The Divine Mother Maa ChinnaMasta
Maa ChinnaMasta, With The Depiction Of The Divine Mother's Severed Head Facing Towards The Empty Space Above The Divine Body, Holds The Divine Mother's Severed Head In The Divine Hand Facing The Divine Mother's Own Direction. This Symbolizes The Divine Mother's Guidance To sincere devotees To look within and seek realization of the true self in order To attain spiritual liberation. It Teaches that the mind must turn inward, into the abode of pure consciousness, to realize the true self, “shiva”.
Maa ChinnaMasta Jayanti is an auspicious festival celebrated annually on shukla paksha chaturdashi of the baisakh month as per the lunar calendar by the ardent devotees and worshippers Of Maa ChinnaMasta, The Divine Mother Of Self-Sacrifice And Altruism, The Life-Giver And The Life-Taker.
Being Without Head Is A Subtle Metaphor Referring To the transcendence of identification with bodily consciousness. It Also Refers To overcoming attachment to thoughts and desires. Maa ChinnaMasta’s Detached Head Also Symbolizes the nature of pure consciousness, detached from body and mind, aligned only with the soul.
Origin Stories And Legends Of Maa ChinnaMasta
Maa ChinnaMasta Appears In Two Distinct Sets Of Legends:
• Das Maa MahaVidya’s.
• Genesis Of Maa ChinnaMasta As An Individual Form Of The Divine Mother.
1. Maa ChinnaMasta As Maa MahaVidya
In chapter 8 of the shakta mahabhagavata purana, lord shiva extolled The Glory Of The Das Maa MahaVidya’s To sage narada. He recounted The Legend Of The Emergence Of The Das Maa MahaVidya’s, The Ten Great Cosmic Wisdom Expressions Of The Divine Mother Of the universe.
According To The Legend, Maa Sati, A Manifestation Of The Divine Mother In The Form Of The Daughter of daksha and The First Consort of lord shiva, Became Enraged when The Divine Mother's father did not invite The Divine Mother and lord shiva to his yajna ceremony.
When lord shiva refused to attend, Maa Sati Decided To Remind him that The Divine Mother Was The Emanation Of The Divine Mother. With Eyes Blazing, Maa Sati Roared. lord shiva attempted to leave. To Restrain him, The Divine Mother Appeared In A Transcendent Form In Each Of The Ten Directions. In whichever direction lord shiva moved, Maa Sati Appeared In A Maa MahaVidya Form.
To his right (in the east), Maa Sati Appeared In The Fearsome Form Of Maa ChinnaMasta.
2. Maa ChinnaMasta As An Individual Form Of The Divine Mother
In the prana toshini tantra, there is a story Of The Origin Of Maa ChinnaMasta. One day Maa Parvati, The Reincarnation Of Maa Sati, Went To Bathe In the mandakini river With The Divine Mother's attendants dakini and varnini.
The Divine Mother's attendants prayed, “O Mother Of the universe, Give us food.” Upon Hearing their prayer, The Merciful Divine Mother Smiled And Severed The Divine Head With The Divine Fingernails. The Divine Head Fell Into The Divine Hand. Three Bloodstreams Emerged From The Divine Throat. The Left And Right Streams Flowed Into the mouths of The Divine Mother's attendants, And The Central Stream Flowed Into The Divine Mother's Own Mouth.
Maa Parvati Was Thereafter Venerated As Maa ChinnaMasta.
In another narration, The Divine Mother Appeared Fierce And From The Divine Body Emerged Two Shaktis who became dakini and varnini. When they requested food, The Smiling Divine Mother Severed The Divine Head And Fed Them With The Blood From The Divine Body. Afterward, The Divine Mother Replaced The Divine Mother's Head And Returned To The Divine Mother's Original Form. This occurred on the day of viraratri. Thus, Maa ChinnaMasta Emerged On viraratri.
Temples Commemorating Maa ChinnaMasta Jayanti
“Maa ChinnaMasta Jayanti” is observed annually on shukla paksha chaturdashi of the baisakhi month.
On this day, devotees decorate temples, chant mantras, and recite praises Of Maa ChinnaMasta.
Some temples dedicated To The worship Of Maa ChinnaMasta include:
• “Maa Chinnamasta Mandir” near “Maa Kamakhya Devi Mandir,” assam, india
• “Maa ChinnaMasta Mandir” in bishnupur, india
• “Maa ChinnaMasta Temple” near sati ghat, india
• “Maa Chinnamasta Mandir” near the damodar river, india
• “Maa Chinnamasta Mandir” in rajrappa, india
• A Temple For The worship Of Maa Chintpurni in himachala pradesh
• A Shrine Dedicated To Maa ChinnaMasta in ramnagar near varanasi
• A Shrine in changunarayan, nepal
• A Temple in patan, nepal