The Devi/Shekinah/Holy Spirit/Ruh/Tao/Aykaa Mayee is creative aspect of Brahman

[Guest guest]

>

> Only the Sri Lalita Sahasranama provides the deep, detailed and

> enlightening revelations of the Divine Feminine, both esoteric and

> exoteric. This holy text about the Divine Feminine towers over all

> and is indispensable to comprehend the mystical aspect of the Last

> Judgment and Resurrection. That is why it is the Kitab Al Munir

> (Book of Enlightenment) of the Qur'an, without which one cannot

> understand God Almighty:

>

> " Yet there is among men such a one as disputes about Allah, without

> knowledge, without guidance and without the Book of Enlightenment "

>

> surah 22:7-8 Al Hajj

> Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an, 1989.)

> http://adishakti.org/kitab_al_munir.htm

>

 

The Kitab Al Munir or Shri Lalita Sahasranama is the only scripture

that reveals the esoteric aspect of His Spirit. There is nothing else

worth comparing. This Book of Enlightenment is matchless in revealing

the Divine Mother within who by giving Self-realization leads the

devotee towards God-realization. You cannot know God-Almighty/Brahman

otherwise until and unless you know His indwelling feminine aspect.

 

The Devi/Shekinah/Holy Spirit/Ruh/Tao/Aykaa Mayee is the indwelling

feminine aspect of Brahman - your Self. The Shri Lalita Sahasranama

is the Book of Enlightenment whose 1000 names bestow unsurpassable

supreme knowledge and guidance to know God Almighty. At the moment

i do not have the time and ability to explain such information from

the Sri Lalita Sahasranama. So i will just list them:

 

1) Sri Mata

— Sacred Mother (feminine); the Seer, the Seen and the Seeing.

— The Knower; the Measurer (masculine)

— " For Whom all creatures are born. " Taittiriya Upanishad 3. 2

 

2) Sri Maharajni

— Great Empress

— " By Whom all creatures live. " Taittiriya Upanishad 3. 1

 

4) Sri Cidagni-Kunda-sambhuta

— Born from the Pit of the Fire of Consciousness.

— Burns out ignorance and confers Immortality.

 

5) Sri Deva-Karya-Samudyata.

— Emerges for a Divine Purpose.

— Appears to answer the prayer of Gods (Divine Beings) for help.

— Battles for the spiritual emancipation of Her devotee.

 

58) Sri Panca-Brahmasana-sthita

— Seated above the Five: Sri Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Isna and Sadasiva.

 

59) Sri Maha-padmatavi-samstha

— Dwells in the Great Lotus Forest.

 

61) Sri Sudha-sagara-madhyastha

— Ocean of Nectar.

— Abode of Bliss.

 

64) Sri Devarsi-gana-sanghata-stuyamanatma-vaibhava

— Gods and Seers perceived Her Cosmic Form.

— Seers realised unity of individual and Cosmic Selves.

 

65) Sri Bhandasura-vadhodyukta-sakti-sena-samanvita

— Confers powers to devotees to conquer their egos.

— Grants true realisation of Ultimate Reality.

 

68) Sri Chakra-raja-ratha-rudha-sarvayudha-pariskrta

— Mounted on Sri Chakra inside body with all weapons i.e. Powers.

— Enlightens mind to realise Ultimate Reality as an All Pervading-

Consciousness.

 

70) Sri Chakra-ratharudha-dandanatha-puraskrta

— Mounted on Kiri Chakra, led by Sri Varahi, commander of Her armies.

— Controls forces inside body and marshals them towards God

realization.

 

78) Sri Mahaganesa-nirbhinnavighna-yantra-praharsita

— Delighted at Sri Ganesha destroying obstacles of Her devotees.

— Enables devotee overcome impediments by Her presence in body and

Cosmos.

 

80) Sri Karanguli-nakhotapanna-Narayana-dasakrtih

— 10 avataras of Sri Vishnu emerge from Her fingernails to fight Her

battles against Forces of Darkness.

