Thread by @I_am_the_Story

🪔Nitya Avatars of Devi - The Devis of Kal Chakra, Rulers of Samay (Time)

🪔Do you know that in Tantra Yoga we have each day ruled by a particular Avtar of the Aadi Shakti, known as Nityas?

🪔In Ancient Vedic scriptures Tantra is said to be the outcome of the conversation between AadiMaan (Bhagwan Shiv) and AadiShakti (Devi Parvati).
Tantra means to weave or to compose, so Tantra is basically a practice of weaving the Mind and Body into a higher self. Tantra revers AadiShakti as Saguna Swarup which manifested in the form of Prakriti to create the universe by merging with Purusha (The Supreme Brahman)

🪔Let's explore the mystical world of different forms of Devi Nityas:

#SanatanaDharma #Bharat #spirituality #Hinduism

1. Devi Gita - The conversation of the Universal Creation by the Devi

Devi Gita is one of the 64 Gitas mentioned in our Vedic scriptures. It is a part of the Devi Bhagwant Puran. The composer of the Devi Bhagvat Purana Maharishi Vyas explains to his student Rishi Janamjaiya about the Himalaya Parvata and its connection with Aadi Shakti Devi herself.Devi Gita is a conversation between Aadi Shakti and King of Himalayas named "Himavat" who is called to a personification of the Himalaya mountains itself and act as guardian of the Himalayan mountains. In Devi Gita, Aadi Shakti herself describes the process of creation manifested by her Saguna Swarup and her cosmic presence in each par to of the universe.
🪔Devi Gita says: Devi Gita, Aadi Shakti herself describes the process of creation manifested by her Saguna Swarup and her cosmic presence in each par to of the universe.
🪔Devi Gita says:

🪔अधना पराभकति त परोचयमाना निबोध म ।
मदगणशरवण नितय मम नापानकीरतनम ॥
कलयाणगणरतनानामाकराया मयि सथिरम ।
चतसो वरतन चव तलधारासम सदा ॥
Meaning:Now hear attentively about the para bhakti that i am now describing to you. He who hears always my glories and recites my name and whose mind dwells always, like the incessant flow of oil, in me who is the receptacle of all auspicious qualities and guns.

🪔हतसत ततर को वापि न कदाचिदधबदपि ।
सामीपयसाषटिसायजयसालोकयाना न चषणा ॥
मतसवातोऽधिक किचिननव जानाति करहिचित ।
सवयसवकताभावातततर मोकष न वाछति ॥

Meaning:But he has not the least trace of any desire to get the fruits of his karma; yea he does not want samipya, sarsti, sayujya, and salokya and other forms of liberations! He becomes filled with devotion for me alone worships me only; knows nothing higher than to serve me and he does not want final liberation even.

🪔Devi Gita establishes the paramount nature of the Devi as AadiShakti the primordial power behind the cosmic creation which manifested into everything present in the Universe. In next parts of the thread, we will see how this omniscient, Omnipotent form of Devi or Shakti controls Kal Chakra through its different Avatars known as Nitya Devis.

1. 2. Devi Kula

The Holy text of Shakt tradition, Niruttara Tantra says:

🪔 काली तारा रक्तकलि भुवन महिषमर्दिनि | त्रिपूत त्वरिता दुर्गा विद्या प्रत्यङ्गिरा तथा || कलिकुलं स्मख्यातं श्री कुलं च परम | सुन्दरी भैरवि बाला बगला कमलापि च || धुमवती च मातङ्गि विद्या स्वप्नवती प्रिये | मधुमती महाविद्या श्री कुलं परिभाषितम ||

Meaning:The ten Devis famous as being belonging to the Kali kula, the family or group of Devi Kali are: Kali, Tara, Raktakali, Bhuvaneswari, Mahishamardini, Triputa, Tvarita, Durga, Vidya Pratyangira.

