In the ancient series of vidyA-s of the kaumAra-mata, one of the most celebrated, whose realization flashes like an immense wave of beauty and energy, is the expanded kula-vidyA. The yAga of the expanded kula-vidyA is the worship of ShaNmukha in the midst of the 13 prAkAra-s, each occupied a kula of 15 devI-s. The central maNDala is the ShaDashra of skanda which encapsulates the ShaDakSharI vidyA “OM vachadbhuve namaH”. The six arNa-s of this mUla manu occupy the six points of the ShaDara chakra. The praNava occupies the bindu and the tryashra. The 15 devI-s of each of the 13 kula-s occupy the dala-s of the 195-petalled padma (the devI-s belonging to each kula are listed below). These mighty kumArA~NganA-s are conceived as young, shapely, joyous ladies of white, black, smoky, crimson, golden and coppery colors, with narrow waists, wearing white clothes. Some have beautiful anthropomorphic faces, whereas others are therocephalic or avicephalic. Additionally, outside the outermost of the 13 kula prAkAra-s, the devayAjin invokes the following mAtR^i-s: yAmI, raudrI, saumyA, kauberI, vAruNI, mAhendrI, AgneyI, vAyavI, kaumArI and brAhmI respectively in their assigned cardinal direction and at the zenith and nadir. These devI-s are worshipped as assuming forms like beautiful apsarA-s [Footnote 1]. These goddesses are, the mAtR^i kula-s, are said to dwell in trees, town squares, crossroads, caves, cremation grounds, mountains and springs [Footnote 2]. It is in these places the ritualist places bali-s for them. Their voices are sweet like that of cuckoos, they are rich like kubera, powerful as indra and impetuous in battle like him, swift as vAyu and blazing as agni.
The ritualist draws the maNDala of 13 aratni-s in size and decorates it with leaves, flowers and mirrors and utters the following mantra-s as per the atharvaNa paraMpara:
With the following mantra-s he invokes kumAra:
yaM vahanti hayAH shvetA nitya-yuktA manojavAH |
tam ahaM shveta-saMnAhaM dhUrtam AvAhayAmy aham ||
Here he is conceived as riding on a white horse.
yaM vahanti gajAH siMhA vyAghrAsh cApi viShANinaH |
tam ahaM siMha-saMnAhaM dhUrtam AvAhayAmy aham ||
Here he is conceived as coming with a herd of elephants, lions, tigers and reptiles.
yaM vahanti mayUrAsh ca citrapakShA vihaMgamAH |
tam ahaM citrasaMnAhaM dhUrtam AvAhayAmy aham ||
Here he is conceived as coming riding a peacock with fowl of variegated hues.
yaM vahanti sarva-vArNAH sadAyuktA manojavAH |
tam ahaM sarvasaMnAhaM dhUrtam AvAhayAmy aham ||
Here is seen coming on a chariot with horses of many colors.
yasyAmoghA sadA shaktir nityaM ghaNTApatAkinI |
tam ahaM shaktisaMnAhaM dhUrtam AvAhayAmy aham ||
Here he is conceived as coming with a spear, bell and banners.
yash ca mAtR^igaNair nityaM sadA parivR^ito yuvA |
tam ahaM mAtR^ibhiH sArdhaM dhUrtam AvAhayAmy aham ||
yash ca kanyAsahasreNa sadA parivR^ito mahAn |
tam ahaM siMhasaMnAhaM dhUrtam AvAhayAmy aham ||
With the above two mantra-s he is invoked as coming together with the kula-s of mAtR^i-s laid out above.
AyAtu devaH sagaNaH sasainyaH savAhanaH sAnucaraH pratItaH |
ShaDAnano .aShTAdasha-locanash ca suvarNa-varNo laghu-pUrNa-bhAsaH ||
He is finally worshipped with his hordes and mounts in the 6-headed 18-eyed form.
AyAtu devo mama kArttikeyo brahmaNya-pitraiH saha mAtR^ibhish ca |
bhrAtrA vishAkhena ca vishvarUpa imaM baliM sAnucara juShasva ||
He is offered a bali along with his parents, brother vishAkha and his troops.
saMvishasva varaghaNTApsaraHstave yatra subhujo hi nirmitAH |
saMviShTo me dhehi dIrgham AyuH prajAM pashUMsh caiva vinAyakasena ||
Finally with this mantra he is installed in the maNDala middle of the maNDala.
For performing the yogeshvara sAdhana, the ritualist then meditates on one of the ShaDakSharI-s: “OM vachadbhuve namaH (as stated above)” or “OM bhuve namaH svAhA” or if he has learned the atharvaNa shruti “OM svachChandAya svAhA” or the sadyojAta mantra in its kaumAra form.
Footnote 1: This is the oldest surviving system of the mAtR^ikA-s. They were modelled upon an old system of dikpAla-s. In this system the positions of the devI-s are thus: mAhendrI (E); vAruNI(W); yAmI(S); saumyA (N); raudrI (NE); vAyavI (NW); AgneyI(SE); SW(kauberI); brAhmI (Z); kaumArI (Nd). The bodhAyanokta mahAnyAsa has a similar system, except that it has nirR^itti in the SW.
