You've posed a wonderful question! I would start by stating
that
faith must be clearly defined for each of us. Personally, faith is
simply
knowledge which my soul already contains - knowledge of the
interconnectedness
of my soul and the Higher Power, or God. My journey in this life is to
uncover, and then nurture this faith/knowledge.
I believe there are many, many paths which lead to this
discovery
of faith and its subsequent nurturing. I find it disturbing that many
people
I come in contact with believe there is only one true religion for
everyone.
My intuition, emotions, and intellect all tell me this cannot be true.
If God exists, then suffice it to say we all have equal rights to find
God. Our cultures, languages, countries, personalities, physical
traits,
etc. are so varied that it only makes sense that there would be many
different
ways to find our faith & reach God.
I have read about various paths and listened to my
intuition, emotions,
and intellect as to to which path "feels" right for me in this life. I
have found that Paramahansa Yogananda through Self-Realization
Fellowship
has touched me deeply. I am pursuing this path through meditation,
study
& retreats.
Yogananda has written, "True religion lies in conscious
communion
with God."
I hope my correspondence helps in some small way. Please
feel free
to e-mail me with your thoughts.
May you find your way home,
Richard Landau
++++++++
Hi Neves,
Instead of one true faith its better to look for the one
true thing
in
this relative universe.
Ultimately it is not a question of whether christianity
is true or
Hinduism or any ism is true but rather what helps you to
live a
more
content, peaceful life. What will help you become a better
human
and
lead you to the truth.
Experience is the best indicator of that usually.
-Bob
++++++++
Hello, Victor.
The simple answer to your question is: They
don't. Hinduism
is not a "religion", but a general term used to refer to a few thousand
religions. Each of these believes that the path they have chosen
is the best for spiritual development.
However, in general, Hindus believe in an ultimate
truth. But
unlike Christians or Muslims, they believe that this truth can be
revealed
to any person who takes the proper actions. The differences
between
the Hindu religions is in the definition and efficacy of the various
paths
to spiritual evolution. Each believes that they have the best
solution,
but each is willing to accept that others may find a path which is
better
suited to their own personal circumstances.
- Pawan Varma
++++++++
Hinduism is NOT the one true faith !
+++++++++
Hi,
Your question is very confusing. Are you trying to
determine how
one can arrive at the conviction that Hinduism is the one true
faith(possibly
to the exclusion of the other faiths), or are you trying to determine
what
is the true nature of the so called Hindu faith ?
First of all, the term Hinduism does not apply to a
single philosophy
or theology. Nor is it an Indian term in its truest sense (its roots
are
in Geography, not religion or philosophy). The term is applied very
arbitrarily,
and many attempts to define it with reasonable accuracy, even by the
Government
of India, have failed (as you could have expected of GOI). Nor are the
philosophers and theologians in any kind of agreement. The reason is
simple.
Almost no Indian school of thought, and especially those called by the
label of Hinduism, are exclusivistic. They do not assert that other
viewpoints
will not lead to TRUTH or REALIZATION (SAT), which essentially is the
central
objective of almost all the prominent Indian schools of thought. This
underlying
basis of existence or Truth or Reality is not something which can
be talked about or described in words, but can be realized intuitively
(according to most of these schools). The idea is best expressed by
quoting
Rig Veda, where it is stated that 'there is but one REALITY, though the
wise speak of it in many ways'. Hence to most Indian thought, the idea
that here is but one TRUE religion or philosophy is essentially
invalid.
Any attempt at realising the SAT is, according to these schools a valid
attempt, though with differing efficacy. So if your question pertains
to
how one can arrive at the conviction that Hinduism is the ONE TRUE
aith,
the answer of most of the schools of thought in Hinduism will be that
there
is no such thing as ONE TRUE faith, and that any attempts by man to
comprehend
the underlying basis of existence and its purpose are valid ones. Most
Indian schools of thought are more concerned that EALITY might be
improperly
represented by exclusion, and more often tend to be inclusive.