Ten Devis who belong to the Shri kula are: Tripura sundari Bhairavi Bala Bagalamukhi, Kamala, Dhumavati, Matangi, Swapnavati, Madhumati Mahavidya

DeviKula follows the form of Aadi Shakti which started creation

KaliKula follows the tradition of the "Ugra" "Aghor" swarup of the Devi which brings in destruction to end the cycle of the creation.

Hinduism has five traditions

Shaiv - Bhagwan Shiv is paramount
Shakt - Devi Shakti is paramount
Vaishnav - Bhagwan Vishnu is paramount
Smaart - Follw Puranas and Smirits and consider different forms of the god as one
Vedic - Follow Vedas and believe in Param Brahman

4. MahaVidya and DasVidyas

Mahavidya is a combination of 10 Vidya swarups of the Devi Shakti.
As per Devi Bhagwant Purana, Once Raja Daksh father of Devi Parvati hosted a yajna he did not invite Bhagwan Shiv and Mata Parvati to insult Bhagwan Shiv. When Mata Parvati came to know about the Yajna ceremony, she asked permission from the Bhagwan Shiv to attend the Yajna. Bhagwan Shiv dissuaded her from attending the Yagna by saying that Mata Parvati has not been invited. But Mata Parvati persisted that She would still go as a daughter does not require invitation to attend a ceremony hosted by her father. But Bhagwan Shiva wanted to stick to his decision, so despite insistence from Mata Parvati he tried to avoid her and tried to whisk himself away in ten different directions. Each time Bhagwan Shiv escaped, Mata Parvati appeared in a different Avtar to stop him.
So Mata Parvati manifested her Devi swarup in 10 forms known as DashVidyas.

DashVidyas are:
Das Vidyas are the called ten forms of the Truth manifested by the Mahakali the Aadi Shakti herself.

Kali - The Supreme form of Brahman and Destroyer of the time
Tara - The protector and source of all the energies
Tripura Sundari - Devi form of the beauty of three loka
Bhuvaneshvari - Matri swarup with all 14 lokas of the universe
Bhairavi - Female for of Bhairav swarup of Shiva
Chhinnamastika - Devi shakti representing the Rajas and Tamas swarups named Jaya and Vijaya
Dhumavati - Mrityu form of Devi Shakti
Bagalamukhi - Devi Shakti swarup destroying the enemies
Matangi - Tantric form of Mata Sarawati
Kamalatmika - Tantric form of Mata Laxmi

5. Nitya Swarup of Devi Tripura Sundari

As per Vedic Astronomy, The Moon has 16 kalas, or phases.
Out of these 15 are visible to us and the 16th is beyond our visibility. The 16 kalas are:
1.Amrita
2.Manada
3.Poosha
4.Tusthi
5.Pusthi
6.Rati
7.Dhruti
8.Sasichini
9.Chadrika
10.Kanta
11.Jyostna,
12.Shree
13.Preeti
14.Angada
15.Poorna
16.Poornamruta

Each Kala of Moon is ruled by a Nitya Swarup of the Devi Tripura Sundari.

Out of these, the first one, Maha Tripura sundari is the Devi para shakti herself, and the kala ruled by her is not visible to the normal mortals. Hence, we see only the other 15 kalas or phases ruled by the other nityas. In the Shri chakra these 15 Nityas are present in the innermost circle, and the Devi is in the central Bindu. These 15 Nityas rule the famous 15 letters devi mantra known as panchadasakshari Mantra.

16 Nitya Swarupa of the Devi Tripura Sundari are:
1.Maha Tripura Sundari
2.Kameswari,
3.Bhagamalini
4.Nityaklinna
5.Bherunda
6.Vanhivasini
7.Maha Vajreswari,
8.Shivadooti (Roudri)
9.Twarita
10.Kulasundari
11.Nitya,
12.Neelapataka
13.Vijaya
14.Sarvamangala
15.Jwalamalini and
16.Chidroopa or Chitra

These 15 Nityas in the form of the 15 Tithis (phases of the Moon) have two aspects each Prakashamsa, which rules the day portion of the Tithi, and Vimarshamsa, which rules the night part of the Tithi.

