Greatest Mahāvidyā Ritual of all times: Chittor Johar & Sacrifice at the feet of Mahākāli K. Chandra Hari
¨ÉÉiɦÉê®úʴɦÉpùEòÉʳýÊ´ÉVɪÉää ´ÉÉ®úÉʽþ Ê´É·ÉɸɪÉä* ¸ÉÒÊ´Étä ºÉ¨ÉªÉä ¨É½äþ榃 ¤ÉMɱÉä EòɨÉä榃 ´ÉɨÉä ®ú¨Éä** ¨ÉÉiÉÆÊMÉ ÊjÉ{ÉÖ®äú {É®úÉi{É®úiÉ®äú º´ÉMÉÉÇ{É´ÉMÉÇ|Énäù* nùɺÉÉä½Æþ ¶É®úhÉÉMÉiÉ& Eò¯ûhɪÉÉ Ê´É·É·É®úÒ jÉÉʽþ ¨ÉÉÆ** 1. Introduction Chittorgarh, the capital of Mewar had been the pride of Rajasthan and today it stands as a monument of the ideals of honor, heroism and sacrifice. Rajputs or the Bhils baptized as Agnikula-kshatriyas gave expression of their fiery spirit and showed themselves to be the invincible sons of the unvanquished, Aparājitā – the Great Mother Mahākāli. Many websites give accounts of the Rajput history and the saga of Johar by maidens and ladies and the supreme sacrifice of the saffron clad men who upheld the indomitable spirit of the Great Mother as the Unvaquished’ – the splendorous queen of the Absolute1. The fervor with which she is worshipped is unparallel from Mātābāri2 in the north-east to Kanyākumāri in the extreme south and she has become known in different names but her signature had been the same, miracles small and big all along the path of seekers. Present article is an attempt to throw some light on the spiritual dimensions of the sacrifices by women and men alike during 23-24-25 February 1568 AD at the culmination of the attack by Akbar. It is history and annals of history are opened only to feel proud of the ancestry and heritage and most of the historical events are political in character, I mean, opportunistic decisions to addres the time and circumstances. There cannot be anything spiritual in politics that is familiar to us but when we look at the Chittorgarh episode of 1568 AD – one is bewildered by the scale of the sacrifice 13000 women and children emulating Sati to preserve the honor as their men decides to take refuge at the feet of the Great Mother, Mahākāli, in a spree of deaths to the enemy seeking transcendence of the delusive game of life. Web resources put the death toll 1
Parabrahma-Mahishi as described in verse 97 of Saundaryalahari: Girāmāhurdevi...Mahāmāyā visvam bhramayasi Parabrahma-Mahishi 2 Mātābāri: Abode of Dakshina Kali at Udaipur, Agartala 1
of the men at 32,000 which may include the 8000 warriors to make the total exceed 51000 – thousand each for the 51 letters of her bewildering script of destiny and delusion described in philosophy as Māyā. It is uncertainly unnatural to set out in quest for some deeper meaning to what may be perceived as one of the many bizarre historical events produced by special circumstances of shared beliefs and faith – a strange social paradigm – causing a grave tragedy. There can be far more severe holocausts in the annals of world history and thus the effort to credit any special significance to one such event may look as if a naive, irrational and irrelevant approach to history. It is deemed fit therefore at the outset to clarify that the discussion is exclusively on the lines of śākta consciousness with which the Bhils, one of the Nāga tribes, had been ever willing to lay down their lives for the sake of honor and freedom. Sacrifice arose out of unflinching faith in Mahākāli and the conviction that the life and death happens at her feet. It is being told in some websites that the children and women took their leap to the flames supported by opium – nothing can be far from truth. It may be true in few cases but Johar had been an act of faith, emulation of Sati, the culmination of the worship of Mahākāli in stages through which the mind, intellect and ego are transcended in the same way as the men heroically embraced death subsequently. It may be worth mentioning here that the Bhils traditionally had been worshippers of Māhāvidyā and the remnants can be seen even today – to mention a few where she is splendorous even today – at the Mandor Gardens in the worship of Gauri Bhairavi and the major shrines of Tripurasundari at the Jodhpur Fort and Baswada. Some people may be inclined to feel a difference between the Rajputs and the Bhils. As far as the present author is concerned any such difference can only be ornamental as the kingdom of Mewar and Chitor originally belonged to the Bhils and the name Rajput meant their submission to Brahminism and Vedic tradition. Perhaps the wrath of Mahākāli that Chitorgarh experienced may have its roots in the departure from śākta tradition.
