The Dashamahavidya Deities
The Dashamahavidya deities are frequently accompanied by specific attendants or consorts, serving as their vehicles, protectors, or divine counterparts. Each attendant plays a unique symbolic role in the deities’ worship and portrayal. These companions serve to augment and intensify the energies and attributes of each Mahavidya, aiding devotees in grasping the spiritual importance and might of the corresponding goddess.
Here is an overview of the attendants and consorts of the ten Mahavidyas and the roles they play:
1. Kali
Companion: Mahakal (a form of Shiva) and often a lion or tiger as a mount.
Role: Mahakal is the divine partner of Kali and represents infinity and the transcendence of time, which fits with Kali’s role as the destroyer of illusion. The lion or tiger symbolizes Kali’s courage and undaunted strength.
2. Tara
Attendants: Akshobhya (a form of Shiva) and a corpse as a symbol of overcoming death.
Role: Akshobhya symbolizes deep inner peace and steadfastness. The corpse symbolizes the ego, which Tara transcends as the goddess of compassion while helping the practitioner to go beyond the fear of death.
3. Tripura Sundari
Attendant: Kameshwara (a form of Shiva).
Role: Kameshwara represents the Divine as an ideal love partner, completing Tripura Sundari as the goddess of love, beauty and desire. The two represent the spiritual union of mind and soul.
4. Bhuvaneshwari
Companions: Shiva and a lion or tiger as a mount.
Role: Bhuvaneshwari is the goddess of the universe and space, and Shiva as a companion enhances her cosmic nature. The lion or tiger symbolizes her dominion and power to protect and govern the entire universe.
5. Bhairavi
Companions: Bhairava (a fearsome form of Shiva) and a dog as a mount.
Role: Bhairava is the fearsome companion that complements the transformative and destructive power of Bhairavi. The dog represents loyalty and protection, representing the intense spiritual purification and discipline that Bhairavi symbolizes.
6. Chhinnamasta
Attendants: Rati (the goddess of lust) and Kamadeva (the god of love), often depicted on a mount such as an eagle or a corpse.
Role: Rati and Kamadeva represent desire, which is overcome and sacrificed by Chhinnamasta to unleash higher spiritual energies. The depiction of the two reinforces the themes of self-sacrifice and the inner struggle against desire.
7. Dhumavati
Attendants: A crow and the symbol of a corpse or empty chariot.
Role: The crow symbolizes death, mystery, and spiritual transformation. The corpse or empty chariot represents Dhumavati’s role as the goddess of devastation, bringing spiritual enlightenment through loss and suffering.
8. Bagalamukhi
Companions: Shiva or Vishnu and a club or nail as a symbol.
Role: Bagalamukhi uses her powers to paralyze enemies and negative energies. The club or nail is a symbol of her power to neutralize negative influences and take control of harmful forces.
9. Matangi
Companions: Saraswati (the goddess of knowledge) and a parrot as a symbolic animal.
Role: Saraswati is associated with Matangi as both represent knowledge, the arts, and expression. The parrot symbolizes linguistic dexterity and wisdom, which Matangi promotes as the goddess of language and creativity.
10. Kamala
Companions: Vishnu and an elephant or lotus flower.
Role: Vishnu, as her divine partner, reinforces Kamala’s role as the goddess of wealth and abundance. The elephant represents stability and prosperity, and the lotus symbolizes purity and spiritual growth amidst material challenges.
Authors' Details about this article
Kalinath Augadh
Kalinath has spent many years in India and learned from gurus of various traditions. She was initiated into the Aghornath tradition in Gujarat by Ajitnath Aghori.
Their wisdom comes from living under extreme and difficult conditions. For example, she lived in a small hut in fields near rural villages.
She conducts numerous international workshops covering a wide range of subjects. For more information, please refer to the link provided below.