Shodashi Devi - Mahavidya
Shodashi Devi, the third of the ten Mahavidyas, is ravishing in beauty, with a soft aura, although her energy can occasionally be challenging as well.
Within the main temple of the Kamakhya complex resides Shodashi, or Surashi, the Devi of sixteen summers, so named because she assumes the form of a youth of eternally 16. She is known, also as Kamakshi Devi and there is no doubt that this is truly her epicenter of power in the terrestrial plane.
Upon walking towards her ancient sanctum and approaching Shodashi as Kamakshi Devi, her power increases in intensity. Her templed is entered by descending down a dark narrow staircase with a crowd of other pilgrims into her cave-llike abode. There are many uneven and irregular steps. The subterranean vault is hot and humid and yet there is a feeling of safety and and protection in the dim light. The underground cavern has a dome high above, and barely visible. Voices echo beautifully off the ancient stone of the walls. Devi sits in a pool of holy spring water with a canopy over the top. A pujari guides devotees through the process of paying homage and receiving darshan at this most sacred of tantric peethams.
Shodashi is Latika Devi, the creeper goddess, inferring that she is intertwined with her legs wrapped around and embracing Shiva’s legs and body, as he lies in repose. As a digbanda, or protective force, she rules the northeastern direction from whence she gives grace and protection. Astrologically she is linked to Budh Deva, Mercury. The Shodashi Tantra refers to Shodashi as the “Beauty of the Three Cities,” or Tripura Sundari.
She is the possessor of all great and wonderful things, including physical items, for she teaches us to possess without being possessed. It is said that dazzling jewels lie at her feet which fell from the crowns of Brahma and Vishnu when they bow in reverence to her. She is the embodiment of beauty. Her body expresses magnificent proportions, with alluring breasts. Her smiling face radiates magnetism. Her smile, physical beauty, and expansive aura, overwhelms even Lord Shiva.
Her name Shodashi, implies that she rules over the sixteen categories of desire, all of which perpetuate reincarnation. These include physical desires, desires for family, independence, romance, sex, and the need for human interaction. It is desire that turns the wheel of karma, and that holds us in duality. It is Shodashi who epitomizes the burning and sublimation of these desires. It is she who allows the working out of old karmic patterns, leading to emancipation and soul freedom.
Shodahshi Devi’s tantric quality is expressed in Kamesvara, form, in which she sits atop Shivas lap joined in union. Her qualities are unlimited, expressed by her five Shivas. The throne upon which she sits has as its legs the five forms of Shiva, the famous Pancha Brahmas.
Gaining the attention of Shodashi, ones thoughts towards others become more positive, less critical. Ones relationships morph into a thing of great beauty; a thing of sweetness. This is the meaning of the sugarcane bow which she carries always. The five arrows, often decorated with flowers or feathered, represents the divinization of the five senses. With her noose, she controls negativity, and with her goad, she moves us forward guiding us on the path. Her compassion is inexhaustible. Chin Mudra, her mudra of perfection, reflects her inmost realization of eternal equanimity.
From her emerges infinite knowledge of the eternal self, and ultimately, the experience of bliss absolute. She is, in essence, the very force that results in mergence with the cosmic source. The Shodashi Tantra refers to her as the “Beauty of the Three Cities,” or Tripura Sundari. Shodashi embodies sixteen types of desire. She is said to have taken birth to save the celestial world. Kama, the incarnation of sexuality and physical love, had attempted to distract Shiva from his meditations. As a result, Shiva burned him to ashes with a stream of fire from his third eye, and well meaning attendants to
Shiva used the ashes, and adjacent mud to again form Kama. Then, with their yogic powers, they breathed life into Kama in such a way that he was animated and very capable of sadhana. As Kama continued his sadhana, he gradually gained power over others. Fully conscious of the potential for problems, Shiva played along. When Shiva was asked by Kama for a boon to have half of the power of his adversaries, Shiva granted it. Since one of his adversaries had been Shiva himself, the Kama gained massive Shakti. Lacking discrimination, the man began creating tribulations in all the three worlds. With Kama having so much power, and with the Devas facing defeat, they approached Tripura Sundari for help. Taking up all her weapons, she charged into battle and vanquished him, thus saving the realm of the Gods.
The story is a cautionary tale of the power of desire and the necessity to develop discrimination through meditation and following the dharma, as we progress in our spiritual path.
Many great beings have worshipped aspects of Shodashi. The great sage, Sri Ramakrishna, worshiped Kali throughout his whole life, and at its culmination, he paid homage to Shodashi through his own wife, Sri Sarada Devi. This illustrates his greatness in seeing the divine in all beings, and especially his life partner.
At Sringeri Math, Karnataka, South India, there is a Shodashi Yantra Peeth, or center of energy, established by Adi Shankaracharya, who reorganized the ancient sannyas tradition in 8th century. Since that time there are 10 orders of Sanyas, all established by Adi Shankaracharya.
Our tradition of Sannyas links to Kali, Shodashi, Bhairavi and the other Mahavidyas through both the siddha tradition and the Giri order through Sri Swami Rudranand of Tara Peeth. Thus, we continue to honor the guru parampara, as it continues to shed grace upon us.
The Shodashi Peetam of Kamakshi in the city named after her, Kamakshi-puram, in Tamil Nadu, is another powerful and famous center of power where she manifests. It is also one of the classical 51 Shakti Peeths of India. It was here too, that the great Shankaracharya himself installed the image of a stone Sri Yantra, perhaps the most sacred geometrical symbols of Shakti. It can still be viewed today in the inner chamber of the temple.
Two other important Shodashi centers of energy are the Tripurasundari Shakti Peeth in the northeast frontier state of Tripura and the ancient and powerful temple of Tehara, near the Bheraghat 64 Yogini temple in Madhya Pradesh.
The Tripurasundari temple in Tripura state, locally known as Matabari temple, was first founded by Maharaja Dhanya Manikya in 1501, although it was probably a spiritual pilgrimage site for many centuries prior. This peetham of power was initially intended to be a temple for Lord Vishnu, but due to a revelation which the maharaja had in a dream, He commissioned and installed Mata Tripurasundari within its chamber. The image was carved from Kasti stone, a rare reddish-black finely grained stone used to fashion sacred images. It was brought from Chittagong in present day Bangladesh.
The murti, which is also seen by devotees as ‘Maa Kali’ presides over the temple, and stands in its sanctum sanctorum. Here, she is worshipped in her incarnation as ‘Shoroshi’, a derivation of Shodashi. Another smaller murti of Maa Kali called 'Chotto Maa’ stands beside her. In ancient times, this particular Kali was once carried along by the local kings during hunting expeditions and during battle.
Matabari Temple is a sacred place where people from different religions and cultures gather and worship. A unique feature of the temple is that souls from any religion can and do offer puja to Sri Maa. Uniquely, the temple management comprises a board of devotees from various religions and cultures.
Matabari Temple, then, is a place of congregation religions from the entire region who approach her to offer puja.Thus, Maa, or Shodashi, is a force for unification.
The supremely beautiful Shodashi is united in the heart of the infinite consciousness of Shiva. She removes darkness and bestows light.
