This article contains Indic text. Without rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes or other symbols instead of Indic characters; or irregular vowel positioning and a lack of conjuncts.

Tara Devanagari: तार Affiliation: Devi, Mahavidyas Weapon: Vary, but always at least a sword Consort: Shiva Mount: Shiva in inert or corpselike form

In Hinduism, the Goddess Tara (Sanskrit: Tāra, Devanagari: तार) meaning "star" is the second of the Dasa (ten) Mahavidyas or "Great Wisdom(Goddesse)s", Tantric manifestations of Mahadevi, Kali or Parvati. As the star is seen as a beautiful but perpetually self-combusting thing, so Tara is perceived at core as the absolute, unquenchable hunger that propels all life. Image File history File links Example. ... The Brahmic family is a family of abugidas (writing systems) used in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Tibet, Mongolia, Manchuria. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... It has been suggested that Shri Vidya be merged into this article or section. ... In Hinduism, the ten mahavidyas (Great Wisdoms) are aspects of Devi. ... Shiva (also spelled Siva; Sanskrit ) is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. ... Shiva (also spelled Siva; Sanskrit ) is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. ... White Tara Tara or Arya Tara, also known as Jetsun Dolma in Tibetan, is a female Buddha typically associated with Buddhist tantra practice as preserved in Tibetan Buddhism. ... Hinduism (known as in modern Indian languages[1]) is a religious tradition[2] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... Goddesses are an integral part of Hinduism, and the worship of goddesses is a significant aspect of Hindu religion. ... The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... Rigveda manuscript in Devanagari (early 19th century) DevanāgarÄ« (देवनागरी — in English pronounced ) (ISCII – IS13194:1991) [1] is an abugida alphabet used to write several Indian languages, including Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, Kashmiri, Sindhi, Bihari, Bhili, Konkani, Bhojpuri and Nepali from Nepal. ... In Hinduism, the ten mahavidyas (Great Wisdoms) are aspects of Devi. ... It has been suggested that Tantras be merged into this article or section. ... 1: In Hinduism, Devi (goddess) is the personification of the supreme God as the Divine Mother of Hinduism. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ...

In the Hindu epic The Ramayana, Tara is the name of Vali's queen. Vali is the monkey king who is killed by Rama, at the behest of his brother Sugriva. For the television series by Ramanand Sagar, see Ramayan (TV series). ... In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Vali was the monkey-King of Kishkindha, a son of Indra and the elder brother of Sugriva. ... Rama ( in IAST, in Devanāgarī) or Ramachandra is a legendary or historical king of ancient India. ... In Hinduism, Sugriva was the younger brother of Vali. ...

Origin

The oral tradition gives an intriguing origin to the goddess Tara. The legend begins with the churning of the ocean between the Devas (Hindu Gods) and Asuras (Hindu Demons). Lord Shiva drank the poison that was created from the churning of the ocean (in the process turning his throat blue and earning him the epithet Nilakantha), thus saving the world from destruction, but fell unconscious under its powerful effect. Tara Ma appeared and took Shiva on her lap. She suckled him, the milk from her breasts counteracting the poison, and he recovered. This story is reminiscent of the one in which Shiva stops the rampaging Kali by becoming an infant. Seeing the child, Kali's maternal instinct comes to the fore, and she becomes quiet and nurses the infant Shiva. In both cases, Shiva assumes the position of an infant vis-à-vis the Goddess. In Hinduism, Samudra manthan (Devanagari: समुद्र मंथन) or The churning of the ocean of milk is one of the most famous episodes in the Puranas and is celebrated in a major way every twelve years in the festival known as Kumbha Mela. ... A Deva, in Hinduism, is a deity, controlling forces of nature such as fire, air, etc. ... In Hindu mythology, the Asura are a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes misleadingly referred to as demons. ... The demon Satan In folklore, mythology, and religion, a demon is a supernatural being that is generally described as an evil spirit, but is also depicted to be good in some instances. ... Shiva (also spelled Siva; Sanskrit ) is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. ... Shiva (IAST: , also spelled Siva; Hindi, Shiv) is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...

