Mātṛika Mantras
The term Mātṛka can refer to the subtle form of speech. The Mātṛka deities are associated with every letter of the Sanskrit alphabet and represent a certain energy or set of energies and denote various characteristics inherent in the power of the respective alphabet. Akṣara mālā - the garland of alphabets, also denoted as Mālinī, is a tool that can lead to self-realization by awakening the latent Kuṇḍalini energy within us.
The Mātṛka śakti-s encompass all aspects of Creation, Maintenance and Destruction. They represent the gross and subtle aspects of matter and energy and are omnipresent.
In the tantric aspect, they constitute all mantras and are the power of all bīja-s (sound syllables). The mātṛka-s are said to be deposited in the various parts of the human body and their invocation activates the subtle cakras and energy centers within the body, thereby helping us attract and fulfill all our desires. The Mātṛka invocation itself is said to fulfill all desires and is also part of the activation of mantras through the life infusing (Prāṇa Pratiṣṭha). The Mātṛka-s are also part of various Tantric nyāsā-s (placement of mantras on body parts) and are quintessential for the fructification of mantras and the subsequent fulfillment of the cherished desires. The ultimate motive and purpose of the mātṛka-s is to grant us liberation from the cycle of life and death and reveal our true existence, as consciousness Itself.
Below is a brief understanding of the meaning of each of the 51 mātṛka-s, which constitute the vowels and consonants of the Sanskrit language. The letters in combination with bindu constitute the mātṛka-s. The exceptions are the bindu and the visarga, which are the 15th and 16th letters of the alphabet, which represent themselves as part of the mātṛka-s.
S.no. |
IAST MĀTṚKA |
Devanāgari |
IAST DEITY |
Devanāgari |
Description |
1 |
am̐ |
अँ |
amṛtā |
अमृता |
Amṛtā devi represents Creation and symbolizes the spiritual nectar that precedes the complete awakening of the Kuṇḍalini. She is also the source of all other energies. She promotes detachment and progress towards spiritual emancipation. May the mātṛka am̐ energize us fully and promote spiritual emancipation within us. |
2 |
ām̐ |
आँ |
ākarṣiṇi |
आकर्षिणि |
Ākarṣiṇi devi represents a double ‘a’, which is both Śiva and Śakti. She therefore represents the devolution of the Supreme Being into the five aspects of Creation (Brahma), Preservation (Viṣṇu), Destruction (Rudra), Annihilation (īśvara) and Resurrection (Sadāśiva). May the mātṛka ām̐ expand our consciousness and promote spiritual emancipation within us. |
3 |
im̐ |
इँ |
indrāṇi |
इन्द्राणि |
Indrāṇi devi represents the power of overcoming jealousy, passion and wrath. She is the grantor of all wishes and bestows enjoyment and liberation to the devotee. She is the iccha śakti and represents all the wishes. May the mātṛka im̐ help us overcome our inner deficiencies such as jealousy, anger etc. and guide us towards spiritual emancipation. |
4 |
īm̐ |
ईँ |
īśāni |
ईशानि |
Īśāni devi signifies the richness of divine perfection and is the Kāmakalā and Turiyā bīja. She is the grantor of spiritual liberation and represents both the static and dynamic aspects of the super-consciousness. May the mātṛka īm̐ help us in gaining spiritual emancipation with complete cleansing of all karmas. |
5 |
um̐ |
उँ |
umā |
उमा |
Umā devi signifies great power and strength, as well as tender motherly love, care and unstinted devotion. She is the destroyer of all evil and is fiercely aggressive in achieving the objectives. The bīja fulfills all the four coveted desires – virtue (dharma), wealth and prosperity (artha), worldly desires (kāma) and finally liberation (mokṣa). May the mātṛka um̐ grant us the unstinted devotion essential in gaining spiritual emancipation. |
6 |
ūm̐ |
ऊँ |
ūrdhvakeśī |
ऊर्ध्वकेशी |
Ūrdhvakeśī devi signifies great excellence and greatness. Literally, She signifies the hair’s end, meaning the epitome of power. Spiritually, the bīja is associated with the rise of the Kuṇḍalini energy. May the mātṛka ūm̐ help us in gaining spiritual emancipation and remain under the bliss of immense power. |
7 |
ṛm̐ |
ऋँ |
ṛddhidāyī |
ऋद्धिदायी |
Ṛddhidāyī devi is the goddess of everlasting Truth. She represents revelation and true dharma (virtues), as well as pure bliss. May the mātṛka ṛm̐ help inculcate good virtues and merge us in the void of the singular reality at all times. |
8 |
ṝm̐ |
ॠँ |
ṝkārā |
ॠकारा |
Ṝkārā devi represents the mindless state of consciousness. The realization of one’s own true self, beyond all distractions of the mind. She is the void of the fullness and the plentitude of the being. May the mātṛka ṝm̐ help remove distractions of the mind and merge us in the void of the singular reality at all times. |
