RE: [Srividya-Tantra] Matangi Query

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Pranams Shreeram Garu: Thank you for the detailed explanation, I just realized I made a mistake and asked about Raja Matangi instead of Raja Shyamala for the anga devatas....my bad I am making this trip specifically to be with thatha per his instructions. I did mean to ask your guidance only, I was definitely not trying to get you to give me any mantras... No, I am not doing any separate Varahi / Shyamala puja...only the Sri chakra navavarana puja along the lines of Sri vidya Saparya paddati / vasana by Sri Chidanandanatha. I am told that we follow the same paddati and belong to the same lineage. Since it was not practical at this time to get all details from him and I wanted to understand ( not practise or receive mantras ) the concept of anga, upanga, pantayanga and paduka mantras as part of the amnaya puja, I chose to ask you instead. I do not still have a clear understanding but thank you very much for taking the time out and sincerely sharing your thoughts and knowledge. Pranams,Deepa Srividya-Tantra CC: datta_gururaya; babupremaFrom: para_anulomaDate: Thu, 4 Sep 2008 11:09:00 -0700[srividya-Tantra] Matangi QueryDear Deepa Amma, You have to follow the instructions which your Guru who has initiated you into the Srividya Puja has given you. I can guide you at the maximum. A detailed analysis of Anga Devathas is done mainly for the Puja for each deity and the total puja done in Srividya automatically should cover all the anga devathas,you need not specifically concentrate on each deity.For example: Varahi's Angadevatha: Laghu Vaarthali Amba or Laghu Varahi is to done in conjunction in the Srividya Puja.unless you are considering Varahi Shakthi devi in seperation. When I wrote "Among the many limbic deities", I meant the Anga, Upanga and Prathyanga Devathas who are more than the 3 set I gave. For practical Puja purposes, you may stick to just one set which your Guru has ordained.Here, i cannot comment anything as Iam not your Guru.I also dont know your parampara(which among the 3) and other details.Always Guru's word is final in this.I got confused because the other day you were mentioing over phone that you had multiple Gurus(which is not possible for Srividya Marga, by the way) and so was unclear that "Thatha" was your Srividya Guru and therefore assumed that Aiyya was your Guru.Maybe it was my mistake, please my ignorance here. Raja Mathangi refers to the Daharaakhya part mentioned in Lalitha Sahasranama. Dahara Vidhya refers to the inner knowledge.This is where Mathangi differs from Saraswathy Devi in puissance and power.She is also called "Mantrini"(or Female version of Minister to Rajarajeshwari Devi).She governs how the mantras related to Srividya are to be chanted, with what meter, what pronunciations and articulations,svarapAthanams,etc.She is also a significator of the Gnana Kala of Rajarajeshwari Devi. There are various histories of this deity(and various Matanginis in themselves too, Shoshika Devi is also confused with Raja Matangi, for example) and one story even says that She was born in a lower caste and rose to the status of Goddess. Green color is symbolically attributed to Her thus. Green color is also found in Goddess Meenakshi who is taken as the Amsa of Raja Mathangi and is called Raja Shyamala. Raja Shyamala is not to be confused with Raja Mathangi(who is an independent Goddess in the Srvidya pantheon and is ascribed the status of one of the Vidhyas in the Dashamaha Vidhya deca-series). Lalithopaakhyana places her along with Varahi(Dandini Devi) as Mantrini as mentioned above.(When you go to Nangainallur temple, do see the small vigrahas kept at the entrance to Amba's vigraha, both have Yanthrasthapitams beneath it and are very powerful though the idol sie looks small-Hasthapramana eva kintu athishakthivanthaha: ) Also, we are not mentioing the Nirguna-aspect here and thus we see the Devatha-bheda here for worship purposes. Also, the famous Ucchista Chandali mantra is attributed to Her but in the Shuddhopasana Reethi Mandala, Her upasana is the Pranava at the Nabhisthana near the Svadhisthana Chakra, Anahatham and the Naasaagram(tip of the toungue), this is symbolic and sanketha of Madhyama and Vaikhari.There are not many tantras which have