2. Approach to Johar – demand of the inevitable sacrifice by Time A bizarre event like Johar commands different interpretations from social scientists, philosophers, historians, psychologists and parapsychologists. But in the ultimate analysis, there shall be no other factor or agent except the time and destiny to own up the event. Time and destiny obviously imply the command of Mahākāli herself for otherwise there had been no reasons for those who sacrificed themselves for not emulating Rānā Uday Singh who escaped to the southern forests. Unless supported by their faith and their Goddess, no clan could have awaited death within the walls from 20 October 1567 23 February 1568 AD. Wikipedia gives the following account: 2
In September 1567, the emperor (Akbar) left for Chittor, and on October 20, 1567, camped in the vast plains outside the fort. In the meantime, Rana Udai Singh, on the advice of his council of advisors, decided to go away from Chittor to the hills of Udaipur. Jaimal and Patta, two brave army chieftains of Mewar, were left behind to defend the fort along with 8,000 Rajput warriors under their command. Akbar laid siege to the fortress. The Rajput army fought valiantly and Akbar himself had narrowly escaped death. In this grave situation, Akbar had prayed for divine help for achieving victory and vowed to visit the shrine of the sufi saint Khwaja at Ajmer. The battle continued till February 23, 1568. On that day Jaymal was seriously wounded but he continued to fight with support from Patta. Jayamal ordered jauhar to be performed when many beautiful princesses of Mewar and noble matrons committed self-immolation at the funeral pyre. Next day the gates of the fort were opened and Rajput soldiers rushed out bravely to fight the enemies. Jayamal and Patta who fought bravely were at last killed in action. One figure estimates that 30,000 soldiers were killed in action. Akbar, on entering the fort, ordered a general carnage. Akbar immediately repaired himself to Ajmer to perform his religious vow
Another account gives more poignant details: Near Bhairon Pol, is a cenotaph or "Chattri" in honour of the chivalrous jaimal and his cousin Kala, who laid down their lives whilst defending Chittorgarh against the Mughals. Jaimal who was carried seriously wounded, but was not ready to die in his bed, thus he was carried into battle on the shoulders of his cousin Kala, both of them died while showing exemplary courage. At Rampol is a memorial to Phatta, who was only 16 years old and had just been married, his father has already died defending Chittorgarh and was sent into the battle by his mother. To free her son from any affection towards home, she herself picked up a sword along with his bride and jumped into the battle field both of them died in front of Phatta. Next day the women folk of the palace ended their lives by committing Johar. Phatta leading the safron robed men from the front thundered down like lightening from the mighty fortress to die fighting.3
These accounts are illustrative of the heroic sacrifices inspired by the faith in Mahākāli and the use of opium could have been there only as an exception. The event diary of the great sacrifice may be culled out from the web resources as given below: •
20 October 1567 AD (Julian date)
Siege begins
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23 February 1567
Jaymal wounded and Johar ordered
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24 February 1567
Gates opened for final war