9 |
ḷm̐ |
ऌँ |
ḷkārā |
ऌकारा |
Ḷkārā devi represents the stability of the void and the blissful state of liberation and the culmination of all triads into the singular reality. May the mātṛka ḷm̐ help culminate all triads and merge us in the void of the singular reality at all times. |
10 |
ḹm̐ |
ॡँ |
ḹkārā |
ॡकारा |
Ḹkārā devi represents the complete dissolution of the mind and the attainment of liberation. She is the blissful void in a state of perfect stability. May the mātṛka ḹm̐ help in the complete dissolution of the mind and merging in the void of the singular reality at all times. |
11 |
em̐ |
एँ |
ekapadā |
एकपदा |
Ekapadā devi represents all the triads that make up the Creation, such as the śakti-s (powers) icchā (desire), kriyā (action) and jñāna (wisdom) etc. It is also the yoni bīja representing Creation, Sustenance and Destruction and all other triads. May the mātṛka em̐ help reveal the secrets of the entire Creation to us. |
12 |
aim̐ |
ऐँ |
aiśvaryātmikā |
ऐश्वर्यात्मिका |
Aiśvaryātmikā devi represents abundance of fortune, not just in material terms but also in spiritual aspects. This is also the Sarasvatī bīja representing knowledge and all arts. May the mātṛka aim̐ help in gaining the wealth of knowledge of the known and the unknown. |
13 |
om̐ |
ओँ |
oṃkārā |
ॐकारा |
Oṃkārā devi represents the ever pure word and is simply consciousness descended in the form of sound. It is the primordial sound that has emanated from the Super-consciousness. May the mātṛka om̐ help infuse purity and words of wisdom, that make us indulge in the True Reality at all times and experience pure bliss. |
14 |
aum̐ |
औँ |
auṣadhātmikā |
औषधात्मिका |
Auṣadhātmikā devi represents the curative power of medicine and promotes healing. May the mātṛka aum̐ help infuse the power to cure, free us of all disease and remain in the state of pure bliss. |
15 |
am̐ |
अँ |
aṃbikā |
अंबिका |
Aṃbikā devi is the universal mother of the entire Creation. She is the unblemished one and signifies completion and fulfillment. This letter is anusvarā or simply bindu (dot), the singular reality and is also a representation of the fulfillment of all desires. May the mātṛka am̐ fulfill all desires and help us remain in the state of pure bliss. |
16 |
aḥ |
अः |
aḥkṣarā |
अःक्षरा |
Aḥkṣarā devi is the constant, eternal and unalterable reality. She is the unborn Brahman or super-consciousness. This letter is visarga and represents culmination and ecstasy in all its forms. May the mātṛka aḥ help us remain ecstatic at all times in the state of pure bliss. |
17 |
kam̐ |
कँ |
kālarātri |
कालरात्रि |
The Kālarātri Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra kam̐ represents victory, desire (kāma), wealth (artha), as well as justice (dharma). She represents the triple śaktis of icchā (desire), jñāna (knowledge) and kriyā (action). May the mātṛka kam̐ reveal in us, the secrets of Creation and the ability to overcome the numerous triads and remain in the state of pure bliss. |
18 |
kham̐ |
खँ |
khaṇḍitā |
खण्डिता |
The Khaṇḍitā Mātṛkā (bīja) seed mantra kham̐ represents detachment, severance, illumination. She also represents the triple śaktis of icchā (desire), jñāna (knowledge) and kriyā (action). May the mātṛka kham̐ keep us detached from the effects of the numerous triads and remain in the state of pure bliss. |
19 |
gam̐ |
गँ |
gāyatrī |
गायत्री |
The Gāyatrī Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra gam̐ represents clarity of the discerning knowledge, direct vision and eternal wisdom, masked by delusion. This is also the Gaṇapati/Gaṇeśa bīja (seed) mantra representing the same aspect as well as removal of all obstacles towards progress. It also represents the great Kuṇḍalini or the latent energy at the bottom of the spine. May the mātṛka gam̐ remove all obstacles in our spiritual growth, indulge us in the discerning knowledge and help us remain in the state of pure bliss. |
20 |
gham̐ |
घँ |
ghaṇṭākarṣiṇī |
घण्टाकर्षिणी |
The Ghaṇṭākarṣiṇī Vārāhī Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra gham̐ represents sound and is the banisher of all enemies, internal and external. It is the subtle sound that manifests the energy to dispel all inimical forces. She is the karma cleanser who expels the karmas from the physical, astral and causal bodies. May the mātṛka gham̐ dispel all inimical forces, cleanse our karma and help us remain in the state of pure bliss. |
21 |
ṅam̐ |
ङँ |
ṅārṇā |
ङार्णा |
The Ṅārnādevi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra ṅam̐ represents growth and complete development. She signifies identification with the True Self and not with the individual body and mind. May the mātṛka ṅam̐ help us establish our true identity with the supreme Self and help us remain in the state of pure bliss. |
