Why Sri Vidya is a Supreme Science (Tantra Part 3)

In the undertaking of any tradition, we should ideally have faith that our tradition is a supreme one. I want
to say superior but it is important to respect all traditions. Nevertheless there is something very, I would
say extremely, special about Sri Vidya. This article will address why I believe that to be the case.
Why have faith in our own tradition and why is faith so important? The Parasurama Kalpa Sutra in chapter
one tells us "through sampradaya and faith comes every fulfillment". In other words if we have authentic
lineage or sampradaya, we have the power behind us of every practitioner that has gone before us,
carving out the energetic pathways of mantric energy that bring us forward in our practice. Having faith in
this strengthens our minds and our belief systems, our view, that is the foundation of directed energy and
power. Faith strengthens our will. Will carries us forward to do what needs to be done and bring success
to our practice and our lives.
In stating the supreme nature of Sri Vidya I should state once again the words of the Parasurama in terms
of my first comment, "no criticism of any system of philosophy". All systems must be respected because
ultimately faith in any system will prompt the soul forward in its work and as the Bhagavad Gita states "in
whatever way men/women come to me, in that way I will receive them."
That being said, once we begin to practice the Sri Vidya tantra, we want to feel the depth and the power
of what this system is. We want to feel in our deep hearts that this is THE system for us. We don't meet it
halfway. We engage with it directly, with it fully. The PK Sutra also states "tenacity of attitude leads to
fulfillment of all-round knowledge." So once we have the conviction, we are set forward and become
unstoppable in our endeavor of the path. This is so critical to understand because it provides the power
and the framework for our entire sadhana.
To help us have this conviction let us look at why Sri Vidya is such a powerful science. In the
Soundaryalahari, a beautiful song composed by Shankaracarya (sometime towards the end of his life
when he had left behind the patriarchal old ways and had had a direct vision of the Goddess), verse one
states "If Siva is united with his Sakti (power), he is able to create, if he is not thus, he is not even able to
stir." The saying goes "Siva is not able to lift one finger without Sakti." In other words, the Consciousness
principle or the Divine Light Prakasha by itself is useless in this world without its divine Vimarsha, without
its wonderous power and reflective nature. In other words, the Male principle is nothing in this world
without the Female. Devi or the Goddess or the Divine Feminine, the Sakti, the Spanda, the Divine Throb
and pulse of this universe is what creates, exists and then withdraws. This is also stated in the first 3
names of the Devi in Lalitha Sahasranama: "Shri Mata Shri Maharajni Shrimatsimhasaneshvari". "O
Divine Mother, O Divine Great Queen, You who sit on the Lion Throne." The Mother is the creator, the
Queen is the sustainer, and the Lion symbolizes the destructive nature which withdraws all back into
itself. In other words all forms, names and manifestations are the Devi herself. She is Mother Earth,
Mother Prakriti, the World, the Body, Life, Energy, Movement, Pulsation. One is bound and freed by Her
alone. Even if one tires of this life, this samsara, it is only Devi who brings about the decision to do the
sadhana which brings one back to her.
This above paragraph is important to understand because the way of tantra and Sri Vidya is very different
from traditional patriarchal religions and systems in which matter is set against spirit, in which the
emphasis is on trancendence and escape from this world of samsara. Sri Vidya embraces ALL, both
matter and spirit, the world, male and female, white and black. There is nowhere the God/dess is not. This
is why in our tradition Mother Lalitha is shown seated atop Siva and the throne itself is supported by the
Patriarchal Gods of Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, and Isvara. She is superior. She is the ruler. By taking this
way we approach God through the reflective nature of whatever is in front of us. We see God everywhere.
The Great Lalitha Tripurasundari is the prime Devi/Goddess of Sri Vidya. Her mantra is the great 15
syllabled mantra Pancadasi, which symbolizes on one level the 15 phases of the moon, encompassing all
time and cycles. This mantra has many deeper hidden meanings and there are few mantras greater than
this one, and those that are all belong to Her.

Lalitha's Yantra is the great Sri Yantra, also called Sri Cakra which contains within it the entire universe
seen and unseen. The human body itself is the Sri Yantra, thus our bodies contain within it the entire
universe. This follows the Western hermetic principle of "as above so below, as below so above". This
principle is described in detail in the Bhavanopanishad and several other important texts. So our body
truly is a temple. A divine temple. Hrim is the divine mantra of creation and maya, that movement that
takes us out clockwise from the bindu of the yantra through the phases of creative evolution. Shrim is the
divine mantra which takes us back counterclockwise into the bindu. Life is not a bindu alone though
remember. Life is the fullness of the yantra itself and the bindu only holds the whole display together. We
could say that this bindu is simultaneously at the center and also everywhere.
Lalitha Tripurasundari's form shows many powerful symbols in addition to the ones described already.
She wears the sun and moon as earrings, emphasizing the fact that astrological forces are mere
adornments to her. In her 4 arms, she carries the 5 arrows of the elements and the senses, the sugarcane
bow of the mind, the noose of desire and attraction, and the goad of anger. So the entire world of the
elements, senses, and mind are her instruments. The twin forces of attraction and repulsion/aversion are
her instruments as well. All powers of the universe are Hers.
These things described serve to enhance our faith in this powerful tradition and to remind us that this
world is sacred, that it is all God's play. It helps us to lighten up, to not be so concerned with "liberation"
and to remember that we are Her. She is us. Our world is divine.

Sakta Vidyas
By Shankara Bharadwaj Khandavalli

Sakta vidyas have grown in practice in the past millennium. It follows from a famous saying that in
Kali Yuga the most effective forms of worship are Devi and Ganapati (kalau Candi Vinayakah). There are
many sakta vidyas, but two schools of them are most popular Lalita Sampradaya and Candi Sampradaya.
Devatas like Lalita, Bala and Rajarajeswari are worshiped in Lalita sampradaya and devatas like Durga and
Candi are worshiped in Candi Sampradaya.

Contents
[hide]

1 Philosophy

2 Sri Vidya

3 Candi Vidya

4 Dasa maha Vidyas

4.1 Tripura Sundari

4.2 Bhuvaneswari

4.3 Kali

4.4 Tara

4.5 Chinnamasta

4.6 Bhairavi

4.7 Dhumavati

4.8 Bagala Mukhi

4.9 Matangi

4.10 Kamalatmika

5 Other Major Sakta Vidyas

5.1 Durga

5.2 Saraswati

5.3 Varahi

5.4 Pratyangira

Philosophy
Sakta Vidyas acknowledge Advaita Vedanta. However Sakta view of Advaita differs from Sankara Advaita or
Vivarta Vada.

Sri Vidya
Main article: Sri Vidya

The most popular vidya in Sakta is Sri Vidya. The devata of this vidya is Tripura Sundari. Tripura Sundari as
the name suggests, is the most beautiful of all the devatas.

There are many vidyas/variants under Sri Vidya. Two major ones are Pancadasi (mantra with 15 syllables)
and Shodasi (mantra with 16 syllables). Of these, Shodasi is counted under dasa maha vidyas. The original
seer of Pancadasi is said to be lord Dakshinamurthy Himself. There are 12 variants in Pancadasi called Manu
vidya, Candra vidya and so on. The seers of these include Agastya, Lopamudra, Durvasa and others.

Pancadasi is said to be the Gayatri of Sri Vidya. The distinct feature of this is the 15 syllables are classified
into three groups of 5 syllables each, called 3 kutas/khandas. These are Agni, Surya and Soma khandas
(this is the reason she is called Tripura Sundari, as she presides over these three transcendental worlds).
The mantra is said to be the sound-form and the body of the Mother Goddess, with Agni khanda as her
head, Surya khanda as her trunk and Soma khanda as the lower half. Thus realizing the total essence of the
mantra is realizing the Mother. The story of Lalita Tripura Sundari narrated in
Brahmanda Purana symbolically explains the entire vidya, in which Devi kills Bhandasura, the king of Asuras.
The three devis that wage this battle against the powers of ignorance, Lalita, Syamala and Varahi preside
over the divine powers of Will (Iccha), Knowledge (Jnana) and Action (Kriya) and represent these three
khandas of the Pancadasi.

The yantra used in Sri Vidya is called Sri Cakra, which is said to be the sakta model of entire universe. The
yantra is worshiped as the Mother. It has 9 levels or avaranas.

Texts

The Sri Suktam of Rig Veda. It has fifteen Riks, equal to the number of beejas in Pancadasi. Adding Sri
Gayatri it becomes 16 Riks, equal to the number of beejas of Shodasi.

Lalita rahasya nama found in the Brahmanda purana, is said to be the compendium of all sakta vidyas,
though primarily the text for Sri Vidya. It is a consciousness overview and is called Yoga Sahasra. Lalita
Trisati, which has a commentary by Adi Sankara, is thestotra form of Pancadasi.

Sri Vidya is found in tantras like Rudra Yamala.

Upadesa and alternative

The Sri Vidya needs initiation. However Lalita Sahasra nama, can be read as a stotra without initiation.
Namavali, where each name is used as a mantra for worship, can be done only by one having initiation into
the vidya.

Usually the initiation of Pancadasi happens after an initial initiation into another Tripura Sundari mantra
like Bala. Lalita and Bala are the Saguna and Nirguna versions of the vidya respectively. Hence the former
also has nama mantras.

Candi Vidya
Candi is the other most popular Sakta vidya. Candi is also worshiped as Durga, Camundi, Mahisha mardini
during the nava ratris for Vijaya Dasami.

