GODDESS
PRATHYANGIRA DEVI. She is also known as Atharvana Bhadrakali and identified
with Mother Goddess Kali in the Atharva Veda. In Hindu thoughts, Prathyangira
Devi is associated with the concept of feminine energy. As such she is a
manifestation of Shakti. Goddess Prithyangira was created by Siva from his third
eye, to calm down Lord Narasimha, an avatar of Vishnu. Prathyangira devi is also
known as Bhairava pathni, Daksha yagna vinasini or Narasimhika. Legends tell the
tale of two rishis called Prathiyangira and Angiras . They were meditating and
discovered a goddess through a Moola Mantram. She was nameless and privileged
the rishis by naming her after them. Thus she was called as Prathiyangara Devi.
The Narasimhika is the combination of ´Naran´ meaning human and ´Simha´ meaning
Lion, so she appears with Lion´s face and human body.
Prathyangira is
a powerful personality which is a combination of lion and human forms to
represent the balance of good and evil. As Sarabhewarar she destroyed the
arrogance of the Shiva´s ugra avatar. It is believed that when Narashimhika
shakes her mane, she shambles the stars in the universe. Prathiyangara Devi is
considered to be a powerful repellent of the influences generated by
witch-craft. In Sri Cakra worship, she protects her devotees against all odds
and guides them along the right path.
LALITHA SAHASRANAMA: In Lalita
Sahasranama, Prathyangira is identified with the name Maha Bhairava Poojitha.
Hence she was called Bhairava Pathini which implies that she is the wife of
Bhairava. Another reference, Daksha Yagna Vinasini means the ‘goddess who
destroyed Daksha’s yagna.’
DEPICTION: Mother Prathyangira is depicted
as a goddess with a lion’s face and a human body symbolizing balance between
good and evil. She appears to have the combined features of Lord Siva and Mother
Kali. She carries a Trishul, Shankam Chakram and Gadna. Sometimes, in one hand
she hold a coiled serpent symbolizing her control over ego. Serpent also
represents the homelessness of the mendicant Lord Siva. Her forehead has a
vertical mark of a third eye. Otherwise she holds a damaru and severed head. She
wears a prominent jeweled crown adorned with a Siva like crescent. She is
usually depicted in red sari. Her reddish protruding tongue is representative of
Kali. Sometimes she is shown with a skull and heavy flower garlands. She also is
shown in Vishnu’s blue complexion and the serpent hood.Her consort is
Sarabeswara. Her vahana is also a lion.
GENESIS: We have seen four
Yugas: Satyaguga, Trethayuga, Dvaparayuga and the current Kaliyuga. During all
these yugas, Avathars, Siddhars and Rishis performed yagna to destroy evil and
protect mankind on earth. In the Kaliyuga, man has been given to sensual
pleasures and invite karmic load. This may be dispelled by intense internal
prayers. Prayers are very much a personal matter. The Pranava Om or the Shakti
Aum are such internal prayers. During all the yugas the panchabuthas have been
working inherently since its genesis is to carry and transmit divine messages
from the universe and beyond to reach mankind.
In the Satyayuga, Lord
Narashimma, Lord Vishnu’s Avatar killed the unruly king Hiranyakashibu by
tearing the body tissues and tasting his blood. By the anger in the body and
malicious effect of human blood the Narashima Avatar of Lord Vishnu had
forgotten his spirituality. To bestow compassion Lord Shiva came down as
Sarabeswar Avatar. This is the form of Antaranda Pakshi which is in combination
form of bird, animal and human. It had huge eagle wings, yaali face, eagle nose
with eight legs. This represented the all pervasive Lord so as to rekindle Lord
Narashima who is also the part and parcel of the Universe. By this act, a new
incomparable miraculous power, Shakti was created by Sri Sarabeshwar with all
panchabuthas, hence the genesis of the new Shakti was referred as Sri
Prathyangiraa Devi.
