365bet娱乐

Meaning. Matrika in the dictionary means a mother, a grandmother, a nurse etc... the suffix 'Ka' to the word indicates tenderness, delicacy etc... The source word for this is Matr which means a mother, in plural it is used as an epithet of the divine mothers said to attend on Siva but usually on Skanda. They are usually said to be eight. some 263

Chapter 3. Minor goddesses opine them to be seven in number and according to others there are sixteen in number 24 245 Another source for the origin of the word Matrka is spoken 246 as from Mata or the one who gives birth. Upamata is also derived from Mata and it means the one who suckles without giving birth. The Matrka goddesses are inferior goddesses who are popular in the world as lokamata the exact number of these Matrika's varies and is not fixed. The minimum number is seven which is seen increasing as seven, eight, nine, sixteen, fifty-two, one hundred and ninety, and so on. 264 The most favorite number of the group goddesses is seven and as such can be related to have an affinity of such seven sisters or mothers with the popular motifs of the Saptamatrka and seven sister maidens in Indian belief or the seven mothers with the popular motif of the SaptaMatrika and seven sister maidens in Indian belief Repeated Occurances. The earliest reference to the virgin group occurs in the Rigveda The Rigveda makes mention of plural goddesses or maids often counted as three, seven or ten and are collectively called 245 The Students Sanskrit English Dictionary P.434 246 Bharatiya Sanskriti Kosa Vol. VII P. 296

Chapter 3. Minor goddesses either as mothers, sisters or virgins. Among themselves, they have no independent function or names. These goddesses group are associated with Agni as his sisters or mothers, who are mostly seven in number. Agni is spoken of as having three mothers 247. This group also indirectly refers to the triad of goddesses 248 viz- Ila, Sarasvati and Bharati where Agni is the son of Ila. The seven red sisters associated with Agni are mentioned in the Rigveda 249, Sayana interprets them as the seven tongues or flames of Agni, which are given separate names in the later vedic texts 250 they sometimes signify the rivers or sacred streams² These seven maiden sisters are invoked in a 251 charm against the poison or a snake bite 252. The next valuable reference is the Indus valley the Harappan seals. There is a seal of a tree Goddess or a spirit, in a Pepal-tree appearing to a kneeling worshipper behind whom stands a goat with a human face. Below are seven votaries or ministrants each dressed in a short kilt and wearing a long pigtail and a spray of leaves or feathers in hair. The Tree spirit is apparently nude but has a pair of horns between which is a projection which was probably intended 247 Rigveda III.56.5. 248 Rigveda III.29.3 249 Rigveda X.5.5 250 Mundaka Upanishad 1.2.4 251 Rigveda I.72.8, VIII.85.1, IX.102.4 252 Rigveda I.191.14, 1.164.3, VII.66.15, VIII.41.2, X.5.5, IX.102.4 265

Chapter 3. Minor goddesses to represent a spring of foliage similar to that worn by the deities. The worshipper has a similar headdress and like the goddess and the seven ministrants is adorned with many bangles. Origin. Once the asura Andhaka attacks Kailasa and therefore Siva fights with him. In the battle that ensues, Andhaka is severely wounded and blood oozes out from the different parts of the body. Out of the asuric-blood numerous asuras spring out. These asuras are all similar to Andhaka. Siva to counter these asuras creates one hundred and ninety matrkaganas from his body who lap-up the blood of the asura. But, they are not able to check the cloning of the asura. Visnu creates the matrka known as Suska-revati who laps the asura dry. The function of the matrrka Suska-revati is similar to that of the goddess Kali who laps up the blood of the demon Raktabija in the battle field 253. Once the mission is accomplished the one hundred and ninety-one matrkas wander all over and for food and start eating all life forms on earth leading to the destruction of life on earth. Siva again creates another Matrika known as Aghoramatrka. Visnu too created a few more matrkas. These matrkas with Aghoramatrka at the lead destroyed and 253 DM VIII.52. 266