22 |
cam̐ |
चँ |
caṇḍikā |
चण्डिका |
The Caṇḍikā Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra cam̐ signifies destruction of evil and spread of love and compassion. The awakening of the Kuṇḍalini and its rise is signified. May the mātṛka cam̐ remove all evil thoughts, spread love and compassion and help us remain in the state of pure bliss. |
23 |
cham̐ |
छँ |
chāyārta |
छायार्त |
The Chāyārta Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra cham̐ signifies arising from the shadowy depths of the material world to discover the pure spiritual reality that represents us. May the mātṛka cham̐ uproot us from the shadowy depths of evil thoughts, influences and indulgence and help us remain in the state of pure bliss. |
24 |
jam̐ |
जँ |
jayā |
जया |
The Jayādevi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra jam̐ signifies victory and is also the giver of fortune. Further, She can provide the experience of Divine bliss for those leading a worldly life as well. In addition, She is unrivalled in dispelling black magic. May the mātṛka jam̐ provide enough material wealth to help us sustain ourselves in the world and remain in the state of pure bliss. |
25 |
jham̐ |
झँ |
jhaṅkāriṇī |
झङ्कारिणी |
The Jhaṅkāriṇī Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra jham̐ represents a balance amongst material and spiritual desires. She allows a free movement between the base Mūlādhāra cakra representing the Earth element and the sacral Svādhiṣṭhāna cakra representing water. May the mātṛka jham̐ provide the balance in material and spiritual pursuits and help us remain in the state of pure bliss. |
26 |
ñam̐ |
ञँ |
jñānarūpā |
ज्ञानरूपा |
The Jñānarūpā Devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra ñam̐ represents true knowledge of the Self and the realization that we are not this body and mind. She finally liberates us. May the mātṛka ñam̐ help us identify that we are not the body but pure consciousness and help us remain in the state of true bliss. |
27 |
ṭam̐ |
टँ |
ṭaṅkahastā |
टङ्कहस्ता |
The Ṭaṅkahastā Devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra ṭam̐ represents the sustenance of the physical, astral and causal bodies. She also lifts the Kuṇḍalini to the Maṇipūra cakra and lights the flame of the spiritual transformation. At the physical level, courage is signified. She’s also the curer of all diseases. May the mātṛka ṭam̐ help us balance the physical, astral and causal bodies to remain in the state of true bliss. |
28 |
ṭham̐ |
ठँ |
ṭhaṅkāriṇī |
ठङ्कारिणी |
The Ṭhaṅkāriṇī Devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra ṭham̐ represents the destruction of all types of affliction through knowledge and action. May the mātṛka ṭham̐ destroy all afflictions to the three bodies, through knowledge and action in order for us to remain in the state of true bliss. |
29 |
ḍam̐ |
डँ |
ḍāmarī |
डामरी |
The Ḍamarī Devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra ḍam̐ signifies control over all the five senses, removal of all poisonous and harmful elements in the body and the expulsion of negativity from within us. May the mātṛka ḍam̐ destroy and remove all negativity and provide complete control of all senses, in order for us to remain in the state of true bliss. |
30 |
ḍham̐ |
ढँ |
ḍhaṅkāriṇī |
ढङ्कारिणी |
The Ḍhaṅkāriṇī Devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra ḍham̐ signifies spiritual enlightenment as well as abundant wealth, both spiritual and material. She also grants the power to exhibit divine splendor from within. May the mātṛka ḍham̐ illumine us with abundant wealth of spiritual knowledge and power and also help us remain in the state of true bliss. |
31 |
ṇam̐ |
णँ |
ṇārṇā |
णार्णा |
The Ṇārnā Devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra ṇam̐ signifies granting of all magical siddhis as well as spiritual enlightenment. May the mātṛka ṇam̐ grant us spiritual powers and also help us remain in the state of true bliss. |
32 |
tam̐ |
तँ |
tāmasya |
तामस्य |
The Tāmasya Devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra tam̐ signifies the expulsion of all darkness, hatred, jealousy and other vices and ushering in compassion and true unconditional love. She is also the giver of fortune. She takes up the Kuṇḍalini to the Anāhata cakra. May the mātṛka tam̐ expel all vices and inculcate compassion and unconditional love within us and help us remain in the state of true bliss. |
33 |
tham̐ |
थँ |
sthāṇvi |
स्थाण्वि |
The Sthāṇvi Devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra tham̐ signifies attaining all virtues and leading a moralistic life. She grants the ability to fearlessly withstand any evil, as well the power to maintain calm and composure, in distressing circumstances. May the mātṛka tham̐ grant us the power to maintain composure under all circumstances and also help us remain in the state of true bliss. |