Footnote 2:
vR^ikSha-chatvara-vAsinyash-chatuShpatha niketanAH |
guhA shmashAna-vAsinyaH shaila-prasravaNAlayAH ||
devI kula-s:
prAkAra 1
001)prabhAvatI; 002)vishAlAkShI; 003)palitA; 004)gonasI; 005)shrImatI; 006)bahulA; 007)bahu-putrikA; 008)apsu-jAtA; 009)gopAlI; 010)bR^ihad-ambAlikA; 011)jayAvatI; 012)mAlatikA; 013)dhruva-ratnA; 014)bhaya~NkarI; 015)vasu-dAmA;
prAkAra 2
016)sudAmA; 017)vishokA; 018)nandinI; 019)ekachUDA; 020)mahAchUDA; 021)chakranemi; 022)uttejanI; 023)jayatsenA; 024)kamalAkShi; 025)shobhanA; 026)shatru~njayA; 027)krodhanA; 028)shalabhI; 029)kharI; 030)mAdhavI;
prAkAra 3
031)shubha-vaktrA; 032)tIrtha-nemi; 033)gIta-priyA; 034)kalyANI; 035)kadrulA; 036)amitAshanA; 037)meghasvanA; 038)bhogavatI; 039)subhrU; 040)kanakAvatI; 041)alAtAkShI; 042)vIryavatI; 043)vidyujjihvA; 044)padmAvatI; 045)sunakShatrA;
prAkAra 4
046)kandarA; 047)bahuyojanA; 048)santAnikA; 049)kamalA; 050)mahAbalA; 051)sudAmA; 052)bahu-dAmA; 053)suprabhA; 054)yashasvinI; 055)nR^itya-priyA; 056)shatolUkhala-mekhalA; 057)shata-ghaNTA; 058)shatAnandA; 059)bhaga-nandA; 060)bhAginI;
prAkAra 5
061)vapuSh-matI; 062)chandra-shItA; 063)bhadra-kAlI; 064)sa~NkArikA; 065)niShkuTikA; 066)bhramA; 067)chatvara-vAsinI; 068)suma~NgalA; 069)svastimatI; 070)vR^iddhi-kAmA; 071)jaya-priyA; 072)dhanadA; 073)suprasAdA; 074)bhavadA; 075)jaleshvarI;
prAkAra 6
076)eDI; 077)bheDI; 078)sumeDI; 079)vetAla-jananI; 080)kaNDUti; 081)kAlikA; 082)deva-mitrA; 083)lambasI; 084)ketakI; 085)chitrasenA; 086)balA; 087)kukkuTikA; 088)sha~NkhanikA; 089)jarjarikA; 090)kuNDArikA;
prAkAra 7
091)kokalikA; 092)kaNDarA; 093)shAtodarI; 094)utkrAthinI; 095)jareNA; 096)mahAvegA; 097)ka~NkaNA; 098)manojavA; 099)kaNTakinI; 100)praghasA; 101)pUtanA; 102)khashayA; 103)churvyuTi; 104)vAmA; 105)kroshanAthA;
prAkAra 8
106)taDitprabhA; 107)maNDodarI; 108)tuNDA; 109)koTarA; 110)meghavAsinI; 111)subhagA; 112)lambinI; 113)lambA; 114)vasu-chUDA; 115)vikatthanI; 116)UrdhvaveNI-dharA; 117)pi~NgAkShI; 118)loha-mekhalA; 119)pR^ithu-vaktrA; 120)madhurikA;
prAkAra 9
121)madhu-kumbhA; 122)pakShAlikA; 123)manthanikA; 124)jarAyu; 125)jarjarAnanA; 126)khyAtA; 127)dahadahA; 128)dhamadhamA; 129)khaNDakhaNDA; 130)pUShaNA; 131)maNikuNDalA; 132)amoghA; 133)lambapayodharA; 134)veNu-vINA-dharA; 135)pi~NgAkShI;
prAkAra 10
136)lohamekhalA; 137)shasholUka-mukhI; 138)kR^iShNA; 139)kharaja~NghA; 140)mahAjavA; 141)shishumAra-mukhI; 142)shvetA; 143)lohitAkShI; 144)vibhIShaNA; 145)jaTAlikA; 146)kAmacharI; 147)dIrghajihvA; 148)balotkaTA; 149)kAleDikA; 150)vAmanikA;
prAkAra 11
151)mukuTA; 152)lohitAkShI; 153)mahAkAyA; 154)hari-piNDI; 155)ekAkSharA; 156)sukusumA; 157)kR^iShNa-karNI; 158)kShura-karNI; 159)chatuSh-karNI; 160)karNa-prAvaraNA; 161)chatuShpatha-niketA; 162)gokarNI; 163)mahiShAnanA; 164)kharakarNI; 165)mahAkarNI;
prAkAra 12
166)bherI-svana-mahAsvanA; 167)sha~Nkha-kumbha-svanA; 168)bha~NgadA; 169)mahAravA; 170)gaNA; 171)sugaNA; 172)bhIti; 173)kAmadA; 174)chatuShpatha-ratA; 175)bhUri-tIrthA; 176)anyagocharA; 177)pashudA; 178)vittadA; 179)sukhadA; 180)mahAyashA;
prAkAra 13
181)payodA; 182)gomahiShadA; 183)suviShANA; 184)pratiShThA; 185)supratiShThA; 186)rochamAnA; 187)surochanA; 188)gokarNI; 189)sukarNI; 190)sasirA; 191)stherikA; 192)ekachakrA; 193)megha-ravA; 194)meghamAlA; 195)virochanA;
mAnasa-taraMgiNI 