Pratyangira

This article is about the incarnation of Devi (Goddess) in Hindu mythology.

Prathyangira
Tamil script	பிரத்யங்கிரா

Prathyangira is a Hindu Goddess associated with Shakti, the Hindu concept of kenker energy. She is described as a goddess with a lioness's face and a human body. This combination of lion and human forms represents the balance of good and evil.

Etymology

Just as with Narasimha, 'Naran' means human and 'Simha' means lion. The goddess's alternative name is Atharvana Bhadrakali, identified in the Atharvaveda with Kali.

Origin legends

As told in Markandeya Purana: In the beginning of the Satya yuga, the Lord Narasimha, an avatar of Vishnu, killed the unruly King Hiranyakashipu by tearing up his body and drinking his blood. Because of the anger in Hiranyakashipu's body and the malicious effects of human blood, Narasimha was drunk on rage and could not be stopped. To calm him down with the power of compassion, Lord Shiva came down as Sarabeswara, a bird-animal-human hybrid. Upon seeing this, Lord Narasimha created Gandaberunda, a two headed-bird that was Sarabeswara's opposite. Upon seeing this, Sarabeshwara turned into Bhairava (Shiva's fierce form) and created the godddess Prathyangira from his third eye. Prathyangira ate the bird, displaying rage the like of which the gods had never seen before. They praised her as she calmed Narasimha down by sitting on his lap.

Another legend states that in ancient times two rishis (seers), Prathiyangira and Angiras were meditating and through a root mantra, discovered a nameless goddess. Later she honoured the rishis by naming herself after them and hence, she was called as Prathiyangira Devi.

In Hindu Epics

Prathyangira is also mentioned in the Hindu epic Ramayana. Indrajit was performing "Nikumbala yaga" (a sacred ritual to worship Prathyangira) while Rama and his soldiers were waging war in Lanka. Hanuman came down to stop this ritual because he knew that if Indrajit completed it, he would become invincible.

In the Lalita Sahasranama

In the Lalita Sahasranama, the title "Maha Bhairava Poojitha" is identified with Prathyangira. She was also called "Bhairava pathni", (wife of Bhairava). Another one of her names is "Daksha yagna vinasini", "the goddess who destroyed Daksha's sacrifice".

Beliefs and worship

Prathyangira is primarily conceived of as a protective, fierce goddess capable of extreme rage and destruction in order to defeat evil. She is considered to be a powerful guardian against the effects of black magic, and also a bestower of many boons. It is believed that when Narashimhika shakes her mane, she sends the stars into disarray. In Sri Chakra worship, she protects her devotees against all odds and guides them along the right path. She is enveloped as bliss in the letter "Ksham".

Temples

Basically, among other things temples of this Goddes, if she actually a Goddes, is being used to grab money from unsuspecting devotees. Various methods are being used to attarct people to temples like this by Swamis, or seers, who in theory should be persons of pious nature and living a life of ascatism. Reality is very freightening, for in India anything doen in the guise of Swami is forgotten and anyone can escape the long arm of the justice, like aquital of the Sankarachariyars of Kancipuram, who have allegdely murdered one of their isntitution's cleark.

Unlike, most temples, that are run by the govt. most of the te,ples dedicated to the Goddes, is privately owned and run by a single Swami, whoes prior job would have been a low-paying rutine job, and in order to raise his family affluently, like giving his children top of the line educations such as medical line that costs anything between 5 million to 20 million indian Rupies. With the help of ruling parties in various Indian states like Tamil-Nadu, where the despotic Chief Minister is a believer of superstisions, these temple take a free ride on activities like mony-loandering, tax-evasion and other higher class crimes Swamis always talk about aquiring landed properties, either lawfully or otherwise to make family hapier. One Swami is said to have remarked that he would not get sexual service from his wife if he failed to give her a new and costly jwell every time.

There are five temples in India dedicated to Prathyangira, usually consisting of a Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi statue, Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi Sannadhis and Sri Sri Sri Ugra Prathyangira Devi Temple.

The main temple is in Ayyavadi near Khumbakonam. Here she is represented flanked by Lakshmi and Sarasvati. Only homam is performed for her.

• Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi Temple, situated in Sholinganallur, Chennai-119. It is the first temple with Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi as the main God, where the Goddess is throned "gigantically and powerfully"..

• Sri Prathyangira Devi Temple, situated in St.John's road near Lavanya Theatre, Bangalore-42.wcontact:9845016365,9448010290.

• Sri Sri Sri Ugra Prathyangira Devi temple, which is situated in Thondavada, near Tirupati, chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh. The temple is just 11 kms from famous holy shrine Tirupati, on the way going to Chandragiri.

• Sri Maha Prathyagira Parameswari  Devi Temple at Ramakrishnapuram, in Hyderabad was constructed in 2005. It's the Prathyangira temple in Andhra Pradesh, under the auspices of Kurtalam Pitam, Tamilnadu, headed by His Holiness Sri Siddeshwarananda Bharathi Swamiji. There are two other temples of the Goddess in India, one at Manasa Sarovar beneath the mountain Kailash and one at Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu.

See also

• Bhadrakali
• Narasimha
• Sekhmet
• Durga
• Kali
• Shakti

External links

• Sri Maha Pratyangira Devi (Online Temple)
• Pratyangira Kavach
• Atharvana Bathrakaali
• Sholinganallur Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi Kovil (Temple)
• Prathyangira Devi Consecrated in Siddhar Peetam
• Sriprathiyangira