Candi navakshari (9 syllables) is the primary mantra of this vidya, though there are many vidyas as part of
this. Devi Mahatmya ofMarkandeya Purana, which is also called Candi Saptasati, narrates the story of the
Mother slaying Mahishasura. She assumes 9 different forms on nine days to eliminate the Asura along with
his army.

Texts

Durga Suktam of Taittiriya Aranyaka.

Candi Saptasati, though in sloka form, is treated as mantras and is used for Homa. Besides, Ratri Suktam,
Devi Atharva Seersha are also used.

Candi vidyas are found in tantras like Rudra Yamala.

Upadesa and alternative

The Candi/Durga vidyas, including Candi Saptasati need initition from a guru. The stotras like Mahishasura
mardini Stotra, Durga Astottara, Durga Sahasraa can be read without initiation (not as namavali).

Dasa maha Vidyas

Vasistha Ganapathi Muni deduced the origins of all the sakta mahavidyas to the Veda Samhita, in his
Mahavidyadi Sutra granthavali.

The smarta-srautas follow the procedures laid down in Kalpa, epecially the Srauta Sutras. Tantrics follow the
procedures laid down in the Agamas. These practices overlap, and are not exclusive. The seed mantras too,
overlap.

There are three systems of worship, samaya madhyama and kaula. While samaya acara is smartaacknowledged, the other two are tantric. Kaula marga involves is more of vamacara tantra. Tantra texts like
Rudra Yamala and Kularnava Tantra deal extensively with these vidyas, their philosophy, prayogas,
austerities and results.

Worship is to be done according to the taste and the nature of the worshiper. The austerities one should
follow will also follow these to a good extent. Devotion is primary and one does not have to impose
impossible austerities on himself to please devata. Devi is praised as sukharadhya, one who could be
worshiped with bliss.

However dasa maha vidyas is more of a conceptual classification and we do not find these clearly in
the Tantra texts themselves. They overlap into each other.

There are different stories that tell how the ten vidyas came, in Devi Bhagavata, Siva Purana and Tantra
Texts. According to the one in Devi Bhagavata: when Sati devi wanted to attend her father Dakshas yajna,
Siva did not like it. When she insisted, He got angry. Then Sati took even more terrible form and Siva got
afraid and started running. Then Sati assumed ten forms and stood in all ten directions so he cannot
runaway. These ten forms are ten maha vidyas.

The brief of these vidyas is given below. We can consider an example for the nature of symbolism, in the
description of Kali that follows. Devi is actually worshiped as Agni-sikha and Agni kunda samudbhava, who
emerged from fire altar. While male deities are to be worshiped from feet to head, Devi is to be worshiped
from head to toe. Agni khanda as seen above as the first of triad in sakta vidyas is indicated here. Her feet
are said to be the abode of bliss, and the goal of all sadhana. Agni vidya thus is inherent in all sakta
sadhana. Agni of Veda is found as the combination of Agni and Sarpa in Purana (KumaraswamySubrahmanya). Another common feature is that all vidyas speak of devata as having three eyes, the third
eye standing for transcendental knowledge emerging from chit/tapas. Moon-adornment is another common

feature. The Agni-Aditya-Soma is picturized here Agni as the sikha or hair, Soma as adornment and Aditya
as the face of Devi Herself.

In fact Yoga Sastra is combined with mantra sastra in all these vidyas. There are primary beejas in each
vidya.
Tripura Sundari

Tripura Sundari as the name suggests, is the most beautiful form of all devatas. The mahavidya of Tripura
Sundari is called Shodasi, the 16 letter vidya. This is the most comprehensive vidya in Sakta.

She is the most pleasant form of Sakti and is hence called Lalita. She is said to live in Mani Dvipa along with
Kameswara the Lord, the glorious celestial Island that is beyond the reach of men, manes and gods. The
Island is located in the midst of the ocean of immortality (sudha sindhor-madhye). Sri Cakra is said to be
the model of Universe, which represents the Sri Vidya worldview. Thus Devi is called Sri Cakra Sancarini, the
one that dwells in Sri Cakra. In fact the Sri Cakra is worshiped as Devi Herself. The worship is elaborate, and
involves worship of Devi along with her major associates, and is comprehensive.

Tripura Sundari is the most famous vidya and is been practiced by men like Adi Sankara. The seer of this is
said to be Lord Dakshinamurty Himself. This vidya uses Lakshmi, Bhuvaneswari and Bala beejas.
Bhuvaneswari

Bhuvaneswari as the name suggests, is the presiding deity of all the worlds. Apart from being a Maha Vidya,
Bhuvaneswari is the principal beeja of Sri Vidya, in fact of all Para Vidyas in Sakta. (There are different
beejas for different worlds, and the one for Adityaloka is referred here.) Aditi, the Mother of Gods praised in
Veda, is the same deity.

Bhuvaneswari is a pleasant form of Sakti, and is praised as having Moon adornment, three eyes, ever
smiling, holding varada (boon-granting mudra), abhaya (fear-dispelling mudra), pasa and anuksa.
Bhuvaneswari is the supreme Goddess, beyond all worlds. Bhuvaneswari loka, is praised similarly as Mani
dweepa, as unreachable to men manes and gods. This is a Sakta worldview and there is no presence of any
other man there there are lakhs of goddesses serving Devi. Devi Bhagavata describes these worlds. One
can enter those worlds only by the grace of Devi Herself, and the moment one enters one becomes female,
meaning one cannot enter a state of seeing Devi unless he transcends gender-consciousness.

Kali

Kali is ferocious and terrible form of Devi. Kali is the feminine of Kala, and the sakti of Kala. She is
worshiped as laya karini, the one causing dissolution of universe.

While Kali is praised in multiple forms, common attributes in those are that She is dark in hue, wearing a
skull garland, naked, with a smile and extended tongue, standing on (life-less) Siva.

However since Devi is devata and not literally a person these are not to be taken as physical attributes and
are quite symbolic. For instance the word used for nudity is digambara, which means having the directions
for Her clothes. This not only speaks of nudity but indicates the infinity of Her form that is covered only
where directions end. Wearing skull-garland too, is interpreted in multiple ways one is that Brahma is
beheaded at the end of creation life cycle and the skulls in the garland are as many as the mahakalpas that
elapsed so far. There is a yogic interpretation, that Devi wears the skulls of Her devotees, implying She
always resides in the skulls of Her devotees. Usually these representations are only picturized differently in
case of different devatas. In case of teevra devatas skull is shown and in case of satvic devatas bowl is
shown. For example Gayatri Devi is shown as holding bowl and her description says kapala/skull. The same
concept is shown differently in different cases to suit the context. Standing on Siva is also symbolic, of the
state in which all manifestation is dissolved in the unmanifest.

Kali is found as mantra in Veda while Purana has different stories. The most famous is in Candi Saptasati of
Markandeya Purana. Durga created Kali on the day she fought Raktabeeja. Raktabeeja bas a boon that his
clones emerge from every drop of blood that spills down. So Kali spread her tongue on the entire land so
there is no blood spilling down. Thus Raktabeeja was slain. Kali vidya uses Kali beejas.
Tara

Tara is from the word-root meaning float, cross. Tara or Taresi is the goddess that causes bhava tarana (as
she is also called bhava tarini) or crossing the ocean of life/causal transformation/transmigration.

There is an opinion that Tara is primarily a Bauddha vidya, and was practiced more in China. One can get the
siddhi of the vidya more easily when practices there. A unique aspect about this vidyas practice in India is
that its initiation should be given only bywomen. In occasions when a man has to do the upadesa to another
man, it should be given indirectly through a woman.

Tara is worshiped in multiple forms, like Neela Saraswati, Ugra Tara, Smashana Tara. Tara is said to be the
presiding deity for knowledge and wisdom. Tara vidyas use Bhuvaneswari and Tara beejas.

Chinnamasta

Chinnamasta is said to be the most terrible form of Devi. As the name suggests, the head of this form is
separated from the trunk. She holds her head in a hand. There are fountains of blood gushing out of the
neck, the middle one drunk by her head, the other two by her two associates. This is a profound yogic
significance and separation of head is indicative of a great siddhi where one fully transcends his grosssubtle sheaths of consciousness.

Chinnamasta is called vajra Vairocani, the sakti of Vajra-weilding lord of devatas - Indra. Indra is the
supreme lord of deitiesaccording to Veda, and Chinnamasta is thus seen evidently as developed from Vedic
vidyas.

Kavyakantha Vasistha Ganapati Muni traces Chinnamasta back to the Puranic story of Renuka. Chinnamasta
is said to be Renuka, the mother of Parasurama and wife of Jamadagni.

Chinnamasta is a teevra devata and its initiation is not to be given easily. One would get great siddhis
through the upasana, however the consequence of mistake too would be serious. Vasistha Ganapati Muni is
said to have attained Kapala Bhedana as well as Swarna Siddhi through the worship of Chinnamasta.
Improper practice of powerful Mantra Vidyas especially of Teevra Devatas can have devastating effects, right
from mental derangement to destruction of families. Kamya, para and astra siddhis all are possible in this
vidya. The primary beeja is of ferocity, anger, strength and nourishment.
Bhairavi

Bhairavi is from the word-roots bhaya (terrifying) and rava (voice), meaning having a frightening tone. She
is the feminine form ofBhairava Siva.