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25 February 1567
Sivarātri after the blood bath
3. Astronomical Calendar and Mahākāli Time is the greatest mystery of existence. The delusive queen of the absolute had expressed herself in her devotees to reverse engineer the name Mahākāli to herself. She has her abode upon the wheel of time – Kāla is her abode and hence she is Kāli. In the delusive realm of her own māyā, she runs her school to impart Vidyā, taking ten different forms which have come to be described collectively as Mahāvidyā. If she had been at the receving end of the great sacrificial ritual – the blood bath for which she had lighted up the 3
http://chittorgarh.nic.in/history2.html 3
eyes of the invader with the visions of Chitorgarh – her signature must be apparent on the wheel of time or the astronomical calendar of the period. Modern science may deny the existence of any such fifth force as Mahākāli of time but the whole of Indian heritage attests her presence in myriad ways as accounted by the siddhas over the millenniums since the glorious days of Harappa. She had been enthralling the sākta heroes by enabling them to steer across her magic and transcend the māyā like valiant fighters and the earthly death had been only a rehearsal for the spiritual surrender of mind, intellect and ego – the triad of faculties on which prārabdha pedals its course. Sākta scriptures extoll her as:
MÉhÉä¶É-Oɽþ-xÉIÉjÉ ªÉÉäÊMÉxÉÓ ®úÉʶɰüÊ{ÉhÉÓ * näù´ÉÓ ¨ÉxjɨɪÉÓ xÉÉè欃 ¨ÉÉiÉÞEòÉ{ÉÒ`ö°üÊ{ÉhÉÓ** This verse is not that simple as it is apparent. Ludicrous translations and interpretations are available on the web. The true meaning as understood in the siddha tradition is: Ganesa is the lord of Kāmarūpa, Siva himself and his Yogini alone enlivens the grahas and nakshatras with her transformation as the rāśis i.e. the rāhu_śikhi chakram of 300 divisions caled ‘rāśis’. She is the inherent potential of the spells and the acoustic pyramid that sustains the Universe. Without her presence, Siva is Sava and then what to speak of the wheel of nodes over which she manifests as the Bhujangi – the Kālakundali or Kālikā.
ªÉÉ Ê´ÉtÉ Ê¶É´É-Eäò¶É´ÉÉÊnù VÉxÉxÉÒ ªÉÉ ´Éè VÉMÉx¨ÉÉäʽþxÉÒ* ªÉÉ ¥ÉÀÉÊnùÊ{É{ÉÒʱÉEòÉxiÉ-VÉMÉnùÉxÉxnèùEò ºÉxnùÉʪÉxÉÒ** ªÉÉ {É\SÉ|ÉhÉ´É-Êuù®äú¡ò-xÉʳýxÉÒ ªÉÉ ÊSÉiEò±ÉɨÉÉʱÉxÉÒ* ºÉÉ {ÉɪÉɱÉ {É®únäù´ÉiÉÉ ¦ÉMÉ´ÉiÉÒ ¸ÉÒ®úÉVÉ®úÉVÉä·É®úÒ** When such is her role in empowering time for creation and dissolution, how can the greatest of sacrifice in her name happen without expressing herself in the nine-letter script upon her serpentine wheel? Bhils had her splendorous presence realized as
¦É´ÉÉÊxÉ i´ÉÉÆ ´Éxnäù ¦É´É¨ÉʽþʹÉ& ºÉÎSSÉiºÉÖJÉ´É{ÉÖ&* {É®úÉEòÉ®úÉÆ näù´ÉҨɨÉÞiɱɽþ®úÓ ¤Éèxnù´ÉEò±ÉÉÆ** ¨É½þÉEòɱÉÉiÉÒiÉÉÆ EòʱÉiɺɮúhÉÓ Eòα{ÉiÉiÉxÉÖÆ* ºÉÖvÉÉʺÉxvÉÉä®úxiÉ´ÉǺÉÊiɨÉÊxɶÉÆ näù´ÉÓ ´Éɺɮú¨ÉªÉÓ** She is beyond the Mahākāla, dictates the divisions of time, the whole Universe is her evolute and she alone is the path of transcendence with her forms for games such as Mahāvidyā...(kalpita-tanu). Further, as is well known, she is sūryachandrāgnirūpā and the 16 kalās of full moon make her shodaśī, she is parā and amā, and the agni spoken as her eyes make up the 12 Jyotirlingas which mark out the 12 rāśis of her heavenly serpentine form. Sun, Moon and the 4
12 rāsi-sandhis make up the three nādis of her omnipresence in the bio-cosmic, micro and macrocosmic integrated whole. These conceptions are basic to the śākta tradition and find repeated expressions in texts like Subhagodaya, Saundaryalahari, Nityashodaśikārnava etc. Only controversial issue is the demarcation of 12 rāśis – experience of the sun, moon and agni by the siddhas and the mathematics prescribed to compute the times of the 12 transits of Siva_svara, the breath extolled in the Upanishads as Prānasūrya. The 12 Jyotirlingas that mark out the rāśis in the sky have their earthly abodes in places like Ujjayini which is the seat of Mahākāla or Mūlachandīsvara, the Jyotirlinga corresponding to Dhanu or Mūlasamkrama4. Given such correspondence between the astronomical entities like sun, moon and the rāśis, it is easy to realize that the humkārarūpinī expresses her self in the mightiest delight when the three nadis of her humkāra gets united i.e. when the newmoon falls precisely over the 12 Jyotirlingas on the celestial wheel of nodes, rāhu-śikhi chakram, the force which we may describe as humkāra had its peaks. What can be special about 1567 and 1568 AD in astronomical terms given the śākta notions on Jyotischakram? (All dates are as per the Julian Calendar) •
Tulā samkrama 02 October 1567, 2135 IST had sun 000 Tula 00’ and moon 010Tula35’ The new moon had been at 29053’ Kanyā = sun = moon at 02 October 1567, 18:43 IST. Sun was only 7 kalas away from the Kanyā-Tulā junction point. This is a remarkable coincidence of sun, moon and agni which may have made the humkārarūpini awakened in her fierce form ‘clad in black, eyes turned fiery and red, face in anger seeking the blood bath...’. It was also a day of total solar eclipse visible in the southern hemisphere but not visible at Chitorgarh. The nodes were very close to sun and moon.
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Vrschika samkrama 1 November 1567, 20:25 IST, sun 00000’ & moon 06044’. New moon corresponded to 29027’Tula = sun = moon (at 07:22 IST).
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Dhanu samkrama 1 December 1567, 10:20 IST. Sun 00000’ & moon 05042’. New moon corresponded to 29030’ Vrschika = sun = moon (at 22:39 IST).
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Makara samkrama 30 December 1567, 20:46 IST. Sun 00000’ & moon 02011’. New moon corresponded to 29048’ Vrschika = sun = moon (30 December at 16:04 IST). Sun and moon had been approaching closer and closer to the junction points where the humkāra had its peak.
4
The Jyotirlinga that marks the equator on the microcosmic universe is the one at Ramesvaram as can be understood from the legends related to Lanka, the point corresponding to celestial equator. 5
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Kumbha samkrama 29 January 1568, 09:56 IST. Sun 00000’ Kumbha & moon 29037’ Makara. New moon corresponded to 00002’ Kumbha = sun = moon (29 January at 10:46 IST). Sun and moon had precisely coincided the rāśi 0 when the right ayanāmśa is used. Transit and the newmoon differed only by 1 hour.
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Meena samkrama 28 Feb 1568, 07:25 IST. Sun 00000’ Meena & moon 00054’ Meena.Newmoon was at 05:27 IST on 28 Feb 1568 AD i.e. differed by just 2 hours from the moment of transit.
It is apparent from the above that the newmoons and solar transits across rāśis show a specific pattern in which the newmoon coincided the solar transit corresponding to the illfated month of Kumbha. Similar phenomenon had occurred when the siege began in the month of Tula and the siege had extended over a period of 124 days to have a tragic end to the Bhils at Chitor before the night of Sivarātri.
