Tararahasya of Brahmanandagiri
She is the Great Void,
the Star from which all was gradually evolved and which leads all towards
liberation from the endless [cycle of life] - Mahasundari Tantra, translated
by Danielou
Tararahasya
- the Secret of Tara - by Brahmanandagiri, is a compilation of various texts
related to Tara, the second Mahavidya. For this abstract, we have used the CSS
version of the text (see
Bibliography). To view some of the characters on this page, you will need to
have installed the Sanskrit 98 font - see
this page for instructions. Mantras, where quoted in Roman characters, use
the iTrans format.
The Tararahasya is mostly a guide to
puja and sadhana of Tara and includes information on her different aspects such
as Nilasarasvati, Ugra, Ekajata and the other cluster of Shaktis concerned with
this Devi, who often is figured in the list of
Mahavidyas, or great goddesses, as second only to
Kali. There is some interesting material on inner worship of the different
devis.
In connection with Tara, it will be helpful to
look at the digest of the
Rudrayamala on this site, which details the story, also related in
the
Brihadnilatantra, about Mahachinachara. A comparatively brief work,
the tantra consists of four patalas or chapters.
Chapter One
The author, little of whom
is known, first compiles a little hymn to Tara and then refers to the following
works as his sources: Tarasara (Essence of Tara), Taranigama, Mahanila,
Mahachina,
Nilatantra, Tarakalpa, Shaktikalpa, Shaktisara,
Rudrayamala, Nilasarasvata, Lingatantra,
Yonitantra, Shodatantra, Mahamata, Kulasarva, and the Urdhvamnaya
(which may here be a general term for tantras emanating from the upper of the
five faces of
Shiva). Brahmanandagiri also says he has referred to various other shastras
to produce this Tararahasya. Few of the works he refers to seem to be in
existence, in printed form at least.
The work describes the morning acts, which
begin with the worship of the guru (verse 28).
tTpd< dizRt<
yen tSmE ïIgurve nm>. 28.
` A}anitimraNxSy }anaÃnzlakya,
c]uémIilt< yen tSmE zIgurve nm>. 29.
%Tway piíme vame -avyedœ äürNÔ‰ht>,
rzKya smayu< zu³êp< mheñrm!. 30.
The follower of the path of Tara is to visualise his guru, together with his
Shakti, at the Brahmarandhra at the top of his skull, the guru taking the shukra
or semen form, while the guru's shakti is red.
The Taranigama is quoted to the effect
that at morning time one should visualise one's peaceful guru, on the head, as
seated on a white lotus, having two eyes, and two arms, the hands making the
gestures (mudra) of bestowing boons and dispelling fears. This guru, says the
quoted work, is the form of the supreme Brahman, adorned with various jewels,
and seated in the svastika asana, giving all knowledge, and the very essence of
the bliss of knowledge himself.
According to the Tarasara in the
Rudradhyaya, quoted in the text (verse 43) one should meditate on the yoni
covered with svayambhu flowers and the linga, doing one 100 koti recitation of
the mantra.
There can be no siddhi in this vidya, that is
Tara, unless there is recitation of the mantra in the morning.
The author then begins to speak of the tantrik
gayatri(s) of Tara, and of the daily and other rites and meditations which
should be performed. These follow the general tantrik pattern. See, for example,
the
Mahanirvanatantra.
Tara's gayatri is revealed as the following:
`
ÿI- taryE ivÒhe mhaemayE xImih tÚae deiv àcaedyat!
(OM hrii.m taarayai vidmahe mahomaayai dhiimahi tanno devi prachodayaat.h).
The rules for sandhya or twilight worship are then outlined. The text gives
meditation images (dhyana) for the three twilights. The gayatri for Ugratara is
then spelt out:
`
%¢tare ivÒhe Zmzanvaisin ixmih tÚStare àcaedyat!
(OM ugrataare vidmahe shmashaanavaasini
dhimahi tannastaare prachodayaat.h).
There then follows a section on the sandhya
worship of Nilasarasvatim who is situated on a blue lotus, in the middle of the
cremation ground, as dark as a thundercloud, and adorned with masses of jewels.
The text gives her gayatri as:
`
nIlsrSvit xImih sardayE ivÒhe tÚ> izve àcaedyat!
(OM niilasarasvati dhiimahi saaradaayai vidmahe tannaH shive prachodayaat.h).
A section, the fifth in this chapter and
called the Bijakosha then follows, which gives the code words used in various
tantras quoted by Brahmanandagiri which allow sadhakas to unravel the bija and
other mantras quoted.
