D.

Jagannatha Rao

iii

1
Worship of the
Divine Mother

Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Matru Rupena Samsthitha l

Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Nomo Namah ll
[To Devi, the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in
the form of the Universal Mother, We bow again, and again and
again. DM Chapter 5: 71-73]
Almost all religions in the world consider God, the Supreme Being
as male. Hinduism is perhaps the only religion, where God is also
worshipped in the female form as the Mother Goddess or the Divine
Mother, since ancient times. As the Divine Mother, she represents
the very essence of life and love. She, as the Mother Goddess is also
considered as the first manifestation of power Adi Shakti, a concept
higher than that of the Father. To call the Divine Mother as Para
Brahman the Supreme Power, is a unique characteristic of Hinduism,
which is also not found in any other religion.
This has been possible as the culture and tradition of India, from
times immemorial, has given women, the highest place of respect and
recognition. This has led to identify several important Hindu concepts
like Knowledge with the female deity Saraswati, Wealth with
Lakshmi, the sacred river Ganga, as Ganga Ma, the Bhagavad Gita as
Gita Maata, etc.
1

Adi Shakti the Mother Goddess

Goddess as the Divine Mother

All of us owe our existence to our mothers. Ones relationship with ones
mother is the dearest and sweetest of all human relations. A child is more
familiar with its mother than its father, because mother is kind, loving
and affectionate, and looks after the needs of the child. It is the mother
who protects, nourishes and consoles her child. She sacrifices her all,
for the sake of her child. Even a grown up adult thinks of his mother
or cries for his mother, when in difficulty. According to Adi Shankara,
there can be a bad son but never a bad mother. Hence it is easy for a
devotee to worship God as his own mother (maata).
Devi as the Divine Mother represents
1. Strength (she is seen seated on a lion or a tiger, which represents
strength and power),
2. Morality (her feminine form invokes respect, as we would respect
our own mother),
3. Power and Protection (she is seen as a destroyer of enemies and
evil forces).
From this concept, emerged the philosophy of the supremacy of the
Divine Mother Devi, also termed as the Mother Goddess. In fact the
Lalita Sahasranama starts with the divine invocation of the thousand
names to Goddess Lalita Tripura Sundari with the very first name as
Sri Maata (LS 1). SHE is also termed as Shakti or The Supreme Power
to which all gods bow in reverence.
Shakti the Divine Power
Goddess, as the Divine Mother is usually referred as Devi or Mahadevi in
all the Indian languages and is synonymous with Shakti (divine power/
energy manifest as life-force). Shakti the power takes a wide variety
of meanings and connotations nature, creation, life force, movement,
mind, intellect, power and strength.
This Shakti also takes the form of health and healing from diseases,
auspicious growth of plants and human life, abundance of food, marital
2

Worship of the Divine Mother

happiness, reproductive health and birth and growth of children, wealth

and success in various activities, intellectual and other skills, and victory
over evil forces and ones enemies.
Philosophic View
If Brahman, the Supreme Being has to perform its functions, it needs
energy (Shakti). When it creates it is Vaak (Saraswati), when it preserves
it is Lakshmi and when it destroys it is Parvati or Durga. Hence Shakti
can be considered as source, support and end of all existence and life.
Soundarya Lahari says that Shiva is able to create when He is
united with Shakti, or otherwise He is unable to even move (SL 1).
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says: Brahman and Shakti are
inseparable. If you accept the one, then you must accept the other. It is like
fire and its power to burn We cannot imagine one without the other.
There are also other philosophical points of view, with regard to Shakti,
which are discussed in detail in Chapter 3 (Shaakta Sidhanta).
The Goddess Tradition
The Goddess tradition in India has a rich and vibrant history. There is
some distinction between Devi, the Divine Mother and the pantheon
of goddesses that exist within the Hindu religious tradition. Many of
these goddesses are identified with Devi, as she is seen to manifest in
various names and forms, while she herself always remains as Para
Brahman the Supreme Being.
EVOLUTION OF GODDESS WORSHIP IN HINDUISM

Goddess worship in India is a living tradition, practiced for the past

several millennia and is considered to pre-date even the Vedic religion.
This is probably because the primitive man lived in a matriarchal society
and the worship of ones own mother as the divine mother came into
practice. In fact in India, in every village, there is a village temple (Grama
Devi) dedicated to some form of the goddess.
3