Chapter 3. Minor goddesses consumed the one hundred and ninety-one matrka s and thus checked their destruction work 254. According to the DM 255 in the course of fight with the asura brothers Sumbha and Nisumbha, the energies of the different gods issued out to assist the goddesses in her course of fight. These goddesses are stated to assist the goddess in R her fight against the asura raktabija. They assumed the form of their spouses and took their typical accessories and mounts. The Pancamatrikas or five mothers are said to originate from the five letters of the Pancaksaras 256 Matrkas - names. 267 According to ApteV.S. the names of the eight mothers or the Astamatrika's are Brahmi, Maheswari, candi, Varahi,, only Kaumari and Camunda and Carcika 257. But according to the Seven tradition in South India, Candi is replaced by Aindri and Carcika by Mahalaksmi. Further, the names of the seven mothers is listed as follows- Brahmi, Maheswari, Kaumari, Vaisnavi, Mahendri, Varahi and Camunda 258 254 Bharatiya Sanskriti Kosa Vol. VII P.296 255 DM 8.13. 256 Shiva-purana Videswara samhita 11.21. 257 The Students Sanskrit English Dictionary P.434 258 The Students Sanskrit English Dictionary P.434

Chapter 3. Minor goddesses In the Abhilashitartha Chintamani 259, the names of the seven matrkas are as " follows - Brahmani, Vaisnavi, Maheswari, Kaumari, Varahi, Vasavi, and Narasimhi. Here, Aindri is known as Vasavi and Camunda is replaced by Narasimhi. The list given in the Meghaduta has seven matrka goddesses as followsBrahmi Maheswari, Kaumari, Vaisnavi, Varahi, Mahendri and Camunda 260. 268 261 The nine matrkas 20 are as follows - Brahmi, Raudri, varahi, -> Narasimhi, Mahendri, Camunda and Candika. g only Seven The sixteen matrkas²62 are Gauri, Padma, Saci, Medha, Savitri, Jaya, Vijaya, Devasena, Swadha, Swaha, Mata, Lokamata, Dhrthi, Tusti, Pusti and Atmadevi. The fifty-two matrkas are the source mothers of the fifty-two letters in sanskrit and are known as aksaramatrkas. These matrkas play a very important role in tantra worship. The goddess is conceived to be in the form of the matrka 259 Abhilashitartha Chintamani 3.1.836. 260 Meghaduta P.48-54. 261 Bharatiya Sanskriti Kosa Vol. VII P.296 262 Bharatiya Sanskriti Kosa Vol. VII P.296

Chapter 3. Minor goddesses matrkas. By the permutation and combination of the matrkaksaras, their number varies. In the tantra worship, the most important and vital nyasa which the saadhaka has to perform is the matrka-nyasa. After the nyasa, the worship major commences after that only. The Kali-purana states that, all the consonants and vowels with the syllable of Visnu i.e. 'HUM' as the first and adored with the candra and the bindu are the matrika-mantras. The Matrika are the mothers of all sounds 263 The Sarada-Tilaka-Tantram speaks of the creation as the manifestation of the spoken word and lists out fifty names each of Siva 264 and of Visnu 265 which correspond to the fifty matrka letters and are of their form too. The Sri-vidyarnava-tantra all the mantras of the goddess are known as Matrkas. Thus we have Ravimatrka, Trisaktimatrka, Kalimatrka, Sambhavimatrka, Kalaratrimatrka etc... such fifty matrkas. The popular tantric Dasamahavidya goddesses are alo called as matrkas in the work 266. 263 Umanandanath, Nityotsava gaekwad oriental series no.30 264 Sharadatilaka-tantra II.29-35. 265 Sharadatilaka-tantra II.45-56. 266 Sri-vidyarnava-tantra III-Matrkam mantravigraham. 269

Chapter 3. Minor goddesses In the persual of the field work taken as part of the research, generally a row of seven figures were observed in certain temples. these were the sculptutes of the seven matrkas. They are as followsBrahmi, Mahesvari, Kaumari, Vaisnavi, Varahi, Aindri and Camunda. Seven Matrkas source Karapattur Village There is a Sricakra at the famous temple of goddess Kamaksi at Kanchi in Tamil Nadu. This Sricakra acccording to tradition has been drawn and consecrated by Sri Sankaracarya himself. This is a unique Sricakra as it has a 'Yoni' like covering around it similar to the one around the phallic emblem of Siva. On the inner side of this covering, facing the Sricakra, the eight Matrikas are depicted as if protecting the eight directions and bestowing grace on the saadhaka. 270

Chapter 3. Minor goddesses The Abhilashitartha Chintamani simply lists the names of the seven mothers and adds that, while making a picture or idol of the seven mothers, care should be taken that they are in their typical form and along with their weapons and mounts 267. The iconographical details are not mentioned. The specific days of worship to the Matrkas are however mentioned. The Meghaduta gives the detailed iconographic description of the deities. This is supplemented by the DM. The individual description of the popular seven Matrikas is as follows-