Bhairavi is an ugra devata, but is picturized as ever smiling. She is worshiped in many forms. Bhairava too is
worshiped in many forms, like Asitanga, Ruru, Bhishana, Samhara, Bala, Kala, Naga. Bhairavi sadhana
involves Naga vidya and snake-hiss is the primary beeja.
Dhumavati

Dhumavati is the only widow-form of all devatas. She is visualized as ash-hued, sharp and terrifying looks,
long nose, with no kunkum/Tilaka on her forehead and ever interested in quarrel. She is a teevra devata and
is described differently in different allegories. She is worshiped as Jyestha Devi or Tamas, Vriddha Kali,
Katyayani, Dhumra Varahi (boar faced), Nisa (night) Devata.

Dhumavati vidya involves many prayogas along with upasana. This vidya is associated with crows and it is
said that towards siddhi one can see crows giving the message of success. Smoke-flaring is the primary
beeja of this vidya (the name itself suggests this, Dhuma means smoke).
Bagala Mukhi

Bagala mukhi means having crane-like face.

She is praised as golden-hued, wearing yellow clothes and holding various weapons. Bagala Mukhi is
picturized as holding the tongue of the enemy, implying she presides over stambhana (blocking the enemys
actions) vidyas.

Apart from a lot of siddhis, Bagala Mukhi is worshiped for astra vidyas and prayogas. It is said that there is
no better vidya for stambhana than Bagala. Bagala vidya uses beejas for stambhana.
Matangi

It is said that when Matanga Maharsi was doing tapas to please Kali, Devi appeared to him in this form and
hence came to be known as Matangi. She is also called Syamala. While Kali is a terrible form, Syamala is a
pleasant form. She is praised as syama-marakata varna or light emerald colored, and holding a parrot. It is
said that towards siddhi of Matangi vidya one gets to see parrots around. The places where Matangi is
worshiped, and around Matangi temples we see a lot of parrots. In fact it is not a coincidence that the
different kshetras of devatas resemble the qualities explained in their stories. For example one gets to see
crows around Dhumavati upasakas, parrots around Matangi upasakas, monkeys around Rama temples and
so on. Towards southern Tamil Nadu, which is called Kumara Kshetra we get to see a lot of peacocks,
towards Bengal which is a Sakti kshetra we get to see tigers and so on.

Syamala Matangi is the mother of knowledge and arts, and is praised as jnana sakti swarupini. She is the
minister of Lalita Devi, and the presiding deity for wisdom. She is worshiped in different forms, Raja
Syamala, Sangeeta Matangi etc. It is said that Kalidasa worshiped Matangi for the poetic genius She
bestowed on him. Matangi Vidya uses the Bhuvaneswari/Kali beejas.
Kamalatmika

Kamalatmika as the name suggests is Lakshmi-form of Sakti. Lakshmi is said to be born out of the Ksheera
sagara or the ocean of bliss when it was churned by Devatas and Asuras. She was taken as consort
by Vishnu thereafter. Along with Her are born Soma/the Moon, Amrta (the nectar of immortality) and so on.
She is worshiped for prosperity and happiness. She is also called Kamala (lotus) and that is a yogic
suggestion.

According to Kavyakantha Vasistha Ganapati Muni, Kamalatmika is derived from the Vedic Madhu vidya.
Kamalatmika is a pleasant form, and her grace is treated as the culmination of sadhana, as she bestows
every siddhi along with desirelessness and eternal bliss (sampatti). She is worshiped as the last stage deity
in all vidyas. For example She is worshiped as Siddhi dhatri in Durga Vidya, the last of nine forms of Durga.
In fact She is the Sri of Sri Vidya. Auspiciousness is the primary beeja of this Vidya, though all Bhuvaneswari
and Tripura Sundari beejas are used.

Other Major Sakta Vidyas

Durga

Durga is a vast set of Mantra Vidyas. Durga is from the word-roots duH and ga, meaning one who cannot
be reached, known, vanquished. This form is said to be the origin of all the ferocious forms of the Mother,
such as Candi and Kali.

There are nine forms of Durga called Nava Durgas. They are Saila Putri, Brahmacarini, Candra Ghanta,
Kushmanda (Asta BhujaDevi), Skanda Mata, Katyayini, Kala Ratri, Maha Gauri and Siddhi Datri. These are
worshiped during Nava ratri before Vijaya Dasami (Dussera).

Durga is worshiped in many traditions. The two major traditions Sri Vidya and Candi, worship Durga. Durga
is found in Veda, in different places. The Vedic mantras used to worship Durga are addressed to Agni (found
in Rig Veda and a set of them, called Durga Sukta, is found in Taittireeya Aranyaka). The Vidya using these
mantras is called Jatavedasi Durga. Similarly there are other vidyas, like Astakshari Durga, Sulini Durga,
Asuri Durga, Vana Durga, Veera Durga, Jaya Durga and so on. Durga Vidyas are used as Para, Astra and
Kamya, and worshiped in both smarta and Tantra traditions.
Saraswati

Saraswati is worshiped in different ways in Vedic and Tantric schools. Saraswati finds mention in Rig Veda
multiple times. She is praised as a Devata and also as a river (ambi tame nadi tame devi tame Saraswati RV). She is the ruler of Vak, the divine word. Word being the representative of eternal, Saraswati is the
Devata associated with all forms of knowledge and truth consciousness. Saraswati Sukta expounds the study
of Vak. She is also called Arnava the vast, Vag-devi, Vageeswari, .

Saraswati finds mention in some form, in almost all major vidyas. For example in Nava Durgas, She is
associated with Kala Ratri. Saraswati is also worshiped as Neela Saraswati, a form of Tara Maha Vidya. She
is one of the three forms of Gayatri (Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati). Another form of Her, Ila is associated
with Krishna (Ila pati). Vageeswara is an epithet of Hayagriva. Buddhi, Her aspect, is associated with

Ganapati. Siva is said to be the sibling of Saraswati. Jnana Prasuna is the form in which the Mother is
associated with Him at Kalahasti, Saradamba at Sringeri and so on. She is also closely associated with Indra
in the Rig Veda.

In Sakta Tantra, Saraswati beeja is extensively used in many vidyas like Tara, Tripura Sundari (esp. Bala)
and Matangi.
Varahi

Varahi is not widely practiced in the recent times. She is one of the seven Matrikas. Also in Tripura Sundari
Vidya She is the general of Lalita (iccha-jnana-kriya sakti is the triplet Lalita-Matangi-Varahi, corresponding
to Devi, Her minister and general respectively). She has multiple names like Varahi and Vartali. There are
multiple vidyas or forms of Varahi.
Pratyangira

Pratyangira is the form of Mother found in Atharva Veda. It is said that Pratyangira of Atharva Veda
corresponds to Vana Durga andBhadra Kali. Dark in hue and having many hands and faces, She has a
terrible form.

Besides the mantra Vidya, there are prayogas in Pratyangira. Application of Pratyangira is called Kritya.

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Sri Vidya
rVidy is one of the most comprehensive and popular Vidys in kt. In the context of Hindu spiritual
practices, a Vidy can be defined as the worship of a God/Goddess. Literally Vidy means learning; it is from
the word-root vid - to know. Knowledge is called Veda, and learning is called Vidy. This includes the
knowledge to be gained, different stages in the process of gaining such knowledge, the purpose of such
knowledge, the procedure and practices for learning, pitfalls and corrective measures and so on. Worship of
a God is the gradual process of elevating the level of consciousness of the worshipper into that of the God,
realizing the God and His nature. Therefore the knowledge and worship of each God is called a Vidy. Thus
rVidy is the knowledge and worship of Mother Goddess r Devi. She is also called r Mta (Mother r),
Tripura sundari.

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r means prosperity, auspiciousness, divinity. r Devi is the Divine Mother who bestows bliss and
plentitude on Her devotees. InVeda, She is praised as r. Vedic knowledge diversified and developed into
different schools like marta (following mritis likeDharma stras), rauta (studying ruti or Veda),
Paurnika (following mritis like Purns) and so on. Tantra is another school of practices that combines
methods of worship with philosophy and theology. With these developments, r Devi came to be known and
worshiped in different forms. In Purns, r is called Laksmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. The
worship of r Mta or Tripura sundari, developed as rVidy, one of the major cults in kt Tantras. The
kaula-practitioners of rVidy differentiate it as r Kula Tantra, while rVidy Tantra is the general name
used by all the rVidy practitioners.

Tripura sundari literally means the most beautiful lady of three worlds. Mother r is said to be the most
beautiful Goddess among all God-forms. Tripura sundari is worshiped in different names and forms, like
Lalita, Bla, Rja Rjeswari.

Contents
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1 Lalit Upkhyna The Story of Lalita Tripura sundari

2 Description of the Mother and Her Abode

3 The Origin and Philosophy of rVidy

3.1 Vedic and Paurnika Concept

3.2 Advaita Philosophy

3.3 Sublimation and Consecration

3.4 Aspects of Agama

4 Yoga and rVidy Tantra

4.1 Mantra Yoga

4.2 Laya Yoga

4.3 Kundalini Yoga

5 Geometry and Worship of r Cakra

5.1 Trailokya Mohana

5.2 Sarvasa Paripraka

5.3 Sarva Sankobana

5.4 Sarva Saubhgya dyaka

5.5 Sarvrtha sdhaka

5.6 Sarva raksha kara

5.7 Sarva Roga hara

5.8 Sarva siddhi Mya

5.9 Sarva nanda Mya

6 Practical side of rVidy

6.1 rVidy and other Devats

6.2 rVidy, kt and Mantra stra

6.3 Some rVidy Practitioners and Lineages

7 Mantra Vidys in rVidy

7.1 Mla Vidys

7.2 Anga Vidys

7.2.1 Purvamnaya

7.2.2 Daksinamnaya

7.2.3 Pascimamnaya

7.2.4 Uttaramnaya

7.2.5 Urdhvamnaya

7.2.6 Anuttaramnaya

7.2.7 Nitya Devats

8 Texts

9 Notes

10 Bibliographies

Lalit Upkhyna The Story of Lalita Tripura sundari

In Brahmnda Purn, the story of Lalita Tripura sundari is narrated by Lord Hayagrva (the horse-headed
form of Lord Visnu)
to the great seer Agastya. Here is a brief of it.