34 |
dam̐ |
दँ |
dākṣāyaṇī |
दाक्षायणी |
The Dākṣāyaṇī Devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra dam̐ signifies great power, wealth, authority, good fortune and immense happiness. She also grants immense contentment, so that one does not get fully overcome by greed, to pursue much more material wealth than what’s already granted in abundance and instead focus on the spiritual realms. May the mātṛka dam̐ grant us contentment with what we have and also help us remain in the state of true bliss. |
35 |
dham̐ |
धँ |
dhāttayā |
धात्तया |
The Dhattayā Devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra dham̐ signifies removal of all impurities and is also the curer of all deadly diseases. May the mātṛka dham̐ remove all impurities in all the three bodies and also help us remain in the state of true bliss. |
36 |
nam̐ |
नँ |
nāryā |
नार्या |
The Nāryā Devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra nam̐ signifies liberation or mokṣā. She reveals our true Self. May the mātṛka nam̐ reveal our true identity (pure consciousness) and also help us remain in the state of true bliss. |
37 |
pam̐ |
पँ |
pārvatī |
पार्वती |
The Pārvatī Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra pam̐ represents will power, endurance and great strength, both physical and mental. Her power grants stability and gives one immense confidence and success in all endeavors. May the mātṛka pam̐ grant stability of mind and thought and provide all the endurance to remain steadfast, in the state of true bliss. |
38 |
pham̐ |
फँ |
phaṭkāriṇī |
फट्कारिणी |
The Phaṭkāriṇī Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra pham̐ represents freedom from all worries and negativities. She’s also the giver of all siddhis or magical powers. May the mātṛka pham̐ grant us freedom from all types of worries and help us remain in the state of true bliss. |
39 |
bam̐ |
बँ |
bandhinī |
बन्धिनी |
The Bandhinī Devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra bam̐ signifies the removal of all bondage leading us towards self-realization and ultimate liberation. May the mātṛka bam̐ remove all bondage and help us remain in the state of true bliss and obtain liberation from the cycle of life and death and unification with the super-consciousness. |
40 |
bham̐ |
भँ |
bhadrakālī |
भद्रकाली |
The Bhadrakālī Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra bham̐ signifies the destruction of all negativity, evil spirits and heralds the beginning of auspicious and fortuitous time. May the mātṛka bham̐ usher in auspiciousness at all times and help us remain in the state of liberation. |
41 |
mam̐ |
मँ |
mahāmāyā |
महामाया |
The Mahāmāyā bīja (seed) Mātṛkā mantra mam̐ signifies the great cosmic illusion and its secrets. She helps us realize our true inner Self and leads us towards liberation. May the mātṛka mam̐ liberate us from the cosmic illusion and help us remain in the state of liberation. |
42 |
yam̐ |
यँ |
yaśasvinī |
यशस्विनी |
The Yaśasvinī Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra yam̐, represents immense glory and the awakening of the spiritual glow – Ājñā cakra. She heralds the flood of knowledge, light and the realization of a complete new self within us. May the mātṛka yam̐ help us illumine the world with true knowledge while we remain in the state of liberation. |
43 |
ram̐ |
रँ |
raktā |
रक्ता |
The Raktā Devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra ram̐ represents cleansing of the soul and depleting all negativities. She also generates a new zeal and drive in us, to accomplish higher spiritual pursuits leading us towards liberation. She provides vāk siddhi or the power to make words come true. May the mātṛka ram̐ make every word spoken and action performed by us, to come true and help make the world a better place, while we continue to remain in the state of liberation and detached from the fruits of all our actions. |
44 |
lam̐ |
लँ |
lamboṣṭhī |
लम्बोष्ठी |
The Lamboṣṭhī Devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra lam̐ represents great power of attraction and mesmerism. She also leads us to the non-dual state of knowing and being IT. May the mātṛka lam̐ make us aware at all times that we are IT, as we continue to remain in the state of liberation. |
45 |
vam̐ |
वँ |
varadā |
वरदा |
The Varadā Devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra vam̐ represents wish fulfillment and auspicious, favorable outcomes of all endeavors. May the mātṛka vam̐ make every wish of ours come true and help us remain detached and immersed in the state of liberation. |