 

83) Sri Brahmopendra-Mahendradideva-samstuta-vaibhava

— Her splendour praised by Sri Brahma, Vishnu and Indra.

— " You are verily that which cannot be uttered. " Sri Brahmadeva (Devi

Mahatmyam)

 

99) Sri Muladharaika-nilaya

— Dwells in Muladhara Chakra inside body.

 

101) Sri Manipuranta-rudita

— Appears then in Manipurna Chakra; devotee feels unreality of

wakeful state.

 

102) Sri Visnu-granthi-vibhedini

— Cuts Knot of Sri Vishnu; devotee perceives unreality of

individuality.

 

104) Sri Rudra-granthi-vibhedini

— Cuts Knot of Sri Rudra; devotee becomes one with Cosmic

Consciousness.

 

105) Sri Sahasrarambujarudha

— Dwells in Sahasrara Chakra of liberated souls as Saksi or Witness.

 

110) Sri Kundalini

— She is coiled like a serpent. She is stated to assume 31/2 coils

- the form in which Sri Lalita resides in sacrum bone of every human

as potential state.

 

112) Sri Bhavani

— Giver of Life to Universe.

 

114) Sri Bhavaranya-kutharika

— Confers moksa from samsara i.e. freedom from cycle of rebirths.

 

136) Sri Nitya

— Eternal.

 

137) Sri Nirakara

— Formless

 

143) Sri Nirupaplava

— Indestructible.

 

154) Sri Nirupadhih

— Alone

 

155) Sri Nirisvara

— Supreme.

 

167) Sri Papanasini

— Dispels all ignorance, or destroys sins.

— " By mere concentration on Her, sin becomes virtue. " Brahmanda

Purana

 

173) Sri Samsayaghni

— Destroys doubts of devotees.

 

174) Sri Nirbhava

— Unborn.

 

175) Sri Nirnasa

— Deathless.

 

196) Sri Sarvajna

— Omniscient.

 

198) Sri Samanadhika-Varjita

— Supreme; none to equal or excel Her.

 

199) Sri Sarva-Sakti-Mayi

— The Mother of all Powers and Energies such as Mahakali, Mahlaksmi

and Mahasaraswati.

 

201) Sri Sadgati-Prada

— Leads devotee to Highest Truth or Reality which is Herself.

 

203) Sri Sarvamayi

— Immanent in All.

 

207) Sri Manonmani

— Highest state of Consciousness.

— Secret name of Sri Durga.

 

208) Sri Mahesvari

— One with Him, God Almighty.

 

209) Sri Mahadevi

— The Greatest Goddess.

 

212) Sri Maharupa

— The Supreme Form.

 

213) Sri Maha-Pujya

— Worshipped by the Highest i.e. Sri Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

 

214) Sri Maha-Pataka-Nasini

— Destroys the greatest of sins.

 

216) Sri Maha-Sattva

— Supreme Existence.

— Supreme Energy.

 

217) Sri Maha-Saktih

— The Greatest Power.

— " To the Devi who abides in All beings in the form of Power. "

Sri Durga-Saptasati 32-34

 

218) Sri Maharatih

— The Greatest Bliss.

 

221) Sri Mahavirya

— The Greatest Might.

 

222) Sri Mahabala

— The Greatest Strength.

 

223) Sri Mahabuddhih

— The Greatest Intelligence.

 

— " To the Devi who abides in All beings in the form of Pure

Intelligence. " Sri Durga-Saptasati 20-22

 

232) Sri Mahesvara-Maha-Kalpa-Maha-Tandava-Saksini

— Silent Witness to the dissolution of the Universe.

 

252) Sri Paramananda

— The Ultimate Bliss.

 

254) Sri Dhyana-Dhyatr-Dhyeya-Rupa

— In the form of meditation, meditator and meditated.

 

256) Sri Visvarupa

— Universe is Her From.