As to what is the true nature of Hinduism, I can only
wish you the
very best of luck, for you are dealing with perhaps the oldest and most
complex set of theologies here. Because the Indian mind of the past
tended
to be inclusive, there is a phenomenal variety of theologies, many
often
contradicting others. The ancient Indian mind was open to new ideas and
debates. There are theistic thelogies, and atheistic theologies in
Hinduism
and in Indian thought in general. There are theologies of DIFFERENCE,
of
IDENTITY-IN-DIFFERENCE, and of IDENTITY. There are theologies of
DUALITY,
and of MONISM. And last but not the least, there are schools of thought
which support abiogenesis and evolution (SAMKHYA for instance). Ancient
Indian philosophy has them all, and the plethora of ideas make the true
definition of the essential nature of Hinduism virtually impossible.
The
common perception of Hindusim is as follows :
- it is a
religion
- it has many
Gods and
Goddesses
- it encourages
Cow worship
- it prohibits
meat consumption
- Vedas are the
sacred
books of Hindus, like the OT is to Jews,
The
NT
to Christians, and Koran is to Muslims
- it needs faith,
in
the sense that Christians need to believe in the
exclusive
divinity of Christ, or the Moslems in Koran as the
last,
the
most definitive and inviolate word of Allah the God,
or
Jews in
the Covenant.
None of these are true. I can only recommend some books
to you if
you wish to pursue this subject further. I liked the following :
- Indian
Philosophy by
S.Radhakrishnan (Oxford Univ. Press)
- The Hindu Quest
of
Perfection in Man by Troy Wilson Organ
(Ohio
Univ. Press)
- Buddhism by
Rhys-Davids
I have deliberately included Buddhism because though the
world tends
to think of it as a religion apart from Hinduism, it is just as much an
Indian school of thought as Advaita, or Dvaita, or Samkhya, or Yoga, or
Jainism are. It owes as much to the many Indian ideas and ideals as any
thought that ever flowered in Indian did, and is crucial to
understanding
the development of Indian Philosophy.
++++++
The brahman is infinite and non measurable and
consequently there
are a countless number of ways to perceive this ultimate reality. In
Hinduism
there is no such thing as just one single faith. There are multiple
paths
and ways that can be taken to attain the goal of salvation. Each path
may
be different from the other but that does not mean that one is superior
or inferior to the other, just like different rivers that all empty
into
the same ocean.
++++++++
How does one learn that Hinduism is the one true faith?
You don't. i.e. Hinduism is not the one true
faith, accordingto
most Hindus. There are many paths to God, just as Hwy 80 is not
the
only way to New York from San Francisco. However, there is a
caveat.
Although there are many right ways, there are many wrong ways
too.
If your religion tells you that you will be saved if and only if you
fanatically
believe and obey someone, that is a wrong way. If you remain
selfish,
unloving, judgemental, but believe in God, no dice. If you are
loving,
non-egotistical, and have discarded sensory pleasures, but don't
believe
in God, that is fine. etc. etc.
Vallath Nandakumar
++++++++
How does one learn that yours is the one true faith?
One does not, any more than one learns that hares have
horns.
The
concept of "one true faith" is, I believe, a fairly recent
concept
unique to certain sects of newer religions such as
Christianity.
While
some Vaishnava schools are less liberal than others in their
acceptance
of the degree of truth in different belief systems, all
accept Lord
Krishna's statement in the Bhagavad-gita: ye yathA mAM
prapadyante
tAMs tathaiva bhajAmy aham - as each person surrenders to Me, I
reciprocate
accordingly. mama vartmAnuvartante manuSyAH pArtha sarvazaH - Men
follow My path in all respects, O Arjuna. Thus belief systems are
not categorized "True / False" but on the degree of surrender to God in
a tangible way.
Also, the concept of "faith" as a starting point for a
belief system
is
not entirely applicable here. While different
Vaishnava schools
vary in
their reliance on zraddhA or faith at different stages of
development,
in the beginning there is very little variation.
Fundamental
truths
such as the identity of the self, the nature of the world,
the nature
of
God, etc. are understood through scripture with logic.
You might see the SRV FAQ and other FAQs specific to
different schools
of Vaishnavism at http://www.pobox.com/~srv/
++++++++
Overwiew of Hindu Scriptures
1. There are four Vedas, Rg
Veda, Sama
Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. The Vedas are Sruti, i.e., the
original
revealed scriptures. They are the records of the experiences of Rishis
(sages). Orthodox Hindus believe that the Vedas are eternal. Their
purpose
is to help liberate you from the birth-death cycle of Samsara.
2. The vedas are
conventionally divided
into two portions: Karma Kanda (work portion) and Jnana Kanda (Wisdom
portion).
