Tara (तारा) is the second Goddess of the ten Mahavidyas. She is considered a form of Ādishakt. The three most famous forms are Ekajaṭā, Ugratara, and Nīlasarasvatī (also spelled Neelasaraswati, Neela Saraswati, or Neelsaraswati). The most famous centre of worship is the temple and the cremation ground of Tarapith in West Bengal, India. Her name means “star” and also “she who ferries across.” Tara is the Divine Mother who helps her devotees cross the dangerous ocean of worldly life, suffering, fear, and ignorance. She is both fierce and deeply maternal, a guide who appears in moments of crisis and leads her children to safety and liberation (moksha).
This complete guide explores Tara’s stories, symbols, forms, worship, and spiritual meaning in simple English. It focuses on her role in Hinduism while briefly noting her presence in Buddhism.
Who Is Goddess Tara?
Tara is a form of Adi Shakti, the supreme Divine Mother. In the sequence of the ten Mahavidyas, she follows Kali and comes before Tripura Sundari. While Kali represents the power of time and destruction of the ego, Tara represents guidance, protection, and the power to carry the devotee safely to the other shore.
She is especially known as Nila Saraswati (Blue Saraswati) because she grants wisdom, clear speech, and knowledge. Devotees call upon her when they feel lost, trapped, or overwhelmed. She is the star that shines in the darkest night and the boat that carries one across turbulent waters.
Her most important center of worship is Tarapith in West Bengal, a famous Shakti Peetha and Tantric site connected with the cremation ground.
Origins and Sacred Stories of Goddess Tara
One of the most beloved stories comes from the churning of the cosmic ocean (Samudra Manthan). When Gods and demons churned the ocean to obtain the nectar of immortality, a deadly poison called Halahala first rose from the depths. Lord Shiva drank the poison to save the universe, but it began to burn him from within, and he fell unconscious. At that critical moment, Goddess Tara appeared. She took Shiva on her lap like a mother and nursed him with her milk, neutralizing the poison and restoring him to life. Because of this act of pure maternal love, she is remembered as the mother who saves even the great Gods in their hour of need.
Another important tradition links Tara to the sage Vasistha. The sage first tried to worship her according to ordinary Vedic methods but failed. He later traveled to the region called Mahacina (associated with Tibet or the far north) and learned the proper Kaula (Tantric) way of worship from Vishnu in the form of Buddha. After following this path, Vasistha succeeded in pleasing Tara. This story shows that Tara’s worship belongs especially to the Tantric tradition.
Tara is also connected to the larger mythology of the Mahavidyas. When Sati, the first wife of Shiva, felt deeply insulted by her father Daksha, she manifested the ten fierce forms of the Goddess, including Tara, to stop Shiva from attending the sacrifice. In some accounts, Tara emerged from the third eye of Kali or from the energy of the Goddess during battles against demons.
Iconography and Deep Symbolism
Tara’s appearance is striking and full of meaning. She is usually shown with a deep blue or dark blue complexion. Blue represents the vast sky, the deep ocean, and the infinite. It is the color of limitless space and boundless compassion.
She often stands or sits on a corpse or on the body of Shiva lying like a corpse. This shows that pure consciousness (Shiva) remains still until activated by Shakti. Her posture is powerful, sometimes in the pratyalidha stance (one leg forward in a warrior pose).
Tara typically has four arms. Common objects she holds are:
- A sword or knife that cuts ignorance and attachment
- Scissors that snip the threads of karma and entanglement
- A skull cup (kapala) that receives the blood of the ego
- A blue lotus that symbolizes purity rising from the mud of worldly life
She wears a garland of skulls, a tiger-skin skirt, and sometimes serpents as ornaments. Her hair is often tied in a single topknot (Ekajata), showing one-pointed focus. A crescent moon may appear on her forehead, and she has three eyes that see past, present, and future. Her tongue is sometimes shown protruding, similar to Kali.
Main Forms of Tara
Tara appears in several important forms:
- Ugra Tara – The fierce or violent Tara. She is the powerful protector who destroys obstacles and dangers quickly.
- Nila Saraswati – The blue Goddess of wisdom and speech. In this form, she is gentler and grants knowledge, eloquence, and clarity of mind.
- Ekajata – “She of the single topknot.” This form emphasizes focused energy and the power of concentrated awareness.
Other names and aspects include Mahogra Tara and forms linked to specific Tantric practices. All these forms are expressions of the same compassionate yet powerful Mother.
Relationship with Kali and Shiva
Tara and Kali are closely related. Both are dark, fierce, and stand on Shiva. Both wear skull garlands and cut away the ego. Yet their emphasis differs. Kali is the power of time that dissolves everything. Tara is the guiding force that helps the devotee move safely through the process of dissolution and transformation. In many ways, Tara continues the work that Kali begins.
Her consort is often identified as Akshobhya Bhairava, a form of Shiva associated with unshakable consciousness. The image of Tara standing on Shiva teaches the same truth as Kali’s iconography: energy and awareness are one, and the dynamic power of the Goddess animates pure consciousness.
