Tara - the Goddess of Liberation

[Guest guest]

shunyatA bodhito bIjam bIjAt bimbam prajAyatE bimbEna nyAsa vinyAsa stasmAt

sarvam pratItyajam // ...........mahAsukhaprakAsha

 

There were certain scriptural & cultural exchanges among brahmanas and bauddhas

in the ancient times and among these cultural exchanges Tantra became an

important medium.

 

Some scholars are of the view that the concept of Tara has been imported from

Vajrayana Bauddhas.

 

After the nirvana of buddha, buddhism took prominence in two geographical

locations ie., in North & South. At southern part, around Srilanka emerged

Hinayana and at northern parts of China, Tibbet emerged Mahayana.

 

The popular literature of Mahayana in the forms of sutras were:

Amitartha sutra, Uttama Sutra, Mahavaipula Sutra, Bodhisatvayana, Buddhayana,

Buddha Guhyopadesa, Pitaka, Guhyaka, Upaya Kausalya Sutra, Dhiradhato, Saddharma

Pundarika, Paramartha Sthana, Garbhasthana, Uttama Dharma, Sarva Buddhatita

Tirtha, Dharma Chakra, Lalitavistara, Lanka Avatara Sutra etc.

 

The mahayana yogachara shakha paddhati was compiled by Maitreya, Asanga,

Vasubandhu, similarly mahayana madhyamika shakha paddhati was compiled by

Acharya Nagarjuna, Arya Deva, Shanti Deva etc.

 

From Mahayana Sect emerged a very powerful tantric school called *Vajrayana*

which is otherwise called *Mantrayana*. Secrecy was maintained among this sect

in terms of philosphy & rituals like srividya. There were 9 sampradayas in

Mantrayana. They are: sravaka yana, pratyeka buddha yana, bodhisattva yana,

kriya tantra yana, charya yana, yoga tantra yana. This Yoga Tantra Yana

bifurcated into 3 sects again as Mahayoga Tantra Yana, Anuttara Yoga Tantra Yana

& Atiyoga Tantra Yana

respectively.

 

Padmasambhava, from India went to Tibbet and propagated these 6 Tantra Yana

Margas. One can see the similarities between

Bauddha Tantra & Saiva Agamas which have the concepts of padas in common. The 4

padas of Saiva Agama ie., Vidya, Kriya, Yoga & Charya

that were somewhat equivalent to 4 padas of Bauddha Tantra ie., Drishti, Dhyana,

Charya & Phala Pada.

 

Now, among the 9 Tantra Yama Margas of Mantrayana, The 7th Sect ie., Mahayoga

Tantra Yana lays emphasis on *Paternal* aspect of upasana ie., upasana prakriya

centres around the male aspect whereas the 8th sect Anuttara Tantra Yana lays

emphasis on *maternal* aspect of upasana which is matru-tattva pradhana. The

9th sect ie., Atiyoga Tantra Yana is somewhat similar to the Advaita tattva of

Astika Mata ie., Veda.

 

Some scholars are of the view that it is this *Atiyoga Tantra Yana* which has

influenced the *Ajatavada* of Acharya Gaudapada.

The 4 sub-sects of bauddha tantra ie., sautantrika, vaibhashika, yogachara,

madhyamika were based on the concept of jagat based on satyatva, satyAsatyatva,

vijnanarupa, shunyarupa tattvas.

 

As mentioned earlier, the female aspect of upasana in the bauddha tantra of

Mantrayana took the shape of *Tara*. It is this Tara which took different

aspects in the form of Nila Saraswati, Vajra Yogini, Sveta Tara, Eka Jata,

Manjushri etc.

 

Based on the facts of *Guhya Samaja Tantra* compiled by Asanga who was indian

born but brought up in Tibbet and *Srichakra Sambhara* - a bauddha tantra, at

the time of 11 th century AD, there were 19 gurus who propagated this Mantra

Yana Marga. Varahi was worshipped as Vajra Varahi; Ucchishta Ganapati was

worshipped as Rakta Ganapati;

Tara was worshipped as Vajra Yogini.

 

There is a vast literature on Tara that details out its worship & rituals etc.

They are:

 

Ugra Tara Panchanga, Tara Kalpa, Tara Kalpa Lata, Tara Kavacha, Tara Tattva,

Tara Tantra, Tara Panjika, Tara Paddhati, Tara Parajika, Tara Pujana Vallari,

Tara Pujana Nyasa Vidhi, Tara Puja Prayoga, Tara Puja Rasayana, Tara Pradipa,

Tara Bhakti Tarangini, Tara Bhakti Sudharnava, Tara Mula Bodha, Tara Rahasya,

Tara Rahasya Vrittika, Tara Archana Chandrika, Tara Archana Tarangini,

Tararnavam, Tara Vikalpam, Tara Vilasodayam, Tara Shatpadi, Tara Sutram, Tarini

Parijatam, Tara Sringara Stotram & Tika.

 

So, the female tantric deity among Mahayana was Tara whereas it was Manimekhala

among Hinayana Sect.

