Guhya Chandali is the goddess who is secretive and is the epitome of “Chanda Vriti”. This Chanda Vriti is the tendency to forcefully alter the natural course of things. It is that destructive force of the universe that goes against everything and all phenomenon. Chandali is the force through which one overcomes the inertia and can bring about drastic and even seemingly impossible change in one’s life. She is believed to be Yogmaya herself and is one of her tamasic forms. She is all-powerful and she compels every entity in this universe to go against the fabrics of creation to pursue the opposite path. She compels every entity to go against the very same rules that she creates.

 Etymology 

As per “Siddha Dharma”, the word Guhya Chandali is composed of two words, Guhya meaning secretive and Chandali meaning “the shakti of Chandala”. Chandala is based on “Chanda Vriti”. It is the trait which is erratic, free from the idea of good and bad and whose main characteristics is to go against the system or status quo. It works through the domain of power. The trait often emerges in the person who has amassed power.

 In a plain sense, Chandala is the character trait of a powerful person which makes the person control other people by force. Therefore, Guhya Chandali is that supreme goddess herself whose main trait is the “Birodhini Shakti” or the shakti that is the opposing force. She is “Chandali” personified and who speaks through the use of power. Chandali can be a woman who carries the qualities of Chanda Vritti. If she is extremely intense and powerful in her chanda vritti then she becomes Chandalini. Similarly, a man with Chanda Vritti is called a Chandala.

ICONOGRAPHY

As per “Siddha Dharma”, she has altogether four different forms. They are Guhya Chandali, Chandali, Avadhuta Chandali and Yogini Chandali. Her main form is the Guhya Chandali form.

 As per “Siddha Dharma”, she has two canine teeth in her both upper and lower jaws. She is portrayed with a third eye. She wears the big earrings of thorns. Her crown is also made up of thorns and in it is the Panch Pret Bhairavas. All her adornments are of thorns. Her bangles, anklets are also made up of thorns. She wears the garland of skulls.

 Her breast is portrayed as that of demon Putana’s breast. Her breast, especially the area surrounding the nipples are dark because it signifies poison. Her face is also dark which also signifies poison. In one hand, she holds a skull cup in which there are blazes of fire which emits smoke signifying halahala poison and the other hand is held high in the sky which holds an effulgent jewel.

She is also portrayed naked or in avadhuta state and her hair flutters in one direction. Behind her is the fire, which forms her aura.

ORIGIN STORY

As per “Siddha Dharma”, when Lord Shiva and Ma Parvati were seated on Kailasha and were engaged in agama-nigama, hardly had they finished the talks on the universe, its creation, destruction, salvation, art forms and various wisdom forms then out of a sudden Devi asks lord Shiva that she is Yogmaya. She also adds that even though she has a satwic form, why are the three worlds afraid of her Maya and why is Maya treated so harsh and portrayed as such? Why is the negative aspect of Maya only highlighted to which lord Shiva replies that all entity in this universe wants to remain independent? Both Jada and Chetana wants to stay independent and free on this universe. But Yogmaya, that creates order herself creates disorder in it therefore, the wise calls you as Chandali.

Lord Shiva continues that Chandali means that energy which forcefully stops the natural process and phenomenon of this universe. Yogmaya also only thinks about herself and no one else. She is a self-centred power which is called Chandali. Chandali also represents power in its tamasic form and she entices the creation to go against her own rules and orders that she created before.

Devi then questions lord Shiva as to how that was possible for her to disrupt and go against her system and orders. She also asks, why would she ever do such? Lord Shiva replies that he shall reply her not through words but his actions. She asks her to close her eyes and when she closes, she becomes one with the creation and she then opens her eyes and says to lord Shiva that she indeed is Chandali.

