Oḍiyāna Mahāpīṭha 

4 Ādi Śaktipīṭhas 

Introduction:- 

According to many Śākta Texts, 4 places are considered to be the origins of Śaktism. They are called as "Caturādiśaktipīṭha" . They are the main scared seats where Kula, Krama and kaula systems, Āgamas were arised. Kubjikāmata Tantra, Jayadratha Yāmala Tantra, Umā Yāmala Tantra, Manthan Bhairava Tantra, Ambāmata Saṃhitā, Āmnāya Mañjarī etc many ancient Śākta Āgamas mentioned and described these Pīṭhas. These seats are also mentioned in the lists of the Pīṭhas of Mahāpurāṇas and Upapurāṇas (Brahmāṇḍa, Brahmavaivarta, Devībhāgavata, Kālikā, Skanda, Padma etc). Some of later worked texts after 12th century such as Pīṭhanirṇaya tantra also quoted these. 

The Pīṭhas are :- Oḍiyāna, Kāmarūpa, Jalandhara and Pūrṇagiri. 

We shall talk about these Pīṭhas in a few posts. 

Oḍiyāna Mahāpīṭha:- 

The first Pīṭha is Oḍiyāna. It is also known as Oḍḍiyāna, Oḍḍīśa, Oḍḍiyānaka, Oṃkārapīṭha, Auṇapīṭha, Uḍḍiyāna etc. 

The Gaurī Tantra states, 

"ओडियाने महापीठे देवी त्रिपुरसुन्दरी। 

कुण्डाकृत महारण्ये परमामृतविग्रहा ॥" 

The residing Goddess of Oḍiyāna is Tripurasundarī. 

Location: 

Locations of Śaktipīṭhas 

कामरूपं लिखेत् पूर्वे कोलगिर्यं तु दक्षिणे |

चोहारं पश्चिमे लेख्यं उत्तरे औणकं लिखेत् ||

मलयं चाग्निदिग्भागे नैर्-ऋत्यां तु कुलान्तकम् |

जालन्धरन्तवायव्ये ऐशाने देवकोट्टकम् || 

~ Kuladīpikā Tantra: 2nd Patala

Kuladīpikā states the locations of some Pīṭhas around whole Bhāratavarṣa. Auṇapīṭha is situated in the north side of India. It means, Oḍiyāna is located in Kāśmīra. 

Cause of Naming Oḍiyāna: 

In the 2nd Chapter of Kubjikāmata Tantra, it is said that once Goddess Kubjikā or Kubjikeśvarī went to the western Himagahvara where there was a forest-keeper in the forest (vanapallikā) named Olambikā. 

"एवमुक्त्वा गता दूरं पश्चिमं हिमगह्वरम् ॥36 "

~Kubjikāmata Tantra, 2nd patal

The forest keeper and many attendants served Goddess Kubjikā. The goddess was satisfied by them. Thereafter she said, "ओड्डिता येन अङ्घ्रिभ्यां तेनेदमोड्डियानकम् ॥ "~41th Śloka, Kmt 2nd patal. 

Means:-  “As (I) have flown up (oḍḍitā) (here) within Oḍḍīśa, therefore this (place will be known) as Oḍḍiyānaka”. 

The 50 Śaktipīṭhas list of Brahmāṇḍa Mahāpurāṇa (Lalitā Māhātmya) also quotes this Pīṭha, "उड़ीशं च प्रयागं च षष्टिमायापुरं तथा । " 

Later the periodic text Pīṭhanirṇaya tantra says, 

"श्रीपर्वते दक्षगुल्फस्तत्र श्रीसुन्दरी परा । सर्वसिद्धीश्वरी सर्वा सुन्दरानन्दभैरवः ॥ " 

Here Śrīsundarī must be the residing goddess Tripurasundarī. 

Oḍiyāna and Ūrdhvāmnāya: 

Vārāhī Tantra says, the Mistress of Ūrdhvāmnāya is Goddess Tripurasundarī or Saubhāgyā Devī. She is also the residing goddess of Oḍiyāna. 

Vārāhī Tantra quotes in the 22th chapter, 

ब्रह्माशक्ती समुल्लास पीठगह्वरविग्रहा ॥

उद्यानपीठनिलया परं ब्रह्मात्मिका शिवा । सर्वचक्रेश्वरी सर्व पीठेश्री मंत्रविग्रहा ॥

सर्वमंत्रेश्वरी सर्व देवेशी दिव्यविग्रहा। उद्यानपीठ निलया परं ब्रह्मात्मिका शिवा ॥

Goddess Tripurā dwells in Uḍḍiyāna as the essence of Brahmā. She is the Mistress of every cakra, every pīṭha, every mantra, every god, and of the six āmnāyas. 

