** Our Devi of the Week ** The Saptamarkas

[Guest guest]

They are indeed an interesting group of goddess, and in the hindus

perception of divine feminine, they occupy an important place

especially in the Tantra. Normally they faced North With Shiva and

Ganapathi facing West and East respectively at the two ends.

 

"At this moment, O King, in order to annihilat the enemies of

devas

and for the well-being of the supreme devas, there issued forth,

endowed with exceeding vigour and strength, Saktis from the bodies of

Brahma, Siva, Guha, Visnu and Indra, and with the form of those devas

went to Candika…

 

Whatever was the form of each deva, and whatever his ornaments and

vehicle, in that very form his saktis advanced to fight with the

asuras.

 

In the heavenly chariot drawn by swans advanced Brahma's Sakti

carrying a rosary and a Kamandaly. She is called : Brahmani.

 

Mahesvari arrived, seated on a bull, holding a fine trident, wearing

bracelets of great snakes and adorned with a digit of the moon.

 

Ambika Kaumari , in the form of Guha holding a spear in hand riding

on a fine peacock, advanced to attack the asuras.

 

Likewise, the Saktis of Visnu came, seated upon Garuda, holding

conch, club, bow and sword in hand.

 

The Saktis of Hari, who assumed the incomparable form of a

sacrificial boar, she also advanced there in a boar-like form.

 

Narasimhi arrived there, assuming a body like that of a Narasimha,

bringing down the constellations by the toss of her mane.

 

Likewise the thousand-eyed Aindri, holding a thunderbolt in hand and

riding on the Lord of elephants arrived just like Sakra ( Indra )

 

Devi Mahatmyam ( 12 – 21 )

The eight Chapter called "The slaying of Raktabija"

[Guest guest]

I've seen them spelled <Saptamatrikas>, literally "seven little mothers."

 

They fight with Mother Durga, dance with Lord Shiva and his son Ganesha,

and fostered Ganesh's brother Skanda (who grew six heads so he could

suckle from all of them!). (The seventh sister, Chamunda, is a crone who

is well beyond lactation.)

 

Originally animal-headed demonesses who were responsible for creating (or

averting) childhood diseases, they are also associated with the seven

chakras, seven visible planets, seven <dhatus> (bodily components), etc.

I'll elaborate, if there's interest.

 

-- Len/ Kalipadma

 

 

On Mon, 21 Apr 2003 15:19:46 -0000 "Nora" <ashwini_puralasamy

writes:

> They are indeed an interesting group of goddess, and in the hindus

> perception of divine feminine, they occupy an important place

> especially in the Tantra. Normally they faced North With Shiva and

> Ganapathi facing West and East respectively at the two ends.

>

> "At this moment, O King, in order to annihilat the enemies of

> devas

> and for the well-being of the supreme devas, there issued forth,

> endowed with exceeding vigour and strength, Saktis from the bodies

> of

> Brahma, Siva, Guha, Visnu and Indra, and with the form of those

> devas

> went to Candika…

>

> Whatever was the form of each deva, and whatever his ornaments and

> vehicle, in that very form his saktis advanced to fight with the

> asuras.

>

> In the heavenly chariot drawn by swans advanced Brahma's Sakti

> carrying a rosary and a Kamandaly. She is called : Brahmani.

>

> Mahesvari arrived, seated on a bull, holding a fine trident, wearing

>

> bracelets of great snakes and adorned with a digit of the moon.

>

> Ambika Kaumari , in the form of Guha holding a spear in hand riding

> on a fine peacock, advanced to attack the asuras.

>

> Likewise, the Saktis of Visnu came, seated upon Garuda, holding

> conch, club, bow and sword in hand.

>

> The Saktis of Hari, who assumed the incomparable form of a

> sacrificial boar, she also advanced there in a boar-like form.

>

> Narasimhi arrived there, assuming a body like that of a Narasimha,

> bringing down the constellations by the toss of her mane.

>

> Likewise the thousand-eyed Aindri, holding a thunderbolt in hand and

>

> riding on the Lord of elephants arrived just like Sakra ( Indra )

>

> Devi Mahatmyam ( 12 – 21 )

> The eight Chapter called "The slaying of Raktabija"

>

 

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[Guest guest]

Thank you Kalipadma

 

"Originally animal-headed demonesses who were responsible for

creating (or averting) childhood diseases, they are also associated

with the seven chakras, seven visible planets, seven <dhatus> (bodily

components), etc. I'll elaborate, if there's interest"

 

YES!!!!!! Please please. I really love to hear them. Meantime here is

the post I wrote sometime back with regards to the Saptamarkas

 

They are indeed an interesting group of goddess, and in the hindus

perception of divine feminine, they occupy an important place. Who

are they? What is their role? What are their characterictics?

 

Nevertheless the myth about the Matrkas does not only confine in vast

hindu pantheon, but also in the others culture.

