Tara Chaudas and Kaushiki Amavasya — the Bhadrapada Nights, and Why a Householder Should Not Let Them Pass

The Chaturdashi and Amavasya of Bhadrapada Krishna Paksha carry a most particular importance in the kshetra of tantra.

The speaker opens by saying that the subject is extremely necessary: the Chaturdashi and Amavasya of the Krishna Paksha of the month of Bhadrapada, whose importance in the kshetra of tantra is of the most particular kind. For those people who especially perform tantric sadhanas of any most particular deity, this time is extremely important.

Which tithis are used for abhicharik work in any month?

Ordinary people should certainly keep in mind that in any month it is the Amavasya, the Ashtami and the Chaturdashi — and especially the Ashtami of Krishna Paksha — in which abhicharik prayoga of tantra, kritya prayoga and the like are chiefly performed.

Shravan stands completed with many siddhis awakened in it, and Hal Shashthi has passed, at which gurus give the vidhis that come by upadesh alone.

Because the month of Shravan stands completed, and a great many people awaken their siddhis in it; and because Hal Shashthi has gone by, at which gurus give their disciples — especially those who are to be seated on the gaddi — the vidhis that come by upadesh alone.

Their prayoga kaal is the Aghor Navratri around this Chaturdashi and Amavasya, when Shakta and Kaul tantrics complete their sadhanas at Tarapith and Tarachandi.

The prayoga kaal for them falls on precisely this Aghor Chaturdashi, Tara Chaturdashi, Amavasya and so on. The Chaturdashi and the navratra around it are also called the Aghor Navratri, which has already begun; in Bengal especially at Tarapith, and at Tarachandi in Bihar, Shakta and Kaul tantrics complete their sadhanas within these nine days.

These are also the days for giving siddhis up — kshudra shaktis, or powers obtained unawares that now obstruct one's own progress, are abandoned here.

Their relinquishing. Those who have to give up their siddhis — who have perfected kshudra shaktis, or who by known or unknown causes have obtained siddhis on account of which their own progress may be obstructed — abandon all of them in these very times. That is part of why Tara Chaturdashi and Aghor Amavasya carry so particular an importance.

Like the nights of Holika and Diwali, this time works in both directions at once: special pujan is done, and attacks by enemies also multiply.

That they work in both directions at once. On the night of Holika and the night of Diwali we perform special pujan and path, and around that very same time attacks by enemies are also made in greater number. In exactly the same way, this Chaturdashi and Amavasya of Bhadrapada is extremely awake for all these things, and people perform prayogas.

At tantra peeths and shamshaans — Kamakhya among the Shakti Peeths, Ujjain among the chakra tirtha shamshaans — often on behalf of a yajman.

At tantra peeths and shamshaans, at Shakti Peeths such as Kamakhya, at chakra tirtha shamshaans such as Ujjain. There are many such sadhaks who both perfect prayoga of this kind and also perform it on behalf of those who are their yajmans.

An abhicharik kritya performed at this time has a far higher chance of succeeding fully than at any other.

Very likely. If at this time abhicharik kritya prayoga and the like are performed at somebody's house, the chance it has of succeeding fully is a great deal higher than at other times.

A havan-form anushthan should be done at home on these three days, or failing that a sankalp made at a nearby temple holding one.

At the very least, for the protection of one's family and oneself, an anushthan should certainly be performed in these three days, and especially on the Chaturdashi and Amavasya tithis. A havan-form anushthan at home if you can; and if you cannot do it at your own house, then have a sankalp made at a temple nearby where some particular anushthan is being held.

Those working with Dakini vidya name the nights of Holika and Diwali — but the night of Ashtami and this Tara Chaudas stand beside them.

That the pair of nights usually named is not the whole list. To those perfecting or who have perfected Dakini vidya it is said that the nights of Holika and Diwali are greatly special; but they should know that alongside them stand the night of Ashtami and this Chaturdashi, which is called Tara Chaudas.

As the day before Diwali is Kali Chaudas, these Bhadon nights are Tara Chaudas and Kaushiki Amavasya, also called Aghor Chaturdashi and Aghor Amavasya.

As we call the day before Diwali Kali Chaudas, in that same way these two nights of Bhadon are renowned by the name of Tara Chaudas. They are also famed as Kaushiki Amavasya, and by the names Aghor Chaturdashi, Aghor Navratra and Aghor Amavasya.