The Karma Kanda (Samhitas, Aranyakas and Brahmanas) deals with
ceremonies
and rituals. The Jnana Kanda contains the wisdom of the Vedas. The
Upanishads
form the Jnana Kanda. The Upanishads form the deepest core of the
Vedas and are the source, inspiration and authority of nearly all
systems
of philosophy in Sanatan Dharma. They discuss the nature of Ultimate
Reality,
Brahman, and Its relation with the Universe (Jagat) and the sentient
Beings
(Jiv-Atman). Those who do not accept their authority like the Buddhists
and Jains are called Nastikas (heterodox). The Upanishads contain many
strands of thought and have been interpreted in a variety of ways which
have given rise to most of the subsequent schools of thought in Sanatan
Dharma. There are many Upanishads. The 11 classical Upanishads are
those
commented on by Sri Sankara: Katha, Kena,Isa, Mundaka, Svetasvatara,
Prasna,
Mandukya, Aiterya, Brihadaranyaka, Tattiriya and Chandogya.
3. The Vedas (particularly
the Upanishads),
Bhagavad Gita and Badarayana's Vedanta or Brahma Sutras form the
irreducible
set of scriptures for the vast majority of Hindus today. I am including
the Vedanta Sutras as Vedanta is the most popular philosophical system
today. If you understand these 3 (prasthanatraya or triple
canon),
then you can understand the fundamental principles underlying Sanatan
Dharma.
All the Hindu scriptures are holy and contain in some form the
principles
described in the triple canon. It is true, however, that Bhagavad
Gita has become popular for the following reasons: (a) The
Upanishads
contain all the ideas but they are not systematically presented. They
are
also written in very terse language and are difficult to
understand.
(b) The Gita spells out in great details the ideas of the
Upanishads.
(c) The Gita also teaches the Jivas how to live his or her life to,
achieve
the Upanishadic goal of realizing God. This is achieved through the
practice
of four Yogas: Karma, Bhakti, Jnana and Raj Yoga. Thus the Gita is a
"practical"
scripture.
4. Originally there was
only one Puran.
The Chandogya Upanishad (3.4.1) refers to "Itihaspurana". Unfortunately
we only have access to fragments of that Purana. There are 18 Puranas
and
18 Upapuranas. The Puranas elaborate on the creation and dissolution of
the relative universe and on "heavens" and "hells" only briefly
mentioned
in the Upanishads. They also contain traditional history and mythology.
The Bhagavat Puran rivals the triple canon in popularity for some
sampradayas.
The Bhagavat is certainly a classic of the Bhakti tradition.
VEDANTA
Before discussing Vedanta I will digress a little as
otherwise you
will not understand the place of Vedanta in Sanatan Dharma. Based on
the
Vedas six schools of thought (Darshanas=literally points of view)
emerged:Nyaya,
Vaiseshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Purba Mimansha and Uttar Mimansha(Vedanta).
They all claim to systematically present the ideas tersely presented in
the Vedas.
The Nyaya School founded by Gotama has its main goal as
liberation
and the complete cessation of all pain and suffering. The main focus of
this school, however, is logic and epistemology. It does not have many
followers today. The Vaiseshika School of Kanada is allied to the Nyaya
school and is now of little importance.
Purba Mimansha of Jaimini lays stress upon work, which
chiefly denotes
the performance of ceremonial rites. The word Purba means the earlier
part
of the Vedas (Karma Kanda=work portion). The Vedas are divided into Rig
Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. Each one of these
Vedas
is further subdivided into Karma Kanda and Jnana Kanda (Wisdom
portion).
The Samhitas, Aranyakas and Brahmanas comprise the Karma Kanda and
govern
the Hindu ceremonial rites. The Jnana Kanda consists of the Upanishads
and are the subject matter of Vedanta. The aim of the ceremonial rites
is to gradually purify the mind. This school is also of little
importance
now.
Samkhya School was founded by Kapila. Hinduism stresses
that you
should first read the scriptures with the help of a Guru (sravana),
subject
it to rational analysis (manana) and finally meditate about it
(nidhidhyasana).
