Mahadevi (महादेवी, ), also referred to as Adi Parashakti, Adi Shakti, and Abhaya Shakti, is the supreme goddess in the Shaktism sect of Hinduism.
Vaishnavism
The goddess
Lakshmi is revered as Mahadevi in the
Vaishnavism tradition, extolled to possess a thousand names and qualities such as the bestower of prosperity, the lotus-eyed one, the omniscient one, the one who meditates on the Ultimate Reality, as well as the one with the cosmic form.
Various texts like the
Garuda Purana,
Bhagavata Purana, and
Lakshmi Tantra refer to Lakshmi as Mahadevi.
According to Devi Mahatmya, the iconographical characteristics of Lakshmi are as follows: "She bears 18 hands carrying a rosary, axe, mace, arrow, thunderbolt, lotus, pitcher, rod, shakti, sword, shield, conch, bell, wine-cup, trident, noose, chakra, and the discus".
Shaivism
The Shiva Purana says Adi Parashakti incarnated in materialistic form as
Parama Prakriti from the left half of Lord Shiva i.e.Parabrahman during the beginning of the Universe. The
Linga Purana states that Adi Shakti brings forth the evolution of life in every Universe through the union of every Parvati and Shiva in all of the Universes.
[Shiva Mahapurana | Gitapress Gorakhpur]
Shaktism
Shaktism conceive the Goddess as the supreme, ultimate, eternal reality of all existence, or same as the
Brahman concept of Hinduism. She is considered to be simultaneously the source of all creation, its embodiment and the energy that animates and governs it, and that into which everything will ultimately dissolve. She has manifested herself as Shiva in male form. Her half is Shiva.
Importance
In the Devi Gita, it is suggested that before incarnating as
Parvati, she appeared to King Himalaya and revealed divine, eternal knowledge to him. She explained herself, in the words of the
Vedas, as having neither beginning nor end. She is the only, eternal truth. The whole universe is her creation. She is the only victor and the manifestation of victory itself. She is a manifested, un-manifested and transcendent divinity. She then displayed her scarcely seen form to him:
Satyaloka was located in her forehead; the created universe were her hairs; the sun and moon were her eyes; in her ears were the four directions; the Vedas were her words; death, affection and emotion were her teeth; maya was manifested by her smile.
The goddess Parvati as Kushmanda gives birth to the universe in the form of a cosmic egg which manifests as the universe. Ultimately, Adi Shakti herself is the zero energy which exists even after destruction of the universe and before its creation.
Shakta Puranas
The Devi Bhagavata Purana described her in the form of
Bhuvaneshvari. It mentioned that
Shiva worshipped and meditated on Adi Parashakti for thousands of years, using the
beeja mantra "Hreem". The Goddess Adi Parashakti is also considered to be both
Nirguna (Param Atman) and Saguna with form. In her Saguna form she is described as the Mother of the Universe and is residing in Sarvaloka
Manidweepa above all of the other realms. She is the Great Goddess, and all other
Devi and even all the
Gods are her various forms, says the Devi Gita. In Devi Mahatmyam, Trimurti and
demigods praises Adi Shakti.
Cosmogony
In the third canto of the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam, Devi addressed the
Trimurti as follows:
According to the Tripura Rahasya, Mahadevi was the only goddess existed before the beginning of the universe. She is supposed to have created the Trimurti, and began the creation of the universe.
Forms
In
Vaishnavism, Lakshmi is traditionally worshipped as secondary to her consort Vishnu, and represents the bliss of a settled and domestic life. However, in Shakta traditions, Lakshmi is either a representation, or is the supreme deity. In texts such as the
Lakshmi Tantra, she is both the creator as well as the destroyer. In her capacity as Mahalakshmi, she is synonymous with Mahadevi.
In Shaivism, the Devi Parvati is the complete incarnation of Adi Parashakti.
She took various incarnations over a period of time for upholding Dharma. According to the yogis of the highest order, she is the power who resides in the Kundalini in the form of Amba, she is 31/2 coil in size and when the Kundalini is raised from the sacrum bone of every human being by a highly realized soul whose kundalini is also awakened then she rises through the back bone of the human opening all chakras mooladhara, Swadisthana, manipura, anahata, vishuddi, Agnya and finally through sahasrara chakras and connects the soul to the all pervading power (or collective consciousness) of the divine.
On the three nadis, Ida (Left channel- Tamo guna), Pingala (Right channel-Rajo Guna) and Sushumna (central channel-Sattva guna), the kundalini passes through the central channel balancing all the left and right channel.
