Devotee:
Gurudev, in this evening hour, I offer my pranams (bows) to you and Ma Bama Tara. With your permission, Gurudev, I begin today's episode. Today, we will learn from you about Tara—a specific form of Tara known as Pratyangira.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, Pratyangira Devi.
Devotee:
You mentioned Pratyangira is a deity related to Tara. Please tell us about her, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
She is a form of Tara. One should perhaps not speak of this too much, but I will tell you. Not everyone can perform this worship. We performed the Pratyangira Hom (ritual fire sacrifice) for one full year. She is such a goddess that if she becomes displeased, she brings total ruin. If there is any injustice or misconduct and she becomes angry, she will destroy an entire lineage. On the other hand, if she is pleased with you, she will place the whole world in the palm of your hand. This is her unique nature.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
It is difficult to understand her. The Devi stands upon a corpse, with one foot placed on the head of the corpse. She has four hands. In her two right hands, she holds a trident (trishul) and a hand drum (damaru). We usually say of Maheshwari: \"Trishula damaru hastam, jata juta na manditam, Maheshwari vrisaruda, Shankara priya bhok\" (holding trident and drum, adorned with matted hair, Maheshwari seated on a bull, beloved of Shankara). She is the beloved of Shankara, the God of Gods. So, in one hand, she has the drum and in the other, the trident. For this reason, we often imagine her as Maheshwari.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
But here, the Devi is on a lion. One foot is on the skull of a corpse. In her two right hands are the drum and trident. In her two left hands, one holds a garland of human skulls (mundamala) and the other holds Ma Kali. This is a terrifying form. Just looking at the form evokes fear. She wears a garland of bones, and the garland around her neck is made of human heads. It is beautifully adorned. There is fire on her head. Fire is always burning on her head. If anything goes wrong during her worship, the Pratyangira deity can even cause the death of the practitioner. But if she is pleased with the seeker, the seeker can conquer the whole world.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Worshipping this Devi is extremely difficult. There is also a crescent moon on her head, and she is shielded by snakes over her head.
Devotee:
Five snakes?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, five snakes. You could say it is the Naga deity with five mouths—Vasuki—holding an umbrella over her head. She is surrounded by human skeletons. Her hair is matted like snakes (Naag Jata). We performed the Pratyangira Hom and rituals for a year with great fear, not knowing if Ma would be displeased. Only an extremely honest person can perform this worship; dishonest people cannot even pronounce her name. If one tries to use her name for dishonest means, she kills them.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
We consider her a specific, distinguished form of Tara. I will show you the picture. She is seated on a lion, with one foot on a human skull and skeletons. Four hands: right hands with trident and drum, left hands holding Ma Kali and a skull garland. This is her form. When we speak of Pratyangira, we mean Ma Tara herself in a special form. If a seeker worships her with devotion and at the right time every day, they become the master of immense wealth. Ma grants great prosperity. But again, if she becomes angry, she destroys the lineage. Look at the picture; you will see how formidable she is.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
From a distance, it’s hard to tell, but look closely. This is Devi Pratyangira. It is frightening to look at. On one side, she is the wife of Shiva—you could say she is Ardhanarishwara (half-man, half-woman). We worship her as Tara. Look at the five snakes on her head and the fire burning there—the leaping flames of fire. It is very terrifying. She has the moon on her head, just as Shiva does. She is adorned with garlands of human heads. Her dress is also unique; she prefers red. See the skull under her foot. She is seated on a lion with her foot on a skull.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Very few people perform this worship. One must be very careful with the rituals. We performed it for a year, and it seems Ma has accepted it. She has three main mantras used for worship. One is: \"Om Swasti No Katyayanim Aparnaswa Ha.\"
Devotee:
Gurudev, can you translate these mantras into Bengali?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, I will. \"Swasti No Katyayanim Aparnaswa Ha.\" \"Swasti No Kalim Hoom Medha Amritamayi.\" \"Swasti No Pratyangira Devata Dadhatu. Om Aing Hring Shring Hoom Phat Pratyangira Devatayai Swaha.\" These are the three mantras we use for the Hom and worship. \"Aparna\" refers to one who did not even eat a single leaf (parna) during her penance. During the Pralaya (dissolution of the world), she appears and protects the earth. The second mantra mentions \"Amritamayi\" (full of nectar). She is a form of Kali. The word \"Hoom\" is the Bija (seed) sound. For Ma Tara and Pratyangira, \"Hoom\" and \"Phat\" are used. \"Hoom\" is the sound of her roar. This sound is her origin.
