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Adi Parashakti

Sanskrit

Transliteration

Adi Parashakti

Affiliation Divine Mother, Para Brahman

Abode Akshara

Dhaam,Satyaloka(Brahma's abode,

Mt. Kailash(Shiva's abode) and

Vaikuntha(Vishnu's abode

Mantra Aim Hreem Kleem

Weapon All Weapons

Consort Para Brahman, Adi Shiv

Mount Chariot of seven lions

Adi ParashaktiFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

According to Hindu mythology, Adi Parashakti—theGoddess, Devi—is the Supreme Being and recognized as

Para Brahman.[1] The Devi Bhagwata Mahapurana suggeststhat Adi Parashakti is the original creator, observer anddestroyer of whole universe. Hence Adi Parashakti is ParamPrakriti. Parvati, the goddess of power is considered as herSagun Swaroop (human form). That is to say that Parvati isthe truest material form of the Goddess, possessing the threequalities (Sattva, rajas, or tamas). However, ultimately theGoddess Adi Parashakti is also considered to be trulysupreme spirit without form (Param Atman). She is the GreatGoddess, and therefore the source of all other goddesses.

Contents

1 Etymology

2 Importance

2.1 Role in creation

3 Adi Parashakti and Para Brahman4 Adi Parashakti And Kundalini Shakti

5 Association with other deities

5.1 Association with Trimurti as original Self

5.2 Association with Nava-Greh or Nine

Planets as Material Shakti5.3 Association with ten avatars of LordVishnu as Vidya Shakti

5.4 Association with Beings (demi-gods,living beings and demons) as Maya Shakti

5.4.1 YogMaya

5.4.2 MahaMaya

5.4.3 Maya

6 Adi-Parashakti forms

6.1 Adi Shakti diversion to groups

7 Iconography

7.1 Abode

8 Mythological stories

9 Notes

10 References

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Goddess Adi ParaShakthi is the Presiding Deity at the

Parashakthi Temple in Pontiac, USA

Etymology

Adi Parashakti means "The Eternally Limitless Power". That is, she is the Power beyond this universe. She is theactive energy that both creates and dissolves the entire universe. Some sacred texts state that she is the goddessBhuvaneshvari.

Importance

In the Devi Gita, it is suggested that before incarnating as Parvati, she appeared to King Himalaya and revealeddivine, eternal knowledge to him. She explained herself, in the words of the Vedas, as having neither beginning norend. She is the only, eternal truth. The whole universe is her creation and she is nondifferent from Para Brahman.She is the only victor and the manifestation of victory itself. She is manifested (Lord Brahma), transcendent (LordShiva) and unmanifested (Lord Vishnu) divinity. She then displayed her scarcely seen form to him: Satyaloka waslocated in her forehead; the created universe were her hairs; the sun and moon were her eyes; in her ears were thefour directions; the Vedas were her words; death, affection and emotion were her teeth; maya was manifested by

her smile.[2]

Role in creation

In Srimad Devi Bhagwat Purana's 1st book and 4thchapter. Devi ordered and instructed Trimurti as below. Iam Adi Parashakti, goddess Bhuvaneshvari. I am theowner of this universe. I am the Absolute Reality. I amdynamic in feminine form and static in masculine form. Youare three parts of me. You all are my partial expansions.You have appeared to govern the universe under myjurisdiction. You are the masculine form of AbsoluteReality, while I am the feminine form of that Reality. I ambeyond form, beyond everything, and all the powers ofGod are contained within me. You will admit that I am theEternally Limitless Power. I shall now assign each of you atask. She then commanded:Brahma! You will begenerator of the universe; the Goddess Sharada is your Shakti, my form by which I will be recognized as thegoddess of wisdom and the primeval sound. Lord Brahma, this goddess will be with you when you createthe universe.

She continued: Lord of Lords, Narayana! You are the Supreme, Immortal Spirit. You are formless, yet youtake form. I assign you to be the preserver of the universe. You will take a different incarnations in order tosave this universe's inhabitants. Oh Narayana! You are the Supreme of all the deities with form. You havecreated Lord Brahma, and Brahma will further create three hundred thirty million other gods andgoddesses. My Great Power, goddess Mahakali, has been born from your mystic sleep. You are theParamatman. Your consort will be goddess Shri, who is none other than the incarnation of my light, aswithout light, one can neither see nor be seen. When life evolves, you will take the form of Vishnu, the onewho will perform the task of observing and preserving this universe.

