9058009346

CONCEPT OF THE GODDESS ŚAKTI EXPOUNDED IN THE LALITOPAKIIYANA 109

They have also been dcscribcd as bcing powerful enough to bring about thc tolal dcstruclion of the dcmons, but at thc same time, they are bcnevolent

to those who are devoted to Lalita.⁴⁶ #

28.    There is another group of Tantric goddcsses who have been describcd as rahasysyoginls ⁴⁷ (secret powers). They are Vaśinl, Kameśl, BhoginT, Vimal5, Aruna, JavinT, SarveiT, and Kaulinl. ⁴⁸ Rahasya means a secret and YoginI means a power. These eight goddesses are secret powers.

29.    It will be secn hcre that thc Lalitopakhyana includes evcn the Tantric goddesses whilc dcscribing various forms and manifeslations of the Goddess Lalita though normally thc Pufanas condcmn and criticise thc Tantric religion, naturę of deilies thcrcin and ils tcachings, etc. The rcason for including these goddesses here appcars to be this that though these goddesses are Tantric goddesses, they are some powers. The Lalitopakhyana hcre probably proposes to establish that any secret power, malcvolent or bcnevolent, it is a form of thc Goddess Sakli or Goddess Lalita. No power can have cxistcncc independent of Lalita who is thc All-Pcrvading Supremę Bcing.

•    9

30.    Weapons - Forms of the Goddess Sakti : Two weapons viz.,

a plough and a peslle are said to have assumed the fonu of goddesses,

/

i.e., a plough and a pestle are looked upon as fonns of Sakti Goddess, obviously bccause weapons havc power in them, and that is why they havc

9    9

been looked upon as fonns of Sakti. The Goddess Sakti as though manifests Hcrself as a plough and a pestle. The anny of Lalita consisted of many of such goddesses who are pcrsonifications of different weapons and missilcs. They are PdśinTs, Musalinls, Cakrinls, Mudgarims, Patliśinls, Kodandinls. ⁴⁹ Hcre PSiinT is a goddess who is a personification of a pasa (a noose). Similarly, Musalinls, Cakrinls, Mudgarinls, Paltiśinls, and Kodandinls are personifications of a mu sala (a pestle), a ca kra (a disc), a mudga (a mace), a pattiia (a spear), and a kodanda (a bow) rcspectively. A weapon or a missilc symbolises power, thereforc, here different weapons have been pcrsonillcd

9

and described as various Sakli goddesses. Herc non-sentient weapons and missiles have been described as goddesses, because they have power in them.

31.    Ocean of Winę - A Form of Sakti Goddess : Whcn the Sakti goddesses perspired duc to the exertion of fighting and suffered from thirst, an ocean of winę is said to have assumed a form of a goddess and presented ilsclf on the batlle-field and rcmovcd the fatigue of the goddesses (by quenching their thirst).⁵⁰ It will be scen here that the ocean of winę has the power of ąuenching thirst and rcmoving fatigue of thc goddesses, it is looked upon as a form of the Goddess Sakli.

«    9

32.    Vidyii and Avidya - Forms of Sakti : While elucidaling the conccpt of Sakti, the Lalitopakhyana has narralcd some war-strategies employed by thc two h^itn • partics. These strategies were mcanl to counlcract and