Verse 24

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 24:

अत्रास्ते खलु काकिनी नवतडित्पीता त्रिणेत्रा शुभा
  सर्वालंकरणान्विता हितकरी संयग्जनानां मुदा ।
हस्तैः पाशकपालशोभनवरान् संबिभ्रति चाभयं
  मत्ता पूर्णसुधारसार्द्रहृदया कङ्कालमालाधरा ॥ २४ ॥

atrāste khalu kākinī navataḍitpītā triṇetrā śubhā
  sarvālaṃkaraṇānvitā hitakarī saṃyagjanānāṃ mudā |
hastaiḥ pāśakapālaśobhanavarān saṃbibhrati cābhayaṃ
  mattā pūrṇasudhārasārdrahṛdayā kaṅkālamālādharā || 24 ||

Here dwells Kākinī, who in colour is yellow like unto new lightning,^[1] exhilarated and auspicious; three-eyed and the benefactress of all. She wears all kinds of ornaments, and in Her four hands She carries the noose and the skull, and makes the sign of blessing and the sign which dispels fear. Her heart is softened with the drinking of nectar.

Commentary by Śrī-Kālīcaraṇa:

In this verse the Author speaks of the presence of the Śakti Kākinī.

“Exhilarated”^[2] (Mattā)—that is, She is not in an ordinary, but in a happy, excited mood.

“With the drinking of nectar” etc. (Pūrṇa-sudhā-rasārdra-hṛdayā).—Her heart is softened to benevolence by the drinking of nectar; or it may be interpreted to mean that Her heart is softened by the supreme bliss caused by drinking the excellent nectar which drops from the Sahasrāra. Her heart expands with the supreme bliss. Kākinī should be thought of as wearing the skin of a black antelope.

Compare the following Dhyāna of Kākinī where She is so described: “If thou desirest that the practice of thy Mantra be crowned with success, meditate on the moon-faced, ever-existent^[3] Śakti Kākinī, wearing the skin of a black antelope, adorned with all ornaments.”^[4]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Nava-taḍit-pītā—i.e., where there is more thunder than rain, when the lightning shows itself very vividly. Pītā is yellow; Kākinī is of a shining yellow colour.

[2]:

Śaṃkara gives unmattā (maddened or exalted) as equivalent of Mattā.

[3]:

Nityā [Nityāṃ]. If this is not śtutī, possibly the word is nityam, “always”.

[4]:

Viśvanātha, in his commentary on the Ṣaṭcakra, gives the following Dhyāna of Kākinī: “Meditate on Kākinī whose abode is in Fat (Meda- saṃsthāṃ), holding in Her hands Pāśa (noose), Śūla (trident), Kapāl (Skull), Ḍamaru (drum). She is yellow in colour, fond of eating curd and rice (Dadhyanna). Her beautiful body is in a slightly bending pose (Svavayava-namitā). Her heart is made joyous by the draught of ricewine (Vāruṇī).” The Saubhāgya-ratnākara cites Seven Dhyānas of the Seven Śaktis or Yogīnīs—Ḍākinī and others which show that each has Her abode in one of the seven Dhātus. The Seventh Śakti Yakṣiṇī is not mentioned in this book.