 

263) Sri Sarvavastha Vivarjita

— Beyond all states. She is one with those who are beyond all those

states mentioned above.

 

265) Sri Brahmarupa

— Of the Form of Sri Brahma, the Creator.

 

267) Sri Govindarupini

— Of the form of Sri Vishnu, the Sustainer.

 

268) Sri Samharini

— Destroyer of Universe.

 

285) Sri Abrahma-Kita-Janani

— Mother of all Life.

 

296) Sri Anandinidhana

— Having neither Birth nor Death.

— Eternal.

 

297) Sri Hari-Brahmendra-Sevita

— Served by Sri Vishnu, Brahma and Indra, being Their Overlord.

 

317) Sri Raksakari

— The Saviour.

 

325) Sri Jagatikanda

— Root of the Universe.

 

326) Sri Karunarasa-Sagara

— Ocean of Compassion.

 

329) Sri Kanta

— Ultimate Form of Reality.

 

338) Sri Veda-Janani

— Mother of the Vedas.

 

339) Sri Visnu-Maya

— Produces an illusion of limitation, even to Visnu who is limitless.

 

340) Sri Vilasini

— Universe is for Her Pleasure.

— Opens or closes way to Self-Realization.

 

358) Sri Taruni

— Ever Young

 

359) Sri Tapasaradhya

— Worshipped by Penance.

— Beyond those incapable of meditation and penance.

 

361) Sri Tamopaha

— The Remover of Ignorance.

 

366) Sri Para

— The Ultimate.

 

367) Sri Pratyak-Chiti-Rupa

— Inner Consciousness or Knowledge.

 

369) Sri Para Devata

— The Ultimate Godhead.

 

373) Sri Kamesvara-Prananadi

— Life-breath of Sri Shiva.

— " Without Her, He is unable to move. " Saundhara-Lahari 1.

 

374) Sri Krtajna

— Witness and Judge of all.

 

389) Sri Nirupama

— Unequalled.

 

390) Sri Nirvana-sukha-dayini

— Giver of the Bliss of Liberation.

 

396) Sri Paramesvari

— The Ultimate Ruler.

 

397) Sri Mulaprakrtih

— The Original Nature.

 

400) Sri Vyapini

— All Pervading.

 

414) Sri Sva-prakasa

— Self-Illuminated; nothing illuminates Her as She is `Svayam-jyoti'.

 

415) Sri Mano-vachamagochara

— Beyond grasp of mind and speech.

— " Where words turn back. " Annapurna Upanisad 2

 

419) Sri Jadatmika

— Entire Creation has no power of knowing Her.

 

423) Sri Dvija-Vrnda-nisevita

— Pacified by the twice-born.

 

442) Sri Kumara-gana-nathamba

— Mother of Sri Kumara and Sri Ganesha, Commanders-in-Chief of the

Divine Forces.

 

457) Sri Mata

— Mother.

 

463) Sri Suranayika

— Leader of Gods.

 

470) Sri Vayovastha-vivarjita

— Ageless.

 

528) Sri Sahasra-dala-padmastha

— Resides in the Thousand-Petalled Lotus.

 

543) Sri Punya-labhya

— Attained by the meritorious or righteous.

— Worshipped due to good actions in previous births.

 

552) Sri Agra-ganya

— Primordial.

 

552) Sri Achintya-rupa

— Form inaccessible to thought.

 

555) Sri Kali-kalmasa-nasini

— Destroys sins in this Kali age.

 

563) Sri Mukhya

— The First One.

 

573) Sri Prajnana Ghana-rupini

— Supreme Wisdom

— State of Consciousness where nothing else is experienced except

Self.

— " Like the taste of salt in the sea (It) is everywhere; Prajnana is

All Pervasive. " Brahadaranyaka Upanisad

 

591) Sri Sirahsthita

— Dwells inside head near Brahmarandhra.

 

603) Sri Gurumurtih

— Of the Form of Guru.

