E-Book

Sri
Maha Pratyangira Devi

By
Tamarapu Sampath Kumaran
About the Author:

Mr T Sampath Kumaran is a freelance writer. He regularly contributes articles on

Management, Business, Ancient Temples, and Temple Architecture to many
leading Dailies and Magazines. His articles are, popular in The Young World
section of THE HINDU
His e-books and articles on nature, and different cultures of people around the
world are educative and of special interest to the young.
He was associated in the production of two Documentary films on Nava Tirupathi
Temples, and Tirukkurungudi Temple in Tamilnadu.

Acknowledgement to:
Google for the photographs and Scribd.com for hosting my e-books.
- Tamarapu Sampath Kumaran

In the Hindu Mythology, Prathyangira is a fusion of Vishnu, Durga, Kali,

and Narasimha.
The goddess's alternative name is Atharvana Bhadrakali, identified in the Atharva
veda with Kali.
As told in the Markandeya Purana, in the beginning of the Satya yuga,
Lord Narasimha, an avatar of Vishnu, killed the unruly King Hiranyakasipu by

tearing up his body and drinking his blood.

Because of the anger in Hiranyakashipu's body and the malicious effects of human
blood, Narasimha was drunk on rage and could not be stopped. To calm him down
with the power of compassion, Lord Shiva came down as Sarabheswara, a birdanimal-human hybrid.

Upon seeing this, Lord Narasimha created Gandaberunda, a two headed-bird that
was Sarabheswara's opposite.

Upon seeing this, Sarabeshwara turned into Bhairava (Shiva's fierce form) and
created the Godddess Prathyangira from his third eye came flying in the sky.

Her form was powerful, she was bigger than the other gods and goddesses. Her
head was above the whole sky and her feet down from a far distance. She had a
thousand faces of lions, 2,000 eyes and possibly 2,000 hands with multiple
weapons and a thousand tongues.
It is believed her creation came with thunder and lightning and as soon as
Narasimha Swami saw her huge figure, he realized the mission of his Avataram
and calmed immediately. Calming down Narasimha she landed by sitting on his
lap.
Another legend states that in ancient times two Rishis (seers), Prathiyangira and
Angiras were meditating and through a moola mantra (root mantra), discovered a
nameless goddess. Later she honoured the rishis by naming herself after them and
hence, she was called as Prathiyangira Devi.
Prathyangira is primarily conceived of as a protective, fierce goddess capable of
extreme rage and destruction in order to defeat evil.

In her potri malai she is beautifully described as

"Sarabeshan Rekkaiyaal Vandhavale Potri, Seeriya Simha mugam etravale Potri,
Narasimhan Ugiram Thaniththavale Potri, Engal Annai Sri Prathyangira Potri"

Pratyangira is considered as the ultimate force in the Universe to destroy Tamas

and restore Sattva. When a highly Sattvic force is deeply agitated due to battle
against a highly Tamasic force, Pratyangira can be invoked as a weapon to subdue
and utterly destroy the Tamasic force and restore Sattva. Pratyangira is not a "bali
kaavar deivam" or a deity that demands offerings of flesh, even though She is an
extraordinarily fierce manifestation (ugra devata) of Mata Shakthi.
The Pratyangira Yantra:

The yantra is the guardian against the effects of black magic, and also a bestower
of many boons. It is believed that when Narashimhika (Pratyangira) shakes her
mane, she sends the stars into disarray. In Sri Chakra worship, she protects her
devotees against all odds and guides them along the right path. She is enveloped as
bliss in the letter "Ksham".

In some images she is shown as dark complexioned, terrible in

aspect, having a lion's face with reddened eyes and riding a lion or wearing black
garments, she wears a garland of human skulls; her hair strands on end, and she
holds a trident, a serpent in the form of a noose, a hand-drum and a skull in her
four hands. She is also associated with Bhairava, and she has a variant form,
Atharvana-Bhadra-Kali.
Sri Maha Pratyangira Devi is a powerful aspect of divine mother. She is considered
to be a powerful repellent of the influence generated by witch-craft. Terrible in
aspect, having dark complexion, reddened eyes and in four hands she hold a
trident, a serpent in the form of a noose and a hand drum. Her hair stands at the
end. As Pratyangira energy manifests, it is often a very swift and sometimes a
ferocious current. This combination of lion and human forms is said to represent
the balance of good and evil. Many of the saints who have seen its energetic
expression have described as a 1008 headed symbolically representing the 1008
petelled Sahasra Chakra, the universal chakra of cosmic energy, and 2016 hands
riding majestically on a chariot pulled by 4 lions representing the 4 vedas, lion
faced mother armed with many swords for removing obstacles. The jaws of so
many lions make it very powerful for destroying negative karmas, and a great help
to anyone on a spiritual path
Pratyangira comes from a deep place within the Divine mother, an area simply
known as the void. In the void there are no thoughts of fear, or pain, or want or
time or even space. Just as the warmth of the Mothers love, she is enveloped as
bliss in the letter ksham. Pratyangira sadhana is done mainly to protect
ourselves from attacks of black magic, and to prosper in our life and help people to
achieve Moksha.