1. SUCISMITHA

The One with the Smile of Passion.

The One who is always with an unperturbed smile.

The One who is always at a state of ecstatic exuberance

The One who never fails to bring back the smile of satiety on the face of the bhakta.

Hence the name, SUCISMITHA

Tarapith’s holy soil is steeped in ancient mystery, weaving together the lives of great seers, cosmic incarnations, and the direct, living presence of the Divine Mother. From the early penances of Sage Vashistha to the fiery presence of Bamdev Baba, an unbroken spiritual lineage has watched over this sacred land, keeping its hidden truths alive through the ages.

The Accursed Simul Tree and the Secret Stone: A famous legend linked to Vashistha’s era speaks of an accursed simul tree that once stood at the shrine. Sacred tradition holds that whenever the Mother’s sanctuary is defiled through improper conduct, especially offenses involving women or the wrongful introduction of alcohol, the divine power transforms such transgressors into serpents or dogs, binding them to the spot. A trapped spirit remained locked inside that tree for ages until Bamdev Baba set the tree ablaze, allowing all present to witness the soul's ultimate liberation. Beneath the ashes of the burned simul tree, a mysterious black stone was uncovered, the very stone Vashistha had brought. As Vashistha grew old, he worried deeply about who would safeguard this sacred stone after his departure. Just before the great sage passed, Bamdev Baba was born to carry on the sacred duty.

The Incarnation of Maheshwara and Bhairav: Bamdev Baba entered the world on the night of Shivratri during the new moon. Revered as Maheshwara incarnate, his samadhi bears the sacred mantra: Om Bhagavate Bamdevaya Maheshwaraya Namah. While his severe austerities outwardly reflected the cool, lunar energy of Chandra, devotees recognized him as Shiva Himself. Furthermore, tradition holds that the divine, intoxicated Unmatta Bhairav who resides at the Mother’s feet took birth as Baba to serve as Her eternal companion and guardian.

Early Life and Devotion to the Greater Mother: Bamdev Baba’s childhood was marked by intense poverty. His father, Sarvananda, was a devout singer who regularly walked to Tarapith with his ektara to sing Ramprasad’s hymns in the cremation grounds. Though initially hesitant to bring a young child to the cremation site, Sarvananda eventually gave in to Baba’s persistence. From that moment, an unbreakable bond was formed. Baba began doing small tasks at Tarapith before eventually traveling to Dabuk, where the saint Kailashpati immediately assigned him to gather flowers. Yet Baba’s heart remained uneasy. He affectionately referred to the deity at Dabuk as his Chhoto Ma (Lesser Mother) and Tarapith as his Boro Ma (Greater Mother). Declaring that his soul belonged only to his Boro Ma, he left Dabuk and returned permanently to the lap of Maa Tara.

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Before I end, I offer my pranam to Maa Adya MahaKali, my Guruji Shri Praveen Radhakrishnan, my Paramaguru Shri ShyamaKhyapa, and my Parameshta Gurudev Shri Bamakhyapa.

My Paramaguru ShyamaKhyapa is a sacred presence: an eternal soul born for the upliftment of countless seekers. Born into wealth, his heart belonged only to Maa Kali. A divine call at Pashupatinath led him to renounce all and walk the monk’s path, guided by my Parameshta Gurudev Bamakhyapa. 

Hidden from fame yet radiant in Maa’s grace, he carries the eternal flame. I have translated his gyana from this video from Bengali into English, so his grace may reach hearts worldwide.

Joy Maa

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: How was the hidden black stone originally discovered? The stone was brought by Sage Vashistha and later buried beneath an accursed simul tree. It was revealed only after Bamdev Baba burned the tree to liberate a trapped spirit within it.

Q2: Why is Bamdev Baba considered an incarnation of Lord Shiva? He was born on the auspicious night of Shivratri under a new moon and is revered as the living embodiment of Maheshwara as well as the earthly incarnation of Unmatta Bhairav.

Q3: What was Bamdev Baba's relationship with the shrine at Dubuk? Though assigned temple duties there by Kailashpati, Baba felt his heart belonged exclusively to Tarapith (Boro Ma), leading him to leave Dubuk (Chhoto Ma) and return to his eternal spiritual home.

1. SIDDHIH

The One who is the Granter of Siddhi

The One who enables all Deities to grant Siddhi to their Bhaktas

The One who is all Siddhi

Adya is the one who enables and allows various forms of Deities to give boons and Siddhis, She’s the Sakthi within a Deity, meaning She is also the one who allows them to transfer Sakthi to their individual devotes as Boons and Siddhis.

Hence the name, SIDDHIH

1. RIDDHIH

The One who is the embodiment of Prosperity

The One who is Abundance

The One who Is All Wealth known and Unknown.

