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Varahi Tantra (English Study)

by Roberta Pamio | 2014 | 29,726 words

This English essay studies the Varahi Tantra and introduces the reader to the literature and philosophy of the Shakta Tradition to which this text belongs. These Shakta Tantras are doctrines where the Mother Goddess is conceived as the Supreme deity who is immanent and transcendental at the same time. The Varahitantra (lit. the "Doctrine of th...

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Chapter 29 - The worship of 䲹ṇḍ

This chapter continues the exposition on ٳܰū, treating the worship of 䲹ṇḍ,[1] as it is discussed in the Du.Bh.T.[2]

Bhairava says that one should worship ٳܰ along with her manifestations on a lotus-shaped diagram by means of her nine-syllabled mantra. The nine 䲹ṇḍī are ܻṇḍ, ʰṇḍ, 䲹ṇḍDz, 䲹ṇḍ⾱, 䲹ṇḍ, 䲹ṇḍī, 䲹ṇḍū, Aticaṇḍā and ṇḍ. In the middle of the lotus is worshipped ṇḍ with her eighteen arms, and in the petals are worshipped the other 䲹ṇḍī, each with sixteen arms ṇḍ holds a ṭa첹, a ṇṭ, a mirror (岹ś), ٲᲹī ܻ, a dhanu, a banner (dhvaja), a ḍaū and a ś with the left hands, and a śپ, a tumbura, a śū, a vajra, a ḍg, an ṅkś, a ś, a cakra and a peg (ś) with her right arms The others 䲹ṇḍī hold the same weapons, except the ḍaū and ٲᲹī ܻ. ṇḍ is reddish, while the others eight goddesses are respectively black, blue, white, grey, yellow, yellowish and red. ṇḍ stands on a lion in īḍh pose[3] and holds Ѳṣāsܰ by the hair (1-8�).

First, one should first worship 䲹ṇḍ in the middle of the lotus; then the other 䲹ṇḍī on the ṇḍ of the Goddess starting from the east; thus the nine Goddesses starting with ⲹԳī; the weapons, the ornaments, the attendants and the vehicles of the Goddess; the Nine Planets and the ten directional guardians; Bhairava and 󲹾ī; and the Sixty-four ۴Dzī (.8"-25�).

In verses 25"-95� are described the Sixty-four ۴Dzī, which here are վᲹ, Ѳṅg, 󲹻, ٳṛt, ŚԳپ, Ś, ṣa, Siddhi, ʲ峾 ٱī, ճṣṭ, Umā, ʳṣṭ, Śrī, Ṛd, Rati, ī, Գپ, ۲ś, ṣmī, Īśī, ṛd, Śākri, 屹ī, ī, ⲹԳī, 貹ᾱ, , Բī, Diti, , Ѵdz󾱲ī, , , Ҳܰī, Śṇy, śī, Mati, ٳܰ, , Ghaṇṭā, ṇ�, ī, 鲹ܻī, ī, Ѳūī, ū, ܰū, 龱ܳ, , , ܰūᾱ, ղī, ܳī, հ岹ṇḍī, śī, ղṣṇī, Ѳṣmī, ī, [Kārtikī, śī], Śūī, Ś, 峾ṇḍ and 鲹ܻī.

It is said that the ū of the Sixty-four ۴Dzī gives the same results as does the Śivaū.

Then in verses 95"-118� are portrayed the eight ṛs, which are ṇ�, śī, ܳī, ղṣṇī, ī, Իṇ�, 峾ṇḍ and ī. It is said that the ṣṭṛk should be worshipped together with վⲹ첹 and īś. After the Eight ṛs, one should worship Bhairava, women, young maidens and 󲹳ṇa.

These ṣṭṛk are elsewhere[4] known as ī, śī, ܳī, ղṣṇī, ī, Իṇ�, 峾ṇḍ and Ѳṣmī: these are the Mothers of the Universe (Viśvamātara). In the 䲹ṇḍtantra they are called ṇ�, śī, ܳī, ղṣṇī, ī, ṃhī, Իī and Śūī. Their Bhairava is Pāṇḍunātha.

The chapter continues speaking of the weapons of the Goddess (vv.118"-127).

In verses 118"-119� it is said that the Goddess granted the boon to the demon Ѳṣa to be always worshipped together with her.

Verses 119"-121� tells of the weapons of Ѳṣāsܰmardinī, when she has ten arms; these are triśū, ḍg, ṇa, śپ, ṭa첹, , ś, ṅkś, ṇṭ and 貹ś.

In verses 121"-123� it is said that when the Goddess is portrayed with two arms, she carries ḍg and , or ś and śū, or dhanu and ṇa, or ṇṭ and cakra, or vajra and 岹ṇḍ.

Verses 123"-127 say that the weapons of the ten-armed Ѳṣāsܰmardinī are the 첹ṛk, mudgara (hammer), kunta (spear), (spade), ٲᲹīܻ, ḍaū, śپ, padma, abhayaܻ and 岹貹ṇa. The Goddess can be represented mounting on one or two lions, or sitting on a lotus. She is accompanied by the Sixty-four ۴Dzī or only by and վᲹ, and she is portrayed while in the act of combat.

Then it is spoken about kumārī ū (vv.128-137); in verse 128 it is said that the Goddess is not pleased by homa, Բ and japa, but rather by the worship of a young maiden.

Verses 138-180 explain the baliԲ.

Verses 181-185 speak about the importance of ṇām; in verse 184 it is said that the ī attains the results of all the sacrifices by just prostrating to the Goddess.

The chapter concludes with a hymn to ٳܰ (vv.186-199).

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

According to the Du.Bh.T., the 䲹ṇḍū should be made on ṣṭī and ī of the month of ĀśԲ.

[2]:

The twenty-ninth chapter includes pp.57-185 of the Du.Bh.T. (ṇaī: ṃv 2058).

[3]:

The īḍh pose is with the right knee advanced and and the left leg drawn back.

[4]:

The Du.Bh.T. says, in the ʲñٰ Tradition.

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