Faceless Body
Crowns and symbols of power usually adorn the head. This signifies authority representing the pinnacle of control and influence. While many characteristics define the powerful female deity Chinnamasta, a severed head is the most defining trait. She has a fierce demeanor that suggests limitless power, motivating her followers to believe in their own liberation. Chinnamasta, as a deity, is a duality of sexual expression, viewed as an image of self-control and an embodiment of raw, untamed energy. The goddess never wears clothes, emphasizing her divine reality and connection to nature. Her skin, which is a vibrant red hibiscus color, is revered in the rituals dedicated to Kali. This veneration covertly implies a shared connection between deities. As a visual aid, Chinnamasta assists in the practice of contemplation, facilitating deeper introspection about nature.
Fig 1. Chinnamasta by Nainsukh of Guler. 1740 gouache and gold on paper
Fig 2. Chinnamastha Devi 1850
Sanguine Mother
Ten cosmic forms, known as the Mahavidya, are worshipped as embodiments of the Divine Mother. Chinnamasta is one of the ten representations. She points out that death is necessary for life to continue. The iconography functions as a guide, encouraging viewers to explore their internal world by relating to each figure in the formula. It was the intense hunger experienced by the Parvati’s two attendants, Dakini and Varnini, that led to the emergence of the decapitated goddess. The relentless insistence and thirst of Parvati’s yoginis drove the goddess to adopt the wrathful form of Chinnamasta. In this role, she surrenders herself as a sacrificial offering, holding her severed head in her left hand. She drinks from one of her own three streams of blood pouring from her neck. Dakini and Varnini, her attendants, stand beside her, each nursing one of the blood flows. Cutting through mental constructs and delusions is necessary for slaughter. Popular western comparisons are visually subtle but emotionally just as intense. Christ’s body and blood share a noticeable similarity. Odin, known for his association with the gallows, demonstrates these sacrificial qualities by willingly undergoing a personal sacrifice. He taps into the severed head of Mímir, a powerful symbol of the collective unconscious, embodying his mystical connection to the realm of the dead.
Fig 3. The Tantrik Sadhana of Mahavidya Chinnamasta. Watercolor On Paper. Artist Kailash Raj
Parvati Before the Shift
Parvati is the god Shiva’s Shakti, embodying the divine energy and power that complements his role in the cosmos. Shakti is the personified essence of the force that regulates and sustains the universe. She embodies both the nurturing spirit of a mother and the potent forces of the universe and fertility. She provides Shiva with his energy, making him whole. A common metaphor for this energy is a serpent, referred to as kundalini. Parvati’s archetype transcends the basic portrayal of a wife and involves a broader cosmic role, embodying the force that ignites and perpetuates life. Many Shaivite traditions hold Parvati as an example of devotion, seeing her as Shiva’s grace personified, crucial for the spiritual freedom of both Shiva and Shakti devotees.
Fig 4. Chinnamasta above Kama and Rati on a lotus flower. 18th century Nepalese painting
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