To kill Hiranyakasyapu and to protect his devotee Prahlada, Lord Vishnu took the awesome form of Narasimha (half lion and half man) and came out of a pillar. He took Hiranyakasipu to the main door of the palace and killed him on its steps. Then he drank the blood of Hiranyakasyapu. Because of this he became very violent. Many efforts were made by the devas to appease him and to quiten him down, but to no avail. Then Lord Shiva took the form of Sharabha, a form that had the body of the combined features of a lion, an eagle and a human. His two wings were Shulini and Pratyangira, who were both forms of Goddess Parvathi. He tried his best to calm down Lord Narasimha and failed. Shulini also tried her best and also failed. Then arose from Sharabha, the awesome and terrible form of Pratyangira. Commonly she is pictured as having the body of a female with the head of a lion. She finally succeeded in appeasing Narasimha. Thereafter she is worshipped as the goddess as an embodiment of Dharma who restores balance. This form of Mother Goddess is beyond imagination. She takes this angry form to keep adharma under check while restoring dharma. She is propitiated for protection.
Another belief is that two rishis of yore, while in Pratyangira and Angiras, while in deep meditative contemplation, discovered this goddess through her moola mantra, in the ethereal waves of the cosmic sound currents. She then blessed the rishis by saying that henceforth she would be known by an amalgamation of their names, Pratyangira.
Sri Maha Pratyangira Devi, is a deep and powerful aspect of the Divine Mother. Her energy is a balance between the masculine and the feminine Shiva/Shakti. The head is that of a male lion while the body is that of a human female. Others believe that she has 1008 lion heads representing the 1008 petalled Sahasrara chakra, the universe chakra of cosmic energy. She has 2016 hands and rides majestically on a chariot pulled by 4 lions representing the 4 vedas. The innumerable swords she carries are to severe all obstacle and negativities. The numerous lion heads carry immense power to destroy the negative karmas of her children. The ‘beejaakshara’ of Maa Pratyangira Devi’s moola mantra is ‘ksham’ denoting bliss.
Goddess Pratyangira Devi personifies Dharma (righteousness), Satya (truth) and impeccable justice. This aspect devours the negative karmas and answers prayers swiftly for a sadhaka or devotee who holds pure intentions and is walking the path of Dharma. She fills her cup with a person’s unwanted or negative energy and transforms that energy, purifying it. Through Her grace, a faithful devotee becomes a pure refined soul. Pratyangira comes from a deep, 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 loss, or want, or time, or even space … just the warmth of the Mother’s love.
She is also called Atharva Bhadrakali because she rules over the Atharva Veda which deals with esoteric rituals of tantra and mantra. In some images she is shown as having a dark complexion, a lion’s face with reddened eyes and riding a lion. She wears a garland of human skulls; her hair strands flying, and she holds a trident, a serpent in the form of a noose, a hand-drum and a skull in her four hands. Sri Pratyangira Devi is also associated with Sri Chakra. She is considered to be a powerful repellent of the influences generated by witch-craft. In Sri Chakra worship, she protects the devotees against all odds and guides him along the right path.
This form of the Mother, though terrifying in appearance, is compassion incarnate. She teaches us by removing fear and pain from our lives. She shows us that these circumstances are caused by our attachments to certain aspects of our lives. A refusal to let go is refusing to release the the attachment which causes our pain. If there is pain or fear there is something to be released something to be learned, and this is only possible through Her grace and meditative contemplation. Once there is release there is Void. Experience of this Void for the first time is like a journey home. There has always been this comfort, there has always been this Mother. She has been patiently and gracefully waiting to reveal herself, with her heart ready to receive us, for lifetimes, for aeons. It is our choice to take hold of her hand, She has been waiting to embrace us. Mother Pratyangira gives totally and fully She is an ocean of grace. She asks of us only our devotion, and in return she gives infinitely, revealing to us our true nature. Wherever there is sincere devotion, truth and Dharma practiced by a sadhaka (spiritual seeker), Mother Pratyangira will reveal Herself. This is the Mother of Moksha, liberation — She frees devotees of their samskaras, the cycle of life, death and rebirth.
The Pratyangira aspect of the goddess has been quite a secret for most of the past ages. She is the Mother of Moksha, of liberation and a giver of boons. The greatest of all these boons is Salvation. Many believed that a direct experience with her was reserved only for saints and rishis who are striving for moksha. But it is believed by devouts that a darshan of goddess Pratyangira in any form is considered a great blessing, and an indication that you were chosen by the Mother. Pratyangira Devi will not hesitate to push even her closest devotees back to dharma, to enable the prevalence of justice. She seeks devotees with pure devotion and only then chooses to reveal Herself to a sadhaka. It’s been said that it takes countless lifetimes for a soul to reach such consciousness. Sri Maha Pratyangira Devi is all powerful and secretly protects her children. She is always by the side of Her devotees. She is within each and every being in all planes of existence, and is there to be awakened within.
Mata Pratyangira is said to emerge when there is much to be brought into balance. Because of the tumultous times that we live in, it is believed that Her energy will protect those who seek her benediction.
