Srividya

The upāsanā of Mahātripurasundarī Parābhaṭṭārikā in the śrīcakra is called Srīvidyā. Specifically, this refers to the Pañcadaśī and ṣōḍaśī mahāmantras. Srīvidyā is the most complete and sophisticated school of Tantra today. This school derives its metaphysics from the Kāśmīra śaiva darśana. The three main sampradāyas of śrīvidyā are Dakṣiṇāmūrti, Hayagrīva and Paramānandabhairava.

The three major streams of śrīvidyā are:
- Kādi propagated by Manmatha or Kāmarāja
- Hādi propagated Lōpāmudrā
- Sādi propagated by Sage Durvāsā

In the Southern recession of śrīvidyā, the worship of Mahātripurasundarī and her retinue of deities - Mahāgaṇapati, Bālā, Rājamātaṅgī, Mahāvārāhī, and Parā - is codified in the Paraśurāma Kalpasūtra. In the Northern recession of Sarvāmnāya Krama followed in our lineage, Rājarājēśvarī is worshiped in the ṣōḍaśāvaraṇa śrīcakra along with Ugratārā, Bhuvanēśvarī, Dakṣiṇā Kālī, Navaratna Kubjikā, Triśakti Chāmuṇḍā, Kāmakalā Guhyakālī, and Bālāmbikā. This procedure is derived from Br̥hadbaḍabānala Tantra.

Bhāskararāya Makhīndra is the most well-known luminary of śrīvidyā. His three works - Saubhāgyabhāskara, Varivasyārahasya and the commentary on Nityāṣōḍaśikārṇava - constitute the Prasthānatraya of śrīvidyā. Several living lineages today trace their schools to Bhāskararāya.

Srīvidyā upāsanā is followed in all four āmnāya maṭhas established by Adi Shaṅkarācārya. The worship of śrīcakra is performed every day in these maṭhas.

Articles

Srividya Amnaya Krama

The Shloka ‘Srinathadi Gurutrayam’ invokes the Gurumandala that is most important in Srividya Krama. It deals with the Mantras of the Amnayas of Srividya. It

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Aksharasamkhya Nirdesha

AmbA is worshipped through various mantras. Of these, panchadashI, shuddha ShoDashI, saubhAgya brahmavidyA or saubhAgya panchadashI (ShoDashI) and mahAShoDashI are the most important mantras in

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The Works of Agastya

Authorship of various works is ascribed to sage agastya. Here is an attempt to list such works, based on details furnished by mahAmahopAdhyAya rA satyanArAyaNa

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Namartha Dipika

namaH shivAbhyAm 1. What is the significance of the name ChatuH ShaShTyupachArADhyA? The Navavarana Pooja of Sridevi involves sixty-four offerings known as the ChatuH ShaShTyupachAra

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Mixing Paths

shrImAtre namaH Based on some mails we received today, I thought of re-visiting the topic of mixing paths. The query regarding balidAna which Sri Anathakrishnan

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Upasana of Maya

[Query] Vedanta views maya as cause of bondage but the same maya is worshipped as devi. How can this worship grant liberation? shrImAtre namaH Even

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Mantroddipana

The great vidyA of bAlA is said to be cursed by parAmbA rendering it without prANa (prANahInA): devyA shaptA yena vidyeyamAdyA pUrvaM tena prANahInA.abhavat sA

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Mantravayava

Mantravayava While paramashiva kAmeshvara mahAbhaTTAraka can only be described through expressions such as shuddha, buddha, chidAnanda etc., he assumes a form (chinmayAkAra) to aid contemplation

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Mantraraja

There was a query regarding the correct form of mantrarAja. The shrIkula tantras, when describing the gurumaNDalam, speak of the saptaviMshati rahasyas, elaborated through the

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Parabrahma Mahishi

[This is a transcript of the Speech given by Sri Harshaji during Satachandi Purnahuti at Guhananda Mandali] kAraNaparachidrUpayai namaH shrIchandramoulIshwaraya namaH he parabrahmamahiShi – Oh

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