond gunas -

NIRGUNA TATTWA- if at all we see any gunas in them, it is our own

reflection or shall we say projection!

 

Om sree maha vidyaii namaha!!!!

[Guest guest]

Namaskar Prisni ji:

 

You write:

 

*** I really don't want to critisise here, but ... as I understand

it, Saraswati would fit the creative urge, together with Brahma, but

that would be pure rajas. Likewise, Laksmi would be in the role of

preservance, but that is the mode of pure sattva. ... So I am just

looking for confirmation if this is like that here, or if it is

simply a typo. ***

 

No, my take on it wasn't a typo, but I think that your take is a

perfectly legitimate and logical approach to understanding the play

of gunas through Devi and Her many manifestations.

 

The key phrase in my post in this regard was probably this: "Since

they're all pure manifestations of Goddess, they don't really have

the same guna-balance problems that we humans do. But they do

*symbolize* certain gunas."

 

In other words, any Deity is beyond the play of the Gunas. These

Devis are identified with certain Gunas not as an "absolute," but

rather as an aid to sadhana and meditation.

 

When I first posted that message some time last year in the old Club,

Silent Soul replied that he liked the analysis, but that he would

assign KALI to the role I assign to KAMALA, and vice-versa. My

response was basically, "Okay, that sounds good too." I conceive KALI

as Equilibrium rather than Her traditional role of destruction simply

because KALI is traditionally considered the starting and ending

point of the Mahavidyas, who contains them all. To limit HER in this

role to only one Guna would reduce Her to the part in this schema,

and elevate KAMALA to the whole.

 

But Silent Soul's approach would probably be perfectly fine with a

KAMALA Bhakta. And I agree that it is more in line with

orthodoxconceptions of Kali as the Destructive Force. But Tantric

Mahavidya Sadhanas usally frame things rather differently, and that

was the approach I was trying to elucidate. Even within that

tradition, different gurus and lineages would vary in their

interpretations.

 

So to conclude: My feeling is that Divinity is beyond the play of

Gunas, and therefore any conceptualization is either chosen by the

sadhik/sadhak or by her/his Guru. There is no absolutely right or

wrong interpretation, so long as the approach chosen is internally

consistent with itself. Does that address your concern?

 

Aum Maatangyai Namahe

[Guest guest]

All these are good points Gita_Angeli9. The very notion of guna as threefold

is so simplistic that it doesn't truely represent much more than a framework for

more specific study. If gunas were truely depictive then you could just make a

shopping list of three items, or say get me tuna, you know, the white kind

called milk, the greasy kind called oil, the red kind called meat, etc, gunas

are general labels that work pretty much within duality merely for the

intellect. The truth is as varied as existence. Just as my example about tuna

probably didn' tmake much sence so also the idea of guna also doesn't make much

sense. Again it's just a basic framework and it doesn't really describe things

in a very useful way. Not except for in Ayurveda, its real source.