There is a popular story in which Manmatha, the presiding deity of desire, is turned into ashes by the fire of
Lord ivas third eye. From those ashes, a demon by the name Bhandsura emerges. He acquires many
powers through penance and defeats the army of Gods. He lived in his capital nyaka, constructed for him
by Myura, the architect of demons.

Unable to withstand the might of Bhandsura, the gods had nowhere to go. Nrada advises them to worship
akti, the divine Mother. The gods worship the mother and perform a sacrifice to propitiate Her. The Mother
emerges from the fire altar to fulfill the wishes of the gods and to dispel their fear. Since She emerged from
the fire altar, She is called Agni Kunda Samudbhava. As She emerged to protect the gods and to fulfill their
aspirations, She is called deva krya samudyata. She is red in hue, the most beautiful Goddess. Lord iva
assumes the form of Kmevara , and takes Her as His consort.

She then set out for destroying Bhanda and his armies. She is accompanied by Rja Mtangi, Her minister
on the one side. Rja Mtangi is also called Rja ymala, Mantrin and Nakuli. On the other side Vrhi
accompanied Her, the general of the Mothers armies. Vrhi is also called Dandanta. They were followed
by the gods and their armies.

They announced war on Bhandsuras capital, nyaka, and there was a fierce battle. Vrhi and ymala
started demolishing the armies of Bhanda and killing his generals. Bhanda sent his sons to arrest the attack
of the divine armies, the eldest of them beingCaturbhu (having four hands). Bla Mah Tripura sundari, the
child-form of the Mother, volunteered to fight Bhandas sons and killed them.

After this, Bhandas brothers Visaga and Viukra, who were earlier vanquished and fled from the field, came
back to fight r Devis armies. Bhanda also applied a mystical contrivance to obstruct the march of Devis
armies, called vighna yantra (literally the machine of obstacles). When the Mother was merely glanced with
love by the Lord Kmevara , She gave birth to Ganea (this is described as Kmevara mukhloka kalpita
r Ganevar). Ganea destroyed the vighna yantra much to the happiness of the divine armies. Then
Bhanda inspired demon Gajura to fight Ganea, who was also killed by Him. The divine armies of r Devi
marched forward andVisaga was slain in this encounter by Mother Mantrin and Viukra by Vrhi.

Bhanda faced the Mother directly, attacking Her with weapons inspired by mystical powers. r Devi
destroyed his weapons with weapons inspired by the ten forms of MahVisnu,
that emerged instantly from

the ten nails of Her hands. Weapon inspired by Pasupati (a form of Lord iva) demolished the demonic
armies. Finally the weapon inspired by MahKmevara , destroyed Bhandsura along with his capital
nyaka.

The Mother was applauded and worshiped along with Lord Kmevara .

Description of the Mother and Her Abode

The Mother is said to be red in hue (Aruna). Her abode is Manidwpa, the island of gems and pearls. It is
also called r Nagara. It is not reachable even for Gods like Indra. It is through Her grace alone, that one
can reach Her abode. She, along with Lord Kmeswara, is worshiped there by lakhs of Her attendant deities.
She is called Kmakal, the manifestation of desire. Out of desire for cosmic sport She acts. Out of desire
for pleasing the Lord, and union with the Lord She plays. Ever smiling, blissful and granting the boons of Her
devotees, She is praised as personification of grace, bliss and mercy. She rules the universe and all aspects
are Hers. All the beings, including the gods, act by Her inspiration and mercy.

In a verse meant for meditation on the Mother, She is described as:

sindrruna vigrahm trinayanm mnikya mauLisphurat tr nyaka ekharm smita mukhm pna
vaksoruhm pnibym aLi prna ratna casakam raktotpalam bibhratm soumym ratna ghatastha
rakta

caranm dhyyet parm ambikm

Meaning the seeker meditates on the Mother (Ambik), who is eternal (par), saffron-red in hue
(Sindhrruna vigrah), having crown embedded with gems (mnikya mauli), with Moon as an adornment
over the head (tra nyaka sekhar), three eyed (trinayan), ever smiling (mita mukhi), having high
breasts (pna vaksoruh), with hands holding jeweled wine cup and red flowers (PNibyam aLi prna ratna
casakam raktotpalam bibrat), ever soft and peaceful (soumy), with Her red lotus feet rested on a gemdecked pedestal (ratna ghatata rakta caran).

Arunm karun tarangitkshm dhruta pasa ankusa puspa bna cpm aNimdibhirvrutm maykhaiH
ahamityeva vibhvaye bhavanm

Meaning the seeker is meditating on the Mother, red in hue, colored and shining as Sun God, whose looks
shower waves of grace and mercy, with hands holding noose, goad and cane-bow that shoots flower-arrows,
with Goddesses with mystical powers in the outer rungs of Her palace-city.

The first verse meditates on the Mother from head to feet. It is a general practice to meditate, describe and
worship male forms or deities from feet to head upwards, and female forms or deities from head to feet
downwards. Also, the Mothers feet are said to be the abode of devotee, his ultimate destination. The second
verse is about the aspects of rVidy, which are explained through the powers of Goddesses, the weapons
held.

The Origin and Philosophy of rVidy

Lalita Sahasra nma in Brahmnda Purn, the hymn that praises the Mother with Her 1000 names, gives
comprehensive description of rVidy, its philosophy and methods. Besides, it is called yoga sahasra, which
explains the secrets of all forms of yoga, andconsciousness studies.

rVidy is a well developed form of kt Tantra. The various constituent Vidys are well organized and
arranged in a more systematic hierarchy compared to other sampradyas. aundarya Lahari, a hymn
composed in praise of the Mother in a hundred verses, is said to be one of the most beautiful and profound
explanations of rVidy. rVidy is followed by mrta as well as Tantric schools. There is no clear
separation between them. mriti followers are said to be mrtas. They follow elements of tantra to the
extent that they do not contradict mritis.

rVidy is found in the Rig Veda as r Sukta, the hymn with 15 verses. It is said that this is fashioned after
pancadi, the centralMantra of rVidy. r Sukta, with its application of single-syllable bjas (like m, km,
srm), appears more in line with the kt Mantra stra than the classical Rig Vedic Mantra stra.

rVidy tantra has two major Vidys, pancadi and Shodai. Pancadi is the mantra with 15 syllables.
Shodai is the mantra with 16 syllables. Shodai is one of the 10 disciplines of kt tantra, called dasa
mahVidys. The Vidy is called triputi, having three parts. They are Agni (fire), Surya (sun)
and Candra (moon) khndas (parts). The Mother is said to shine in these three worlds.

Also, Lalita, ymala and Vrhi symbolize the powers of r Devis divine will (icchakti), knowledge
(jnna akti) and action (kriyakti). Lalita Herself is the power of divine will, her associates Mtangi and
Vrhi represent the powers of knowledge and action respectively. This is evident from their roles Lalita is
the ruler, Matngi the minister and Vrhi the general.

r Sukta, for the same reason, praises the Mother as Sury (Sun) and Candr (Moon). It does not praise
Her as Agni, but the Sukta itself is addressed to Agni.

Vedic and Paurnika Concept

In the Vedic theology, there are two main deities that we find: Agni and Indra. Agni is the central deity of
the Veda, and Indra is the head-deity. Agni is the face of Gods, and all Vedic worship is offered to various
Gods through Agni. Thus Agni is central. And the Lord of all deities is Indra, thus Indra is the head-deity or
the Godhead.

We can compare this, to the way in a family the husband is head of the family and the wife is the center of
the family connecting and managing the entire family.

In Saiva - kt parlance, we find iva-akti dual to be similar to this. iva is vara, the Lord. He is the
guiding principle. akti is pervading, the principle of manifestation, causing creation, sustaining and
dissolving it. She does it, inspired by and for the Lord. Vedic Indra can be seen as vara and Vedic Agni, the
divine will, can be seen as akti in Saiva - kt parlance. The close association of the Mother with Vedic
Agni is further explained through Her epithets like Agni Kunda samudbhava (discussed above), Agni Sikha
(having fire for Her hair). The symbolism of Lalita Herself assuming the form of the power of divine will
reinforces this idea.

Further, triputi is directly related to the Vedic theology. In the Paurnika trimurty concept, Brahma, Visn u
and Rudra preside over creation, sustenance and dissolution functions. They are representatives of atva,
Rajas and Tamas. According to Yska, they derive from the Vedic triplet Agni (Fire God), ditya (Sun God)
and Vyu (Air God). The older kt schools like Candi (Mother Durga) speak of this triplet. In the more
recent rVidy, the corresponding aspect of Vyu finds a replacement with oma (Moon God). Both Vyu
and Soma are aspects of Rudra. However Vyu signifies strength while oma bliss, and therefore the
corresponding God/Goddess being worshiped have these qualities too. Thus, while Candi is representative of
power and anger, Lalita is a pleasant form.

