The Secret of Chinnamasta

1.Origin of Chinnamasta Devi

The origin of Chinnamasta is lost within Puranic antiquity. She is a deity that has always been there from when time began. She is our inner-illumination, as the goddess Shakti (powerful force), or Shachi of the Vedas.

The Tantric tale goes that Chinnamasta was approached by her two attendant Dakinis, Dakini and Varnani, as they were hungry*. In order to quench their hunger, she be-headed herself, and feed them her own blood.

This tale comes from the Vedic tale of Rishi Dadhyach Atharvana (who appears as Kabhanda Atharvana in the Brihadaranyaka – also the name of the later consort of Chinnamasta).

Dadhyach was approached by the twin-gods, the two Ashwins – known for their mystic powers or shaktis. The Ashwins are, indeed, Shaktis or lords of shakti (Rig Ved. VII.67.5). They are also the Ida and Pingala Nadis in Vedic symblolism, like the later Dakinis.

The asked him for the Soma or Madhuvidya (secret knowledge of the Soma or Madhu, the nectar of immortality and the “food”* of the Gods, Amrita). He agreed to teach (or “feed”)them (Rig Veda, I.119.9) – however, the god Indra cursed him that his head would fall off if he did so. Needless to say, he continued anyway – headless, until the Ashwins fixed the head of a horse to his body.

Dadhyach personifies Indra's Vajra or thunderbolt, whose head is cut off in order to reveal the Soma (Rig Veda.I.134.13-15). As with the grace of Chinnamasta, Dadhyach thus also grants the amrita and is lord of Soma (RV.IX.108.3), taking us to Lalita Tripurasundari, the feminine form of Soma (who is the Shaivite form, Sundara, also known as Dakshinamurti or Kameshvara).

Chinnamasta is Vajra-vairochani, the “effulgent thunderbolt”, just as Dadhyach also is. The Ashwins represent the two Shaktis, and the masters who grant all siddhis (mystic yoga powers), like the two Dakinis of Chinnamasta (their exploits and miracles are abound in the Rig Veda Samhita).

Dadhyach is also from the Bhargava (decending from Brighu Maharishi) sampradaya, or lineage. His father, Chyavana Bhargava, appears to be associated with Atharvan. His, like Dadhyach (Dadhichi), is also associated in some legends, with allowing the Ashwins to drink the Soma, in defiance of Indra.

The Atharvans and Brighus are also great fire-priests.Atharvan brings forth Agni or Fire from the lotus flower or the head of the cosmos (Rig Veda.VI.15.17, VI.16.13). Likewise, the foremost of the Brighus – Asuramaya (Ushana Kavya, Guru of the Demons) in the Rig Veda, is also the chief Seer who brings forth Agni (VIII.23.17).

Ushanas and the Atharvans are linked, for both practicing Abhichara (black magic), associating them with Danavas or demons. The Iranians also have Atharvan and Bhargava links (worshippers of Asuras). Since the Brighus (under Ushana) were revered as Asuras as they revered the Asura (Varuna) over the Deva (Indra) – and considering the correlation of this to the Atharvans and their defiance with Indra – and the fact that Zoroaster was an Atharvan/Athravan – it shows that Chayvana Bhargava was the historical Atharvana Maharishi.

It appears the Zoroastrians originally came from the Atharvana-Bhargava peoples of Gandhara (Western India), and spread into Iran. The Iranian customs and faith then, arose amongst the Asura-Seers of Western India.

Note that the Iranians note their migration from the Hapta-Hendu (Sapta-Sindhava) region of the Vedas, called Airyanam Vaejo (Arya-varta, the Abode of Aryans) – ancient India.

Hence the ancient Iranians were also a form of Tantrics, that also shared in the worship of the be-headed Goddess and her mysteries, that was later unfortunately, lost to them.

Moreover, Jamadagni Bhargava (father of Rama Bhargava or Parashurama), is noted for be-heading his wife, Renuka. She becomes also, the basis for Chinnamasta and related through to the Bhargava-Atharvana ideas of Chinnamasta and her origin.