At night they collect the divine nectar and during the day they release it. On poornima or full moon day all the 15 Nityas are in the moon and the moon is shining brightly. On the 1st thithi after the poornima, i.e. , Pratipada, one nitya leaves the moon and goes to the sun and the moon is reduced slightly in size. On the next dwiteeya tithi another nitya leaves the moon and goes to the sun and the moon is further reduced in size. This way they leave one by one till the moon becomes totally dark on the 15th day, which is called Amavasya or the new moon day. This is known as Krishna paksha or the waning phase.

After Amavasya they return one by one on each tithi and the moon starts shining again till its full on the poornima whenthe last nitya returns to it. This is called Shukla paksha. Kameswari to Chitra are the nityas ruling the krishna paksha tithis from pratipada to Amavasya. In shukla paksha the order of the Nityas is reversed, i.e., Chitra to Kameswari. The Nitya of the Asthami or 8th Tithi, Twarita, is common and constant to both the pakshas. Hence, she adorns the crown of Devi.
One Krishna paksha and one Shukla paksha form a 30-day lunar month. 12 such months form a 360-day lunar year. Multiplied by 2 (the day and night aspects of the Nityas/Tithis) we have 720 aspects of the Nitya Devis in a year. This way, they rule the day, the night, the days, months, seasons and the years. Furthermore, each aspect of a Nitya rules 100 Naadis in our body. This way they rule the 72000 Naadis in our body, with ever changing moods and physical results in human lives.

The Nityas or eternities of Lalita represent the fifteen lunar days or Tithis of the waxing moon. Each has her own yantra, mantra, tantra and prayogas or ritual applications. The full circle of the Nityas also represents the 21,600 breaths a human being takes in a full day and night. As such, the nityas are the Kalachakra, or wheel of time. The 15 nityas are modifications of lalita with her three guns and her five elements of aether, air, fire, water and earth. As the moon remains itself, though appearing differently according to phase, so too does lalita. Each Nitya has her own vidya (that is mantra), yantra and group of energies (Shaktis).

The 15 lunar tithis, are to be regarded as identical with the fifteen nityas (kameshvari to citra). The sixteenth kala called sadakhya should be viewed as one with lalita or the supreme deity herself. In other words, one has to feel that what appears in kalacakra is nothing but an expression of what exists eternally as nityas in the supreme sri cakra itself. The tithi-cakra or the wheel of time is constantly revolving and the sri cakra is within it and not without. It should also be remembered that from the standpoint of an esoteric yogin the tithis are in the last analysis to be identified with the 21600 Shvasas (breaths) supposed to be the average number of breaths per day of a normal human being.

Hence lalita or tripurasundari is the 16th day or full moon, with her 15 digits. Each of the nityas has a certain number of arms, the totality of arms (= rays) of the whole circle being 108. Because any unit of time is taken as a parallel of any other valid unit, so each of the fifteen Nityas has 1,440 breaths. This identity between space, time, Tripurasundari and the individual is elaborated at great length in the Tantraraja Tantra Text. The Nityas are the vowels of the Sanskrit alphabet and are identical with both time and space. For example, if the number of tattvas or consonants (36) are multiplied by the 16 Nityas the number of letters is 576.

The multiples of this number provide the number of years in the different yugas. So the circle of the Matrikas and the Nityas is identical with the sidereal zodiac as well as mantra. The ancient scriptures nitya shodasarnava tantram, srividya vilasam, vamakeswara tantram, tantraraja tantra and mantra ratnakaram have specified that the 15 nityas must be worshiped in the srichakra central triangle, anticlockwise, and the 16th nitya, maha tripura sundari must be worshiped in the bindu. The worship of the nitya devis connected with the phases of the moon is an important aspect of tantriak worship.