46 |
śam̐ |
शँ |
śrī |
श्री |
The Śrīdevī Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra śam̐ represents auspiciousness and the sum total of all material and spiritual wealth. She grants us immense spiritual and material wealth and takes care of all our comforts and ultimately liberates us. May the mātṛka śam̐ provide all comforts and help us remain detached and immersed in the state of liberation. |
47 |
ṣam̐ |
षँ |
ṣaṇḍā |
षण्डा |
The Ṣaṇḍā Devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra ṣam̐ represents selfless service to the Divine and She is the giver of all fruitful results. She also grants us the non-dual state of knowing and being. May the mātṛka ṣam̐ grant us humility and help us render selfless service to the needy in the name of the Divine super-consciousness and at the same time keep us detached and immersed in the state of liberation. |
48 |
sam̐ |
सँ |
sarasvatī |
सरस्वती |
The Sarasvatī Devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra sam̐ represents arts, knowledge and wisdom and is also the cause of all Creation. She grants success in all accomplishments and fulfills life’s very purpose of liberation. May the mātṛka sam̐ grant us success in all undertakings and at the same time keep us detached and immersed in the state of liberation. |
49 |
ham̐ |
हँ |
hamsavatī |
हम्सवती |
The Haṃsavatī Devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra ham̐ represents the True Self and attaining liberation and merger with IT. This is the last bīja in the word ‘aham’ representing the ego or the individual self, beginning with ‘a’, the creation and ending with ‘ham’ the liberation and merging with the True Self. May the mātṛka ham̐ merge us into the Divine at all times and keep us immersed in the state of liberation. |
50 |
ḻam̐ |
ळँ |
ḻakārā |
ळकारा |
The Ḻakārā devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra ḻam̐ represents the acquisition of all siddhi-s (magical powers) and also the release from all bondage of karmas and attainment of liberation. May the mātṛka ḻam̐ grant all spiritual powers and merge us into the Divine at all times and keep us immersed in the state of liberation. |
51 |
kṣam̐ |
क्षँ |
kṣamāvatī |
क्षमावती |
The Kṣamāvatī Devi Mātṛkā bīja (seed) mantra kṣam̐ represents the dissolution of all karmas through the Divine grace and pardon. She leads us to and grants us liberation. The complete energization of the Ājñā and the Sahasrāra cakras is realized at this point. May the mātṛka kṣam̐ grant divine grace and pardon, vanquish all karmas to merge us completely into the Divine and keep us immersed in the state of liberation. |
This article is written by Krishna Vallapareddy and can be contacted at Krishna@manblunder.com
Krishnakant
May 28, 2019 07:48 PM
Sir thanks for sharing this wonderful article. Sir are the anga nyasa and kara nyasa which are there for Mantras do those beeja also come under the matrika mantra. How are they different from each other. Also I have read somewhere that if we chant all the Sanskrit alphabets from beginning to end and again from end to beginning order this itself covers all the Mantras is it true sir kindly let us know Thanks and Regards Krishnakant
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Krishna
May 28, 2019 09:58 PM
We have only described the mātṛka-s very briefly. There are dhyāna śloka-s and other details associated with each mātṛka. All mantra bīja-s are made of mātṛka-s and represent the sum total of the benefits accrued from each mātṛka, plus the individual bīja itself. The Sanskrit letters themselves represent the power indicated by the associated mātṛka, but the inclusion of the bindu fulfills the desires. Reversing the mātṛka-s is followed for some tantric mantras and is said to accrue benefits by removing all ills associated with the base mantra. Recitation of the mātṛka-s from am̐ to kṣam̐ is itself a mantra said to fulfill all desires and is considered to be a pre-requisite for energizing yantras.
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Krishnakant
May 29, 2019 12:19 PM
Sir thanks for the response
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Anākhyā
May 05, 2023 04:05 AM
There is always a talk on 64 Matrkas and Yogini ... does that mean that there are 64 akshara list as well?
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Krishna
May 05, 2023 10:05 PM
I am not aware of the 64 Mātṛkas but the Yoginis are mentioned. Maybe the various combinations of the consonants also give rise to further mātṛkas. I am not aware of any tantra that describes the additional mātṛkas. If you do have any such information that has been researched and published, please do let us know.
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