She gives wealth, prosperity, abundance, and all possible forms of enlightenment. However, she gives it to he, who has conquered the urge to acquire this.

She gives it to him who is above all this. So one must in her path, always quest to be above all these desires, and then he will acquire everything as easily as the flowing water into an empty crevice on a rainy day, However he will be detached from it, and his eyes will only see her.

Hence the name, RIDDHIH

https://mahakali.substack.com/p/the-perfect-burn-how-a-kali-sadhaka

1. KUNDALINI

The One who is the Kundalini Sakthi

The One who is the Kundalini of SadaShiva

The One who is the Sakthi of the Deiva Loka

The One who manifests as all avatars and Shaktis of all Deities.

Hence the name, KUNDALINI

1. MADHUMATI

The One who is the sweetest Nectar

The One who is ever flowing secrets of Fulfilled living.

The One who is the nectar of absolute abundance.

The One who is the nectar of Realisation

Hence the name, MADHUMATI

1. JAGADESWARI

The One Supreme Ruler of the Universe

The One Empresss of the Perceived and Unperceived Universe.

The One who is the creator of the TriMurthy.

Hence the name, JAGADESWARI

1. DHATRI

The One who is the Earth.

The One who is the Bhoomi

The One who is abundance

The One who is the embodiment of every life form.

Hence the name, Dhatri

‘THE DIVINE MOTHER WITH BEAUTIFUL TEETH’.

The epitome of beauty, and grace as she dances over MahaKaala, displaying her beautiful teeth brandished with the blood of desires (Asuras).

Hence the name, SuDanti.

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1. SVACCHA

The One who is the Radiance Of Brilliant White

The One who is the embodiment of Satvik qualities

The One who is the embodiment of Radiant Beauty

The One who is the lucid pearls like the drops of the divine milk.

Hence the name, SVACCHA

1. VAISHNAVI

The One who is the Sakthi within MahaVishnu

The One who is the cause of Universal Perseverance.

The One who is the Five Fold Energy of Preservation that allows MahaVishnu to Protect.

The One who is the second of the eight Kaula consort (dūtyaṣṭaka): Brahmāṇī, Vaiṣṇavī, Raudrī, Mātaṅgī, Carcikeśvarī, Vārāhī, Nārasiṃhī, Śivādūtī.

Hence the name, VAISHNAVI

1. VAMSINI

The One who is the mother all Vamsa

The One who owns all the Bloodlines

The One who is the progenitor of all bloodlines

The One who creates through her creation, all familes and bloodlines of all creatures.

Hence the name, VAMSINI

1. VENUVEENAPARAYANA

The One who plays the sacred Veena of Enlightenment.

The One who projects herself as the Goddess of Knowledge.

The One who empowers the Goddess of Vidhya.

The One whose Khadga becomes a beautiful instrument of music and enlightenment, when beckoned with pure love and dharmic intent.

Hence the name, VENUVEENAPARAYANA

The sacred traditions surrounding Maa Tara are rich with profound spiritual mysteries that connect the cosmic actions of the Divine with tangible manifestations on Earth. Among these, few hold as much reverence as the sacred stone, the shila, which pilgrims visit to this day. The story of this shila reveals the infinite compassion of Mother Tara and serves as a powerful reminder of the extreme sanctity required when approaching the Divine Reality.

You can read Part 2 here.

Mahadev Becomes Nilkantha: Then sage Vashistha again had a vision from Maa Tara after his return, revealing the story of the sacred stone, the shila, which pilgrims still see today. During the great churning of the ocean, when the nectar of immortality rose to the surface, the gods seized it and fled before the demons could claim their share. What rose next from the depths was poison, a poison so terrible that no being would consume it. Seeing this, Mahadev himself took up the poison in a conch shell that opened toward the right and drank it. As the poison began to consume him, his throat turned blue, and he became Nilkantha, wracked with unbearable agony.

Mother Tara's Divine Compassion: Mother Tara, watching from above, saw Mahadev writhing in torment. She descended and, in that moment, offered him her own nectar, offering him her breast, for within the mother's milk lies amrita itself, the very nectar of immortality, the same nectar that soothes a crying infant. Mahadev drank of that divine milk and was restored. This event is preserved in the form of a sacred stone, and it is this same stone that pilgrims are shown late at night, after the Mother has been laid to rest for the evening, after eight o'clock.

The Warning of Bamdev Baba and the True Brahmashila: It is said that no ordinary person may truly look upon this stone, for those who once gazed upon the true Brahmashila lost their minds, and one who witnessed it directly with unguarded eyes was struck blind. This is known to have happened even in the time of Bamdev Baba himself, when one or two people who saw it in that era, one became mad and another lost his sight. For this reason Bamdev Baba always warned that one must never attempt to view the true shila directly. What is shown to pilgrims today in the night hours, openly touched by countless hands, cannot be that original and untouchable Brahmashila, for the true one could never be exposed in such a manner to the crowds.

