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.

Lalit Upkhyna The Story of Lalita Tripura sundari

In Brahmnda Pur, the story of Lalita Tripura sundari is narrated by Lord Hayagrva (the
horse-headed form of Lord Viu) 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
Bhansura 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 Bhansura, 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 Kuna
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 Bhana and his armies. She is accompanied by Rja Mtangi,
Her minister on the one side. Rja Mtangi is also called Rja ymala, Mantri 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 Bhansuras capital, nyaka, and there was a fierce battle. Vrhi
and ymala started demolishing the armies of Bhana and killing his generals. Bhana 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
Bhanas sons and killed them.
After this, Bhanas brothers Viaga and Viukra, who were earlier vanquished and fled
from the field, came back to fight r Devis armies. Bhana 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 Gaea (this is described as Kmevara mukhloka kalpita r
Gaevar). Gaea destroyed the vighna yantra much to the happiness of the divine
armies. Then Bhana inspired demon Gajura to fight Gaea, who was also killed by Him.
The divine armies of r Devi marched forward andViaga was slain in this encounter by
Mother Mantri and Viukra by Vrhi.
Bhana 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 MahViu, 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 Bhansura 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:
sindrrua vigrahm trinayanm mikya mauLisphurat tr nyaka ekharm smita
mukhm pna vakoruhm pibym aLi pra ratna caakam raktotpalam bibhratm
soumym ratna gha astha rakta caram 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 vakoruh), 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 gem-decked 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 canebow 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 Pur, 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 Kuna 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, Vi 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 s i(creation),
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), Vi 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, Vi 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 Parin ma
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, Purs, 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 Vi u or Gaapati.
Yoga and rVidy Tantra

Though Yoga is a very technical subject and its discussion is mostly restricted to teacherstudent disciplines, any introduction to Tantra without the mention of Yoga is incomplete.
There are three major forms of Yoga, Mantra yoga, Laya yoga and Kunalini 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.
Kunalini Yoga
In Kunalini yoga, one realizes divine consciousness through the activation of the hidden
energy of Kunalini. There are six centers (cakras) in the spinal channel. Kunalini 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, Vi 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 Vi 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. Kunalini 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 Kunalini 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 Khagamla (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, Vainavi, Mahevari, 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
karini (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), Spara (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 sm rta 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 ankua 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 kayankari (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 vinini (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 iva-akti-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 phas
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
and Advaita philosophy. Today rVidy followers go by ankaras Advaita[3].
rVidy and other Devats

di

ankara

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 Ga ea and Daki amrti are
worshiped in rVidy tradition, they come to be known as rVidyGa ea and
rVidyDaki amrti respectively.
In case of a Goddess, this difference is not usually maintained. That is to say, Lak mi 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 rVidyGa ea, the worship is done with verses
which are a combination of rVidy and Ga eaVidy. Same is the case with rVidy
Daki amrti.
Though these are mainly schools of sdana, there are temples too, where those forms are
primary deities. There is a temple for rVidyGa ea in Bangalore. There is another
installation of rVidy Ga apati 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, Vi uT
rtha and
Narasimha hkur. 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 mahs

(Amnaya means

Veda, and mah

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 thesemahs.
To

this day, all these are worshiped according to rVidy. Apart from these, he established
many other monasteries like Kancimah.
Devi is worshiped according to rVidy School, in

all these. For example, radmba is worshiped in rngerimah.

Kmaki is worshiped in

Kancimah.
Besides, there are many other ramas like Siddhesvari Pha
of Kurtalam (a

monastery), Kailsa ram of Hrishikesh, LalitaPha,

rVidy Vimarsana Pha
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 Daki amrti tradition of
rVidy practice. (There are three main traditions in rVidy, called Daki amrti,
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
Ga apati. 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 Ga apati, was a rVidy
practitioner too. He was the author of Siddhanjana, a commentary on Rigveda.
The previous head of Kancimah,
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, Vi 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 Vai ava, aiva, kt. The same holds

true in case of many seers Vasiha

Ga apati, Rama a 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. Daki amrti 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 kaadi Vidy (begininning with ka) and ha-adi Vidy (begininning with ha). The remaining ten
are said to be practiced by, and hence named after Manu, Candra, Kubera, Agastya,
Nandikesvara, Surya, Indra, Vi 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 Kun alini 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), Dak i a(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

Ga apati , various forms of ymala, Mrityunjaya, Pratyangira

Daki
amnaya
Dak i amnaya contains Vidys for

eight Bhairavas

nine Siddhs

three Vatuks (celibates)

the two feet of Devi, the praka and vimara

forms of Bagala, Vrhi, Daki amrti 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 Vi 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, Vi 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

Nitya

Catupt or Gyatri of four feet

odasi
Various forms of nysa, sankalpa and pduka Vidys
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

Texts

Kmevari
Bhgamlini
Nityaklinna
Bherunda
Vahnivsini
Mahvidyevari
ivaduti
Tvarita
Kula Sundari
Nitya
Nla Ptaka
Vijaya
Sarva Mangala
Jvla Mlini
Vicitra

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
Dak i amurti samhita
Gandharva tantra
Nitya shodashikarnava
Yogini hridaya.

Brahmnda Pur has the story of Lalita slaying Bhan sura. The Lalita Sahasra Nama in
Brahmnda Pur 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 Pur , 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 Purs of these shrines.
3.There is a historic debate about ankara's relation to rVidy, and it is said that Saundarya
Lahari, TriSati Bhaya 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