6. Kameshvari Nitya - Ichha Devi

The first Nitya in the cycle is Kameshvari, a name which means Devi of Kama (desire). Her vidya mantra according to the Tantrarajatantra, is:

ऐं हरिम श्री आम ऐं सा का ला हरिम नित्यक्लिन्ने मदद्रावे सौह अं कामेश्वरी नित्य श्री पादुकान पूज्यमी तर्पयामि नमः।i

The tantra gives her dhyana image as red like 10 million dawn suns, having a diadem of rubies, wearing throat ornaments, necklaces, waist chains and rings. She is red, has six arms and three eyes, and bears a crescent moon, smiling softly. She holds a bow of sugar cane, flowering arrows, noose, goad, and a nectar-filled begemmed cup, showing the mudra of bestowing boons.
The five arrows of desire (kama) in the five petals are longing, maddening, kindling, enchanting and wasting. These five kamas are five forms of kamadeva, lalita as Krishna, who are Kamaraja (Hrim), Manmatha (Klim), Kandarpa (Aim), Makara (Blum) and Manobhava (Strim) with the colours yellow, white, red, purple and blue. Each of the Kamadevas has two eyes and two arms, the hands holding sugar cane bow and flowering arrows, the very form of the five elements.

7. Bhagamalini Nitya

Second Nitya is Bhagamalini Nitya. Her name refers to the flowering yoni, is the second of the cycle of the waxing moon and has a remarkable and very long vidya mantra:

ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं अम् ऐं भगबुगे भगिनी भगोदरी भगमाले भगवहे भगवागुह्ये भगयोनि भगवनिपतिनि सर्वभागवशङ्करी भगरूपे नित्यक्लिन्ने भागस्वरूपे सर्वाणी भगनी मे ह्यनाय वरदे रेते शुरे भगक्लिन्ने क्लिन्नद्रवे क्लेदया द्रवाय आमोघे भगवविचे क्षुभह क् शोभय सर्वसत्वन भगोदरी ऐं ब्लुम जें ब्लुं भें ब्लुम् मम ब्लुम् हेम ब्लुं हेम क्लीन्ने सर्वाणी भगनी मे वशमनाय स्त्रिं हर ब्लेम् ह्रीं अम् भगामालिनी नित्यं श्री पादुकं पुजयामि तर्पयामि नमः।I

She has six arms, three eyes, sits on a lotus and holds in her left hands a night water lily, a noose and a sugar cane bow and in her right a lotus, a goad and flowering arrows. Around her is a host of shaktis all of whom look like her, according to the Tantrarajatantra.

Pic Credit: ()

8. Nityaklinna Nitya

Her name means wet Nitya, or always wet. The third nitya's mantra is:

अम् ह्रीं श्रीं नित्यकालिनणे मददारवे स्वाहा इम नित्यकालिना नित्यं श्री पादुकं पूजयामि तर्पयामि नमः।I

She is surrounded by 19 shaktis, according to the Tantraraja, who are kshobhini, mohini, lila, nitya, niranjana, klinna, kledini, madanatura, madadrava, dravini, vidhana, madavila, mangala, manmatharta, manashvini, moha, amoda, manomayi, maya, manda and manovati. The Nityaklinna herself, the same tantra says, is restless with desire, smeared with red sandal paste, wears red clothes, smiles, has a half moon on her head, and holds noose, goad, cup and makes the mudra dispelling fear.

Pic Credit: (…)

9. Bherunda Nitya

Bherunda, the fourth nitya, has three eyes and eight arms, with her body the colour of molten gold, wearing beautiful ornaments on her hands, feet, arms and around her waist. She smiles sweetly with her hands holding noose, goad, shield, sword, mace, thunderbolt (vajra), bow and arrow.

The vidya mantra is:

ओम हरिम श्री मि ओम चरोम भ्रमं करों झमरौं छ्राउं जरौँ स्वाहा मि भेरुंदा नित्या श्री पादुकाँ पूज्यमी तर्पयामि नमः

Using her mantra destroys poison.

10. Vahnivasini Nitya
Vahnivasini is the fifth Nitya (eternity) in the cycle, her name meaning the dweller in fire.
Her Vidya mantra is:

ॐ हरिं वह्निवासिन्यै नमः।I

The shaktis in the eight trikonas are Jvalini, Visphulingini, Mangala, sumanohara, Kanaka, Ankita, Vishva and Vividha. In the 12 petals are the 12 signs of the Hindu (sidereal) zodiac.

11. Mahavajreshvari Nitya

6th Nitya is called MahaVajreshwari Nitya.

उं ह्रीं क्लिन्ने ऐं क्रों नित्यमदद्रवे ह्रीं उं महावज्रेश्वरी नित्या श्री पादुकं पूजयामि तर्पयामि नमः।

She is described in the tantraraja as having four arms, three eyes, garmented in red, red in colour, wearing red jewels and strewn with red flowers, wearing a crown of rubies. She sits on a throne on a golden boat which floats on an ocean of blood, and holds noose, goad, sugar cane bow and flowering arrows. She is surrounded by a host of Shaktis similar to her and sways while she smiles mercifully.

12. Duti Vidya

7th Nitya is also called Shiva Duti Nitya as she made Bhagwan Shiv her massenger (Duti). She has eight arms and three eyes

Her Vidya Mantra is

ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं शिवदत्यै नमः शिवदुतिनित्य श्री पादुकं पूजयामि तर्पयामि नमः।

13. Tvarita Nitya

Next Nitya is Tvarita (Swift). She is also called Totala Devi.

Her Vidya Mantra is:

ॐ ह्रीं हुं खे च चे क्षः स्त्रिं हुं क्षे ह्रीं फट् ।I

She is called Tvarita (swift) as she grants fruit to the sadhaka quickly. She is of auspicious form, in the first flush of youth, and dark in colour. She has 3 eyes and 4 hands and her beautiful lotus- like face smiles gently. She is clad in new leaves. She is adorned with 8 fierce and great serpents of 4 kinds, and with waist chains and anklets. On her head is a crystal crown with a crest of peacock feathers. Her arms are adorned with bangles made of beautiful peacock feathers. She has an umbrella and a banner made of peacock feathers. She wears strings of (red) gunja berries around her throat, and her breasts are smeared with red sandal and kumkum. She holds noose, goad, dispels fear, and grants boons.

In front of this goddess is a black servant carrying a mace, who is worshipped for the attainment of the desired fruit. On either side of her are her two shaktis Jaya (conquering) and Vijaya (victorious) who are like her and who carry and swing gold canes.

The 8 serpents are: Ananta & Kulika, fiery in colour, each with 1000 hoods, her ear ornaments. Vasuki & shankhapala, yellow in colour, each with 700 hoods, her upper arm bangles. Takshaka & Maha Padma, blue in colour, each with 500 hoods, her girdle. Padma & kartataka, white, each with 300 hoods, her toe ornaments. Her shaktis are humkari, khechari, chandi, chedini, kahepani, strikari, dumkari, kahemakari these are similar to the lokapalas, and the shaktis in the eight petals of the yantra.

14. KulaSundari Nitya

Her Vidya Mantra is:

ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं ऐं क्लीं सौः कुलसुन्दरी नित्या श्री पादुकं पूजयामि तर्पयामि नमः।I

She has twelve arms and six faces, says the tantraraja text. In her right hands she holds coral mala (rosary), lotus, a gem-studded pitcher, drinking cip, lemon and displays the exposition mudra. Her left hands hold book, red lotus, golden pen, garland of gems, conch shell with the last showing the boon mudra, according to the same tantra. Around her are hosts of kinnaras, yakshas, devas and gandharvas.

15. Nitya Nitya

Her Vidya Mantra is:

न बिभेति मे न बिभेति नित्य नित्यं श्री पादुकां पूजयामि तर्पयामि नमः ।I

She is like the dawn sun, ruling the saktis of the bodily dhatus (dakini, shakini, rakini etc Yogini names), dressed in red clothes and wearing rubies. She has three eyes and 12 arms and holds in her hands noose, white lotus, sugar cane bow, shield, trident, and favour mudra, goad, book, flowering arrows, sword, skull, mudra dispelling fear.

16. Nilapatka Nitya

Her Vidya Mantra is:

ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं फ्रें स्ट्रुम् क्रों अम् क्लीं ऐं ब्लुं नित्यमदद्रवे हुं फ्रें ह्रीं म् नीलपतका नित्या श्री पादुकं पुजयामि तर्पयामि नमः ।I

She is nila (sapphire) in hue with five faces and ten arms, wearing red clothes and beautiful gems. Her left hands show noose, banner, shield, horn bow, and the mudra granting gifts. Her right hands show goad, dart, sword, arrows and the mudra banishing fear. She sits on a lotus surrounded by hordes of saktis like her. She rules the yakshinis and the 64 chetakas and has an uncanny collection of siddhis or magical powers to grant to her sadhaka or sadhika, including a sword unbeatable in battle (khadga siddhi), treasure, the power to see through walls (anjana), the ability to travel miles in an instant (paduka siddhi) and many more.

17. Vijaya Nitya

Her Vidya Mantra is:

ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं भा मा रा या औं ऐं विजय नित्यं श्री पादुकां पूजयामि तर्पयामि नमः।I

She has one head and 10 arms and wears a garland of human skulls but the dhyana or meditation image in the Tantraraja differs from this. There she has five heads and 10 arms which hold conch, noose, shield, bow, white lily, discus, goad, arrows and lemon.

18. Sarvmangla Nitya

Her Vidya mantra is:

ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं स्वौं ॐ सर्वमङ्गल नित्या श्री पादुकां पूजयामि तर्पयामि नमः।I

She blesses every one of her Worshippers with auspicious results. She has two arms and one head, sits on her lotus yantra and has eyes which represent the sun and the moon, while she smiles sweetly. In her right hand she holds a citron and with the left shows the boon-giving mudra. All her 76 attendants surround her, they are solar, lunar and fiery.
She rules over the kalas (parts or digits) of the sun (12), the moon (16) and fire (10). This numbers 38 and her attendants are doubled because each is with her consort.

19. JvalaMalini Nitya

Her vidya mantra is:

ॐ नमो भगवती ज्वालामालिनी देवदेवी सर्वभूतसंहारकारिके जातवेदसी ज्वलन्ति ज्वल ज्वाला प्रज्वल प्रज्वाला ह्रीं ह्रीं हुं राम राम राम राम राम राम राम ज्वलमालिनी हुं फट् स्वाहा।I

Her name means garlanded with flames.
As the nitya of flame, she is surrounded by shaktis, each of whom resembles her and she herself has a body of flaming fire, with six faces and 12 arms. Each of her faces, each with three eyes, smile sweetly.

Her 12 hands hold noose, goad, arrow, mace, tortoise, spear, flame and she shows two mudras granting boons and dispelling fear.

The ds gives a different yantra to the tantraraja, with one of the mandalas having forty rather than 32 petals.

The shaktis and her description also show variants. She is described as sitting on a lion-seat and holds different weapons which include the damaru drum and a jar of wine.

20. Chitra Nitya

Her Vidya Mantra is:

ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं चकौं अम् चित्र नित्या श्री पादुकं पूजयामि तर्पयामि नमः।I

Her name means variegated and she wears a silk garment of different colours, has four arms, one head and holds noose, goad, and shows the gestures granting boons and dispelling fears.

21. Be very proud of your Sanatan Lineage.

Sanatan is the light and Dharma is the path.

Please share it further to spread the light of the Sanatan.

Blessings of Shri Krishna to you

Radhe Radhe

@MollyAshleySays