Sublime

Practices in Śrīvidyā differ according to sampradāya, and along with Lalitā Devī, the tradition includes the worship of other deities, particularly the elephant-headed Gaṇapatī, Bālā Tripurasundarī (the form of Devī as a young girl), Mātaṅgī, and Vārāhī.

Devī is known in numerous forms—sthūla, where she is the radiant goddess with four arms,14 sūkṣma, which is the Śrīvidyā mantra, parā, which is the Śrīcakra, and two other esoteric ones—Kuṇḍalinī and Kāmakalā, both of which are revealed by the guru and in progressive initiations.

Devī’s Śaktis Created from her own essence. Sampatkarī from her goad. Aśvārūḍhā from her noose. Vārāhī (a.k.a. Daṇḍanāthā Devī) from her arrows; she is the commander-in-chief who rides the chariot known as Kiricakra. Mātaṅgī from her bow; she is the prime minister and rides the chariot known as Geyacakra. All the śaktis of the Śrīcakra.

Devī resides in the bindu (central point) of the Śrīcakra, seated on an unusual throne. Its four legs are Brahma, Viṣṇu, Rudra, and Íśāna and the seat is Sadāśiva (see N58). Brahma is the creator, Viṣṇu the sustainer, and Rudra, who is a form of Śiva, is the destroyer. Íśāna and Sadāśiva are two other forms of Śiva. Íśāna is the concealer and