Feb 13, 2014

Dasa-Mahavidya

Mahavidyas (Great Wisdoms) or Dasa-Mahavidyas are a group of ten aspects of the Divine Mother Parvati or Kali herself or Devi in Vedic culture.

This is the first Blog post on the topic of the ten great Tantric Goddesses. I will share details on each of them and experiences with some of them.

The ten Mahavidyas are Wisdom Goddesses, who represent a spectrum of feminine divinity, from horrific goddesses at one end, to the gentle at the other, according to David Kinsley *

The name Mahavidyas comes from the Sanskrit roots, with maha meaning 'great' and vidya meaning, 'revelation, manifestation, knowledge, or wisdom.

Each of these Goddesses represents one aspect of Absolute reality and are not mere elemental spirits. Not that there is anything wrong with elemental or material spirits (i.e. Paimon, Dantalion, Astaroth etc.), it is just that they are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay beyond the reach of even the One King of elemental spirits.

Each of these Goddesses IS able to bestow upon us everything and anything we may need on our mundane or spiritual path.

Mahavidyas are:
  • Kali, 
  • Tara, 
  • Shodashi or Tripura Sundari, 
  • Bhuvaneshvari, 
  • Bhairavi, 
  • Chhinnamasta, 
  • Dhumavati, 
  • Bagalamukhi, 
  • Matangi and
  • Kamala or Kamalatmika.

They are not mere Demi-Goddesses but are so called Maha Vidyas (direct translation being 'great wisdoms') which means they can bless you even with liberation itself, for that is what vidya actually means: true and lasting attainment of empirical knowledge that results in moksha or liberation from suffering, once and for all.

My Mother Kali has guided me through sadhana for some of the Mahavidyas; they are all but aspects of Her, the One and Only Feminine Deity, Mahakali.


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* Kinsley, David R (1987). Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Tradition

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