Dhumavati is of a smoky dark brown complexion, her skin is wrinkled, her mouth is dry, some of her teeth have fallen out, her long disheveled hair is gray, her eyes are seen as bloodshot and she has a frightening mien, which is seen as a combined source of anger, misery, fear, exhaustion, restlessness, constant hunger and thirst. She wears white clothes, donned in the attire of a widow. She is sitting in a horseless chariot as her vehicle of transportation and on top of the chariot, there is an emblem of a crow as well as a banner. She has two trembling hands, her one hand bestows boons and/or knowledge and the other holds a winnowing basket.
Physical attributes
The Dhumavati Tantra describes the goddess as an old, thin and ugly widow, with a pale
complexion. She is portrayed as restless and wicked. She wears old, dirty clothes, wears
no jewels and has dishevelled hair. Her eyes inspire fear, her nose is long and crooked,
and some of her long fang-like teeth are missing, leaving her smile with gaps. Her ears
are ugly and rough and her breasts hang down.
One of her trembling hands is held a winnowing basket, while the other has a varadamudra or chinmudra (granting knowledge). Her vahana (vehicle) is a horseless chariot
bearing an emblem of a crow and a banner.
The Prapancasarasara-samgraha describes Dhumavati as having a very dark complexion
and wearing ornaments made of snakes. She holds a spear or sword and a kapala or
skull-cup in her hands. She also has an aged, wrinkled face. Her nose, eyes, and throat
resemble those of a crow. She holds a broom, a winnowing fan, a torch, and a club.
She is also sometimes shown as holding a trident. This terrible goddess also sometimes
chews the corpses of the demons Chanda and Munda, and drinks a mixture of blood and
wine.
Some rare paintings portray her as a full-breasted, beautiful young woman, adorned with
the finest gold jewellery. She looks sexually tempting, but is still an inauspicious widow.
Some regions of Nepal depict her as a nude woman, wearing a pearl necklace and
headband, standing on a peacock, looking into her own reflection in a mirror. A ring of
fire, which probably conveys cremation flames, surrounds her.
Name | DHUMAVATI (beholder of smoke) |
Mahavidya | The blessing of suffering |
Worship means | To let the unreal become obscured by the smoke of suffering, revealing the hidden potential behind pain, uglyness and old age, grasping the opportunity for learning, embracing the wisdom of forgetting the past. |
Mantra | DHUNG DHUNG DHUMAVATI THAH THAH |
Enhances | Enjoyment of sorrow, spiritual insight, compassion, mental health |
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