6
Sri Vidyopasana

Sindhuuraaruna vigrahaam trinayanaam maanikya moulisphurat l

Taara naayaka sekharaam smita mukheem aapeena vakshoruhaam l
Paanibhyam ali purna ratna chashakam raktotpalam bibhrateem ll
Soumyaam ratna ghatastha rakta charanaam dhyayet paraam ambikaam ll
[Let us meditate on the Divine Mother, who is eternal,
saffron-red in hue, wearing the crown embedded with gems,
with Moon as an adornment over the head, three eyed, ever
smiling, having high breasts, with hands holding jewelled
wine cup and red flowers, ever soft and peaceful, with Her
red lotus feet rested on a gem-decked pedestal Dhyana
Sloka of LS]
The worship of Lalita Tripura Sundari, popularly known as Sri Vidya,
is considered as the highest form of worship of the Divine Mother by
followers of Dakshinachara and other Samayachara methods. In
Shaakta Sidhanta, Sri Vidyopasana is considered the pinnacle of ones
spiritual achievement. It is believed that Sri Vidyopasana comes to the
sadhaka in his last and final life before salvation.
Sri Vidya is a highly systematic and comprehensive discipline,
which combines precise spiritual knowledge, immense devotion to the
goddess, and correct and systematic steps in the prescribed rituals to be
followed by the sadhaka. Sri Vidya is also known as Yoga-Sahasra. The
Kaula practitioners of Sri Vidya differentiate their method of worship
120

Sri Vidyopasana

as Sri Kula Tantra where as Sri Vidya is the general name given to the
method of worship of the goddess by all Sri Vidya practitioners.
Origins of Sri Vidya
Sri Vidya is believed to have evolved into an independent system of
worship of the Divine Mother, during the early centuries of the Christian
era. Several works relating to Sri Vidya appeared during the period in
Kashmir. The most popular work appears to be Vamakeswara tantra
which has attracted several important commentaries. Another important
work relating to Sri Vidya is Lalita Sahasranama. A reference to Sri
Vidya Mantra is found in the Tamil work Tirumantiram by Tirumalar,
who lived in the 7th Century CE. By the seventh century, Sri Vidya had
become a very popular cult in South India as is evident from the work
Soundarya Lahari which is attributed to Adi Shankara.
As a tradition, Sri Chakra came to be installed in front of the
goddesses of most of the major Indian temples identifying them with
Lalita Tripura Sundari. By the thirteenth century the cult of Sri Vidya
had greatly expanded both in Kashmir and South India and several
notable commentaries came to be written on the earlier works. The cult
also became popular in Bengal with northern variations. Now her cult
and worship is spread throughout India.
Types of Sri Vidya
It is believed that there are 12 different schools, according to the 12
famous Rishis (Upasakas) who practiced Sri Vidya Manu, Chandra,
Kubera, Lopamudra, Manmatha, Agastya, Agni, Surya, Indra, Skanda,
Shiva and Durvasa. The order of the syllables in Panchadasi Mantra also
varies in each school of Sri Vidya.
Out of these schools, the school of Manmatha (Ka-adi Vidya the
Panchadasi Mantra starts from Ka) and the school of Agastya (Ha-adi
Vidya the Panchadasi Mantra starts from Ha) are widely prevalent.
These are in turn considered as Classical forms of Sri Vidya. Guru
mandalas, and Anga Devatas vary for each form of Sri Vidya. Devotees
121