Worship, Temples, and Practice
The most famous temple of Tara is Tarapith in Birbhum district of West Bengal. It is both a Shakti Peetha (said to be the place where the third eye of Sati fell) and a major Tantric center. The temple is closely connected with the nearby cremation ground, and many sadhus and Tantric practitioners live and practice there. Animal sacrifice has traditionally been part of the worship, though modern devotees also offer flowers, sweets, and other sattvic items.
Devotees especially worship Tara on certain lunar days, including Trayodashi and Amavasya. Devotees offer blue flowers, milk, honey, and jaggery. Simple daily worship includes lighting a lamp, offering incense, and chanting her mantras with a sincere heart.
A widely known simple mantra is: ‘Om Hreem Streem Hum Phat’ or ‘Om Hreem Ugrataraayai Nilasaraswatyai Namah’.
More elaborate practices involve yantras, longer mantras, and meditation under the guidance of a qualified teacher. Tara is known for delivering relatively quick results when approached with sincerity, especially protection from danger, clear speech, and sudden help in difficult situations.
Spiritual Meaning and Significance
Tara is the Goddess who helps us cross. The ocean she helps us cross is the ocean of samsara—the endless cycle of birth, death, desire, fear, and suffering. She is the star that appears when the night is darkest. She is the mother who picks up the fallen child and the guide who shows the safe path.
In Tantric understanding, she represents the power of the word (vak) and the primordial sound. As Nila Saraswati, she grants the wisdom that dissolves confusion. Her scissors cut the invisible threads that keep us bound to limiting patterns. Her skull cup receives the blood of the ego so that the true self can shine.
For the ordinary devotee, Tara is simply the Mother who answers when called in distress. Many people experience her help as sudden protection, unexpected solutions, or a quiet inner guidance that appears at the right moment.
Tara in Hinduism and Buddhism
It is important to distinguish the Hindu Tara from the Buddhist Tara. In Buddhism, Tara is primarily a gentle, compassionate bodhisattva, often shown as Green Tara or White Tara, who saves beings from the eight great fears and guides them toward enlightenment. The Hindu Tara of the Mahavidyas is more closely related to the fierce, transformative energy of Kali and the Tantric path. While there has been historical interaction and shared iconographic elements between the two traditions, the Hindu Mahavidya Tara remains rooted in Shakta and Shaiva Tantric theology.
Why Tara Matters Today
In modern life filled with uncertainty, anxiety, and rapid change, Tara’s message remains powerful. She teaches that help is available even in the darkest moments. She encourages us to call upon the Divine Mother with the trust of a child. At the same time, her fierce form reminds us that real transformation requires courage—the willingness to let go of what no longer serves us.
Whether approached through simple prayer, mantra, temple visits, or deeper Tantric sadhana, Tara responds to sincere devotion. She is the guiding star, the ferry across the ocean, and the mother who never abandons her children.
Conclusion
Tara is the second great wisdom Goddess, the star that lights the path, and the compassionate mother who carries us safely through every storm. Her blue form holds both the fierceness needed to cut through obstacles and the tenderness needed to heal and guide. In a world that often feels overwhelming, she stands as a reminder that we are never alone and that the Divine Mother is always ready to ferry us to the other shore.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Goddess Tara?
Goddess Tara is one of the ten Mahavidyas in Hindu Tantra and a highly revered form of the Divine Mother. She is known as the compassionate savior who guides devotees across the ocean of fear, ignorance, and suffering toward spiritual liberation.
2. What does the name “Tara” mean?
The Sanskrit word “Tara” means “star” or “the one who ferries across.” She is the guiding star who helps seekers cross the turbulent waters of worldly existence and reach the shore of enlightenment.
3. Is Goddess Tara the same in Hinduism and Buddhism?
While both traditions revere Tara, her portrayal differs. In Hindu Tantra she appears as a fierce yet compassionate Mahavidya, often blue-skinned and standing on Shiva. In Buddhism she is primarily the gentle Green Tara or White Tara, the embodiment of compassionate action.
4. Why is Tara shown with blue skin?
Her deep blue color represents the infinite sky and the vastness of pure consciousness. It also symbolizes her power to absorb and transform the darkest fears and negativities of the devotee.
5. What is the significance of Tara standing on Lord Shiva?
This powerful image shows that even the great Lord Shiva rests in stillness while Shakti (Tara) is the dynamic force of the universe. It teaches that pure consciousness and dynamic energy are inseparable.
6. How can one worship Goddess Tara?
Devotees traditionally offer blue flowers, light a lamp, and chant her powerful mantras such as “Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha.”
7. What benefits does Goddess Tara bestow?
Tara is believed to remove deep-seated fears, grant protection during difficulties, awaken inner wisdom, and guide the devotee safely through life’s challenges toward spiritual freedom and fearlessness.
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tara_(Mahavidya)
