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1 CHINNAMASTA CHINNAMASTA compiled by Guruji Amritananda/ Devipuram.com Similarly, the dramatic imagery of Chinnamasta is an excellent, multi- layered symbol of the basic philosophy of Yoga/Vedanta and Shaktism. Chinnamasta is depicted as holding her own head that she has just cut off. Blood is spurting in three streams from her neck.The central stream in pouring in to Chinnamasta's mouth, while the other two streams on the left and right of the main stream are flowing into the mouths of Chinnamasta's two attendent dakinis or sub shaktis who are on Her left and right. This graphic metaphor shows us how to come to Devi and our true Self. The head is the center of the activities of the mind. Cutting off the head of Chinnamasta stops the mental activities. Patanjali tells us, "Yoga is restraining the activities of the mind." (Raja Yoga Sutras I.2) Furthermore, Chinnamasta is dancing the Tandava, the cosmic dance of Shiva that leads to the destruction of the phenomenal world that is the focus of our desires. The sense organs have their focus in the head, so the chopped off head of Chinnamasta represents the stopping of the outward orientation of the senses. Also, the dance is performed on the body of Kama, desire, having coitus with his wife, Rati. This further reinforces the message to rise above mundane desire in order to encounter Devi. The headlessness of Chinnamasta represents conquest of the senses and the kleshas (ignorance, egoism, attraction, repulsion, and attachment to life) that are the obstacles to spiritual enlightenment. Her headlessness also represents the conquest of space and time and the triumph over the physical laws that operate therein. People are so attached to a conventional concept of the universe and so attached to looking outward in their interactions with that universe (the veil of Maya) that an arresting image such as Chinnamasta is required to get them to consider other possibilities of existence.

Chinnamasta

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1

CHINNAMASTA

CHINNAMASTA

compiled by

Guruji Amritananda/ Devipuram.com

Similarly, the dramatic imagery of Chinnamasta is an excellent, multi-

layered symbol of the basic philosophy of Yoga/Vedanta and Shaktism.

Chinnamasta is depicted as holding her own head that she has just cut

off. Blood is spurting in three streams from her neck.The central stream

in pouring in to Chinnamasta's mouth, while the other two streams on

the left and right of the main stream are flowing into the mouths of

Chinnamasta's two attendent dakinis or sub shaktis who are on Her left

and right. This graphic metaphor shows us how to come to Devi and

our true Self.

The head is the center of the activities of the mind. Cutting off the head

of Chinnamasta stops the mental activities. Patanjali tells us, "Yoga is

restraining the activities of the mind." (Raja Yoga Sutras I.2)

Furthermore, Chinnamasta is dancing the Tandava, the cosmic dance of

Shiva that leads to the destruction of the phenomenal world that is the

focus of our desires. The sense organs have their focus in the head, so

the chopped off head of Chinnamasta represents the stopping of the

outward orientation of the senses.

Also, the dance is performed on the body of Kama, desire, having

coitus with his wife, Rati. This further reinforces the message to rise

above mundane desire in order to encounter Devi. The headlessness of

Chinnamasta represents conquest of the senses and the kleshas

(ignorance, egoism, attraction, repulsion, and attachment to life) that

are the obstacles to spiritual enlightenment.

Her headlessness also represents the conquest of space and time and the

triumph over the physical laws that operate therein. People are so

attached to a conventional concept of the universe and so attached to

looking outward in their interactions with that universe (the veil of

Maya) that an arresting image such as Chinnamasta is required to get

them to consider other possibilities of existence.

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CHINNAMASTA

The head of Chinnamasta has been chopped off but still alive. She lives

and, moreover, lives as a divine being. The question should arise, "How

is Her continued existence possible?" and "What is this depiction

telling me?"

The imagery draws our attention to the four other bodies or Koshas that

each of us has in addition to the physical body. It is these four bodies

(Pranamaya Kosha, Manomaya Kosha, Vijnanamaya Kosha,

Anandamaya Kosha) that are responsible for enabling us to reach

whatever level of spiritual attainment that we currently enjoy and will

enjoy. These four bodies also survive the death of the physical body.

The Chinnamasta imagery reminds us of this. One of these four bodies

is the causal body (Anandamaya Kosha), the seat of the soul. So, now

we are explicity reminded that each of us has a soul. Furthermore,

taking Kundalini up through the major chakras and experiencing the

Divine, as represented by the central blood stream, shows that our true

identity is that soul, and that what we originally thought of as 'our' soul

is actually the same Soul, the same Divinity, manifesting in everything.

The three blood streams from Chinnamasta represent Prana (Ha),

Apana (Tha) and Kundalini, the union of Ha and Tha, the prana that is

necessary for spiritual enlightenment. It is only Chinnamasta who is

drinking from the central stream of Kundalini. Her attendents are not

yet fully Self-realized but will be with the help and example of

Chinnamasta. The Chinnamasta imagery tells us that instead of looking

outward and entertaining ourselves with the vagaries of Maya, we

should be looking inward, purifying ourselves, enabling Kundalini to

form and rise so that we become living examples of that imagery.

Chinnamasta is the Shakti that takes her disciples away from

involvement with the senses and desire, and by Her Grace grants them

complete control of over the mind and the primary instincts and gives

them the will and vision to come to Her abode in the Sushumna. Then

we will see Devi in the world, Maya will be conquered, and we will

know our own Divinity. It is only by experiencing the Transcendent

Devi that one fully appreciates Devi immanent in the world. As

Patanjali says in the Raja Yoga Sutras, "At that time [when the thought

waves are stilled], the perceiver rests in his own true nature." (I.3)