The pUrvAmnAya in the parA-tantra
The parA-tantra teaches the ShaD-AmnAya system, which adds two additional AmnAya-s to the original four that comprise the archaic directional tetrad. It distinguishes as the ultimate AmnAya (UrdhvAmnAya) the worship of tripura-bhairavI or tripura-sundarI in the shrI-chakra from the goddess of the dakShiNAmnAya. It incorporates the vajrayANa goddesses in the adhAmnAya and salvages some of the bauddha traditions into the Hindu fold. In our opinion, it remembers some unique features of a transmission of the pUrvAmnAya distinct from that outlined in the chi~nchiNI-mata-sAra-samuchchaya, and expounded in the mAlinI-vijaya and trika. However, it is probably aligned to a degree with that of the siddhayogeshvarI-mata. The central goddess of the AmnAya, pUrNeshvarI, is described thus:
pUrNeshvarI mahogrA sA pUrvAmnAya-prakIrtitA |
chakreshvaryAs tu vakShyAmi sAdhakAnAM hitAya vai || 55 ||
She, pUrNeshvarI, intensely fierce, is celebrated in the Eastern Transmission. Now, for the ultimate benefit of the practitioners, I shall describe the mistress of the chakra.
dhyAnaM tu chitte .adhiShThAya dhyAtavyA parameshvarI |
indra-nIla-samaprakhyAM dasha-dor-daNDa-dhAriNIm || 56 ||
Establishing this visualization firmly within the consciousness, one should meditate upon the Supreme Goddess. She possesses a complexion resembling a deep blue sapphire and wields ten staff-like arms.
varAbhayakaraM ramyaM satrishUlaM kapAlakam |
DamaruM chAkShamAlAM cha shaktIM chaiva karAmbuje || 57 ||
In her lotus-like hands, she holds beautiful gestures granting boons and fearlessness, a trident, a skull, a hand-drum, a rosary, and a spear.
ikShu-chApAM sharAM chaiva khaDga-hastAM sushobhinIm |
mahApretopari tatra chandra-sUryAsanAsthitAM || 58 ||
She also holds a sugarcane bow, arrows, and brandishes a sword, appearing supremely beautiful. She stands atop a great corpse, seated upon a throne composed of the sun and the moon.
pratyAlIDhAM trinetrAM cha muNDa-mAlA-vibhUShitAM |
vAsukI-sha~NkhapAlau tau karNa-bhUShaNatAM gatau || 59 ||
She is poised in the attacking stance (pratyAlIDhA), has three eyes, and is adorned with a garland of severed heads. The great serpents vAsukI and sha~NkhapAla serve as her earrings.
ananta-hAra-mAlA cha hArAlaMkAra-bhUShitAM |
vishAla-traya-netrAM cha chandrArddha-kR^ita-shekharAm || 60 ||
She is adorned with garlands, including a garland made of the serpent ananta, possesses three wide eyes, and carries the crescent moon upon her crest.
eShA pUrNeshvarI devI hAhArAva-ravapriyA |
pUrNeshvarIti vikhyAtA sAhaMkArA rajoyutA || 61 ||
This is the Goddess pUrNeshvarI, who is deeply fond of the terrifying, roaring sound of hAhA. Renowned as pUrNeshvarI, she is imbued with cosmic ego and is charged with dynamic energy.
girau pUrNAlaye pIThe lakShmI-vana-shmashAnake |
indreNArAdhitA nityA bahurUpAvatAriNI || 62 ||
Upon the mountain at the sacred seat of pUrNAlaya (pUrNagiri), in the cemetery lakShmI-vana, she is eternally worshipped by indra – the manifestation of the bahurUpA R^ik (aghorebhyo .atha...)
pUrvAmnAyeti vikhyAtA pUrva-devarShipUjitA |
IshvarI sarva-vidyAnAM mahA-bhAgya-bharAvahA || 63 ||
Renowned as the personification of the Eastern Transmission, she was worshipped by the gods and seers of old. She is the absolute sovereign of all knowledge (mantra-s), the great bearer and vehicle fortune.
nAnA-rUpa-dharA nityA bahurUpAvatAriNI |
jayA jayantI vijayA ajitA nArasiMhikA || 64 ||
vyAghreshvarI karAlA cha rAjeshI bhuvaneshvarI |
raktadantA vishAlAkShI kAmeshI chaNDamAlinI || 65 ||
vidyujjihvA DAmareshI nATeshI nR^ityanAyikA |
nandI chaiva mahAkAla-bhR^i~NgiNI cha kulAlikA || 66 ||
She assumes diverse forms, is the nityA, and the manifestation of the bahurUpA R^ik. The following 20 devI-s (her manifold emanations) represent her retinue:
1. jayA, 2. jayantI, 3. vijayA, 4. ajitA, 5. nArasiMhikA, 6. vyAghreshvarI, 7. karAlA, 8. rAjeshI, 9. bhuvaneshvarI, 10. raktadantA, 11. vishAlAkShI, 12. kAmeshI, 13 chaNDamAlinI, 14. vidyujjihvA, 15. DAmareshI, 16. nATeshI, 17. nR^itya-nAyikA, 18.
nandI, 19. mahAkAla-bhR^i~NgiNI, 20. kulAlikA
nava-nATeshvarI tatra chatuH-pa~ncha-rasAnvitA |
bahubhedA devadevI bhairavAShTaka-mAtR^ikAH || 67 ||
In their midst, she is the Nine-fold Queen of the Dance, imbued with 4 5 rasa-s. Of many varieties, the supreme goddess, with the eight bhairava-s and mAtR^i-s.
nATeshvarIti vikhyAtA bhairavI chakra-pAlikA |
kShetra-vighnesha-baTuka-yoginI-mAtR^ikAShTakAH || 68 ||
Celebrated as the Mistress of the Dance, the bhairavI and the protectress of chakra, she is accompanied by kShetrapAla, vighnesha, baTuka, the yoginI-s and the eight mAtR^ikA-s.