 

Even the deity Tara was worshipped by voyager during ancient times to have a

safe journey on sea. Our ancient sage Vashishta was an upasaka of Tara.

 

Now, the traces of this Tara Worship can also be found in the astika mata and

its tantra.

 

The word *tara* is coined by putting *TAp* pratyaya to the word *tAr*. It has

*tru* (taraNe) dhatu which implies *that which makes us cross*. In other words,

that which makes us cross the hurdles / difficulties / samsara etc. whose

essence is very well reflected in the Durga Sukta *nAvEva sindhum duritAtyagnih*

and in the Chandi *tAriNIm durga samsAra sagarsya kulodbhavAm " .

 

Ganapati Muni says *shUnyE brahmAnDagOlE(a)smin panchAshat shUnya madhyame /

panchashUnyE sthitA tArA* and *mahA shUnyA cha tattArA tad vai guNya kramENa

cha* which says that Tara finds its origin in Maha Shunya. When this Maha

Shunya takes the form of Bindu, it is Pranava (Om-kara) and hence Pranava nada

is called *tAraka* (vide reference the *Tara Stotra* tArAmokAra sAram sakala

janahitAnandasandOhadakShAm.....).

 

It is interesting to note that Shri Bhartrhari in Vakyapadiyam mentions this

aspect to be moksha vidya as *iyam sA mokSha mANAnAm ajihma rAjapaddhatih*.

 

Tara is meditated as holding *Akshobhya* (the bhairava) on her crown (vide

reference Sakti Sangama Tantra).

 

Tara is also meditated as 4 forms as given below (as per Sabda Kalpadruma):

 

nIlayA vAk pradAchEti tEna nIla saraswati

tArakatvAt sadAtArA sukha moksha pradAyini

ugrapattAriNi yasmAdugratAra prakIrtitA

pingOgraika jaTAyuktA sUryasakti swarupiNI //

 

ie., Tara gives vak siddhi as Nila Tara; gives moksha as Ugra Tara; in Surya

shines as Eka Jata which is Surya Sakti Swarupini.

 

 

ORIGIN OF TARA

 

The Svatantra Tantra says that Tara originated from the southern part of Meru

Parvata which the Indologists identify to the southern parts of Russia.

 

In the border of Bengal & Bihar, there is wonderful Shakta Pitha dedicated to

Tara which is called *Tara Pith*. It is said that

Sage Vashishta heard through akasavani near this Tara Pitha to worship her by

adopting the *China Chara* worship of Tara.

Having heard the Akasavani, Sage Vashishta worshipped this Tara by adopting

chInAchAra. There are 5 forms of chInAchAra: brahmachina, virachina,

divyachina, mahachina sakalam, mahachina nishkala. For further details pl.

refer *Purashcharyarnavam*.

 

One of the greatest tara upasakas Vamakshepa worshipped this Tara of Tarapith

and attained Tara Mantra Siddhi.

 

With this post, i relapse into solitude by meditating on Tara as :

 

pratyAlIDha padArpitAnghri shavahrid ghOrATTahAsA parA

khaDgEndIvara kartrikharpara bhujA humkAra bIjOdbhavA

kharvA nIla vishAla pingaLa jaTAjUtaika nAgairyutA

jADhyam nyasya kapAla kartru jagatAm hamtyugratArAsvayam //

 

My next post would be the *Tara tattva* of Dasa (10) Mahavidya Sutras.

 

iti shrI chanDI bhakta pAda rENu...

sriram

[Guest guest]

The reference of Sage Vashista in this context should not be taken for " Sakshat

Vishnu swaroopa Sri Vashista Maharishi. He was much above the refered baudha

Krama and definitely he was much before Gautama Buddha A->Siddhartha of

Kapilavastu and above the bauddha tantra's. He could have done Tara Sadhana

because there are supposed to be Tara Mantras Practiced by Brahma and Vishnu

themselves and its said that Chaturmukha Brahma practiced Ugra Tara and Ekajata

(imagine relating these names to China and Nepal).

 

Just for an Idea he had KamaDhenu in his ashram and later we all know what made

Sage Viswamitra. Now that Maharishi trying chini krama or China Achara doesn't

fit in any Order. It just took Jagadguru Sankaracharya for answereing Baudha

Krama who was very Recent in the " Narayanam PadmaBhuvam Vasistam..... " Lineage.

So Bringing in Such a sage in this Context is.....Hmmmmmmmm.

 

However there are references in our Granthas of the Name Vasishta in Tara

Sadhana and also there is a very Important Exploration made by that Siddha in

Tara Mantra. He should be some other sage who was given the Name of The

Original, The One The Only Vasishta Maharishi.

 

And Tara Sadhana is said to be Seeghra Siddhi or Instant Fructifier.

along with vak siddhi Nila Saraswati (Tara) She Crushes Ahamkara (Tramples the

head of the beast according to her Dhyana sloka). Ugra tara is Queen of the

three worlds.

 

Next Are the forms Tara Identified by bauddha tantra's alone if so what about

vidyarajni and Smashana Tara ..?.

 

Regards

Diwakar