— Leads devotee to Highest state of Liberation

 

615) Sri Adi-Shaktih

— Primal Power.

— The First Cause.

 

616) Sri Ameya

— Immeasurable.

 

618) Sri Atma

— The Ultimate Cosmic Soul.

 

620) Sri Aneka-koti-brahmanda-Janani

— Mother of all Universes.

— Her mind creates Universes at Will.

 

621) Sri Divya-vigraha

— Represents the Battle of the Divine Forces against Evil.

 

646) Sri Satyananda-svarupini

— Of the Nature of Truth and Bliss.

 

651) Sri Vijnatri

— Source of All Knowledge.

 

654) Sri Yogada

— One who gives Union of individual soul with Cosmic Spirit.

 

658) Sri Icchasakti-Jnana-Sakti-Kriya-Sakti- Svarupini

— The Power of Will, Knowledge and Action.

— The Force that Creates and Moves the Universe.

 

661) Sri Sadasad-rupadharini

— The Form of Existence and Non-existence.

— The Source of Reality and Unreality.

 

664) Sri Loka-yatra-vidhayini

— The One who determines the Life-Cycle of the Universe.

 

665) Sri Ekakini

— Alone.

 

668) Sri Dvaita-varjita

— The Ultimate Reality beyond All Duality.

 

673) Sri Brhati

— The Immense Truth.

 

678) Sri Bhasa-rupa

— In the Form of Languages.

 

681) Sri Sukharadhya

— Easily worshipped without putting body to strain.

— Internally worshipped.

 

683) Sri Sobhana-sulabha-gatih

— The Easiest Path to Self-Realization.

 

692) Sri Samrajya-dayini

— The Giver of Empires.

— Bestower of the Empire of Liberation.

 

700) Sri Saccidananda-rupini

— The Truth, Knowledge and Bliss unconditioned by Time and Space.

— The basic components of the Ultimate.

 

701) Sri Desa-kala-paricchinna

— The Truth unbroken by Time and Space.

— The All Pervading Eternal Truth.

 

702) Sri Sarvaga

— Present Everywhere and in Everything.

 

705) Sri Sastramayi

— The Mother of all Scriptures.

 

706) Sri Guhamba

— The Mother that dwells in the Heart.

 

707) Sri Guhya-rupini

— Beyond the Senses.

— Unseen and Secret.

 

713) Sri Guru-mandala-rupini

— The Unbroken Line of Divine Messengers.

— The Succession of Gurus that is She Herself.

 

718) Sri Mahi

— The Mother Earth.

— Giver of all Life and Food.

 

719) Sri Ganamba

— The Mother of Sri Ganesha.

 

725) Sri Daksinamurti-rupini

— The Form of Sri Daksinamurti, The Cosmic Guru.

— The Treasure-House of All Knowledge.

 

736) Sri Muktida

— The One who confers Liberation.

 

737) Sri Mukti-Rupini

— The Form of Liberation.

— The Supreme Knowledge of Liberation.

 

739) Sri Layakari

—The Fifth State beyond Turiya.

—The State where individual and Cosmic Consciousness merge.

 

742) Sri Bhava-Dava-Sudha-Vrstih

— Ambrosial rain which extinguishes the forest fire of Samsara.

— Ends the cycle of births and death.

 

755) Sri Candika

— Angry with evil forces.

 

757) Sri Ksara-Ksaratmika

— Eternal and Indestructible.

 

759) Sri Visva-Dharini

— The One who contains all Universes.

 

765) Sri Suddha

— Pure Knowledge.

 

768) Sri Dyuti-Dhara

— The Light.

 

777) Sri Viraradhya

— Worshipped by the valiant.

 

783) Sri Pranada

— The Giver of Life.

 

788) Sri Jayatsena

— Having victorious armies of Divine Forces.

 

800) Sri Rasa-sevadhih

— The Ocean of Bliss.

 

802) Sri Puratana

— The Primordial One.

