Ashtami

Goddess Tvaritā (also spelled Twarita) is one of the more enigmatic and powerful forms of the Divine Mother in Tantric traditions, fierce, untamed, and deeply connected to the primal forces of nature.

Tvaritā means “swift,” “speedy,” or “urgent.” She is the goddess of quick action and transformation, one who moves through realms with lightning speed, cutting through illusion and darkness.

Goddess Tvaritā, presiding over the Ashtami tithi, the eighth lunar day, holds a deeply symbolic place in the lunar cycle. This day marks the midpoint between the Moon's journey from darkness to light or vice versa. In the sky, the Moon appears half-lit, a perfect balance between waning and waxing. Tvaritā Devi embodies this delicate equilibrium of opposites, she is the force that holds together light and shadow, order and chaos, creation and destruction.

Tvaritā is often described with dark or blue-black skin, symbolizing both her cosmic nature and her power over tamas (inertia, darkness). She wears serpent ornaments, peacock feathers, forest berries, and leaf garments, reflecting her deep integration with wild, uncivilized nature, like a tribal huntress or forest goddess.

She is not adorned in gold or jewels, but in the raw elements of the earth.

Tvaritā is especially invoked to neutralize poison, both literal and metaphorical. This includes venom from snakes or toxic thoughts, curses, envy, and psychic attacks. She "burns away" negativity swiftly.

She is a Guide through Chaos. She governs transformation through discomfort, speed, and confrontation. Her devotees often report life-changing events or breakthroughs after her worship.

She is the Goddess of the Wilderness and Akasha (Space). Tvaritā is deeply linked to Akasha, the etheric element, and represents the infinite field of possibility. She is sometimes seen as the goddess of the void, showing the potential that exists before form and the speed at which form can emerge from it.

She is often invoked for success in learning and education, as well as for protection of health, vitality, and prosperity. Her blessings are said to bring radiance to the body, clarity to the mind, and longevity to life.

Tvaritā is also a purifier, helping devotees shed unnecessary desires and attachments that cloud discernment. According to Tantrarāja, she is quick to grant the fruits of sincere worship, and those who turn to her are shielded from poverty, poison, and harm.

The Agni Purāṇa even states that a prayer to Tvaritā can neutralize the effects of a snakebite, underscoring her power over toxins, both literal and metaphorical.

Tvaritā Devi wears sacred serpents as Her ornaments, a powerful symbol that reveals Her role as the Controller of Time. She reminds us that nature moves in rhythms, and She alone holds the wisdom to balance what comes and goes.

Goddess Tvaritā’s form is rich with deep symbolic meaning. Her upper hands hold the pāśa (noose), to reign in desires, and the aṅkuśa (goad), to direct and control repulsions, representing the fundamental push and pull of existence, the very movements of atoms and consciousness. Her lower hands are gracefully extended in abhaya mudrā, offering protection and fearlessness, and varada mudrā, granting blessings and boons. Her posture radiates openness and compassion, a reminder that Her grace is readily available to those who call upon Her. As Her name suggests, Tvaritā, the Swift One, She is known for responding quickly to sincere prayers, removing obstacles and fulfilling wishes with remarkable speed.

Goddess Tvaritā, who rules over chaos and the vast cosmic void, reminds us of a profound truth: that most of existence, like 99.99% of the universe, is emptiness. She teaches us not to fear the void, but to recognize it as the space from which all creation emerges. Her energy reveals the futility of constantly chasing what we desire and fleeing what we dislike. This endless cycle of attraction and aversion leads nowhere new. Tvaritā invites us to pause, stand still in the middle of chaos, and find peace in the stillness, where transformation truly begins.

Unlike the other goddesses of the lunar cycle, who often remain hidden in symbolism or mystery, Tvaritā holds a bold and central position in Tantric scriptures.

She appears most prominently in Tantric scriptures, especially in the Rudrayāmala Tantra, Tantrarāja, and Tvaritā Tantra.

The Tvarita Mula Sutra presents one of the most striking depictions of cosmic resolution in the Tantric tradition. In this sacred text, we encounter a fierce and symbolic battle between the forces of chaos, wild, untamed, destructive energies, and the forces of order and creation; structured, life-giving, sustaining. This eternal tension represents not only cosmic dualities but the inner battles of the human psyche. As the battle rages and reaches a standstill, it is Goddess Tvaritā who appears; sudden, swift, and luminous. Her arrival is not gentle; it is urgent and necessary. She embodies the force that balances extremes, neither denying darkness nor clinging to light. She absorbs and harmonizes both poles into a higher cosmic order.

In this role, She is a cosmic mediator, the Protectress of the universe, who keeps the cycle of creation intact by preventing either chaos or rigidity from taking over. She doesn't suppress one side to favor the other, she integrates.

She teaches us that healing and wholeness come not from rejecting parts of ourselves or the world, but from learning to hold both order and chaos within a higher embrace, and to do so swiftly, decisively, and without fear.

She does not take sides. Adorned both with serpents and peacock feathers, symbols of natural enemies, she reflects the ability to contain and harmonize polarities. As such, she teaches us not to fear or reject darkness, nor to become blinded by the light. Instead, she guides us toward an inner state where both can be honored. Tvaritā reminds us that true spiritual maturity lies in our ability to hold contradictions, to walk the middle path with courage and clarity.