Bagalamukhi Jayanti

Bagalamukhi Jayanti is the day dedicated to Goddess Bagalamukhi. Bagalamukhi is generally listed as the eighth of the Mahavidya forms and in some texts the second, as a Vidya She represents control. For those of a lower nature, this can mean control over enemies, but for those of a higher nature, it means control over our behaviour and body, the mind, anger, the tongue, our eating habits, sex impulse and so on.

The beginning of real Yoga or self realisation starts with this type of control. Siting still with the back straight, doing our sadhana, chanting the mantras, reading the scriptures, being attentive to the Guru, these are all things that are pleasing to Bagalamukhi. My Guru used to say every time we chant our mantra attentively, Bagalamukhi smacks one of our demons round the head with Her club (like in the picture above), demons being bad thoughts or habits.

Her popular stories tell how when the creation falls into turmoil, Lord Brahma the creator God meditates on Bagalamukhi to gain control back. She also appeared to destroy a demon named Ruru, the son of Durgam (another demon destroyed by the Divine Mother). Ruru by the strength gained through severe austerity decided to plunder the heavens, the Gods worshiped Bagalamukhi to help them gain control over him. Remember these demons represent the battles going on within us, bad thoughts and habits keeping us from our true nature.

One thing closely associated with Bagalamukhi is the colour yellow. She’s generally depicted wearing yellow, Pitambaradevi, and Her temples and so on are generally painted yellow. Yellow in this respect represents peace. The universe is energy in constant motion, objects of perception coming into creation, maintaining for a time and that same energy again transforming, this is the dance of Shakti. For Devi Upasaks, the aim is to stop this dance, stop the external movement and ask the Goddess to move in the mind. Bagalamukhi stops motion, silences the tongue, the sounds the movement of creation, the constant flow of thought, and fills us with radiant peace.

The Goddess Bagalamukhi is associated with the DusMahavidya, and she is the eighth of the Dus Mahavidya. The mother Bagalamukhi is the protector of her devotee, and anyone trying to harm the devotee is severely punished. The legend is once the earth was tormented by rain and every part was flooded and the whole of creation was at stake except the Saurashtra region. Here everyone gathered and suddenly Mother Bagalamukhi emerged from the Haridrasarovar and pleaded by the gods calm down the storm. However, the worship of Dusmahavidya is related to the Tantrik cult of the Hindu religion.