The Nityas

[Guest guest]

In the Sri Vidya, the Sri-Chakra is also said to be identical, among

others,with the Moon (Chandra-mandala) located near the crown of the

head of everyperson within the thousand petalled lotus. Flooding in

the entire psycho-physical constitution, the Devi residing in the

Moon orb, enters through the central channel, and sleeps in the basal

pit in the form of a serpent. Thisis the Kundalini power which is the

central theme of Tantrik theory and practice.

 

The fifteen digits or tithis of the moon commencing from the first day

(pratipat) when "the moon comes out of the sun', ending with the

fifteenth day,when all the digits of the moon comes out. It is the

bright fortnight. When allthe Tithis return to the sun it is the dark

fortnight. The separation of thefifteen Tithis of the moon from the

sun is "full moon" (paurnamasi) and theidentification of all of the

moon's tithes in the sun is "new moon" (amavasya).

 

Each of these tithis are being invoked in a form of Devi - Also

called the Nityas of Lalitha. There are fifteen Nityas are named:-

 

1. Maha Tripura-Sundari

2. Kameshvari Nitya

3. Bhagamalini Nitya

4. Nityaklinna Nitya

5. Bherunda Nitya

6. Vahnivasini Nitya

7. Mahavajreshvari Nitya

8. Duti Nitya

9. Tvarita Nitya

10. Kulasundari Nitya

11. Nilapataka Nitya

12. Vijaya Nitya

13. Sarvamangala Nitya

14. Jvalamalini Nitya

15. Malini Nitya

 

These Nityas are identical with several aspects of the Sri Cakra.

 

The Sun and the Moon, presiding over the "path of the gods" and

the "path of the ancestral spirits", moved along the "Ida"

and "Pingala" channels in the human body during the day and

night, respectively.

 

Starting from this week, we will feature each of these Nityas as our

Devi of the week.

 

This week we shall begin first with Kameshvari Nitya.

[Guest guest]

Hello Nora: I just wanted to say this sounds great. I have been

wondering about the connection between Kundalini and Tantra. I

am reading The Serpent Power now, though slowly; I've only just

begun. I am looking forward to learning more about the Nityas of

Lalitha.

 

Cheers,

 

Mary Ann

 

 

 

, "Nora"

<ashwini_puralasamy> wrote:

> In the Sri Vidya, the Sri-Chakra is also said to be identical,

among

> others,with the Moon (Chandra-mandala) located near the

crown of the

> head of everyperson within the thousand petalled lotus.

Flooding in

> the entire psycho-physical constitution, the Devi residing in the

> Moon orb, enters through the central channel, and sleeps in

the basal

> pit in the form of a serpent. Thisis the Kundalini power which is

the

> central theme of Tantrik theory and practice.

>

> The fifteen digits or tithis of the moon commencing from the

first day

> (pratipat) when "the moon comes out of the sun', ending with

the

> fifteenth day,when all the digits of the moon comes out. It is the

> bright fortnight. When allthe Tithis return to the sun it is the dark

> fortnight. The separation of thefifteen Tithis of the moon from

the

> sun is "full moon" (paurnamasi) and theidentification of all of

the

> moon's tithes in the sun is "new moon" (amavasya).

>

> Each of these tithis are being invoked in a form of Devi - Also

> called the Nityas of Lalitha. There are fifteen Nityas are

named:-

>

> 1. Maha Tripura-Sundari

> 2. Kameshvari Nitya

> 3. Bhagamalini Nitya

> 4. Nityaklinna Nitya

> 5. Bherunda Nitya

> 6. Vahnivasini Nitya

> 7. Mahavajreshvari Nitya

> 8. Duti Nitya

> 9. Tvarita Nitya

> 10. Kulasundari Nitya

> 11. Nilapataka Nitya

> 12. Vijaya Nitya

> 13. Sarvamangala Nitya

> 14. Jvalamalini Nitya

> 15. Malini Nitya

>

> These Nityas are identical with several aspects of the Sri

Cakra.

>

> The Sun and the Moon, presiding over the "path of the gods"

and

> the "path of the ancestral spirits", moved along the "Ida"

> and "Pingala" channels in the human body during the day and

> night, respectively.