Iconography

The similarities in appearances between Kali and Tara are striking and unmistakable. They both are described as standing upon a supine Shiva in inert or corpselike form. However, while Kali is described as black, Tara is described as blue. Both wear minimal clothing, however Tara wears a tiger skin skirt, while Kali wears only a girdle of severed human arms. Both wear a necklace of severed human heads and the previously mentioned girdle of arms. Both have a lolling tongue, and blood oozes from their mouths. Their appearances are so strikingly similar that it is easy to mistake one for the other. Indeed, they are often said to be manifestations of each other; for example, in their thousand-name hymns they share many epithets as well as having each others names. Tara, for example, is called Kalika, Ugra-kali, Mahakali, and Bhadra-kali. Tara is said to be more approachable to the devotee (Bhakta) or Tantrika because of her maternal instincts; however a large population of Bengali Hindus approach Kali herself as "Ma" or "mother". Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Historical distribution of tigers (pale yellow) and 2006 (green). ... We learn more of Durgas legends and myths from the Kalika Purana. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Kali. ... Devotion in Christianity can mean time spent alone or in a small group of people reading and studying the Bible in a way as it relates to ones spiritual health and well being. ... Bhakta is a Hindu term for a person who practices bhakti, that is loving devotion for God. ... It has been suggested that Tantras be merged into this article or section. ... The Bengali people are the ethnic community from Bengal (divided between India and Bangladesh) on the Indian subcontinent with a history dating back four millennia. ...

Like Kali, furthermore, Tara in her Hindu context enjoys blood. In her hymn of a hundred names from the Mundamala-tantra, she is called "She Who Likes Blood", "She Who Is Smeared with Blood" and "She Who Enjoys Blood Sacrifice". The Tara-tantra describes Tara's delight in both animal and human blood but says that the latter is more pleasing to her. The blood of devotees is to be taken from specified parts of the body, such as the forehead, hands, breasts, head, or area between the eyebrows; some of these areas may correspond to the different chakras, spiritual centers within the body.

Tara can be distinguished visually from Kali primarily via her implements. Four armed, she carries a sacrificial sword, a severed head or skull cup, a lotus and scissors. Kali never holds a lotus or a pair of scissors. Swiss longsword, 15th or 16th century Look up Sword in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Lotus has many definitions. ...

The murti at the Tara Ma mandir in the village of Tarapith, a highly important Tantric site for Bengali Shaktas (and highly contested as to whether or not it is truly a Shakti Pitha; scholarly evidence points towards no), is mostly covered by Garlands of flowers. This image has several unusual features. It is made of a silver metal, depicts Tara with the lower half of her face covered in blood, and Her feet are in front of Her image in a severed fashion as if they had been cut off; there is a red circle with a white one in the middle of it suggesting a leg bone. Bronze Chola murti depicting Shivas most famous dancing posture, the Nataraja, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. ... The Gopuram of temples, in south India, are adorned with colourful icons depicting a particular story surrounding the temples deity. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Shaktism is a denomination of Hinduism that worships Shakti, the Divine Mother, in all of her forms whilst not rejecting the importance of masculine and neuter divinity. ... Shakti Peethis a place where the temple of Godess Durga or Shakti has special mytholpgical significance. ...

This is less mysterious when the truth of the matter is revealed; the murti is in fact a composite one which covers the actual Deity: a stone said to be worshipped for 5,000 years by the Pujaris at the temple. This is an example of a "self formed" Deity in that it was discovered and worshipped as a protector of the village, which was in former times known as Chandipur. The stone is vaguely in the shape of a mother suckling a child - this is said to be the infant Shiva at the breast of Tara. Most devotees will not have a chance to see the actual deity, as there are only 15 or so minutes of Darshan or viewing of the stone at 4:30AM when the temple opens and only the first lucky few will be admitted into the sanctum sanctorum to see the stone. Look up deity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Pujari is an Indian surname which means priest. In Rajput society, Pujaris traditionally belonged to the priestly class in the Kshatriya community. ... A view of the Chandipur beach during high-tide Chandipur also known as Chandipur-on-sea is a small sea resort in Balasore District, Orissa, India. ... Darshan is a Sanskrit and Hindu (also used to some extent in Urdu) term meaning sight (in the sense of an instance of seeing something or somebody), vision, apparition, or a glimpse. ... The sanctum sanctorum is the area inside a Hindu temple complex where the main deity is installed. ...