Devotee:
Gurudev, I want to know one thing. In the form of the Devi you described, we see elements of both Shiva and Ma. Is Pratyangira a combination of both?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, that is absolutely correct. Looking at her, you cannot tell if she is male or female—she is a communication of both. Shiva has the drum and trident; she has them too. On the left side, she holds Ma Kali and a skull garland. She is so fierce that fire burns on her head. She wears the crescent moon of Shiva and is sheltered by the Ananta Naag (infinite snake). Her hair is the Naag Jata.
Devotee:
You said if she is satisfied, one can conquer the world or gain great wealth. But those who worship her are seekers (sadhaks); do they seek wealth?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
No, they never ask for wealth. But it is said that Ma grants it. Seekers do it because they must follow the rules of worship. We performed the great Mahamrityunjaya Yagna for a thousand days. We didn't ask for anything for ourselves. We only asked for world peace and the welfare of humanity. After the Mahamrityunjaya, one must worship a Shakti deity for a year. We chose Pratyangira.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
We did this in the temple here. Our Hom never stops. After the 1,000-day Hom, we have done another 1,000. After the Mahamrityunjaya, it is customary to perform a ritual at a Shakti Peeth (power center). We went to Kalighat and performed rituals, Gita recitations, and Chandi recitations there to satisfy the Mother. After that, we started the Pratyangira worship. As I showed you in the picture, Ma is a very \"hard\" (intense) deity. If she is pleased, it's a great thing. But if she is displeased—see the fire on her head.
Devotee:
Gurudev, it feels amazing. You introduce us and our viewers to such unknown deities. I thank you for your infinite knowledge.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
People come to me and bring many things. Look at this other picture. Someone gave this to me. What do you see? On one side is Mahakaal. Gouri became Mahakali in the lap of Mahakaal. And this deity is on Shiva; she must be Kali or perhaps Ma Durga in one of her forms. We study these, perform worship, and conduct fire rituals.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I tell people: do not bring \"Dashamahavidya\" (ten forms of the Great Wisdom) into a family home. For those living in a household, worship the household deities like Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik, Ganesh, or Durga. They do not harm the home; they blend in with the family. But some deities, if brought into a home, cause unrest. If you bring even one of the Dashamahavidya forms into a house and worship it, within a few days, your situation will worsen. Many people have come to me, listened to my advice, and given away their pictures of Tara or Kali, saying they can no longer keep them.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
These deities are best worshipped in a Shunnyagar (empty/deserted house) where no one lives, no cooking is done, and no family resides. Or in a Shhmashana (cremation ground). I worshipped in a deserted house for 22 years before moving to the cremation ground. For the Mahamrityunjaya, the cremation ground is the ideal place. In the scriptures, it is said: \"Shhmashanae prantare vapi shunnyagare bishesatah\" (in the cremation ground, in the wilderness, or especially in an empty house). Most people don't know what a Shunnyagar is—it's a dilapidated house where no daily chores like cooking or drying clothes happen. These deities love such places.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
We have completed the Pratyangira worship as well. Now we are just waiting for the call to move on. How much can one person know? We research and practice. In Tantra, there are many deities one cannot even speak of. We have worshipped ghosts, spirits, demons, and various entities part by part to satisfy them. If they are satisfied, Ma stays. If they are not, she won't. You must give food to the bhutas (spirits) before Ma. There is a ritual called Maas-Bhakta-Bali—it is food for the spirits. Otherwise, they will come and disrupt your sacrifice. So we satisfy them first, give them their share, and ask them not to disturb our worship. That is the tradition.
Devotee:
Gurudev, I offer my pranams to Ma Bama Tara and to you. With this, I conclude today's episode. Pranams, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, son. Pranams.