Lord Shiva then smilingly questions Ma Parvati if she experienced her Chandali form to which Shakti acknowledges and then he asks her, “Why have you created this circumvention?” to which Ma Shakti replies that she created this circumvention to go against her creation for a miraculous feat. She says the very notion of going against the flow of the creation is to head to the source and that source is Brahm or Shiva. Flowing against the current of the creation is a miraculous path for the realization of the truth. She created this loophole for humans to exploit it to realize the truth but off course in a very unconventional path of Chandala vritti. When one merely flows with the time and inertia, then it will take an infinite time to reach the supreme. But with Chandali and Chandala Vritti, Devi enables one to fight and flow against the stream. She promotes one to obtain capabilities and power to obtain the supreme state. This promotes one towards destructive power also. But in this tussle of destructive power and constructive power of Devi, one obtains knowledge.

Therefore, despite the apparent inauspiciousness of her outer form, Siddhas accepted Devi Chandali as a Parmaa Vidya and started teaching her secrets in their traditions.

DARSHANA (PHILOSOPHY) OF GUHYA CHANDALI

As per “Siddha Dharma”, the philosophy of the Guhya Chandali is based on “Chandala Vritii”. Chandala vriti means to accomplish all forms of power and exploit it to one’s benefit. Chandala is the epitome of tamas shakti. They use the tamas shakti to forcefully have their wishes completed through different mediums. The satwic shakti, on the other hand, is based on being powerful but becoming responsible for the use of shakti. While a satvik shakti at its highest power makes one humble and enabler for others; like a tree hanging low with many fruits, extreme tamasic shakti power on the other hand resort to control and exploitation of others. They don’t exploit shakti for their benefit, they know how to bow down, unlike Chandala vritti who do not bow down but agitate and oppose.

It is this Shakti that can forcefully delude even intelligent person to commit mistakes. And it is this Shakti that promotes one to overcome all obstacles and obtain all power. One can understand power as a state where one can do anything or make other people do anything. This is the tamasic understanding of power where one can compel others and nature to do one’s bidding.

Chandala vritti is then to obtain that power so that one can accomplish anything and make even others do what one wishes.

This chandal vriti is present from the grand universal scale where a bigger mass attracts smaller objects, or a smaller object is destroyed by other celestial phenomena including cases where no object or even light can pass through certain regions of space. At some level, the ocean absorbing waters from all rivers into its wholesome body is also a similar tendency of Chanda Vritti. The atmosphere taking in all gases and smokes into its vast expanse is also that Chanda Vritti. The destructive force of lightning which does not differentiate between a good place to strike or a bad place to strike will destroy everything that comes in its bolt of surging power. To survive such a destructive force, one needs to understand the principles of this Chanda Vritti. And to understand this principle is gaining knowledge and survival. That also is Chanda Vritti.

Humans desires are also like that. Desires can provoke one to get everything to satisfy themselves. This is also Chanda Vritti. To survive on this planet, one needs Chanda Vritti as there are forces of nature acting against us. To survive in extreme cold or extreme heat, one needs to understand this Chanda Vritti to survive. This Chanda Vritti promotes one to obtain three things which are vital for survival and success. They are physical power, intellectual power and emotional power. When one has more of these powers, then one is more alive. This is Chanda Vritti.

If you are doing any research be it in the social sector, economic sector or science. To understand the secrets of nature and to manipulate or change the natural system and human social systems one needs Chanda Vritti.

In the whole universe, no matter what the situation is, there is no ideal state because of Chandala Vritti. This is the reason one does not understand Brahman or supreme consciousness also. Because one attaches an ideal state to this supreme reality or consciousness. But one cannot reach that because of Chandala Vritti which excites one to move against that ideal situation.

Exploitation of other animals, plants for one’s survival is also Chandal vritti. Whenever the feeling of possessing all comes, desire for acquiring more and more resources, be it about expanding ones work or gaining more knowledge, all are rooted in Chandal vritti. Ultimately Chandal Vritti is about becoming the ruler of the whole universe so that whatever one desires should manifest.

In spirituality too, people who want to gain more knowledge, become the greatest yogi or greatest tantric or achieve the highest state of consciousness, all these desires to have more is rooted in Chandal Vritti. Similarly, in a scientific the quest to find all the secrets of the universe, one needs Chandal Vritti.