 

" Mother womb

create of destiny,

queen of the earth mountain

queen who allots the facts

Queen who bear

Women who open the womb"

[ from an ancient Iraqi invocation over clay pieces of the Seven

creating

women and seven childbearing woman]

Its seem hard not to associate these invocation to the SaptaMatrkas.

 

 

Again it is said that the 51 skulls that's Kali wears represent the

51 Matrkas [ letters of the Sanskrit Alphabet ] which constitutes the

Goddess in the form of sound. These letters too are shown on the

petals of the six charkas.

 

And according to the lore of Tantra Yoga, "The Matrkas are sure to

gather round the Yogi who unwaveringly clings to the meditative

solitude" [ biography of Milarepa]

 

So this brings us back to the main questions : Who are these Matrkas?

Their association ? Their Characteristic and their functions?

 

Candmunda one of the Matrkas and also one of the 64 yoginis who are

themselves daughters of the SaptaMatrkas.

 

There are many different myths about the origins of the Matrkas. They

are being mentioned several times in several text namely the

Mahabrahta, Devi Mahatmya, Linga-purana, matsya purana, Bhagavata

purana and Visnudharmottara purana

 

 

They have a common attributes namely the auspicious and the

inauspicious form. More often they are being known for their

inauspicious form. By and large they always function as a group and

shared a common attributes. And they are unspecified in numbers.

 

As auspicious form they function as a supportive role in maintaing

dharmic cosmic order as

 

1) Warrior Goddesses.

 

a) In Devi Mahatmya : As Seven Mothers, they battle together with

Durga, Sivaduti and Camunda against Subha and Nisumbha.

 

b) Matsya purana they assist Siva in combating against Andhaka.

 

c) In association with Karttikeya [ Murugan], they fought with him

against demon.

 

In relation to the battle they fought together with Karttikeya, some

of these Matrkas are described as having lovely form, cheerful, fair

skin and youthful. Others are often depicted as having long nails,

large teeth and protruding lips. They inspire their foes with terror,

and they are like Indra in battle. They live in trees, at crossroads,

on mountains, atspring, in burning grounds, and they speak a variety

of language. More often they are dark skin.

 

2) As Mothers, there several myth about the role the Matrkas played

especially with Hanuman and Karttikeya

 

a) Karttikeya : Its is said Karttikeya was born from the spark of

Sivans third eye into six babies. He was looked after by six Mothers

[ possibly gauris ] till he is a young boy. Parvathi then came, and

merge all these six babies into One : Murugan. These six mother then

became stars. And it is said that during Karthegei night, these six

stars are visible in the night sky.

 

b) A myth tells a story of two sisters give birth to half a child,

they abandoned the deformed creatures at cross roads. Jara, a demon

goddess { she feeds on flesh and blood } take the child away,

combined the two infants into a whole being and she gives the whole

child to the king. In gratitude the king orders that she be

worshipped throughout the region at a great festival in her honour.

 

As inauspicious form ( of which they are commonly referred to ) they

are often depicted as ferocious , terrible , dangerous to children

and pregnant woman. There are several myths to this association with

children, more often with Karttikeya

 

The Matrkas are being send by Indra to kill the youth Karttikeya

shortly after his birth. When they approached the child, however

their breast ooze milk and they asked him to adopt them as his

mothers. Two of these goddess are described as

a) born of anger and to carry a spike on her head

b) bad tempered of red complexion, a daughter of the sea and live on

blood.

 

Another myth in association with Karttikeya : mention about a host of

ferocious and terrifying ones , born from the child when Indra

strikes hi with his thunderbolt. These goddess are as follows : Kaki,

Halima, Malini. Brhali, Aryu, Palala, and Vaimitra. Karttikeya

eventually adopt them as his mothers.

 

 

With regards to the Six mothers who take care of baby Karttikeya,

there is another myth to the story. It is said that the six mothers

who take care of Karttikeya are the wives of six sages. They have

been wrongly accused for being Karttikeya real mothers. They are

being divorced by their husbands. They came to Karttikeya and appeal

to him to adopt them as their mother. As a group they are being

called the MahaMatrkas [ the great mother]. He agrees to become their

adopted son and asked them if they have any wishes . They made two

wishes namely to be recognized and worshipped as the great goddess

and to live off the children of men because they themselves have been

divorced and cheated of having a children of their own. Karttikeya

however refused to grant them the second wish, but instead

told them that they can play a "protective" role as mothers to these

children. Karttikeya later told them that they can torment children

until they reach 16 year old.

 

Another group of 10 goddess are also being mentioned : Vinata,

Putana, Raksasi, Aditi ( or Revati ), Diti, Surabhi, Saraa, Karu,

Lohitayani, Arya. These group of goddess are said to afflict children

or pregnant women.

