12/21/13 DHUMAVATI : The Widow Goddess

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DHUMAVATI : The Widow Goddess

MAA DHUMAVATI : The Widow Goddess

This is the seventh of the Dasa Maha Vidyas. According to Thodala Tantara Maa DHUMAVATHI

is the equivalent of Varaha Avatara.

"Dhumavathi is ugly, unsteady and angry. She is tall and wears dirty clothes. Her ears are ugly

and rough, she has long teeth, and her breasts hang down. She has along noose. She has theform of a widow. She rides in a chariot that has a banner on top decorated with a crow emblem.

Her eyes are fearsome, and her hands tremble. In one hand she holds a winnowing basket, andwith the other hand she makes the gesture of conferring boons. Her nature is rude. She is

always hungry and thirsty and looks unsatisfied. She likes to create strife, and she is always

frightful in appearance"

David Kinsley – Tantric visions of the Divine Feminine.

The above translation of one of the Dhyana Slokas of MAA DHUMAVATI depicts her as Ugly tosay the least. David Kinsley compares her to the Goddesses Jyeshta and Alakshmi.

But there is a major difference in the MAA DHUMAVATI gives boons to the Upasakas.

To understand the concept of MAA DHUMAVATI, we should look at the entire Dasa MahaVidyas. The Dasa Maha Vidyas could be classified as under:

Fearsome Goddesss representing pure power

MAA KALI

MAA TARA

MAA TRIPURA BHIRAVI

Beautiful Goddess with powerMAA LALITHA TRIPURASUNDARI

MAA BHUBANESHWARI

Goddess representing specific Siddhis

MAA BAGALAMUKHI

MAA CHINNAMASTHA

MAA MATHANGI

Goddess who is pure beauty and kindness

MAA KAMALATHMIKA

Goddess who represents Ugliness

12/21/13 DHUMAVATI : The Widow Goddess

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MAA DHUMAVATHI

The above classification is my own. Now why do we need an ugly goddess and what is the

message behind her ugliness? I believe that the relationship between MAA and her Bhaktha is

like the one between a six month old child and its mother. The child does not care whether the

mother is beautiful, ugly, rich or poor. To enable an Upasaka to develop this attitude wehave Goddesses who are beautiful and fearsome. But an Ugly goddess was also required to

drive home the point that MAA has no physical appearance and she is MAA whether the

depiction if Beautiful, Fearsome or Ugly. If I can perceive SMASANA KAALI with disheveled hair,

garland of skull etc. dancing in the burning ghat as beautiful what is the problem in imagining and

accepting MAA DHUMAVATHI. It is only a conditioning of the mind, which is able to perceive the

truth behind mere appearance. In actual live don't the people who have ugly mother love them ?

There are many ugly people in the world. Don't they make good mothers, good lovers, good

husbands, and good wives? We have a general opinion that good-looking people are good and

ugly looking people are bad. This is not true. I feel that MAA DHUMAVATHI was conceived todrive home the point that physical appearance is not the end all.

The Gayatri for MAA DHUMAVATHI is

Om Dhumavawatyai vidmahe, Samharinyai deemahi.Thanno Dhuma Praochadhayat

Here it is seen that she is called destroyer of enemies ( samharinyai).Her Mantra is a very powerful mantra, which is used to destroy enemies.

Her Mantra is

Om, Dhoom, Dhoom, Dhumavathi Swaha !!

There are many more restrictions on this mantra than any other mantra. MAA DHUMAVATHImantra is associated with Tantrics who perform Prayoga. One of the religious magazines in Tamil

had given this mantra for general worship of the public.

Kinsley mentions a temple of MAA DHUMAVATHI in Varanasi. I have visited a temple of MAA

DHUMAVATHI at Kamakhya ( Gowhati, Assam ). There is no image in the temple. All DasaMaha Vidyas have separate temples at Kamakhya, which is considered to be the most holy place

for all Sakthas.

Jai MAA !!!