Lakṣmī Tantra Chapter 23—Description of Mātṛkā
Channel: Consciousness Research Centre
Date: 2021-01-02

This series is classified Vivartha-vāda | Rāja-yoga | Suśupti | Viśuddhi-cakra
Śrī: “I am the supreme Śakti of Nārāyaṇa, the I-hood of the all-pervasive Absolute Brahman, the supreme Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. To help the world, I become the preceptor and, in the form of Saṅkarṣaṇa, I radiate the sacred texts. In other words, the preceptor should be viewed as an expansion of Myself as Saṅkarṣaṇa, the universal spiritual teacher. Again, dwelling in the frame of the mortal preceptor and equipped with true knowledge I, through My glance full of śakti and by means of compassionate mantras, protect the disciples who approach Me. Hence disciples should always regard their preceptor, though mortal, as identical with Myself.” [23.1–4]
“Now learn how to impart mantras to a disciple. First, a small earthen pitcher should be worshipped by an offering of pure flowers on ground that is undefiled, level, smooth, free of impurities, painted according to the social class of the disciple—white for brāhmaṇas, red for kṣatriyas, yellow for vaiśyas and black for śūdras—coated with liquid cow dung, rendered fragrant by incense, weeded clean of thorns, decorated with fragrant flowers, saturated with pañca-gavya the five cow-products, and smeared by unguents such as sandalwood paste.” [23.5–7]
“This ritual should be accompanied by My own mantra (Tāra or hrīṃ) preceded by praṇava and followed by namas: āūṃ hrīṃ namaḥ. Then repeating the mantra along with the first vyāhṛti, also preceded by praṇava—āūṃ hrīṃ bhūḥ—clay should be spread over the ground that has already been scented with perfume and incense. Whereafter a well-built and regular mātṛkā-piṭha (pedestal) should be made, either square or well-rounded in shape, and measuring one or two cubits across. The same Goddess Mātṛkā represented by fifteen letters can be traced in different groups of letters, such as ka etc. She is the Mother of all mantras and represents My manifestation in sound. The mantra-adept should draw a diagram in the form of a lotus or a disk.” [23.8–11]
“When the mantra refers to Puruṣa, the diagram should be in the form of a disk; but if it refers to the goddess Lakṣmī, the prescribed form is the lotus. Śakti, pervaded by Agni and Soma has sixteen components—ḥ and the fifteen vowels including ṃ—and is called visṛṣṭā (created). To the east of the design, the adept should draw petals (in the case of the lotus) or spokes (in the case of the disk) to represent Her mantra-mātṛkā called svara (vowel). The five groups of letters, ka etc., representing the tattvas starting with pṛthivī (ha) and ending in puruṣa (ma) should be drawn as petals or spokes in the directions starting with Agni and ending in Vāyu; that is, southeast, south, southwest, west and northwest. The four letters ya, ra, la, va, which represent the dhāraṇā within the mind, should be drawn by the wise on the north side in the form of either spokes or petals as described before. The group of letters śa, ṣa, sa, ha, kṣa, which terminates in turīya and is said to represent the five Brahmans, should be drawn in the form of either spokes or petals to the northeast of the diagram.” [23.12–16]
“The supreme and pure Brahman, consisting of light and known as Śabda, should be meditated upon as splendor circumscribing the diagram of the disk or of the lotus (as the case may be). In the diagram the wise should worship Me—the prakṛti in the form of the tattvas—with the letters known as tattvas, starting with praṇava and ending in namas: āūṃ bhaṃ namaḥ, āūṃ baṃ namaḥ, etc. Then in the pericarp of the lotus diagram, meditation should focus on the Mother of mantras, Lakṣmī visualized as Mantra-mātṛkā, who is beginningless and endless, the Goddess I-hood of Viṣṇu, the wife of Puruṣottama, the goddess Padminī holding the noose and the goad, wearing a wreath of lotuses, gracious, with a complexion like the heart of a lotus, the great Mistress of all the worlds, whose body is composed of letters and decorated with ornaments made of letters.” [23.17–20] 

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