TARA
This is in continuation to the earlier post on 10 Mahavidyas:
http://kamakhyabhaktlalbaba.wordpress.com/2013/03/29/test-1/
Maa Tara is the second Mahavidya, which very much resemble with Maa Kali, both Devi’s have lollinge tongue and blood oozes from their mouths. The ‘Tara’ can be distinguished from ‘Kali’ by colour of their skin. ‘Kali’ skin is dark black while that of Tara devi is blue in colour. Both have four hands but hold different things in their hands. Tata holds sacrificial sword, skull cup, a lotus and scissors, however Kali never holds a lotus or a pair of scissors.
Tara is worshipped mostly by the Tantrics in cremation ground i.e. ‘samshan’. They believe that Tara is attracted to the bones & skeletons and the cremation ground is her preferred residence. ‘Bamakhepa’ is considered as the biggest bhakt of Maa Tara who resides in the cremation ground and talks to Maa Tara & see her in physical form. Where Maa Tara appears to Bamakhepa, even today you can see the two feet of Maa Tara in Samshan of Tarapeeth in West Bengal near Rampur Ghat almost 105 kms from Calcutta.
My Experience:
I have visited Tarapeeth in West Bengal twice with my Gurubhai from Kamroop Kamakhya Shri Madhukar Ji, who is regular visitor to this peeth. In ancient times, the whole area was 150 acres of cremation ground and the mandir was in the centre of Samshan. The doors of the temples open only when the first dead body arrives for the cremation purpose.
While travelling towards Tarapeeth via Calcutta, I was thinking that it must be a ‘viraan’ place, living conditions must be tough there. But to my utter disbelief once I had reached the Tarapeeth, I saw a lot of hotels (three to four star), lodges, dharamshalas, full fledge markets. The accommodation ranges from Rs 200/- per day to Rs 5000/- per day. The cremation ground shrunk to 2.5 acres of land, where many sadhus, sadhuis, tantrics have made their huts living there permanently. It shows that wherever ‘Tara’ Devi is worshipped regularly that place can be converted from ‘Samshan’ to a place of prosperity.
Different forms of Tara:
There are two forms of Maa tara in Tarapeeth a) fierce form b) motherhood form.
Fierce Form: A three feet metal image, that the devotee normally sees, with fours arms, wearing a garland of skulls and a protruding toungue, crowned with silver crown with long flowing hair. Image wrapped in a saree and decked in red colour Gurhal & dark blue Apragita flower garlands. The forehead of the metal image is adomed with the kumkum. Priests take a pinch of the kumkum and apply it on the foreheads of the devotees as a mark of Tara’s blessings.
Motherhood Form: Once upon a time Guru Vashistha had done tapasya for nearly 10,000 years to appease Goddess ‘Tara’. The Tara pleased with Vashistha and asked him about his desire. Guru Vashista appealed to Tara to appear before him in the form of a mother sukling Lord Shiva on her breast. Tara then incarnated herself in that form and turned into a stone image. This stone image can be seen by the devotees at first aarti performed at 4:00am in the morning only. The devotees collect water from priests, which perform the bathing of Devi with Jal & other things. This jal is very miraculous in many ways.
At Kamakhya: There is no idol of Devi. Devi is in ‘Yoni’ form covered with flowers, all pujas are performed according to the ‘Vamachar’ method using Panch Makar. I have performed Tara puja on Diwali night four years back under my Guru Ji’s guidance by ‘Panchbali’ method for 4 hours from 11:30pm to 2:30pm. It was a memorable night for me.
Buddhist Sadhna: There is a temple of Tara in Tibet also, which is a must visit place of all the Buddha monks from all over the world. The Buddha tantra is very strong tantra, which started with Goddess Tara only.
Why Worship Maa Tara:
By worshiping Tara we get the following benefits such as:
- We get Siddhi i.e. supernatural power
- For getting constant flow of money in any condition, even if you spend money from both hands
- To get unexpected money in large amount from unexpected sources
- For getting good progress in business in short term
- For getting blessings from maa 'Tara' to have child, those women who can't conceive easily
Jai Maa Tara
- Lal Baba (Ashok Kumar Jha)
