Goddess Tripura Sundari is a Hindu goddess known to represent beauty. She also has the name Shodashi because she is believed to be only 16 years old. Goddess Tripura Sundari is believed to be a manifestation of the ferocious divine Shakti Goddess Kali.
She also has various names, such as Rajarajeshwari, Kamakshi, and Lalita. She is the leading Mahavidya (a group of ten Hindu Tantric Goddesses).
The name “Tripura” means the three worlds, and the word “Sundari” means the most beautiful woman. The name of the Goddess simply means the most beautiful lady in the three worlds.
She is also called Tripura because all her hymns and mantras have three clusters of letters. Bhagwan Shiv is believed to be her consort.
Goddess also has the name of Adi Mahavidya, which means the complete version of reality. In Vedic mantras, she is described as the Goddess who sparkles with the beautiful and pure rays of the sun.
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Origin of Goddess Tripura Sundari
In the Hindu scriptures, Goddess Tripura Sundari is depicted as the most powerful and dominating Goddess within Tantric Hinduism, which has moved in the direction of feminine theology-based schools.
Goddess Tripura Sundari is connected to Trika schools, where Sati, the trinity of supreme energy, is present in triple patterns of Tripura Sundari.
The appearance of the Goddess
Goddess is popularly depicted as sitting on the petals of lotus that is kept on the horizontal body of Lord Shiva.
The lotus petal resting on Lord Shiva’s horizontal body is shown to be on a throne whose legs are Lord Brahma, Shri Vishnu, and Lord Rudra. As per Vamakeshvara Tantra, it is believed that Goddess’s abode is in the Himalayas.
She is venerated by all gods, goddesses, and saints. In some places, she is depicted wearing a tiger’s skin, with a serpent wrapped around her neck and a trident in one of her hands while the other holds a drum.
Her hair is open, and her vehicle is a bull.
In various depictions, she is emblazoned with four hands and a goad, noose, arrows, and bow in each of her hands.
The noose symbolizes attachments, whereas the goad represents contempt, the sugarcane bow shows desires, and the flowery arrows represent the five sense organs.
Her face is so divine and stunning that even her consort, Shiva, couldn’t stop looking at her.
In another depiction of hers, she is shown as a sixteen-year-old young and sweet girl decorated with jewels with a dazzling shimmer and a crescent moon adorned over her head. She is sitting on the corpses of Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma.
Goddess Tripura Sundari is also depicted as a maiden wearing brilliant scarlet habiliments, dark and long hair flows and is completely adorned with jewels and garlands.
She is shown sitting elegantly on the throne with her left foot on the divine Sri Chakra.
Story of Goddess Tripura Sundari
The legend says Lord Shiva married Sati, the daughter of the king Daksha, but he was not pleased with his daughter’s marriage. Therefore, Daksha once organized a sacrifice ceremony but didn’t invite Shiva or Sati.
Out of curiosity why her father did not invite her, Sati went to the ceremony even though God Shiva tried warning her.
Ignoring all caution, she went to the ceremony and found her father had started the ceremony without her.
Upon confronting her father, Daksha started humiliating Shiva, and to end this, Sati immolated herself, which shocked everyone.
When Lord Shiva heard about the demise of his wife, he couldn’t control his anger, and he beheaded Sati’s father. Still, when his anger was assuaged, he revived Daksha’s life and bestowed him with a goat’s head.
Sati was reborn as Parvati to the mountain king Himavat and his wife. There was a rival of gods named Tarakasura who could be slain only by the son Shiva and Parvati.
Therefore all the gods requested Kamadeva, the god of love to make Shiva and Parvati get married to each other.
Then Lord Kama shot an arrow both at Shiva and Parvati, but this angered Bhagwan Shiva; therefore, he reduced Lord Kama to ashes. After sometimes Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati, requested Lord Shiva, he gave rise to a demon named Bhandasura.
But this demon became a threat to all the Gods, Goddesses, and humankind; therefore, on Nirguna Brahman’s advice, the gods prepared the great sacrifice.
In this sacrifice, they sacrificed the entire universe. Goddess Tripura Sundari emerged from this sacrificial fire, recreated the whole universe, and killed the demon Bhandasura.
Sri Chakra
The Sri Chakra is a diagram formed from nine triangles that surround and emit out of the central point.
This Sri Chakra represents the Goddess Tripura Sundari, “the beauty of the three worlds.” The Sri Chakra worship is the main of the Sri Vidya system of Hindu worship.
The four isosceles triangles pointed upward symbolize Shiva, and the five downward facing triangles represent Shakti. The entire Chakra is composed of nine divine triangles; therefore, it is called Navayoni Chakra.
The power point in the middle of the Chakra displays the highest, the invisible, and the elusive center from which the entire figure Bhandasura and cosmos have emerged.
All these nine triangles form a cluster of 43 small triangles, symbolizing the entire cosmos.
Festivals
The festivals are celebrated in honor of Goddess Tripura Sundari.
Lalita Jayanti
Lalita Jayanti takes place on the full moon day of January-February, and it holds a prominent place in North India.
Full devotion and dedication on this day are believed to result in blessings from Goddess Tripura Sundari.
Lalita Panchami
On the fifth auspicious day of Navaratri, the Lalita Panchami is celebrated as the legends say that this was the day when the Goddess emerged from fire to kill the demon Bhandasura.
Places like Maharastra and Gujrat celebrated this day in a pompous manner.
Fasting on this day is believed to bring wealth, happiness, and wisdom. Furthermore, it is believed that your entire personal and professional problem will be solved by chanting mantras dedicated to the Goddess.
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