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Wisdom Goddesses: Mahavidyas and the

Assertion of Feminity in Indian Thought

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 Wisdom Goddesses : Mahavidyas and the Assertion of
Femininity in Indian Thought

Article of the Month - May 2002

There exists in India a group of strange Goddesses, ten in number. One of them is shown holding
her own freshly severed head, which feeds on the blood flowing from her headless torso; another
holds a pair of scissors while sitting triumphant atop a corpse;

a third is depicted as an old and ugly widow riding a chariot decorated with the crow as an
emblem. The series continues - an unusual assemblage to say the least.
The story behind their birth is equally interesting
and paradoxically of a romantic origin:

Once during their numerous love games, things got

out of hand between Shiva and Parvati. What had
started in jest turned into a serious matter with an
incensed Shiva threatening to walk out on Parvati.
No amount of coaxing or cajoling by Parvati could
reverse matters. Left with no choice, Parvati
multiplied herself into ten different forms for each
of the ten directions. Thus however hard Shiva
might try to escape from his beloved Parvati, he
would find her standing as a guardian, guarding all
escape routes.

Each of the Devi's manifested forms made Shiva

realize essential truths, made him aware of the
eternal nature of their mutual love and most
significantly established for always in the cannons
of Indian thought the Goddess's superiority over
her male counterpart. Not that Shiva in any way
felt belittled by this awareness, only spiritually
awakened. This is true as much for this Great Lord as for us ordinary mortals. Befittingly thus
they are referred to as the Great Goddess's of Wisdom, known in Sanskrit as the Mahavidyas
(Maha - great; vidya - knowledge). Indeed in the process of spiritual learning the Goddess is the
muse who guides and inspires us. She is the high priestess who unfolds the inner truths.

The spectrum of these ten goddesses covers the whole range of feminine divinity, encompassing
horrific goddess's at one end, to the ravishingly beautiful at the other. These Goddesses are:

1) Kali the Eternal Night

2) Tara the Compassionate Goddess
3) Shodashi the Goddess who is Sixteen Years Old
4) Bhuvaneshvari the Creator of the World
5) Chinnamasta the Goddess who cuts off her Own Head
6) Bhairavi the Goddess of Decay
7) Dhumawati the Goddess who widows Herself
8) Bagalamukhi the Goddess who seizes the Tongue
9) Matangi the Goddess who Loves Pollution
10) Kamala the Last but Not the Least
Kali the Eternal Night

Kali is mentioned as the first amongst the Mahavidyas.

Black as the night she has a terrible and horrific
appearance.

In the Rig-Veda, the world's most ancient book there is a

'Hymn to the Night' (Ratri sukta), which says that there
are two types of nights. One experienced by mortal
beings and the other by divine beings. In the former all
ephemeral activity comes to a standstill, while in the
latter the activity of divinity also comes to rest. This
absolute night is the night of destruction, the power of
kala. The word kala denotes time in Sanskrit. Kali's name
is derived from this word itself, as also from the Sanskrit
word for black. She is thus the timeless night, both for
ordinary mortals and for divine beings. At night we nestle
in happiness like birds in their nests. Dwellers in the
villages, theirs cows and horses, the birds of the air, men
who travel on many a business, and jackals and wild
beasts, all welcome the night and joyfully nestle in her;
for to all beings misguided by the journey of the day she
brings calm and happiness, just as a mother would. The
word ratri (night) is derived from the root ra, "to give,"
and is taken to mean "the giver" of bliss, of peace of happiness.

Tara the Compassionate Goddess

The similarities in appearance between Kali and

Tara are striking and unmistakable. They both
stand upon a supine male figure often recognizable
as Shiva but which may also be an anonymous
corpse.
 Both wear minimal clothing or are naked. Both wear
a necklace of freshly severed heads and a girdle of
human hands. Both have a lolling tongue, red with
the blood of their victims. Their appearances are so
strikingly similar that it is easy to mistake one for the
other.