Adi Shakti the Mother Goddess

of Ka-adi Vidya worship the Sri Chakra from the perimeter to the
Centre, where as devotees of Ha-adi Vidya worship Sri Chakra from
the Centre to the perimeter.
Ka-adi Vidya is the most popular form of Sri Vidya. It is also
considered as the supreme form of Sri Vidya as Lalita Trishati follows
the aksharas of Ka-adi Vidya in its enumeration of the 300 names of
Lalita Tripura Sundari. Another reason for its supremacy is that only
Ka-adi form of Panchadasi Mantra becomes Shodasi Mantra when
the fourth part Turiya Kuta is added to it.
Ka-ha di Vidya as Mishra Vidya (the school of Durvasa, also
known as Sa-di Vidya) is practiced by a few people. Some of the other
schools are believed to have become extinct. The mantras used by all
these schools are variations of Panchadasi mantra.
Traditions of Sri Vidya Practice
The three traditions followed in Sri Vidya are Dakshinamurti,
Hayagreeva and Aananda Bhairava. These Sampradayas are not
contradictory but only complementary to each other. The main
differences are in the construction of Sri Chakra, Guru Mandala, Patra
sthapana, and procedures of worship. In Dakshinamurti and Hayagreeva
Sampradayas, the procedure of worship is Samayachara. In Aananda
Bhairava Sampradaya, the procedure of worship is either through Kaula
Marga or Vama marga.
There is also a (rather secret and rare) tradition of worshipping
the goddess Lalita Tripura Sundari using Ka-adi Vidya through
Samayachara during the day and worshipping the goddess using Haadi Vidya through Kulachara during night.
Lalita Tripura Sundari, in the form of the Divine Mother, is said to
have three forms: physical, mental and cognitive. The first is represented
by Mudra, the second by Yantra and the third by Mantra. There are
also several variations of Sri Vidya depending on the combinations of
the beejaksharas in the moola Panchadasi mantra.

122

Sri Vidyopasana

Characteristics of Sri Vidya

The subtle form of the Divine Mother is manifested in its three
aspects Sookshma, Sookshma-tara, and Sookshma-tama. These
are also respectively known as Panchadasi Vidya, Kama Kala and
Kundalini. Panchadasi mantra/vidya represents the first three parts of
Sri Vidya Mantra.
Sri Vidya Mantra which is the subtle representation of Lalita, reflects
her different aspects too. It is again divided into four parts Agni
Khanda, Surya Khanda, Chandra Khanda and Kala Khanda. These four
parts also known as Kutas Vagbhava Kuta, Kamaraja Kuta, Shakti
Kuta and Turiya Kuta. Between these parts/Kutas, there are the three
granthis Brahma granthi, Vishnu granthi and Rudra granthi (each
represented by the bija mantra Hreem).
Panchadasi mantra has close relation with the six chakras of the
human body. Kundalini Shakti, residing in Muladhara after arousal will
have to be taken through the six chakras and three granthis to reach
Sahasraara (For details see Chapter 9 Shakti Yoga).
Importance of Sri Vidya
Sri Vidya refers to the spiritual knowledge and worship of the Divine
Mother in the form of Lalita Tripurasundari the Beauty of the three
worlds. She is also envisioned as Rajarajeswari the Queen of the
Universe, who holds the key to all knowledge and powers. Sri means
auspiciousness, prosperity and divinity. Lalita Sahasranama addresses
Her in its very first name as Sri Maata, the Divine Mother.
Sri Vidya through its tantric practices aims to unite all aspects in
the worship of the goddess. It aims to attain well-being in this world,
spiritual knowledge, attainment of Para Brahman, the Supreme Being
and ultimate liberation for the soul. Another important fact to be noted
is that Sri Vidya does not distinguish caste, creed, colour, religion or
sex of the worshipper. The sadhaka has to adhere to certain restrictions
if he/she has to take up the practicing of Sri Vidya in all earnestness.

123

7
Tantric Practices in
Devi Worship

Maha Tantra, Maha Mantra, Maha Yantra, Mahasana

[Devi is Maha Tantra (like Kularnava, Jnanrnava, etc.), Devi
is Maha Mantra (like Sri Vidya, Baala, Bagala, etc.), Devi is
Maha Yantra (like Puja Chakra, Padma Chakra, Sri Chakra,
etc.), Mahasana the 36 Tatvas including the Earth, form the
seat of Devi, LS 226, 227, 228]
Historical Background
From the very early times, Tantric practices seem to have developed as
a part of the worship of tribal gods and goddesses. There is also a view
that the tantric rituals developed as a reaction to the strict Vedic practices
and exclusion of people of other varnas (people of lower castes) as also
women from performing religious rituals and worship.
Tantrism as such has its roots in the Karma-kanda of the Vedas.
Vishnu Purana was the first Sanskrit text to use the term Tantra to
mean a set of practices and rituals in speaking of cults related to Vishnu,
Shakti and Durga. Buddhist texts also use the same term to mean a set of
doctrines and practices for obtaining spiritual enlightenment. There are
historical evidences to show that many kings and rulers provided royal
support to tantric practices and also maintained tantric practitioners
in their courts.
159

Adi Shakti the Mother Goddess

Many of the followers of the Tantric rituals did not have race, gender
or caste exclusions. This was in a way an attempt to throw away the
Brahmanical hegemony in devotional worship of gods. For example, in
the practice of a tantric method like Kaula marga, there is no restriction
on caste or gender for the sadhaka. The only condition is that he/she
is required to be initiated in to the tantric system by a qualified Guru,
who may be male or female and may belong to any caste.
Schools of Tantra
Rather than a single coherent system, Tantra has evolved over a period
of time as an accumulation of different sets of religious practices.
Divergent forms of tantric practices have been in existence in different
regions of the country for more than two thousand years. A few of them
were Satvic but many of them were also Tamasic in nature. Kashmira,
Gaudiya, Shaiva, Ganapatya, Vaishnava and Shaakta were some of the
prominent Tantric schools. Shaakta in turn had two different systems
of tantric practices known as Kulachara and Dakshinachara.
Tantra also gave freedom of worship to women and people of all
castes and categories. Thus the tantric traditions became popular among
the masses and played a crucial role in the development of the religious
and social life of the country for over three millennia.
Absorption of Several Tantric Practices by Vedic Religion
The significance of tantra is that it reduced and liberalised the elaborate
rites and rituals prescribed by the Vedic and Brahmanical systems of
worship. Even though, Tantra is believed to have evolved in opposition
to Vedic systems of worship, the Vedic systems gradually absorbed
several tantric practices over a period of time.
Many of the methods and practices in Astanga Yoga as well as
Shakti (Kundalini) Yoga are derived from Tantric sources. Various
components of Tantra like mandala, yantra, mudra, and other mystical
symbols were later incorporated into the traditional modes of worship.
Now even orthodox temple priests profess to follow the respective tantric
160

Tantric Practices in Devi Worship

texts in the performance of elaborate rituals in worshipping their temple

deities Shaiva Agamas in respect of Shiva temples and Pancharatra
Agama in respect of Vishnu temples. (Some Tantras are also called
Agamas). Besides temple worship, Tantric Practices are widely followed
in varying degrees by individuals and various Hindu religious sects to
attain specific objectives.
Development of Tantric Practices in Buddhism
Tantric practices also simultaneously developed in the Vajrayana (The
Diamond Path) form of Buddhism. These practices include teachings,
mantras, mudras, visualisations, mandalas, offerings, and practiced
individually or in a group and include both internal, external as well as
secret tantric methods. Tantric Buddhism teaches the worship of Hindu
goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati and Hindu gods like Ganesha and
Kubera. The deity Maha Kala of Tibetan Buddhism is the same deity
Shiva (as Maha Kala) in Hinduism.
Tara one of the Goddesses of Dasha Maha Vidya in Hinduism is
also the most important of the Buddhist goddesses and is considered as
the Buddhist form of the Divine Mother. The Bodhisatva Tara is the
consort of the great Buddha Avalokiteswara, the Lord who looks down
upon living beings in compassion. The Hindu and Tibetan versions of
the Tara mantra are identical. In Buddhism, Tara appears in various
colours, with distinctive characteristics.
Yoginis exist in both Hinduism and Buddhism. In Buddhism, the
yoginis like Bodhisattvas are spirits who guide in the practice of yoga.
In Hinduism, yoginis appear at several levels as the presiding deities
of various chakras in Sri Chakra and Shakti yoga, as spiritual guides in
yoga practice, and also as wisdom goddesses (as various forms of Kaali)
of Dasha Maha Vidya.
The most prominent yogini common to both Hinduism and
Buddhism is Vajra Yogini the main deity of Vajrayana path of
Buddhism known in Hinduism, as a Dasha Maha Vidya Goddess
Chinnamasta, who is also called Vajra Vairochani.
161

8
Dasha Maha Vidya
(Worship of the Ten Wisdom Goddesses)

The development of the concept of Maha Vidya, during the post

Puranic period represents a turning point in Shaaktism and female
divine worship. It also represents an important stage in breaking out
of rigid Vedic stipulations in worship. This eventually led to the rise in
the importance of tantric rituals in Shaaktism.
It is probable that the Maha Vidya cult originated outside the
traditional (and many times) outside the existing Vedic practices,
but (as is with most of the traditions), it was assimilated into the
mainstream religion (in this case Shaaktism) over a period of time.
Much later, attempts were made by tantric texts, to provide mythological
background, theological status, mystical meanings, and symbolic
representations to each of these goddesses.
The aim for this type of tantric worship, appears to be to stretch
ones consciousness beyond the conventional (at that time, the Vedic
forms of worship) and breaking the then prevalent social norms and
prejudices, and allow all people (irrespective of caste, creed and sex) to
take part in the worship of the Divine Mother. The objective seems to
be to enable a sadhaka to experience spirituality in all that is forbidden
by established (Vedic) social orders.

