Tara (Hindu/Buddhist)

In the Shaivism and Shaktism tradition of Hinduism, the goddess Tara is the second of the ten Mahavidyas. She is considered a tantric – where tantra presents complex cosmologies, viewing the body as divine and typically reflecting the union of Shiva and Shakti —  manifestation of Parvati. Parvati is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. Along with Lakshmi and Sarasvati, Tara forms the trinity, known as the Tridevi.

Terapith Temple in West Bengal

 

Tara’s most famous center of worship is the temple and the cremation ground of Tarapith in West Bengal, India.

The commonly known origin of Tara is from the 17th chapter of the Rudrayāmala which describes the initial unsuccessful attempts of the sage Vasiṣṭha in worshipping Tara, and the subsequent meeting with the god Vishnu in the form of Buddha and his eventual success by the means of kaula rites. Tara protects her devotees from difficult dangers. Tara is all-pervading and also manifests on Earth.

Tara-related beliefs are probably an amalgamation of the beliefs linked to areas which have experienced Buddhist influence. The syncretism between Shaivist and Buddhist cults created a congenial atmosphere for the formation of the traditions of Tārā, both a Hindu and a Buddhist goddess.

Her pleasant forms were popular amongst the Buddhists. Some of her forms are worshipped in both Hindu and Buddhist systems.

Tara is often described as a fierce deity, holding kartrī (knife), khaḍga (sword), chamara (Fly-whisk) or indivara (lotus) and a single matted braid over her head. She is dark in complexion, tall, with a bulging belly, wears tiger pelts, with her left foot on the chest of a corpse and her right foot placed on a lion or between the thighs of the corpse. She has a terrifying laugh and is fearsome. 

 

Hindu goddesses Kali and Tara are similar in appearance. They both are described as standing upon a supine corpse sometimes identified with Shiva. However, while Kali is described as black, Tara is described as blue. Both wear minimal clothing, however Tara wears a tiger-skin skirt, while Kali wears only a girdle of severed human arms. Both wear a garland of severed human heads. Both have a lolling tongue, and blood oozes from their mouths. Their appearances are so strikingly similar that it is easy to mistake one for the other. Tara is shown standing in the pratyalidha stance (in which the left foot is forward.). Her consort is Akshobhya, a form of Shiva who is in the form of a serpent coiled around her matted hair. She wears a crown made of 5 skulls connected with plates of bone.

Top: Kali, Tara, Tripura Sundari, Bhuvaneshvari, and Bhairavi 
Bottom: Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi, and Kamala

 

Modern Times
In Bengal, Ramprasad Sen addresses Tara as a daughter in his songs. Sadhak Bamakhepa also was a famous siddha of Tara in the modern era. These devotees introduced a public devotional dimension to the secretive tantric worship of this deity and emphasized her motherliness.

Question:  If you were a goddess,
how many aspects would you like to have?

Sources:
Wikipedia