The philosophy of Samkhya does the second step by rational analysis of
the scriptures. Samkhya is a dualist philosophy with two Ultimate
Principles, purusha (spirit) and prakriti (matter) and so there is no
room
for creator God. Samkhya as philosophy declares that the cause of
misery
arises from identifying purusha with prakriti. We are really spirits
but
we identify with the body. An understanding of Samkhya philospohy is
essential
to the understanding of Vedanta.
Patanjali, the author of the Yoga system of philosophy
gathered together
the spiritual practices known to the yogis and built them in to a
system.
All Indian religious systems, Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism accept the
discipline of Yoga. Yoga philosophy is allied to Samkhya in its
metaphysical
concept but accepts God unlike Samkhya. Patanjali accepts that you can
get spiritual enlghtenment inspite of belief or disbelief though it is
easier if you have faith. Patanjali authored the Yoga Sutras and we
have
to include it among the scriptures.
Vedanta the last of the six Darshanas is currently the
most popular
of these schools. Vedanta (Veda+anta) literally means the end of the
Vedas
here you will usually find the Upanishads. Badarayana (Vyasa) may be
considered
the founder of this school and his book Vedanta Sutra or Brahma Sutra
is
a basic text of this system. The Brahma Sutras give a synopsis and
classification
of the contents of the Upanishads. Vedanta differs from Samkhya in that
it talks of One Ultimate Principle called Brahman. It is the basis of
all
current Hindu systems of religious thought, both dualistic and
non-dualistic.
This is because most people feel that Vedanta correctly represents
Vedic
thought. In Vedanta the Ultimate Principle when immanent is called the
Atman or Self and when transcendent is called Brahman. Atman and
Brahman
are identical (Dvaita School disagrees) although philosophers differ
about
the meaning of this identity. There are now several Vedantic schools of
thought which differ on the exact interpretation of the Upanishads,
Gita
and the Vedanta Sutras. The important schools are: (1) Advaita of Sri
Sankara,
(2) Vishistadvaita of Sri Ramanuja, (3) Dvaita of Sri Madhva, (4)
Dvaita-Advaita
of Sri Nimbarka,(5) Suddha-Advaita of Sri Vallabha, (6)
Acintya-Bhedabhed
of Sri Chaitanya and (7)Sri Ramakrishna's school also known as
Neo-Advaita.
You will find description of some of these schools in the archives.
General Comments
All scriptures subsequent to the Vedas are elaboration of
basic Vedic
thought. The different Darshanas are also different points of view of
the
Vedas. There is a wide spread consensus today that the Vedanta Darshana
does capture the spirit of the Vedas. The different Vedantic schools
are
also different points of view about the true spirit of the Vedanta and
thus Vedas.
Outline of Hinduism
Hindu beliefs are diverse. However, there are some basic
concepts
accepted by the vast majority of Hindus. These are:
1. The major scriptures are the Vedas (specially the
Upanishads),
the Bhagavad Gita, and the Brahma Sutras. Different Hindu sects may
have
additional scriptures.
2. The existence of an Ultimate Reality called BRAHMAN.
What Brahman
is can not really be described. All Hindu sects agree that all that can
be said about Brahman is that Brahman is Satchidanand
(existence-knowledge-bliss).
There are, however, differences among Hindu theologians about whether
this
Reality is Impersonal or Personal. However, most Hindus except for
athiests
believe in this Reality. Sri Sankara is a believer in the Impersonal
Reality.
He accepts that there are Personal forms of Brahman but considers them
to be inferior to the Impersonal Reality. Sri Ramanuja, Sri Madhva etc
only accept the Personal form of Brahman. Sri Ramakrishna accepts both
Personal and Impersonal Reality. The analogy used by Sri Ramakrishna is
that of the world's oceans. The world's oceans contain both the
formless,
colorless water and icebergs (in Arctic and Antartic oceans). Similarly
Brahman is both Personal and Impersonal and the Personal is not
inferior
to the Impersonal. The Personal form serves the needs of the Bhakta
(devotee)
while the Impersonal is for the Jnani (those who use the path of
knowledge).
The various Hindu gods and godesses are different Personal forms of the
One Reality. Different Hindu sects worship different Personal Forms of
Brahman. Thus you may consider Sri Ramanuja, Sri Madhva, Sri Chaitanya
as monotheistic interpreters of Hindu scripture. Sri Sankara and Sri
Ramakrishna
are monistic interpreters of Hindu scripture.
3. The vast majority of Hindus also believe that this
Ultimate Reality
has an individual aspect called ATMAN. It is the presence of this
Atman,
the immanent divinity, that makes us (jivas) conscious. There are,
however,
profound differences among Hindu theologians about the precise relation
between Brahman and Atman. Sri Sankara argues that Atman and Brahman
are
the same Reality. Sri Ramanuja's position is that Atman and Brahman are
different but form an indissoluble unity. The analogy is to a fruit
where
Brahman may be thought of as the seed and Atman as the flesh and skin
of
the fruit. Sri Madhva considers Atman and Brahman to be eternally
different.
Sri Ramakrishna considers these 3 views to be correct for different
levels
of evolution of jivas. When the jiva starts to think about God, he or
she
thinks god to be distant and then Sri Madhva's position is justified.
When
the jiva makes progress in realizing God and can see the Personal form
of God then Sri Ramanuja's description is appropriate. When the jiva
experiences
the Impersonal Reality then all duality vanishes and Sri Sankara was
describing
this experience.
4. Since man (jiva) is conscious due to Atman, man is
potentially
divine. Jivas commit sin because they are unaware of the divine Atman.
This lack of awareness of the divinity within is due to Maya. Maya may
be thought of as the power of the Divine. Even though a man may commit
henious sin his Atman is unaffected by it. Thus most hindus do not
believe
in eternal heaven or hell. (Sri Madhva does believe in eternal hell -
the
only Hindu theologian to believe so). Upon death the jiva enters the
astral
world and remains there till it reincarnates in accordance with the law
of Karma. The law of Karma is the law of cause and effect. It is the
divine
law of justice by which an individual creates his own destiny through
thought,
word and deed.
5. The vast majority of Hindus believe that the ultimate
goal of
human life is the direct experience of God. Only then can you free
yourself
from the cycle of birth and death (called Samsara). There is no concept
of Savior. You have to free yourself by your own effort. No savior can
help you achieve God realization without your personal effort.
6. A spiritually awakened Master (Guru) is essential for
God realization.
The other requirements for God realization are good conduct,
purification
of the mind, yoga and meditation. There may be some Hindu sects who do
not accept the requirement of a Guru.
You will get a deeper understanding of all this if you
study Radhakrishnan's
2 volume book "Indian Philosophy" and Swami Prabhavananda's "The
Spiritual
Heritage of India" You will find these books in any
Ramakrishna-Vivekananda
Vedanta Centers all over the world.
Hindu Gods and Godesses
I have to give you 2 views of Hindu Gods and Godesses as
Hindu philosophers
have given both monotheistic interpretation (Sri Ramanuja, Sri Madhva,
Sri Chaitanya) and Advaitic interpretation (Sri Sankara andSri
Ramakrishna).
Monotheistic Interpretation
The Vaishnavas and Shaivas are the principal monothiests
among hindus
who worship Vishnu and Shiva as the respective supreme Godheads. An
orthodox
Vaishnava will consider all other Hindu Gods and Godesses as devotees
of
the Supreme Godhead, Vishnu.
Monistic Interpretation
Now I will try to describe to you the Hindu Gods and
Goddesses from
the monistic or Advaitic point of view: To understand the Hindu Gods
and
Goddesses you would have to understand the famous Rg Vedic saying ---
Ekam
Sat Viprah Bahudha Vadanti (Truth is One; sages call It by various
names).
The Hindu deities though appearing to be different and independent are
really facets of the same Brahman, the Supreme Reality.You will better
understand this idea if you understand the Hindu idea of God.In the
Personal
aspect God can appear to the devotee in any Form the devotee likes and
if necessary can even incarnate among humans. When you think of God
beyond
space, time and causation, the Absolute aspect, then God defies
description.
Thus Hindu Gods are particular namarupa (name and form) of Brahman. (I
must warn you here that there are differences between various Hindu
schools
of thought about the exact nature of Brahman .) Since Hindu Gods and
Goddesses
are namarupa of Brahman, there is great psychological and symbolical
significance
in their iconography. Since Brahman is infinite, Brahman has infinite
forms.
Yogis, sages and saints have actually seen these forms. Brahma, Vishnu
and Siva and their consorts are the three major facets of Brahman. I am
also describing the significance of some of the Hindu Gods and Godesses
below.
