By Swami Harshananda
Manonmani literally means ‘one who makes our mind eager to attain her’.
Significance of Goddess Manonmani[edit]
She is one of the aspects of the Divine Mother Pārvatī dear to Sadāśiva, more common in South India. She is worshiped for bhuti[1] and also for striking fear in the minds of enemies.
Representation of Manonmani[edit]
Iconographical works describe her in various ways. The most common description is that she is of the color of the moon with a benevolent appearance. She has four arms, holding a red and a blue lotus in two hands, the other two in varada and abhaya mudrās. Sometimes a rosary is shown instead of the blue lotus. Other works show her with five faces and ten arms carrying:
She may also be shown as surrounded by 46 Śaktis and an equal number of Kanyās.[2]
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore