16 Kalas, Gupta Yoginis, 16 Kalas of the Moon, 16 Siddhis and Attainments; Punya

16 Kalas, Gupta Yoginis, 16 Kalas of the Moon, 16 Siddhis andAttainments; Punya of 7 births.

The 16 Kalas are the eleven senses (mind plus the tensense organs) and the five gross elements - all born of the fivesupreme elements. These supreme elements are born of ahangkara andthat in turn is born of mahat. (Sri Ramakrishna mastered them.)

About Gupta Yoginis, this is serious Classical Tantricstuff. They are from a Yogini Cult in Orissa, India. Most textsrecognize 64 Yoginis but some others state there were 69 of them in 8categories. Gupta Yoginis is only one of the group of 8. Examples ofthe others are Guptatara Yogini, Sampradaya Yogini, Kulatirna Yogini,etc. To find out more, type " 64 Yoginis " or " 69 Yoginis " into asearch engine.

Regarding 16 Kalas of the Moon :

According to the Indian sashtras like Lalitopakhyanam,Tantrarajatantra, Dakshinamurti Samhita, Vasistha Samhita, KamakalaVilasam and Bhairava Yamalam; the following is the spiritual andcosmic significance of the phases of the moon.

The Moon has 16 kalas, or phases. Out of these 15 are visible to usand the 16th is beyond our visibility. The 16 kalas are: 1.Amrita,2.Manada, 3.Poosha, 4.Tusthi, 5.Pusthi, 6.Rati, 7.Dhruti, 8.Sasichini,9.Chandrika, 10.Kanta, 11.Jyostna, 12.Shree, 13.Preeti, 14.Angada,15.Poorna and 16.Poornamruta.

These 16 kalas are ruled by the 16 Nitya Devis. They are calledShodasa Nityas. They are: 1.Maha Tripura Sundari, 2.Kameswari,3.Bhagamalini, 4.Nityaklinna, 5.Bherunda, 6.Vanhivasini, 7.MahaVajreswari, 8.Shivadooti (Roudri), 9.Twarita, 10.Kulasundari,11.Nitya, 12.Neelapataka, 13.Vijaya, 14.Sarvamangala, 15.Jwalamaliniand 16.Chidroopa (Chitra).

Out of these, the first one, Maha Tripura Sundari is theDevi Para Shakti herself, and hence the kala ruled by her is not

visible to the normal mortals. Hence we see only the other 15 kalas orphases ruled by the other nityas. In the Sri Chakra these 15 nityasare present in the innermost circle, and the Devi is in the centralbundu.

These 15 Nityas rule the famous 15 letters Devi mantraknown as Panchadasakshari Mantra: Ka E Aie La Hreem Ha Sa Ka Ha LaHreem Sa Ka La Hreem

These 15 Nityas in the form of the 15 Tithis (Phases) havetwo aspects each - Prakashamsa, which rules the day portion of theTithi, and Vimarshamsa, which rules the night part of the Tithi. Atnight they collect the divine nectar and during the day they release it.

About 16 siddhis & attainments, we begin with 8 major siddhis as inSri Sivananada's Kundalini Yoga..

Eight Major Siddhis

An accomplished, Purnayogi in the path of Kundalini Yoga is inpossession of eight major Siddhis, viz., Anima, Mahima, Laghima,Garima, Prapti, Prakamya, Vasitvam and Ishitvam. (By Sri Sivananda)

Minor Siddhis

The Yogi acquires the following minor Siddhis also:

1. Freedom from hunger and thirst.2. Freedom from the effects of heat and cold.3. Freedom from Raga-Dvesha.4. Doora Darshan, clairvoyance or Dooradrishti.5. Doora Sravan, clairaudience or Doora Sruti and Doora Pravachana.6. Mano-Jaya, control of mind.7. Kama Rupa: The Yogi can take any form he likes.8. Parakaya Pravesha: He can enter into another body, can animate adead body and enter into it by transferring his soul.

( Note : From the book titled " Kundalini Yoga " by Sri SwamiSivananda, there should be 26 Minor Siddhis published.)

About Punya of 7 births

Punya means : Holy; virtuous; auspicious. " 1) Good or righteous. Thusthe wearer of 16 mukhi will have 7 rebirths where he/she will be arighteous, pious person with good qualities thereby arresting theinflux of karma for 7 lifetimes without retribution. With performingPunya Activities, the jiva lives in happiness or bliss.

kalaṅkaḥ kastūrī rajani kara bimbam jalamayamkalābhiḥ karpūrair marakatakaraṇḍam nibiḍitam.atas tvadbhogena pratidinamidam riktakuharamvidhirbhūyo bhūyo nibiḍayati nūnaṁ tava kṛite (SL # 94)

The moon is the Vanity Chest for Devi to keep toilet articles, which as they are used are replenished by Brahma. The fragments of camphor in the watery moon are the digits of the moon. As Devi uses the camphor (digits), Brahma keeps replenishing the Vanity Chest. Waning moon is exhausting the vanity chest by Devi and waxing is replenishing the chest by Brahma.

Amavasya (new moon) goes with Kali while Sodasi goes with Purnima (Full moon). Full moon of Sodasi is full knowledge; Kali's new moon is transcendence of all knowledge; thus, Kali and Sodasi complement each other. (Kali and Sodasi are names of Devi.)

It is Kadi Mantra or Vidya because the first letter is K or Ka; Hadi Mantra starts with Ha or H. The fifteen syllables refer to the 15 digits of the moon. The 16th syllable is Goddess Herself.

The names of the tithis (digits) are 1. Prathama (new moon), 2. Dvitiya, 3. Tritiya, 4. Chaturthi, 5. Panchami, 6. Shashthi, 7. Saptami, 8. Ashtami, 9. Navami, 10. Dashami, 11. Ekadashi, 12. Dvadashi, 13. Trayodashi, 14. Chaturdashi, and lastly either

15. Purnima (full moon) or 15. Amavasya (new moon).

The sixteen-petal lotus represents the 16 tithis or digits of the moon on the bright and the dark side. AmAvAsyA = (amA = together + Vas = to dwell) = The night of the new moon when the sun and the moon dwell together.

The 16 Tithis are under the rule of 16 Nitya Devis or Sodasa Nityas (So + dasa = 6 plus 10): 1.Maha Tripura Sundari, 2.Kamesvari, 3.Bhagamalini, 4.Nityaklinna, 5.Bherunda, 6.Vanhivasini, 7.Maha Vajresvari, 8.Shivadooti (Roudri), 9.Twarita, 10.Kulasundari, 11.Nitya, 12.Neelapataka, 13.Vijaya, 14.Sarvamangala, 15.Jwalamalini and 16.Chidroopa (Chitra).

Maha Tripura Sundari (Devi) is Maha Sakti, the ruler of all and therefore is not visible to the eye.

Purnima Moon contains all Nityas conferring the splendor and brightness to the Moon. As the moon wanes, one Nitya leaves the moon for the sun and so on until all Nityas have left for the sun and the moon disappears completely on Amavasya, the new Moon day. The Nityas one by one return to the Moon and make it wax again and shine brighter and brighter.

The first one to leave the moon is Kamesvari and the last one Chitra; the first one to arrive at the moon is Chitra and the last one Kamesvari.