The oral tradition gives an intriguing story behind the

Goddess Tara. The legend begins with the churning
of the ocean. Shiva has drunk the poison that was
created from the churning of the ocean, thus saving
the world from destruction, but has fallen
unconscious under its powerful effect. Tara appears
and takes Shiva on her lap. She suckles him, the milk
from her breasts counteracting the poison, and he
recovers. This myth is reminiscent of the one in
which Shiva stops the rampaging Kali by becoming
an infant. Seeing the child, Kali's maternal instinct
comes to the fore, and she becomes quiet and nurses
the infant Shiva. In both cases, Shiva assumes the
position of an infant vis-à-vis the goddess. In other
words the Goddess is Mother even to the Great Lord
himself.
 The distinguishing feature in Tara's iconography is
the scissors she holds in one of her four hands. The
scissors relate to her ability to cut off all
attachments.

Literally the word 'tara' means a star. Thus Tara is

said to be the star of our aspiration, the muse who
guides us along the creative path. These qualities
are but a manifestation of her compassion. The
Buddhist tradition stresses these qualities of this
Goddess, and she is worshipped in Tibet as an
important embodiment of compassion.
Shodashi the Goddess who is Sixteen Years Old

Shodashi or Tripura-Sundari is believed to have

taken birth to save the gods from the ravages of a
mighty and wrathful demon. The tale begins when
Shiva burnt down Kama, the god of love, who
tried to distract Shiva from his meditation. One of
Shiva's followers then scooped off Kama's ashes
and formed the image of a man out of them. This
man then persuades Shiva to teach him a powerful
mantra. By the power of this mantra, one could
gain half the might of one's adversary. But because
he was generated from the ashes of Shiva's wrath
he is transformed into a fierce demon. Intoxicated
with his new found power he proceeded to
rampage the kingdom of the gods. Apprehending
defeat and humiliation, the gods all propitiate
Goddess Tripura-Sundari to seek her help. The
goddess appears and agrees to help them. Taking
the battlefield she heaps a crushing blow on the
mighty demon, thus saving the gods.

Iconographically this Goddess is shown seated on

a lotus that rests on the supine body of Lord Shiva,
who in turn lies on a throne whose legs are the gods Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and Rudra.

This is a direct and hard-hitting portrayal of the

Goddess dominating the important male deities of
the Hindu pantheon, a central belief of the
Mahavidya ideology. She is the savior of all, the
Last Refuge.
 She holds in her hands a pair of bow and arrows. The bow
significantly is made of sugarcane, a symbol of sweetness.
Her darts thus are sweetness personified. One of her
epithets is 'Tripura-Sundari,' meaning 'One who is beautiful
in the three realms.' Another of her names 'Lalita' implies
softness. These two qualities give rise to images that depict
her as ravishingly beautiful and of unsurpassed splendor.

The word 'Shodashi' literally means sixteen in Sanskrit. She

is thus visualized as sweet girl of sixteen. In human life
sixteen years represent the age of accomplished perfection
after which decline sets in. Indeed sixteen days form the
completed lunar cycle from the new moon to the full moon.
The full moon is the moon of sixteen days. This girl of
sixteen rules over all that is perfect, complete, beautiful.
Her supreme beauty too has an interesting story behind it:

Once upon a time Shiva referred to Kali (his wife) by her

name in front of some heavenly damsels who had come to visit, calling her "Kali, Kali" ("Blackie,
Blackie") in jest. This she took to be a slur against her dark complexion. She left Shiva and
resolved to rid herself of her dark complexion, through asceticism. Later, the sage Narada, seeing
Shiva alone, asked where his wife was. Shiva complained that she had abandoned him and
vanished. With his yogic powers Narada discovered Kali living north of Mount Sumeru and went
there to see if he could convince her to return to Shiva. He told her that Shiva was thinking of
marrying another goddess and that she should return at once to prevent this. By now Kali had rid
herself of her dark complexion but did not yet realize it. Arriving in the presence of Shiva, she
saw a reflection of herself with a light complexion in Shiva's heart. Thinking, that this was another
goddess, she became jealous and angry. Shiva advised her to look more carefully, with the eye of
knowledge, telling her that what she saw in his heart was herself. The story ends with Shiva
saying to the transformed Kali: "As you have assumed a very beautiful form, beautiful in the three
worlds, your name will be Tripura- Sundari. You shall always remain sixteen years old and be
called by the name Shodashi."