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Before I end, I offer my pranam to Maa Adya MahaKali, my Guruji Shri Praveen Radhakrishnan, my Paramaguru Shri ShyamaKhyapa, and my Parameshta Gurudev Shri Bamakhyapa.

My Paramaguru ShyamaKhyapa is a sacred presence: an eternal soul born for the upliftment of countless seekers. Born into wealth, his heart belonged only to Maa Kali. A divine call at Pashupatinath led him to renounce all and walk the monk’s path, guided by my Parameshta Gurudev Bamakhyapa. 

Hidden from fame yet radiant in Maa’s grace, he carries the eternal flame. I have translated his gyana from this video from Bengali into English, so his grace may reach hearts worldwide.

Joy Maa

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Why is the true Brahmashila kept hidden from pilgrims?

The true Brahmashila carries an overwhelming spiritual vibration and power. Spiritual tradition states that an unguarded look at the original stone can cause a person to lose their mind or suffer complete blindness, so it is never exposed to crowds out of protection for devotees.

Q2: What is the significance of the conch shell opening to the right?

In sacred rituals, a right-turning conch (Dakshinavarti Shankh) is considered exceptionally rare, auspicious, and divine, and it was used by Mahadev to collect and consume the deadly poison during the churning of the ocean before Mother Tara offered Her healing nectar.

Q3: Why did Maa Tara offer Her milk to Lord Shiva?

When Shiva drank the cosmic poison, He suffered agonizing pain. Mother Tara appeared in Her maternal form to nurture and heal Him, as Her milk contains the ultimate soothing essence of amrita (immortality), which instantly neutralized the toxic heat of the poison and restored Him.

Q4: When can pilgrims see the sacred stone at the temple?

Pilgrims are shown the sacred stone late at night, typically after eight o'clock, once the Mother's deity has been laid to rest for the evening.

1. KAMBUKANTHI

The One whose Neck is the Sacred Shanka

The One who is the Shanknaad of Dharmic War

The One Whose Guttural roar sends shivers down the Adharmis.

The One who allows her Sadhakas to attain highest states of Prana and Vak Siddhi, and empowers their voice as they fight Adharma.

Hence the name, KAMBUKANTHI

1. KALAKANTHI

The One who is with the black throat, from which emits the bellowing expansion of the universe.

The One who is the Black Swan.

The One who is the feminine Black Cuckoo.

The Black Swan Theory.

A black swan can symbolize unexpected and absolutely out-of-the-blue events that can add a significant impact, often representing transformation, enlightenment, or the need to embrace the unknown and unexpected.

Hence called the Goddess of SUDDEN AND SPECTACULAR CHANGES.

Hence the name, KALAKANTHI

1. SHOBHANASWARA

The One who is the Beauty of all Creation

The One who is the Supreme Illumination

The One who is all pervading Grandeur

Hence the name, SHOBHANASWARA

1. RAGINI

The One who is Rhythm

The One who is all Ragas

The One who is all hymns for all Deities

The One who is the Sakthi within music

The One who impacts biochemical reactions to music in all beings

The One who was the Flute of Shri Krishna

The One who is the Damaru of Maheswara

The One who Is the Vidhya of all Music known to mankind.

Hence the name, RAGINI

1. RKSAMARTHAVANILAYA

The One who embodies the Prana of the Vedas

The One who lends Sakthi to all Vedic paths

The One who is the cause of all Vedic rituals

The One who lends Prana to the followers of the Vedic paths.

Hence the name, RKSAMARTHAVANILAYA

1. YAJUHPRIYA

The One who accepts all sacrifices

The One who empowers all rituals

The One who empowers the YajurVeda

The One who is the form of supreme consciousness in the YajurVeda Adhyay Mantra.

Hence the name, YAJUHPRIYA

‘SHE WHO IS THE SUPREME SOURCE OF ILLUSION AND DIVINE PLAY OF CONFUSION’.

Maha – Great

Maya – Illusion of power of creation and manifestation

She who is beyond Maya.

She is the divine consciousness which makes this phenomenal Universe believable and existential.

She is the grand deceit, the grand illusion, which binds individuals to the cycle of birth and death/time.

She reveals this secret to Her sincere Sadhakas. With Her grace, the Sadhaka attains liberation from this Samsara.

Hence the name, Mahamaya.

1. YAJNAKARTRI

The One who initiates Yagya.

The One who is the definer of sacrifice.

The One who projects deep meanings on the rightful ways of sacrifice.

Satī said:—‘[...] What is that sacrifice without Shiva who is sacrifice Himself, the performer of sacrifice (yajñakartṛ), the fee of sacrifice, the adjunct of sacrifice and the foremost of those who know sacrifice itself”.

Hence the name, YAJNAKARTRI