Planetary Positions on the day of Johar Planetary positions on 23 February 1568, the day of Johar and the Sivarātri after 2 nights had a significant repetition in 2005 with the new moon falling precisely degree-mins to the sun in upper transit on the day of Johar while the nodes also crossed from Mesha to Meena. Ketu 28:30
Ketu 28:23
Sun 25:15 23 Feb 1568, Merc Noon
Sun 27:xx Moon Merc
Mars
Venus Moon
Rahu ≈1.0 True≈0 Mars 25/26 February Sivarātri
Venus Jup
Rahu Sat
Jup
Rahu Sat (R)
Sat 25:25
Sun 25:15 10 March 2005 Moon New moon that 25:15 followed Sivaratri
Ketu
Arrival of this write up in the hands of the śāktas in 2012 can be explained using the rationale of Kunda-ganita employed in horoscope rectification. 360/81=4.4444 is a magical number of the destiny’s Pandora’s box. When the diurnal sphere or the wheel of nodes in the Prānamaya kośa rotates by 4.444 degrees, the Kunda sphere rotates by 360 degree in the Manomaya kosa. 360/81 = 4.4444: 36000/81 = 444.444 The year 1568 and 2012 are related through this magical number as 2012-1568 = 444.444. Further, it can be noticed that the 444.44 years from the day of Johar i.e. 23 Feb 1568 AD +444.44 years takes us to 17 August 2012 noon when sun is in transit to Simha at 00 while 6
Moon is in the 26th degree which had caused the sacrifice. If the newmoon is examined, it falls very close to 00 Simha at 000:23’. Newmoon and the transit differed only 1/3rd of a day. 23-25 February 1568 AD marked the solar transit from 26th degree to 28th degree with the sacrifice of the 8000 warriors on 24 February 1568 AD while sun transited the 27th degree. Simha newmoon of the 1st degree is followed by – • • • • • • • •
Newmoon at 28-51 Simha Newmoon at 27-47 Kanyā Newmoon at 27-10 Tula Newmoon at 26-59 Vrschika Newmoon at 27-00 Dhanu Newmoon at 26-57 Makara Newmoon at 26-38 Kumbha – after the Mahā Sivarātri of 2013 Newmoon at 25-54 Meenam
These planetary phenomena are the culmination of a series triggered by the Sivarātri of 2005 and ending with its impact on the 26-27 degrees with the Kumbha-Sivaratri of 2013. Sivaratri of 2012 had no special significance when considered in isolation but the Mahāsivarātri of 2013 shall have great significance. It is pertinet to note that the events cannot be taken in isolation to pass a verdict as the description attempted in mathematical and astronomical terms is that of an experience of the integrated whole of microcosm and macrocosm which may be found formulated by the siddha tradition in terms of the Mahāvidyās.
4. Fifth Force Underlying the Bio-Cosmic Integrated Whole The “solar transit – new moon” configuration as described above during the siege of Chitorgarh which ended in the greatest of all sacrifices in the name of Mahākāli point towards the existence and astronomical expression of a subtle force about which the siddhas had spoken of since pre-historic times. It may be noted here that – (a) Computation of the solar transit has to be as per the specific geometry recommended by the siddhas for the luni-solar rhythm i.e. sidereal zodiac with the star Mūlā (λ-Scorpii) as fiducial. (b) Mūlā (λ-Scorpii) gets extolled in scriptures as the nakshatra of Mahākāli and Durgāshtami celebrations had its origin based on the coincidence of Bhādrapada shukla (8) with Mūla nakshatra. (c) Mathematical structure employed is based on the 21600 arc minute division of the ecliptic or the wheel of nodes (rāhu-śikhi chakram) based on the number of human 7
breaths during a diurnal rotation of earth vis-a-vis a subtle time structure of breathing experienced by the siddhas. (d) Astrological canons employed in India, further, speak of a mathematical structure implicit in the sequence of human births vis-a-vis a mathematical pattern of destiny. The Kunda chakra or the rāśi chakra spinning 81 times in a day is used to define a pattern of human destiny as 81x Ascendant = Moon ± 1200. This in turn translates into 81x360x60 minutes of arc rotation of earth in a day and is equal to 2187x800’ or 2187 nakshatras of 800 minutes corresponding to 2187 destiny patterns possible in a day. 800 minutes of arc on Kunda chakra becomes 800/81 = 9.87654321 minutes on the diurnal rotation. Thus it emerges that the decimal system of numbers and the sexagesimal notation used to index the wheel of nodes had their origin in the experience of a subtle force by the siddhas. (e) In other words, the pre-historic mathematical structures – the decimal system and the sexagesimal divisions of the ecliptic and time based on the number of breaths – point towards the existence of a corresponding physical phenomena out of which it has been derived. In the case of Jyotihsastra, the underlying physical phenomenon had been the bio-cosmic tie up or the integrated existence of microcosm and macrocosm as ‘Universe’ – the modern term had its origin in the siddha tradition. (f) Thus the siddha construction of time as the wheel of nodes and the underlying mathematical strutures render evidence towards the existence of a fifth force in nature which is more subtle than the four known physical forces of modern Physics. Further the methods of modern science may prove to be incompatible and insufficient to detect and account for this force which becomes apparent only in the siddha mode of exploration of the subtle Universe.
