I Recently I have heard about goddess "Kubjika" and I want to know this incarnation of Devi. But what is information about this goddess? Is any mention about her in Puranas and Tantras?
1 Answer
Goddess Kubjika is mentioned in Chapter 143 and 144 of The Agni Purana.:
Chapter 143 - Mode of worship of Goddess Kubjikā
- I shall describe the mode of worship of (goddess) Kubjikā that accomplishes all comforts. (It is only by such worship) the celestials had conquered the demons together with their weapons and kingdom.
2-3. One should locate the māyābīja (the secret basic mantra of the goddess) at the secret organ and the six (syllables) of the weapons on the hand. (One should say) Kālī, Kālī (and touch) the heart and Duṣṭacāṇḍālikā (vicious Cāṇḍālikā) (and touch) the head. “Hrīṃ spheṃ ha sa kha ka cha ḍa syllable oṃ Bhairava” (is the mantra to be said to touch) the tuft. Bhelakī (for) the kavaca (armour) and Dūtī and Raktacaṇḍikā (for) the eyes.
4-5. (Then one should say) guhya Kubjikā (and touch) the weapon. One should worship (goddess Kubjikā) in the lotus at the centre and the seat at the south-east, the head at the north-east, the tuft at the south-west, the armour at the west, the eyes at the centre and the weapons in all directions of the circle in the thirty-two petals. The principal mantra (for the goddess Kubjikā is) ha, sa, kṣa, ma, la, na, va, vaṣaḍ.”
- (The eight goddesses) Brahmāṇī, Māheśī, Kaumārī, Vaiṣṇavī, Vārāhī, Mahendrī, Cāmuṇḍā and Caṇḍikā (should be worshipped) in the directions east onwards.
7-8. One has to (locate and) worship (the subtle letters) ra, va, la, ka, sa, and ha at the (petals at the) north-east, east, south-east, south, south-west and west. A garland of flowers and the five mountains such as Uḍḍiyāna, Jālandhara, Pūrṇagiri and Kāmarūpa should be worshipped at the north-west, north-east, south-east and south-west and (goddess) Kubjikā at the centre.
9-10. The five Vimalas such as Anādivimala, Sarvajñavimala, Prasiddhavimala, Saṃyogavimala and Samayavimala (should be worshipped at the tips (of the petals) at the northwest, north-east, south-west, south-east and north.
11-14. Khiṅkhiṇī, Ṣaṣṭhā, Sopamā, Susthirā and Ratnasundarī (should be worshipped) in the north-east corner for (the worship of) Kubjikā. The eight Ādināthas—Mitra, Oḍīśa, Ṣaṣṭhi, Varṣa etc. (constituting) the jewels of heaven (should be worshipped) in the south-east, west and north-west and the kavacaratna (the excellent mantras serving as armour) in the west. (The syllable) ‘bruṃ’ (should be worshipped) in the north-west, north-east and south-east together with the five basic letters. The five gems (the divine mothers) (should be located and worshipped) at the south and south-east. Among these, the three, Jyeṣṭhā, Raudrī and Antikā are very old. They and other goddesses and others (should be worshipped) with the five praṇavas (syllable oṃ). The worship is of two kinds—twenty-seven and twenty-eight.
