kAlAmukha shaiva-s, their branches and shaiva musings

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We have seen earlier how the shaiva-s are divided into various groups like

pAshupata-s, lAkula-s, kAlAmukha-s, and the later day division into five

seperate streams, the siddhAnta shaivam, bhairava stream, bhUta tantra-s, vAma

tantra-s and the gAruda tantra-s.

 

Here is more detail on the kAlAmukha shaiva-s and the branches within.

While these may look distinct, it is very likely that there is huge overlap in

the Achara. kAlAmukha-s are described as those who worship that in which kalA-s

are installed. They are called kAlAmukha-s because of their connection with

kalAmukha. These kalA-s are nivR^itti, pratiShThA, vidyA, shAnti, shAntyAtIta.

For them the " pAshupata tantra " is important. Since the five kalA-s mentioned

above relate to the five faces,the worshippers get known as kAlAmukha-s. The

kAlAmukha-mahA tantra is said to be revealed by ShaNmukha to mahAkAlA, the gaNa

of shiva.

 

kAlAmukha-s are further divided into mahAkAla-s, kAla-s, kAlavaktra-s and

kevala-s

 

Of these mahAkAlA-s are those who worship who worship aghora face of shiva.They

always hold a bhasma pAtra and are engrossed in the AvR^itti of aghora

mantra.And they perform uddhUlana with black bhasma and follow the ten-fold

niyama-s.They carry a yoga-daNDa and are always intent on

anugraha(..sadAnugrahashIlata). These are mahAkAlA-s

 

Then there are kAlA-s who worship shiva during six specific time periods during

the day.

 

The kAlavaktra-s are so called because they worship shiva during five periods of

the day and adorn their heads with black bhasma all the time(literall during day

and night and they have conquered their fetters/bondge(kR^iShNena bhasmanA

vaktraM bhUShayanti divAnishaM..kAlavaktrA ime GYeyAH jitapAshA..)

 

Lastly the kevalas who are knowm so because of their worship of shiva four times

a day and are intent on kaivalya

 

It is said that the kAlAmukha shivapUjA paddhati the usage of the pa~ncha brahma

mantra-s is as follows.

 

 

shiva should be meditated with sadyojAta mantra with the mahat mudra

Having meditated upon shiva, he should be installed with vAmadeva mantra and

sthApinI mudra.

*aghora mantra is then used along with the shivamudra nirodhinI to block him.

sAnnidhya mudra along with tatpuruSha mantra to make him present and

iShana mantra is told by displaying a~njali mudra to him favorable.

 

It talks about ten saMhita mantra-s and in another place a jayamantra most

likely all are various shiva mantra-s. I am unsure about the identity of these

mantra-s.

 

*aghora rudra: The shiva purANa describes an incident where upamanyu does

abhimantrana of bhasma with aghora mantra and releases it onto shiva who is

disguised as indra and is doing a mock shiva-ninda.

shiva then similingly reveals himself and asks nandin to absorb/stop the

aghorAstra. upamanyu's mother tells him that " even the aghorAstra which provides

the greatest protection for shiva bhakta-s has its origin in the shiva

pa~nchAkShari " .

According to the another text, shiva rendered this mantra as kIlita i.e. locked,

because of rAkShasa-s and others unfair minded ones use the mantra to harm

deva-s. the utkIlana it is mentioned, should be learnt from the guru.