Tara

Tara is the second of the ten Mahavidyas, a group of fearsome yet benevolent goddesses in Hindu Tantra. Her name derives from the Sanskrit root 'tṛ', meaning 'to cross' or 'to save', signifying her role as the one who helps devotees cross the ocean of worldly existence (samsara). The Tārā Upanishad describes her as the supreme reality, embodying both compassion and fierce protection. In the Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa, she is extolled as a form of the primordial goddess who grants liberation. Iconographically, Tara is depicted with a blue or green complexion, symbolizing the infinite sky and the all-pervading consciousness.

She has four arms holding a sword (cutting through ignorance), scissors (severing attachments), a lotus (purity), and a skull bowl (transcendence of death). Her hair is often disheveled, and she wears a tiger skin, indicating her mastery over fear. According to the Tārā Tantra, she is associated with the seed mantra 'Tum' and the syllable 'AUM', representing the sound of creation. A principal myth recounts how Tara emerged from the third eye of Shiva to pacify the demon Danda, drinking his blood to prevent him from multiplying, a story echoed in the Skanda Purāṇa. Another legend in the Mahabharata (Vana Parva) links her to the goddess who saved the Pandavas during their exile.

Tara is widely worshipped in West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Nepal, and Tibet, where she is revered in both Hindu and Buddhist traditions. In Bengal, her puja is performed during the Kali Puja season, with offerings of red flowers and sweets. The Tārā Stotram praises her as the compassionate mother who swiftly responds to devotees' cries. In Hindu cosmology, Tara represents the guiding light that leads souls from darkness to knowledge, embodying the protective and salvific aspect of the divine feminine. Her worship is especially potent for overcoming obstacles, fears, and enemies, as she is believed to grant both material and spiritual boons.

The name Tārā (Sanskrit: तारा) derives from the Sanskrit root √tṝ, meaning 'to cross' or 'to save,' thus she is 'the one who helps cross the ocean of worldly existence (saṃsāra).' The Tārā Upaniṣad glosses her name as 'she who liberates' (tārayati iti tārā). Regional variants include Ugratārā (fierce Tārā), Ekajaṭā (having one matted lock), and Nīlasarasvatī (blue Sarasvatī).

In Bengali, she is called তারা (Tara). The name also appears in Buddhist contexts as Ārya Tārā.

The root tṝ is cognate with Latin 'trans' and English 'through,' emphasizing her role as a guide across difficulties. The Tārā Tantra states that the syllable 'Tā' represents the supreme reality, and 'Rā' signifies protection.

Alternate readings in Tantric texts link her to the seed mantra 'Tum' and the syllable 'AUM.' In the Rudrayāmala, she is called Mahācīnakrama Tārā, indicating her Tibetan connection. The name thus encapsulates both salvific compassion and fierce protective power.

Tārā first appears in Hindu Tantric literature, notably the Rudrayāmala (17th chapter) and the Brahmayāmala, dating to the early medieval period (c. 7th-9th centuries CE). She is the second of the ten Mahāvidyās, a group of goddesses first enumerated in the Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa (c.

11th-12th century), where she is described as a form of the primordial Devī. The Skanda Purāṇa (Kāśī Khaṇḍa) recounts her emergence from Śiva's third eye to subdue the demon Danda. The Mahābhārata (Vana Parva, 3.146) mentions a goddess named Tārā who aids the Pāṇḍavas during their exile, though this may be a precursor.

Her prominence rises in the medieval period with the proliferation of Tantric Śākta traditions, especially in Bengal and Assam. The Tārā Tantra and Nīlatantra are dedicated to her worship. She is also syncretized with Buddhist Tārā, as seen in the Śaktisaṅgamatantra, which describes her transmission from Mahācīna (Tibet) via the sage Vasiṣṭha.

The Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa (9.1) extols her as Nīlasarasvatī, a form of the goddess who grants liberation. Thus, her textual origins span Purāṇic, Tantric, and Itihāsa sources.

Tārā is typically depicted with a blue or green complexion, symbolizing the infinite sky and all-pervading consciousness. She has four arms: holding a sword (khaḍga) to cut ignorance, scissors (kartrī) to sever attachments, a lotus (padma) for purity, and a skull bowl (kapāla) filled with blood, representing transcendence of death.

Her hair is disheveled, and she wears a crown of five skulls, a garland of severed heads, and a tiger-skin skirt. She stands in the pratyalīḍha stance (left foot forward) on a supine corpse (Śiva), with her right foot on a lion or between the corpse's thighs.

Her Bhairava, Akṣobhya, appears as a serpent coiled around her matted hair. The Māyātantra describes eight forms: Ekajaṭā, Ugratārā, Mahogrā, Kāmeśvarītārā, Cāmuṇḍā, Nīlasarasvatī, Vajratārā, and Bhadrakālī.

In South Indian bronzes, she is more slender, while North Indian miniatures emphasize her fierce expression. The Tārā Tantra prescribes her dhyāna as 'blue like a rain cloud, with a lolling tongue, and a terrifying laugh.'

In Advaita Vedānta, Tārā is seen as the supreme Brahman manifesting as the saving grace that leads the jīva across saṃsāra. The Tārā Upaniṣad identifies her with the ultimate reality, stating 'Tārā is the supreme knowledge.' In Viśiṣṭadvaita, she is a form of Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa's śakti, mediating between the devotee and the Lord.

In Dvaita, she is a subordinate deity under Viṣṇu, granting boons to devotees. In Śākta Tantra, she is the second Mahāvidyā, representing the fierce aspect of the divine mother who destroys ignorance and bestows liberation.

The Tārā Tantra describes her as the embodiment of the syllable 'AUM' and the seed mantra 'Tum.' In Tantric traditions, she is associated with the cremation ground and the left-handed path (vāmācāra), yet she is also worshipped for compassion. In Vajrayāna Buddhism, she is a bodhisattva of compassion, but in Hindu contexts, she remains a fierce goddess.

The Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa extols her as Nīlasarasvatī, the goddess of wisdom and liberation. Thus, across schools, Tārā represents the protective and salvific aspect of the divine feminine, transcending dualities.

Tārā is widely worshipped in West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Nepal, and Tibet. Her main temple is at Tarapith in West Bengal, a major Śākta pilgrimage site. In Bengali culture, her puja is performed during Kālī Puja season, with offerings of red flowers and sweets.

The Tārā Stotram is recited for protection. In Odissi and Kathak dance, her fierce form is depicted in items like 'Tārā Tāṇḍava.' Carnatic compositions include Muthuswami Dikshitar's 'Tārā Tārā' in Rāga Todi. In Tantric art, she appears in Pahari and Mughal miniatures.

In Nepal, she is syncretized with Buddhist Tārā. In Southeast Asia, her influence appears in Balinese and Cambodian iconography. The Tārā Tantra and Nīlatantra remain key texts for her worship.

Her mantra 'Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā' is popular in both Hindu and Buddhist contexts. She is also invoked in folk rituals for exorcism and protection.