Durga
Goddess Durga and actually all Goddesses are
personifications of
the power of Brahman. She is shown in a variety of forms. One common
feature
of these forms is that She is shown with a variety of arms carrying
many
weapons.The multiplicity of arms signifies that She represents the
totality
of Brahman's Power (i.e. Shakti). It is She who keeps the entire
universe
energized. She is shown with a lion and shown killing a demon. The
demon
stands for the various obstacles which prevent us from experiencing the
Divine. The main obstacle is our ego which when uncontrolled gives rise
to lust, greed, jealousy, anger etc. The variety of weapons conveys the
idea that you need a variety of weapons in your arsenal to destroy the
obstacles to experience the Divine. For example, selfishness must be
killed
by detachment, jealousy by desirelessness, prejudice by knowledge and
ego
by discrimination. The iconography also conveys the idea that if you
can
get Her on your side then She will help you overcome all these
obstacles.
The lion stands for our senses. Normally our senses take us from the
Divine
path through lust, greed etc. When She helps you the same senses are
given
Godwards turn.
Shiva
I will treat Shiva in His Nataraja aspect where he is
showing dancing.
He is shown holding a damaru (drum) and fire. The damaru signifies
sound
and stands for the creation principle. The fire stands for destruction.
The dance indicates a continuous process of creation, preservation and
destruction. His third hand is pointing at His feet and the fourth is
in
Abhay Mudra (gesture of protection). This signifies that anyone who
takes
refuge at the feet of the Lord has nothing to fear. He is shown
standing
on the demon of ignorance, our ego, which separates us from the Divine.
Ganesh
Lord Ganesh is rather difficult to describe. So I will
treat different
aspects separately.
Elephant Head, wide mouth, and large ears:
The large elephant head symbolizes wisdom, understanding,
and a discriminating
intellect necessary to attain perfection in life. The wide mouth
represents
the desire to enjoy life. The large ears signify a great capacityto
listen
and to assimilate ideas.
Trunk and two tusks with the left tusk broken:
The trunk stands for the mind which must be strong enough
to stand
up to the ups and downs of life and also subtle enough to explore the
Divine
through meditation. The right tusk denotes wisdom while the broken left
tuskstands for emotion. The left tusk is shown broken to signify that
emotion
must be conquered by wisdom.
Four arms and varios objects held by the arms:
The four arms indicate omnipresence and omnipotence,
i.e., absolute
power in all four directions. The upper right hand carries a small axe
and the upper left hand carries a rope. Lord Ganesha when approached by
a devoteecuts her worldly attachments (symbolized by axe) and pulls him
to the path of Truth (symbolized by the rope). The laddus held in the
lower
left hand stands for peace and prosperity for the devotee. The lower
right
hand is in a blessing pose.
Human body and the big belly:
This signifies kindness and compassion (as the human body
stands
for the heart).
Mouse:
The mouse sitting at Ganesh's feet stands for the
perfected ego which
is subordinate to the Divine will. Normally, our ego will nibble away
all
that is noble and good in us.
Kali
Ma Kali is another Form of the Divine Mother. The word
Kali comes
from Kala, time. Ma Kali is Brahman when imagined in space-time. She is
usually shown naked or more correctly clad in space. This is because
She
is Infinite space (and time) and it is not possible to cover Her. She
is
shown black because She is very distant from us just as ocean appears
to
be black or blue from distance. When you come close to Her She is found
to be colorless. This is because She is really Brahman, the Infinite,
which
can not be described by finite human words. She is shown standing on
Her
spouse Shiva who is pure white. Shiva is the Absolute aspect and She is
the space-time aspect. They are together because the universe is
thought
of as a veil cloaking the Divine, i.e , the relative and the absolute
are
intrinsically linked. Ma Kali as the Energy is indissolubly linked with
its Absolute source. Shiva as the Absolute is beyond names, forms and
activities
and hence is shown to lie as a shava (corpse). It is through the
relative
aspect that the Divine operates in the universe. You will see a garland
of 50 skulls or heads. They represent the 50 letters of the Sanskrit
alphabet,
the manifest state of sound from which the entire creation has
preceded.
She is holding a freshly severed human head and a sword with two of Her
arms. This signifies that time will destroy everything. The other two
arms
are in Abhaya and Varada Mudras. They are Her assurances that Her
devotees
have nothing to fear.