Das Mahavidya refers to a group of ten powerful goddesses in Hinduism. They signify ten aspects of the Divine Mother or Goddess Parvati. Dasa denotes ‘ten’, ‘maha’ means ‘great’, and ‘vidya’ means ‘knowledge’. In the history of Shaktism or Goddess worship, the Das Mahavidyas marked an important turning point as it led to the rise of Tantra.
They are also called Wisdom Goddesses who guide spiritual seekers on their path to Moksha or liberation. They symbolize different states of inner awakening as the seeker journeys toward enlightenment. These goddesses also represent various Chakras (energy centers) in the human body.
The Das Mahavidyas are Kali, Tara, Maha Tripura Sundari or Shodashi Sri vidya, Bhuvaneshwari, Chinnamasta, Bhairavi, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi, and Kamala. These 10 aspects of the Devi represent the entire Creation. Sadhaks or spiritual seekers worship them in Tantrik forms.
Origin story of Das Mahavidyas
Lord Shiva told his wife, Sati, not to attend her father Daksha’s Yagna on the grounds that Daksha had insulted him by not inviting him. This made Sati angry. She wanted to show Shiva that she was the mother of the Universe and assumed 10 different forms to display her power. The entire cosmos was filled with awe.
Shiva tried to escape, but Shakti stopped him whenever he tried to go in a different direction. She took ten different forms to guard the ten directions. These ten forms are the Das Mahavidya. Each form has its own story, quality, Mantra, etc.
Kali
Kali was Sati’s first form. She had a frightful appearance. Her hair flew wild and loose, and she was dark-hued. She stood on a corpse, and on her neck was a Munda mala (garland of skulls). On her ears were earrings fashioned from the bones of corpses. She had four hands – she held a skull in one and a curved sword dripping with blood in another. The other 2 hands displayed Abhaya mudra and Varada mudra. Kali represents the universal consciousness. In her, all the dualities of life, like light and darkness, beautiful and fearsome, become reconciled.
Tara
Goddess Tara signifies maternal love, compassion and protection. One of her names is “Samsaratarini,” which means “she who takes across the ocean of worldly existence.” Tara was later adopted by Buddhism. During Samudra Manthan, Lord Shiva drank poison to save the world from destruction. But he fell unconscious due to the poison. Goddess Durga then appeared as Tara, took him on her lap, and breastfed Him to nullify the poison.
Tripura Sundari
Tripura Sundari, or Goddess Shodashi, is the most beautiful in all the three worlds. She is the beauty we glimpse all around us. In Mahavidya, she is also known as Tantric Parvati. Other names are Lalita and Rajarajeshwari, which mean “the one who plays” and “queen of queens,” respectively. Tripurasundari is also a form of Mahalakshmi and symbolizes wealth.
Bhuvaneshwari
“Bhuvanesvari” means “Mistress of the World.” Bhuvana represents the entire cosmos, which consists of the heavens, the atmosphere, and the earth. She is also called Mahamaya, which means “she whose magical power is great”. All that we experience is, in fact, the Divine Mother. Pranatoshini Grantha says that Brahma wanted to create the Universe. So he did intense Tapasya to invite Kriya Shakti, the energy of Creation. A pleased Goddess Parameswari accepted his invitation and came as Bhu Devi or Bhuvaneshwari.
Chinnamasta
She is the third Mahavidya and is also known as Prachanda Chandika. Chinnamasta means “she who is decapitated”. The Panchatantra Grantha says that she cut her own head with her fingernail to feed her friends, Dakini and Varnini, with her blood. The Goddess represents the courage that one needs to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Bhairavi
Bhairavi means “frightful,” “horrible,” or “formidable.” She has the brilliance of ten thousand rising suns. She has many names, including Tripura Bhairavi, Kaulesh Bhairavi, Siddhida Bhairavi, Chaitanya Bhairavi, Nitya Bhairavi, Rudra Bhairavi, and many more. Bhairavi is Chandi in the Durga Saptashati who kills Chanda and Munda.
Bhairavi represents divine wrath. She displays a fierce, maternal protectiveness to eliminate ignorance that keeps us in the chains of Samsara. She is also Sakalasiddhibhairavi, the one who grants every perfection.
Dhumavati
The meaning of Dhumavati is “she who is made of smoke.” Smoke is dark. It pollutes and conceals. Hence, it represents the worst aspects of human existence.
Pranatoshini Tantra says that once Sati swallowed Shiva to sate her hunger. She regurgitated Him later, but Shiva cursed her to take the form of a widow.
She is associated with hunger, thirst, poverty, quarrels, anger, and negativity. She is depicted as old and ugly and dressed in rags. Dhumavati is the destructive force of time that takes away everything we hold dear - loved ones, beauty, strength, energy, health, etc.
Bagalamukhi
She is the “goddess who paralyzes enemies.” In later tantric yoga, she is associated with Pranayama. 'Bagala' means ‘bridle’, which is used to control horses. Bagalamukhi has the power to control and paralyze one’s enemies. She is also called Devi of Sthambhana. She can stop all motion at the right time, silence the mouths of evil beings, and control their tongues.
Matangi
The Shaktisamgama-tantra describes the birth of Ucchishta-matangini. Once, Lord Vishnu and his wife Lakshmi visited Shiva and Parvati. While eating food, the deities dropped some on the ground. A beautiful maiden arose from it and asked for their leftovers. The four deities gave her their leftovers as prasad. Shiva declared that those who chant her Mantra and worship her would gain control over enemies and achieve their material desires. The maiden got the name, Ucchishta-matangini.
Matangi is often described as impure and an outcast. She is associated with outcast communities like those who collect waste, process meat, and work in cremation grounds. She is a Tantric form of Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge and the arts.
Kamala
Kamala is the tenth of the Dasa Mahavidyas and is the supreme form of the Goddess. Devotees compare her with Goddess Lakshmi, and she is even called Tantric Lakshmi. The Goddess bestows prosperity and wealth, good luck, fertility, and crops. Kamala is not the consort of any God but an independent Divine Mother. But she is not completely auspicious. Sometimes she is also Rudra (“the howling one”), Tamasi (“the dark one”), or Ghora or Bhima (“the terrifying one”).
Conclusion
There are prescribed Tantrik rituals and procedures for the worship of the Dasa Mahavidyas. Many devotees worship them to gain relief from astrological afflictions like Doshas and also to obtain siddhis (powers) and spiritual wisdom. Tantriks also recommend the worship of various Dasha Mahavidya Yantras and recitation of Dasha Mahavidya Mantras to achieve such objectives.
Dasa Mahavidya Pooja and Dasa Mahavidya Homam are often performed as remedies to resolve many problems in life and mitigate the adverse effects of malefic planets. Dasa Mahavidya Mantras are different for each Goddess. These are chanted during the worship to invoke the Goddess in question.
