DEVI CHHINNAMASTA

INTRODUCTION

Chinnamasta is the Hindu Goddess of transformation. She is one of the Mahavidyas, the wisdom
Goddesses, and is probably the most terrifying of them. She is depicted holding her own head, which she
has just cut off.

ORIGIN

Stories of her origin vary, but one relates that Parvati was bathing with two attendants, Jaya and Vijaya,
when the attendants asked the Goddess to satisfy their hunger. After putting them off several times,
Parvati looked all around and then cut off her own head. Three streams of blood came from her neck—
one went to the mouth of Jaya, one to the mouth of Vijaya, and the last to the mouth of Parvati herself. At
this point, Parvati is transformed into the Goddess Chinnamasta, whose name literally means “severed
head.” When they were satisfied, she put her head back on, became Parvati again, and went home. In
other versions, the attendants are named Dakini and Varnini, and Chinnamasta is standing on a couple
in the middle of having sex. The couple is Rati, Goddess of sexual desire, and her husband Kama, God of
love and sex.

DEPICTION

1. Chinnamasta is depicted as a girl of sixteen years adorned with garland of skulls and necklaces of
bones. She wears on her naked body a serpent as the sacred thread (yajnopavita) and she has full
breasts covered by lotus flowers and strings of beads. but the most gruesome aspect of her is that she
has cutoff her own head with a sword and holds in her hands the severed head as also the sword. The
blood gushing out of her decapitated head sprouts in three jets. The central Jet streams into the mouth of
her own head , usually held in her left hand, while the other two jets fall into the mouths of her two
companions Dakini and Varnini - standing on her either side.

2. She stands against the backdrop of thunder and lightning with her head in hand. She is not dead but is
said to be in a state of amanaska, free from human follies, distractions and sensations of pain etc. The
beheaded -head of Chinnamasta is shown ecstatically drinking the central stream of blood flowing out of
her headless trunk.

It displays three eyes wide open in joy and a lovely face lit up with a beatific smile. The hair on the head
is disheveled and adorned with fragrant flowers. The more amazing sight is that headless naked trunk of
Chinnamasta is standing upon a handsome couple engaged in sex in the viparita-maithuna posture (the
female on top of her male partner)stretched over a lotus flower. The scene of the activity is a cremation
ground set against the background of hills, river, flowers amidst thunder and lightning. The loving
couple in each others arms, engrossed in sex and blissfully unaware of anything outside their act, are
identified & Kama or Manamatha the god of desire (like eros) and his companion Rati the very act of sex.

3. There are also depictions where Chinnamasta is riding over a supine Shiva. A couple of Jackals watch
the scene with little interest. Chinnamasta is described as a goddess red as hibiscus flower, bright as the
rising sun. She is usually pictured in red and sometimes in blue. There are also depictions of her with
four arms and without the couple engaged in sex. The head is decorated with a well crafted diadem, as
also ear and nose rings.

Chinnamasta, in a single frame, makes a stunning presentation of varying and conflicting aspects of life
and death; of self destruction while nourishing others;of death by violence and enjoyable sex; of gory
violence spilling blood and smiling blissful face; death and destruction placed next to creation; of the joy
of transcending the body and not the pain of losing it; and of giving up the ego to attain wisdom. It
combines in itself the elements of heroism(vira), terror (bhayanaka) and eroticism (srungara) and
portrays, in its own manner, a composite picture of life where all life events become intrinsic parts of
unified scheme. It enfolds the entire multiplicity of life. Chinnamasta in her energetic form shows the
power of transformation in action.

Taken all together, the symbolism in Chinnamasta’s depiction represents the transcendence of the body.
Standing on the couple having sex, she has mastered the physical body, and then by cutting off her head
she frees the mind. Her happy face shows the joy that she feels in bringing together life, sex, and death—
three forms of transformation, three parts of the cycle.

HER EFFECTS THROUGH RAHU

 Accidents, snake bites, thefts, robberies, attacks, treachery etc unexpected suddent events are due
to her effect through Rahu.
 Rahu has heavily influenced middle-east and european cultures and their religious practices.
 Languages like Arabic, Urdu, which are written and read from right to left are due to its effect.
 Overnight stardom, fame and money and sudden loss of everything is also due to its effect.
 Jail life, foreign travel, business in foreign countries, income in foreign currencies, herbal cure,
preparing medicines etc is under her control through Rahu.

PROFESSIONS CONTROLLED BY HER

Doctors, Surgeons, chemists (especially organic chemistry), geologists, fisheries, plastic, fiber technology,
tyres, rubber, Tar, molasses, alchohol, liquid gas, refined petrol, freezers, refrigirators, cold storages,
engines, electrical appliances, tanning technology, speculations, gambling, share brokers etc controlled
by her power.

WORSHIP

Chinnamasta belongs to Kali-Kula the family of kali. she is visualized as residing in a red Sun orb (Surya
Mandala) in all her glory. Given her fierce form , her worship rituals follow the tantric Vama-marga the
left-handed path involving Pancha-Makaaras the five Ms of Madya (liquor), Mamasa (meat), Matsya
(fish), Mudra (hallucinating substance) and Maithuna (sex). The worship is carried out in the dead of the
night in the cremation grounds.

Because of her ferocious nature and the dangers following improper worship, it is said, only the brave
ones (vira) should dare venture her worship through vama-marga. Tantrics aspiring for siddhis (magical
powers) or victory over rivals by casting spells or by causing harm usually take up these extreme rituals.
It is said, in the olden times the soldiers were initialed into the Chinnamasta cult to enable them gain
self-control and to imbibe in them the spirit of self-sacrifice and the courage to face death without fear.
Chinnamasta in this context is invoked as Ranjaitri (victorious in war) and celebrated as for her prowess
in battles.

As regards the householders, they are cautioned and advised to contemplate on Chinnamasta only in her
abstract esoteric form without being distracted by her fierce iconography. Her worship through softer
methods is said to yield: health; wealth; freedom from fear; ability to influence family, friends, women,
enemies, and rulers; and liberation.

SEXUALITY

There are two contrasting interpretations of Chhinnamasta with regard to sexual desire. The image of
Chhinnamasta standing on a copulating couple of Kamadeva (literally, "sexual desire") and Rati ("sexual
intercourse") is interpreted by some scholars as a symbol of a person's control over sexual desire, while
others interpret the goddess as being the embodiment of sexual energy.

Her names, such as Yogini and Madanatura ("one who has control of Kama"), convey her yogic control
over sexual energy.

Her triumphant stance trampling the love-deity couple denotes victory over desire and samsara (the
cycle of birth, death, and rebirth).

Images in which Chhinnamasta is depicted sitting on Kamadeva-Rati in a non-suppressive fashion

suggest that the couple is giving sexual energy to the goddess. Images where Shiva is depicted in coitus
with Chhinnamasta are associated with this interpretation. Chhinnamasta's names like Kameshwari
("Goddess of desire") and Ratiragavivriddhini ("one who is engrossed in the realm of Rati – [copulation
or sexual desire]") and the appearance of Klim – the common seed syllable of Kamadeva and Krishna –
in her mantra support this interpretation.

Her lolling tongue also denotes Sexual Hunger.

YONI TANTRA

The Yoni Tantra is a religious text from Bengal (11th century or earlier) mainly concerned with
describing the Yoni Puja, or "Mass of the Vulva"; one of the secret and esoteric Tantric rituals dedicated
to creating - and consuming - the sacred fluid which is called yonitattva.

According to this text, sexual union (maithuna) is an indispensable part of Tantric ritual and may be
performed by and with women between the age of twelve and sixty years, married or not, except for a
girl not yet menstruating . The text specifies nine types of women (navakanya) who may perform sexual
rituals, yet explicitly forbids an incestuous mother / son constellation.

In general, however, this Tantra does not impose many restrictions on the practitioner (sadhaka) who is
dedicated to the Yoni Puja. It advocates use of the five makara and leaves the choice of partner, place
and time very much up to the practitioner. Nevertheless, the male sadhaka is explicitly admonished
"never to ridicule a yoni" and to treat all women well and never to be offensive toward them.