Not only those with a maran or mohini to perform: people working for the world's welfare also do shamshaan sadhana now, Tara's influence being at its fiercest.

No. It is not only those who have some maran or mohini to do, some spoiling to do, who perform this prayoga. People who are working for the welfare of the world also perform sadhana in shamshaans at this time for the good of society; and those who look for personal siddhi go to a Siddha Peeth or Shakti Peeth, because at this time the influence of Bhagavati Tara is at its fiercest.

How does the Durga Saptashati account for Bhagavati Kaushiki?

From the fifth adhyaya onward. When the devas were tormented by Shumbha and Nishumbha they praised Bhagavati by means of the Tantrokta Devi Suktam; and because she had earlier granted them the boon that whenever they remembered or invoked her she would certainly present herself for their protection, they went before Bhagavati Parvati, who at that time was performing tapasya upon the Himalaya.

Shiva's remark on her darkness sent Parvati to the Himalaya for tapasya — leela alone — and from her body the fair Kaushiki emerged, Parvati herself left dark.

It is the katha of that time that Bhagavan Shiva had said to Ma Parvati that she was very dark, and so she went upon the Himalaya to do the tapasya of Brahma to make her complexion fair — this being leela alone. And at that very time, when the tormented devas praise her, a luminous woman of fair complexion emerges from Bhagavati's body, while Bhagavati Parvati herself is left dark.

Which is Kalika and which is Kaushiki?

That dark one became renowned upon the Himalaya by the name Kalika; and she who was manifested of fair complexion, the divine tejas that was manifested, the woman who was manifested — she is Kaushiki.

What is Bhagavati Kaushiki's form held to be?

The form of Bhagavati Kaushiki has been held to be the form of Mahasaraswati. Bhagavati Kaushiki is the slayer of Shumbha and Nishumbha; and from the forehead of Bhagavati Kaushiki came the manifestation of Bhagavati Kali, of Bhagavati Chamunda, and of many mahashaktis.

Kaushiki's most prominent day is the Bhadrapada Amavasya, so ask where Mahasaraswati's shakti arrives — and what is dissolving into Aghor, or Aghor into what.

The most prominent day of Kaushiki is this Kaushiki Amavasya, the Amavasya of Bhadrapada. So relate it, the speaker says: where is the shakti of Mahasaraswati arriving and meeting? To those who say that it cannot be so in Aghor, he answers — see what is dissolving into Aghor, or what Aghor is dissolving into. Look at it both ways.

The shaktis are fundamentally one, and opened up, every link meets in a single place: Kaushiki presides over the Bhadrapada Amavasya.

The shaktis are fundamentally one; but when you open the matter up and look, all these things, all these links, come and meet at a single place. Bhagavati Kaushiki is the chief presiding upasika shakti of the Amavasya of Bhadrapada.

The subject opens only to one standing within a guru parampara, having made the study or met such people by Bhagavati's particular grace.

Because until you are of such a guru parampara, have made such a study, have obtained the knowledge of such gurus, or have met such people by a particular grace of Bhagavati, this whole subject does not open quickly. Look anywhere you like, search on YouTube or Facebook — only that person can survey these subjects who is somewhere within his own guru parampara.

An over-motivated listener reasons that since all shaktis are one, a householder may take up Aghori or Chamunda upasana directly — and does an upside-down sadhana.

Because it raises the chance that people, becoming excessively motivated, may go and do some upside-down sadhana on the reasoning that all the shaktis are one anyway — so why not do Ma Aghori; we are householders, why not do Aghori; Kaushiki is right here, this is the very form of Jagadamba; and since Bhagavati Chamunda herself manifested from her forehead, why not directly take up her upasana.

It is given for information alone, so that surrender has depth when one worships in these days — even if all that is kindled is a single lamp.

For information alone — that you may understand your own Sanatan, know about those shaktis, that knowledge may arise within you and ignorance be removed; so that when you perform the upasana of Bhagavati in these two or three days, there is a depth of surrender in your mind, and you remain extremely surrendered towards Jagadamba. Only then can her grace be obtained by you — even if all you kindle on that day is a single lamp.

Any protective anushthan already performed should be repeated now — a three-day laghu form at minimum, with a havan on the last day if possible.

Whatever anushthans you have already performed before for your own protection should certainly be performed again. Suppose someone has already done the anushthan of the Vairi Nashan Kali Kavach — then in these times let him do at least a three-day laghu anushthan of that Vairi Nashan Kali Kavach, and a havan on the last day if it is possible.