 

Its hard to think of goddess inflicting on Children and Pregnant

Women. As goddess they should be a protective, but the reverse with

regards to these group of Matrkas. But if you think about it

especially in India where there is lack of medical facilities

[especially in rural areas] and inoculation especially for children,

and there is increase in infant death, in such an unfair situation,

you have to blame on someone.

 

Accepting death of a child is always hard. Children are more prey to

disease, and the silent thieves in the night that steal their lives

away need to be given faces and some reason to their death. Its

something they can rail against and direct their anger towards.

 

So who else can take the blame and anger but the Goddess

themselves.!!!

 

It is said they prey on children until they reach sixteen years old

when they go through a reversal and become protectors. Once a child

survives into adulthood [ sixteen yrs of age] they fall under the

Matrkas protection. Then they become benevolent surrogate mothers to

these almost-adults.

 

Perhaps this explain the famous quotation : What does not kill you

makes you stronger.

 

devi_bhakta

 

Nora, in one of your earlier posts on the Seven Mothers, you point

out that "they are born when the Devi loses control of her

concentration. This suggests the Matrkas' essentially uncontrolled

natures. Born from lack of mental control, they lack control

themselves." In another post, you list their association with the

human vices.

 

Just as Maryamman is associated with disease, the Matrikas are seen

as being behind the illness and death of children.

 

Since Devi is All, it is inevitable that some of Her forms will

represent the most fearful elements of Nature.

 

The Hindu scholar Devdutt Pattanaik notes that the Seven Mothers are

the "handmaidens of Chandi [Durga or Parvati], Who "declared Her

seven handmaidens would be worshipped as virgin mothers."

 

Pattanaik adds, "The cult of the Seven Mothers is found all over

India. ... Pregnant women and nursing mothers worship them. When

these goddesses are angry, they make women barren and strike newborns

with fatal fevers. When they are appeased, they ensure the health and

happiness of children."

 

This is what I don't understand: If the Matrikas "lack control

themselves," how are we supposed to appease them? Should we even try?

It seems to me that they are an acknowledgement that the whims and

disasters of Nature cannot be avoided. So why do we approach them at

all? Why do we not focus all of our energies on more positive images

of Devi? Thanks to Nora and any other members for their thoughts on

this question!

 

 

Nora

" If the Matrikas "lack control themselves," how are we supposed to

appease them? Should we even try?

 

The Matrkas are too part of Mother. In Devi Purana they are said to

be the multiform of the Mahavidyas. Now to say that the Matrkas are

totally out of control is not true because they too have their

limitations. Its when they go beyond the limits that they become

Demons and Asuras, thereafter need to be punished. The following

instances explain as

to why I say the Matrkas is not totally uncontrollable:

 

1) After the battle the Matrkas announce they will now proceed to

devour all the gods, demons and people around the world. Siva

commands them not to do this, but they ignore him and begin a rampage

of destruction. Siva summon Narasimha, Vishnu's man-lion who creates

a host of benign goddess, they in turn calm down the terrible Matrkas

and stop their destruction, of which they did.

 

2) The demon Sumbha has accused Devi of false pride an haughtiness,

for in the foregoing encounters she has relied not on her own

strength but on that of others. At this point, Devi proclaims her

relation to the apparently heterogeneous forms of the Goddess: " I

alone exist here in the world, what second, other than I, is there? O

wicked one, behold these are my hierophanies (or extraordinary

powers) entering back into me…. Thereupon, all the goddesses, led by

Brahmani, went to their resting place in the body of Devi, then there

was just Devi alone. Subsequently, Devi throws own the gauntlet for

the final combat:"when I was established here in many forms, it was

by means of my extraordinary power. That is now been withdrawn by me.

I stand utterly alone. May you be resolute in combat"

 

So back to the question as to: should we even try?

 

Its not 'try" but do we want to. It still boils down to each

individual as to weather they feel connected to the Divine Mother in

her auspicious form like Saraswati, Lakshmi, Parashakti etc, or in

her inauspicious form like Kali and Camunda. In her inauspicious

form, we are reminded to look beyond the terrifying and fearsome

physical appearance. If you were in love with someone, you would not

care as to how she/he looks like, but what that persons mean to you.

The same for Maa Kali , Maa Camunda and the Matrkas too. It is true

that we cannot avoid the whims and disasters of Nature, but in my

opinion, the Matrkas too is like a reminder to us that the state of

stability and peace is not permanent. Often we forget this. To think

that this stability is permanent is an illusion/Maya. This is to tell

us that Mother can strike us in her most merciless form like

earthquake, floods, droughts etc and able to kill thousands. It is

how we handle such disaster. We are well aware that such natural

calamities are not permanent. It usually occurs for short period of

time after which we will find a way of how to overcome it or to

rebuild our lives back again.

 

Now go down to a personal level. How do we handle personal crises?

When we are faced with for example a sudden death of a loved one or

have lost our property etc.? Do we run in a rampange; starts to

damage things around us, and goes into our self destruptive habits?