Bagalamukhi: Encyclopedia - Bagalamukhi
Bagalamukhi
In Hinduism, Bagalamukhi is one of the mahavidyas. Bagalamukhi Devi smashes the devotee's misconceptions and delusions by her cudgel.
The name literally means “crane faced,” which is how this goddess is sometimes depicted. She has a golden complexion and her cloth is yellow. She sits in a golden throne in the midst of an ocean of nectar full of yellow lotuses. A crescent moon adorns her head.
She holds a club in her right hand with which she beats an enemy, while pulling his tongue out with another. This image is sometimes interpreted as an exhibition of stambhana, the power to stun or paralyze one’s enemy into silence. This is one of the boons for which Bagalamukhi’s devotees worship her. Other Mahavidya goddesses are also said to represent similar powers useful for defeating enemies, to be invoked by their worshippers through various rituals.
The legend behind the origin of goddess Bagalamukhi is as follows:
A demon named Madan undertook austerities and won the boon of vak siddhi, according to which anything he said came about. He abused this boon by harassing innocent people. Enraged by his mischief, the gods worshipped Bagalamukhi. She stopped the demon's rampage by taking hold of his tongue and stilling his speech. Before she could kill him, however, he asked to be worshipped with her, and she relented, That is why he is depicted with her.
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 Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Bagalamukhi", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki | 
