Tara (Devi)

This article is about the Hindu goddess. For the Buddhistbodhisattva, see Tara (Buddhism).

In Hinduism, the goddess Tara (Bengali: )(Sanskrit: Tr, Devanagari: ) meaning star, isthe second of the Dasa (ten) Mahavidyas or Great Wis-dom [goddesses]", is a form of Durga. Tantric manifes-tations of Durga or Mahadevi, Kali, or Parvati. As thestar is seen as a beautiful but perpetually self-combustingthing, so Tara is perceived at core as the absolute, un-quenchable hunger that propels all life.

1 OriginThe oral tradition gives an origin to the goddess Tara.The legend begins with the churning of the ocean be-tween the Devas and Asuras. Lord Shiva drank the poi-son (Halahala) that was created from the churning of theocean (in the process turning his throat blue and earninghim the epithet Nilakantha), thus saving the world fromdestruction, but fell unconscious under its powerful ef-fect. Mahadevi Durga appeared as Maa Tara and tookShiva on her lap. She suckled him, the milk from herbreasts counteracting the poison, and he recovered. Thisstory is reminiscent of the one in which Shiva stops therampaging Kali by becoming an infant. Seeing the child,Kalis maternal instinct comes to the fore and when shewas feeding him her breast milk Shiva sucked her rageout while sucking the milk. In both cases, Shiva assumesthe position of an infant vis--vis the Goddess. MainlyTara is a form of Durga . As Per Shakti Mahabhagwat,She is the one who created 1st Seed from which the en-tire universe took birth in the form of Lord Narayana.Since he was Non manifested divinity so next Mahavidyaexpanded him so that manifested divinity Lord Vishnutook birth from him.[1]

2 IconographyKali and Tara are similar in appearance. They both aredescribed as standing upon a supine Shiva in an inertor corpse-like form. However, while Kali is describedas black, Tara is described as blue. Both wear minimalclothing, however Tara wears a tiger-skin skirt, while Kaliwears only a girdle of severed human arms. Both weara garland of severed human heads. Both have a lollingtongue, and blood oozes from their mouths. Their ap-

pearances are so strikingly similar that it is easy to mis-take one for the other. Indeed, they are often said tobe manifestations of each other; for example, in theirthousand-name hymns they share many epithets as well ashaving each others names. Tara, for example, is calledKalika, Ugra-kali, Mahakali, and Bhadra-kali. Tara issaid to be more approachable to the devotee (Bhakta)or Tantrika because of her maternal instincts; however alarge population of Bengali Hindus approach Kali herselfas Ma or mother.Like Kali, furthermore, Tara in her Hindu context en-joys blood. In her hymn of a hundred names from theMundamala-tantra, she is called SheWho Likes Blood,She Who Is Smeared with Blood and She Who En-joys Blood Sacrice. The Tara-tantra describes Tarasdelight in both animal and human blood but says that thelatter is more pleasing to her. The blood of devotees isto be taken from specied parts of the body, such as theforehead, hands, breasts, head, or area between the eye-brows; some of these areas may correspond to the dier-ent chakras, spiritual centers within the body.Tara can be distinguished visually from Kali primarilyvia her implements. Four armed, she carries a sacricialsword, a severed head or skull cup, a lotus and scissors.The scissor symbolizes Taras ability to cut through un-wanted habits thus freeing the individual for spiritualtranscendence. Kali never holds a lotus or a pair of scis-sors.

3 Tarapith temple

Main article: Tarapith

The murti at the Tara Ma mandir in the village ofTarapith, a highly important Tantric site for BengaliShaktas (and highly contested as to whether or not it istruly a Shakti Pitha; scholarly evidence points towardsyes), is mostly covered by Garlands of owers. Thereare two Tara images in the sanctum. The stone image ofTara depicted as a mother suckling Shiva the primor-dial image (seen in the inset of the erce form of theimage of Tara) is camouaged by a three feet metal im-age, that the devotee normally sees. It represents Tara inher ery form with four arms, wearing a garland of skullsand a protruding tongue. Crowned with a silver crownand with owing hair, the outer image wrapped in a sariand decked in marigold garlands with a silver umbrella

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over its head. The forehead of the metal image is adornedwith red Sindur (vermilion). Most devotees will not havea chance to see the actual stone image, as there are only15 or so minutes of Darshan or viewing of the stone at4:30AM when the temple opens and only the rst luckyfew will be admitted into the adytum (the Garbhagriha)to see the stone.Unlike most Indian villages and towns, the smashan orcremation ground is not situated on the periphery of thevillage. As cremation grounds are seen to be polluting,most Indian smashans are located far from the center oftown. Both the Tarapith mandir and smashan are veryclose (within 100 yards or so) to the center of the town.It is said that Tara Mas footprints are preserved in thesmashan; this is a common theme in Hinduism, wheredeities or their especially holy followers are said to leavetheir footprints in rocks. Many Sadhus and Tantrikas livein the smashan, some with permanent huts as residences.The smashan is lled with dogs, traditionally polluting an-imals who were said to share food with the Vamamargasaint Bamakhepa, whose samdhi or tomb is located nextdoor to the main Tarapith temple.

4 Other name & in other religionSome researchers believe Paranasabari is another namefor Hindu Goddess Tara,[2][3] and Tara is the only femalegoddess not only worshiped in India but also Mongoliaand Tsarist Russia.[2] Again in Buddhist religion inciden-tally, Paranasabari is depicted as attendant of Buddhistdeity of same name, Tara.[2]

5 See also Tarapith Shaktism Tara in Buddhism Maa Taratarini Temple Maa Tarini Maa Ugra Tara

6 References[1] Shakti MahaBhagwat Purana | Edition: 1| Sanskrit - Hindi

Translation| GeetaPress Gorakhpur

[2] Reections on the Tantras. Sudhakar Chattopadhyaya. p.76.

[3] The social function of art by Radhakamal Mukerjee.Philosophical Library. 1954. p. 151.

Banerjee, Sumanta (2002). Logic in a PopularForm: Essays on Popular Religion in Bengal. SeagullBooks. ISBN 81-7046-162-6.

Kinsley, David R. (1988). Hindu Goddesses:Visionsof the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Reigious Tradi-tion. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-06339-2.

Kinsley, David R. (1997). Tantric Visions of the Di-vine Feminine: The Ten Mahvidys. New Delhi:Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-0-520-20499-7.

MacDaniel, June (2004). 1-4237-5659-2 OeringFlowers, Feeding Skulls: Popular Goddess Worshipin West Bengal. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-516790-2.

MacDaniel, June (1989). TheMadness of the Saints:Ecstatic Religion in Bengal. University of ChicagoPress. ISBN 0-226-55723-5.

Shankaranarayanan, Sri (1972). The Ten Great Cos-mic Powers. Dipti Publications. ISBN 81-85208-38-7.

Svoboda, Robert E. Aghora: at the Left Hand ofGod. ISBN 0-914732-21-8.

Svoboda, Robert E. Aghora II: Kundalini. ISBN 0-914732-31-5.

Svoboda, Robert E. Aghora III: The Law of Karma.ISBN 0-914732-37-4.

A Short Biography of Vamaksepa

7 External links Tara Mantra Evam Tantra Sadhana

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