Knowing nothing else, the Jayanti Mangala Kali mantra 108 times morning and night with the family, a lamp each for Bhagavati and Bhairav, is enough to bring benefit.

Then take the Jayanti Mangala Kali mantra and do its path 108 times in the morning and 108 times at night, together with the family — kindling a lamp in the name of Bhagavati and one in the name of Bhairav ji. It is a simple sort of task, and the speaker says that if you do even that much, then whether or not you have any enemy, whether or not any trouble is in your life, benefit will certainly reach you.

Tara Chaturdashi and Kaushiki Amavasya rank with the night of Diwali and with a Chandra or Surya grahan.

As the night of Diwali has its greatness, as a Chandra grahan and a Surya grahan have theirs, in that very same way this Tara Chaturdashi and Kaushiki Amavasya also carries great importance. So in this time you should certainly do japa and such work — a new anushthan if you wish to take one up, and otherwise a repetition of whatever anushthan you have done before.

For anyone doing Sabar mantra japa in quantity this is an amrit kaal — ordinarily two days, but three this year, the last falling by udaya.

For anyone who performs the anushthan of Sabar and the like, who does japa of Sabar mantras in quantity, this is an amrit kaal — do it certainly in this time. For an upasak or upasika of Bhagavati there are ordinarily only two days, the Chaturdashi and the Amavasya; but this year three days are falling, the last day falling also by udaya, on the Thursday and the Friday, so the benefit of three days is obtained.

A mantra already given by one's guru deserves a very large anushthan now, rather than any new mantra taken up for the occasion.

Then apart from this, if you are within some guru parampara and have obtained the mantra of any form whatever of Bhagavati, given by the guru, do an extremely large anushthan of those very mantras in the place of new mantras — and the benefit to you will be extremely great.

It is an amrit kaal either way — to make a revenge bear fruit, or to quell it — Tara's form and her Bhairav both being called Akshobhya.

It is an amrit kaal either way. If you are holding a feeling of revenge and you want that revenge to bear fruit now, it is an amrit kaal for you. And if you want to quell that revenge, it is equally an amrit kaal for you — because the form of Jagadamba that is Bhagavati Tara is called Akshobhya, and her Bhairav is called Akshobhya.

She takes in poison of every kind without agitation, and a feeling of revenge is itself a poison; one's own karmas arrive as enemies.

Because without becoming agitated she takes in poison of every kind — and the feeling of revenge is itself a kind of poison within us. Our own karmas come before us having become our enemies, whether we know it or not, understand it or not.

She may destroy the enemy, or only the enmity in his mind and in one's own — which of the two depends on her, and on the surrender behind the asking.

It may be that Bhagavati destroys that enemy as well; or it may be that she destroys only the enmity within his mind and the enmity within our own. In both ways the quelling of the enemy can take place. Which of them it is depends on her, and also on what is running within our own mind — what kind of surrender there is, what feeling, what desire.

Beyond mantra anushthan, a tantratmak one is open — the Shodashopachara pujan of Bhagavati, and her yantra pujan to whoever knows or is learning it.

If you wish to do only mantra anushthan then you can; but apart from that, if you wish to do a tantratmak anushthan — the Shodashopachara pujan of Bhagavati, and especially her yantra pujan — and if you know yantra anushthan or are learning it, then you may.

Shri Chakra pujan belongs to those holding the Shri Yantra deeksha; attempted uninitiated it attaches great dosha, and the speaker refuses all support for it.

If you have obtained the deeksha of the Shri Yantra and know Shri Chakra pujan, certainly do that too in these days. But if you do not have the deeksha of the Shri Chakra and, being uninitiated, you attempt this act, then great dosha will attach — and the speaker says plainly that they can never give their cooperation or support in such things, that it is wrong.

Its vidhi and prayogas are too intricate to perform unlearnt, whereas the simpler Durga yantra and chakra pujan carry no dosha for one who knows them.

Because its whole vidhi-vidhan and all its prayogas are intricate — without having learnt it you will not be able to perform it, and dosha will attach. Apart from that, the yantra of Bhagavati Durga, which is somewhat simpler to do, and her chakra pujan and the like — if you know those, you may do them, and in that there is no dosha upon you.

Whose aradhya was Bhagavati Tara?

