Chinnamasta – The self-decapitated Goddess

Chhinnamasta is called Chhinnamastika. She is one of the Mahavidyas and a ferocious aspect of Devi, the Hindu Divine Mother. She is a goddess of contradictions. She symbolises both aspects of Devi: a life-giver and a life-taker. She is considered a symbol of sexual self-control and an embodiment of sexual energy based on the interpretation. She represents death, temporality, and destruction on one hand, and as life, immortality and recreation on the other hand. She conveys spiritual self-realization and the awakening of the kundalini – spiritual energy. The legends of Chhinnamasta emphasise herself-sacrifice – sometimes coupled with a maternal element – sexual dominance, and self-destructive fury.

Chhinnamasta is worshipped in the Kalikula sect of Shaktism, the Goddess-centric tradition of Hinduism. Though Chhinnamasta enjoys patronage as one of the Mahavidyas, temples devoted to her (found mostly in Nepal and eastern India) and her public worship are rare. She is a significant Tantric deity, well known and worshipped among esoteric Tantrikas. Chhinnamasta is recognised by both Hindus and Buddhists. She is closely related to Chinnamunda – the severed-headed form of the Tibetan Buddhist goddessVajrayogini.

Forms and Characteristics of Maa Chinnamasta

Chinnamasta is shown to be like a girl of sixteen years adorned with garland of skulls and necklaces of bones. She wears on her naked body a serpent as the sacred thread (yajnopavita) and she has full breasts covered by lotus flowers and strings of beads. But the most gruesome aspect of her is that she has cut her own head with a sword; and holds in her hands the severed head as also the sword. The blood gushing out of her decapitated head sprouts in three jets. The central jet streams into the mouth of her own head , usually held in her left hand , while the other two jets fall into the mouths of her two companions – Dakini and Varnini – standing on her either side. She stands against the backdrop of thunder and lightning with her head in hand. She is not dead; but is said to be in a state of amanaska, free from human follies, distractions and sensations of pain etc. The beheaded –head of Chinnamasta is shown ecstatically drinking the central stream of blood flowing out of her headless trunk. It displays three eyes wide open in joy; and a lovely face lit up with a beatific smile. The hair on the head is disheveled and adorned with fragrant flowers. The head is decorated with a well crafted diadem, as also ear and nose rings. The more amazing sight is that headless naked trunk of Chinnamasta is standing upon a handsome couple engaged in sex in the viparita-maithuna posture (the female on top of her male partner) stretched over a lotus flower. The scene of the activity is a cremation ground set against the background of hills, river, flowers amidst thunder and lightning. The loving couple in each other’s arms, engrossed in sex and blissfully unaware of anything outside their act, are identified Kama or Manamatha the god of desire (like Eros) and his companion Rati the very act of sex. A couple of jackals watch the scene with little interest.There are also depictions where Chinnamasta is riding over a supine Shiva.

Legend about Maa Chinnamasta

Legend goes that once, Parvati went with Her friends Dakini and Varnini to take a bath in River Mandakini. Parvati was happy and a lot of love filled her. Her complexion darkened and the feeling of love completely took over. Her friends were hungry and asked Parvati to give them food. Parvati asked them to wait and said that She would feed them after a while and began walking. After a short while, Her friends appealed to Her, telling Her that She was the Mother of the Universe and they Her children, and wanted to be fed soon. Parvati replied that they should wait until they got home. Her friends could not wait any longer and demanded that their hunger be satisfied immediately. The compassionate Parvati laughed and with her finger nail cut Her own head. Immediately, blood spurted in three directions. Her two friends drank the blood from two directions and the Goddess herself drank the blood from the third direction. Since she cut Her own head, she is known as Cinnamasta. Cinnamasta shines like a lightning bolt from the Sun. She demonstrates the rare courage needed to make the highest conceivable sacrifice.

Chinnamasta Jayanthi falls on 9-May-2017