bagalamukhi maha vidhya sadhana

8/9/2019 Bagalamukhi Maha Vidhya Sadhana

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. Bagalamukhi

45.1. Just as Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi or Bagala is not well known outside the Mahavidyacult. She however is mentioned in myths associated with Shiva and Vishnu. hese myths!elong to recent centuries. he e"act origins o# her name are not certain. Some say$%Bagala% is derived #rom the Sanskrit term Valga meaning &to control%$ and she wasoriginally known as Valgamukhi. hat was meant to signi#y that she had that 'ower in her#ace which could ca'ture or control or even 'araly(e her o''onents. )t is also said thatBagalamukhi means the goddess with the ace o# a crane * Baka +%. he crane with its a!ility


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to stand still attracts its 'rey, lures it into a #alse sense o# sa#ety and then sna's it u'uickly. Bagalamukhi%s strength is said to !e her magical attraction, to immo!ili(e and

strike the enemy.

But, none o# her iconogra'hic descri'tions makes a mention her having a crane head.

Bagalamukhi is 'ortrayed as a woman o# immense !eauty who can trans#i" anyone.-erha's her assumed association with crane was merely to highlight her &deceit#ul% trait. )tis e"'lained$ a secret desire to kill resides in hearts o# all !eings. hat concealed desiremight many times in#luence our actions. Bagalamukhi, like the gentle #aced crane themost deceit#ul o# all/ 'ersoni#ies that hidden desire to kill.

0lsewhere it is said, she has the head o# a duck and the nose o# a 'arrot, signi#ying hera!ility to grant vak-siddhi , the 'ower to make everything one utters come true.

4 .1. Bagalamukhi is o#ten called -itam!ari or -itam!ari Devi, the one who wears yellowclothes. 2er Dhyana sloka gra'hically 'ortrays her 're#erence to yellow color. 2er

com'le"ion, clothing, ornaments and garlands are in varying shades o# yellow. 2erdevotees are dressed in yellow, wear mala strings o# turmeric * haldi + and o##er her yellowthings. 0ven her tem'les are 'ainted yellow. Bright yellow is usually associated with sunand gold. But, in the conte"t o# Bagalamukhi the signi#icance o# her 're#erence #or yellowhas not !een e"'lained. 3urther, in her 'ictorial re'resentations, Bagalamukhi is usuallyshown wearing red or orange$ and not much o# yellow.

4 . . he one other name o# Bagalamukhi is Brahmastra Roopini meaning that she e"ercisesher magical 'owers o# delusion * bhrama + as a wea'on * astra + to con#use and con#ound.

ith that she makes everything look like it%s o''osite. She turns s'eech into silence,knowledge into ignorance, 'ower into im'otence, and de#eat into victory. )t is e"'lained$

she re'resents the knowledge where!y each thing must in time !ecome its o''osite. o seethe #ailure hidden in success, the death hidden in li#e or the 6oy hidden in sorrow is the wayo# understanding her reality. Bagalamukhi is the secret 'resence o# the o''osites whereineach thing is dissolved !ack into its un/mani#est state.

Bagalamukhi is also said to !estow the 'ower o# attracting others and in#use in them se"ualdesire.

4 .7. More than any other Mahavidya, Bagalamukhi is associated with magical 'owers. ,which sometimes are termed Siddhi or attainments. 8 'articular Siddhi o# Bagalamukhi isher magical 'ower o# Stambhana the 'ower to trans#i", immo!ili(e or 'araly(e a 'erson

into silence. 8n e"'lanation !ased in yoga inter'rets Stambhana as the control over thevital/!reaths (prana +$ and states thatBagalamukhi e"ercises control over the vital !reaths$she ena!les one to con uer the tongue, which means sel#/control over greed, s'eech andtaste.

hus, Bagalamukhi , 6ust as the other Mahavidyas , dis'lays !oth negative and 'ositivevirtues.


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49.1. he Bagalamukhi iconogra'hy 'resents her as goddess with a golden com'le"iondressed in yellow. She sits in a golden throne in the midst o# an ocean o# nectar #ull o# lotuses. 8 crescent moon adorns her head. She is decked with gems and Champaka!lossoms.

49. . he Dwi-Bhuja *with two arms+ de'iction is Soumya or milder. 2er com'le"ion isgolden. She is elegantly attired and !e6eweled. She holds a clu! in her right hand withwhich she !eats a demon, while 'ulling his tongue out with her le#t hand. his image issometimes inter'reted as an e"hi!ition o# stambhana , the 'ower to stun or 'araly(e anenemy into silence. his is one o# the !oons #or which Bagalamukhi%s devotees worshi' her.

49.7. )n her Chaturbhuja *#our armed+ #orm, according to the Sri Tatwanidhi , she sits u'on

a golden throne. She is o# yellow com'le"ion and is three/eyed. )n her #our hands she holdsa trident, a cu', a mace and the tongue o# the demon. ith her right hand she strikes himon his head. She has the #eatures o# a !eauti#ul woman. She is adorned with garlands andornaments. Bagala sym!oli(es cessation o# all dualities or dwandas , at the reali(ation o# which 'ure consciousness emerges.


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49.4. 8nother de'iction 'resents Bagalamukhi as sitting u'on a su'ine cor'se laid out onher throne. She wears a diadem, a nose ring, and a garland$ she rests her right #oot on alotus #lower, and her !ent le#t #oot ankle on her right lower thigh$ 'ulls the tongue o# themale !y her le#t hand and holds alo#t a clu! !y the raised right hand ready to strike.

4:.1. Bagalamukhi is related to Mahavidya ara, as !oth are goddesses o# s'eech.Bagalamukhi re'resents the 'ower o# s'eech that stuns others and leaves them gas'ing #orwords. here#ore she is invoked #or granting success in de!ates and !argains.

4:. . Bagalamukhi wrenching the tongue o# the demon is sym!olic o# removing theim'urities associated with s'eech and tongue. he tongue is the organ o# s'eech and taste.8nd, o#ten it is involved in telling lies or concealing the truth. he tongue there#ore couldunwittingly get caught u' with mischie#, vanity and deceit. he 'ulling o# the tongue is asym!olic act o# 'unishing the demon and cleansing his im'urities.

4:.7. Bagalamukhi sitting u'on a cor'se while 'ulling the tongue o# the &enemy% isinter'reted in many ways. he cor'se stands #or inert or static matter, as also #orignorance. he death o# the #lesh also means li!eration o# the s'irit. 8 cor'se is there#ore asym!ol o# death and a new !eginning #or the s'irit. Shiva as Shava *cor'se+ under the #eeto# ;ali is a inert 'otent li#e that is 6ust a!out to wake u' to new li#e. he other Mahavidyas

;ali and ara/ also sit or stand u'on cor'se.


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4:.4. he image o# Bagalamukhi sitting u'on a cor'se is also said to !e associated with thee"treme tantric ritual o# Shava-sadhana . )t is a ritual where the ade't (sadhaka sits u'onthe chest o# a #resh cor'se at the dead o# the night in middle o# cremation ground and triesto overcome or control the dead 'ers on!s pr"ta ( s'irit+. hrough that he ho'es to gainmagical 'owers. he esoteric view o# this tantric ritual is that it trans#orms the as'irant,

awakening in him or her to an e"'anded consciousness$ and grants him a new identity.

Shivasysa Dayitam Shuddham Kamakhyam Kamaroopi

Om Hleem Sarva Dusthaanaam Vaacham Mukham Paadam s

tambhaya jihvyamkilaya

buddhim vinaashaya Hleem Om Swaha "

bagalamukhi maha vidhya sadhana

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