12/21/13

DHUMAVATI : The Widow Goddess

DHUMAVATI : The Widow Goddess

MAA DHUMAVATI : The Widow Goddess This is the seventh of the Dasa Maha Vidyas. According to Thodala Tantara Maa DHUMAVATHI is the equivalent of Varaha Avatara. "Dhumavathi 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 along noose. She has the form of a widow. She rides in a chariot that has a banner on top decorated with a crow emblem. 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" David Kinsley Tantric visions of the Divine Feminine. The above translation of one of the Dhyana Slokas of MAA DHUMAVATI depicts her as Ugly to say the least. David Kinsley compares her to the Goddesses Jyeshta and Alakshmi. But there is a major difference in the MAA DHUMAVATI gives boons to the Upasakas. To understand the concept of MAA DHUMAVATI, we should look at the entire Dasa Maha Vidyas. The Dasa Maha Vidyas could be classified as under: Fearsome Goddesss representing pure power MAA KALI MAA TARA MAA TRIPURA BHIRAVI Beautiful Goddess with power MAA LALITHA TRIPURASUNDARI MAA BHUBANESHWARI Goddess representing specific Siddhis MAA BAGALAMUKHI MAA CHINNAMASTHA MAA MATHANGI Goddess who is pure beauty and kindness MAA KAMALATHMIKA Goddess who represents Ugliness
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12/21/13

DHUMAVATI : The Widow Goddess

MAA DHUMAVATHI The above classification is my own. Now why do we need an ugly goddess and what is the message behind her ugliness? I believe that the relationship between MAA and her Bhaktha is like the one between a six month old child and its mother. The child does not care whether the mother is beautiful, ugly, rich or poor. To enable an Upasaka to develop this attitude we have Goddesses who are beautiful and fearsome. But an Ugly goddess was also required to drive home the point that MAA has no physical appearance and she is MAA whether the depiction if Beautiful, Fearsome or Ugly. If I can perceive SMASANA KAALI with disheveled hair, garland of skull etc. dancing in the burning ghat as beautiful what is the problem in imagining and accepting MAA DHUMAVATHI. It is only a conditioning of the mind, which is able to perceive the truth behind mere appearance. In actual live don't the people who have ugly mother love them ? There are many ugly people in the world. Don't they make good mothers, good lovers, good husbands, and good wives? We have a general opinion that good-looking people are good and ugly looking people are bad. This is not true. I feel that MAA DHUMAVATHI was conceived to drive home the point that physical appearance is not the end all. The Gayatri for MAA DHUMAVATHI is Om Dhumavawatyai vidmahe, Samharinyai deemahi. Thanno Dhuma Praochadhayat Here it is seen that she is called destroyer of enemies ( samharinyai). Her Mantra is a very powerful mantra, which is used to destroy enemies. Her Mantra is Om, Dhoom, Dhoom, Dhumavathi Swaha !! There are many more restrictions on this mantra than any other mantra. MAA DHUMAVATHI mantra is associated with Tantrics who perform Prayoga. One of the religious magazines in Tamil had given this mantra for general worship of the public. Kinsley mentions a temple of MAA DHUMAVATHI in Varanasi. I have visited a temple of MAA DHUMAVATHI at Kamakhya ( Gowhati, Assam ). There is no image in the temple. All Dasa Maha Vidyas have separate temples at Kamakhya, which is considered to be the most holy place for all Sakthas. Jai MAA !!!

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