Matangi — The Goddess of Manifest Sound and Divine Attraction

Matangī is the ninth of the ten Great Vidyās. She is similar to Tārā. In Tārā, the concentration is on unmanifest sound. Here it is on intelligible, manifest sound.

The primordial throb (Ādya-spanda), which originates by the self-volition of the Supreme, starts a series of vibrations that take the form of nāda. This is the Eternal Word, the creatrix of manifestation. The manifestation takes place in four steps: sthūla (gross, matter principle), sūkṣma (subtle, life principle), kāraṇa (causal, mind principle), and mahā-kāraṇa (great causal, original rhythm). These steps correspond to the four states: jāgrat (waking state), svapna (dream state), suṣupti (deep sleep state), and turīya (transcendental state).

Tāntrikas locate the four steps of sound in the nervous system: parā, paśyantī, madhyamā, and vaikhārī.

• Parā: the first and supreme source; it is unmanifest, but turned towards manifestation (Tārā). It is the mahā-kāraṇa seated at the mūlādhāra.
• Paśyantī: the word that perceives. This is the kāraṇa, located at the maṇipūra cakra.
• Madhyamā: the word in the middle subtle region between the navel and the throat (anāhata cakra).
• Vaikhārī: the expression of speech, Goddess Matangī.

Mātaṅgī is greenish-dark in complexion (Śyāmalā). Her tender limbs have the glow of sapphire. She is known as Ucchiṣṭa Cāṇḍālī. Mati is the thinking mind and mata is thought. The unmanifest Word perceives itself for manifestation and then reaches the thinking mind for expression (Mātaṅga). When the word fashioned by the heart and formulated by the mind is expressed, it is Mātaṅgī. The Word of pristine purity becomes colored during expression (varṇa). The speech descends from the Supreme Source, bringing into expression only part of its Glory, hence the name Ucchiṣṭa¹ Cāṇḍālī.

She is the Mantrinī of Lalitā. She represents the power of attraction of Lalitā. Her main purpose is to bring people to Lalitā-upāsanā. She is ākārṣaṇa and vaśya-pradhāna devatā. Lalitā uses this mantra to attract devotees to Her, while the devotee thinks he is attracting Lalitā to himself. This is the secret of Matangī. Her mantra has a gap in it in which is to be filled the name of the person, siddha, or God whom one wishes to attract. Without filling this gap, the mantra is not complete; it is no mantra at all.

She is pleased by mutual attractions. As in Tripurā-bhairavī, the only way to please Matangī and get Her blessings is by attracting people and enjoyments. Caste, creed, and color are no bar—She is a cāṇḍāla-kanyā. Dark in color, luscious in shape, She is cāṇḍālī. The word cāṇḍāla is also a symbol for Suṣumnā in the sandhyā-bhāṣā of Tantras. So, by cāṇḍāla-kanyā is meant the Kuṇḍalinī, besides what the name implies. Upāsanā of Matangī leads one to cut through class, caste, and color barriers. Her mantra is generally given only by a Dīkṣā Guru, because, although attraction is generally a desirable thing, indiscriminate use can create complications. So it will not be revealed here.

Matangī is Sarasvatī. Her upāsanā gives kāma, the desires, as well as their fulfilment. Even though one is involved in sensory games, one knows these are games, and one is not bound by them. She leads one naturally to the maṇḍala of Śrīcakra. For a woman, Matangī demands union with a minimum of eight Bhairavas. For a man, She demands a union with 108—the number of names in Khadgamālā. 108 is a good number; it is (1¹) × (2²) × (3³). Only then does She allow one to sāyujya with Lalitā as Herself. When one has systematically eliminated all notions of multiplicity, then duality alone remains; this also She demolishes in the end. One learns that in identity, all relations coexist. So God is your father, mother, brother, sister, wife, husband, lover, friend, enemy, son, daughter, grandsons: all in one, one in all. You can use any relationship that is convenient to you, that you are comfortable with. Two of the best relationships are those of identity and as lover, reflecting the Jñāna and Bhakti Yoga.