Rāja Mātaṅgi Meditation
Śrī Rāja Mātaṅgī Devī, who emerged out of the sugarcane bow of Śrī Lalitha, was made the prime minister. There was a special charka (chariot) for her to ride - the Geya charka. The chariot had seven tiers, like the seven notes in music and the charioteer was Hasanti Śyāmālā Devī. The devatas seated around her in her chariot are Manmatha with his wives Rati and Prīti, his five forms and his five arrows. Also found are the sixteen virgins (kanyakas), the eight pair of bhairavas and matṛkas. The Dhanurveda (deity of warfare) took a form and presented to her the Bow called Brahma siras. She was praised with 16 names on her march to war, which is found in the ritual manuals. During the war when Visukra engaged in magical warfare by throwing a vighna yantra, she along with Varahi were not affected and prayed to Śrī Lalitha to remove this obstacle. Again on the third day of battle, she engaged with Visukra (The enemy prime minister) and severed his head with an arrow from the above bow. Her Geya chakra was always moving in step with Śrī Chakra and Kiri (of Śrī Vārāhī).
मातङ्गीं भूषिताङ्गीं मधुमद मुदितां नीपमालाढ्यवेणींसद्वीणां शोणचेलां मृगमदतिलकां इन्दुरेखा-वतंसां |
कर्णोद्यच्छङ्खपत्रां स्मित मधुरदृशा साधकस्येष्टधात्रींध्यायेद्देवीं शुकाभां शुकमखिल कलारूपम् अस्याश्च पार्श्वे ||
మాతంగీం భూషితాంగీం మధుమద ముదితాం నీపమాలాఢ్యవేణీంసద్వీణాం శోణచేలాం మృగమదతిలకాం ఇందురేఖా-వతంసాం /కర్ణోద్యచ్ఛంఖపత్రాం స్మిత మధురదృశా సాధకస్యేష్టధాత్రీంధ్యాయేద్దేవీం శుకాభాం శుకమఖిల కలారూపం అస్యాశ్చ పార్శ్వే //
mātaṅgīṁ bhūṣitāṅgīṁ madhumada muditāṁ nīpamālāḍhyaveṇīṁ
sadvīṇāṁ śoṇacelāṁ mṛgamadatilakāṁ indurekhā-vataṁsāṁ /
karṇodyacchaṅkhapatrāṁ smita madhuradṛśā sādhakasyeṣṭadhātrīṁ
dhyāyeddevīṁ śukābhāṁ śukamakhila kalārūpam asyāśca pārśve //
mātaṅgīṃ = Mātaṅgī Devī; bhūṣitāṅgīṃ = adorned with jewels; madhumada+ muditāṃ = (with) sweet intoxicated smile (in Her lips); nīpa+mālāḍhya+veṇīṃ = wearing a garland of nipa (Kadamba) flowers in Her tresses (hair); sadvīṇāṃ = holding the stringed instrument (vīṇa); śoṇa+celāṃ = wearing red coloured garments; mṛgamada+tilakāṃ = having a musk mark on Her forehead; indurekhā+vataṃsāṃ = a mooncrescent (in Her crown); karṇodyat + śaṅkha + patrāṃ = (wearing) bright conch shell as earrings; smita+ madhura+dṛśā = with Her sweet glances; sādhakasya iṣṭa+dhātrīṃ = bestowing upon the sādhaka his wishes; dhyāyet devīṃ = I meditate on Devī; śukābhāṃ = in the colour of parrot (green); śukamakhila kalā+rūpaṃ = (and also) a parrot which represents all arts; asyāśca pārśve = on Her side.
The translation of the above meditative verse is:
O Mātaṅgī Devī - daughter of Mātaṅga muni, you are adorned with jewels, with an intoxicating smile, wearing nīpa flowers on your braid, holding vīṇa - a stringed musical instrument, adorned with red clothes, sporting a musk mark on her forehead along with a crescent moon on her diadem, wearing earrings of conch shells (OR palm leaves folded like an earring), bestowing on the aspirant all his needs by her lovable glance and beautiful smile, you are green like a parrot, and the representative of all art forms resides beside you in the form of a parrot.
