Chinnamasta

05-04-2002, 08:04 AM

OM companions on the path

Not surprising given my background in Raja Yoga and Hatha
Yoga, my nomination for Goddess of the Week (or longer) is
Chinnamasta who chopped off her head and drinks the 'blood' of
Kundalini and also feeds her two associate Dakinis.

Her triumph over the senses and her Tandava on the spine of
Kama while he is lying with Rati shows the common bonds
shared with Shakism and the other traditional paths despite the
efforts of many of the adherents of all the paths to claim
difference and superiority.

Could we have Chinnamasta featured sometime in the future?

OM

05-04-2002, 09:47 AM

Dear OmPrem:

You asked "Could we have Chinnamasta featured sometime in the future?"

Definitely, I think that's a great suggestion. I've actually been
hoping to set aside ten weeks later in the year -- one for each of
the Dasha Mahavidya. Taking them sequentially would enable us to
build a contextual understanding of these forms, and build upon them
through the weeks. In that way, we might also be better positioned to
satisfy Kallikaputri's suggestion about focusing each week's
discussion more strongly upon the chosen Goddess form.

Perhaps I'll create a poll to let the members speak for themselves.
Again, thanks for a truly excellent suggestion.

Aum Maatangyai Namahe

06-01-2002, 06:04 AM

OM Devi Bhakta

Thank you for posting the descriptions of the Mahavidyas.

The author, Nitin Kumar, offers two explanations of Chinnamasta
symbolism and seems to prefer the second where the Goddess
is charged by the sexual energy of the copulating couple on
whom She stands.

The first explanation, the author says, represents the Goddess
as rising above desire. Here, "she signifies self-control, believed
to be the hallmark of a successful yogi."

I would like to amplify the second explanation on why
Chinnamasta is significant for Yogis. Chinnamasta not only
represents self-control but more importantly freedom from
desire and the use of that sexual energy, Ojas, to fuel the
process of spiritual enlightenment. The chopped-off head and
the three streams of blood represent the altered state of
consciousness as the prana and apana of the ida and pingala
nadis unite to form kundalini in the sushumna nadi.

In his book, Tools for Tantra, Harish Johari, explains the
symbolism of Chinnamasta thusly,

" `Chinna' means `chopped off' and `masta' is `mastak', or
`head'. Chinnamasta is a goddess who has chopped off her
own head. The head is the seat of all the activities of the mind,
so with the cutting off of this head, the activities of mind - the
mental modifications (vrittis) - are stopped, which is the goal of
Yoga as defined by Patanjali in his `Yoga Sutras'.

"Chinnamasta is seen dancing the cosmic dance of destruction
(tandava, the famous dance of Shiva, who performs it to bring an
end to the phenomenal world). The phenomenal world is a
playground of worldly desires. The five sense organs, which are
agents of these desires, have their seat in the head, that is, the
brain. The choppped-off head symbolizes the cessation of these
five senses, which enhances the sixth sense, intuition, whose
seat is the sixth psychic center (ajna or agya chakra).

"The goddess is dancing with her two associate dakinis
(sub-shaktis), who are on her left and right side, and the dance
is performed on the body of Kama, the desire principle. Kama is
shown in communion with his wife, Rati, and Chinnamasta is
dancing on his spine. From her headless neck flow three
steams of fresh blood, which is being drunk by three heads. Two
heads of the two dakinis on the right and lief side and central
stream by her own head, which she holds in her left hand.

"In their left hands the two dakinis hold two chopped-off heads,
and in their right hands they hold a `khang' (a swordlike weapon,
broad at the end) smeared with blood. They are dancing with the
goddess and at the same time drinking her blood. Like Kali she
is naked and wears a garland of human skulls, and her tongue
is protruding. The total image has some affinity with that of Kali.
Kali is known as the fierce one, the Chandi, and Chinnamasta is
even fiercer than Kali and known as Prachand Chandi. `Shakta
Pramod' scripture says: `She is that Paratpara Shakti who is
Para Dakini named Bhagwati.' `Para' means beyond and
primordial.