MARKANDEYA PURANA: This is the continuation of
the genesis above. Lord Siva’s Sarabeswar avatar is a combination of bird and
animal. It is a hybrid avatar. This prompted Lord Narashimha to create a counter
attack Sarabeswara in the form of a two headed Ganda Berunda. Thereupon,
Sarabeshwara took Siva’s fierce form, Bhairava and created Goddesses Pratyangira
from his third eye. Prathyangira ate the bird, displaying rage the like of which
the gods had never seen before. They praised her as she calmed Narasimha down by
sitting on his lap.
RAMAYANA: There is a story in the Ramayana where
Prathyangira was worshiped by Indrajit. He was invoking the Goddess in a
Nigumbalai Yagam which is highly ritualistic to invoke the goddess. Indrajit was
trying to overpower Rama and his Hanuman allies who were then fighting Ravana.
This comes to Lord Hanuman’s ears. Hanuman and Lakshmana at once comes to
interfere and stop the yaga half-way. This rendered Indrajit dispensable at
Rama’s instance.
VEDAS: Goddess Prathyyangira is associated with
Atharva Veda. She is said to be the guardian goddess of this Veda. Prathyangira
Devi has a reputation of being a straight-forward goddess without being
wishy-washy. Her punishment awaits the evil doers and her blessings are there
for sincere devotees. Hence she is also known as Atharvana Bhadra Kali guarding
over the secret mantras, tantras and yantras from reaching evil hands and
intentions.
TEMPLES: It is said that the Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi
Temple situated in Sholiganallur in Chennai has ancient reputation. It is the
first temple with Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi as the main God, where the Goddess
is said to be sitting in a gigantically and powerful throne. In the Aivar Padi
temple in Kumbakonam, Prathyangira is shown with 18 hands. The deity was placed
in the form of ‘suthai’ which in Tamil means a combination of broken bricks and
cement instead of a stone carving.
The other main temples in different
states are 1. Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi Temple, Chennai, Tamilnadu 2. Ayyavadi
- Kumbakonam, , Tamilnadu 3. Vedian Enthal - Manamadurai, Tamilnadu 4. Sri Maha
Pratyangira Devi Temple, Dilsukhanagar, Hydrabad 5. Pratyangira temple -
Madurai, Tamilnadu 6. Maha Devi Prathyangira temple - Brasil 7. Maha
Prathyangira Devi Temple - Bangalore, Karnataka 8. Brahmapuram Sree Mahalakshmi
Pratyangira Temple - Sasthamangalam, Trivandrum 9. Jaya Mangala Pratyangira
Devi Temple - Kuzhumani, Tiruchirappalli.
PRATHYANGIRA GAYATRI: Om
Prathyangiraayai Vithmahe sathru nisoothin yai theemahi Thanno thevy
prashothayaath.
GODDESS SEKHUMAT: She is the Egypt Goddess of war and
battles. Sekhmut is usually portrayed as a woman with the head of a lioness,
sometimes with a knife in an upraised hand. She represents the scorching,
burning, destructive heat of the sun. She was a fierce goddess of war, the
destroyer of the enemies of Re and Osiris. Her temper was uncontrollable. In the
legend of Re and Hathor, Sekhmet's anger became so great, she would have
destroyed all of mankind if Re had not taken pity on us and made her drunk. In
the legend, during the night Re, trying to avert a total massacre of the human
race by the goddess who clearly has become unstoppable in her bloodlust, orders
his high priest at Heliopolis to obtain red ochre from Elephantine and grind it
with beer mash. Seven thousand jars of red beer are spread over the land of
Egypt. In the morning Sekhmet returns to finish her task of destroying the human
race, drinks what she assumes is blood and goes away intoxicated, unable to
complete her slaughter. To cast away spells that remained Egyptians adopted
Sekhmet 'Lady of Life' as a beneficial force in their attempts to counteract
illness. Her priesthood had a role in medicine in Egypt.
Hari
Om
by Yogi Ananda Saraswathi