>

> Starting from this week, we will feature each of these Nityas as

our

> Devi of the week.

>

> This week we shall begin first with Kameshvari Nitya.

[Guest guest]

We are back with the Nityas again. I have not forgotten about them.

 

I believe in our first message in the nityas we have miss out Nitya

Nitya which should come between Kulasundari Nitya and Nilapatakamba

Nitya. We apologise for this error.

 

I have the opportunity to communicate with our ever knowledgeable and

resourceful Harsha and this is what he have to say :

 

"Lalita is the 16th transcendent Maha nitya. Also, Duti should

read

Shivaduti. As for the seventeenth Turiyatita Nitya, the main source

of references Tantraraja Tantra and nityashodashikarnava do not

mention about her".

 

Now somebody send me an offline messages saying : Nora I still

don't

understand about the Nityas can you simplified is so that we can

understand further. Well I have to give the credit to Sri Vidya Org

for this :

 

Lalita's physical appearance is useful in making her subtle forms

more accessible and comprehensible. Her appearance changes with the

cycle of her fifteen Nityas, or eternities. The Nityas coincide with

the lunar cycle. For each phase of the moon (Nitya), Lalita's

appearance and ritual applications change. She is given a different

name, mantra, and yantra, but through all the Nityas she remains

faithful to her true self. As the moon remains itself, though

appearing differently according to its phases, so to does Lalita. On

the sixteenth day, the day of the full moon, Lalita is in her most

auspicious form.

 

Regardless of the Nitya, Lalita is always depicted with three eyes.

She usually has only one head, though in certain forms she may have

six. The number of arms she has depends totally on the Nitya. She can

have two, four, six, eight, ten, or twelve arms. She sits on a lotus

or a lion throne. The colors red and gold are associated with Lalita.

Whether it be the color of her skin, her clothing, her jewelry, or an

object she is holding, such as a red flower or a golden pen, at least

one of these two colors is present. Almost always this "beautiful

goddess" is adorned with gems (frequently rubies) and ornaments

(often of gold). They are placed around her neck, hands, feet, arms,

and waist. The twelfth Nitya contrasts sharply as Lalita is bedecked

with a garland of human skulls. Often she is depicted having long

black hair with a crescent moon clipped in it. She is smiling sweetly

and shows two mudras or gestrues: one for franting boons and one for

dispelling fears. Lalita is also depicted as having a small waist and

large bust, emphasizing her sexual nature.

 

Of all the objects Lalita holds throughout the Nitya cycles, the four

that remain constant are the noose, the goad, the sugar cane bow, and

five flowering arrows. The noose is attachment and represents the

moon. It is the means by which Lalita pulls us into the core or the

bindu point of absolute consciousness. The goad is repulsion and

represents the sun. It also represents paravritti, the relative

reality as it tries to push us away from the center. The sugar cane

bow is the mind. The mind is essential in reaching liberation and

experiencing the absolute. Finally, the five flowering arrows are the

five senses, sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The senses are

different representations of reality. When the senses are destroyed,

Lalita is able to get at the core of our being, the absolute

consciousness.

 

As previously stated, the Sri Vidya tradition holds Lalita to be the

supreme manifestation of Sakti (parasakti). The emphasis in the

worship of her deity is placed on her benign nature, beauty, and

motherly qualities, her auspiciousness. This auspiciousness is one of

the three characteristics of Lalita's iconographic symbolism. She is

depicted as a caring mother and obedient wife whose sexuality is not

impure due to its direction solely toward her husband (often

portrayed as Siva). While she is obedient, it is important to note

that her husband cannot exist without her. Here we see the theme of

the interdependence of Siva and Sakti and their union. The second

characteristic is that of her royalty: Lalita is the ruler of the

universe (like a kingdom) and her power is all-pervading. Finally,

she is subsuming, beyond conception, the supreme goddess who contains

everything within her and permeates the entire universe.

 

It is in front of Lalita's physical form where her devotees

meditational verses and mantras in order to evoke the presence of the

goddess. Thus, the ritual combines the gross and subtle forms of the

deity so that, not only does one see Lalita, but experiences her at

the same time by reciting her mantra.