Kali is another form of Mahadevi. She is the goddess of power, spiritual fulfillment, time, as well as presiding over the pralaya. She gives Moksha to mankind. She is the incarnation of Parvati and consort of Shiva's incarnation Mahakala. She helped Mahavishnu slay the demons Madhu and Kaitabha in the form of Mahamaya. It is she who also slew Shumbha and Nishumbha in the form of Kaushiki, who are symbols of ignorance. She is also known as Yogmaya. She is also called as Tamsi Devi and Chandi Devi according to the Durga Saptashati. She wears red or black, and presides over the Tamas Guna.
Worship
The
Sri Yantra in diagrammatic form, shows how its nine interlocking triangles form a total of 43 smaller triangles.
Shaktas claim that it is assumed that indirectly or directly, everybody worships her. When someone is utilizing their energy in positive aspects of life then they are worshiping her. Hypothetically Shaktas assume, since, she is absolute Energy when one knows how to raise their inner energy and knows how to balance that energy for daily work then ultimately, they are worshiping her. To balance Energy for day-to-day life, people worship their personal gods/God according to their religion, enlighten candles and lamps at home, do good work for society, and much more. All these activities either energize them or serve as methods to gain motivation.
Many scholars like Swami Vivekananda prefer meditation as the best practice to stop mental impurities as he said Holy meditation helps to burn out all mental impurities and claims that to know one's own energy is the best method to worship Divine Mother.
Iconography
Adi Parashakti is generally seen as an abstract goddess but her appearance is described in the Devi Bhagavata Purana,
Kalika Purana, Markandeya Purana-
Devi Mahatmya,
Brahmanda Purana-Lalita Sahasranama, and the
Tripura Rahasya. According to the Devi Bhagavata Purana, the goddess once invited the
Trimurti to
Manidvipa. The Trimurti saw the supreme goddess
Bhuvaneshvari sitting on a jeweled seat on a throne. Her face contained the radiance of millions of stars and her celestial beauty was so great, that the Trimurti were not able to look at her. She carries the Abhaya and Varada Mudra, Pasha, and Ankusha.
Epithets
Mahadevi is known by many names. She is commonly known as
Mulaprakrti ('she who is primordial matter') and
Mahamaya ('she who is the great maya').
The Devi Bhagavata Purana and Lalita Sahasranama describe Mahadevi's numerous epithets. These names include her divine and destructive characteristics.
In the Devi Bhagavata Purana she is described as 'the mother of all', 'the life force in all beings', and 'she who is supreme knowledge'. The Lalita Sahasranama also describes her as
Visvadhika ('she who transcends the universe'),
Sarvaga ('she who is omnipresent'),
Vishvadharini ('she who supports the universe'),
Raksasaghni ('she who slays demons'),
Bhairavi ('the terrible one'), and
Sarhharini ('she who destroys').
Mahadevi's destructive features are further described in a hymn called Aryastava, calling her
Kalaratri ('night of death') and
Nistha ('she who is death').
Association
With incarnations of Vishnu
The Guhyati guyha-tantra associates the Mahavidyas with the ten
of
Vishnu, and states that the Mahavidya forms of Mahadevi are the source from which the avatars of Vishnu arose.
Lesser forms
Yogamaya
Adi Parashakti is regarded to be the one who actually creates
maya for the gods and teaches them what to do and what not to do, so that they can be connected to the ultimate
Brahman. She helps
Vishnu to slay the demons Madhu and Kaitabha to save the world. Moreover, she is also the one that who takes Vishnu to mystic sleep, and hence is called the Yoganidra of
Narayana. Her presence is supposed to be required by yogis, sages and bhaktas, so that they can be connected to God.
Shaktism consider her to be goddess
Durga.
Mahamaya
She is the goddess that destroys the upfold of illusion. She is the one that creates and destroys maya. She is controlled by Yogamaya and hence subordinate to Yogamaya and senior to Maya. She emerges as seven mothers to destroy evil forces of
Shumbha and
Nishumbha, with
Chamunda being one of them. She is required to gain physical strength, health, satvika attributes and demotes anger, greed and arrogance
Shaktism consider her as form of
Durga.
Maya
She is the one who deludes living beings from god and takes any being to the world of illusion. She promotes greed, anger, and arrogance. It is assumed that in the Age of
Kali Yuga, her effect is highest.
In popular culture
Bibliography
Notes