— The Ancient One.

 

806) Sri Param-jyotih

— The Ultimate Light.

— " There (in the Great Lotus Forest) the sun, moon and stars do not

shine because She illumines the mind that illumine all of them. "

Kathopanisad 5.15

 

808) Sri Paramanuh

— The Ultimate Atom.

— The Minutest Atom.

 

809) Sri Parat-para

— The Ultimate of the Ultimate.

— The Ultimate beyond the Trimurti — Sri Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

 

814) Sri Amurta

— Beyond sense perception.

— Formless.

 

816) Sri Muni-manasa-hamsika

— Ever dwelling in the minds of Yogis.

— The Female Swan in the Lake of the Great Lotus Forest.

 

817) Sri Satya-vrata

— Dedicated to the Food of Truth.

 

819) Sri Sarvantaryamini

— The Spirit

 

822) Sri Brahma-janani

— The Ultimate Mother of All.

 

824) Sri Bahu-rupa

— Of Multiform Manifestations.

— " There are many forms of Her: the divine, human, animal, static and

mobile. Hence She is known as Bahurupa. " Devi-Purana

 

826) Sri Prasavitri

— Entire Creation emanates from Her.

 

828) Sri Ajna

— The Command.

— " In the beginning from My Mouth, By My Command were born. " Linga

Purana

 

831) Sri Pranesvari

—The Ruler of All Forms of Life.

—The Life of Life.

 

836) Sri Vira-mata

— The Mother of the Forces battling the forces of evil.

 

839) Sri Mukti-nilaya

— The Abode of Liberation.

 

840) Sri Mula-vigraha-rupini

— The Primordial Power.

 

841) Sri Bhavajna

— The Knower of All Thoughts.

 

845) Sri Sastra-sara

— The Power behind all Scriptures.

 

851) Sri Janma-mrtyu-tapta-jana-visranti-dayini

— Bestower of Peace and Solace on those consumed by evils of life,

death and old age.

— Endows True Knowledge of their Selves.

 

852) Sri Sarvopanisadadudghusta

— Proclaimed by all the Upanisads.

 

854) Sri Gambhira

— The Bottomless Lake.

— " The Ultimate Mother is to be visualised as a great and deep lake of

Consciousness, uncomprehended by Space and Time. " Siva Sutra 1.23

 

858) Sri Kalpana-rahita

— Pure Consciousness.

 

859) Sri Kastha

— The Final Truth.

— " She is the End and She is the Ultimate Path. "

Kathopanisad 3.11

 

861) Sri Kantardha-vigraha

— Having half the form which is Female.

 

866) Sri Aja

— The Unborn One.

— The One without Birth.

 

870) Sri Antarmukha-samaradhya

— Worshipped by those with Inner Vision.

— Worshipped by those with introspection.

 

871) Sri Bahirmukha-sudurlabha

— To be sought within.

 

879) Sri Sudha-srutih

— Ambrosial Stream of Bliss.

 

880) Sri Samsara-panka-nirmagna- samuddharana-pandita

— Rescues those drowning in Samsara; cycle of births and death.

— " Just as the tusk of Sri Varahavatara rescued the submerged earth,

so also She rescues those drowned in the Sea of Births. " Saundarya-

Lahari 3

 

891) Sri Vidrumabha

— The Tree of Knowledge

 

893) Sri Visnurupini

— Sri Vishnu is one of Her Forms.

— The Primordial Power of Sri Mahesha has four different forms.

 

902) Sri Vijnana-Kalana

— The Knower.

— The Perceiver.

 

907) Sri Tattvamayi

— The Mother of the Ultimate State of Consciousness.

 

911) Sri Sadasiva-Kutumbini

— The Matriarch of His Family.

— The Matriarch of Creation.

 

920) Sri Sadodita

— Ever Present in minds of devotees.

 

925) Sri Kaulini-Kevala

— The Power behind Time.

 

940) Sri Paramoda

— The Form of the Ultimate Bliss of Realization.

