Shodashi Mahavidya

Color – Vermillion red

Anniversary – Margsheersh Poornimaa

Shiv (initiating light) – Panchvaktra Shiv

Raatri (energy of Shiv) – Divyaraatri

Worshipped – to get better spouse, for family pleasure and potency.

Beej mantra – Shreem ( श्रीं )

Direction – North-East (Ishanya)

Goddess Shodashi is the Three of the Das Mahavidya. Goddess Shodashi is also known as Tripura Sundari. As the name suggests Goddess Shodashi is the most beautiful in all three worlds. In Mahavidya, she represents Goddess Parvati or also known as Tantric Parvati.

Maa Shodashi is also known as Lalita, Kamesvari, Srividya and Raj Rajeshwari. which means “the one who plays” and “queen of queens” respectively.

Shodashi Origin – As Shodashi, Tripura Sundari is represented as a sixteen-year-old girl. She is believed to embody sixteen types of desires. Mantra to worship Goddess Shodashi also consists of sixteen syllables. Tripura Sundari is also worshipped as the Shri Yantra.

Shodashi Iconography – Tripura Sundari is described as being dusky, red or golden in complexion and in union with Lord Shiva. The couple is portrayed on a bed, a throne or a pedestal that is upheld by Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Ishana and Sadashiva forming the plank.

Goddess Shodashi has a third eye on the forehead. She is clad in red costume and richly bejeweled. She sits on a lotus seat laid on a golden throne. She is shown with four arms in which she holds five arrows of flowers, a noose, a goad and sugarcane as a bow. The noose represents attachment, the goad represents repulsion, the sugarcane bow represents the mind and the arrows are the five sense objects.

Shodashi Sadhana – Shodashi Sadhana is done for pleasure as well as for liberation. Tripura Sundari Sadhana provides strength to control body, mind and emotions.

Shodashi Sadhana is also done for family pleasure, favourable life partner and potency.

Shodashi Mantra Sadhana – For doing the shodashi sadhana you should face east south corner, if possible seat in that direction and after doing the mahavidya shodashi devi pooja, prayers worships offer her the favorite things of her and then start doing the shodashi mahavidya mantra using red coral rosary. Recite minimum 5100 mantra and in last do the hawan using panchmeva with hawan samagri.

॥ ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं क्लीं ऐं सौः ॥

॥ Om Shreem Hreem Kleem Aim Sauh ॥

Shodashi Mool Mantra – 

॥ ॐ ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं त्रिपुर सुंदरीयै नमः ॥

॥ Om Aim Hreem Shreem Tripur Sundariyai Namah ॥

Shodashi Mantra List –

Goddess Shodashi Mantra

॥ ऐं सौः क्लीं ॥

॥ Aim Sauh Kleem ॥

Panchakshar Shodashi Mantra (5 Syllables Mantra)

॥ ऐं क्लीं सौः सौः क्लीं ॥

॥ Aim Kleem Sauh Sauh Kleem ॥

Shadakshar Shodashi Mantra (6 Syllables Mantra)

॥ ऐं क्लीं सौः सौः क्लीं ऐं ॥

॥ Aim Kleem Sauh Sauh Kleem Aim ॥

Ashtadashakshar Shodashi Mantra (18 Syllables Mantra)

॥ ह्रीं श्रीं क्लीं त्रिपुरामदने सर्वशुभं साधय स्वाहा ॥

॥ Hreem Shreem Kleem Tripuramadane Sarvashubham Sadhaya Svaha ॥

Vinshatyakshar Shodashi Mantra (20 Syllables Mantra)

॥ ह्रीं श्रीं क्लीं परापरे त्रिपुरे सर्वमीप्सितं साधय स्वाहा ॥

॥ Hreem Shreem Kleem Parapare Tripure Sarvamipsitam Sadhaya Svaha ॥

Tripura Gayatri Mantra

॥ क्लीं त्रिपुरादेवि विद्महे कामेश्वरि धीमहि। तन्नः क्लिन्ने प्रचोदयात् ॥

॥ Kleem Tripuradevi Vidmahe Kameshvari Dhimahi। Tannah Klinne Prachodayat ॥

Shodasi Devi Temples –

There are very few of Shodasi Devi temples in India. I mentioned here some of them.

Rajasthan – Tripura Sundari temple is located on top of the hills near Radha kishorepur village, a little distance away from Udaipur town in Tripura and in Banaswara, Rajasthan.

West Bengal – there is a temple of Ma Tripura Sundari Devi located in Boral, near Garia.

Madhya Pradesh – Jabalpur, there is Tripura Sundari temple about 12 km from city on Bhedaghat road in village Tewar.

Chennai – the Shri Tirusoolanathar Tripura sundari temple, an ancient temple built by Kulothunga Chola I in the 11th century.

West Bengal – A temple of Tripura Sundari temple is in Chhatrabhog (Saturbhog). It is situated in south 24 Pgs under Diamond Harbour Subdivision West Bengal.

Uttarakhand – Goddess Raj Rajeshwari are also found in Uttarakhand, where she is considered as the Kul-devi.

Berinag – A temple of Tripura Sundari is located at tripuradevi village in Berinag.

Muguru – Tripura Sundri amma (Thibbadevi) temple in Muguru is located in the Tirumakudal Narsipur taluk of Mysore district in Karnataka.

Some of the Shodasi temples may be in India.

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