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Mantras and Vidyas - Godhead As Sound
Mantras and Vidyas - Godhead As Sound
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Below is the Matrika Chakra. This, says Ram Kumar Rai in his
excellent Encyclopaedia of Yoga, is to be drawn with saffron (kesara)
for Shakti worship and with ashes (bhasma) for Shiva worship. It contains
all the 51 matrikas and is used in the first of the ten rites to purify a mantra
(samskara) after it has been received from a guru. On the petals of the
© 1975-2018 All rights reserved. None of this yantra are the consonants while the vowels are in the eight spokes. In the
material may be reproduced, apart from purely centre is the syllable Hsauh while in the cardinal directions is the Bam bija
and in the intermediate directions the Tham bija mantra.
personal use, without the express permission of
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"By Mantra the sought for (Sadhya) Devata appears, and by Siddhi therein
is had vision of the three worlds. As the Mantra is in fact Devata, by
practice thereof this is known. Not merely do the rhythmical vibrations of
its sound regulate the unsteady vibrations of the sheaths of the
worshipper, but therefrom the image of the Devata appears." (op cit)
Mantras are masculine (solar), feminine (lunar) or neuter. A female mantra
is called a vidya, which means knowledge, while solar and neuter forms
are called mantras. Mantras are only such if they were first revealed by a
rishi or seer. Only then do they have life, according to the tradition. A
mantra can only work if it is received from a guru who has, herself or
himself, received it in an unbroken line from its first rishi. There are,
however, exceptions to this, according to some tantras which prescribe
methods of purification for mantras received in dream. And, according
to Mahachinachara, the Kali mantra does not rely on the very elaborate
rules usually found in the Tantras.
In describing mantras, the different tantrik texts always give their origin or
rishi as well as the metre to pronounce them. While a mantra is divinity in
sound form, a yantra is the same in geometrical form and an image the
devata in gross form. Refer also to the page on Tattvas on the relationship
between the consonants and the 36 tattvas.
Bija Mantras
The word Bija means a seed and describes a mantra which is usually of
one syllable. There are many tantrik 'dictionaries' of the matrikas which
indicate their significance as well as the meaning of the bija or seed
mantras. This section below draws information from
the Bhutadamara (BD); the Varnanighantu (VN), alleged to be part of
the Rudrayamala; and the Uddharakosha (UK), ascribed to
Dakshinamurti. Longer mantras are often formed from a concatenation of
these bijas. The table below is not exhaustive, there are many more bijas.
Hum with the long letter 'u' is called the Kurcha bija and is the mantra of
the Mother worshipped by heroes (viras). The Bhutadamara also
describes it as the mantra of Mahakala. Aim is called Vagbhava bija and is
the syllable of Sarasvati, according to the BD. Phat is the bija of the great
fire at the end of time (Pralayagnirmahajvala).
Krom is called the Krodhisha bija. Svaha, otherwise known as Thah Thah,
is Vahnijaya, representing the fire sacrifice.
Klim is the deluder of the three worlds bija, also known as Kama or
Manmatha, the Hindu god of love, often identified with Krishna. It is the
sexual desire bija, says the BD. Hum (with the short letter 'u') is called
the Kavacha or armour bija. It is the bija of Chandabhairavi. Hraim is the
bija which destroys great sins (mahapataka), and is the light mantra. Drim
is called the great Kinkini (small bell) bija, says the Bhutadamara.
Klrim Svaha is called the bija which causes things to tremble. It is the
Manohari and ends in Thah Thah (Svaha, see above). The mantra Prim is
the crow bija, used in works of Indrajala (magic). The UK describes this
bija as the Vagura. Tham Tham Thah Thah are the bijas in the worship of
the greatly alluring Chandika, says the BD. Sphrim is the bija of the
uncanny Dhumrabhairavi (smoky Bhairavi), also known as Phetkarini.
The bija Hrum (with long letter 'u') is the single syllable mantra of Kalaratri,
the great night of time. The same bija, but with a short letter 'u', is the
mantra of Vaivasvata.
Hskphrem, says the BD, is the bija mantra of Ananda Bhairava in the form
of one's own guru.
Artwork is © Jan Bailey, 1996-2018. Translations are © Mike Magee 1996-2018. Questions or
comments to [email protected]