Dhumavati

Dhumavati

धूमावती, dhūmāvatī

A tantric goddess who is a part of the group of ten Mahavidyas (Dasha-mahavidya).

The name Dhumavati can be translated as "she who is woven of smoke." The word dhūma means "smoke", and the word vatī means "carrier". As the embodiment of Mahamaya’s great power, this goddess symbolizes abandonment, destruction, when everything "burns down" and only ashes and smoke remain. She is often associated with the goddesses Alakshmi ("Unfavorable") and Jyeshtha ("Elder", "Superior").

Dhumavati is portrayed as an ugly and grumpy old woman (widow) with her hair down, she is riding in a cart with a crow emblem on the flag. Sometimes she personally sits on a crow. Her appearance is terrible and disgusting: she has sagging breasts, long crooked teeth, and a long nose. In her left hand she holds a sieve – a symbol of distinction and dissolution, and with the other hand she makes a gesture (mudra) of bestowing favors. Depending on the context, she is endowed with different attributes: a broom, a seeder, a torch, a truncheon, a sword, etc.

It is mentioned that the goddess is associated with tama-guna, the aspect of dissolution and destruction that precedes the creation of a new one. And she prefers alcohol, cigarettes, meat and bhang as offerings. The hymns in her honor say that she dissolves all forms of the manifested universe and remains even when Mahakala is forced to disappear.

The ashes from the funeral pyre are considered to be an indicative symbol of the Goddess. In one famous legend, Dhumavati appeared out of smoke when Sati burned herself in a sacrificial bonfire. Another tantra tells the story of how Shakti, exhausted by hunger, swallowed her divine consort, Shiva, who performed tapasya and did not get food for Shakti in time. Since Shiva was practicing tapasya, smoke began to emanate from him in Shakti's womb, and out of this smoke Dhumavati appeared. Then Shiva pleaded with the Goddess to let him go back, because it's not good to eat one's own husband. And the Goddess, ashamed, regurgitated Shiva back. Since then, the Goddess's benevolent form has been revered under the name Bagalamukhi, and the form of the Goddess in which she absorbed Shiva is known as Dhumavati.

Dhumavati is worshiped to acquire all kinds of siddhis. It is known that the goddess gives success in abhichara – the ability to kill and sow discord, her help is resorted to reject malicious witchcraft and hoodoo, she also gives the power of healing, destroys obscurations, fulfills any desires and leads a devoted sadhaka to moksha. It is believed that Devi in this form can be worshiped only by very sincere bhaktas endowed with special qualities of character – virabhava, vairagya, and humility. There are general recommendations that Dhumavati worship is beneficial to those who are not married, but tantric Gurus can give other instructions – much depends on sadhaka’s realization. In this context, Dhumavati’s nature emphasizes her close connection with the world of renunciation – sannyasa, as well as the practices of left-handed tantra and aghora. She favors all those who ruthlessly discard worldly attachments and devote themselves completely to spiritual practice.

It is known that the goddess lives in terrible and abandoned places — shmashans, crossroads, houses where murders and fires were committed. The role of this Mahavidya’s form lies in the transforming power of consciousness, as well as in development of pure and selfless bhakti, without the cultivation of which it is impossible to achieve liberation – mukti, since Absolute Reality is comprehended only through true transformation, including overcoming dual consciousness.

Dhumavati should be considered, first of all, as a Goddess with deep symbolism. She does not formally have her own Bhairava, because she is one with him. She is associated with the upper chakras, with the upper amnaya (transmission of knowledge), which leads to moksha and is the essence of all amnayas. Her energy is associated with renunciation of the world, with nirvikalpa-samadhi. Dhumavati is the moment when the power of Kundalini rises up, reaches ajna and then dissolves into Paramashiva. Here is an quote from "Siddha-siddhanta paddhati", which describes the practices associated with the comprehension of various landmarks in yoga:

अथवा ललाटोर्ध्वे कोलोलाटमण्डपे स्फुरत्काराकारं लक्षयेत्।
athavā lalāṭordhve kololāṭamaṇḍape sphuratkārākāraṃ lakṣayet।

Or, you need to contemplate a pulsating flash in space over your forehead.

अथवा भ्रमरगुहामध्ये आरक्तभ्रमराकारं लक्षयेत्।
athavā lalāṭordhve kololāṭamaṇḍape sphuratkārākāraṃ lakṣayet।

Or, to contemplate the image in the likeness of a red bee in the region of bhramara-guha.

अथवा कर्णद्वयं तर्जनीभ्यां निरोधयेत् ततः शिरोमध्ये धूं धूं कारं नादं श्रृणोति
tataḥ śiromadhye dhūṃ dhūṃ kāraṃ nādaṃ śrṛṇoti

Or, you should close two ears with two thumbs and then, in the middle of the head, listen to the sound "dhum dhum" (this is Dhumavati’s bija mantra).

अथवा चक्षुर्मध्ये नीलज्योतिरूपं पुतल्याकारं लक्षयेदित्यन्तर्लक्ष्यम् ॥२७॥
athavā cakṣurmadhye nīlajyotirūpaṃ putalyākāraṃ lakṣayedityantarlakṣyam ॥27॥

Or, between the eyes to contemplate a shining blue image. These are the inner landmarks of contemplation.

The blue color is often associated with different types of Goddesses, it can be the energy of Tara (Nilasarasvati), Shyamala (Matanga), Kali, in many ways may correspond to Dhumavati, since blue slightly resembles the color of smoke. In fact, there are descriptions of bijas, Dhumavati’s mantras, her vibrations in the head area, which leads to dissolution. Although many people believe that this is the power of withering, faiding, but this understanding can be deceptive for a worldly people who can miss most important meaning – this Goddess, although depicted as a symbol close to the end of life, nevertheless, is also a symbol of the full disclosure of all life potential. This is a total flowering, which for many seems intimidating and ominous. Its withering contains an infinite flowering of energy, this is Kundalini at the very peak of unfolding in infinity. Dhumavati eliminates fear of "life-death".

Dhumavati’s bija-mantra: dhūṃ