The Cult of Tara

WORSHIP
the rising sun) invites the deities of dakas and dakinis to the
surface of the moon with its diamond skull staff; they enter into
union together, and they melt and dissolve into a nectar of knowledge.
This falls into the skull bowl, and the offering becomes an
inexhaustible ocean of sublime color, taste and smell.
Here there are no representational gestures, but the practitioner
usually has a small skull bowl filled with water in front of him; when
it is time to offer these inner offerings he uncovers it, holding it in
his left hand, and with the ring finger of his right hand he dips into
the bowl and flicks a few drops of water, reciting OM PAISJCA-
AMRTA-PUJA KHAHI! "OM Eat this offering of the five nectars 1"
Next the sixteen secret offerings are presented, worshiping the
deity with the sixteen goddesses of sensual enjoyment:
1) VAJRA-VlNE "Lady of the Diamond Lute"
2) VAJRA-VAMSE "Lady of the Diamond Flute"
3) VAJRA-MURAJE "Lady of the Diamond Tabor"
4) V A J R A-MRD AMGE "Lady of the Diamond Drum"
5) VAJRA-HASYE "Lady of the Diamond Laughter"
6) VAJRA-LASYE "Lady of the Diamond Mime"
7) VAJRA-GITE "Lady of the Diamond Song"
8) VAJRA-NRTYE "Lady of the Diamond Dance"
9) VAJRA-PUSPE "Lady of the Diamond Flowers"
10) VAJRA-DHUPE "Lady of the Diamond Incense"
11) VAJRA-ALOKE, "Lady of the Diamond Lamps"
12) VAJRA-GANDHE "Lady of the Diamond Perfume"
13) VAJRA-DARSE "Lady of Diamond Vision"
14) VAJRA-RASYE "Lady of Diamond Taste"
15) VAJRA-SPARSE "Lady of Diamond Touch"
16) VAJRA-DHARME "Lady of Diamond Mental Events"
We may note, first, that these goddesses fall into groups of four:
1-4 are goddesses of music, 5-8 are goddesses of song and dance, 9-12
are goddesses of offering, and 13-16 are goddesses of the senses. In
these groupings, too, the goddesses are sometimes visualized as part
of the retinue of the major mandalas given, for example, by Abhayakaragupta;
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and Pema karpo identifies each group of goddesses
with one of the four joys produced by the control of the channels,
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