The three functions of creation, sustenance and dissolution, are further expanded into five functions. They
are sr s i(creation),
t
sthiti(sustenance), laya (dissolution), tirodana (veiling of
individual consciousness through mya) and anugraha (unveiling, making the individual realize the Truth
beyond Mya). The Mother presides over these five functions, and hence is called Pancha Krtya Pryana.
The representatives of these five functions are Brahma (creation), Visn u (sustenance), Rudra (dissolution),
vara (veiling) and Sadiva (unveiling, absolute truth). All these five derive their life force, the strength to
act, from the Mother. These five deities are said to form her royal chair, with Brahma, Visn u, Rudra and
vara forming four legs and Sadivaforming the plank. Hence the Mother is called
Pancha Brahmsansna. Pancha is five, sana is seat, asna is having sit on the seat. The five Brahmas are
the five deities mentioned.

Without Her, they are lifeless corpses. That is why the Mother is also called Pancha Pretsansna or seated
on the seat of five corpses. Preta means corpse.

Advaita Philosophy
While kt is Advaitic in nature, there is a difference between ankara Advaita and Advaita of kt Tantra.

There are three main schools that explain the relation between universe and Brahman. One is ramba vada,
which says universe has a beginning and an end. Nyya and Vaisesica follow this. The other schools hold
that universe is eternal, its dissolution and next cycle of creation are linked with the continuity of the seed of
creation. The second school is Parinma Vda, which says that the universe is a transformation of Brahman,
emerges and dissolves in Brahman. The way a spiders web comes from it, the universe comes from
Brahman. Brahman is the essential substantial (updana) cause for the universe.
nkhya, Yoga, Karma Mimmsa follow this. The third is Vivarta vda, which says that universe is a
manifestation, an appearance over Brahman. ankara Advaita comes under this. According to him, Brahman
is the nominal (nimitta), substantial (updana) and undifferentiated (abhinna) cause for the world. ankara
Advaita holds that Mya bounds and releases the being. World as it appears, appears because of Mya, and
it is not what the world really is. The world, in reality, is Brahman only. Thus when one realizes Brahman and
gets beyond the veil of Mya, then only Brahman remains, not the world. kt Tantra holds that tman is
same as Brahman, like other versions of Advaita, but the universe is real and eternal. It is not just an
appearance that gets dissolved with realization. The Mother is primal rhythmic energy, akti and not Mya.

rVidy is popularized by ankara. The Vedic followers (who follow mritis and dharma sstras) of rVidy
go by ankara Advaita. tman is always liberated, but appears to be bound because of ignorance caused by
Mya over the individual soul. Here tman is to be called self. Soul is actually the subtle body that is
constituted of subtle senses, mind and intellect. The Causal being of the universe, vara, associated with
His consort Mya, rules the universe. The veil of Mya is lifted through the grace of daiva and the
individual being identifies its oneness with tman which is beyond Mya.

Sublimation and Consecration

The primary difference between Vedic and kt Tantra philosophies lies in the fact that in Vedic philosophy
desire is seen to be transcended. Though desire is not sought to be suppressed by force, it is not seen as a
means to transcendence it is sees as something that is to be grown over.

In kt, Nature, whether it is desire or natural tendency or instinct, is seen as a divine manifestation of the
Mother akti. It is through fulfillment of it, with the sense that it is divine, as a form of worship of the
Mother, that one seeks to please the Mother.

The Vedic practitioners of kt Tantra take a middle path, by praising the Mother as Mya who creates
these tendencies to bind the being, seek to be liberated from these by Her grace.

Aspects of Agama
There are two major schools of literature in Hinduism. One is the Vedic literature, consisting of Vedas,
various subjects that the Vedas deal with, Purns, Dharma Sstrs and so on. They deal with theology,
spiritual philosophy, procedure and philosophy of rituals, various paths to salvation, code of conduct and
righteousness, world views, the subjects one needs to learn to be able to understand such as the science of
chanting, grammar, etymology, astronomy and so on. There is another stream of literature that deals
primarily with the methods of worship. Though some of these are found in the Brhmana and Aranyaka
portion of the Veda, Mimmsa (inquiry into the message of Veda), Kalpa Sutrs (code and procedure for
rituals), most of the elements practiced in popular Hinduism are from Agamas.

Agamas expound many aspects, including personal worship, temple construction and architecture,
Iconography, worship in temple, Vstu and so on. It is not an exaggeration to say that most of the popular
aspects of Hinduism are found in Purnic and Agamic literature. Primarily Agamas are of three schools
Vaishnava, Saiva and kt. They are followed by Vaishnavites, Saivaites and kts
respectively. Agama has three parts, Mantra, Tantra and Yantra.

Mantra is a divine word which is chanted repeatedly as part of worship. Yantra in general, is a contrivance
inspired by the power of a mantra. In many cases it is a geometric shape, carved on a metal plate or stone
or crystal or floor. In case of rVidy, it is rCakra. Tantra is the entire philosophy and procedure of
worship. The Tantra expounding rVidy is called rVidy Tantra, and is found in many kt texts like
Prapancha sra and Rudra Yamala.

Uniquely to rVidy, the name of the Vidy or the Goddess or Yantra does not have a separate name. It is
not popularly called Lalita Vidy or Tripura Sundari Vidy. The tantra is called rVidy, the Yantra rYantra,
the city of the Mothers residence is called r Nagara. However r as we saw means divine and it is like
saying divine Yantra, divine city and divine Vidy, without a specific name of the deity. Every other Vidy, is
explicitly referred to, with the name of its presiding deity, Candi or Visn u or Ganapati.

Yoga and rVidy Tantra

Though Yoga is a very technical subject and its discussion is mostly restricted to teacher-student disciplines,
any introduction to Tantra without the mention of Yoga is incomplete.

There are three major forms of Yoga, Mantra yoga, Laya yoga and Kundalini yoga. The aim of all the three is
the same, though the methods vary slightly. rVidy tantra involves all these three forms of yoga and
integrates them.

Mantra Yoga
Sound is produced through contact, vibration and obstruction. This is called hata. However cosmic hiss if
one can hear is eternal and existent. This is called Anhata. It is not produced by us but only heard. A yogi
can hear this. In sdhana one makes the soundoneself (by doing mantra japa), in a rhythm, resonant with
the vibrations of his ndis and his breath. Through this one will be able to discover the deeper vibration. This
way of merging individual with cosmic is called mantra yoga.

Mantra is said to be the sound-form of Devata (god-form). One realizes Devata through the chanting of
mantra in mantra yoga. Mantra yoga concentrates on nada (sound) to strike rhythm between individual and
cosmic vibration, to activate the right ndis, to expose one into the cidksa or daharksa (causal space).
abda (sound) is the tanmatra (subtle attribute) of mahbhuta (primal element) kasa (space). And through
abda one tries to turn his vision inwards from kasa to daharksa, through chanting the mantra, by
producing sound to slowly listening the anhata sound without producing it. Eventually when mantra yoga is
achieved, one achieves laya yoga also, since his consciousness is directed to daharksa where his devata
resides.

Pancadsi, the root mantra of rVidy is said to be the sound-form of the Mother. The mantra is divided into
three ktas or parts with five syllables each. The first is called Vgbhava Kuta, the Mothers head. The
second is called Madhya Kta, the trunk from neck to navel. The third is akti Kta, the part below navel.

Saraswati Skta of the Rigveda says that Vk or word is of four forms par (eternal), pasyanti
(experienced by seer in a state of deep consciousness), madhyama (when it translates as idea in the
intellect) and vaikhri (when it is verbally expressed). Realizing par Vk or Nda Brahman through a
regulated chanting of mantra, first externally then mentally and then finally without producing it, is mantra
yoga.

Laya Yoga
Meditation is the means in laya yoga. One controls mind through the control of breath, so that full
concentration is possible in meditation. Through meditation, ones consciousness merges in the object of
meditation and one realizes Atman. The state, in which the difference between the one who meditates the
act of meditation and the object of meditation dissolves, is called samdhi or syujya.

One also observes during meditation ones own being, the different sheaths of consciousness. There are five
kosas or sheaths of consciousness of being - annaMya (physical), prnaMya (vital-life), manoMya
(mental), vijnnaMya (intellect-knowledge) and nandaMya (causal - blissful). The first is gross, next
three constitute subtle and the fifth causal being. The causal being is vara who resides in all beings, along
with Mya His consort. She veils the unmanifest form of the divine, Brahman. The Mother is MahMya, who
covers the world with veil of ignorance and lifts the veil out of grace, causing the entire play of creation. This
is the cosmic sport She does for the Lord, Her lla. Her play, action can be seen in karanksa the causal
space. She is the moon of that space, and is called Cidksa candrika.

Gross (sthula), subtle (skshma), causal (krana) and absolute (turiya) are the four states in
which Brhman manifests. Realizing eternal through meditation is laya yoga. In Laya yoga one, through
meditation, identifies himself progressively with the inner sheaths, and finally with the inner most being
tman. The Mother is said to reside in and beyond the five sheaths Panca kosntara sthita. Thus the
seeker achieves oneness with the Mother through laya yoga.