183

Adi Shakti the Mother Goddess

Maha Vidya
In Tantra, worship of Devi as Para Brahman and also as Shakti (and her
Yantra, Mantra as well as the procedure laid down for her worship) is
referred to as a Vidya. But this knowledge is rather basic, mechanical,
bookish and rather incomplete as the goddess represents a state
beyond the comprehension of the ordinary human mind that which is
hidden, secret, subtle and sensitive and it is for the Sadhaka to discover
this knowledge. Realisation of this knowledge leads to realisation of
her awesome powers leading to understanding of her nature as pure
consciousness and finally Supreme Bliss for the Sadhaka. Hence, the
spiritual disciplines leading to the understanding of the manifestations
of the Divine Mother have come to be called as Maha Vidyas.
Of the hundreds of Tantric practices involving the worship of Devi,
the worship of the ten major forms of Devi is called Dasha Maha Vidya.
Each Dasha Maha Vidya can be considered a Brahma Vidya, as it is a
spiritual path leading to the knowledge of (a unique aspect of) Devi as
a facet of Para Brahman herself.
According to scriptures, The Divine Mother has the tendency to
manifest and reveal herself in a variety of forms and aspects, according
to the needs. This has also a very close resemblance to Dashavatara of
Vishnu (See Table 8.1).
Dasha Maha Vidya
Even though knowledge is one, it is felt and understood by an individual
in different ways through the ten senses (skin, eye, ear, tongue, nose,
mouth, foot, hand, anus, and genital). Likewise one Truth (Devi, the
Divine Mother) is sensed in ten different facets in Dasha Maha Vidya.
Dasha Maha Vidya relates to the ten great paths relating to the
spiritual knowledge of ten Tantric forms of Mahadevi or Kaali. These
ten facets of the divine mother are also considered as ten wisdom
goddesses, and they represent a spectrum of female divinity ranging
from the most beautiful to the most fearful in appearance. Even though
they are quite distinct and different from each other, they have an
184

Dasha Maha Vidya

underlying unity as they represent the different facets of Mother Nature

(as Moola Prakriti). These goddesses represent the celestial forms of
the Divine Mother, representing the most awesome forces of Nature
in the Universe.
These ten forms of the goddesses and procedures of worship
are described in Todala Tantra and several other tantric texts. As
representatives of the powerful cosmic forces, these goddesses are also
worshipped for wealth, health, fame and such other ordinary goals of
life. However, they can be powerful vehicles to reach the higher goals
of existence also.
Each of these ten forms represents a particular approach to selfrealisation, (that which transcends all known forms of knowledge). Even
this knowledge has many levels and layers, which has to be perceived
by the Sadhaka during the course of his intense Sadhana.
Origins of Dasha Maha Vidya
Even before the idea of Dasha Maha Vidya took shape, there were
powerful female divinities being worshipped at the time Sati, Parvati,
Saraswati, Lakshmi, Durga, Chamunda, the matrika devis, etc. However
it is surprising to note that none of these goddesses has found a place in
the group of the goddesses of Dasha Maha Vidya. The reasons are not
clear at this distant point of time.
The concept of a group of ten female divinities (known as Dasha
Maha Vidya) is comparatively of later day origin (but definitively earlier
to 10th Century CE). In the third episode of Devi Mahatmyam, Durga
brings forth Kaali, while fighting the demons Chanda and Munda and
again while fighting Rakta-bijasura. She also creates the seven matrika
devis to fight the demons. This has been used by several tantric texts to
give an impression that the group of goddesses of Dasha Maha Vidya
also fought in this battle. There is also some iconographic support to this
story as in many Durga temples, the central image of Durga, is shown
as surrounded by the ten goddesses of Dasha Maha Vidya. In fact the
Sahasranamas of quite a few goddesses of Dasha Maha Vidya contain
the names of all the matrika devis with some variations.
185