Rama Bhargava (Parashurama) is one of the main seers in Tantra. Just as the Atharvans (in the Mundaka Upanishad and Rig Veda, as also through Atharva Veda) appear to be the former Tantric seers. Note also, in ancient Iran, that Zoroaster was an Athravan (Vedic Atharvan). A Jatusthira is mentioned in the Rig Veda (II.13.11) under a list of demons. It see’s Indra as his vanquisher – perhaps Zoroaster ( Zarathrustra).

We hence see how the Bhargavatharvana traditions, lead to the creation of Chinnamasta, as a great Goddess.

2. The Cosmic Sacrifice

Chinnamasta is, ofcourse, the Cosmic sacrifice, as the Rishi Dadhychk, who gave his body and bones up in order to salvage the universe. His bones, made into the Vajra or thunderbolt of Indra, killed the great demons such as Vritra, that threatened the existence of the Devas, lead by Indra himself.

Yet, she also relates to Vishvarupa (Cosmic form), the Triple-headed son of Tvashtar the creator-god, the son of, and sometimes identified with, Ushanas Kavya of the Brighus.

Vishvarupa is the be-headed form of Brihaspati, Guru of the Gods. In later times, he is cognate to Ganesh (Ganapati), the Cosmic Lord, son of Maya (Parvati) and of whom is the be-headed form of Brihaspati-Ganapati. Ganesh, like Vishvarupa, is well-known as representing the Cosmos.

Like Dadhyach, Indra was afraid of Vishvarupa and his teachings to the Devas, in the absence of Brihaspati, their preceptor. Hence, he be-headed the three heads of Vishvarupa (Cosmic form). Now – the three heads here, represent the three worlds (bhur, bhuvah svah), and as the Cosmos, Vishvarupa is Maya. Maya of course, is the great-goddess. Here, Vishvarupa represents Chinnamasta as the goddess Maya headless (as Chinnamasta) – his three heads representing her three streams of blood. Each head also symbolizes a granthi (knot) removed – as Chinnamasta is said to remove these three granthis or knots in Sushumna (representing the three gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra and the three worlds).

She is hence the Cosmic sacrifice. We must remove all of our desires and attachments – destroy the Universe (Maya or illusion), before we can drink her blood (drink the Soma-juice in the sahasrarapadma chakra and know the self). Soma can be expressed, simply, as “soul-food”.

There is also another form that connects them. In Chandogya Upanishad, Vishavrupa appears as Virochana (greatly effulgent). He reveres the physical body as the Self, whereas Indra see’s the inner-self as real. It hence explains why Ganesh-Dadhyach-Vishvarupa, has to be slain (beheaded), before he can realize the truth – that the Self is all-pervading and within, not the outer world of Maya as he represents.

Interestingly – we get back to the Danava idea here. Ushanas or Asuramaya is also Virochana and is again another “false Guru” of the Gods, and the basis of the Deva-Asura split again.

3. Chinnamasta and Ganesha

Chinnamasta and Ganesh are very similar, as has been previously noted, but in many ways.

Ganesha’s head was sliced off by Shiva and replaced with the head of Airavata, the elephant-mount of Indra. Chinnamasta is the force of the lightening-bolt of Indra and destroys all granthis (knots) in the body, as Ganesha is the great remover of obstacles.

Both can remove obstacles in modern-day life. They both harness the great power of the thunderbolt, and also of divine wisdom. Ganesha’s elephant head and the fact he was beheaded shows that he is also Lord of Higher Wisdom of the Self, like Chinnamasta, as the esoteric form of Brahma-Brihaspati.

Ganesha is also associated with the planet Ketu, the tail of the dragon. Chinnamasta is also related to this planet through the fact that she represents the force of Kundalini the great Serpent of Enlightenment in Yoga, and also the headless trunk, of which is Ketu.

In this respect, Ganesha can be worshipped as the Guru form of Indra as the esoteric form of Brihaspati, along with Chinnamasta and as the force of removing spiritual obstacles.

Vedic Indra is also the slayer of Vritra (obstruction). Vritras also represent the Granthis and again brings us back to the association of Ganesha and Indra as remover of obstacles.

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