The sixth section describes mantras of Tara
and attendant devis, including the pancharashmi or five-rayed mantra om hrii.m
strii.m huu.m phaT. The Ekajata Shakti Siddhi mantra is revealed, as well as the
Kamakhya gayatri. Kamakhya, the text says, is worshipped in all the shastras and
bestows both pleasure and liberation. The gayatri is:
`
kamaOyayE ivÒhe k…lkaEilNyE xImih tÚ> Zyame àcaedyat!
(OM kaamaakhyaayai vidmahe kulakaulinyai dhiimahi tannaH shyaame prachodayaat.h)
There then follows a descripion of Ugratara's
gayatri, as well as a gayatri of Mahakalapriya Devi (beloved of Mahakala).
Nilasarasvati gayatri is also revealed.
A section follows on Kulluka (Padmavati)
mantra which reads OM padma mahaapadme padmaavati hrii.m hrii.m svaahaa. Then
follow a series of instructions on the purashcharana, or preparatory rites,
which need to be followed after initiation (diksha) in order to make the mantra
perfect. For all Tara goddesses, blue lotuses and bilva leaves must be used. The
mantras have to be recited lakhs of times for success.
Chapter Two
The first section in this
chapter is devoted to details of initiation into the Tara mantras. If, by great
good fortune, a sadhaka obtains the Tara vidya, it bestows Iccha siddhi,
liberation and the eight renowned siddhis. The mantra should not be revealed. It
is to be obtained from a true guru with all the good qualities. Those addicted
to gain or lust should not be given the mantra.
Places of initiation include the root of a
Bilva tree, a cremation ground, a forest, a riverbank, a guru's house, a great
Pitha, a Siddhipitha, and a place where there is a single lingam. Obtaining
diksha on the edge of the Ganges gives a koti koti qualities. Initiation
proceeds over a period of days.
Then follows a section describing ritual
worship of the Shiva lingam, which is succeeded by a section on inner worship.
There is no fruit from puja unless inner worship is also performed.
The first of these relates to Ekajata, and
describes the inner bath. The text says the sadhaka should meditate in the heart
on a jewelled island in the centre of a nectar ocean, which is covered in
Parijata trees, and in the centre of which is a begemmed temple. One should
meditate there on a cremation ground and think of the wish-fulfilling kalpadruma
tree, in the centre of which is a ruby pitha, studded with other jewels, and in
the four directions are corpses and skulls. Then one should meditate in the
brahmarandhra on Mahadeva Shiva, the world guru, who has, on his left, Devi
Tara, the form of the syllable Om. From this bindu shower waters which descend
on the heart via the sushumna nadi. This is the inner act of bathing.
Then in one's own heart one should meditate on
Shiva, adorned with jewels, naked, with a great body, in a desirous mood, with
erect penis, with Shakti, the true form of amrita-bliss. She resembles molten
gold, is adorned with various jewels, and bedecked with parijata flowers. One
should perform this meditation at the three sandhyas (twilights). The mother,
Kameshvari is the Devi, the father, Kameshvara, is Shiva, the text says.
Meditating on both one becomes lord of the eight siddhis. This is the inner
sandhya.
Then follows a meditation of Shiva-Shakti
together, who are as bright as millions of fires, suns and moons. A sadhaka
should meditate on this image to achieve success. This is the inner act of
dhyana.
One should worship Tarini with 10 masses of
flowers called daya, kshama, indriyanigraha, jnana, punya, ahimsha, achara,
svayambhu, uttama and ananda. These represent kindness, patience or calmness,
sense-restraint, knowledge, goodness, non-harmfulness, keeping to the path,
independence, adhering to the best (uttama) and bliss (ananda). One should give
the five makaras to Tara. Then one obtains siddhi, and not from recitation of
the mantra but from Kula worship. This is the inner puja.
The next section says that one should recite
the rosary of letters (varnamala) in the different chakras within the human
body, ending with visualising letters in the sahasrara chakra. Then one should
internally pronounce the matrikas starting from the letter A and going to the
letter Ha, each with the nada and bindu, reciting them both in a straight and in
a reverse direction 108 times. One should then repeat the letters of the eight
letter groups a, ka, cha, Ta, ta, pa, ya, sha together with the nada and bindu.
The next, brief, section in this chapter deals
with the inner worship of Ugratara. One is to meditate on her in one's own heart
on a lotus of sixteen petals, and recite her mantra for each of these, mentally
offering her liquid. The text appears to say that one should first worship her
in the yoni chakra, then leading her by the path of sushumna through the navel
chakra to the heart chakra again. Once more one should recite the rosary of
letters 108 times.