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At Last she instructed: Oh Lord Rudra, the Greatest God, you are the personification of time, which is aboveall. You will perform the task of destroying and regenerating this universe. When you are formless, timestands still. It is due to my power that you become dynamic and are capable of bringing about thedestruction and regeneration of this universe. Your consort is goddess Mahakali, but due to meditation, youwill be able to surpass all of my forms. It is then that I will incarnate from your left half in my manifestedform. This form will be my truest manifested form. Lord Shiva, she will perform the task of destroying eviland will be your consort.

Aum Shakti is used to describe the name of the goddess when she is without attributes.

Adi Parashakti and Para Brahman

God or Para Brahman or Param Atman or Supreme Soul is inactive and totally static. It does not possess anyattribute hence called as Nirguna. Being non attributable, But Energy is another phenomenon which dynamic andactive aspect of God or we can say that Energy without dynamism is God. This Energy is Adi Parashakti. But whenGod gets activated using iccha shakti or First Energy Field. God becomes Adi Parashakti or Activated GOD.Energy, also does not possess any attribute because it is not associated with matter. But God's 1st Activated Formis Adi Parashakti. Hence Adi Parashakti is regarded as Energy or Non Attributed Active aspect of God.

Adi Parashakti or 1st Energy Field then creates Three Micro Matters i.e. Suksham Shareer, one from another. FirstTwo Seeds were UnManifested i.e. Lord Vishnu as Base and Transcendent, which is required to transform i.e.Lord Shiva as Time and third is First Manifested Matter from UnManifested, which is required for creating furtherMacro Matter i.e. Sthool Shareer. Manny Puranas shows Brahma originating from Lord Vishnu's Naval. It is calledtrinity. Vishnu, the base, Shiva the Transformer and Brahma the Creator. She also brings motion and livable thateach seed contains soul, which is part of Supreme Soul and herself as Kundalini Shakti. Kundalini shakti is actual

source of energy in all beings.[3]

Adi Parashakti And Kundalini Shakti

As we all know that, God lies in all beings in both dynamic and inactive aspect. Inactive aspect of God is SupremeSoul and Active aspect of God is Adi Parashakti. In all living beings God's both activated and Inactivated form liesi.e. God is Omnipresent. As inactive form, God is there as Soul within us and in activated form God is there asKundalini Shakti, which is epithet of Adi Parashakti.

Kundalini Shakti is basic source of energy in all Living Beings. It is basic source of all powers we use in daily lives.Meditating on kundalini, will bring not only fortune but also can control its emotions and maya.

Association with other deities

Association with Trimurti as original Self

In Devi Purana, It is written that when different sages were asking the great sage Suta, who have listened thePurana from Lord Krishna himself, that if all the puranas like Shiv Purana, Vishnu Puranas etc claims that ifTrimuti are eternal and nobody is superior to them in this Brahmanda (World) and also that trinity isoneness and oneness is trinity then Please tell us who is Adi Parashakti, whom you are talking about? Howshe took birth? When she was born. please tell us!

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Suta Said There is no one who can answer you this. Since Brahma, Narada and other eternal sages arebewildered by these questions. Some people worship Lord Vishnu having all the powers and the one who isomnipresent. And some claiming Lord Shiva with half body of Parvati is supreme. In Vedas it is written thatworship of Sun is the best. They name highest soul Surya as Paramatama. Others claiming that Lord Vishnuis actual expression of all the deities. The Great Brahmins provide three proves called perception, inference,and verbal testimony. But some other Brahmins added 4th proof to them that is resemblance. Anotherintelligent pandit added fifth proof called circumstances, presumption, implication at last two authorsadded two more proves called Sakshi and Aitijya. But Vedanta said that Supreme Being and main source ofUniverse can not be analyzed through these proves. One should have sure reason to claim. All are claimingand repeating one name directly or indirectly i.e. Shakti or Energy. Who is actually omnipresent in allbeings. Shakti is there in Highest "Vishnu" to lowest "Insect". We Worship because of energy, we walkbecause of shakti, we do all the activities because of shakti. So How can"Creation/Preservation/Destruction" be done without shakti. Shakti is required to get a soul into a body,Shakti is required to sustain soul to live, Shakti is required to destroy/release from a Body. Even if

