13. KAUMARI: The Khadgamala Devis Series

[Guest guest]

[NOTE: I am re-posting this because I made some errors in the

original post -- inadvertently left in some boilerplate language

from earlier posts. - DB]

 

There are eight devatas guarding the second layer of the outer

enclosure wall (the Ninth Enclosure), which is colored as the red of

the rising sun. They are the famous Seven Mothers (Saptamatrka),

plus one added – Mahalaskmi. To learn more about the Saptamatrikas,

see our homepage:

 

http://www.shaktisadhana.org/Photo%

20Gallery/Matrikas/Saptamarkas.html

 

The third the Eight Mothers (and the 13th of the Khadgamala Devis)

is KAUMARI, of whom we may note: "Kaumari is a Mother Goddess in

Hindu mythology, and mentioned in epic and Puranic literature. The

Shakti of Skanda (Kaumara) who in later Hinduism became to be

regarded as one of the group of seven mataras (mothers). She also

was one of a group of eight Astamatara. She embodies the lack of

envy or, alternatively, delusion. Her animal is the peacock, and her

attributes are the arrow, ax, bell, book, bow, cockerel, lotus,

spear, staff, and water jar." (Source: Encyclopedia of Gods, New

York, Facts On File, Inc. 1993, p. 132)

 

KAUMARI is also said to be the equivalent of the famed South Indian

devi known as KANYAKUMARI. (For details, visit:

http://murugan.org/research/kaumari-iconography.htm )

 

In the scheme of the Khadgamala, each of the Eight Mothers

represent a human passion that must be overcome and controlled

before we can enter further into Sri Chakra. We worship each passion

as an aspect of Devi, then internalize it; and when we internalize

each deity, we *become* Her, so that She is not separate from us. In

that way, we "conquer" each passion, just as – in the first enclosure

wall – we conquered each siddhi.

 

KAUMARI here represents Her subtle aspect is POSSESSIVENESS.

 

KAUMARI's mantra is:

 

aim hrim shrim KaumAri matru devi shrI pAdukAM poojayaami

 

Continuing to circumambulate clockwise around the second layer of

the wall of the First Enclosure, turn the corner; KAUMARI sits to

the left of the gate of that wall (looking at a flat yantra facing

East, the would be the top or East-facing wall).

 

Into KAUMARI, the ten Siddhis are absorbed, along with Brahmi and

Maheshwari. And so it shall continue till we reach Mahaalakshmi – at

which point, Mahaalakshmi will include all of the Siddhis and the

Seven Mothers.

 

We have not exhausted all there is to say about KAUMARI, of

course. But this is enough for purposes of the Khadgamala. We are

not writing full essays on all the aspects and all the mantras of

KAUMARI. But again, please note that the beauty of the Khadgamala

Stotram is that NOTHING is required for its recitation except for

your time, attention and concentration: You need simply sit and

recite the Stotram. The mantra given just above is not part of the

stotram; it is offered merely for informational purposes. The entire

stotram is self-contained, as explained in earlier posts.

 

The full text of the KS (along with a FAQ that answers most common

questions about it) can be found by clicking the photo on the front

page of this Group.

 

[With sincere thanks and appreciation to Sri Amritananda Natha and

Sri Bhasurananda Natha, who kindly provided detailed and substantive

content for this commentary.]

 

Aum MAtangyai NamaH