Bhuvaneshvari the Creator of the World

A modern text gives the legend of origin of Bhuvaneshvari as follows:

'Before anything existed it was the sun which appeared in the heavens. The
rishis (sages) offered soma the sacred plant to it so that the world may be
created. At that time Shodashi was the main power, or the Shakti through
whom the Sun created the three worlds. After the world was created the
goddess assumed a form appropriate to the manifested world.'

In this form she came to be known as Bhuvaneshvari, literally 'Mistress of the

World.'

Bhuvaneshvari thus remains un-manifest until the world is created. Hence she
is primarily related with the visible and material aspect of the created world.

More than any other Mahavidya with the exception of Kamala (mentioned
later), Bhuvaneshvari is associated and identified with the energy underlying creation. She
embodies the characteristic dynamics and constituents that make up the world and that lend
creation its distinctive character. She is both a part of creation and also pervades it's aftermath.

Bhuvaneshvari's beauty is mentioned often. She is

described as having a radiant complexion and a
beautiful face, framed with flowing hair the color
of black bees. Her eyes are broad, her lips full and
red, her nose delicate. Her firm breasts are
smeared with sandal paste and saffron. Her waist
is thin, and her thighs, buttocks, and navel are
lovely. Her beautiful throat is decorated with
ornaments, and her arms are made for embracing.
Indeed Shiva is said to have produced a third eye
to view her more thoroughly.

This beauty and attractiveness may be understood

as an affirmation of the physical world. Tantric
thought does not denigrate the world or consider
it illusory or delusory, as do some other abstract
aspects of Indian thought. This is made amply
clear in the belief that the physical world, the
rhythms of creation, maintenance and destruction,
even the hankerings and sufferings of the human
condition is nothing but Bhuvaneshvari's play, her
exhilarating, joyous sport.

Chinnamasta the Goddess who cuts off her Own Head

One day Parvati went to bathe in the Mandakini

River with her two attendants, Jaya and Vijaya.
After bathing, the great goddess's color became
black because she was sexually aroused. After
some time, her two attendants asked her, "Give us
some food. We are hungry." She replied, "I shall
give you food but please wait." After awhile, again
they asked her. She replied, "Please wait, I am
thinking about some matters." Waiting awhile, they
implored her, "You are the mother of the universe.
A child asks everything from her mother. The
mother gives her children not only food but also
coverings for the body. So that is why we are
praying to you for food. You are known for your
mercy; please give us food." Hearing this, the
consort of Shiva told them that she would give
anything when they reached home. But again her
two attendants begged her, "We are overpowered
with hunger, O Mother of the Universe. Give us
food so we may be satisfied, O Merciful One,
Bestower of Boons and Fulfiller of Desires."
Hearing this true statement, the merciful goddess smiled and severed her own head. As soon as
she severed her head, it fell on the palm of her left hand. Three bloodstreams emerged from her
throat; the left and right fell respectively into the mouths of her flanking attendants and the center
one fell into her mouth.

After performing this, all were satisfied and later returned home. (From this act) Parvati became
known as Chinnamasta.

In visual imagery, Chinnamasta is shown standing on the copulating couple of Kamadeva and
Rati, with Rati on the top. They are shown lying on a lotus.

There are two different interpretations of this aspect of Chinnamasta's iconography. One
understands it as a symbol of control of sexual desire, the other as a symbol of the goddess's
embodiment of sexual energy.

The most common interpretation is one where she is

believed to be defeating what Kamadeva and Rati
represent, namely sexual desire and energy. In this
school of thought she signifies self-control, believed
to be the hallmark of a successful yogi.

