Hymn to Kali, by Arthur Avalon (Sir John George Woodroffe), [1922], at sacred-texts.com
VERSE 6
O DEVĪ 1 of full breasts, 2 whose throat is adorned with a garland of heads, They who meditating 3 recite any one or two or three of Thy very secret and excelling Bījas or all thereof 4 together with Thy name, 5 in the moonlike face of all such the Devī of Speech 6 ever Wanders, and in their lotus-like eyes Kamalā 7 ever plays. 8
COMMENTARY
'Devī'
The self-manifest one.
'Full breasts' (Pīnastanādhyā)
The milk of these is the, food with which She nourishes the world and the drink of immortality with which She liberates Her Sādhakas.
'Whose neck' (Muṇda-sragatiśaya-lasat-kaṇṭi)
She who is Śabdabrahman consisting of 50 Letters. Niruttara-Tantra says, 'She is adorned with a garland of heads representing the 50 letters.' Kāmadhenu-Tantra says, 'In My throat is the wonderful Bīja of 50 letters.' Again ' I worship the Mother the source of the universe, Śabdabrahman itself, blissful.' Viśvasāra says, 'Blissful Brahman is adorned with Śabdabrahman and within the body is represented by all Mantraś.
'Bīja'
Mūrti (appearance) in the individual aspect as Prājña, Taijasa, and Viśva and in the aggregate as Īśa, Sūtra and Virād. Devīgītā says 'the causal self is Prājña, the subtle bodied one is Taijasa and the gross bodied one is Viśva.' Similarly Īśa is spoken of as Īśa, Sūtra and Virād. The first is the individual (Vyaṣti) aspect and the second the aggregate (Samaṣti) aspect.
Eyes (Netra)
Not to speak of themselves being wealthy, the sight of them gives wealth to others. Bhairava Tantra says that Kamalā and the Devī of speech never forsake them for three generations downwards.
Footnotes
59:1 Devī which comes from the root Div to shine, is the Shining One (V).
59:2 Pināstanādhye (see also Bhairavīstotra in Tantra-sāra, p. 596). The physical characteristics of the Devī in swelling breasts and hips are emblematic of Her great Motherhood, for She is Śrīmātā. See also as to the former, Durgā-Dhyāna in Devī-Purāṇa, which speaks of her large and rising breasts (Pīnonnata-payodharāṁ); the Annapūrṇā-Stava (Vakṣojakuṁbhāntari); Bhuvaneśvarī-Stotra (Āpivara-stanatatīṁ); and the Saraswatī-Dhyāna (Kucabharanamitāṁgīṁ). The Annapūrnā-Dhyāna (Annapradāna-niratāṁ stanabhāra-naṁrāṁ) speaks of Her limbs as weighted by Her breasts. The Mahābhāgavata describes Her as naked, terrific, with fiery eyes, full and erect breasts, and dishevelled hair; and the Lalitā (verse 15) says: 'Her golden girdle supports Her waist, which bends under the burden of Her breasts, thrice folding the skin below Her bosom' (Stanabhāra-dalanmadhya-pattabhandha-valitrayā).
59:3 Bhāvayantah, that is, meditating on the naked, full-breasted, black form with dishevelled hair as stated in Her Dhyāna, and which is the Artha of the particular Mantra. The Bhūtaśuddhi-Tantra says, 'A Mantra should be recited mentally meditating the while on the form of the Devī denoted by it ' (V).
59:4 Any one of the aforesaid Bījas or the whole that is, the whole nine-lettered Vidyā in full. Which according to the Kumārī-Tantra cited in Tantraratna is Krīṁ, Krīṁ, Krīṁ, Hūṁ, Hūṁ, Hūṁ, Hrīṁ, Hrīṁ, Hrīṁ. Śyāmārahaśya quoting Kālikā-Śruti, says that the whole Vidyā should be recited once, twice or thrice, or the whole mantra with 'Dakṣiṇe Kālike between the Bījas.' (K. B.) Thus, Krīṁ, Krīṁ, Krīṁ, Hūṁ, Hūṁ, Hrīṁ, Hrīṁ, Dakṣiṇe Kālike, Krīṁ, Krīṁ, Krīṁ, Hūṁ, Hūṁ, Hrīṁ, Hrīṁ.
59:5 Dakṣiṇe Kālikā.
59:6 Sarasvati. The Bhāradvāja-Smṛtī says Sarasvatī is She who ever resides in the tongue of all beings, and who causes speech.
59:7 Lakṣmi: for them is all learning, wealth, and prosperity (see Mahānirvāṇa-Tantra, Ullāsa, vii, verse 50).
59:8 In the other words they become rich and learned.