You should all have this information, the speaker says: that Bhagavati Tara remained the aradhya of Maharshi Vashishtha ji, who is the kula guru of Bhagavan Shri Ram. It is by Vashishtha Muni that the upasana of Bhagavati Tara was first of all performed.

Cursed when the Vedokta vidhan yielded no siddhi, Bhagavati said no curse can touch her yet accepted it to keep his word's honour — then gave the Tantrokta upadesh.

When siddhi was not obtained by him through the Vedokta vidhan, he cursed Bhagavati. Jagadamba said that she is beyond curse and no curse can attach to her, but that even so, to keep the honour of his speech, she accepts the curse — and after that she gave him the Tantrokta upadesh.

Vashishtha went to Kamakhya and thereafter to Cheen — Tibet — and there did Tara's upasana by the Vamachara vidhi, receiving his boons and siddhi.

Vashishtha Muni went to Kamakhya, and thereafter to Cheen — the region that is Tibet — and there performed the upasana of Bhagavati Tara by the Tantrokta vidhi-vidhan, by the Vamachara vidhi. Then Bhagavati gave him the boons that were according to his mind, and bestowed siddhi and the rest upon him.

Shri Ram held Tara's mantras within his heart, and how his jata was bound is set out in the Sankarshan Tantra within the Vaishnav Tantra.

Bhagavan Shri Ram held the mantras of Tara herself within his heart. As for the jata that Shri Ram wears — the speaker points to the Sankarshan Tantra, which stands within the Vaishnav Tantra, and says that if you are within some guru parampara and that granth is present for you among the old and ancient texts, you will read in it how the jata is bound.

Why do Kaul and Shakta sadhaks wear ornaments in the jata?

Not merely to adorn themselves. However many sadhaks of the Kaul sampradaya there are, you will see that they wear ornaments and the like upon their jata as well; sadhaks of the Shakta sampradaya also adorn themselves. But that ornament was never merely for adorning, nor is it only that even now — siddhis of many kinds are held within the jata.

Vashishtha had accomplished that form for Ram, worn on his head for Ravana's slaying — and Nikumbhila, Ravana's aradhita, withdrew rather than stand before Tara.

The siddhi of that form was had performed for Shri Ram by Maharshi Vashishtha at the time of his avatar, and Ram wore it upon his head for the purpose of Ravana's slaying. It was on that very account that Bhagavati Nikumbhila — Ma Parvati in that form, who remained Ravana's aradhita — withdrew from there once Bhagavati Tara was present in Ram's jata before her. Nikumbhila did not protect him.

Ram was victorious through Vashishtha's blessing and the tantra vidyas taught by him — all of it leela, and none of it learnable from the Ramayana alone.

The speaker holds both. Bhagavan Shri Ram was victorious on account of Maharshi Vashishtha's blessing and the tantra vidyas taught by him — although all of this is leela alone, since Hanuman ji, or Bhagavan Shiva, or any such mahashakti could comfortably have slain Ravana. This was all leela, for the sake of human beings. Even so, we should know that this is not a learning we can take from the Ramayana alone.

Which sadhanas use Bhagavati Tara's beej mantra?

Wherever a jata-related siddhi is performed, the contribution of Bhagavati Tara is the most important of all, and it is her siddhis and her mantras that are used. When you perform the prayoga of Chaur Ganapati and the like connected with some guru parampara, or are doing the sadhana of one of your Mahavidyas, or do japa of Kurukulla mantras — among the many mantras you will find there, the beej mantra connected with the jata will be the beej mantra of Bhagavati Tara alone.

Is Bhagavati Tara present in Kamakhya's upasana too?

Yes. If you go to perform upasana connected with Bhagavati Kamakhya, then from the Ekakshari onward as you begin to advance, if you are going in krama — although Bhagavati Kamakhya does not come within the Krama Vidya, being a svatantra vidya — Bhagavati Tara is somewhere fully included in those too. The form of Kamakhya is held to include three mahashaktis; even so, by various granths Tara is chiefly contained within her.

The Vishwa Virat darshan Krishna granted is held to have been shown by use of Bhagavati Tara's vidyas, Nara and Narayana standing as Krishna and Arjuna.

If it is looked at in that way, then in the avatar of Bhagavan Shri Krishna also — the darshan of the Vishwa Virat Swaroop that was caused to be had by Bhagavan Shri Krishna, in that too it has been held that he displayed that Vishwa Virat form of his by making use of the vidyas of Bhagavati Tara. Somewhere you will find it to read that it was Nara and Narayana who were present in the forms of Bhagavan Shri Krishna and Arjuna.