The other, quite different interpretation states that the

presence of the copulating couple is a symbol of the
goddess being charged by their sexual energy. Just as
a lotus seat is believed to confer upon the deity seated
atop it's qualities of auspiciousness and purity,
Kamadeva and Rati impart to the Goddess standing
over them the power and energy generated by their
lovemaking. Gushing up through her body, this energy
spouts out of her headless torso to feed her devotees
and also replenish herself. Significantly here the
mating couple is not opposed to the goddess, but an
integral part of the rhythmic flow of energy making up
the Chinnamasta icon.

The image of Chinnamasta is a composite one,

conveying reality as an amalgamation of sex, death, creation, destruction and regeneration. It is
stunning representation of the fact that life, sex, and death are an intrinsic part of the grand unified
scheme that makes up the manifested universe. The stark contrasts in this iconographic scenario-
the gruesome decapitation, the copulating couple, the drinking of fresh blood, all arranged in a
delicate, harmonious pattern - jolt the viewer into an awareness of the truths that life feeds on
death, is nourished by death, and necessitates death and that the ultimate destiny of sex is to
perpetuate more life, which in turn will decay and die in order to feed more life. As arranged in
most renditions of the icon, the lotus and the pairing couple appear to channel a powerful life
force into the goddess. The couple enjoying sex convey an insistent, vital urge to the goddess;
they seem to pump her with energy. And at the top, like an overflowing fountain, her blood spurts
from her severed neck, the life force leaving her, but streaming into the mouths of her devotes
(and into her own mouth as well) to nourish and sustain them. The cycle is starkly portrayed: life
(the couple making love), death (the decapitated goddess), and nourishment (the flanking yoginis
drinking her blood).
Bhairavi the Goddess of Decay

Creation and Destruction are two essential aspects of the universe,

which is continually subject to their alternating rhythms. The two
are equally dominant in the world and indeed depend upon each
other in symbiotic fashion. Bhairavi embodies the principle of
destruction and arises or becomes present when the body declines
and decays. She is also evident in self-destructive habits, such as
eating tamsic food (food having a quality associated with
ignorance and lust) and drinking liquor, which wear down the body
and mind. She is present, it is said, in the loss of semen, which
weakens males. Anger, jealousy, and other selfish emotions and
actions strengthen Bhairavi's presence in the world. Righteous
behavior, conversely, makes her weaker. In short, she is an ever-
present goddess who manifests herself in, and embodies, the
destructive aspects of the world. Destruction, however, is not
always negative, creation cannot continue without it. This is most
clear in the process of nourishment and metabolism, in which life
feeds on death; creation proceeds by means of transformed energy given up in destruction.

Bhairavi is also identified with Kalaratri, a name often associated with Kali that means "black
night (of destruction)" and refers to a particularly destructive aspect of Kali.

She is also identified with Mahapralaya, the great dissolution at the end of a cosmic cycle, during
which all things, having been consumed with fire, are dissolved in the formless waters of
procreation. She is the force that tends toward dissolution. This force, furthermore, which is
actually Bhairavi herself, is present in each person as one gradually ages, weakens and finally dies.
Destruction is apparent everywhere, and therefore Bhairavi is present everywhere.

A commentary on the Parashurama-kalpasutra says that the name Bhairavi is derived from the
words bharana (to create), ramana (to protect), and vamana (to emit or disgorge). The
commentator, that is, seeks to discern the inner meaning of Bhairavi's name by identifying her
with the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction.

Dhumawati the Goddess who widows Herself

Dhumawati is ugly, unsteady, and angry. She is tall and wears

dirty clothes. Her ears are ugly and rough, she has long teeth, and
her breasts hang down. She has a long nose. She has the form of
a widow. She rides in a chariot decorated with the emblem of the
crow. Her eyes are fearsome, and her hands tremble. In one hand
she holds a winnowing basket, and with the other hand she makes
the gesture of conferring boons. Her nature is rude. She is always
hungry and thirsty, and looks unsatisfied. She likes to create
strife, and she is always frightful in appearance.

