Mahavidyas (Great Wisdoms) or Dasha-Mahavidyas are a group of ten aspects of Adi Parashakti in Hinduism. Mahavidyas (Great Wisdoms) or Dasha-Mahavidyas are a group of ten aspects of Adi Parashakti in Hinduism. Each Wisdom Goddess has her own name, story, quality, and mantras. The Mahvidyas, as a group, represents a vital turning point in the history of Shaktism, as it marks the rise of Bhakti in Shaktism.
In Tantra, the worship of the Das Mahavidyas is seen as a a deep and transforming spiritual practice that aims to achieve self-realization and the highest understanding of the divine. With her unique qualities, each goddess symbolises many aspects of life and leads her followers along the road of spiritual development.
Shaktas believe, “the one Truth is sensed in ten different facets; the Divine Mother is adored and approached as ten cosmic personalities,” the Dasa-Mahavidya (“Ten-Mahavidyas”).
As per another school of thought in Shaktism Mahavidyas are considered to be form of Mahakali. The Mahavidyas are considered Tantric in nature, and are usually identified as:
Kali The Goddess who is the ultimate form of Brahman, and the devourer of time . Mahakali is of a pitch black complexion, darker than the dark of the dead of the night. She has three eyes, representing the past, present and future. She has shining white, fang-like teeth, a gaping mouth, and her red, bloody tongue hanging from there. She has unbound, dishevelled hairs. She wears tiger skins as her garments, a garland of skulls and a garland of rosy red flowers around her neck, and on her belt, she was adorned with skeletal bones, skeletal hands as well as severed arms and hands as her ornamentation. She has four hands, two of them had the trident called the Trishul and the sword and two others carried a demon head and a bowl collecting the blood dripping from a demon head.
Tara The Goddess who acts as a guide and a protector, and she who offers the ultimate knowledge that grants salvation. She is the goddess of all sources of energy. The energy of the sun is believed to originate from her. She manifested as the mother of Shiva after the incident of Samudra Manthan at o heal him as her child. Tara is of a light blue complexion. She has disheveled hair, wearing a crown decorated with the digit of the half-moon. She has three eyes, a snake coiled comfortably around her throat, wearing the skins of tigers, and a garland of skulls. She is also seen wearing a belt supporting her skirt made of tiger-skin. Her four hand scarry a lotus, scimitar, demon head and scissors. Her left foot rests on the laying down Shiva.
Tripura Sundari (Shodashi Lalita) The Goddess who is “beauty of the three worlds”; the “Tantric Parvati” or the “Moksha Mukta”. She is the ruler of Manidvipa, the eternal supreme abode of the goddess. Shodashi is seen with a molten gold complexion, three placid eyes, a calm mien, wearing red and pink vestments, adorned with ornaments on her divine limbs and four hands, each holding a goad, lotus, a bow, and arrow. She is seated on a throne.
Bhuvaneshvari The Goddess as the world mother, or whose body comprises all the fourteen lokas of the cosmos. Bhuvaneshvari is of a fair, golden complexion, with three content eyes as well as a calm mien. She wears red and yellow garments, decorated with ornaments on her limbs and has four hands. Two of her four hands hold a goad and noose while her other two hands are open. She is seated on a divine, celestial throne.
Bhairavi The fierce goddess. The female version of Bhairava. Bhairavi is of a fiery, volcanic red complexion, with three furious eyes, and dishevelled hair. Her hair is matted, tied up in a bun, decorated by a crescent moon as well as adorning two horns, one sticking out from each side. She has two protruding tusks from the ends of her bloody mouth. She wears red and blue garments and is adorned with a garland of skulls around her neck. She also wears a belt decorated with severed hands and bones attached to it. She is also decked with snakes and serpents too as her ornamentation – rarely is she seen wearing any jewellery on her limbs. Of her four hands, two are open and two hold a rosary and book.
Chhinnamasta (“She whose head is severed”) – The self-decapitated goddess. She chopped her own head off in order to satisfy Jaya and Vijaya (metaphors of rajas and tamas– part of the Trigunas). Chinnamasta has a red complexion, embodied with a frightful appearance. She has dishevelled hair. She has four hands, two of which hold a sword and another hand holding her own severed head; three blazing eyes with a frightful mien, wearing a crown. Two of her other hands hold a lasso and drinking bowl. She is a partially clothed lady, adorned with ornaments on her limbs and wearing a garland of skulls on her body. She is mounted upon the back of a copulating couple.
Dhumavati The widow goddess. Dhumavati is of a smoky dark brown complexion, her skin is wrinkled, her mouth is dry, some of her teeth have fallen out, her long disheveled hair is gray, her eyes are seen as bloodshot and she has a frightening mien, which is seen as a combined source of anger, misery, fear, exhaustion, restlessness, constant hunger and thirst. She wears white clothes, donned in the attire of a widow. She is sitting in a horseless chariot as her vehicle of transportation and on top of the chariot, there is an emblem of a crow as well as a banner. She has two trembling hands, her one hand bestows boons and/or knowledge and the other holds a winnowing basket.
Bagalamukhi The goddess who paralyzes enemies. Bagalamukhi has a molten gold complexion with three bright eyes, lush black hair and a benign mien. She is seen wearing yellow garments and apparel. She is decked with yellow ornaments on her limbs. Her two hands hold a maceor club and holds demon Madanasura by the tongue to keep him at bay. She is shown seated on either a throne or on the back of a crane.
Matangi The Prime Minister of Lalita, sometimes called Shyamala (“dark in complexion”, usually depicted as dark blue) and the “Tantric Saraswati“. Matangi is most often depicted as emerald green in complexion, with lush, disheveled black hair, three placid eyes and a calm look on her face. She is seen wearing red garments and apparel, bedecked with various ornaments all over her delicate limbs. She is seated on a royal throne and she has four hands, three of which hold a sword or scimitar, a skull and a veena (a musical instrument). Her one hand bestows boons to her devotees.
Kamala (Kamalatmika) she who dwells in lotuses; sometimes called the “Tantric Lakshmi“. Kamala is of a molten gold complexion with lush black hair, three bright, placid eyes, and a benevolent expression. She is seen wearing red and pink garments and apparel and bedecked with various ornaments and lotuses all over her limbs. She is seated on a fully bloomed lotus, while with her four hands, two hold lotuses while two grant her devotees’ wishes and assures protection from fear.
All these Mahavidyas reside in Manidvipa. TheMaha Bhagavata Purana and Brihaddharma Purana however, list Shodashi (Sodasi) as Tripura Sundari, which is simply another name for the same goddess.