Kavargādiu māheśvaryādyā paśumātaraḥ

 कवर्गादिषु माहेश्वर्याद्याः पशुमातरः (sūtra III.19)

Kavarga – literally it means alphabets belonging to ‘ka’ group. Here it refers to groups of letters; ādiṣu- etc. Not only ‘ka’ group, but other groups as well; māheśvarī – the goddess Māheśvarī; ādyāḥ - and other goddesses; paśu – limited beings; mātaraḥ - the mothers.

Māheśvarī and other goddesses (aṣṭa māta-s) who are mothers of empirical selves, take hold of him. This sūtra is in continuation of the previous sūtra. If the aspirant has lost his continued connectivity as discussed in the previous aphorism, he is taken care of by Māheśvarī and others. They are said to the mothers of ignorant men or paśu-s. The eight mothers represent five tanmātra-s (śabda, sparśa, rūpa, rasa and gandha), mind, buddhi or intellect and ego. They are known as puryaṣṭaka. When it is said that they are taken care of by eight mothers mean that they are now afflicted with puryaṣṭaka. The aspirant with great difficulty has once crossed puryaṣṭaka, now remains afflicted with puryaṣṭaka just because he is not able to sustain his high level of consciousness. In reality, he is not falling; as he is affected by puryaṣṭaka, he feels that he is falling from the highest level. He is now not carrying out his activities, with perpetual God consciousness. Previously, all tastes, all smells, etc were the same for him. Now he says this is delicious, this fragrance is awesome, etc. In other words he now possesses differentiated knowledge.

Supreme energy of Śiva is known as Parameśvarī who controls the universe with will, knowledge and action that manifests one after the other, ultimately breaking down to mundane manifestations. If the aspirant is not careful, he is bound to fall from his highest level of consciousness, as a result of which he becomes a paśu from the stage of a yogi.

Please read the detailed interpretation of this sūtra by Gabriel Pradiipaka.