Chinnamasta

A flash, thunder, rain, rivers, green fields, flowers, fruits. The seed of God thrives on the fertility of Mother Earth and life springs in the eternal bosom of Prakriti for the vision of God. The flash separates the head from the body and three streams of blood sprout forth. The central stream is drunk by the head of the Goddess held in Her hand, the remaining two streams are drunk by her aides.

The Goddess is standing on Rati and Manmatha in maithuna. Stark naked, Her nudity does not strike the eye as She is robed in dazzling light. She has no head: a headless trunk with two arms held aloft. Form the headless neck three streams of blood gush forth. The middle stream is drunk by Her mouth in the severed head held in Her hand while the other two streams are drunk by two attendants standing on either side. This is Prachanda Chandika or Chinnamasta. She is an invitation for lightning, thunderbolt to strike the body from head to foot. She gives kapâla moksha, yet She is living after death.

Prakâsha (Light) and NAda (Sound) are the precursors of creation. When Prakâsha is delimited as Âkâsha, it is Buhvaneshwari. When the delimitation takes the form of duration, Time, it is KAli. When Prakâsha gets involved in creation and at the same time transcends it, it is Sundari. The unexpressed, unmanifest Sound in concentrated consciousness is Bhairavi, while the Sound preceiving itself is TAra. The interaction of Prakâsha and NAda to precipitate creation is Chinnamastha.

The interaction produces such force and violence that the creation is almost cut asunder from the creator. The whole purpose of creation is for the One to delight in separate existences as Many. This is why Chinnamasta is represented as cutting off the head (source).

In the world of phenomena, the interaction of Light and Sound results in thunder and lightning. Chinnamasta is the thunder destroying all the anti-divine forces. She is the hidden radiance in the heart of the cloud. Ruling over the cosmic mind, She acts through the human mind as the sense behind the senses. The most powerful activity of the senses is sex. The great Goddess is depicted as trampling with Her feet Rati and Manmatha joined in amorous union. Worship of Chinnamasta grants complete mastery over the sex-impulse.

Chinnmasta is the indomitable force, the striking power of the Supreme. What is the difference between Her action and the action of KAli. When KAli is fierce and terrible, She is Chandi. Chinnamasta is more terrible than the terrible KAli, hence the name Prachanda Chandika. KAli works with the aid of KAla (Time). Chinnamasta destroys instantaneously. KAli is the prâna shakti (vital force) while Chinnamasta is vidyut shakti (electric force). She has Her seat between the eyebrows (ajna chakra) and commands the power of will and vision.

Chinnamasta is the power of lightning (Vajra Vairochani), and spreads Herself along myriads of channels enveloping the whole cosmos. When a being is created, this energy enters into the being through the Bramharandhra. Bramharandhram is the only apperture that connects the flow of energy in the body with that of the cosmos. The energy then spreads throughout the psychic body by means of nâdis¹. Of all the nâdis, the three important ones are Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna. Sushumna is the central nâdi that terminates in the Bramharandhram.

Chinnamasta is in the concentrated form at the ajna chakra. However, Her activity is in the Sushumna where She traverses up and down as the sustaining current of electric energy and power. The flow is restricted by the granthis. The knots have to be cut by the scissors which She holds in Her hand. Prachanda Chandika is the current through the Sushumna, while the charming Varini and the terrific DAkini are the currents through the Ida and Pingala.

Chinnamasta manifested as the mother of parashurâma, the sixth avatâr of Vishnu. The story goes that at the behest of his irate father Jamadagni who was displeased with the misdemeanour of his wife Renuka, Parashurâma cut the head of his mother with an axe. Then by the virtue of a boon from his father who was pleased with his unquestioning obedience, Parashrâma got his mother alive.

The mantrâ of the Goddess is the seed-sound Hum, also known as the Dhenu beeja. The mantrâ gives mastery over the senses and annhilates the mind completely. One effective way of sâdhana is to imagine a constant downpour of lightning from the high skies and submit the whole body, mind, and self to it in absolute dedication and surrender.