Ekajaṭā
By Swami Harshananda
Ekajaṭā literally means ‘The goddess with a single braid of hair’.
Ekajatā is one of the aspects of the Devi or the Divine Mother. Ekajatā is another name for Tārā, also called ‘Ugratārā’.
She is so called since her jaṭā or braided hair sticks upright on the head as a single unit (eka = single). She is the terrific aspect of the Devi that killed Śumbha and Niśumbha.[1] She is probably the Hindu version of a Buddhist goddess of the Vajrayāna school. The works Mantramahodadhi and Sādhanamālā contain details of her mantra and procedure of worship.
References[edit]
- ↑ Kālikā purāna Ch. 60
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore