Durga Krama : A Short Description

 The Śākta Doctrine

Due to the influence of modern feminism, opportunists from various communities have started interpreting the Śākta tradition according to their own perspectives. To them, it seems as though Śāktism is merely a shelter for all goddesses—where every goddess is supposedly established in the Supreme Reality. But is that truly the case?

[[ Jaya Mā Kālī : Picture of Kalighat ]]

Among male deities, Śiva(शिव) has his own tradition called Śaiva, Viṣṇu(विष्णु) has Vaiṣṇava, and for Brahmā, there was Vairiñca or Brahma-mata (now extinct). Then, is it not rather odd that for all goddesses, there would exist only a single tradition? Has only one house been allotted for all goddesses? Is this really stating the independence of Goddesses? Under the pretext of “Independent Mistress” (SvādhīnaVallabhā), some aggressive misandrists are now attempting to convert every minor and major goddess into the “Primordial Supreme Power” (Ādi Parāśakti). But what is the historical truth?

The Śaṅkara-vijaya is considered historically reliable (even if one disagrees with Śaṅkarācārya’s philosophy or his refutations of other doctrines, the events and historical data presented in the text are generally accepted). There, when Ācārya Śaṅkara refutes the views of various sects, he mentions three principal goddess-based traditions:

1. The Śākta tradition (शाक्तधर्म)
2. The Mahālakṣmī-mata tradition (महालक्ष्मीमतधर्म)
3. The Vāgbhādinī-mata or Sārasvata tradition (वाग्वादिनीमत/सारस्वत धर्म)

(Here, whether the Smārta Jagadguru Śaṅkarācārya truly succeeded in refuting these doctrines is not our concern.)

In the Śākta tradition, the presiding deity is Bhavānī, the daughter of Himavat, addressed variously as Durgā, Caṇḍikā, Pārvatī, etc.
In the Mahālakṣmī-mata tradition, the supreme goddess is Rāmādevī, the beloved of Viṣṇu.
In the Sārasvata tradition, the presiding deity is Vāgbhādinī, the beloved of Brahmā.

[[ Page of Śaṅkara Vijaya]]

In the Śākta tradition, although Lakṣmī and Sarasvatī are worshipped, they are not supreme—they are considered Aṅgavidyās or Upavidyās. Conversely, in the Mahālakṣmī tradition, Lakṣmī is the Supreme; she is established through texts like the Pāñcarātra and Vaikhānasa. In the Sārasvata tradition, goddesses like Lakṣmī serve Vāgbhādinī.

Naturally, just as Viṣṇu cannot be supreme in the Śaiva tradition, the same applies here.

However, due to the influence of Śaṅkara's monism (Śaṅkaravāda), as the Mahālakṣmī and Sārasvata traditions gradually became extinct, certain ideas from them infiltrated Śāktism. As a result, Siddhalakṣmī, one of the ten Mahāvidyās and consort of Ākāśabhairava, was removed from her place and Goddess Kamalā was installed.

After the Islamic invasions, Śāktas gradually lost their distinctiveness and, due to the influence of Sāṅkhya philosophy, ideas from other sects, ignorance, and other factors, started producing numerous heterodox Tantras. If so-called ācāryas from the 16th to 20th centuries cited those texts, there’s nothing to say. At the end of the day, it is the ancient Śākta āgamas and the old ācāryas that are to be revered.

Finally, I will conclude today’s writing with a verse from the Nīlatantra—though a much later composition, it is still sufficient to silence the neo-interpreters:

Śiva said:

एकोऽहं वै त्वञ्च एक एकमेव प्रभाषते । एवश्व मनसा दुर्गा यो भजेद् हरवल्लभाम् ॥

"I alone am One, and so are You; the One alone is glorified.
He who worships Durgā, the beloved of Hara, with mind fully absorbed—
With mantra and flower in the sacred maṇḍala—
That practitioner alone is known as a Śākta."

(Nīlatantra, Chapter 18, Verses 22–23)

Only those who worship Haravallabhā Durgā exclusively are truly called Śāktas.