The ūrddhvāmnāya damanārohaṇapaddhati describes the worship of Oḍiyāna Pīṭheśvarī. The dhyāna Mantra is below. 

सोमसुर्याग्निपिथे च दाडिम्वकुसुमोपमा ॥

पाशांकुशत्रिनेत्राञ्च पञ्चवाणधनुर्द्धरा व्रह्मचक्रस्थिता देवी 

ज्ञानशक्ति स्वरुपिणी ॥

ओडियाने महादेवी सौभाग्यायै नमोस्तुते ॥ 

As per the historians, The birthplace of Ūrdhvāmnāya Tradition was Oḍiyāna, Kāśmīra. The scriptures are also stating same truth. 

Connection between Śrī Vidyā and Oḍiyāna : 

The terms "Śrīvidyā" and "Śrīkula", however, aren't usual in ancient works and have come to be used mainly to refer to a modern form of this tradition. It is better to call this system as the doctrine of Tripurā (Traipurakrama /त्रैपुरक्रम). Ancient texts also addressed this system as Saubhāgyakrama(सौभाग्यक्रम) as because the Pīṭha goddess is known as Saubhāgyā Devī (see the Dhyāna). 

Kāśmīrīs used to address Saubhāgyā Devī as Trikūṭā(त्रिकूटा) . Because she was worshipping by the three Root-mantras. Ancient Kāśmīrī Āgamas like Rudrayāmala (Devī Rahasya and Trikūṭā Rahasya) mentioned her as Trikūṭā. Not only that, the term "Trika" itself came from Goddess Trikūṭā. Vāmakeśvaratantra or Nityaṣoḍaśīkārṇava and Yoginīhṛdaya are the oldest texts of Traipurakrama. "Śākta Kulasamrāt" Acharya Abhinavgupta quoted these texts in his two works called Parā-trīśikā Vivaraṇa( परा-त्रीशिका विवरण) and Mālinīvijayavārtika (मालिनीविजयवार्तिक). 

Some Śākta Ācāryas of Saubhāgyakrama:- 

In Kāśmīra Trika :- 

1) Kalyāṇadeva

2) Paramānanda

3) Trilocaneśa

4) Deveśa

5) Svātmānanda 

6) Abhinavagupta 

Other states :- 

1) Pūṇyānandanātha ( belonged yo Ha-ādi/ Hādi sampradāya in 13th Century) 

2) Amṛtānandanātha (pupil of Pūṇyānandanātha and lived in Andhra Pradesh) 

3) Śivānanda (lived in 13th Century, wrote the commentary on Nityaṣoḍaśīkārṇava ) 

Note :- All the above Acharya's and their guru paramparās trace no connection with Smārta's Śrīkula schools infact they have drawn connection towards Kāśmīra Krama Darśana. These all Acharya's were Tantrikas of kaulism they always quoted Kāśmīrī Bhairava, Yāmala Āgamas / Tantras. They were free from Smārta influence. 

Non-Śākta Acharyas who came near Śrīvidyā :- 

Vaiṣṇava Ācārya :- 

1) Nityānanda Mahāprabhu ( Companion of ŚrīCaitanya) 

Smārta Ācāryas:- 

1)Gauḍapādasvāmī (Kevala Advaita philosopher)

2) Ādi Śaṅkarācārya ( founder of Śaṅkara Smārta Paramparā and pupil of Gauḍapāda)

3) Sureśvara 

4) Padmapāda 

5) Vidāraṇya Muni 

Note : These Ācāryas were not Śākta. They belonged to other sects of Hinduism. Śrīvidyā belonged to strictly Śākta Tantric Doctrine having connected with Kāśmīrī Śaivism and Saubhāgya and Nitya Śākta traditions of Kashmir but later Smārtas (Ādi Śaṅkara followers) and other sects adopted few practices of Śrīvidyā. Smārtas detantricised Śrīvidyā. Apart from Vaiṣṇavas and Smārtas, Vajrayāna Buddhists, Mīmāṃsaka also practiced Śrīvidyā. They were influenced by Śāktas. Some Smārtas (E.g. Lakṣmīdhara) condemned Kaula Śrīvidyā schools and called them Avedic. They only tolerated Samayācārī Śrīvidyā . They also tried to remove Vāma mārga from this krama