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Mahavidya, She-of-Great-Knowledge.
M1H*VYDY*
[to Whom the twenty-eighth day of September, day 271, is dedicated]
Geography/Culture: Hindustani.
Linguistic Note: Sanscrit maha, 'great', plus vidya, 'that kind of knowledge which transcends intellectual cognition and wisdom'.
Description: Goddess of the direct apprehension of that spiritual knowledge which will eradicate ignorance, dispel the mists of illusion and lead to the attainment of liberation; She Who represents transcendent knowledge and magical powers.
Titles/Variants, etc:
- She is also known as Mahasarasvati, Great-Flowing-One, below.
- Singular form of, or collective name for, the Mahavidyas, Those-of-Great-Knowledge, below.
- Title of Sarasvati, She-Who-Flows-Eloquently-Onward.
- Mahavidya, She-of-Great-Knowledge, appears to be closely connected with Vac, Creative-Word.
Source: Stutley HDH 172.
Kamala, Lotus.
K1M1L*
Geography/Culture: Hindustani.
Titles/Variants, etc:
- Laksmi, Sign, is also called Kamala, Lotus.
- Kamala is the tenth transformation of the Mahavidyas, Those-of-Great-Knowledge, below.
Source: Stutley HDH 140; Woodroffe HGHK 26.
Mahasarasvati, {Great-Flowing-One}.
M1H*S1R1SV1TE
Geography/Culture: Hindustani.
To Whom Sacred: the sattva guna.
Titles/Variants, etc:
- Emanation of Mahalaksmi, {Great-Sign}, Who is linked with Urmya, .
- Mahasarasvati, Great-Flowing-One, is also known as Mahavidya, She-of-Great-Knowledge, above.
- See also Sarasvati, She-Who-Flows-Eloquently-Onward.
- Mahasarasvati is also called Vac, Creative-Word.
- Also called
Vedagarbha, {Womb-of-Knowledge.
Source: Stutley HDH 171.
Mahavidyas, Those-of-Great-Knowledge'.
M1H*VYDY*S
Geography/Culture: Hindustani. Tantric.
Description: Those Who are the source of preternatural power; Seven of Whom belong to the creative manifestation-stages of the universe, and three to the withdrawal.
-
- 1st -- Lalita, Spontaneous-One,
- Who is linked with Maya.
- 2nd -- Tara, Saviour.
- 3rd -- Sodasi, Maiden-of-Sixteen, below.
- 4th -- Bhuvanesvari, Mistress-of-the-World,
- Who is linked with Rajarajesvari, Queen-of-Queens.
- 5th (or 6th HDH/41), -- Bhairavi, The-terrible,
- 6th (or 5th HDH/62) -- Chinnamasta, She-With-the-Split-Skulls,
- Who is linked with Prajnaparamita, Wisdom-of-the-Yonder-Shore.
- 7th -- Dhumavati, Smoky-One.
- 8th -- Bagala, Deceitful,
- Who is linked with Gramadevata, Village-Goddess.
- 9th --
Matangi, ----.
- 10th -- Kamala, Lotus. above.
{The order of their transformations is first given as outlined in the article Stutley HDH 172, followed in parenthesis by the position as given elsewhere in HDH.}
Titles/Variants, etc:
- Transformations of Kali, Black-One, each is part of Her total persona.
- Singular form Mahavidya. She-of-Great-Knowledge, above.
- Ugratara, Powerful-Star, (Who is linked with Tara, Star) is also called one of the Mahavidyas, Those-of-Great-Knowledge, and may be the more correct name than Tara.
Source: Stutley HDH 172.
Sodasi, Maiden-of-Sixteen.
$OD1SE
Geography/Culture: Hindustani.
Description: She Who represents the universal creative energy of Devi; {Possibly Goddess of the moon -- the moon has sixteen digits.}
To Whom Sacred: the number 16 (which signifies totality and thus perfection).
Titles/Variants, etc:
- She is the Third of the ten Mahavidyas, Those-of-Great-Knowledge, above.
- She is identified with Tripurasundari, Fair-One-of-the-Triple-City, Who is linked with Bhairavi, The-Terrible.
Source: Stutley HDH 282.
worked on: September, June 1995; August 1991.
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