The legend behind Dhumawati's origin says that once, when

Shiva's spouse Sati was dwelling with him in the Himalayas, she
became extremely hungry and asked him for something to eat.
When he refused to give her food, she said, "Well, then I will just
have to eat you." Thereupon she swallowed Shiva, thus widowing herself. He persuaded her to
disgorge him, and when she did so he cursed her, condemning her to assume the form of the
widow Dhumawati. This myth underlines Dhumawati's destructive bent. Her hunger is only
satisfied when she consumes Shiva, her husband and who contains within himself the whole
world. Ajit Mookerjee, commenting on her perpetual hunger and thirst, which is mentioned in
many places, says that she is the embodiment of "unsatisfied desires." Her status as a widow itself
is curious. She makes herself one by swallowing Shiva, an act of self-assertion, and perhaps
independence.

The crow, which appears as her emblem atop her chariot,

is a carrion eater and symbol of death. Indeed, she
herself is sometimes said to resemble a crow. The
Prapancasarasara-samgraha, for example, says that her
nose and throat resemble those of a crow.

The winnowing basket in her hand represents the need to

discern the inner essence from the illusory realities of
outer forms. The dress she wears has been taken from a
corpse in the cremation ground. She is said to be the
embodiment of the tamas guna, the negative qualities
associated with lust and ignorance. She is believed to
enjoy liquor and meat, both of which are tamsic.
Dhumawati is also interpreted by some Tantra scholars
as "the aspect of reality that is old, ugly, and
unappealing. This is further corroborated by the fact that
she is generally associated with all that is inauspicious
and is believed to dwell in desolate areas of the earth,
such as deserts, in abandoned houses, in quarrels, in
mourning children, in hunger and thirst, and most particularly in widows.

Bagalamukhi the Goddess who seizes the Tongue

The legend behind the origin of goddess Bagalamukhi is as

follows:

A demon named Madan undertook austerities and won the

boon of vak siddhi, according to which anything he said
came about. He abused this boon by harassing innocent
people. Enraged by his mischief, the gods worshipped
Bagalamukhi. She stopped the demon's rampage by taking
hold of his tongue and stilling his speech. Before she could
kill him, however, he asked to be worshipped with her, and
she relented, That is why he is depicted with her. She is
almost always portrayed in this act, holding a club in one
hand, with which she is about to strike her enemy, and
with the other hand pulling his tongue. In this myth, by
stopping the demon's tongue, she exercises her peculiar
power over speech and her power to freeze, stun, or
paralyze.
The pulling of the demon's tongue by Bagalamukhi
is both unique and significant. Tongue, the organ of
speech and taste, is often regarded as a lying entity,
concealing what is in the mind. The Bible frequently
mentions the tongue as an organ of mischief, vanity
and deceitfulness. The wrenching of the demon's
tongue is therefore symbolic of the Goddess
removing what is in essentiality a perpetrator of evil.

Matangi the Goddess who Loves Pollution

Once Parvati, seated on Shiva's lap, said to him that he always gave her anything she wanted and
that now she had a desire to visit her father. Would he consent to her visiting her father, Himalaya,
she asked? Shiva was not happy about granting her this wish but eventually complied, saying that
if she did not come back in a few days, he would go there himself to ask for her return. Parvati's
mother sent a crane to carry Parvati back to her family home. When she did not return for some
days, Shiva disguised himself as an ornament maker and went to her father's house. He sold shell
ornaments to Parvati and then, seeking to test her faithfulness, asked that she have sex with him
as his payment. Parvati was outraged at the merchant's request and was ready to curse him, but
then she discerned with her yogic intuition that the ornament vendor was really her husband,
Shiva. Concealing her knowledge of his true identity, she replied: "Yes, fine, I agree. But not just
now."

