Guest guest Posted November 29, 2002 Report Share Posted November 29, 2002 One sridharthakurli sent me a private e-mail which I believe was intended for the Group. Please help if you can: "Pl confirm regarding RENUKA DEVI - of Mahur Gad - Maharashtra & Andhra Pradesh Border. - I do believe this cult falls under Chinnamasta. I require more information." My personal answer: The similarity between Renuka and Chinnamasta is that Renuka, a brahmin woman, had her head chopped off by her own son, on the instructions of his angry father, Renuka's husband. An outcaste woman who is sheltering Renuka also loses her head in the chaos. The son is overcome with regret, and wins a boon to re-attach his mother's head. But he makes an error and attaches it to the outcaste woman's body. The resulting being becomes a goddess. Renuka is worshipped as a head alone in some cases. Some legends associate Lajja Gauri (a headless goddess; see Group homepage) with the outcaste body, which is also worshipped alone by some devotees. In other. understandings, her mixed brahmin/outcaste pedigree creates an interesting goddess in her society-defying totality. Chinnamasta is packed with meaning from Tantric and Hathayoga viewpoints (as OmPrem has elucidated; his Hathayoga and Shaktism page will be gracing the homepage soon) -- but as far as I know, there is no specific cult link between Renuka worship and Chinnamasta worship. DB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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