5. Mahāvidyās – Ten Forms of the Mahākāli Not only the Bhils, the martial tribes of the Nāga race as a whole had been following matriarchal customs and the warriors rejoiced in the self-sacrifice as if a return to the Mother’s feet. Birth and death meant simply a change of Mother, from the original to the proxy and back to the original. Johar and the self-sacrifice that followed during 23-25 February 1568 AD as such had been in spirit the greatest ritual sacrifice ever conducted at the feet of the Mother. Jaymal had ordered the Johar and what Bhavani may have given in return is a million $ question that may appear before a śākta when his mind becomes active. Uninhibited curiosity is not allowed for the śāktas and as the supreme Guru, she keeps all answers to herself. During the author’s visit to Chitor last year (Jan 2011) the guide spoke of Johar poignantly – three wells filled up with sandalwood and ghee lighted up and the queen takes the lead while the warriors drug the less inspired to enable them for the act... this is the only account that has escaped. Little is known about the rituals that precede the 8
sacrifice. They were human beings endowed with the same emotional, intellectual and mental apparatus as others and the wind up of emotions & zest for life is not achieved easily. Given the martial and the śākta background, every self sacrifice demands the realization of Chinnamasta – the 6th of the 10 Mahāvidyās known in the tradition.
Vīra Vrtam and Chinnamasta Nāga tradition depicts the emotional inner being of the warriors as Bhārgavi – the transient or fleeting or the freak mind that serves bhogasiddhi – purānic legends describe her as the mother of Bhārgava Parasurāma – the most ferocious warrior wielding the axe that the earth has seen. Bhārgavi is Bhuvaneśvari, Mahāvidyā who sustains human life and legends ascribe her such names as Renukā. Bhārgava is Sukra or Venus as well and therefore Bhārgavi is the feminine expression of Venus – lustrous manifold of the emotional existence floating over the intelligence. Renukā or Bhārgavi had been the Mahāvidyā sought under the paradigm in which the Devadāsi system got instituted and even today remnants of such practices can be seen in the state of Karnātaka. Seldom man enjoys control over emotions and attachments and the Vīravrta consisting in achieving the realization of Bhāragavi Bhuvaneśvari as Chinnamasta – Mahāvidyā that makes the warrior and his families transcend the emotional bonds to attain her feet. The following description of Bhārgavi given in a tāntrik text may be of interest to the śāktas:
+·ÉÉ°üføÉ Eò®úÉOÉèxÉÇ´ÉEòxÉEò¨ÉªÉÓ ´ÉäjɪÉϹ]õ nùvÉÉxÉÉ nùIÉäƒxªÉäxÉÉxɪÉxiÉÒ º¡ÖòÊ®úiÉiÉxÉÖ±ÉiÉÉÆ {ÉɶɤÉrùÉÆ º´ÉºÉÉvªÉɨÉÂ* näù´ÉÒ ÊxÉiªÉÉ |ɺÉzÉÉxÉxÉ ¶É¶ÉvÉ®úˤɤÉÉ ÊjÉhÉäjÉÉʦɮúɨÉÉ nùtÉnùÉtÉxÉ´ÉtÉ |É´É®úºÉÖJÉ¡ò±É|ÉÉÎ{iÉ¿tÉÆ Ê¸ÉªÉÆ ´É&** She is on lead in bhoga with the three nādis lighted up by the moon and seated on horseback... Alternate description as Jaganmohini is:
®úHòɨɷÉÉÊvÉ°üføÉÆ xÉ´ÉEòxÉEò¨ÉªÉÓ ´ÉäjɪÉϹ]õ nùvÉÉxÉÉÆ {ÉɶÉäxÉɤÉvªÉ ºÉÉvªÉÉÆ º¨É®ú¶É®úʴɴɶÉÉÆ nùÊIÉhÉäxÉÉxɪÉxiÉÓ* xÉÉxÉÉEò±{ÉÉʦɮúɨÉɨɯûhÉÊEò®úhɺÉÆEòɶɴɺjÉÉÆ |ɺÉzÉÉÆ näù´ÉÓ vªÉɪÉäVVÉMÉx¨ÉÉä½þxɴɶÉEò®úhÉÓ {ÉÉ´ÉÇiÉÓ ºÉÉvÉEäòxpù&** A more appropriate description cannot be thought of Bhuvanesvari who lighted up the days of the great warriors with her boundless effulgence. As the lustrous manifold of her effulgence touch its peak, she becomes apparent as Renukā – the one who seeks immediate transcendence by severing one’s own head and for the true warrior devoted to her feet she appears to make the sacrifice possible in delight. It may be noted that it is Bhārgava himself who beheads Bhārgavi with his axe and it becomes apparent that 9
