An Introduction to Sri Vidya Worship

Introduction

Srividya is a vast ocean of knowledge of Pure Consciousness, and one has to dive deep into it with the guidance of the Guru as headlight and the  grace of the Mother Goddess to get the pearl of  Self Realisation. Srividya has a long history of Mother worship. The Divine Mother is worshipped as Lalita, Mahatripurasundari, Parasakti, Parasamvid or Parabrahma Sakti in the Shakta tradition. Mother worship transcends the “Varnashrama Dharma” and can be practiced by all individuals to ascend on the spiritual path. The worship sketches the route map to jnana yoga through Karma ,Upasana and Bhakti yoga. The worship is the combination of religion, philosophy, theology and culture. The Srividya mantra and the Sri yantra are considered to be the supreme one, termed as mantra rajam and chakra rajam. Worship through Sri chakra is as enchanting as it is more complex and abstract. It is ritualistic, subtle and esoteric and meaningful. It is capable of conferring all the four Purusharthas viz dharma, artha, kama, and moksha. The ultimate goal of Srividya sadhana is self-realisation, identity of the self with the Goddess Herself. This academic course is meant to provide an introduction to (and not an initiation into) Sri Vidya worship.

Course Objectives

• Explore the history and evolution of Sri Vidya worship
• Gain a foundational understanding of the principles and practices of Sri Vidya worship
• The importance of Guru Parampara in Srividya tradition
• Understand the symbolism and significance of the Sri Yantra and other key elements of Sri Vidya worship
• The use of Tantra, Yantra and Mantra in the worship of Mother Goddess
• Understand the importance of Mother worship
• Prevailing methods of Srividya sadhana

Course Goals

By the end of the course, students will be able to

• Understand the principles of Sri Vidya worship
• Analyse the history and evolution of Sri Vidya worship
• Interpret and explain the symbolism and significance of the Sri Yantra and other key elements of Sri Vidya worship
• Evaluate and synthesize the role of Sri Vidya worship in contemporary spiritual practice

Course Outcomes

• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the history and evolution of Sri Vidya worship
• Gain an understanding of Srividya Upasana
• Interpret and explain the symbolism and significance of the Sri Yantra and other key elements of Sri Vidya worship
• Become aware of the Guru Parampara
• Explore and understand the benefits of Mother worship
• Remove misconceptions about Sakti worship
• Get an understanding of the upasana marga that leads one to develop purity of thought, word and deed.

Course Syllabus

Introduction to Sri Vidya Worship

• What is Sri Vidya Worship?
• History and Evolution of Sri Vidya Worship
• Origins of Sri Vidya worship
• Historical figures and lineages
• Influences and adaptations
• Introduction to Sakta tradition
• Vedic perspectives of Srividya

Principles and Practices of Sri Vidya Worship

• Overview of Sri Vidya philosophy
• Puja and other practices
• Modes of worship
• External and internal worship

Symbolism and Significance of the Sri Yantra

• Tantra, Mantra and Yantra
• Role of Guru and diksha