Kundalini Shakti be deprived from Lord Shiva then He will be a Corpse. [4]

Association with Nava-Greh or Nine Planets as Material Shakti

Adi Shakti is regarded as the one who can control all the nine planets. She divides herself to Material Shakti i.e.Durga who splits herself to operate nine planets to maintain cosmic order, Vidya Shakti i.e. Kali as source for 10incarnations of Lord Vishnu and Maya Shakti, to delude the beings to illusion and also promotes the beings toUltimate God. As Durga Shakti She is the one who splits herself to NavaDurga provides direction and energy to allplanets.

Sun is Governed by Kushmanda Shakti.

Mahagauri operates Rahu.Kaalratri governs Shani.

Ketu is governed by Goddess Sidhidhaatri.

Provider of Knowledge i.e. Bhrasapati is governed by Goddess Katyayini

Provider of All Fortunes i.e. Mangal is governed by Goddess BrahmachariniThe effect of moon is overcome by Goddess Shailputri

Budh Planet is governed by Goddess Skandmata

Shukra Planet is operated by Goddess Chandraghanta

By this contrast Goddess Adi Shakti controls Nava Greh. Worshipping the nine goddess in Navaratri or Ninenights of mataji, saves you from dangerous effects of planets.

Association with ten avatars of Lord Vishnu as Vidya Shakti

As told above, Adi Shakti has divided herself to Material Shakti (Durga or Parvati), Kali (Vidya Shakti) and YogMaya (as Mayashakti). As Vidya Shakti she splits herself to 10 kinds of eternal knowledge also known as 10Mahavidya. The ten goddesses are known as wisdom goddesses. As per tantras these ten goddesses are originalsource of ten incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

From Dhumavati, Lord Mastsya was incarnated

From BaglaMukhi, Lord Kurma was incarnated

From Bhairavi, Lord Varaha was incarnated

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From Chinnamasta, Lord Narsingh was incarnated

From TripurSundari, Lord Vaamna was incarnated

from Matangi, Lord Parshurama was incarnatedFrom Tara, Lord Rama was incarnated

From Kali, Lord Krishna was incarnated

From Kamala, Lord Buddha was incarnated

From Bhuvaneshvari, Lord Kalki will be incarnated

The information is sourced from Sri Devi Bhagwata Mahapurana.[5]

Association with Beings (demi-gods, living beings and demons) as Maya Shakti

Goddess Adi Shakti lastly splits up as Maya, Mahamaya and Yogmaya. It is she who actually creates three kindsof Maya such that One subordinate another. In this respect, we have Yogmaya, Mahamaya and Maya.

YogMaya

She is the one who actually creates maya on gods and teach them what to do and what not to do so that they canbe connected to ultimate GOD. She helped Lord Mahavishnu slay the demons Madhu and Kaitabha to save theworld. Moreover, she is also the one that who takes Lord Vishnu to mystic Sleep hence called Yog Nindra of LordNarayana. She was born from the eyes of Mahavishnu as YogMaya. It is required by yogis, sages and bhaktas sothat they can be connected to GOD.

MahaMaya

She is the goddess that destroys the upfold of illusion. She is the one that creates and destroys maya. She iscontrolled by Yogmaya and hence subordinate to YogMaya and senior to Maya. She emerges as seven mothers todestroy evil forces of Shumbha and Nishumbha, Being Chamunda one of them. She is required to gain physicalstrength, health, satvik attributes and demotes Lust, anger, greed, affection and arrogance.

