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http://en.wikipedia.o rg/wiki/Tripura_Sundari

Tripura Sundari
"Tripurasundari" redirects here. For Nepalese village, see Tripurasundari (village). Tripurasundar ("Beautif ul (Goddess) of the T hree Cities") or Mah-Tripurasundar ("Great Beautif ul (Goddess) of the T hree Cities"), also called oa ("Sixteen"), Lalit ("She Who Plays"[1]) and Rjarjevar ("Queen of Queens, Supreme Ruler"), is one of the group of ten goddesses of Hindu belief , collectively called Mahavidyas. As Shodashi, Tripurasundari is represented as a sixteen-year-old girl, and is believed to embody sixteen types of desire. Shodashi also ref ers to the sixteen syllable mantra, which consists of the f if teen syllable (panchadasakshari) mantra plus a f inal seed syllable. T he Shodashi Tantra ref ers to Shodashi as the "Beauty of the T hree Cities," or Tripurasundari.[2] Tripurasundari is the primary goddess associated with the Shakta Tantric tradition known as Sri Vidya.T he Goddess Who is "Beautif ul in the T hree Worlds" (Supreme Deity of Srikula systems); the "Moksha Mukuta".

Etymology

Sri Lalita-Trip uras und ari e nthro ne d with he r le ft fo o t up o n the Sri Chakra, ho ld ing he r trad itio nal s ymb o ls , the s ug arc ane b o w, flo we r arro ws , no o s e , and g o ad .

'Tripura' means 'the three cities,' and 'sundar' means 'beautif ul,' specif ically a beautif ul f emale. T heref ore, her name means 'Beautif ul (Goddess) of the T hree Cities'. Tripura is of ten popularly translated as 'the three worlds;' however, this is an incorrect translation of the original Sanskrit. T he 'three cities' esoterically ref ers to a variety of interpretive doctrines, but commonly ref ers to the triple f orm of the goddess as f ound in the triadic doctrine of Shaktism. According to Bhaskararaya's commentary of the T ripura Upaniad: T here are three f orms of deity: physical (sthla), subtle (skma) and supreme (par). Now the f irst [physical anthropomorphic f orm of the deity] is described in its respective meditative verses (dhynaloka); the second [subtle f orm] consists of the [particular deity's] respective root-mantra (mlamantra); the third [supreme or transcendent f orm] consists of contemplative worship [of the 19th c e ntury p ainting o f Trip ura deity's yantra]. Because deities are threef old in f orm, Sund ari, the g o d d e s s o f the thre e c itie s contemplative worship (upsti) is divided threef old respectively into external sacrif ice (bahiryga) [perf ormed primarily to the physical f orm of the deity], silent repetition (japa) [on the subtle f orm root-mantra] and internal sacrif ice (antaryga) [in the f orm of contemplative worship (upsti) of the yantra].[3] Even though the bindu cakra [the "drop" in the center of the rcakra, is only one point] it has a threef old nature... T he three deities created [and] not dif f erent f rom [her supreme] peacef ul (nta) [aspect] are [the three creative powers,namely,] Icchakti, Jnaakti, and Kriyakti. T he f emale

deities named Vm, Jyeh, and Raudr [identif ied with the three aktis are complemented] by the three [male consort] f orms of Brahm, Viu, and Rudra which are not dif f erent creations f rom [her all-subsuming aspect called] Ambik.[4] Icchakti is literally the 'power of will,' Jnaakti is the 'power of knowledge,' and Kriyakti is the 'power of action.' Brooks f urther notes: T he traditional interpretation of Tripur's name in Tantric soteriology involves a rather technical discussion of dif f erent levels of spiritual insight and worldly accomplishment, the f ate of the individual soul (tman) in the karmic process, and the concepts of external (bahir-) and internal sacrif ice (antaryga).[5] Tripura also ref ers to the rcakra, the yantra that represents the highest vibrational f orm of T ripurasundari, according to the commentator on the sutra of Gauapd.[6] Bhaskararaya notes in his commentary on T ripura Upaniad that the rcakra, composed of nine interlocking triangles, is triple in nature.

Ref erences in Hindu literature

T he Lalitha Sahasranama describes her as extremely mercif ul and leads a devotee to liberation.[citation needed] T he Tripura Sundari Ashtakam by Adi Shankaracharya describes her as a Mother wearing a blue and red-spotted dress and holding a pot of honey.[citation needed] T he Lalitopakyana tells of the epic battle between her f orces and the f orces of the arch-demon Bhandasura.

Iconography
Tripurasundari is described as being of dusky, red, or golden in color, depending on the meditational f orm, and in union with Shiva. T he couple are traditionally portrayed on a bed, a throne, or a pedestal that is upheld by Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra and Ishwar (another f orm of Shiva, depicted in the Tantras). She holds f ive arrows or f lowers, a noose, a goad and a sugarcane or bow. T he noose represents attachment, the goad represents repulsion, the sugarcane bow represents the mind and the arrows are the f ive sense objects. Bala Tripurasundari is another f orm of Tripurasundari that is pictured either as an independent young goddess who is 16 years of age, or as an unmarried, pre-menarche girl of nine or ten years of age, also known as a kumari. Bala Tripurasundari's mantra dif f ers slightly f rom that of Maha Tripurasundari. Tripurasundari is also worshipped as the Sri Yantra, which is considered by practitioners of Sri Vidya to be a more true representation of the goddess. Tripurasundari combines in her being Kali's determination and Durgas charm, grace, and complexion. She has a third eye on her f orehead. Usually f our-armed and clad in red, the richly bejeweled Tripurasundari sits on a lotus seat laid on a golden throne. She carries in her hands various attributes associated with Shiva. An aura of royalty characterizes her overall bearing and ambiance.

Inf luences on Indian History and Culture

T he Indian state of Tripura derives its name f rom the goddess Tripura Sundari. Her main temple, the Tripura Sundari temple is also located on top of the hills near Radhakishorepur village, a little distance away f rom Udaipur town. Kashmiri Pandits have a collection of f ive ancient hymns, collectively known as Panchastavi, that were composed ages ago in praise of Tripura Sundari. T hese ancient hymns still remain very popular among this community.[citation needed] Sri Ramakrishna worshipped his wif e Ma Sarada Devi as Tripura Sundari during their lives.

See also Ref erences

1. ^ Frawley, David: "Tantric Yoga and the Wisdom Goddesses", page 89. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, reprint 2005 2. ^ Danielou, Alain (1991). The Myths and Gods of India. Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions International. pp. 278. 3. ^ Brooks, Douglas R. (1990). The Secret of the Three Cities: An Introduction to Hindu Sakta Tantrism . Chicago & London: T he University of Chicago Press. pp. 80. 4. ^ Brooks, Douglas R. (1990). The Secret of the Three Cities: An Introduction to Hindu Sakta Tantrism . Chicago & London: T he University of Chicago Press. pp. 97. 5. ^ Brooks, Douglas R. (1990). The Secret of the Three Cities: An Introduction to Hindu Sakta Tantrism . Chicago & London: T he University of Chicago Press., 103. 6. ^ Joshi, L.M. (2009). Lalita Sahasranama: A Comprehensive Study of One Thousand Names of Lalita Maha-Tripurasundari (Tantra in Contemporary Research, No. 2). Delhi: DK Printworld. pp. 86.

Further reading
Kinsley, David. Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions. Berkeley: University of Calif ornia Press, 1998. Dikshitar, V.R. Ramachandra. The Lalita Cult. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt Ltd, 1991. Brooks, Douglas R. The Secret of the Three Cities: An Introduction to Hindu Sakta Tantrism. Chicago & London: University of Chicago Press, 1990. Brooks, Douglas R. Auspicious Wisdom. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1992.

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