Matangi as an independent Goddess with a central worship modality.Meru Tantra, Gandhara Tantra, Gupta Siddhanta Tantra and Svatantra-tantra all make pasing and vague mentions about this deity.There is lot of confusion regarding this deity and the paddhathi, She Herself is treated usually as an anga devata of another vidya. Dakshinamurty Samhita has a mantra of Matangi, it is different to one found in Mantra Mahodadhi and gives faster mantra siddhi, if the deeksha is given properly. Parasurama Kalpataru You will find a whole chapter(6th Khanda of Shyamala) dedicated to her in Parashurama Kalpasutra as well.Apart from what I have discussed above, the information can be gleaned from perusing the following texts also:1. Brahmanda Purana-Lalithopaakhyanam2. Matangi Kalpataru(of the Raurava Panchakam)3. Kaulavalinirnaya Tantra4. Brihadvarahi Tantra5. Jayadrhruthayamala6. Rudrayamala-Shyamala Khanda(just like Parashurama kalpataru Khanda(Shyama Kramam) which I mentioned supra)7. Dakshinmurthy Samhita(Chapter 32: Patala 32 describes Matangi Ratna Devi and her worship modes)8. Chapter/Patala 10 of Guptasadhana Tantra9. Bruhatsara Tantra(Pariccheda 2 and 4)10. Niruttara Tantra calls it a Siddhavidhya and gives certain rituals and mantras associated with Matangi11. Devirahasya Tantra mentions the mantra of Matangi in the second patala. Details the rites of Shyama, the dusky form of Tripura, who is described elsewhere in Shri Vidya tantras as Tara or Kurukulla, and who is the "mother" form, just as Varahi is the "father" form of the goddess is given in Nityotsava's Fourth Chapter(Patala).There metnion in the inner four petals of "Matangeshwari" and "Maha Matangi" there. Matangi is described as "Mother form" and Varahi is described as "father form" in the Nityotsava text. Lord Shiva says in Todala Tantra thus: "Tara Devi is the blue form, Bagala is the tortoise incarnation, Dhumavati is the boar, Cchinnamasta is Nrisimha, Bhuvaneshvari is Vamana, Matangi is the Rama form, Tripura is Jamadagni, Bhairavi is Balabhadra, Mahalakshmi is Buddha, and Durga is the Kalki form. BhagavatÃŒ Kali is the Krishna murti." To answer your question clearly without confusion: These are the anga-upanga and prathyanga Devathas of Matangi mAta~NgyA siddhamAta~NgI nakulI cha saraswatI |mAta~NgI pAdukA devi laghushyAmA cha kAminI ||vIrabhadro mata~Ngashcha pramadA mohinI parA |bhogesgayakShaH samprokto devi guptatamo manuH ||pulindinI bhairavashcha ucChiShTagaNapastathA |pishAchagaNapo devi ucChiShTabhairavo.aparaH ||mahAvashyakarI ratnavidyA vAgvAdinI tathA |mahAmnadhumatI devi tathA karNasuyakshiNI ||ekavIrA cha tvaritA ghaNTAkarNo nishAcharaH |aghoraH kullukAnAM cha pa~nchakaM parikIrtitam || Siddhamatangi,Nakuli,Saraswathy,Padukadevi,Laghu Shyama,Kamini,Veerabhadrini,Paramada,mohini,para,etc as mentioned aforesaid for her limbic deities(now do you understand what I meant by among the many limbic deities).So, check your Guru's advice regarding the pooja to be done fo which and including which and excluding which deities. Vaagvadini is considered by many Schools as the Upanga Devatha of Matangi(Parasurama Kalpatru states thus in the Shyama Kramam: cakra-madhye Å›rÄ«-mÄtam uktvÄ gîśvarÄ«-mÅ«rtaye namaḥ - iti mÅ«rtiṃ kalpayitvÄ bhÅ«yaḥ Å›rÄ«-mÄtam uktvÄ gîśvary-amá¹›ta-caitanyam ÄvÄhayÄmi - ity ÄvÄhya) and Nakuli(Nakuli Devi/Nakuleshwari) is considered a Prathyanga Devatha of MatangiMatangi also forms part of the 16 types of 'angas'(reference to parts) as proposed by Vashista Samhita: Shuddha Vidya(the same name can be found in Lalitha Sahasranama),Bala Vidya, Mahaganapathi, Turiya Gayathri,Matangi,etc till Para Shodasi and Sri Maha Paduka.Recently one "smart alec" was asking me to give Sri Maha Paduka directly! He had been troubling Harsha Ramamurthyji and myself for this.All the anga pujas have to be got strictly from one's Guru and no one else. What Iam giving is information which many know generally. There are also some secretiveness to it with regards to specificities which can be learnt only at the lotus feet of one's Guru. Aanandam Brahamno Rupam!Shreeram BalijepalliHreem Rajarajeshwari Paradevatha!Purity, Powers, Parabrahmam... Click to join Rajarajeshwari_Kalpataru Get your information fix on your phone. With MSN Mobile you get regular news, sports and  finance updates. Try it today!