Sometime later, Parvati disguised herself as a huntress and went to Shiva's home, where he was
preparing to do evening prayer. She danced there, wearing red clothes. Her body was lean, her
eyes wide, and her breasts large. Admiring her, Shiva asked: "Who are you?" She replied: "I am
the daughter of a Chandala. I've come here to do penance." Then Shiva said: "I am the one who
gives fruits to those who do penance." Saying this, he took her hand, kissed her, and prepared to
make love to her. While they made love, Shiva himself was changed into a Chandala. At this Point
he recognized the Chandala woman as his wife Parvati. After they had made love, Parvati asked
Shiva for a boon, which he granted. Her request was this: "As you [Shiva] made love to me in the
form of a Chandalini [Chandala woman], this form should last forever and be known as
Uccishtha-matangini (now popularly known as Matangi)."

The key to this legend is the essence of the word 'Chandala.' The Chandalas are believed to
constitute the lowest strata of the caste hierarchy in orthodox Hindu belief. Associated with death
and impurity they have always survived on the fringes of mainstream society. Derogatory in the
extreme sense, The label chandala itself has become the worst kind of slur. Thus by disguising
herself as a Chandalini, Parvati assumes the identity of a very low-caste person, and by being
attracted, Shiva allows himself to be identified with her. Both deities self-consciously and willingly
associate themselves with the periphery of Hindu society and culture. The Chandala identity is
sacralized therefore, in the establishment of Goddess Matangi. This goddess summarizes in herself
the polluted and the forbidden.

Another myth related to Matangi reinforces this

belief. Once upon a time, Vishnu and Lakshmi
went to visit Shiva and Parvati. They gifted Shiva
and Parvati fine foods, and some pieces dropped to
the ground. From these remains arose a maiden
endowed with fair qualities. She asked for leftover
food (uccishtha). The four deities offered her their
leftovers as prasada (food made sacred by having
been tasted by deities). Shiva then said to the
attractive maiden: "Those who repeat your mantra
and worship you, their activities will be fruitful.
They will be able to control their enemies and
obtain the objects of their desires." From then on
this maiden became known as Uccishtha-
matangini. She is the bestower of all boons.

This legend stresses Matangi's association with

leftover food, which is normally considered highly
polluting. Indeed, she herself actually arises or
emerges from Shiva and Parvati's table scraps. And
the first thing she asks for is sustenance in the form
of leftover food (uccishtha). Texts describing her
worship specify that devotees should offer her uccishtha with their hands and mouths stained with
leftover food; that is, worshippers should be in a state of pollution, having eaten and not washed.
This is a dramatic reversal of the usual protocols for the worship of deities. Normally, devotees
are careful to offer particularly pure food or food that the deity especially likes. After the deity has
eaten it, the food is thought of as blessed and returned to the worshipper to partake, and is
believed to contain the grace of the deity. The ritual give-and-take in this case emphasizes the
inferior position of the devotee, who serves the deity and accepts the deity's leftover food as
something to be cherished. In the case of Matangi however, worshippers present her with their
own highly polluted leftover food and are themselves in a state of pollution while doing so.

In some rituals she is known to have been offered a piece of clothing stained with the menstrual
blood in order to win the boon of being able to attract someone. Menstrual blood is regarded as
taboo in the performance of religious functions, but in the case of Matangi these strict taboos are
disregarded, indeed, are flaunted.
Kamala the Last but Not the Least

Kamala as the tenth and last of the

Wisdom Goddesses shows the full
unfoldment of the power of the Goddess
into the material sphere. She is both the
beginning and the end of our worship of
the goddess.

The canonical texts are quite specific

regarding her iconography:

'She has a beautiful and golden

complexion. She is being bathed by four
large elephants who pour jars of nectars over her. In her four hands she holds two lotuses and
makes the signs of granting boons and giving assurance. She wears a resplendent crown and a
silken dress.'