 

952) Sri Sasvataisvarya

— Having the Eternal Kingdom

 

960) Sri Lokatita

— Seated above Sahasrara or Sadashiva

- Loka in body.

— Transcends all Universes.

 

965) Sri Bala

— The First Movement towards Creation.

 

980) Sri Jnanagamya

— Reached only by Knowledge.

 

995) Sri Sarvanullanghya Sasana

— Whose command none i.e., not even Trimurtis can transgress.

 

1000) Sri Lalitambika

— The Mother Sri Lalita.

— " Since the Mother transcends the universe She sports, She is said

to be Sri Lalita. " (Padma Purana)

 

Sri Lalita Sahasranama

C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and Printers, 1989.

 

 

The Shakti Principle

 

" It has been said in this text (Ahirabudhya Samhita) that the

ultimate being has two aspects, one of which is the inactive or

negative state, where all his creative impulses lie dormant within

Him, and the whole universe lies infinitely contracted in. Him as a

mere possibility and potency. This negative state may be said to be a

state of nothingness. Even in this state there is Shakti, but she

remains perfectly absorbed in the Lord, as if in a union of deep

embrace. With the urge of the first creative impulse, there comes

from within the Lord, a determination (sankalpa), which results in

his 'willing'. This 'willing' of the Lord may be recognised as the

first vibration of the Shakti - the first cosmic rhythm in the

absolutely calm and quiet ocean.

 

When Shakti first wakes from her absorption in deep embrace, into the

first vibration of activity, she acquires something like independence

and tends to manifest herself in her triple functions of 'willing'

(icchha), 'knowing' (jnana), and 'activity' (kriya), These three

functions are symbolised by the inverted triangle, yantra of the

Mother Goddess. Sometimes it Is held that Shakti is nothing but a

figurative representation of the Lord, for the power cars never be

viewed as being a separate entity from the agent that possesses the

power.

 

The rise or awakening of Shakti therefore means the awakening of the

Lord from his infinitely contracted state to the state of full-

fledged 'I-ness'. Shakti is thus the full 'I-ness' of the Lord. Her

nature is infinite bliss. This Shakti can again be viewed in two of

her aspects - the internal aspect in which she coexists with and is

in the Lord (samavayini shakti), and the external aspect in which

she, as Prakriti, and the repository of the three natural qualities,

manifests herself as the external universe.

 

According to the tantric texts of Kashmir also, Shakti inheres in the

Ultimate Being as a latent potency of infinite possibilities, as a

seed of the future worlds, mobile and immobile. As the Ultimate Being

is real and eternal, so is Shakti, who is coexistent with Him. The

awakening of Shakti is something like a self-projection of the 'I-

ness' of God which is accompanied by an internal process of self

creation.

 

Shiva and Shakti

 

There are different views on the relation of Shiva and Shakti as

propounded in the Puranas and Tantras. One view holds that neither

Shiva nor Shakti represents the absolute truth; that the absolute

reality is a State of neutrality where Shiva and Shakti remain in a

state of perfect union (yamala). This is called the 'samarasya',

where all things become one in a unity of blissful realisation. Shiva

and Shakti ate two aspects of the one truth - the static and dynamic,

the negative and the positive, the abstract and the concrete, the

male and the female.

 

Another view holds Shiva as the Ultimate Being to whom Shakti

eternally belongs. Nevertheless, neither Shiva nor Shakti is 'real'

without the other. As Shakti cannot be conceived of without Shiva, so

also Shiva becomes 'shava' (dead) without Shakti. The two are

therefore eternally and inseparably connected.

 

A third view considers Shakti as the highest truth and Shiva as the

best support for Shakti. Shakti is more important as 'the contained',

while Shiva is the 'container'. Shakti is the all-creating, all-

preserving and all-destroying power of which Shiva is the adhara

(base).