We shall try to meditate on her while reciting her mantra.
oṃ aiṃ hrīṃ śrīṃ aiṃ klīṃ sauḥ oṃ namo bhagavati: Imagine a small thread of light from your mulādhāra cakra rising up to the anāhatā (heart) and blossoming into a lotus there of 12 petals. This is found in the above verse as ‘bhūṣitāṅgīṃ - adorned with jewels, the same is the impact of bhagavati'- one who is with bhaga - i.e aiśvarya which means richness or lordship.
śrī mātaṅgīśvari: This address to the deity is also found in the dhyana verse as mātaṅgīṃ. Now meditate on the deity on the lotus as green in colour as said sukābhām.
sarva jana manohari: This refers to the attraction of the mind of all people. The moon is one of the universal soothing attractive objects to the mind of all persons. We can meditate on the moon on her crown. This is said as indurekhāvataṃsāṃ.
sarva mukha-rañjani: This refers to the pleasing nature of Devī with all world, living things. Her face with an intoxicated smile will surely cause all to be pleased. Here the intoxication means that her awareness level is not like that common ordinary people. We can meditate on her face with the charming, intoxicating smile as madhumada muditāṃ.
klīṃ hrīṃ śrīṃ: These are the bijakṣaras of the Devī; klīṃ refers to the tatva sodhanā, hrīṃ to the sva svarūpanusandhāna, and śrīṃ to the immersion in the divine. This can be done by nādhānusandhāna, the immersion of the mind in the harmony of music, since the best instrument of musical harmony is vīṇa, meditate on the ruby studded vīṇa in the hands of the Devī, this is found as sadvīṇām’.
sarva rāja vaśaṅkari : This means that Devī attracts all the emperors in the world five names from this will have the word vaśaṅkari - one who attracts. This is the secret of this mantra’s meanings. There can be no foe; - upanishat says ātmanastu kāmāya sarvam priyam bhavati' - hence all are attracted I subjugated as friends/admirers. Meditate on the earrings made of conch shell / folded palm leaf as said in the dhyana śloka as karṇodyta shaṇka patrām.
sarva strīpuruṣa vaśaṅkari: This means that Devī is further attracting all men and women of the world. This not only refers to humans but also to all living beings inhabiting the world. The Musk deer attracts its partner by the smell of musk. Simultaneously it will also search for the source of the smell not knowing that this smell is emitted from its own body. Meditate on the mark of musk on her forehead as said in the dhyana verse - mṛgamadatilakāṃ.
sarva duṣṭa mṛga vaśaṅkari: This means that Devī further attracts and subjugates all animals which have bad/evil tendencies. This not only refers to the animals but also to the humans who have such tendencies. Parrots have a charming aspect that will attract all and are also the personification of all art forms. The subtle nature of arts will subjugate all. Hence meditate on the parrot near her as said in the dhyana verse - sukham akhila kalā rūpam asyāsca pārshve’.
sarva-satva vaśaṅkari: This means that Devī further even attracts and subjugates all the good-natured humans /animals. Flowers have a charming aspect that will attract only the pure good minded living things, ‘nīpa’ as per kaṭapayādi code will refer to 10, which will denote the 5 karmendriyas and 5 gynanendriyas. Also, the kesa (hair) of devatas is allegoric of the universe, it represents the bhuvanādhvā. Thus the created universe and the experience of this universe with the 10 organs are referred to when we meditate on the braided hair with nīpa flowers. This will cause the stillness in the mind which will be now drowned in the satva nature. Hence meditate on the braided hair with nīpa lowers as said in the dhyana verse - nīpamālāḍhyaveṇīṃ.
sarva loka vasaṇkari: This means that Devī in all aspects will effectively attract all living things, whether good or bad. Red colour will universally mean Love, which is all-encompassing. Hence meditate on the red garment of Devī as said in the dhyana verse - śoṇacelāṃ.
amukam me vaśamānaya: This refers to the subjugation of a particular person to me. ‘amukam’ is to be replaced with the name of that person. We find variations in this area in many lineages. Some prefer ‘sarvajanam’, others ‘trailokyam’. We also find ‘rājānam’. Since this is mantra devata is also referred to as Śrī Rājamatangī and as seen from Bhargavarama kalpasutra ‘rāja darsanānhi nyāyah’, the last of the above may be used. Meditate on the smile on her face with a flow of grace to the aspirant as said in the dhyana verse - smita madhuradṛśā sādhakasya iṣṭadhātrīṃ - The aspirant's prayer is for the final anubhava - realization that all this is Brahman.
svāhā sauḥ klīṃ aiṃ śrīṃ hrīṃ aiṃ: This final svāhā and bijaksharas are in the reverse order to merge the aspirant, the deity, and the universe in line with the above thoughts.
