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$$ed the Dasa Mahavidya. These ma"or forms of the %oddess are des!ri&ed in the Toda$a Tantra. They are 'a$i, Tara, Maha Trip ra S ndari (or Shodasi-Sri Vidya), *h vaneshvari, +hinnamasta, *hairavi, Dh mavati, *a%a$am khi, Matan%i and 'ama$a. These ten aspe!ts of Shakti are the epitome of the entire !reation. There are severa$ ,$eve$s, at whi!h these Devi#s !an &e worshiped with the pres!ri&ed Mantra and -antra. .ike a simp$e worship of the yantra with the mantra re!itation, as a remedia$ astro$o%i!a$ meas re, e$a&orate worship with a$$ tantrik rit a$s for attainin% vario s siddhis asso!iated with these tantras and for spirit a$ sa$vation. S !!essf $ sadhana of these Vidyas %ives severa$ &oons to the pra!titioner. The Tantrik--o%i who has !ontro$ over his senses and positive$y in!$ined ses the &oons to % ide peop$e and for the &enefit of mankind. The ones, whose head starts spinnin% with s !!ess se them for the %ratifi!ation of the senses, %ather a & n!h of dis!ip$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 ten Mahavidya and the worship of these is a$so pres!ri&ed as an astro$o%i!a$ remedy - for the 1 p$anets and the .a%na as fo$$ows. 2ame of Vidya 3orm 'a$i 4/ a$ Vishn #s In!arnation 4/ a$ Vishn #s In!arnation

'rishna Sat rn (*ha%avat5 'a$i as D67G8 is in!arnation of '8.'I) Tara Devi *$ e 3orm (Ma!havadar) 9 piter Maha 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%na Dh mavati The *oar (Varahar) 'et *a%a$am khi The Tortoise (' rmam) Mars Matan%i 7ama S n 'ama$a * ddha Ven s 'a$i Seated on a !orpse, %reat$y terrifyin%, $a %hin% $o d$y, with fearf $ fan%s, fo r arms ho$din% a !$eaver, a sk $$, and %ivin% the m dras &estowin% &oons and dispe$$in% fear, wearin% a %ar$and of sk $$s, her ton% e ro$$in% wi$d$y, !omp$ete$y naked (Di%am&ara - !$ad in the

dire!tions), th s one sho $d meditate on 'a$i, dwe$$in% in the !entre of the !remation %ro nd. To 'a$ika0s *hairava. On Dakshina0s ri%ht, worship Mahaka$a, with whom Dakshina is a$ways in $ove nion. Tara 8ksho&hya. Seated in the pratya$idha asana, seated on the heart of a !orpse, s preme, $a %hin% horri&$y, ho$din% !$eaver, &$ e $ot s, da%%er and &ow$, tterin% the mantra ; m, !o$o red &$ e, her hair &raided with serpents, the 6%ratara. Worship 8ksho&ya on the ri%ht of Tara. The ka$ak ta poison prod !ed &y the !h rnin% of the o!ean !a sed %reat a%itation to a$$ the %ods and their !onsorts. *e!a se he destroyed the a%itation !a sed &y the dead$y ye$$ow poison, he is known as 8ksho&ya. Th s Tarini, the Mahamaya, a$ways de$i%hts in her !onsort. Shodasi On the ri%ht hand side of Maha Trip ras ndari, worship Shiva in his five-fa!ed form with three eyes in ea!h of the fa!es. She a$ways de$i%hts in se< a$ nion with her !onsort. 3or this reason, she is known as the famo s :an!hami *h vaneshvari .ike the red rays of the risin% s n, with the moon as her diadem, and with three eyes, a smi$in% fa!e, &estowin% &oons, ho$din% a %oad, a noose and dispe$$in% fears, th s I hymn *h vaneshi. On the ri%ht side of Shrimad *h vaneshvari, who in the heavens, on earth, and in the nderwor$ds is known as the 8dya, worship Tryam&aka. She makes $ove with Tryam&aka in these p$a!es, it is said. ;e and his Shakti are mentioned and worshipped in a$$ tantras +hinnamasta On +hinnamasta0s ri%ht side, worship Shiva-'a&andha. *y worshippin% him, one &e!omes $ord of a$$ siddhi *hairavi ;er head %ar$anded with f$owers, she resem&$in% the red rays of =,>>> risin% s ns, smeared with red, ho$din% mi$k, &ook, dispe$$in% fears and %ivin% &oons with her fo r hands, $ar%e three eyes, &ea tif $ fa!e with a s$ow smi$e, wearin% white %ems, I worship *hairavi. On *hairavi0s ri%ht side is Dakshinam rti. *y s preme efforts, one sho $d !ertain$y worship that five fa!ed one. Dh mavati The !o$o r of smoke, wearin% smoky !$othes, ho$din% a winnowin% &asket, disheve$ed !$othes, de!eitf $, a$ways trem&$in%, with s$ant eyes, inspirin% fear, terrifyin%. The Mahavidya Dh mavati is a widow *a%a$am khi Three eyes, wearin% ye$$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% him, th s sho $d yo meditate on the para$yser of the three wor$ds. Seated on the ri%ht of *a%a$a

is the Mahar dra, with one fa!e, who disso$ves the niverse Matan%i D 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 noose and a sword, a shie$d and a %oad, th s I remem&er Matan%i, the %iver of res $ts, the Modini. On Matan%i0s ri%ht side is Shiva Matan%a, simi$ar to Dakshinam rti, the form of !osmi! &$iss 'ama$a With a smi$in% fa!e, her &ea tif $ $i$y-white hands ho$d two $ot ses, and show the m dras of %ivin% and dispe$$in% fear. She is &athed in ne!tar &y fo r white e$ephants and stands pon a &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