Title: Yogamaya, Size:30"x15", Medium: Wash on Paper The episode of the goddess Nidra in the Harivamsha Purana (3rd Century CE) is the first instance of the goddess's entrance into the Puranic canon, her journey from the margin to the centre. Launched as a dark alterego of the central deity Krishna, her eschatological presence embodies in every respect the essence of Death/Time/Illusion/Sleep/Delusion. In Bihani Sarkar's terms, 'She is the dark, skull adorned chaos of our uncontrolled subconscious, the inner eye beholding images when the external eye has shut' as opposed to the royal and luminous presence of Vishnu, who rules at the centre. This is well illustrated in the narrative of the text where her original place is located in the netherworld and the entire journey of her ascend to heaven through the accomplishment of the task assigned by Vishnu, is coupled by a process of her anthropomorphisation into a fully formed deity from a mere impersonal abstract presence as sleep or Nidra. The goddess Nidra in the Harivamsa is a powerful prototype of the Devi's later depiction in the 6th Century Devimahatmya where she has completely emerged as a central deity. The first charita of the Devimahatmya is a continuation of her dark shadowy presence in the Harivamsa as Sleep/Death/Delusion with however significant changes in her theological position. As Bihani Sarkar observes, the appearance of Mahishasuramardini from the combined energies of the gods with Shiva forming her face and Vishnu her arms echoes the Harivamsha iconography of Nidra where she has a white face like that of Samkarshana and dark arms like those of Vishnu. Most significantly, the following scene from the climax of her narrative in the Harivamsha has been verily replicated in the dramatic episode in Devimahatmya where she drinks liquor before vanquishing Mahishasura. सा वै निशि तमोग्रस्ते बभौ भूतगणाकुले। नृत्यती हसती चैव विपरीतेन भास्वती।। विहायगता रौद्रा पपौ पानं अनुत्तमम्। जहास च महाहासं कंसं च रुषिताब्रवीत्। कंस कंस विनाशाय यदहं घातिता त्वया। सहसा च समुत्क्षिप्य शिलायां विनिपातिता। तस्मात् तवान्तकालेऽहं कृष्यमाणस्य शत्रुणा। पाटयित्वा करैर्देहं उष्णं पास्यामि शोणितं।। एवं उक्त्वा वचं घोरं सा यथेष्टेन वर्तमाना। खं सा देवालयं देवी सगणा विचचार ह।। In the middle of a night seized with darkness, swarming with throngs of ghosts, she cast terror as she danced cackling, flashing inauspiciously. Filled with wrath, she quaffed eminent liquor in the sky. She bellowed with mighty laughter, and in her anger, addressed Kamsa: 'Kamsa, O Kamsa! Since after hurling me up you have suddenly cast me down on a rock and executed me in order to end my life, I, at the time of your death, shall cleave you with my hands while you will be dragged by enemies and shall drink your warm blood.' Having spoken terrible words, the goddess accompanied by her retinue went to her heavenly abode following a path of her choice.
Text and art by Arghya Dipta
