Bherunda Nitya: Goddess of the Fourth Phase of the Moon in the Srividya Tradition
In the Srividya tradition, one of the most profound and
living streams of Shakta philosophy, time itself is understood as an expression
of the Divine Mother. The waxing and waning of the moon is not merely an
astronomical event but a sacred rhythm of consciousness. Corresponding to each
of the fifteen tithis, or lunar days, of both the bright and dark fortnights is
a specific form of the goddess known as a Nitya Devi — an Eternal Goddess.
These fifteen Nityas, together with the goddess Tripura Sundari as the
sixteenth, compose the full circle of the lunar month. They are not separate
deities but luminous facets of the one supreme Devi, each governing a
particular phase of cosmic time and inner awareness.
Bherunda is the Nitya Devi presiding over Chaturthi, the fourth tithi of both the shukla paksha and krishna paksha. The word Bherunda carries the meaning of the formidable, the awe-inspiring — she who holds within herself both fierce energy and compassionate grace. In the Tantric understanding, her fierce name does not imply terror but rather the awesome power of transformative wisdom that dissolves ignorance and fear at their root.
Iconographic Form and Its Meaning
The form in which Bherunda is depicted follows precise
canonical prescriptions rooted in the agamic and tantric shilpa traditions,
where every detail of a deity's appearance is a coded teaching in visual
theology.
She is shown seated in ardha padmasana, the half-lotus
posture, upon a tiered pitha or ceremonial pedestal. The pendant left leg
descends and rests upon a lotus support — a posture that simultaneously conveys
meditative inwardness and accessible grace, suggesting a goddess who is both
absorbed in supreme consciousness and gently available to the sincere devotee.
The tiered pitha itself represents the ascending planes of existence — from the
gross material world to the subtlest reaches of pure awareness — upon all of
which Bherunda reigns.
Her crown is the tall kiritamakuta, the towering crown of
sovereignty that marks her as an empress of cosmic order. This is not
ornamental pride but a symbol of the fully awakened crown energy, the
culmination of the upward movement of Shakti through the subtle body. The
layered haras, or necklaces, that adorn her chest represent the cascading
abundance of her blessings flowing downward into the world of creation. The
keyura, or upper arm bands, and the kundala, or earrings, complete a vision of
complete divine adornment — each ornament in the agamic tradition corresponding
to a quality of sovereign consciousness, never mere decoration.
Her lower garment, the antariya, is described with a pronounced pleated treatment, a detail that in classical Indian sculptural tradition signals careful craftsmanship and divine refinement. The visible pleating of the fabric echoes the layered unfolding of creation itself — the many folds of maya and shakti expressing the one underlying truth.
The Four Arms and Their Symbolism
Bherunda is four-armed, a feature common to the Nitya Devis
that signifies her operation across the four dimensions of human experience —
waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and the transcendent fourth state known as
turiya. Each of her four hands carries a specific attribute, and together they
communicate a complete philosophy of the goddess's relationship with the
devotee.
Her lower right hand is raised in Abhaya mudra, the gesture
of fearlessness. This is perhaps the most fundamental teaching of Bherunda —
that she who is herself formidable and awesome is also the one who dispels fear
absolutely. The Devi Bhagavata Purana affirms repeatedly that the goddess is
the supreme refuge for those overwhelmed by the fears of worldly existence. The
Abhaya gesture is her eternal promise.
Her upper right hand holds the akshamala, the rosary of
prayer beads. This attribute places Bherunda firmly in the domain of japa, the
devotional repetition of sacred names and mantras. The akshamala teaches that
the highest form of approaching the goddess is through sustained, disciplined
inner recitation — and that she herself models this contemplative path. The
beads of the akshamala are often understood to represent the letters of the
Sanskrit alphabet, the matrikas, which are themselves the primary energies of
cosmic creation in Shakta philosophy.
In her upper left hand she holds the padma, the lotus. The
lotus, rooted in mud yet blooming immaculate above the water, is among the most
layered symbols in the Hindu visual vocabulary. It represents spiritual purity
that is not achieved by withdrawal from the world but by remaining in it
without being soiled by it. It also symbolizes Lakshmi's abundance, Saraswati's
refinement, and the unfolding of the devotee's own consciousness under the
warmth of divine grace.
Her lower left hand is extended in Varada mudra, the gesture of boon-granting. Paired with the Abhaya on the right, this creates a complete divine statement — she removes fear with one hand and bestows blessings with the other. The devotee approaches Bherunda neither in terror nor in casual indifference, but in loving surrender, and is received with both protection and generosity.
The Chaturthi Tithi and Inner Significance
The fourth tithi holds particular spiritual significance
across multiple streams of Hindu practice. Chaturthi is especially associated
with Ganesha, who is widely venerated on this day, and its energy is understood
as that of removal of obstacles and establishment of auspicious beginnings.
That Bherunda governs this tithi aligns beautifully with her name — she is the
formidable one who clears the path.
In the inner landscape of Srividya sadhana, each tithi and its corresponding Nitya Devi represents not only an external lunar phase but a particular state of the practitioner's inner being. The fourth corresponds to a specific phase of the movement of prana and awareness within the subtle body. Worship of Bherunda on Chaturthi is therefore understood as both an external ritual and an internal alignment — a tuning of the devotee's own consciousness to the frequency of this divine expression.
Living Presence, Not Distant Symbol
What makes the Nitya Devi tradition particularly vital is
its insistence that these goddesses are not abstract philosophical constructs
but living, accessible divine presences whose grace is available in every lunar
cycle. Bherunda returns every fortnight, in both the bright and dark phases of
the moon, offering to the sincere practitioner a renewed opportunity for
alignment, worship, and inner transformation. Her iconography is thus not
merely art — it is a yantra in sculptural form, every detail calibrated to
invoke her presence and transmit her teaching.