15-17. Then (the god) Gaṇapati (lord of the attendant gods on Śiva and son of the latter) of the form of praṇava and a boy should be worshipped duly with (the mantra Oṃ eṃ gūṃ. Gaṇapati should be worshipped in a square diagram on the south. The Vaṭuka (form of Gaṇapati) (should be worshipped) on the left. The sixteen preceptors—nāthas (tāntrik preceptors) and eighteen nāthas should be worshipped in the north-west and other (directions). Then the gods Brahmā and others (should be worshipped) around in the six angular points. At the-centre the nine gods (should be worshipped). This is always. the mode of worship of (goddesses) Kubjikā, Kulaṭā etc
Chapter 144 - Mode of worship of Goddess Kubjikā (continued)
- I shall describe the worship of glorious Kubjikā who grants righteousness, wealth and victory. One should worship her together with her attendants with the basic mantra: Oṃ aiṃ hrauṃ śrīṃ khaiṃ hreṃ ha, sa, kṣa, ma, la, va, ra, ya, ūṃ Goddess! Mother! Hrāṃ hrīṃ kṣrīṃ, kṣauṃ kṣūm krīṃ Kubjikā! Hrīṃ oṃ ṅa, ña, na, ṇa, ma Aghoramukhi! Vāṃ chrāṃ chīṃ kili kili kṣrauṃ vicce khyoṃ śrīṃ kroṃ oṃ hroṃ aiṃ Vajrakubjini! Strīṃ Trailokyākarṣiṇi (One who subjugates the three worlds)! Hrīṃ Kāmāṅgadrāviṇi (one who melts away the god of love)! Hrīṃ strīṃ Mahākṣobhakāriṇi (the great agitator)! Aiṃ hrīṃ kṣrauṃ aiṃ hrīṃ śrīṃ pheṃ kṣauṃ obeisance. O Goddess! Kṣauṃ Kubjikā! hrīṃ kraiṃ ṅa, ña, ṇa, na, ma Aghoramukhi! Chrāṃ chāṃ vicce oṃ kili kili.
2-4a. After locating the mantras on the hand and the body, one should perform the worship of twilight (addressed to the goddesses) Vāmā, Jyeṣṭhā and Raudrī. (The following is the mantra)—May we know you as Kulavāgīśi. Let me contemplate on (the goddess) Mahākālī. May (goddess) Kaulī impel us to the same. There are five mantras such as praṇava etc. (The votary should say) “I am worshipping the sandals.” The name (should be) at the middle, ending with (the term) obeisance with eighteen bīja (letters). Then (the name of the goddess) in the sixth (declensional) case with (the term) ‘obeisance’ and the end. I shall describe all of them to be known.
4b-12. Kaulīśanātha, Sukalā, Kubjikā from the birth, Śrīkaṇṭhanātha, Kauleśa, Gaganānandanātha, Caṭulādevī, Maitrīśī, Karālī, Tūrṇanāthaka, Ataladevī, Śrīcandrādevī are their names. (These should be invoked) as stupefying the attendants of Śiva and the sandals should be worshipped. Then the sandal endowed with gems that excel the bliss in the world should be worshipped. Brahmajñānā, Kamalā and Paramā together with Vidyā (should also be worshipped). I shall describe the threefold purifications of vidyā (knowledge), Devī (goddess) and guru (preceptor). By means of the ṣoḍānyāsa (six ways of touching the body with mystical letters) the following deities should be located in the body—Gagana, Caṭulī, Ātmā, Padmānanda, Maṇī, Kalā, Kamalā, Māṇikyakaṇṭha, Gagana, Kumuda, Śrī, Padma, Bhairava, Ānanda, Deva, Kamala, Śiva, Bhava, Kṛṣṇa, the nine and then sixteen siddhas—Candrapūra, Gulma, Śubha, Kāma, Atimuktaka, Viraktaka, Prayoga, Kuśala, Devabhoga, Viśvedeva, Khaḍgadeva, Rudra, Asidhanya, Mudrāsphoṭa, Vaṃśapūra and Bhoja.
13-14. After having put flowers on the circle, the circles (of the deities) should be worshipped. Then one should worship Ananta, Mahānanta, sandals of Śiva, mahāvyāpti (the great pervading force), the void circle consisting of five principles, sandals of Śrīkaṇṭhanātha and Śaṅkara and Ananta.
- One should worship within the circle Sadāśiva, Piṅgala, Bhṛgvānanda, Nāthaka, Rāṅgūlānanda and Saṃvarta.
