particular Sadhana in Devi Bhakti

[Guest guest]

I would like to ask some questions in connection

with the worship of Devi and the Shakta

tradition.<br>In the Bengal Vaisnava tradition there is a practice

where a serious practitioner is given an esoteric

identity within the realm of Vrindavana by his or her

guru. This includes the following details: age, colour

of skin, what kind of clothes you wear, etc. The

practitioner memorises maps of Vrindavana, where he or she

lives, where he or she sports with Krishna, etc. Usually

the identity is that of a manjari, a young girl who

assists in the play of Radha and Krishna, but it could

also be a friend of Krsna. This new identity is called

the siddha-deha, the perfected body. It is considered

to be the practitioners true identity. In meditation

the practitioner enters this "reality" and the goal

is to enter permanently into it at one point. This

"imaginary" world is considered to be the highest reality,

the cosmic drama, the eternal spiritual play of Radha

and Krishna.<br>My question is if a similar practice

also exists in the Shakta tradition or in the worship

of Devi.<br>If it does not exist in the Shakta

tradition, does such a practice exist in the Shaiva

tradition in connection with Shiva alone, or with Shiva and

Parvati? <br>I would be most grateful for some information

or for directing me to someone who can answer my

question.<br><br>Kind regards,<br>Alexandra

Kafka<br>alexandra.kafka