Dasa Maha-Vidyas -- days of worship

[Guest guest]

Directions and the Maha-Vidyas

 

The Ten Wisdom Goddesses of Tantra have specific directions they are

associated with. I've tried doing rituals where ten people set out

chairs in the appropriate directions and invoke The Ladies -- it's very

powerful! I'm also noticing that the Goddesses opposite each other have

interesting correspondences. Here's a brief overview...

 

Chinnamasta, the Beheaded Goddess, should be invoked in the East. This

direction is associated with the Sun in Vastu Shastra, so she is probably

best worshipped on a Sunday.

 

Opposite her, in the West sits Bhuvanishvari, the Lady of the Spheres.

This is Saturn's direction, so Bhuvani is best worshipped on a Saturday.

 

Note that Chinnamasta feeds her two companions with the blood that

geysers out of her severed neck, and Bhuvanishvari is said to be

lactating, ready to suckle all the hungry beings of the universe. (I

onder if Hinduism has the legend that the stars were born fro milk hat

the Goddess squirted from her breast? The work "Galaxy" comes from the

Greek <galactos> --milk.)

 

Bagalamukhi, the Crane-headed goddess, is said to reside in the South.

This is Mar's direction, so she's best invoked on a Tuesday (despite her

yellow coloring -- yellow is normally Jupiter's color).

 

Across the sky sits Tara, the Savioress, in the North. This is Mercury's

domain, so Tara would best be approached on a Wednesday.

 

Note that Bagalamukhi is associated with the magic art of <stambhana> --

petrifying or restraining, especially used to stop gossip or make your

legal opponent tongue-tied. She usually is shown restraining an Asura by

holding his tongue, while clobbering him with a club. Tara, on the other

hand, is explicitly associated with eloquence and skill in

self-expression.

 

Dhumavati, the Smoky Crone, is said to be invoked in the South-East.

This is Venus's direction -- strange, since Dhumavati is berift of any of

Venus's blessings! But more on that, later. She'd best respond on a

Friday.

 

Opposite her, in the North-West, is the throne of Matangi, the Outcaste

Musician. This is the Moon's direction, so Matangi would best be invoked

on a Monday. The Moon is white, while Matangi is dark -- but she's

really an outcaste version of white goddess Sarasvati, so would be

comfortable here.

 

Note that both Dhumavati and Matangi are seen as women on the fringes of

society. Dhumavati is a widow, who has refused to immolate herself on

her husband's funeral pyre. Matangi is a Chandala, a refuse-cleaner or

sweeper who lives on other people's leftovers -- very polluting. Both

use their tough situations to gain strength. Interestingly, both are

associated with talking birds -- crows accompany Dhumavati, and

brightly-colored parrots stay with Matangi.

 

Shodasi, the Maid of Sixteen, is seen sitting in the North-East. This is

Jupiter's direction, so her day of invocation would be Thursday.

 

Mirroring her over in the South-West is Kamala, the Tantric Lakshmi. The

direction here is sacred to Rahu, the Moon's North Node, and there is no

"Rahu-day." Some Vedic astrologers say "Rahu is like Saturn," so one

might honor Kamala on Saturday... But the cult of Lakshmi traditionally

says she has an elder sister, called Alakshmi ("No Wealth"), or Daridra

("Poverty"), or Jyestha ("Elder Sister"), and being older, she must be

honored first (and sent away!) before Lakshmi can come in. I propose

that Jyestha is in fact poor, old Dhumavati -- to be respectfully called

in (then banished) on Friday before Kamala can be invoked on that day

(traditional to Lakshmi-worship).

 

Note that both Lakshmi and Shodasi are said to reside in the center of

the Shri Yantra, as Queen of the Universe, depending on whether the

worshipper is more inclined towards Vishnu, or towards Shiva.

 

Kali, the leader of the MahaVidyas, is associated with the direction Up.

The night sky shares her blue-black glory, but has no planet or date

associated with it.

 

Bhairavi, the Horrible One, is associated with the Downward direction.

Dressed in tatters and carrying a skull for a begging bowl, Bhairavi may

well have spent some time deep in the hidden bowels of the earth. No

planet or date for Down, either.

 

But Kali is always linked with the Moon's Waning phase (<krishna

paksha>), and her festivals culminate on <amavasya> the dark of the Moon.

Worship her then.

 

Durga is correspondingly linked with the Moon's Waxing phase (<shukla

paksha>), and during her festivals, at <purnima> or the Full Moon, she is

shown as Annapurna, feeding her wandering husband Bhairava Shiva. So

Durga is also Bhairavi, wife of the Horible One (and horrible enough in

her own right!). Let's worship the MahaVidya Bhairavi then, too.

 

Thus I have presented the Ten Wisdom Goddesses, with all their planets,

directions and days of worship. May they serve you well, whichever

direction you travel.

 

Namaste.

-- Black Lotus

 

 

 

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