Śrī Vidyā

Śrī Vidyā is the highest inner tradition of pūjā and upāsanā (devoted worship) of Devī Lalitā Mahātripurasundarī. It centres on the Pañcadaśī mantra (a mantra of fifteen syllables) and its sixteen-syllable form, the Ṣoḍaśī. It also centres on the Śrī Cakra, a yantra or sacred diagram. Together with a full system of inner practice and outer ritual, it leads both to fulfilment in this world and to mokṣa (liberation).

The Lalitopākhyāna, the part of the Brahmāṇḍa Mahā Purāṇa that tells the story of Devī Lalitā, places Śrī Vidyā at the very top of all mantras and all systems of śāstra (sacred teaching). It says that Viṣṇu, Śiva and Brahmā themselves gained their powers through Śrī Vidyā. The tradition includes the mantra (Pañcadaśī and Ṣoḍaśī), the yantra (Śrī Cakra), the method of pūjā (ṣoḍaśopacāra, the sixteen offerings), the nine mudrās (hand gestures), dīkṣā (initiation) and the Lalitā Sahasranāma (the thousand names of Lalitā).

The Order of Mantras (Chapter 38)

Hayagrīva, the horse-headed form of Bhagavān Viṣṇu, tells Agastya Ṛṣi the order of greatness that leads up to Śrī Vidyā as the highest:

  1. Śabda (sound): greater than all objects
  2. The Vedas: greater than all śabda
  3. Vedic mantras: greater than all of the Veda
  4. Viṣṇu-mantras: greater than Vedic mantras
  5. Durgā-mantras: greater than Viṣṇu-mantras
  6. Gaṇapati-mantras: greater than Durgā-mantras
  7. Lakṣmī-mantras: greater than Gaṇapati-mantras
  8. Sarasvatī-mantras: greater than Lakṣmī-mantras
  9. Girijā (Pārvatī) mantras: greater than Sarasvatī-mantras
  10. Āmnāya-mantras: greater than Pārvatī-mantras
  11. Varāha-mantras: greater than Āmnāya-mantras
  12. Śyāmā (Mātaṅgī) mantras: greater than Varāha-mantras
  13. Lalitā-mantras (of ten kinds): the highest of all

Among the Lalitā-mantras, two are the Mantrarājas, the “kings of mantras”:

  • Lopāmudrā mantra (Hādi): begins with the syllable “ha”. It is called the hādi or Lopāmudrā krama.
  • Kāmarāja mantra (Kādi): begins with the syllable “ka”. It is called the kādi or Kāmarāja krama.

These two are the two streams of the Śrī Vidyā tradition. They are named after the ṛṣis Lopāmudrā (the wife of Agastya) and Kāmarāja.

The Pañcadaśī, the Mantra of Mantras

The Pañcadaśī is the fifteen-syllable mantra at the heart of Śrī Vidyā. It is made of three parts called kūṭas.

The Śrī Cakra, the Yantra of Lalitā

The Śrī Cakra is the sacred diagram of Śrī Vidyā. It is understood to be one with Lalitādevī herself.

Ṣoḍaśī Vidyā (Chapter 41)

The Ṣoḍaśī is the sixteen-syllable form. It is the Pañcadaśī mantra with one more bīja (seed syllable) added. Hayagrīva calls it the Ṣoḍaśākṣarī Vidyā, “the sixteen-syllable knowledge”. The Śrī Cakra is the yantra set down for the upāsanā of the Ṣoḍaśī. The pūjā of Lalitādevī’s Śrī Cakra with the Ṣoḍaśī is the highest form of Śrī Vidyā sādhana (spiritual practice).

The Nine Mudrās (Chapter 42)

The Lalitopākhyāna gives nine mudrās (hand gestures) for Śrī Vidyā pūjā. It describes the exact position of the hands for each one:

  1. Āvāhinī mudrā: for inviting Lalitādevī to be present
  2. Saṃkolinī mudrā: for gathering and focusing the śakti (divine power)
  3. Vidrāviṇī mudrā: for driving away obstacles
  4. Ākarṣiṇī mudrā: for drawing in divine grace
  5. Unmādinī mudrā: for awakening the inner power
  6. Mahāṅkuśa mudrā: the great goad gesture, for directing the power
  7. Khecarī mudrā: the “sky-moving” gesture of inner yoga
  8. Bīja mudrā: the seed gesture, the gesture of the mantra’s essence
  9. Yoni mudrā: the womb gesture, the gesture of the source

These nine mudrās are used at set points in the order of the Śrī Cakra pūjā.

Dīkṣā, Initiation into Śrī Vidyā (Chapter 43)

The Lalitopākhyāna teaches five kinds of dīkṣā. Through these a qualified guru passes Śrī Vidyā on to a qualified śiṣya (disciple):

  1. Sparśa-dīkṣā: initiation through touch
  2. Dṛg-dīkṣā: initiation through the guru’s gaze
  3. Śāmbhavī-dīkṣā: initiation through Śiva’s grace working through the guru
  4. Mānasī-dīkṣā: initiation of the mind, through focused thought
  5. Kriyā-dīkṣā: initiation through ritual action

The Lalitopākhyāna also describes what qualities the guru and the śiṣya must have for Śrī Vidyā dīkṣā, and how the dīkṣā ceremony is to be done.

The Pūjā of the Śrī Cakra (Chapters 41 and 43)

The Lalitopākhyāna sets down the ṣoḍaśopacāra (the sixteen acts of service) as the standard pūjā of the Śrī Cakra. It also tells the results of offering flowers of different colours:

  • White flowers: give mastery of speech. Sarasvatī dances on the worshipper’s tongue.
  • Red flowers: give rāja-vaśīkaraṇa. Kings become obedient.
  • Green flowers: Lalitādevī lives forever in the worshipper’s heart.

The Śrī Cakra may be made of gold, silver or other metals. Daily pūjā with a thousand tulasī leaves, while reciting the mūla-mantra (root mantra), brings the direct presence of Lalitādevī.

Sources

  • Brahmāṇḍa Mahā Purāṇa, Lalitopākhyāna, Chapters 38–43