Kundalini Yoga
In Kundalini yoga, one realizes divine consciousness through the activation of the hidden energy of
Kundalini. There are six centers (cakras) in the spinal channel. Kundalini is said to be initially coiled up at
muldhara. She is the Mother. She passes through these six from muldhara at the bottom of spine to ajna
at the forehead, then to the crown of the head (sahasrra) where individual consciousness fully unites with
cosmic consciousness. There, the Mother is said to unite with the Lord. This involves the opening of three
knots or granthis in the path, called Brahma granthi, Visn u granthi and Rudra granthi. There is one granthi
per two cakras. Muldhara (pelvic) and swadhisthna (navel) associate with Brahma granthi, manipura
(heart center) and anhata (midway between neck and solar plexus) associate with Visn u granthi, visuddha
(throat) and ajna (center of forehead) associate with Rudra granthi. These three are the triputi discussed
above.

The worship of rCakra with nine levels is also a means to this in rVidy. Kundalini is said to be
completely activated, with the Mother uniting with the Lord at Sahasrra, when the devotee reaches
the bindu of rCakra.

The union of Mother Kundalini with the Lord is the liberation of seeker from Mya. This is possible
with anugraha or grace as discussed above, and completes the cycle of births. This is the same as realizing
Nada Brahman in mantra yoga, and syujya of laya yoga.

Geometry and Worship of r Cakra

rCakra is worshiped as the Mother Herself. In rVidy, there is usually no other idol worshiped other than
rCakra. Even if an idol is worshiped, rCakra is worshiped along with idol. All the upacras or offerings are
done to the rCakra.

The worship of rCakra is done through Devi Khadgamla (literally garland of swords, indicating energy)
hymn, which enumerates the deities in each level. In an elaborate worship of r Cakra, each deity at each
level is invoked, worshiped and offered oblations. However in a regular worship, it can be done in a much
abridged way and Goddesses at each level are worshiped together.

rCakra is a model of universe, which represents a kt world view. rCakra or r Nagara is said to be
the abode of the Mother, and She is its ruler. It has nine levels called varans. The nine levels are said to be
nine levels in evolution of the seeker, beginning from the outer most to the inner most where the Mother
resides. rVidy tantra explains the Goddesses at each level (or the epithets or aspects of Mother at each
level), the method of worship, and the mystical powers one attains through their worship. In the inner most
level called bindu resides the Mother with Lord Kmevara . The various petals or lines and their number in
each varana signify the number of Goddesses worshiped.

rCakra is worshiped in two and three dimensional forms. Planar rCakra is called Bhu prastra (bhu
earth, meaning flat). Three dimensional rCakra, where the outer most level is the base and each inner
level is in elevation over the outer one, with bindu (the inner most triangle) as the peak, as if forming a
cone, is called meru prastra (meru is a mountain, and the name indicates that the figure is similar to a
mountain/cone). In an ardha meru or half meru, some of the nine levels are depicted in the same altitude.

Further, the nine are divided into three levels of three enclosures each. The outer most three comprise
rushti Cakra (the orbit of creation). The next three comprise Sthiti Cakra (the orbit of sustenance). The
inner most three comprise Samhra Cakra (the orbit of dissolution).

The geometry and worship of rCakra is comprehensive and exhaustive. It explains the entire kt world
view, its enumeration of the world, its philosophy and practice. Therefore we can only give a cursory glance
at it, because otherwise it would become a book by itself.

The outer most level of rCakra is square shaped, with three concentric squares and four gates on four
sides. The next two levels are lotus petals, with sixteen and eight petals respectively. The next five levels
are basically nine triangles drawn into each other, producing a total of forty three. These are seen as five

levels of 14, 10, 10, 8, 1 triangles as we move inwards. The inner most or ninth level is bindu or a dot. This
is also counted as a triangle, making the total count 44.

In each level, the Mother is described as causing those tendencies that bind beings at that level. If one
successfully transcends the binding at one level, that is, when he seeks to proceed further without limiting
oneself to the powers he gets at that level, then he will move to an inner level. Though all the levels of
rCakra are worshiped every time, one actually transcends or gets elevated to these levels gradually.

Trailokya Mohana
This is the outermost enclosure and has three concentric squares, with four gates on four sides. It is called
so because most of the apparently mystic powers can be got here. It is said that even the Gods stop here
without proceeding inwards, because their desires are fulfilled by the powers achieved at this level.

The three lines represent ten Mudra, Matrika and Siddhis (mystical powers).

Mudrs are gestures, positions of fingers and hands, which are used for expressing various experiences. In
case of worship, they are used as part of worship, to invoke certain experiences. The Mother is called dasa
mudra samrdhya in Lalita Sahasra nma, meaning She is worshiped through ten mudrs. They are Sarva
Sankobhini, Sarva Vidrvini, Sarvakarini, Sarva Vsankari, Sarva Unmdini, Sarva Mahnkua, Sarva
Kecri, Sarva Bja, Sarva Yoni and Sarva Trikhanda.

Matrikas are the seven primordial forms of the Mother, from which all the sound forms originate. They are
Brhmi, Vaisnavi, Mahesvari, Aindri, Kaumri, Vrhi and Cmundi.

There are ten mystical powers of the Mother which are personified as Goddesses. They are Anima, Laghima,
Mahima, Isitva, Vasitva, Prakamya, Bhukti, Iccha, Prpti and Sarva kma siddhis. They include small powers
like victory over hunger and sleep, to great ones like getting every wish granted, knowing things far off in
distance and time.

This enclosure is also called bhupura or earthly (physical).

Sarvasa Paripraka
This varana is called so, because at this level every desire of the devotee is fulfilled. This level of r Cakra
has sixteen lotus petals. Correspondingly as this enclosure belongs to desire and their fulfillment, the Mother
is praised as the one who attracts through the primal natural tendencies. The sixteen forms of desire are
enumerated here. Praising the Mother as karsini (one who attracts). This is where the effect of the Mother

Mya is seen, as She attracts the beings with desire making them bound with their senses, and other
faculties. The sixteen forms are Kma (desire in general, but specifically sexual), Buddhi (intellect),
Ahankra (ego), abda (sound - hearing), Sparsa (touch), Rpa (form - vision), Rasa (feel), Gandha
(odor), Citta (impression), Dhairya (courage), Smriti(memory), Nma (name), Bja (seed), tma (self),
Amrita (immortality), Sharra (body).

Desire is the primary obstacle in detachment and liberation of being. While the smrta way is to transcend
desire, the kt way is to fulfill it and consecrate it as a form of worship. Thus, fulfillment of desire is seen
not only not negatively but rather positively in kt.

Sarva Sankobana
This varana is named Sankobana because the Mother here is praised as the one who causes agitation,
instability, commotion. This enclosure has eight lotus petals, named Ananga kusuma, Ananga mekhala,
Ananga Madana, Ananga Madantura, Ananga rekha, Ananga vegini, Ananga ankusa and Ananga mlini. It
is Ananga (Cupid or Manmatha), the God of love, who agitates creatures in these ways.

This is the enclosure of mind.

Sarva Saubhgya dyaka

In the fourth enclosure, akti is worshiped as the granter of all kinds of prosperity. This level of r Cakra
has fourteen trangles. The Goddesses or the forms of Mother in this enclosure are Sarva Sankobhini
(agitator of all), Sarva Vidravini (slayer or the one who dissolves), Sarvkarini (one who attracts), Sarva
Ahldini (one who refreshes), Sarva Sammohini (one who mesmerizes), Sarva Stambhini (one who
immobilizes), Sarva Jrumbhini (one who causes growth and expansion), Sarva Vsankari (one who controls
all actions), Sarva Ranjini (one who pleases), Sarva Unmdini (one who intoxicates), Sarvrtha sdini (one
who fulfills all needs and desires), Sarva sampatti purni (granter of all kinds of prosperity), Sarva mantra
mayi (one whose forms are all mantras), Sarva dvandva ksayankari (one in who all dualities dissolve into
oneness).

Sarvrtha sdhaka
In the fifth enclosure, the Mother is worshiped as the one who grants all whishes. In fact artha is not just a
desire but a purpose. Thus the Mother grants all that we want, we need, and we need to fulfill. This level in
r Cakra has ten triangles. The ten corresponding forms in which the Mother is worshiped here are
Sarvasiddhi prada (granter of all powers), Sarva sampat prada (granter of all kinds of wealth), Sarva
priyankari (one who grants all that pleases), Sarva Mangala kri (one who grants all kinds of

auspiciousness), Sarva Kma prada (granter of all wishes), Sarva dukha vimocani (absolver from all kinds of
sorrow and unhappiness), Sarvmrutyu prasamani (one who prevents all kinds of (untimely) death), Sarva
vighna nivrini (one who prevents all obstacles), Sarvnga Sundari (one who is beauty personified, with
each limb being perfect), Sarva Saubhagya dyini (granter of prosperity and well-being).

Sarva raksha kara

In this enclosure, the Mother is called the protector. It has eight triangles. The corresponding forms of Devi
are Sarvjna (one who knows everything), Sarva akti (one who is all powerful), Sarvavarya prada (one
who grants all worldly possessions and occult powers), Sarva jnna mayi (one who is knowledge
personified), Sarva vydhi vinsini (one who prevents all kinds of ailments), Sarva dhra swarupa (one on
who rests the entire universe), Sarva ppa hri (one who cleanses and absolves from all kinds of sins),
Sarva nanda mayi (one who is bliss personified), Sarva raka svarpini (the protector), Sarvepsita phala
prade (granter of all desires, granter of the fruits of all deeds/worship/sacrifice).

