Dhumavathi (Dhūmāvatī ) — the Smoky One, the Power of Poverty

Dhumavathi (Dhūmāvatī ) — the Smoky One, the Power of Poverty 

“She appears as a woman of unhealthy complexion, restless, wicked, tall, with a dirty robe and dishevelled hair. With gaps in her teeth, she looks like a widow, and holds in her hand a winnowing basket. Her eyes seem cruel, her hands tremble, her nose is long. She behaves deceitfully and is sly in her looks. Insatiably hungry and thirsty, she inspires fear and is the instigator of quarrels.” (Dhūmāvatī Tantra.)

After death the body is consigned to the funeral pyre, our entire subjective, assumptive universe ends in smoke; hence the power of ultimate destruction is called the Smoky-One (Dhūmāvatī).

She is the śakti that destroys the structure of all things, (structure is ruled over by the male principle whereas process is the feminine energy), hence she is called a widow (vidhava).

Nothing is left for her to own, hence she is utterly destitute. She is the goddess-of- poverty (Daridra), of frustration, of despair, identified with Mis-fortune (A-laksmi) and with the goddess-of-disease- and misery (Nirrti).

Her presence can be seen in the destitute, the beggars, the lepers, the diseased. She dwells in the wounds-of-the-earth (ksata-viksata-prthivi), in deserts, ruined houses, tatters, hunger, thirst, widowhood, quarrels, the mourning of children, the battle field etc..

Dhūmāvatī rules over the rainy season which lasts for four months, during which the life-giving solar light is hidden by the evil water-spirit (asura- apya- prāṇa). This corresponds in the cosmic cycle to the night of the gods when the spirits of darkness rule.

The night of Dhūmāvatī is the Night-of- Death (Kala-Rātri) — during the 4 months of the monsoon no public ritual can be performed, there are no pilgrimages, no festivals, no marriages, no initiation. At the end of the rainy period the rule of light returns and the festival of lights (Dīpāvalī) takes place.

Dhūmāvatī Sadhana -

Goddess Dhūmāvatī Sadhana is done to get rid of extreme poverty. She is also worshipped to make body free from all sorts of diseases.

Dhūmāvatī Moola Mantra -

ॐ धूं धूं धूमावती देव्यै स्वाहा॥

Oṁ Dhūṁ Dhūṁ Dhūmāvatī Devyai Svāhā॥