"She is the shakti of Kabandh Shiva, the one who destroys the
phenomenal world at the time of `pralaya' (annihilation), the
shakti who is beyond even the primordial nature, `paraprakriti'.

"The three streams of blood coming from the neck represent the
three nadis, the ida, pingala, and sushumna. Her two attendants
drink ida and pingala, and she herself drinks sushumna. This
explains the loss of her head, the seat of the desires, located in
the first five chakras, which are up to the neck, and the head,
which is separate. The first five chakras are ruled by the brain
stem, the controller of basic instincts. The chopped-off head is
the seat of higher consciousness, the cerebral cortex and its two
hemispheres. The cosmic dance of destruction is performed on
the spine of Kama, the principle of desire, while he is in sexual
communion with his wife, Rati. In other words, Chinnamasta is
the shakti which takes her sadhak away from sensuous
involvement, grants him the upward flow of energy, complete
control over the sexual impulse and other primary impulses and
instincts. She is located in sushumna, which destroy
ingnorance. Only sushumna goes up to the cerebral cortex, the
seat of higher consciousness.

"Worship of Chinnamasta brings power of will and vision.While
meditating on her, one must see her dancing on one's own
spine and concentrate on her head drinking the middle stream
of blood coming out of her headless neck.

Johari is a bit repetitive and not entirely clear on why ida, pingala
and sushumna are important (for example, one would not drink
ida, pingala and sushumna but, instead would drink FROM them
the prana that flows through each), so perhaps an explanation
of their significance is in order. Every prayer and meditation
practice from every religion or spiritual practice utilizes the same
mechanism of ida, pingla, sushumna and taking kundalini
through the main chakras to reach the same God/Goddess. This
may be done consciously as in Yoga or unconsciously as in the
public face that religions present to the world.

There is a prana, a subtle energy, the flows through ida, the nadi
to the left of the sushumna, that is cool and tends to slows
mental and physical processes. It is called apana vayu and
moves downward. The prana that flows through the pingala nadi
to the right of the sushumna is hot and tends to speed up the
mental and physical processes.It is called prana vayu and
moves upward.When, through sadhana such as pranayama, the
directions of these energies is reversed such that the apana
vayu now flows upward and the prana vayu flows downward
toward each other, they meet at the Muladhara Chakra, unite and
form a new prana that is given the name Kundalini. It is
Kundalini that is taken up through the sushumna, to awaken
each of the main chakras, revealing ever more subtle spiritual
knowledge as each chakra is opened. Another way that this
process is expressed is that the prana in Pingala is called `Ha'
or `sun' and the prana in Ida is called `Tha' or `moon'. The union
or yoking of these two pranas is called Hatha Yoga.

Chinnamasta rises above the physical and has transcended
both desire and death because she has created Kundalini and
taken it to the Sahasrara Chakra. She is Kundalini personified.
Or, She is the sushumna through which Kundalini flows. Her
attendants are the constituents of Kundalini, Prana and Apana,
or Ha and Tha. Or, they are the pingala and ida through which
prana and apana flow. The attendents look to Chinnamasta for
food. Chinnamasta symbolically tells them to look within,
develop an appreciation of both prana and apana as spiritual
food as well as their usual function as regulators of the body and
mind.

Jaya Maa

Omprem

06-01-2002, 11:37 AM

ompremji, i just read your response to devi_bhakta's post on the
description of the iconography of chinnamasta (by nitin kumar)!

it is always interesting to read different perspectives on a subject
and therefore i was quite happy to see the explanation from the
perspective of a hatha yogi.(in terms of prana and apana )

but from the point of view of a bhakta, a severed head can also
represent a TOTAL SURRENDER OF the EGO-MIND! is not the ego most
difficult to conquer and the mind very hard to quiten with its
ceaseless chatter? so to me the severed head also represents a bhava
of total surrender - not just control of sexual desire for sex is
only one of the many desires...

in any case what is the whole purpose of creation? this is because
god wanted to enjoy the 'one as many' - is it not? that is why god
created maya.... so, the sex-energy also occupies an important part
in the cosmic energy cycle.

so, in my opinion worshipping chinnamasta can help us to conquer two
powerful desires one is the sex impulse and even more importantly the
ego-mind which is at the root of all misery and suffering...

so, we have to first cut the granthi (knot) of ego-mind before the
prana can flow through the nadis!

so, i am all for mastery of the senses ( the five jnanendriyas and
karmedriyas) but most importantly one must surrender the body, mind
and ego-self to the Divine eneergy! that is where bhakti takes
precedence over all other yogas....

maybe my interpretation is wide off the mark but i thougght i will
give it a try from a bhakta's persepective..

love

06-01-2002, 03:16 PM

OM Adi Shakti

Surrendering the ego-mind, adopting an attitude of surrender (or
non-attachment), are indeed required for prana to flow
unimpeded through the nadis and for the chakras to be
balanced both individually and in relation to each other. So, we
agree once again.

I was mostly writing about the process or mechanics of
enlightenment, while you are emphasizing the necessary
conditions for that process to occur.

OM Namah Sivaya/Jaya Maa

Omprem

06-01-2002, 05:03 PM

Re: Chinnamasta- the haed huntress

dear ompremji, thank you for the clarification. To me a 'head' always
represents a guna or a quality ( tamasic, rajasic, or even
satthwic) ' ... you know how we have all these phrases taht we keep
haering..

1) a swollen head (proud)

2) hot-headed (stubborn )

3) level-heade
etc etc...

so naturally whenver i hear about the slaying of the head i am
reminded ofthe demon king ravana and his ten heads.

ravana obtained his ten heads as a boon after worshipping his
isthadevata . the ten heads gave him intelligence , super strength
and of course arrogance and pride .

alternatively, the ten heads also represent

1) Kama (lust),
2)Krodha (anger),
3) Moha (delusion),
4) Lobha (Greed),
5)Mada (pride),
6)Maatsarya (Envy),
7) Manas (the mind),
8) Buddhi (intellect),
9)Chitta (Will)
10) and Ahamkara (the Ego)--these ten constitute the ten heads.

It is said that lord Ramachandra, inspite of all his best efforts s
couldn't kill Ravana as Goddess Kali was protecting him.
When one head of Ravana rolled down, it was replaced by new one! rama
was exhausted . he could not figure out how to slay the demon ravana.
at this point, he was advised by vibhisana, the younger brother of
Ravana, to propitiate the Mother Goddess durga for long seven days
with elaborate rituals and could please Her to withdraw support from
Ravana. When Her favour was withdrawn it became easy for Ramachandra
to kill Ravana through 'Brahmastra', the unfailing weapon.

Vibhishana remembered something about his brother -Ravana - that had
a great bearing on the outcome of war. He recalled how he once had
faintly overheard the weakness in the body of Ravana -- and that weak
spot was his umbilicus (middle abdominal region), not head, nor
heart, nor neck! If Rama could hit the arrowhead in that localized
spot, the life-sustaining nectar would spill and Ravana was sure to
die.Thus, armed with the special knowledge, Rama put an end to
Ravana's life with the arrow in his naval. (hitting below the belt) -
so even a sattwic purusha like lord rama had to employ a 'tamasic'
tatctic or technique to root out evil!

to cut a long story short, there is 'weakness' and strenth in any and
every part of the body- head, heart , hands , legs etc... it is up to
us how we use or abuse it!

jai ram sita ram!

love

01-02-2003, 10:14 PM

"to tell you that I read your article about Hatha Yoga and Shaktism
yesterday."

Oh! No! No! No! That article was not written by me but by one of our
respected member : Omprem, who is a Hatha Yoga specialist.

Om ParaShaktiye Namaha