|
CHINNAMASTA, THE GODDESS WHO CUTS OFF HER OWN HEAD
One day Parvati went to bathe in the Mandakini River
with her two attendants, Jaya and Vijaya. After bathing,
the great goddess's color became black because she was
sexually aroused. After some time, her two attendants
asked her, "Give us some food. We are hungry." She
replied, "I shall give you food but please wait." After
awhile, again they asked her. She replied, "Please wait,
I am thinking about some matters." Waiting awhile, they
implored her, "You are the mother of the universe. A
child asks everything from her mother. The mother gives
her children not only food but also coverings for the
body. So that is why we are praying to you for food. You
are known for your mercy; please give us food." Hearing
this, the consort of Shiva told them that she would give
anything when they reached home. But again her two
attendants begged her, "We are overpowered with hunger,
O Mother of the Universe. Give us food so we may be
satisfied, O Merciful One, Bestower of Boons and
Fulfiller of Desires."
Hearing this true statement, the merciful goddess smiled
and severed her own head. As soon as she severed her
head, it fell on the palm of her left hand. Three
bloodstreams emerged from her throat; the left and right
fell respectively into the mouths of her flanking
attendants and the center one fell into her mouth.
After performing this, all were satisfied and later
returned home. (From this act) Parvati became known as
Chinnamasta.
In visual imagery, Chinnamasta is shown standing on the
copulating couple of Kamadeva and Rati, with Rati on the
top. They are shown lying on a lotus.
There are two different interpretations of this aspect
of Chinnamasta's iconography. One understands it as a
symbol of control of sexual desire, the other as a
symbol of the goddess's embodiment of sexual energy
The most common interpretation is one where she is
believed to be defeating what Kamadeva and Rati
represent, namely sexual desire and energy. In this
school of thought she signifies self-control, believed
to be the hallmark of a successful yogi.
The other, quite different interpretation states that
the presence of the copulating couple is a symbol of the
goddess being charged by their sexual energy. Just as a
lotus seat is believed to confer upon the deity seated
atop it's qualities of auspiciousness and purity,
Kamadeva and Rati impart to the Goddess standing over
them the power and energy generated by their lovemaking.
Gushing up through her body, this energy spouts out of
her headless torso to feed her devotees and also
replenish herself. Significantly here the mating couple
is not opposed to the goddess, but an integral part of
the rhythmic flow of energy making up the Chinnamasta
icon
The image of Chinnamasta is a composite one, conveying
reality as an amalgamation of sex, death, creation,
destruction and regeneration. It is stunning
representation of the fact that life, sex, and death are
an intrinsic part of the grand unified scheme that makes
up the manifested universe. The stark contrasts in this
iconographic scenario-the gruesome decapitation, the
copulating couple, the drinking of fresh blood, all
arranged in a delicate, harmonious pattern - jolt the
viewer into an awareness of the truths that life feeds
on death, is nourished by death, and necessitates death
and that the ultimate destiny of sex is to perpetuate
more life, which in turn will decay and die in order to
feed more life. As arranged in most renditions of the
icon, the lotus and the pairing couple appear to channel
a powerful life force into the goddess. The couple
enjoying sex convey an insistent, vital urge to the
goddess; they seem to pump her with energy. And at the
top, like an overflowing fountain, her blood spurts from
her severed neck, the life force leaving her, but
streaming into the mouths of her devotes (and into her
own mouth as well) to nourish and sustain them. The
cycle is starkly portrayed: life (the couple making
love), death (the decapitated goddess), and nourishment
(the flanking yoginis drinking her blood).
|
