Secrets of Matruka Yantras

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About the Author

‘Swami Nadananda Tirtha’ an authority in ‘Samaya Marga’ of ‘srividya’ in ‘Keralaacharam is born in a Traditional Saktha Namboodri family and had ‘Poornabisheka’ with Umanandanatha as Deekshanama. Swamiji, for his practices in ‘srividya’ in both ‘Kaula’ and ‘Samaya’ margas of ‘Dakshinachara’ for a period of 45 years is conferred ‘Peedhathipathi’ of Kashmira Peedha of ‘srividya’. Presently Swamiji is the Head of ‘Srividya Gyana Peedham, Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir and ‘Srividya Anusanthan Nyas,’ Panipat, Haryana. Swamiji is bestowed with the title Srividya Kulaagraja’ by high authorities of ‘srividya’ tradition for his 12 years of research works on ‘Spandas of Sarvanandamaya Chakra (Vibrations on Bindu). Swamiji traveled extensively all over India especially in Himalayas, Nepal and Tibet to meet Rishis and Scholars of Srividya with regards to the Research work.

Foreword

If body is undivine how can you worship divine? This is one of the most dazzling question Tantra has asked. Anyone who has the grace to be properly initiated into its holy path that leads to a most vital answer, knows very well that, to realize the answer is the most solid task in one’s inner journey. Whatever is there (macrocosm) is present here too (microcosm) in its full glory and beauty according to a Tantric. So a Sadhaka who takes up outer or inner worship of Divine mother sees his/her mortal faculties as the primary and the most sacred tools for worship. Arunopanishad proclaims thus “The then emanated rays from the great Self-born fashioned all bodies”. Sadhana will help a sadhaka in due course to realize that the worshiper is not in any way different from the worshipped. Every experience of fragmented existence survive only as an illusory phenomenon which forms the base of changing nature called the mind. But again Tantra Shastra view mind as an exceptional potent tool. When used with discrimination and intelligence it will transcend itself. Once we learn and master the technique of breaking the mirror with mirror itself, we will reach the most revealing of answers to the question about the relation between macrocosm and microcosm. ‘Know thyself as Bindu, by transcending tattvas”, concludes the tantric text ‘Bhairava yamala. ‘and’ The Goddess Lalitha who is universe herself is verily oneself. ‘promises the scripture Tantra Raja. But how does one reach a revelation so profound? One of the most promising ways revealed by Tantra is the understanding of the underlying natural principle of senses through the most comprehensive and sometimes elaborate technique called Nyasa. The word Nyasa has connotations of ‘breathing life into ‘in its etymology.

The first lesson about formations and relations between objects is in the form of alphabets. We see how alphabets when clubbed together will form words, which help us to evoke and express our feelings and experiences. In Tantra Shastra alphabets are looked upon as Matrakas or little mothers who help us to realise that every word utterd or breathed in and out evokes nada or vibes with shabda braharnan. And what is Shabda Brahman? The infinite, immutable undivided Divine. To a Srividya Sadhaka it is no one other than the great Divine Mother. To him/her She IS Shabda Brahman. It is through her one evokes what is beyond sound, which eventually turns again to be herself. ‘Wisemen understand her to be Nadatmika (the soul of sound) and Nadatheetha (beyond sound) sings Jnarnava Tantra .. Thus when a Sadhaka touches his energy centers mentally or through kriya, uttering matrakas ranging from’ Aa to Am’, and aligning breath along with sound, he is evoking an energy of extraordinary power and uncommon nature which forms the basis of all powerful Biija mantras. Through this mighty act, the adept is creating a sacred formation of sound, breath, touch and sankalpa. He/her is using all his/her sensory faculties- eyes (visualizing), tounge (uttering matrakas), skin (touching with fingers in various pranic sources), nose (breathing prana), ear (listening to matrakas) .The person goes beyond senses through the device which is also a powerful aid in meditation. The awareness about mirror of senses is used to break the mirror of illusory images created by senses themselves. The process reveals that the real object is within oneself. Through Nyasa, Sadhaka is reformatting whatever has been usually looked upon as profane into something most Holy.

Matrakas are considered to be the most articulated representations of the unified form of Shiva-Shakthi This explains why Srichakra, the cosmogram, .the most graphical representation of the universal process of emanation (Shakthi) and absorption (Shiva) is termed as Matraka chakra or Kailasa Prasthara. An aspirant doing Nyasa, with right understanding and insight, is invoking the matrakas or Sabda shaktis who are residing in the deepest realm of consciousness, and the vibrations will transport doers consciousness, otherwise rooted in mundane, into incomprehensible realization of the oneness with the self. Tattva transcended and Bindu established.

The book ‘Secrets of Matraka Yantras’ by Poojya Swamiji Sri Nadananda Theerth, contains invaluable accounts of his experience in detail on Matraka Nyasa. It is the first of its kind in Tantra shastra. Swamiji has illustrated his experiences on this realm, in pictures as revealed to him in his meditations, analysis and academic studies of 12 committed years. The attempt is wondrous and the book is third in its series on different aspects of Srividya worship. The Book is sure to illumine many an aspirants path. The pictures and explanations will serve as great source of inspiration for our journey towards the ultimate.

I am so grateful that the opportunity to write the Forward for this remarkable book was given to me. I am touched beyond words by her compassion in letting me do it. May we all be in the all encompassing love and knowledge of the divine. We are always.