Sarva Roga hara

The seventh enclosure has eight triangles, and akti is worshiped as the one who removes all kinds of
ailment. Ailment can be biological, but in Vedanta, the cycle of transmigration itself is called an ailment. The
Mother, as She is called Bhava Trini, makes one easily cross the sea of phenomenal existence, its ups and
downs. The eight deities of this level are called Vg-Devats, who preside over speech. They are Vsini,
Kmevari, Modini, Vimala, Aruna, Jayini, Sarve vari and Kaulini.

Sarva siddhi Mya

The eighth enclosure is a triangle. Here the Mother is called Kmakala, the personification of fulfillment. She
signifies the desire of vara for cosmic sport. She is worshiped in eight forms in this level, with the names
Banini, Capini, Paini, Ankuini, Mah Kmevari, Mah Vajrevari, MahBhgamlini and Mahr Sundari.

Sarva nanda Mya

The ninth or inner most enclosure is the bindu. It is called a dot, and also a minute triangle with edges
almost falling into each other. The Mother resides here, united with Lord Kmevara , and is called ivaakti-eka-rupini. Here iva and akti are united, and are undifferentiated.

She is worshiped with nine names in the bindu, Tripura, Tripurei, Tripura Sundari, Tripura Vsini, Tripura r,
Tripura Mlini, Tripura Siddhi, Tripurmba and Mah Tripura Sundari.

Practical side of rVidy

rVidy is most popular in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, two of the major states in south India. There
are two major schools in kt, Candi and Lalita. The Mother is worshiped as Durga, Candi, Camundi in
Candi tradition, and as Lalita, Bla, Rajarajeswari in Lalita tradition.

There are many common aspects in both the traditions, with minor variations. Both are navarna, worshiped
in nine levels. There are nine forms of Durga and She is worshiped in those nine forms in the navratri before
Vijaya Daami (Dussera festival). In fact, Candi Vidy itself is navarna, in the sense that the two main
mantras have nine letters. The concept of nine levels of worship in Lalita tradition is visible in the nine levels
of r Cakra.

It can be said that Candi is an older tradition, and rVidy is a more recent and refined form. Tantric
practices were extreme in India, with animal sacrifices and similar practices. di ankara is said to have
pacified those deities by installing r Cakra in famous kt temples through out the country, and
prohibiting animal sacrifices in those places[1]. These include akti pt has like Kmakhya (Guwahati, Assam)
and Jogulamba (Alampuram, Andhra Pradesh) where such practices were rampant[2]. Apart from these, he
visited and installed r Cakra in many other temples like r ailam, Kncipuram, Kany Kumri, Kashmir
and so on.

Though rVidy was an older school, it gained popularity with di ankara and Advaita philosophy. Today
rVidy followers go by ankaras Advaita[3].

rVidy and other Devats

Though Tripura Sundari is the deity of rVidy, most of the Goddesses like Lakmi, Durga, Prvati are
worshiped in r Cakra. Not only forms of Devi, but in general any God can be worshiped in r Cakra.
Besides, there are rVidy samputikaranas (compositions of verses/mantras) for different Gods. For
example, when Ganea and Dakinamrti are worshiped in rVidy tradition, they come to be known as
rVidyGanea and rVidyDakinamrti respectively.

In case of a Goddess, this difference is not usually maintained. That is to say, Lakmi is worshiped in r
Cakra but not called rVidyLakmi. Durga is not called rVidy Durga or Candi-Durga when She is
worshiped in rVidy or Candi traditions. This is because, She is either worshiped with the same verses
meant for r Cakra worship or with Lakmi hymns, and not with separate verses. In case of
rVidyGanea, the worship is done with verses which are a combination of rVidy and GaneaVidy.
Same is the case with rVidy Dakinamrti.

Though these are mainly schools of sdana, there are temples too, where those forms are primary deities.
There is a temple for rVidyGanea in Bangalore. There is another installation of rVidy Ganapati in veta
rngchalam.

rVidy, kt and Mantra stra

Most traditions in kt overlap, and rVidy shares several mantras with other kt traditions.
Bhuvanesvari, Candi, Kli, Mtangi mantras are found in rVidy, and are independent Vidys. Similarly
rVidy mantras are found as part of other traditions like Candi. rVidy mantras are based on and are
part of the kt mantra stra, its bjas and mtrikas. In turn, the kt mantra stra is based on and is
part of the broader understanding of mantra stra that is common to all the traditions including Vainava,
aiva, rauta and Bauddha. kt's contribution to mantra stra is not only the variety of mtras but the
foundational mtrikas.

Some rVidy Practitioners and Lineages

rVidy is practiced by many great seers. The Purnic seers like Agastya, Durvsa and Lopamudra (the wife
of Agastya) followed rVidy. di ankara was a great exponent of rVidy. The Soundarya Lahari hymn
composed by him, is famous and chanted even today by many devotees both practitioners of Mantra
stra and followers of popular religion. There are many commentaries and translations of Soundarya
Lahari, a few authors to mention - Lakmi dhra pandita, Kaivalyrama Svmi, Acyutnanda Svmi,
Visn uTrtha and Narasimha Thkur. Practice of rVidy is coming down for centuries, in teacher-disciple
tradition. In some cases it is imparted from parent to the eldest offspring, in others it is from another
teacher. di ankara also gave a commentary on Lalita Trisati, the hymn-form of Pancadsi.

Klidsa, a renowned poet and devotee of Devi, is said to have primarily worshiped Kli and Mtangi.
However his praises of the Mother include multiple forms, including Tripura Sundari he calls Her Aruna (red
in Hue, Lalita) and also Kli (black).

di ankara established four monasteries in India, called Amnaya mat hs (Amnaya means Veda, and math

in this context is monastery). Each of these specializes in one of the four Vedas. He also installed Devi in
different forms, apart from Lord iva in thesemaths.
To this day, all these are worshiped according to

rVidy. Apart from these, he established many other monasteries like Kancimat h. Devi is worshiped
according to rVidy School, in all these. For example, radmba is worshiped in rngerimath.
Kmaki

is worshiped in Kancimath.
Besides, there are many other ramas like Siddhesvari Ptha

of Kurtalam (a
monastery), Kailsa ram of Hrishikesh, LalitaPtha,
rVidy Vimarsana Ptha

and innumerable local

ramas that primarily worship according to rVidy discipline.

rVidyranya Swamy of 14th century AD was a great saint and scholar of di ankaras tradition. He gave a
commentary on the Veda, along with many other works like Vednta Pancadsi. rVidyrnava, a compilation
on the philosophy, practices and secrets of rVidy, is said to be his work.

Bhskara Rya from Bijpur area of Karntaka was a great rVidy practitioner in the recent centuries. He
belonged to 18th century. He lived in Vransi for many years, and there are many stories about his
devotion and the Mothers divine grace over him. He was famous as a practitioner and an exponent of
rVidy in his times, and later. His name marks a lineage of practice in rVidy. To this date, many
generations after his times, Bhskara Rya lineage is famous. Bhskara Rya Mandali of Chennai, are among
the practitioners of his school. Bhskararyas commentary on Lalita Sahasra nama is said to be one of the
greatest commentaries.

r Muthuswamy Dikshitar who lived in 18-19 centuries was another exponent of rVidy tradition. He was
a multi-faceted personality, a genius. He was a great musician, a devotee, a Vedntist, expert in Mantra
stra and a scholar. He belonged to Dakinamrti tradition of rVidy practice. (There are three main
traditions in rVidy, called Dakinamrti, nanda Bhairava and Hayagriva traditions.) He called Devi
Kamalmba, and composed kritis (songs in Carntic music) that extol the greatness of Her. Since they follow
the progression in the worship of rCakra, they are called as Navavrana Kritis. Kamalmba is the main
deity in the temple at Tiruvvur whom he worshiped during his stay there. It was during that time he
composed the songs, which expound rVidy Tantra in an unmatched way. The songs that praise the deities
in each enclosure of rYantra, are composed in a separate Rga. So, nine Rgas were used to compose the
songs. Another uniqueness of these hymns is that they have different vibhaktis [Vibhakti is the suffix added
to noun, that determines the role and state of noun, such as singular/plural, subject/actor. In Sanskrit,
verb/noun is self-sufficient, and does not depend on other words. For instance, Rma, Rma did, By
Rma, Rmas, to Rma all these are independent words like Rmah, Rmasya, Rmou, Rme. And
these words are formed by appending different vibhaktis to the word-root Rma. There are eight vibhaktis
and one common to all. These nine forms are used by r Dikshitar in his songs corresponding to the nine
enclosures of r Yantra].

Another great exponent of kt Tantra of the previous century is Kvyakntha Vasitha Ganapati. He is said
to have worshiped many forms of Devi, including rVidy, Chinnamasta and Tra. He contributed greatly in
spreading and popularizing worship of Devi, initiated thousands of seekers into these schools. His disciples
have in turn done that, along with establishing ramas for the same. He was an associate of Ramana
Maharhi of Aruncalam (Tamil Nadu). He produced great literature not only on kt but on Vedic
knowledge in general. His consort was a teacher herself, and was primarily a rVidy practitioner. Kapli

stry, a disciple of both r Aurobindo and Kvyakntha Vasitha Ganapati, was a rVidy practitioner too.
He was the author of Siddhanjana, a commentary on Rigveda.

The previous head of Kancimath,

later Candra ekharendra Sarasvati, was a great exponent of rVidy.

He also gave an elaborate commentary on the Soundarya Lahari hymn.