Tantra holds Tara's shakti contained in Krishna's mor pankh, always worn on his head — which the speaker marks as heard, not asserted on his own authority.

That in the kshetra of tantra it has been held that the shakti of Bhagavati Tara remains contained within his mor pankh, and that he always wore it upon his head. The speaker marks this explicitly as something he cannot say with authority — it is what he has heard, from scholars of this kind, in some portion of the upadesh concerning Bhagavati Tara.

Who should meditate on Bhagavati Tara?

All of them. In this manner Bhagavati Tara, becoming the ally of the many avatars of Bhagavan Narayana, has stood alongside them with her shaktis and has kept granting victory. Therefore whether you are Shakta, Shaiva or Vaishnava, you should all certainly meditate on Bhagavati Tara.

Must Bhagavati Tara be worshipped only by Vamachara?

It is not necessary that you perform the pujan of Bhagavati only by the Vamachara vidhi. What some people say wholly — that you cannot perform her pujan at home — that thing is right; but it cannot be said that her pujan will take place only and only by the Vamachara vidhi. To brush it aside altogether, that no, her pujan cannot happen at all by the Dakshinachara vidhi, is wrong to say.

What is Vamachara actually prescribed for?

The Vamachara vidhi has been prescribed for siddhi, not for pujan. For those people who want to perform siddhi, who want by taking mantra upadesh to obtain the grace of Bhagavati Tara and to perfect her shaktis, it is necessary. For those people who want to perform the ordinary seva and puja of Bhagavati and to obtain Mai's grace, it is not necessary in that way.

Pressed strictly, the rule would bar Chhinnamastika, Tara, Tripur Bhairavi and Dhumavati — and Baglamukhi too sits upon a shavasan; no one could then worship at home.

To a place its holders do not intend. On that reckoning, Bhagavati Chhinnamastika, Bhagavati Tara, Bhagavati Tripur Bhairavi, Bhagavati Dhumavati — and go a little further and, although you may say freely that Bhagavati Baglamukhi is in some kula, you should know that Bhagavati Baglamukhi too sits upon a shavasan. So how is anyone to perform pujan at home?

Seva and puja by the Dakshinachara vidhi are open, but an anushthan of Bhagavati Tara and the japa of her mantras want a guru adesh.

It cannot be said in a wholesale way — you can do seva and puja by the Dakshinachara vidhi. But if you are performing an anushthan of Bhagavati Tara, then there should be a guru adesh in the matter: the most particular anushthan and the japa of her mantras you cannot do at home with freedom, freely of your own accord. For that an adesh is wanted.

Living around Tarapith, Kamakhya or a Shakti Peeth, or holding such a shakti in one's kula parampara, one need ask no one — but neither preach it to another.

Yes. If you live around Tarapith, or around the Kamakhya peeth, or your region is around a Shakti Peeth — or if in your parampara, in your kula parampara, Bhagavati Tara, Bhagavati Chhinnamastika, Bhagavati Dhumavati or any shakti of this kind stands worshipped — then there you have no need to ask anything of anyone. But for somebody else to begin doing it on seeing you, or for you to preach to another that we are doing it so you do it too, is wrong.

Why is somebody else's practice not a warrant for yours?

Because varna and dharma and desha and kaal all have their greatness in all of this. Somebody says that we perform the pujan of Tara or Chhinnamastika at home, and not from today but for ten years — and you become greatly agitated by it and begin doing it as well. Then at least see whose kula parampara that is, who stands worshipped in their house, and which other people before them in their house were the ones who performed her puja.

They will not tell you which panth initiated them or which sadhanas they did — only that they do it, so you should too.

From which panth and sampradaya they stand initiated, and which sadhanas they performed — they will hardly tell you everything. They will only say that we do it, so you do it too, nothing happens, these people lie. And then difficulty follows. Where a thing is to be forbidden, people do not forbid it; where it is not to be forbidden, they forbid that thing.

Whoever cannot join an anushthan elsewhere should do at home, for three days and to capacity, whatever has been described.

Those who are not performing an anushthan at a temple, or cannot or do not wish to have it done through the tantra family, should at the very least do at home for three days whatever has been told — as much as they can, according to their capacity. Protect yourself and your family; stay safe.