Her hands have no arms; her mouth has no face. She is the eyes of the blind, Mother Prachanda Chandika.
Without hands she fashions, she knows without a mind, without an eye she sees, Mother Prachanda Chandika.
She is the supreme hand of the hand, the wonderful consciousness of the mind, the eye, that is the origin of the eye, Mother Prachanda Chandika.
Though her head is cut off, she is the support of life. Though she is frightening in appearance, she is the giver of peace. Though a maiden she increases our vigor, Mother Prachanda Chandika. – Ganapati Muni, Prachanda Chandika-9-11,14.

It is the Goddess Chinnamasta, the consciousness beyond the mind. Her Sanskrit name, comprised of Chinna (meaning severed), masta (head) and Vajrayyogini (a Buddhist goddess) highlights her unique nature. She is the headless Vajrayyogini symbolizes self-sacrifice, transformation, and the transcendence of ego. She is connected with the fierce aspect of the Goddess Devi.

She symbolizes self-sacrifice and maternal love. Her confrontation with the formidable demons Chand and Mund leads her to recognize the need to preserve her strength. She severed her own head using her sword as a supreme sacrifice. From her neck, three distinct jets of blood spewed forth: one flowing into her mouth, another into the mouth of her attendants and the third serving to nourish the demons.

This sacrifice’s symbolic meaning is the goddess’s capacity to transcend her physical existence, showing her detachment from the ego and worldly pleasures. Prachanda Chandika is the fiercest form of Kali. She is the destroyer of the ultimate demon-negativity of ego. When this is destroyed, all negativity is forever eliminated.

Chinnamasta is the electric energy of transformation (Vidyut Shakti) working in the cosmos at all levels. She represents kundalini shakti.

Meditating on Chinnamasta, one can raise the kundalini from the ajna chakra. The central spurt of blood represents the flow of energy through the central channel or Sushumna. The right and left show the flows through the solar and lunar channels, the Pingala and Ida. Chinnamasta personifying the Sushumna, drinks the central stream. Varnini personifying the Pingala, drinks the right stream.

Liberated consciousness

Dakini personifying the Ida drinks the left stream. The couple below her in sexual embrace shows the inner union of the male and female energies in the psyche. Her cut off head is the liberated consciousness. Her hair is like lightning and her eyes beaming light show her direct perception of the absolute. Her sword is the power of discrimination (viveka).

Her tongue is the power of the mantra or the Divine Word. She is the great Yogini and is the Yoga Shakti in its most dramatic action. As her form is difficult to sculpt, it is rare to find except in drawings and paintings.

Chinnamasta’s mantra is Hoom. It is a combination of Shiva and Shakti Bija.

Aim Hrim Klim

Picture by Calcutta art studio –  Gemeinfrei