 

In some of the Puranas the male deity, as the Shaktimat (the

possessor of Shakti) has been described as the male aspect of the

Ultimate Truth which is Shakti. It is from this point of view that

the Mother worshippers would give a subsidiary place to Shiva, where

the Shakti as Mother is taken to be the highest object of adoration.

In this, her sovereign majesty, the Goddess, is sometimes called

Lalita Devi from whom the male deity proceeds as a transformation of

her own self. Apart from this conception of the Goddess, Lalita often

stands as the general Mother Goddess of India. She is called

Tripurasundari in the Tantras.

 

Puranas: Chandi Saptashati

 

Shakti as the Great Mother and highest truth has found an elaborate

exposition in the Devi Mahatmya, (Glory of the Goddess) of the

Markandeya Purana, and this portion of the Purana, comprising

thirteen chapters, is regarded as the most sacred text of Mother

worshippers and is known as Chandi or Durga Saptashati. Here the

goddess is seen as Devi and becomes well known later as Durga. The

name Durga has been variously interpreted in Puranic and Tantric

literature which means she is the Mother Goddess who saves us from

all sorts of misery and affliction, from all dangers and

difficulties. She is also known as Chandi the fierce goddess as she

incarnates whenever occasion demands, for the purpose of destroying

the asuras (demons) who may threaten mental peace and the heavenly

domain of the divine beings.

 

Durga is the Mother Goddess whose worship during the Autumn is a most

celebrated one. She is also worshipped as Annapurna or Annada

(goddess of corn and food). In Autumn she is also worshipped as

Jagadhatri (the maintainer of the world). During the Spring she is

Vasanti (Goddess of Spring). In some Of the Puranas Devi is said to

be worshipped by 108 names in 108 sacred places (in the Matsya

Purana, chapter 13, it is said that, though she is all-pervading and

underlies all forms, the devotee desirous of attaining perfection

should worship her in different places).

 

In the Devi Kavacha of the Chandi, the Devi as Nawadurga is described

as Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda Skandamata,

Kutyayani, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri. Other forms of Shakti are

Chamunda (seated on a corpse), Varahi (on a buffalo), Aindri (on an

elephant), Vaishnavi (on the bird Garuda), Maheswari (on a bull),

Kaumari (on a peacock), Lakshmi (on a lotus), Ishwar (on a bull) and

Brahmi (on a swan). Many of the Shaktis are associated with different

godheads, such as Varahi, Shakti of Varaha (the boar-god), Narasimhi

of Narasimha (the man-lion god).

 

Some Shakti forms are also found within the Buddhist tradition. For

instance, Tara, a popular Indian goddess, is also a famous Buddhist

goddess, while Chhinnamasta may be compared to Vajrayogini of the

Buddists.

 

The story of Chandi first introduces Shakti as the principle of great

illusion (mahamaya) which prevents us from viewing the things of life

and the world around us in their true perspective. It creates in the

mind a fierce attachment to the world and thus binds us down to a

lower plane of existence. But where does the principle of objective

illusion originate? It is an aspect of the same divine power which is

responsible for the creative process, and which is shaping the

universe eternally to its end. It was there as one with the Supreme

Being even when the cosmos was not, and it remains there absorbed in

the existence of the Supreme Being even after the dissolution, as a

potency, a seed of future creative manifestation. It has its sway,

not only on all animates but also on the Supreme Being, and in

connection with the latter it is called Yogamaya, the maya which is a

direct part of the Lord.

 

Mahamaya, as the Mahashakti, remains absolutely inactive at the time

of dissolution and this inactivity of the Shakti lulls the Supreme

Being lo profound sleep in the ocean of causal potency. She is the

Mahakali since she contracts eternal time (kala) within her and from

her time proceeds again as an endless flow of creative vibration. It

is incorrect to consider this power as being spiritual alone. She

is 'The' power - spiritual, mental, intellectual, physiological and

biological. Whatever exists is due to Her; whatever works, works due

to Her. "

 

The Shakti Principle

Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati