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Mahavidya

Mahavidya is a group of Tantric goddesses, often considered the manifestations of Kali. Each of them represents a distinct principle of existence and a path of self-realization. Although Mahavidya is listed in a group of ten, any goddess who offers vidya (correct knowledge), siddhi (attainment), and moksha (liberation) is called Mahavidya. The primary ten goddesses in this group are Kali, Tara, Tripura Sundari, Bhuvaneshvari, Bhairavi, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi, and Kamala, led by goddess Kali herself. The Guhyati Guyha-tantra connects the ten goddesses with the ten incarnations of Vishnu, where the incarnations of Vishnu arose from the Mahavidyas. Various Dhyana Mantras or respective traditions around each Mahavidya goddess cite various other forms of the ten goddesses which represent further characteristics or wisdom retained by them.

Kali

The first of the ten Mahavidyas is Goddess Kali. She embodies Shakti in her most powerful form, which causes both creation and destruction. She challenges her followers to overcome their fears and ignorance while imparting a profound understanding of life. Kali is usually shown standing or dancing on Shiva’s laying beneath her. She is always depicted in a black or dark blue complexion with long unkempt hair, ornamented with severed arms on her waist and a garland of severed human heads or skulls, called mundamala. The Guhyati Guyha-tantra associates Kali with Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. (Read: Kali)

Tara

She is the goddess associated with “sound”. She is who guides, protects, and provides knowledge that gives salvation. Her iconography is very similar to Kali's. She has a blue complexion, unkempt hair, adorned with a crescent moon on her head and a garland of skulls, and wearing a cloth of tigers skin. She is depicted with three eyes, and four arms carrying a blue lotus, scimitar or sacrificial sword, skull cup, and scissors. Her left foot is shown on the chest of Shiva. The Guhyati Guyha-tantra associates Tara with Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu.

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Tara is also linked with Neel Saraswati (Read: Saraswati) and the Buddhist goddess, Tara. She is invoked in various forms, both in Hinduism and Buddhism. Ugratara is a fierce and most common form of the goddess, worshipped in a different part of India. In some literature, Parvati in the form of Tara, breastfed Shiva, to help him ease the irritation caused by the toxin he consumed, hence the goddess is also depicted as the mother of infant Shiva in some iconography. Goddess Tara is depicted in the form of Shristi Tara, Sthithi Tara, and Sanghar Tara to represent the three gunas; sattva (purity), rajas (action), and tamas (destruction).

Tripura Sundari

Tripura Sundari, also known as Sodashi, Rajarajeswari, Kamakshi, and Lalita, is a supreme manifestation of Shakti. Her name means “who is beautiful in the three states of consciousness”. As Sodashi, she is depicted as a 16-year-old girl in a gold or red complexion, three eyes, and a calm face. She has four hands, holding a goad, a noose, a bow, and an arrow, seated on a lotus that rests on the Shiva laying on a throne. The throne's legs are Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and Rudra, making her iconography a powerful depiction of the Supreme goddess. The Guhyati Guyha-tantra associates her with Kalki, the tenth avatar of Vishnu.

 

As Tripura Sundari, she is also the primary goddess of the Sri Vidya sect of Shaktisim and manifested the form of Adi Parashakti. She is depicted seated on Shiva, who is laying on a throne. She has a flower and sugarcane replacing the bow and arrow and the other two hands carrying a goad and noose. In Kanchipuram Shakti Peetha, she is worshipped in the form of Kamakshi, portrayed with four arms carrying a goad, a noose, a cane, and a bouquet of flowers. (Read: Shakti Peethas) Another form of Shodashi is Purna Shodashi or Mahashodashi. She is a combined form of Kali and Shodashi, in sage Durvasa's tradition and is considered to be the matured form of the goddess Shodashi. Her complexion is greyish red and has four to eight hands carrying a goad, noose, sacrificed head, sacrificial sword, flower arrows and a sugarcane bow, and she shows Abhaya and Varada mudra; helping the seeker to destroy their ego and detach from worldly attributes. (Read: Goddesses in Shri Vidya)

 

In Vamakeshvara tantra, she is depicted like Parvati or Rudrani, wearing tiger skin, a snake around her neck; carrying a trident and drum, and has a bull as her mount.

Bhuvaneshvari

She is depicted as the Queen of the physical world and the one who shapes all the creations. She is depicted with a golden complexion, three eyes, and a calm face, seated on a throne. She has four hands, holding a goad and noose while her other two hands are in Abhaya and Varada mudras. The Guhyati Guyha-tantra associates her with Varaha, the third avatar of Vishnu.

 

The Tantric texts describe various forms of the goddess. They are:

  • Maya Bhuvaneshwari: She is dark-skinned with a moon crest, holding a red lotus and a jewel-filled bowl while showing varada and abhaya mudras.

  • Suryatmaka Bhuvaneshwari: She is red and serene despite residing in the sun, and carries a noose and goad while showing varada and abhaya mudras.

  • Shrsthi Bhuvaneshwari: She has three faces of red, blue, and white colors. She has three eyes, and wields a trident and drum, sitting on a lotus with a moon on her forehead.

  • Stithi Bhuvaneshwari: She holds a conch, discus, and archery set in her hands.

  • Saṃhara Bhuvaneshwar: She is dark and fearsome, seated on a corpse. She has ten hands and she holds a trident, sword, Shakti, sugarcane bow, flower arrows, bowl, rosary, and Damaru while showing varada and abhaya mudras.

  • Suddhashakti Bhuvaneshwari: She holds sacred texts and rosary in her two arms and is seated at the center of Sri Yantra.

  • Anyadhyanokta Bhuvaneshwari: She is moon-like bright, seated on a corpse with lotus eyes, and holds a veena, book, rosary, and lotus.

  • Stambhini Bhuvaneshwari: She is glowing like the sun with a crescent moon crown, seated on a corpse with a bow and rosary.

  • Shri Bhuvaneshwari: She holds a veena and a bowl, and has three eyes.

  • Ashthabhuja Bhuvaneshwari: She is Durga and holds diverse weapons in her eight hands.

  • Trigunatita Bhuvaneshwari: She is seated on a lotus, and holds noose, goad, discus, conch, bow, and trident while showing varada and abhaya mudras. She is revered by all creatures as the universal mother.

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 Reference: https://www.instagram.com/swaroop_621/