Lalitha Tripura Sundari is one of the Dasa Mahavidyas or wisdom goddesses in Hinduism and the Goddess of beauty and enjoyment. She is the 3rd among the Dasa Mahavidyas. Other names for her are Tripura Sundari, Shodashi, Kameshwari, and Rajarajeshwari. She is one of the 9 forms of the Mother Goddess who is worshipped during the 9 days of Navratri. She is also the divine energy of Sri Chakra. She is depicted as a 16-year-old Goddess who is extremely beautiful.
She has 3 forms – Tripura Bala, Tripura Sundari, and Tripura Bhairavi, which represent the mind, body, and consciousness, respectively. The first is a young, virgin form, and the second is a great beauty of the 3 worlds. The 3rd form represents the power and ferocity of the Goddess. The rites of worship for Tripura Bhairavi are like those of the Mahavidyas, while it is according to the Sri Vidya tradition (based on Sri Chakra worship) for the other two forms. Goddess Sri Vidya is worshipped for her kindness and glory.
The Goddess is praised in many Shakta texts. As Adi Mahavidya, she represents a complete version of reality. She is supposedly the penultimate version of enlightened consciousness. Her Dhyana Mantra describes her as the Goddess who shines with the light of the rising sun.
She has 3 forms – Tripura Bala, Tripura Sundari, and Tripura Bhairavi, which represent the mind, body, and consciousness, respectively. The first is a young, virgin form, and the second is a great beauty of the 3 worlds. The 3rd form represents the power and ferocity of the Goddess. The rites of worship for Tripura Bhairavi are like those of the Mahavidyas, while it is according to the Sri Vidya tradition (based on Sri Chakra worship) for the other two forms. Goddess Sri Vidya is worshipped for her kindness and glory.
The Goddess is praised in many Shakta texts. As Adi Mahavidya, she represents a complete version of reality. She is supposedly the penultimate version of enlightened consciousness. Her Dhyana Mantra describes her as the Goddess who shines with the light of the rising sun.
Iconography
She has 4 arms and golden-hued skin. She carries a rope and a pike in her 2 forearms. They represent attachment and repulsion. She carries a sugarcane bow and 5 flower arrows in her two latter arms that represent the mind and 5 sensory organs, respectively. There are many ornaments on her body. The Goddess also signifies creation, preservation, and destruction. She sits on a lotus placed on a throne.
The lotus rests on the horizontal body of Shiva. The legs of the throne are supposedly Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra. In some images, the lotus emerges from Shiva’s navel, and in others, it arises from Sri Chakra, the yantra of Tripura Sundari. She is attired in tiger skin and wears a snake as a garland around her neck. There is a crescent moon on her forehead. Her mount is a bull.
Meaning of Her Name
Tripura means 3 cities or citadels. They probably denote the 3 worlds – the physical world, the astral world, and the causal world. Another meaning could be ‘3 states of consciousness’.
Legend of Tripura Sundari
Shiva married Sati, the daughter of King Daksha. But Daksha did not approve of his son-in-law. Once, he performed a Yagna, to which he did not invite Shiva. When Sati went to the Yagna, Daksha insulted Shiva. Sati immolated herself in the yagna fire. A furious Shiva beheaded Daksha. Later, he brought him back to life with the head of a goat. As he was feeling very dejected, he entered into deep meditation. Meanwhile, a demon called Tarakasura was creating havoc in the 3 worlds. He could be killed only by the son of Shiva. But no one had the courage to approach Shiva.
Sati was reborn as Parvati, the daughter of the mountain king, Himavat. She wanted to marry Shiva. The gods asked Kama deva (the god of love) to awaken feelings of love in Shiva. But when he sent his arrows at Shiva, the latter opened his 3rd eye and burned him to ashes. The gods and Kama deva’s wife, Rati, requested Shiva to restore Kama to life.
When Shiva gazed at the ashes, a demon called Bandasura arose from it. Ruling from a city called Shonitha Pura, he began to harass the gods. Sage Narada and the Trimurtis told the gods to get help from Nirguna Brahman, the ultimate godhead. A Maha Yagna was conducted, and the entire creation was offered to the sacrificial fire as the oblation. Maha Tripura Sundari (Saguna Brahman) emerged from the fire. The Goddess then split into Kameshvara (Purusha) and Kameshvari (Prakriti) and recreated the entire universe as it existed before.
Another legend says that Parvati desperately wanted to attract Shiva to her and assumed the form of Tripura Sundari to flaunt her beauty and presence in all the 3 worlds.
Significance of Tripura Sundari
She is an important deity in the Tantric tradition. She is the road that enables the devotee to seek samadhi. The 3 cities associated with her name represent how we experience consciousness within our 3 bodies – the senses/eyes, the mind, and the heart, where each denotes a city. Her beauty symbolizes her ability to lead her devotees towards the awareness of the Absolute. For this reason, she is a very powerful and extraordinary goddess.
Other Interesting Facts
She is the companion of Shiva and the energy of the light that comes from the 3rd eye on his forehead. The Shodashi Tantra has a lot of information on the Goddess, and she is the Tantric Goddess among the Mahavidyas. Though she is a part of the Kali family, she is the most prominent Mahavidya. Eternal grace, determination, and knowledge combine in her. She bestows pleasure, sympathy, and awareness to her devotees. She denotes 16 kinds of urges.
According to the Vamakeshwara Tantra, she lives on the Himalayan peaks. Saints, as well as celestial nymphs, worship her. Balasundari is the child form of the Devi. She is playful and full of childlike innocence.
She is the instructor of the universe, who issues guidelines for governing the macrocosm.
The Goddess is an important part of the religious traditions of the state of Tripura in northeast India. Supposedly, the state is named after her. There is a famous temple for the Goddess here, in a village by the name of Radhakishorepur in Udaipur. It is on top of a hill.
Benefits of Worshipping Tripura Sundari
- The Goddess embodies grace and compassion, as well as beauty. Worshipping her has many benefits:
- Removes delays in marriage.
- Resolves marital problems.
- Gets rid of debts, poverty, infertility, and other problems.
- Protects one from the adverse effects of Mercury.
- Facilitates safe delivery.
Mantras for Tripura Sundari
One of the most well-known Mantras dedicated to her is the Lalita Sahasranama stotram. Tripura Sundari Ashtakam is another popular hymn. It was composed by Adi Shankaracharya. Yet another revered stotra is the Lalita Trishati stotra found in the Brahmanda Purana.
Temples for Tripura Sundari
One can find temples to the Goddess in some places. The most well-known of these are:
- Tripurasundari temple, Udaipur, Tripura
- Tripurasundari temple, Banswara, Rajasthan
- Tripurasundari temple, Manali, Himachal Pradesh
- Bala Tripura Sundari Ammanavara temple, Mysore, Karnataka
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