The name Kamala means "she of the lotus" and is a

common epithet of Goddess Lakshmi. Indeed, Kamala
is none other than the goddess Lakshmi. Though listed
as the last of the Mahavidyas, she is the best known and
most popular. Several annual festivals are given in her
honor. Of these, the Diwali festival is most widely
celebrated. This festival links Lakshmi to three
important and interrelated themes: prosperity and
wealth, fertility and crops, and good luck during the
coming year.

The elephants pouring nectar onto her

are symbols of sovereignty and fertility.
They convey Kamala's association with
these highly desirable qualities.

Though equivalent to Lakshmi, important

differences exist when Kamala is included
in the group of Mahavidyas. Most
strikingly, she is never described or
shown accompanying Vishnu, who
otherwise is her constant and dominating
companion in all representations.
In this respect unlike Lakshmi, Kamala is almost entirely removed from marital and domestic
contexts. She does not play the role model of a wife in any way, and her association with proper
dharmic or social behavior, either as an example of it or as the rewarder of it, is not important in
the Mahavidya context. Here a premium seems to be put on the independence of the goddesses.
For the most part, the Mahavidyas are seen as powerful goddesses in their own right. Their power
and authority do not derive from association with male deities. Rather, it is their power that
pervades the gods and enables them to perform their cosmic functions. When male deities are
shown, they are almost in supporting roles (literally as when they are shown supporting
Shodashi's throne), and are depicted as subsidiary figures.

Conclusion

It is striking how female imagery and women are

central to the conception of the Mahavidyas.
Iconographically, they are individually shown
dominating male deities. Kali and Tara are shown
astride Shiva, while others like Shodashi sit on the
body of Shiva which in turn rests upon a couch
whose legs are four male deities! Most significantly
none of the Mahavidyas is shown as the traditional
wife or consort. Even Lakshmi, who is widely
known for her position as Vishnu's loyal wife is
shown alone. It is also noteworthy that the severed
heads that decorate the goddess's bodies are male,
as are the corpses that lie beneath them.

Moreover, related Tantric texts often mention the

importance of revering women. The Kaulavali
Tantra says that all women should be looked upon
as manifestations of Mahadevi (the Great Goddess).
The Nila-tantra says that one should desert one's
parents, guru, and even the deities before insulting a
woman.

Finally the question remains: Why would one wish to worship a goddess such as Kali,
Chinnamasta, Dhumawati, Bhairavi, or a Matangi, each of whom dramatically embodies marginal,
polluting, or socially subversive qualities? These goddesses are both frightening and dangerous.
They often threaten social order. In their strong associations with death, violence, pollution, and
despised marginal social roles, they call into question such normative social "goods" as worldly
comfort, security, respect, and honor. The worship of these goddesses suggests that the devotee
experiences a refreshing and liberating spirituality in all that is forbidden by established social
orders.

The central aim here according to Tantric belief is to stretch one's consciousness beyond the
conventional, to break away from approved social norms, roles, and expectations. By subverting,
mocking, or rejecting conventional social norms, the adept seeks to liberate his or her
consciousness from the inherited, imposed, and probably inhibiting categories of proper and
improper, good and bad, polluted and pure.

Living one's life according to rules of purity and pollution and caste and class that dictate how,
where, and exactly in what manner every bodily function may be exercised, and which people one
may, or may not, interact with socially, can create a sense of imprisonment from which one might
long to escape. Perhaps the more marginal, bizarre, "outsider" goddesses among the Mahavidyas
facilitate this escape. By identifying with the forbidden or the marginalized, an adept may acquire
a new and refreshing perspective on the cage of respectability and predictability. Indeed a mystical
adventure, without the experience of which, any spiritual quest would remain incomplete.

References and Further Reading

Danielou, Alain. The Myths and Gods of India: Vermont, 1991.

Frawley, David. Tantric Yoga and The Wisdom Goddesses: Delhi, 1999.

Jansen, Eva Rudy. The Book of Hindu Imagery, The Gods and their Symbols: Holland, 1998.

Kinsley, David. Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine: New Delhi,1997.

Walker, Benjamin. Encyclopedia of Esoteric Man: London, 1977

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