There are different levels of practice in rVidy. Usually, practitioners are initiated with Bala mantra first.
After some practice, they will be initiated to Pancadsi or odasi, and Khadgamla. Khadgamla is the
hymn, which is used to worship r Cakra. It enumerates the names of deities in each enclosure of the r
Cakra. They are worshiped in the order they come in the hymn. Beyond, there are different stages like
Pduka dka (roughly translated as the worship of Devis shoes). However, many will be happy in continuing
their worship at one of these stages, without necessarily taking the later initiations. There are seers who do
Pancadsi, odasi, Khadgamla, Pduka dka or even Bla alone. Tdepalli Rghava Nryana stry and
Addanki Krishna Murthy of previous century are examples of people who worshiped Bla. There is also a
practice of worshiping Devi with r Sukta.

Worship is done in many modes. Some worship everyday and some do collective worship on occasions.
However some serious practitioners follow dka, for a certain period of time. During that, they follow severe
austerities, worship Devi with red flowers and kunkum (vermilion), wear red clothes during worship and
sleep on the floor. Being red in hue Herself, such practice is said to please Devi.

In recent years in Andhra Pradesh there started a practice of collective worship of Lalita, chanting and
worship with Lalita Sahasra Nama hymn. This is done in various occasions and regularly (weekly) in groups
by many. They include Laka Kunkumrcana, in which a hundred thousand names of the Mother are chanted
along with worship with Kunkum. (Sahasra nma hymn having thousand names is chanted hundred times
ten times each by ten persons). While there is a general trend of rise in kt practices, most of them follow
rVidy. There is also a general practice to worship Lakmi in r Cakra domestically.

Though there is a different Yantra for different kt deities like Durga and Lakmi, it came to be a practice
that any form of Devi is worshiped in r Cakra in rVidy procedure. In some places both Candi Navarna
and rVidy procedures are followed, for example Knci. The main priests of all these temples are usually
initiated into rVidy.

There are many practitioners of rVidy today. They not only initiate many seekers into the path and guide
them, but popularize the school through lucid explanations and popular discourses, collective worship. Some
of the famous teachers and practitioners include Dr r Vrabhadra Mahdev and r Samavedam anmukha
arma. r Mahdev is primarily a teacher and practitioner of rVidy. ranmukha arma has reached out

to people through his discourses, about the practice of religion. His discourses include praises and
expounding the philosophy of all the major schools, Visn u, Devi and iva. He is a living example of how,
having experienced the deeper reality, one can easily understand and see the same spiritual philosophy in
different religions or theistic schools like Vainava, aiva, kt. The same holds true in case of many seers
Vasitha
Ganapati, Ramana Maharshi, r Aurobindo, Kapli stry, Candra ekharendra Sarasvati.

Mantra Vidys in rVidy

There are several mantra Vidys that are practiced as part of rVidy worship. Broadly, there are two kinds
of mantras mla Vidys (the central or root Vidys) and anga Vidys (subsidiary Vidys).

Mla Vidys
There are four main or mla Vidys in rVidy

(a) Gyatri: Vedic Gyatri, the primary Vidy that one is initiated into, before the rVidy mantras like Bla
or Pancadsi.

(b) Bla: The three lettered Vidy. The presiding devata, Bla Mah Tripura Sundari, is a child. Bla is said
to be one of the most attractive and wonderful forms of Devi. Holding book and japa mala and sitting in a
white flower, She presides over knowledge and bliss, and grants all the boons that the devotees ask for. It is
a general practice to initiate rVidy practitioners into Bla before initiating them into Pancadsi. However
there are several sdaks who are happier practicing Bla Vidy alone and have attained salvation. There
are multiple Bla mantras, such as the Mla mantra and Bla Hridayam.

(c) Pancadsi: Pancadsi is the famous fifteen lettered rVidy mantra. Dakinamrti is said to be the seer
of Pancadsi. There are several variations to Pancadsi. There are twelve major variations, and are called
dvdasa Vidys in Pancadsi. First two of them are the famous ka-adi Vidy (begininning with ka) and haadi Vidy (begininning with ha). The remaining ten are said to be practiced by, and hence named after
Manu, Candra, Kubera, Agastya, Nandikesvara, Surya, Indra, Visn u, ankara and Durvsa.

The Pancadsi is set of three putis or groups of bjas. Each puti is said to represent a level of consicousness,
a kuta in mantra stra, and a granthi in Kundalini yoga and in general a level in sadhana. Each puti ends
with Mya or Bhuvanesvari bja. Symbolically Devi is called Tripura Sundari, since there are three Bhuvans
or Puras She is ruling. Presiding Devats of mantras with Myabja are usually pleasant forms, and Tripura
Sundari is one of the most pleasant and beautiful forms.

(d) odasi: odasi is the sixteen lettered rVidy. Pancadsi with an additional bja (usually rbja)
becomes odasi. Tripura Sundari, the presiding Devata is said to be sixteen years old. Practitioners say that
there is no form of Devata which is more beautiful and pleasant than odasi. The very incarnation of Devi in
this form is to restore desire, creation and bliss in the world.

Anga Vidys
The several subsidiary Vidys of rVidy are arranged into six Amnays. Amnay means Veda/Agama, and
in Saiva there are five Amnays. They are represented by the five faces of iva facing Purva (eastwards),
Daksina(southwards), Pascima (westwards), Uttara (northwards) and Urdhva (upwards). In rVidy there is
a sixth Amnaya called Anuttara. Each Amnaya is associated with a guru mandala and several
Vidys, astra kamya and par. Besides, all the Vidys are grouped at different levels. Some of the major
Vidys are listed below.

Purvamnaya
The Purvamnaya contains Vidys for

three gurus sva-guru, parama guru and paramesthi guru

four peethas or seats of Devi, called Kmagiri, Purnagiri, Jalandhara and Odyana

Ganapati , various forms of ymala, Mrityunjaya, Pratyangira

Dak i amnaya
Daksinamnaya contains Vidys for

eight Bhairavas

nine Siddhs

three Vatuks (celibates)

the two feet of Devi, the praka and vimara

forms of Bagala, Vrhi, Dakinamrti and Paupata

Pascimamnaya
Pascimamnaya contains Vidys for

ten Duti Devats (messenger Devats)

three mandals (the Agni-Surya-Soma mandals representing three putis of rVidy)

ten vra Bhairavs or warriors

sixty four siddhas

forms and associate Devats of Visn u

nine grahs

Sura mantras or mantras for Devats like Indra

Uttaramnaya
Uttaramnaya contains Vidys for

Mudra Navakam or mantras for nine mudrs

Viravli or the five presiding Devats of the universe (Brahma, Visn u, Rudra, vara and Sadaiva)

Forms of Durga, Candi, Kli etc.

Urdhvamnaya
Urdhvamnaya has Vidys for

Mlini or Mtrika varna mla (the alphabet mantras)

Guru Mandala

par Vidys like par Smbhavi, Paramba, par odasi, Khecari, Ajapa, Tvrakmba, Nikala

Anuttaramnaya
Anuttaramnaya has Vidys for

Catupt or Gyatri of four feet

odasi

Various forms of nysa, sankalpa and pduka Vidys

Nitya Devats
There are fifteen Nitya Devats who preside over each day between a full moon and a new moon day. Each
Nitya Devata is worshiped through a Vidy named after Her. They are

Kmevari

Bhgamlini

Nityaklinna

Bherunda

Vahnivsini

Mahvidyevari

ivaduti

Tvarita

Kula Sundari

Nitya

Nla Ptaka

Vijaya

Sarva Mangala

Jvla Mlini

Vicitra

Texts
The Tantric texts like Rudra Yamala expound rVidy. Khadgamla Stotra, is the map and worship of r
Cakra. Besides there are several r Kula texts in the oral traditions, either as compilations or as part of the
mantra stra texts like Mantra Mahoddhi, Mantra Mahrnava and kt texts. A few of these texts are
listed below -

Kmakala vilsa

Tantrarja tantra

Tripurrnava tantra

rVidyrnava tantra

Jnanrnava tantra

Daksinamurti samhita

Gandharva tantra

Nitya shodashikarnava

Yogini hridaya.

Brahmnda Purn has the story of Lalita slaying Bhandsura. The Lalita Sahasra Nama in Brahmnda
Purn expounds rVidy.Bhskara Rvya's Varivsya Rahasya, a commentary on the Sahasra nvma is a
comprehensive text on rVidy. Lalita Trisati, which is also found in the same Purn, is the hymn form of
Pancadsi Mantra. r Sukta, a hymn of Rig Veda found in its Khila part is also used in rVidy worship. In
fact Tripura Tapini Upanishad, an entire Upanishad is dedicated to Her. di ankara's prapanca sra tantra
mentions some of the rVidy mantras. Devi Bhgavata describes Mani dvpa, which according to rVidy
is the Mother's abode.

Notes
1. There is no direct relation between elimination of animal sacrifice and rVidy. However, it became a general
smrta practice to worship rVidy, and also discourage animal sacrifices.

2. This is known from the Sthala Purns of these shrines.

3. There is a historic debate about ankara's relation to rVidy, and it is said that Saundarya Lahari, TriSati
Bhasya are not originally authored by ankara. It is also said that the ankara lineages worshiping rVidy is a
practice later than ankara himself. However, the ankara lineages and smrtas in general do worship rVidy.

Bibliographies
1. r Lalita Devi Caritra by Jagadguru r Siddheswarananda Swami, Published in Telugu by
Swayamsiddha Kali Peetham, Guntur

2. r Guru Samsmarana, The Souvenir on Centenary of r C V Swami Sastriji