GODDESS MATANGI

Matangi is the Hindu Goddess of Inner Thought and Wisdom. This means she oversees the spoken word as she mystically presides over the more mystic inner kind of knowledge. Matangi is the ninth among the Dasa Maha Vidyas and is their doorkeeper but she is a primary form as the all powerful Goddess. As the highest truth, she is not bound by caste regulations or rules. She is described as the Dark One, a form of Saraswathi, incarnated as the daughter of Matang Rishi, a chandal who resisted the caste system and achieved brahimhood through karma. She worshiped Indra and later Goddess Saraswathi and became his daughter. In the mythic cycle of Daksha yajna, she appears as a manifestation of Sati, wife of Lord Siva and the Daksha’s daughter.

Lord Siva is also known as Matang. His Shakti or power is called Matangi. The goddess has dark emerald complexion and possesses a disc of a moon on her forehead. The three-eyed goddess is seated on the crown decorated with jewels. Her eyes are intoxicated. She is sixteen with a full breast and slim waist. Below her navel are three horizontal folds of skin. Her luster is like a blue lotus and is destroyer like forest fire. In each of her four hands, she has a noose, a mace, an axe and a hook.

She is a destroyer of the demons by enchanting them first with her beauty and fulfiller of every desire of her devotees. At times she is seen seated on a corpse, holding a skull and a bowl of blood and untidy long hair. She is sometimes depicted with dark green skin and three eyes and holds a parrot and a jewel encrusted veena. This is the same musical instrument as Saraswathi. Matangi is surroundered by nature especially birds, green and red parrots which represent a guru.

In mythology, Matangi is associated with Ucchista Matangini, the Goddess who loves pollution explained by her origins. Once Lord Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi visited Lord Siva and Parvathi. The guests made food offerings, which while being tasted dropped to the floor. Ucchista means spittle defiled or polluted. From this prasada evolved a maiden known as Ucchista Matangini.

Matangi is also associated with Tantra. Pranatosini Tantra traces the origin of Matangini. Once Parvathi left Siva and did not return for some time. Siva disguised himself as an ornament maker and tested her faithfulness. Parvathi did not give in but became furious. Later Parvathi disguised herself as a huntress. Siva was so impressed and turned himself as a chandala. They made love and the goddess requested that they make love in the form of chandala for this form to last forever as Uccista-Chandalini. In Svatantra Tantra legend, sage Matanga assumed austerities to suppress all creatures. After a considerable period, Goddess Tripurasundari appeared and emitted rays from her eyes from which Kali emerged with a greenish complexion and took the form of Raja-Matangini. Thus creatures were all brought under control.

Matangi is the advisor to Goddess Tripura Sundari who summons her to attain command over speech and knowledge. It is said that Matangi manifests Herself as Goddess Meenakshi Amman at Madurai. She is also worshipped as Ellama and this is connected to the myth of Parasurama placing the head of Renuka on a recluse woman. Renuka was the daughter of Renu. She was married to sage Jamadagni and their son was Parasurama. (Renuka-Ellamma would be posted under separate cover) Thus Matangi appears in varying conceptions. Her dhyanas too are diverse: Her complexion can range from white to depict Tantric Saraswathi; brown or black to depict tribal chandala or green as Madurai Meenakshi. She also personifies as Shyamala or Kali.

Goddess Matangi is the embodiment of thought. As Divine Speech, She is the Goddess of the spoken word as well as outward articulation of inner knowledge, including all forms of art, music and dance. Matangi relates to Saraswati, the Goddess of wisdom and knowledge. She is the form of Saraswati directed towards inner knowledge. She represents the teachings of the guru, and the continuity of spiritual instruction in the world. By honouring her, we also honour the guru. Those seeking to teach others should seek the grace of Matangi.

She is the cosmic power that makes a householder’s life comfortable by granting the principle objects of a householder – dharma, artha, kama and moksha. She is the goddess of beauty, marriage, happy life and material gains. The devotees of Matangi is known to be blessed with

Her grace of proficiency in poetry, music, dancing and the fine-arts in their chosen field.

Goddess Matangi is associated with the full moon, the ‘night of intoxication.’ The Mahavidyas represent some or other manifestation of the Divine Mother. They are in this sense also to be regarded as Vidyas or different approaches to tantric knowledge. Matangi resides in the Throat Chakra and radiant like the moon. This is the centre of speech.

She is the manifest form of song, and the vibratory sound, Nada, that flows in the subtle channels, ‘nadis’, down through our entire body and mind. There is a special ‘nadi’ or channel that runs from the Third Eye to the tip of the tongue, which relates to Her. This is the stream of inspiration from the mind to its expression via speech. Matangi represents the flow of Bliss through this channel, which is experienced by the creators of great literary, poetic and other artistic work, resulting in brilliant expressions of creativity.

Om Hrim Klim Hum Matangyai Phat Svaha. Hari Om