While meditating on the above a finer structure in the various parts of the mantra was revealed. The six adhāra cakras and the sahasrāra could be linked to these parts. Thus we find:
- sarva jana manohari corresponding to ājñā cakra manas tatva,
- sarva mukha rañjani to mulādhāra - mukha refers to the earth element,
- sarva rāja vaśaṅkari to viśuddhi, rāja is number 16 as per secret code,
- sarva strīpuruṣa vaśaṅkari to svashistana - the basic instinct attractive place,
- sarva duṣṭa mṛga vaśaṅkari to anāhata, since karuna rasa originates from heart,
- sarva satva vaśaṅkari to sahasrāra, satva pradhāna guru caranāravinda is there,
- sarva loka vaśaṅkari to manipurāka cakra - all world is figuratively said to reside in the stomach of the divine.
Thus we find a vīṇa playing method in the above sequence of the various parts of the mantras on the spinal cord - klīṃ hrīṃ śrīṃ.
The Lalithopakhyana describes the opposite; Viśukra is slain by Śyāmāla Devī and Viśaṅga by Vārāhi. This may be in tune with the idea of battle in the days of yore when equals fought each other. The narration in Lalithopakhyana is by Lord Hayagriva, who took part in the battle. He was placed in the forefront; behind him was Sthambini with the rest of the army. Recitation of Lalitha Sahasranama is by Vasini Vag Devis who were on the seventh tier of the Śrī Cakra raja chariot, flanked by the chariots of Syamala and Mantrini. Hence the difference in the narration in Lalithopakhyana and Sahasranama is evident from the placement of the narrators as above, we may accept the Vasini Vag Devī’s view as clear rather than Lord Hayagriva who might have overlooked or narrated within accepted principles.
Source: Yogamba Sahita Atmanandantha - "Meditative Texts - Revised Thoughts"
Second Dhyāna Śloka of Śyāmā recited by Guruji
श्यामे सङ्गीत-मातः परशिव-निलये मुख्य-साचिव्य-भारो-द्वाहे दक्षे दया-पूरित-निज-हृदये मामकीं दैन्य-वृत्तिं
श्री-मत्सिंहासनेश्यां भव-वन-पतितान् दाव-दग्धान्-नमस्तेत्रातुं पीयूष-वर्षैः कथय परिकरं बद्धवत्यां विविक्ते
శ్యామే సంగీత-మాతః పరశివ-నిలయే ముఖ్య-సాచివ్య-భారో-ద్వాహే దక్షే దయా-పూరిత-నిజ-హృదయే మామకీం దైన్య-వృత్తింశ్రీ-మత్సింహాసనేశ్యాం భవ-వన-పతితాన్ దావ-దగ్ధాన్-నమస్తేత్రాతుం పీయూష-వర్షైః కథయ పరికరం బద్ధవత్యాం వివిక్తే
śyāme saṅgīta-mātaḥ paraśiva-nilaye mukhya-sācivya-bhāro-
dvāhe dakṣe dayā-pūrita-nija-hṛdaye māmakīṃ dainya-vṛttiṃ
śrī-matsiṃhāsaneśyāṃ bhava-vana-patitān dāva-dagdhān-namaste
trātuṃ pīyūṣa-varṣaiḥ kathaya parikaraṃ baddhavatyāṃ vivikte
I bow to You O Śyāmā, the Mother of Arts [of singing, music & dance], in the abode of Paraśiva, who was made Chief Minister, who’s capable, who’s with the Empress, who sits on the throne; who’s own heart is always full of compassion, may I not become wretched [syn. afflicted, depressed, miserable]. Protect those who have fallen in this forest of existence, consumed by a great raging fire, with showers of nectar. Isolated in this place of bondage please tell me what would be beneficial [for me].
