Worship of Durgā in śrīkula

 

1. Durgā is one of the chief dvāradevatā stationed outside the Bhūpura chakra, along with Indra and other dikpālakas. She is worshiped along with Gaṇapati, Kṣetrapāla, and Vaṭuka in the prathamāvaraṇa (of saṃhāra krama) or ṣoḍaśāvaraṇa/daśamāvaraṇa(of sṛṣṭi krama of Dakṣiṇāmūrti school). Even Kālidāsa notes her worship in Shyāmalā Daṇḍaka: devi durgāvaṭukṣetrapālairnute.

2. Jayadurgā is worshiped as one of the five samayās along with Srīvidyā, Bagalāmukhī, Kālarātri, and Chinnamastā – after the completion of āmnāya, darśana, pañcapañcikā, pañcasiṃhāsanī, and ṣaḍanvaya śāmbhavī archanas.

3. On special occasions, one can perform elaborate worship of Durgā during the archana of Uttarāmnāya in Srīcakra (durgā kālī tataścaṇḍī). The nine forms of Durgā worshiped in Biṃbāmbikā krama are: Vanadurgā, Shūlinī durgā, Dīpadurgā, Atidurgā, Shabarī durgā, Shānti durgā, Jvaladurgā, Lavaṇadurgā and āsurī durgā.

4. Right before Balidāna, to ensure successful completion of the vidhi and to reign in the Yoginī and Bhairavas, one offers tarpaṇa of Pañcaratna Durgā: Bījadurgā, Mūladurgā, Jayadurgā, Kātyāyanī durgā, and Bhadrakālī durgā.

5. In Srīkula Krama, there is a very significant aspect of worshiping Upāmnāya. There are two aspects to this: one involving Buddhist, Jaina and other deities of Gāruḍa and Bhūtaḍāmara class of Tantras. This worship is taught in the Kālānala Tantra, where the focus is more on Guhyakālī. However, for worshipers of Mahātripurasundarī based on Nirvāṇasundarī Krama, such an āmnāya is rejected by Baḍabānala Tantra and instead, the Upāmnāya worship of Durgā is taught.

– Raktadantikā of pūrvāmnāya and Pañcavaktrā Mahākālī of uttarāmnāya come together to form Daśavaktrā Mahākālī of īśānāmnāya, invoked through Mahākālī navākṣarī.
– Ugratārā of dakṣiṇāmnāya and Mahālakṣmī of pūrvāmnāya come together to form āgneyāmnāya Aṣṭādaśabhujī Mahālakṣmī, invoked through Mahālakṣmī navākṣarī.
– Viparīta Pratyaṅgirā of uttarāmnāya and Mohinī Mātaṅgī of paścimāmnāya come together to form Aṣṭabhujī Mahāsarasvatī of vāyavyāmnāya, invoked through Mahāsarasvatī navākṣarī.
– Nairṛtyāmnāya, mainly composed of yakṣiṇī, Pannagī and other deities of the demi-god class is skipped
– As a combination of Mahākālī, Mahālakṣmī, and Mahāsarasvatī – Laghu Chaṇḍī, Ugracaṇḍā and Pūrṇacaṇḍī are worshiped as chief deities of Upāmnāya. Based on one’s varṇa and guṇa, there are changes to the Mantra forming Brahmacaṇḍī, Ugracaṇḍī, etc.

6. Just before Kāmakalā Dhyāna, there is a krama in our sampradāya to do the viśvarūpa or samaṣṭi raśmi dhyāna of Mahātripurasundarī. Here, based on the instruction, ‘agre siṃhādhirūḍhā nijaparisarayoḥ mantriṇīdaṇḍanāthe’, the very first deity invoked as present right in front of Mahātripurasundarī is Durgā. Nine deities are visualized along with Parāmbā, first individually and identified with different organs of oneself, and they are all merged into Parāsaṃvit, leading the way to anusandhāna of Mahākāmakalā.

7. During the performance of Nyāsa, there is a specific Rakṣā Digbandha nyāsa taught in ūrdhvāmnāya tantra, which we perform right after the āvartana of Raśmimālā. Here, the deities invoked are: Sudarśana Nṛsiṃha, Mahāsudarśana, Kārtavīryārjuna, Svarṇākarṣaṇa Bhairava, Aghora Rudra, Paśupati Rudra, Sharabheśvara, Vanadurgā, Shūlinī durgā, Bagalāmukhī, Atharvaṇa Bhadrakālī Prattyaṅgirā and Jvālāmālinī.

Thus, it is easy to see the importance accorded to Durgā within the precincts of Srīvidyā. H H Srī Saccidānanda Shivābhinava Nṛsiṃha Bhāratī always recommended the recitation of Durgā Saptaśatī during the Stotra portion of Navāvaraṇa pūjā and suggested that the only stotra that matched the greatness of navāvaraṇa yajna was Saptaśatī.

 

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