Maya

She is the one who delude from GOD and takes any being to the world of illusion. She promotes lust, greed, anger,

hyper emotion and arrogance. It is assumed that in the Age of Kali Yug. Her effect is highest.[6]

Adi-Parashakti forms

1. Parvati, Sati, or Durga is the original manifested form of Mother Adi-Parashakti. She is Adi- Parashaktiherself. The Devi Gita declares her to be the greatest Goddess.Thus, She is considered the supreme

Goddess and primary deity in Shaktism, occupying a place similar to Lord Krishna in Vaishnavism.

Whatever deity one is worshiping, ultimately, they are worshiping her. She is every other goddess. She isGoddess Lakshmi and Goddess Saraswati in her mild form; Goddess Kali and Goddess Chandi in her

wrathful form.

2. Mahasaraswati is the first partial expansion of Goddess Adi Parshakti. She represents the Sattva Guna and

is the shakti of Lord Brahma. She is the goddess of wisdom, creation, and learning. She is the source of all of

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the arts. It is she who slew Sumbha and Nisumbha, who are symbols of ignorance. She was created from thebody of Mother Parvati and is the embodiment of her hard work, spirituality and devotion. She is also

known as Ambika Devi as per Durga Saptashati. She wears yellow clothes when she takes form. When sheis without form, she becomes the Primordial Sound.

3. Mahalakshmi is the second partial expansion of Goddess Adi Parshakti. She is the goddess of the material

world and its preservation. She also brings good fortune and spiritual satisfaction. She is the shakti of LordNarayana and is the bestower of all wealth and pleasure. She wears red Cloth. She was born from Goddess

Parvati's mind and later took birth as Katyayani. She is also known as Chandi Devi as per Durga Saptashati.

Mother Mahalakshmi is the primary deity of the Raja Guna. When she is formless, she becomes light.

4. Mahakali is the third partial expansion of Goddess Adi Parshakti. She is the goddess of spiritual fulfillmentas well as presiding over the destruction of the universe. She gives salvation to mankind. She is the shakti of

Lord Shiva. She helped Lord Mahavishnu slay the demons Madhu and Kaitabha. She was born from the

eyes of Mahavishnu as YogMaya. Mahakali is same as Yogmaya also known as Tamsi Devi as per Durga

Saptashati. Mother Mahakali wears blue and presides over the Tamas Guna. When she is formless, shebecomes heat.

Adi Shakti diversion to groups

Parvati or Complete Incarnation of Adishakti

Durga as Rajsik

NavadurgaKali as Tamsik

Mahavidya

Kaushiki as Satvik

MatrikasLakshmi

Ashta Lakshmi

Saraswati

Iconography

Adi Parashakti's appearance is described in the Kalika Purana, the Lalita Sahasranama, and the Devi BhagavataPurana. According to the Devi Bhagavata Purana, the Goddess once invited the Trimurti to her celestial abode. TheTrimurti saw the goddess sitting on a jeweled seat in a chariot drawn by seven lions. Her face contained theradiance of millions of stars and her celestial beauty was so great that the Trimurti were not able to look at her.They then realized that she was the energy responsible for creating, preserving, and destroying the whole universe.

Abode

Adi Parashakti's resides in the "Imperishable Abode", or Akshara Dhaam. It is a celestial palace where allgoddesses, apsaras, yakshinis, and kinnaris reside.

Mythological stories

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According to Devi Bhagwat Purana, Adishakti is tridevi- Parvati, Lakshmi, Saraswati - the equal half and eternalbeloved consort of trimurti (the three aspects of Godhead).

Notes

1. ^ Srimad Devi Bhagwatam, Devi Gita, Brahmand Purana, Sunder Lehri

2. ^ "The Devi Gita index" (http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/dg/). Sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 2012-08-05.

3. ^ Devi Bhagwat Purana

4. ^ F Morales - 2008 - adishakti.org

5. ^ dus-mahavidyas.pdf, Dollofindia.com, http://www.dollsofindia.com/acrobat/dus-mahavidyas.pdf

6. ^ Srimad Bhagwata Purana

References

Brown, Cheever Mackenzie (1998). The Devī Gītā: the song of the Goddess; a translation, annotation,and commentary (http://books.google.com/books?id=OxayHczql9EC).

Kinsley, David. Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions

(http://books.google.com/books?id=hgTOZEyrVtIC). ISBN 81-208-0379-5.

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