16-18. Śrīmahākāla, Pinākī, Mahendraka, Khaḍga, Bhujaṅga, Bāṇa, Aghāsi, Śabdaka, Vaśa, Ājñārūpa and Nandarūpa should be worshipped in the south-west after making the offering (victim) (with the following mantra)—Hroṃ khaṃ khaṃ hūṃ sauṃ (obeisance) to (god) Vaṭuka. Aru aru (you) accept, accept argha (water offered as token of respect), flower, incense, lamp, perfumes and bali (offering). Obeisance to you. Oṃ hrāṃ hrīṃ hrūṃ kṣeṃ (obeisance) to the guardian of the ground. (You) descend, descend. One bearing the great grown matted hair! One having a face shining with the flames in the three eyes! (You) come. Come. Accept, accept worship with perfumes, flowers and bali (offering). Khaḥ, khaḥ, oṃ kaḥ, oṃ laḥ oṃ oblations to the lord of great ḍāmara (uproar). The trikūṭa (the three groups) should be worshipped with (the syllables) hrīṃ hrūṃ hāṃ śrīṃ and the offering of the remnant of bali in the left, right and middle. The sandals of Niśānātha (are worshipped) in the south, Tandrinātha on the right and Kālānala in the front.
19-24. The mountains Uḍḍiyāṇa, Jālandhara, Pūrṇa and Kāmarūpa and the five gems Gaganānandadeva, Svargānanda, Paramānandadeva, the sandals of Satyānanda and Nāgānanda (should be worshipped) in the north. One should worship the six—the sandal of Suranātha (Indra), Śrīsamayakoṭīśa, Vidyākoṭīśvara, Koṭīśa, Bindukoṭīśa and Siddhakoṭīśvara in the northeast. The siddhacatuṣka (four siddhas)—Amarīśeśvara, Cakrīśanātha, Kuraṅgeśa, Vṛtreśa and Candranāthaka should be worshipped in the south-east with perfumes etc. The Vimalapañcaka (five Vimalas)—Anādivimala, Sarvajñavimala, Yogīśavimala, Siddha (Siddhavimala) and Samaya (Samayavimala) (should be worshipped) in the south.
One should worship the four gods Kandarpanātha and others, all the female energies already described and the sandals of (goddess) Kubjikā.
(The votary) should always worship the thousand-eyed and blemishless (god) Viṣṇu and (god) Śiva with the mantra of nine syllables or five praṇava (mantras).
27-37. Brahmā and other gods (should be worshipped) from the east to the north-east. (The goddesses) Brahmāṇī, Māheśvarī, Kaumārī, Vaiṣṇavī, Vārāhī, Indrāṇī, Cāmuṇḍā and Mahālakṣmī should be worshipped from the east to the north-east. (The goddesses) Ḍākinī, Rākiṇī, Kākinī, Śākinī and Yākinī should be worshipped in the six directions (commencing) from the north-west. The goddess composed of thirty-two letters should be worshipped with five praṇavas or syllable hrīṃ. She should be contemplated upon as of dark complexion like the petals of blue lotus, having six faces, of six kinds, as eighteen kinds of cicchakti (faculties of the mind), possessing twelve arms, seated comfortably on the throne, remaining on the lotus of absolute dead (of primordial matter), and shining with the splendour of multitudes of kulas. She should also be contemplated as having Karkoṭaka (one of the eight principal cobras) as the girdle, Takṣaka (a cobra) above, Vāsuki (a cobra) as a garland on the neck, Kulika (a cobra) on the ears, the tortoise as the ear-stud, (the serpents) Padma and Mahāpadma forming the eye-brows, and having skull, a serpent, rosary, a club with a skull at the top, a conch and a look in her left (hand) and a trident, a mirror, a sword, a garland of gems, dart and a bow in the right (hand). The upper front face of the goddess (should be contemplated) as having a white complexion and elevated, the eastern face pale, the southern one angry, the western face of black colour, and the northern one of the colour of snow and jasmine. Moreover, Brahmā (should be imagined to be) as remaining at the foot, Viṣṇu at the buttocks, Rudra at the heart, Īśvara at the neck, Sadāśiva at the forehead, Śiva as remaining above her. Kubjikā should thus be contemplated as whirling in all acts of worship.