Post by Sanatani/Martin on Jul 29, 2010 14:23:12 GMT -5
The Ten Mahavidyas are known as Wisdom Goddesses. The spectrum of these ten goddesses covers the whole range of Feminine Divinity, encompassing horrific goddess's at one end, to the ravishingly beautiful at the other. Mahavidya means (Maha - great; vidya - knowledge) Goddesses of great knowledge. These Goddesses are: Mahavidyas - The ten forms of Shakti:
• Kali The Eternal Night: One Who Absorbs the Sin of Others into Herself
• Tara The Compassionate Goddess
• Shodashi The Goddess who is Sixteen Years Old
• Bhuvaneshvari - The Creator of the World
• Chinnamasta - The Goddess who cuts off her Own Head
• Bhairavi - The Goddess of Decay
• Dhumawati - The Goddess who widows Herself
• Bagalamukhi - The Goddess who seizes the Tongue
• Matangi - The Goddess who Loves Pollution
• Kamala - The Last but Not the Least
The worship of Dasmahavidya provides bhoga (fulfillment of materialisitic desires) and moksha (spiritual liberation).
Birth of the Mahavidyas:
Once during their numerous love games, things got out of hand between Shiva and Parvati. What had started in jest turned into a serious matter with an incensed Shiva threatening to walk out on Parvati. No amount of coaxing or cajoling by Parvati could reverse matters. Left with no choice, Parvati multiplied herself into ten different forms for each of the ten directions. Thus however hard Shiva might try to escape from His beloved Parvati, he would find her standing as a guardian, guarding all escape routes.
Each of the Devi's manifested forms made Shiva realize essential truths, made him aware of the eternal nature of their mutual love and most significantly established for always in the cannons of Indian thought the Goddess's superiority over her male counterpart. Not that Shiva in any way felt belittled by this awareness, only spiritually awakened. This is true as much for this Great Lord as for us ordinary mortals. Befittingly thus they are referred to as the Great Goddess's of Wisdom, known in Sanskrit as the Mahavidyas. Indeed in the process of spiritual learning the Goddess is the muse who guides and inspires us. She is the high priestess who unfolds the inner truths.
• Kali The Eternal Night: One Who Absorbs the Sin of Others into Herself
• Tara The Compassionate Goddess
• Shodashi The Goddess who is Sixteen Years Old
• Bhuvaneshvari - The Creator of the World
• Chinnamasta - The Goddess who cuts off her Own Head
• Bhairavi - The Goddess of Decay
• Dhumawati - The Goddess who widows Herself
• Bagalamukhi - The Goddess who seizes the Tongue
• Matangi - The Goddess who Loves Pollution
• Kamala - The Last but Not the Least
The worship of Dasmahavidya provides bhoga (fulfillment of materialisitic desires) and moksha (spiritual liberation).
Birth of the Mahavidyas:
Once during their numerous love games, things got out of hand between Shiva and Parvati. What had started in jest turned into a serious matter with an incensed Shiva threatening to walk out on Parvati. No amount of coaxing or cajoling by Parvati could reverse matters. Left with no choice, Parvati multiplied herself into ten different forms for each of the ten directions. Thus however hard Shiva might try to escape from His beloved Parvati, he would find her standing as a guardian, guarding all escape routes.
Each of the Devi's manifested forms made Shiva realize essential truths, made him aware of the eternal nature of their mutual love and most significantly established for always in the cannons of Indian thought the Goddess's superiority over her male counterpart. Not that Shiva in any way felt belittled by this awareness, only spiritually awakened. This is true as much for this Great Lord as for us ordinary mortals. Befittingly thus they are referred to as the Great Goddess's of Wisdom, known in Sanskrit as the Mahavidyas. Indeed in the process of spiritual learning the Goddess is the muse who guides and inspires us. She is the high priestess who unfolds the inner truths.