Bhārgavi enables the warrior to transform himself to such heights as to behead the mother itself to realize her as Chinnamasta. Bhārgavi is worshipped on Panchamī and in most places she is worshipped under the name Nāgachāmundā – in her transformation as Chinnamundā and in planetary symbolism she represents Sikhi while Rāhu is her Bhairava and together manifests in the Vijnānamayakosa. Astrological symbolism seen reflected in the descriptions of Ketu or Sikhi as a headless trunk who rules over the three cardinal points 00, 1200 and 2400 is a pointer towards the fact that Chinnamasta is the embodiment of the force underlying the Jyotischakra. She is the Yogini while Rāhu is the Mundi she holds – The three nādis are the sun, moon and the agni of 12 samkramas and luni-solar orbits make her heavenly, macrocosmic frame. Realization of Chinnamasta in the Mahāvidyā tradition arose out of the self-sacrifice of warriors in the Nāga martial tradition and the depiction of Bhagavati as one weilding the severed head and flow of her effulgence from the three nādis is based on the astronomical rationale of Kālakundalini. Kālikā at Kalkaji in Delhi is her manifestation out of another sacrificial pit or Kunda as Kundalini. Upon the Zodiac, the 2400 marked the Kunda with the star Mūla or λ-Scorpii marking the beginning of the Mūla-nakshatra and Dhanu rāśi. In astronomical symbolism, the Kunda also received the appellation Drona out of which the warrior, bow wielding Drona – the half-man-half-horse warrior – arose as per legends. Martial traditions arose out of the spiritual experience of the siddhas aided and abetted by Her effulgence, the Great Mother, Mahāvidyā.
Dhanu Rāśi – The Siddha of the Sky (Centaurus) Mathematical structure used in the above said derivations of rāśis and samkrama is based on the fiducial star Mūla (λ-Scorpii) who is personified as Mahākāla or Siddha in the Indian tradition and as Centaurus in Greek tradition. As the Kunda and the source of Kundalini Mūla received so many symbolic descriptions as male, female, androgynous, warrior, siddha etc and the siddha tradition itself owed its origin to the fifth force which abides in the specific geometry of the planetary rhythms. Greek legends on Centaurus also convey this aspect equally well- even though it is a mistaken adoption of the star lore ascribed to a constellation: The Greeks associated the celestial centaur with Chiron, the noblest of that hedonistic race. He was the son of Chronos (Mahakala of Hindus) and the ocean nymph Philyrides (Akasa Ganga-celestial ocean). Apollo and Diana taught him botany, music, astronomy, divination and medicine and he was the teacher of some of the more prominent heroes in Greek mythology, most notably Hercules, Jason and Achilles. He was also thought to be the inventor of the constellations. His death was a tragic one, as centaurs were immortal creatures. While caught in a rage, his pupil Hercules shot Chiron with one of the poisoned arrows that had been dipped in the blood of the Hydra after he had cut its heads off (Chinnamunda or Nāgachamundā and Rāhu-Sikhi Chakram). As this would
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have condemned Chiron to writhe in agony for ever as the poison flowed through his veins, he pleaded with Zeus to remove him from the earth. Zeus took pity upon him and granted his plea, placing the centaur among the stars.
