Tirupura Sundari - The Third Maha Vidhya(The beauty of three worlds)

 Tripura Sundari or Lalita Maha Tripura Sundari is the Adhi Shakthi or Mother Supreme. She chose Lord Shiva to be her spouse and is the mother of Lord Ganesha, Lord Karthik and Goddess Bala Tripurasundari. Some scriptures say that She is the mother of Lakshmi, Saraswathi, Rajarajeswari, Kamakoti, Sri Vidya and Gowri also. She is called Vishnu Maya, Sri Lalitha Bhattarika,Sri Lalita Parameswari, and by several other names. Though She is listed as the third Devata of Dasa Mahavidyas, She is the foremost of the ten mahavidyas and the highest aspect of Goddess Adi Parashakti and commands the whole team of Dasa Maha Vidyas, occupying the central “Bindhu” position in Sri Chakra, and the top position when it is worshipped as the three dimensioned form of Maha Meru. She is served by 16 Thithi Nithya Devathas including Vaarahi and Raja Mathangi. . The Tripura Upanishad places her as the ultimate Shakti (energy, power) of the universe.[4] She is described as the supreme consciousness, ruling from above Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra and Ishwara.[5].

She is the Shakti/consort of SadaShiva, the Prakriti to his Purusha. Lalita manifests as Goddess Sati, Goddess Parvati, Goddess Durga, Goddess Mahakali and all their incarnations, as showcased in Shakta literature. Lalita Tripura Sundari Devi is considered to be the most potent incarnation of Adi Parashakti or simply Her saguna roopa. She, along with SadaShiva is responsible for the Pancha-Krityas - Sristi or creation, Sthithi or protection, Samhara or destruction, Thirodhana or concealment of the world in Maya and Anugraha or final liberation . She is best known as the Devi glorified in the Lalita Sahasranama and as the subject of the Lalitopakhyanam

She is identical with the triangle (trikona) that symbolizes the yoni and that forms her chakra . She is also called Tripura because her mantra has three clusters of syllables. Here Tripura is identified with the alphabet, from which all sounds and words proceed and which is often understood to occupy a primordial place in tantric cosmology. She is three-fold, furthermore, because She expresses herself in Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva in her roles as creator, maintainer, and destroyer of the universe. She is threefold also because She represents the subject , instrument, and object of all things. Here again, She is identified with reality expressed in terms of speech, which involves a speaker, what is said, and objects to which the words refer.[11]

Tripura Sundari is also known by names as Ṣhoḍaśī ("She who is the sixteenth"[12]), Lalitā, Kāmeśvarī, Śrīvidyā and Raj Rajeshwari.[1] The Shodashi Tantra refers to Shodashi as Tripurasundari.[13] She is Tripura because she is beyond the three Gunas. She dwells in the three worlds of manas, buddhi, and chitta. She is Trayi, the unified combination of the three gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The Panchadasakshari mantra is used in her worship.

The Vamakeshvara tantra says that Tripura-sundari dwells on the peaks of the Himalayas; is worshiped by sages and heavenly nymphs; has a body like pure crystal; wears a tiger skin, a snake as a garland around her neck, and her hair tied in a knot; holds a trident and drum; is decorated with jewels, flowers, and ashes; and has a large bull to ride.

There are so many famous temples for the Goddess Tripurasundari throughout India.

By
RR
The Enlightened Souls

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