Unlike most Indian villages and towns, the smashan or cremation ground is not situated on the periphery of the village. As cremation grounds are seen to be polluting, most Indian smashans are located far from the center of town. Both the Tarapith mandir and smashan are very close (within 100 yards or so) to the center of the town. It is said that Tara Ma's footprints are preserved in the smashan; this is a common theme in Hinduism, where deities or their especially holy followers are said to leave their footprints in rocks. Such is the case in various parts of India with Vishnu's Avataras and the Yogi/Guru/Deva Dattatreya at the banks of the Ganges river in Varanasi. Many Sadhus and Tantrikas live in the smashan, some with permanent huts as residences. The smashan is filled with dogs, traditionally polluting animals who were said to share food with the Vamamarga saint Bamakhepa, whose Samadhi or tomb is located next door to the main Tarapith temple. Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari ), (honorific: Sri Vishnu) also known as Narayana is the Supreme Being or Ultimate Reality for Vaishnavas and a manifestation of Brahman in the Advaita or Smarta traditions. ... See Avatar (disambiguation) for other meanings. ... It has been suggested that yogin be merged into this article or section. ... A Guru (Sanskrit: ), is a teacher in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, as well as in many new religious movements. ... In the Natha tradition, Dattatreya is recognized as an Avatar or incarnation of the Lord Shiva and as the Adi-Guru (First Teacher) of the Adi-Nath sampradaya of the Nathas. ... “Ganga” redirects here. ... , Vārāasī ( , Hindi: , IPA: ), also known as Benares, Banaras, or Benaras ( , Hindi: , , IPA: ), or Kashi or Kasi ( , Hindi: , ), is a famous Hindu holy city situated on the banks of the river Ganges (Ganga) in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ... The tone of this article is inappropriate for an encyclopedia. ... It has been suggested that Tantras be merged into this article or section. ... Samadhi (Sanskrit, lit. ...

Mantra

OM TĀRE TUTTĀRE TURE SVĀHĀ

The dhyana mantra of Tara in her form as Nila-saraswati in the Tantrasara is as follows. Dhyāna is a term in Sanskrit which refers to a type or aspect of meditation. ... In Tibet, many Buddhists carve mantras into rocks as a form of devotion. ... The Tantrasara is a work attributed to Abhinavagupta, the most famous historical proponent of the Trika or Kashmir Shaivism philosophy of Hinduism. ...

I bow to you mother Nilasarasvati. You give well-being and auspiciousness. You are situated on the heart of a corpse and are advancing aggressively. You have three fearful, bright eyes. You carry a skull bowl, scissors and a sword. Your form shines like a blazing fire. Give me refuge. Give me golden speech. Please let your gracious nectar drench my heart, remover of pride. You wear a tiger skin as a skirt and a garland of chopped off heads. You are frightening and remove fear.

See also

Hinduism Portal

• Tarapith
• Mahavidyas
• Shaktism
• Tantra
• Kali
• Tara in Buddhism

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In Hinduism, the ten mahavidyas (Great Wisdoms) are aspects of Devi. ... Shiva and Shakti as One Shaktism is a denomination of Hinduism that worships Shakti, or Devi Mata -- the Hindu name for the Great Divine Mother -- in all of her forms whilst not rejecting the importance of masculine and neuter divinity (which are however deemed to be inactive in the absence... It has been suggested that Tantras be merged into this article or section. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... White Tara Tara or Arya Tara, also known as Jetsun Dolma in Tibetan, is a female Buddha typically associated with Buddhist tantra practice as preserved in Tibetan Buddhism. ...

References

• Banerjee, Sumanta (2002). Logic in a Popular Form: Essays on Popular Religion in Bengal. Seagull Books. ISBN 8170461626. 
• Kinsley, David R. (1988). Hindu Goddesses:Visions of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Reigious Tradition. University of California Press. ISBN 0520063392. 
• Kinsley, David R. (1997). Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine: The Ten Mahāvidyās. New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-0520204997. 
• MacDaniel, June (2004). Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls: Popular Goddess Worship in West Bengal. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195167902. 
• MacDaniel, June (1989). The Madness of the Saints: Ecstatic Religion in Bengal. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0226557235. 
• Shankaranarayanan, Sri (1972). The Ten Great Cosmic Powers. Dipti Publications. ISBN 8185208387. 
• Svoboda, Robert E. Aghora: at the Left Hand of God. ISBN 0-914732-21-8. 
• Svoboda, Robert E. Aghora II: Kundalini. ISBN 0-914-73231-5. 
• Svoboda, Robert E. Aghora III: The Law of Karma. ISBN 0-914-73237-4. 
• A Short Biography of Vamaksepa

Seagull Books is a small press begun by Navin Kishore, operating in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) that specialises in books on theatre and film, and translations. ... University of California Press, also known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. ... Motilal Banarsidass is a leading Indian publishing house on Sanskrit and Indology since 1903 located in Delhi, India. ... Oxford University Press (OUP) is a highly-respected publishing house and a department of the University of Oxford in England. ... The University of Chicago Press is the largest university press in the U.S. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including The Chicago Manual of Style, dozens of academic journals including Critical Inquiry, and a wide array of texts covering...

External links

• Tara in the Hindu tantric tradition
• Birbhum District India's official website for Tarapith