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About Mahavidyas

The Dasa Mahavidyas: The Ten Wisdom Goddesses In Tantra, worship of Devi-Shakti is referred to as a Vidya. Of the h ndreds of tantrik pra!ti!es, the worship of the ten ma"or Devi#s is !a$$ed the Dasa Mahavidya. These ma"orforms of the %oddess are des!ri&ed in the Toda$a Tantra. They are 'a$i, Tara, Maha Trip raS ndari (or Shodasi-Sri Vidya), *h vaneshvari, +hinnamasta, *hairavi, Dh mavati,*a%a$am khi, Matan%i and 'ama$a. These ten aspe!ts of Shakti are the epitome of the enti!reation. There are severa$ $eve$s at whi!h these Devi#s !an &e worshiped with the pres!ri&ed Mantra and antra. ike a simp$e worship of the yantra with the mantrare!itation, as a remedia$ astro$o%i!a$ meas re, e$a&orate worship with a$$ tantrik rit a$sattainin% vario s siddhis asso!iated with these tantras and for spirit a$ sa$vation.

S !!essf $ sadhana of these Vidyas %ives severa$ &oons to the pra!titioner. The Tantrik-

who has !ontro$ over his senses and positive$y in!$ined ses the &oons to % ide peop$e afor the &enefit of mankind. The ones, whose head starts spinnin% with s !!ess se them fothe %ratifi!ation of the senses, %ather a & n!h of dis!ip$es aro nd them and &e!ome fake% r s. The $ast !hapter of Toda$a Tantra e/ ates Vishn 0s ten in!arnations with the tenMahavidya and the worship of these is a$so pres!ri&ed as an astro$o%i!a$ remedy - for the p$anets and the a%na as fo$$ows.

2ame of Vidya 3orm 4/ a$ Vishn #s In!arnation 4/ a$ Vishn #s In!arnation

'a$i 'rishna Sat rn

(*ha%avat5 'a$i as D67G8 is in!arnation of '8 'I)Tara Devi *$ e 3orm (Ma!havadar) 9 piterMaha Trip ra S ndari 9amda%ni ( aras ramar) Mer! ry

(Shodasi-Sri Vidya)*h vaneshvari Vamana Moon+hinnamasta 2risimha 7ah

*hairavi *a$a&hadra (*a$aramar) a%naDh mavati The *oar (Varahar) 'et

*a%a$am khi The Tortoise (' rmam) MarsMatan%i 7ama S n'ama$a * ddha Ven s

'a$iSeated on a !orpse, %reat$y terrifyin%, $a %hin% $o d$y, with fearf $ fan%s, fo r arms a !$eaver, a sk $$, and %ivin% the m dras &estowin% &oons and dispe$$in% fear, wearin%ar$and of sk $$s, her ton% e ro$$in% wi$d$y, !omp$ete$y naked (Di%am&ara - !$ad in

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dire!tions), th s one sho $d meditate on 'a$i, dwe$$in% in the !entre of the !remation %roTo 'a$ika0s *hairava. On Dakshina0s ri%ht, worship Mahaka$a, with whom Dakshina isa$ways in $ove nion. Tara

8ksho&hya. Seated in the pratya$idha asana, seated on the heart of a !orpse, s preme,$a %hin% horri&$y, ho$din% !$eaver, &$ e $ot s, da%%er and &ow$, tterin% the man!o$o red &$ e, her hair &raided with serpents, the 6%ratara. Worship 8ksho&ya on the ri%of Tara. The ka$ak ta poison prod !ed &y the !h rnin% of the o!ean !a sed %reat a%itatioa$$ the %ods and their !onsorts. *e!a se he destroyed the a%itation !a sed &y the dead$yye$$ow poison, he is known as 8ksho&ya. Th s Tarini, the Mahamaya, a$ways de$i%hts in!onsort. ShodasiOn the ri%ht hand side of Maha Trip ras ndari, worship Shiva in his five-fa!ed form withthree eyes in ea!h of the fa!es. She a$ways de$i%hts in se< a$ nion with her !onsort. 3or t

reason, she is known as the famo s an!hami *h vaneshvari

ike the red rays of the risin% s n, with the moon as her diadem, and with three eyes, asmi$in% fa!e, &estowin% &oons, ho$din% a %oad, a noose and dispe$$in% fears, th s I h*h vaneshi. On the ri%ht side of Shrimad *h vaneshvari, who in the heavens, on earth, andin the nderwor$ds is known as the 8dya, worship Tryam&aka. She makes $ove withTryam&aka in these p$a!es, it is said. ;e and his Shakti are mentioned and worshipped in a$tantras

+hinnamastaOn +hinnamasta0s ri%ht side, worship Shiva-'a&andha. *y worshippin% him, one &e!omes$ord of a$$ siddhi *hairavi;er head %ar$anded with f$owers, she resem&$in% the red rays of =,>>> risin% s ns, smewith red, ho$din% mi$k, &ook, dispe$$in% fears and %ivin% &oons with her fo r hands, three eyes, &ea tif $ fa!e with a s$ow smi$e, wearin% white %ems, I worship *hairavi. On*hairavi0s ri%ht side is Dakshinam rti. *y s preme efforts, one sho $d !ertain$y worship tfive fa!ed one. Dh mavatiThe !o$o r of smoke, wearin% smoky !$othes, ho$din% a winnowin% &asket, disheve$ed!$othes, de!eitf $, a$ways trem&$in%, with s$ant eyes, inspirin% fear, terrifyin%. TheMahavidya Dh mavati is a widow *a%a$am khiThree eyes, wearin% ye$$ow !$othes and %ems, moon as her diadem, wearin% !hampaka &$ossoms, with one hand ho$din% the ton% e of an enemy and with the $eft hand spikin%th s sho $d yo meditate on the para$yser of the three wor$ds. Seated on the ri%ht of *a%

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is the Mahar dra, with one fa!e, who disso$ves the niverse Matan%iD sky, &ea tif $ &rowed, her three eyes $ike $ot ses, seated on a "ewe$ed $ion-throne,s rro nded &y %ods and others servin% her, ho$din% in her fo r $ot s-$ike hands a noos

sword, a shie$d and a %oad, th s I remem&er Matan%i, the %iver of res $ts, the Modini. OMatan%i0s ri%ht side is Shiva Matan%a, simi$ar to Dakshinam rti, the form of !osmi! &$i 'ama$aWith a smi$in% fa!e, her &ea tif $ $i$y-white hands ho$d two $ot ses, and show the m d%ivin% and dispe$$in% fear. She is &athed in ne!tar &y fo r white e$ephants and stands &ea tif $ $ot s. ;e who worships Sadashiva, the Vishn form, on 'ama$a0s ri%ht side &e!omes perfe!t, there is no do &t a&o t this