Then follows the inner worship of
Nilasarasvati. The text gives her dhyana, upon which one should meditate in
one's own heart as being as lustrous as the autumnal moon, seated in the
pratyalidha asana, wearing tiger skins, with a laughing mouth, very terrifying,
and in the viparita sexual posture with Shiva. She is the bestower of the power
of giving one poesy. In one's heart lotus one should meditate that she and Shiva
are intoxicated with liquor, kissing one another again and again. They are
eating flesh and consume the amrita produced from the bhaga and the lingam. Then
one should worship Nilasarasvati with the leftovers (uchChiShTa) and recite the
garland of letters internally over and over.
Then follows the unfolding of Ekajata's yantra.
The mantra, is described as hrii.m strii.m phaH Ta.m and is in a yantra which is
a triangle, a hexagon, two circles, eight petals, and an enclosure or bhupura.
The mantra Hu.m, the so-called kurcha bija, is in the centre of the yantra. In
the east is hrii.m, in the south strii.m, in the west Ta.m and in the north phaH.
This yantra is for worship. A description of Ugratara's yantra follows, and then
of Nilasarasvati.
The yantras may be inscribed on copper, bone,
wood from the cremation ground, gold, silver or iron. Yantras need certain
purification before they may be used, and also need to be installed with life.
Details of a rite similar to that elsewhere on this site are given. In these
rites there are no distinctions between brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas, shudras,
or women -- all are competent to perform these pujas.
Details are then given of the different
rosaries which may be used in the worship of Tara and the other devis, as well
as the purifications that need to be performed. A section devoted to homa closes
this chapter.
Chapter Three
This chapter opens with a
description of the left-hand rules of Tara which, as mentioned
elsewhere on this site, seem to abandon many of the elaborate rules required for
other deities.
According to the work, which quotes from the
Taranigama, considerations about days of the week, or the chakras used to
establish gain or loss are not required in the worship of Tara.
Further, Tara, Mahanila and the other deities
in this cluster require the Mahachina or Vamachara way of worship to be
satisfied. A person who worships Tara without these rites goes to hell. If a
brahmin does the worship without the five tattvas, he becomes a shudra, while if
a shudra does worship of Tara with the five tattvas, he becomes a brahmin. This
is Kaula worship, requiring Kaula initiation.
The next section in this chapter describes
purification of the five tattvas. This includes mantras to remove the curses
placed on wine by Shukra, Brahma and Krishna, and obviously flies in
the face of Hindu orthodoxy. Then follows a meditation on Amritananda Devi,
followed by a meditation on Bhairava as the lord of bliss and of wine.
She resembles a koti (10,000,000) of brilliant
suns and a koti of cooling moons, wears red clothes, is adorned with all
ornaments and red jewels.
He, the Sudhadeva, a form of Bhairava, is
situated in the centre of the ocean of amrita (nectar), is beloved by Bhairavi,
and has five faces, with three eyes in each. He is seated on a bull, and has a
blue throat (Nilkantha), and adorned with every type of jewel. He has eighteen
arms which hold weapons and attributes including a club, a plough, a mace, a
sword, a trident, a noose, and a staff, as well as having hands displaying
various mudras. Then follows a tantrik gayatri which goes:
`
AanNdñray ivÒhe suxadeVyE xImih tÚae=xRnarIñr> àcaedyt!
(OM aanandeshvaraaya vidmahe sudhaadevyai dhiimahi tanno.ardhanaariishvaraH
prachodayat.h)
This gayatri refers to the union of Shiva and
Shakti in the form Ardhanareshvara, where one half of the body is male, and the
other is female, and is followed by a rite where the wine vessel is purified,
and the goddess of wine invoked.
The third section of this chapter deals with
Shakti sadhana, which is preceded by the purification of the meat used in
the rite, then the fish (mina). See also
Vira Sadhana for a translation of chapter 13 of the Brihadnilatantra,
which specifically refers to this rite.
Then follows a mantra devoted to the Shakti in
her guise as Kamakhya, which also equates the shakti with Kalika, Tara and
Tripurasundari.
Following a lengthy description of rites, the
author comes on to the subject of
Nyasa, which involves placing bija mantras and other visualisations on
different parts of the body. These include here matrika nyasa, yoni nyasa, rishi
nyasa, pithashakti nyasa, tattva nyasa, bija nyasa, karanga nyasa, and shadanga
nyasa. These are precursors to the Mahachinachara puja, which is itself lengthy,
ending with Tara puja, and the necessary rites to clear the place of working.
Chapter Four
This last, rather brief
section, deals with the performance of rites included in the term trishoda. The
first of these, called the secret one, involves placing the vowels of the
letters of the Sanskrit alphabet before and after the letters of the Tara
mantra. These rites also include details about the relationship of the Shakti as
Kulakundalini with Tara.
|