Greek legend in fact symbolically narrates the realization of Chinnamasta by the warrior and his subsequent sacrifice and ascension to the heavens – Vīragati as known to the warriors. Chitor episode of sacrifice in fact had been the manifestation of Chiron – symbol of true warriors who sacrifice – and as explained, the sacrifice was commanded by the Mahākāli herself with her cryptic astronomical dictates. As time and space do not permit, a discussion on the Mahāvidyās is not attempted further. Truth of one is sufficient to illustrate the truth of the ten and I am sure that the account given in this writeup of her truth as the subtle force manifesting in the integrated existence of microcosm and macrocosm, shall inspire the śākta warriors to seek her out in all the ten forms.
5. Explanationatory Information Tantra speaks of the microcosm and macrocosm in a state of ‘universe’ – weaved into each other to become an expanded continuum – one whole being. Such a bio-cosmic interface finds geometrically conceived and mathematically expressed in Jyotihsāstra as the Zodiac or the Rā-śichakra – the latter a siddha abbreviation for Rāhu-Sikhi chakra. Philosophical undercurrents when examined lead to the fact that the wheel of nodes as the wheel of time is the mathematical modeling of the force underlying Ardhanārīśvara – the all encompassing Mahākāli – the great effulgence of time that weave the micro and macrocosm into an integrated whole ‘Universe’. To understand the present work and its implications for the śāktas, this work must be read in conjunction with earlier works like ‘Aparājita-the subtle force underlying Jyotihsāstra’. As may be gleaned from the contents, a chanced discovery of the very special Kumbha sandwiched between samkramas coinciding fullmoon presents little likelihood. The samkramas shall follow such a remarkable coincidence only when computed over a sidereal reference star Mūla (λ-Scorpii) and the fact that the bizarre incident – the greatest of all sacrificial rituals in the name of the great Goddess of Time finds coincident with a very special astronomical phenomenon computable using a specific geometry of the ecliptic belt in itself is a pointer towards the existence of a communicable, realizable Mother of the Siddhas. The Tegmark theory of everything attempts to explain Universe as a physical instantiation of Mathematics. Considered from such a scientific view, the pre-historic siddha constructs like the Zodiac with reference to Mūla (λ-Scorpii), the sexagesimal notation and the decimal system of numbers, may have a corresponding physical instantiation in the siddha experience of time. Such an experience got symbolically described in terms of the primordial duo of time, Mahākāla and Mahākāli – the former inert and catalystic while the latter active, 11
delusive and liberative in the Panchapranavadvirephanāli – descent of the Universal Being as the five sheathed earthy embodiment of the divine. In retrospect, the comprehension has been gained that the experience underlying the present note had its beginning in February 2002 and through critical stages such as February-March 2005 (the time around Sivaratri) and now in February-March 2012 and then leading to the Mahāsivarātri of 2013. Days, months and years have passed in the incessant war between the rational and the irrational experiences – commonsense trying to nip the miracles with which she had been playing actively since the Mahāsivarātri of 2005. For the irrational experiences which will be laughed upon by the rational mind, elimination of the subjective side can be sought only in the sky – the Universal Oneness can be experienced in her role as integrating medium. Her lessons had been too difficult and emotionally straining and the obsession with Rajasthan had assumed proportions of a sickness despite the convictions reinforced by her over the perilous years. I conclude with an admission of my firm conviction in the truth of Mahāvidyās and the Mahākāli of the Bhils at Pāvgadh where as per legends Visvāmitra had realized her eons before. The whispers that she provides in the mind invariably meet with substantiation in her script as graha-nakshatra yogini and rāsi rūpini. Path to Chitor had been through Jodhpur, Basvada and other abodes including the mighty presence of Mahākāli at Kāmākhyā as Aparājita, Bhairava of Chinnamasta at Cherapunji, Bagalāmukhi at Kāmagiri etc. She has the same or self-similar signatures at all places...
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