Birth of the Tri-śakti

This account is told in chapters 89 and 90 of the Varāha Purāṇa. Brahmā, Vishṇu and Maheśvara looked at one another, and from their joined gaze a divine Kumārī was born. She has three colours: white, red and black. She is the Tri-śakti, the one supreme power that shows itself in three forms for sṛshṭi (creation), sthiti (preservation) and saṃhāra (dissolution). She is called Tri-kāla and Parameśvarī.

Mahisha troubles the devas

The account begins when the asura Mahisha, a being of great power, drove the devas out of the three worlds. Brahmā and all the devas fled in disorder to Brahma-loka. Even Indra and the armies of the Ādityas, Vasus and Rudras had been beaten.

Brahmā saw that there was no other help. He hurried to the peak of Kailāsa, where Śiva sat with Gaurī among the happy pramathagaṇas (Śiva’s attendants). Śiva received Brahmā with respect and heard what the asura had done. In his mind Brahmā called on Nārāyaṇa. Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa appeared and stood between the two. So Brahmā, Vishṇu and Maheśvara were together in one place, with one purpose.

Birth from the joint gaze

The three looked at one another with their sūkshma-dṛshṭi, the fine and piercing sight of the three rulers of the worlds. Their three gazes joined into one. This is the dṛshṭi-yoga of the Trimūrti. From that joined gaze a divine Kumārī arose.

She stood shining, dark like the petals of a blue lotus. She had black curling hair, a beautiful nose, a glowing forehead and a lovely face. In her one form could be seen all the marks that Tvashṭā had once given to Agni-jihvā, as if all divine power had gathered at one point.

Brahmā, Vishṇu and Maheśvara looked at her and asked: “O Kāntā, who are you? What is your purpose?”

The Kumārī answered, with white, red and black colours shining on her body: “I was born from your dṛshṭi-yoga. Do you not know me? I am your own śakti. I am Parameśvarī.”

The vara and the threefold division

The three rejoiced and gave her a vara (a boon): “Your name shall be Tri-kāla. Guard and sustain this world at all times.” They added: “There is another reason for your three colours. Take the three colours and make them three separate forms, each yourself.”

When she heard this, she divided her own form into three bodies.

The white form: Brahmā-śakti, the Sṛshṭi-śakti. She took the auspicious form of sattva that belongs to Brahmā. This gentle white Devī went on to create living beings, following Brahmā’s pattern of creation. She is called Vāgīśā, Sarasvatī, Vidyeśvarī and Amitākshara. She is the mother of all vidyā (knowledge) and the ruler of speech. All the gentle names that are born of jñāna (knowledge) are her names.

The red form: Vishṇu-śakti, the Sthiti-śakti. She took the red form of rajas that belongs to Vishṇu, and she carries the śaṅkha and the cakra. She became Vishṇu-māyā. As Vaishṇavī she sustains and protects the whole universe.

The black form: Rudra-śakti, the Saṃhāra-śakti. She took the dark blue-black form of tamas that belongs to Rudra. She carries the triśūla and has fearful fangs. At the appointed hour she dissolves the world. She is the great power of destruction, wrathful in form, who brings all things to their end.

The three go to perform tapas

Each of the three forms then went to a separate mountain to perform tapas (austerity) and gain the power she needed for her work in the world.

• The white Brahmā-śakti, the Sṛshṭi-devī, went to Śveta-parvata.
• The red Vaishṇavī, keeping her kaumāra-vrata (vow of maidenhood), went to Mandara-adri.
• The dark Raudrī, the śakti of tamas, went to Nīla-parvata.

Each stayed in deep tapas for a very long time.

The Sṛshṭi-devī joins Brahmā

After this great tapas, Brahmā saw that his mānasa-sṛshṭi (creation by the mind) was not growing and spreading. He went to the white Kumārī, who was meditating on Śveta-parvata. He said: “O Bhadrā, for what purpose do you meditate? I am pleased. O Viśālākshī, ask for a vara.”

She said: “I do not wish to stay in one place. I wish to be sarvagata, present everywhere at all times.”

Brahmā answered: “You shall be sarvagata.” When she heard this vara, the lotus-eyed Sṛshṭi-devī merged into the being of Brahmā. From that moment Brahmā’s power of creation grew and spread. The mānasa-putras (sons born of the mind) were born, the seven tapodhanas (rich in tapas), and after them the four kinds of beings: jarāyuja (born from the womb), aṇḍaja (born from an egg), svedaja (born from sweat) and udbhijja (born from a sprout). They spread through the universe.

One śakti, three functions

The Varāha Purāṇa ends this account with a teaching. The one Paramātmā appears in three forms of the guṇas: sattva, rajas and tamas. In the same way the one Parāśakti shows herself as three, to fulfil the purpose of the world. The three are not separate. They are one śakti appearing as three, for creation, preservation and dissolution. The text says: “Parameśvara himself, who is one, became three. In the same way, for a purpose, the one śakti became three.”

The three correspond as follows:

• White, sāttvikā: Brahmā-śakti, Sarasvatī, the śakti of creation.
• Red, rājasikā: Vishṇu-śakti, Vaishṇavī, the śakti of preservation.
• Black, tāmasikā: Rudra-śakti, Cāmuṇḍā or Kālarātrī, the śakti of dissolution.

Rudra is present in all three forms as their Pati, their ruler. A person who knows the birth of these three forms of the Devī is freed from all pāpa (sin) and reaches parama-nirvāṇa (the highest peace).

Sources

• Varāha Mahā Purāṇa, Chapters 89–90 (Adhyāyas 89–90)