This Chadala Vritti is present even in trees when one tree competes for resources and other trees are killed due to it. Chandal Vritti is about survival. Without Chandala Vritti one cannot survive in this tamas predominant world.

This Chanda Vritti becomes evident during the cremation of a person. When one body is taken to the cremation ground, it may have been adorned with different embellishments and wrapped in beautiful clothing which reflects the emotional sensitivities of the loved ones. But all is taken away by a person working at the cremation ground. That person does not care about such sensitivities. It is that person who burns the body and collects the bones while the loved ones of the person died watches. This appears as Chanda Vritti so those people were given the names of Chandala.

YOGIC GUHYA CHANDALI AND KRITIMUKH BHAIRAVA

As per “Siddha Dharma”, Guhya Chandali because of her destructive and sceptic nature, she destroys or cuts off herself from all the bondages and attachment. She is also a total sceptic of her body and treats even the body and the mind, as the final bondages of this universe. The “Yogic Guhya Chandali” is one such technique that is a soft version of Guhya Chandali technique that is used in perfecting her sadhana.

In “Siddha Dharma”, there is a story about Kritimukha Bhairava who ate everything in the thin universe. The legend has it that he ate everything around him. He ate the offerings given to him and dissatisfied as he had nothing to eat, he started eating his own body. He started from his legs, his thigs, his pelvic parts, his hands, shoulders, chest, abdomen, intestines, heart and his neck. He ate his body until he couldn’t eat anymore because he couldn’t devour himself more than that. So, he is portrayed in “Siddha Dharma” like a ferocious Bhairava with only his head and nobody.

The above the anecdote is nothing but the explanation of Yogic Guhya Chandali Kriya. In this kriya, the Bhairava first absorbs all the energy of the legs and lower body part to the Muladhara chakra. The Bhairava then channelizes the Muladhara kundalini shakti upwards in an anti-clockwise direction and transcends it, reaching the Swadhistan chakra. There the Bhairava absorbs all the Kundalini shakti of the intestines and abdomens and similarly channelizes to the Manipur chakra. From Manipura chakra to Anahata, from Anahata to Vishuddi, from Visuddhi to Agyaa and finally establishes himself in the Sahastrahar chakra. The whole story of Kritimukh Bhairava is the symbolic story of Yogic Guhya Chandali tantra.

DIFFERENT FORMS OF CHANDALI

As per “Siddha Dharma”, apart from her main Guhya Chandali form, she has the following forms.

YOGA SWAROOP (Chandali swarup)

As per “Siddha Dharma”, she has six hands. One of the hands holds pasa (hook), other holds an axe. The middle hand holds a bow and the other middle hand holds six arrows . The last one holds khapara (skull cup) and trishula(trident).  Behind her is the distinct yogagni and she is portrayed sitting upon a lotus.

AVADHUT SWAROOP ATI TAMASI SWAROOP

As per “Siddha Dharma”, her avadhuta form is the most secretive form which is not revealed to the public.

SATWIK SWAROOP

As per “Siddha Dharma”, The satwik swarupa is for namesake only. Her satwika swarupa is the least tamasic out of all above. She is portrayed with fire behind her and the fire behind her is portrayed colourful. In front of the colourful fire, she dances on a top of a flower.

GREAT GURUS OF THE LINEAGE

As per “Siddha Dharma”, the wisdom of Guhya Chandali Tantra was given to Ma Parvati by Lord Shiva. She then initiated Maharishi Matang into this wisdom and gave him the knowledge of all forms of Chandali including the “Uchhist Chandali”.

Another important guru of this lineage is Mahasiddha Nandi Nath and Maharishi Vishwamitra. Maharishi Vishwamitra lived the life of a Chandala when Mahalakshmi had cursed him. He was treated as an outcast by the whole society and he had to hide in a pit. Mahasiddha Nandi Nath also imparted this wisdom to many Mahasiddhas.

The modern-day revival of Chandali Tantra can be accredited to Mahasiddha Matsyendra Nath Ji Maharaja. He revived the Guhya Chandali Tantra and initiated the tantra to various Mahasiddhas of “Kaula Siddha” lineage.