Sakti: A random thread on Adi Shakti

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The Guru Parampara of Sri Vidya

Sri Vidya, also known to some as Srikula

is a key part of Shaktism

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O

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It is dedicated to one of the main (Saguna) forms of Adi Shakti

known as Lalita Tripura Sundari

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Is it part of Tantra

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Tantra, Mantra, and Yantra

all 3

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There are 3 main Guru Paramparas within Sri Vidya

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What agamas are followed in Shaktism

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1. The Hayagriva Parampara

Started by the Hayagriva Avataram of Mahavishnu

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The 64 Shakta agamas

I have a list

2. The Parshurama Parampara

Started by the Avatar of Vishnu

3. The Dattatreya Parampara

Started by Dattatreya Swami

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Kālī, Muṇḍamālā, Tārā, Nirvāṇa, Śiva Sāra, Vīra, Liṅgārcana, Latārcana, Todala, Nīla, Rādhā, Viśvasāra, Bhairava, Bhairavī, Siddheśvara, Mātṛkābheda, Samaya, Guptasadhana, Mātṛkā, Māyā, Mahāmāyā, Akṣayā, Kumārikā, Mahat, Kaulārṇava, Kālikā Kulasarvasva, Kālikā Kalpatantra, Vārāhī, Yoginī, Yoginīhṛdaya, Sanatkumāra, Tripurāsāra, Yoginī Vijaya, Mālinī, Kukkuṭa, Śrī Gaṇeśa, Bhūta, Uḍḍīśa, Kāmadhenu, Vīrabhadra, Vāmakeśvara, Kulacūḍāmaṇi, Bhāvacūḍāmaṇi, Jñānārṇava, Varadā, Tantra Cintāmaṇi, Kālīvilāsa, Haṃsa, Cidāmbara Taṭa, Vijñāpana, Phetkāriṇī, Nityā, Uttara, Nārāyaṇī, Ūrdhvāmnāyaka, Jñānadīpa, Gāndharva, Kuñjikā, Tantra Muktabalī, Bṛhat, Śrīkrama, Yonī, Kāmākhyā, and Prokta.

The Hayagriva Parampara is actually mentioned in the Lalitopakhyana

Where we see Hayagriva swami

Passing on the knowledge of Bhandasura Vadana and Sri Vidya

To Agastya

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the lalitopakhyana covers it perfectly. hayagriva swami's dialogue with agastya muni is easily the best source for understanding the sri vidya tradition and the descent of devi.

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In Sri Vidya there are 5 main forms of Adi Shakti

Devi Tripura Sundari is the main form of them

1. Lalita Tripura Sundari

2. Bala Tripura Sundari

3. Kamakshi

4. Vindhyavasini Devi

5. Kamakhya

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The story of the Tridevi

So basically

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yeah, it's the core of the shakta tantra path. sri vidya is essentially the high philosophy of tantra combined with rigorous ritual and dhyana.

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Once upon a time

there was

Nothing

pitch darkness

And then came 3 gods

Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara

And they had no idea who they were or what was happening

And then before them came a chariot of gold

And an Akasavani

that told them to board the chariot

Said chariot took them to Manidvipa

An island of gems and gold

The place where Adi Shakti dwells

As Bhuvaneswari with her consort Bhuvaneswara

Long story short

It was an amazing place to be

The Trimurti went inside her palace

And saw her

A woman whose skin appeared as red as roses

Who wore garments of red

Who was adorned with chandana and flowers

And beside her a man who was as white as snow

He too clad in clothes of white

And in that woman (Devi)'s toenail

They saw multiple universes

and multiple versions of themselves

They asked her who she was

and why they were created

She enlightened them on her existence

and told them their purposes

To create, sustain, and destroy

In order to help these 3 gods carry out their duties

She gave them her Saktis

Brahma was bestowed Saraswati

Vishnu, Lakshmi

and for Shiva

Who was always her consort

She herself took birth as a human

According to the Shakta perspective

These tridevi are the 3 main forms of Adi Shakti

and are the Saktis (orgin of powers as well) for the Trimurti

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Durga in Lalitopakhyana

Bhaṇḍa, the Dānava, discharged the dreadfully powerful missile of Mahāsurāstra. Thereupon, thousands of (Asuras) very powerful with huge bodies rose up from the missile; such as:—Madhu, Kaiṭabha, Mahiṣa, Dhūmralocana, the Asuras beginning with Caṇḍa, Muṇḍa, Cikṣura, Cāmara, Raktabīja, Śumbha, Niśumbha, the Kālakeyas of great strength, others too such Asuras named Dhūmra etc. rose from the missile with their hard and powerful weapons, all those excellent Dānavas smashed and crushed the army of Śaktis. They shrieked and howled dreadfully.

Śaktis, crushed and crumbled by the Daityas, cried aloud “Hā, Hā” (Alas), and sought refuge in Lalitā immediately saying “protect us”. Thereupon, Devī became furious. In her fury, she burst into a boisterous laughter of challenge.

Thereupon arose a glorious deity named Durgā. She had a cosmic form evolved by the refulgence of all Devas.

She wielded and wore the following weapons and ornaments viz. the trident given by Lord Śiva, the discus given by Lord Viṣṇu, the conch given by Varuṇa, Śakti (Javelin) given by the Firegod, the bow and the pair of inexhaustible quivers given by Maruts in the course of the great war, the thunderbolt given by Indra, a goblet given by Dhanada (Kubera), the great staff Kāladaṇḍa, the noose given by Varuṇa, a waterpot given by Brahmā, a bell given by Airāvata, the sword and the shield given by Mṛtyu, the necklace given by the ocean and the ornaments given by Viśvakarman.

With her gloriously splendid limbs having ray as brilliant and sparkling as a row of thousand-rayed suns she made all weapons gleam and glitter.

She appeared splendid with other equipments and accoutrements given by others. Thus riding on her vehicle lion,** Nārāyaṇī** carried on war.

Dānavas such as Mahiṣa and others were struck down by her. She carried on war in the same way as formerly as explained in Caṇḍikāsaptaśatī, dispelling the haughtiness of Mahiṣa and others. After completing that difficult task she bowed down before Lalitā.

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Devi Trikala and Tridevis

Her 3 forms

She protects the whole universe and is known as Viṣṇumāyā.
Vaiṣṇavī kills the demon Mahiṣāsura. She assumed a form with twenty hands holding various weapons (bow, sword, club, etc.) and rode upon a lion to defeat him.
She went to the Mandara Mountain to perform severe penance.

Fun fact: It is said in a Kalpa, Devi Mahalakshmi was the one who took the form of Durga. This technically aligns with it

She is black in color
She holds a trishul
She destroys the universe.
She went to the Nīla Mountain to perform penance.
She fought the demon Ruru. During the battle, she struck him with her trident, muṇḍa from his carma. Because she separated the carma and muṇḍa, she was bestowed the name Cāmuṇḍā.
Chamunda has nine crore (90 million) forms and Vaishnavi has eighteen crore forms.

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