The Legend of Goddess Tripura Sundari

Tripura Sundari

Goddess Tripura Sundari is the embodiment of the Supreme Feminine Power. Known variously as Rajarajeshwari, Lalitha, Kamakshi, and Shodashi, she remains the foremost of the Supreme Divinities, the Mahavidyas, and as Lalitha Tripura Sundari, she remains the principal Goddess of Sri Vidya, the Tantric system of worship.    

'Tripura' refers to the three worlds, and 'Sundari' is the 'woman of great beauty;' Tripura Sundari thus signifies the extraordinarily charming woman across all the three realms, possessing the powers of the core functions of the universe- the creation, preservation, and dissolution.

Legends also eulogize her as Maha Shakti, the ultimate power, and describe her as the supreme consciousness, even governing the Supreme Trinity of Gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. And Brahmanda Purana hails her as Adi Parashakti, the Primordial Ultimate Feminine Energy. Holy compositions like Lalitha Sahasranama and Soundarya Lahari speak highly about her greatness and sing her praise extensively.   

The Legend of Goddess Tripura Sundari

There is an interesting legend about the origin of the Goddess Tripura Sundari.

Lord Shiva married Sati, the daughter of Daksha Prajapathi, an agent of creation, and Raja Rishi, a royal sage, against his wishes. So, Daksha swore a bitter enmity with his son-in-law Shiva and never missed an opportunity to belittle him. Once, he performed a grand Yagna, the fire sacrifice, without inviting Shiva. Still, Sati went to her father's sacrifice uninvited, against Shiva's wish, had to endure her father's public humiliation of her husband there, and, unable to take it, leaped into the sacrificial fire and gave up her body. Besides himself, with sorrow and rage at the death of his dear spouse, Shiva got Daksha's head chopped off but restored him to life later with a goat's head. However, depressed with the loss of his wife, Shiva lost himself in deep meditative penance. 

   Sati, reborn as the mountain king Himavan's daughter Parvati, was determined to get only Shiva as her husband in that birth, too. On the other hand, demon Surapadma, armed with the boon that he could be killed only by Shiva's son, played havoc with the worlds, and the much harassed Devas somehow wanted Shiva to return to the conscious state, marry Parvati and produce a son who can end the demon's terror. Desperate, they made Manmata, the God of Love, shoot an arrow at the meditative Shiva to kindle love feelings in him. Violently disturbed from his penance, the enraged Shiva opened his third eye and burnt Manmata down to ashes but revived him, later heeding his wife Rati's pleadings. However, the Devas' plan worked somehow as Shiva married Parvati, and their son Karthikeya (Muruga) soon put an end to the demon's oppression.

But, quite unexpectedly, the mighty demon Bhandasura emerged from those ashes, and it was now his turn to terrorize the celestials. On the advice of the Supreme Trinity of Gods that they should take the advice of Nirguna Brahman, the ultimate reality, the Devas organized a great fire sacrifice, in which they offered, as an oblation, the entire creation, that is, the manifest universe. And from that fire emerged Maha Tripura Sundari.

Goddess Tripura Sundari is then said to have divided herself as Kameshwara, the Purusha, and Kameshwari, the Prakriti, and recast the whole universe. She also rid the world of the demonic forces led by Bhandasura.

Another story claims Parvati herself transformed into the charming form of Lalitha Tripura Sundari, demonstrating her elegance, beauty, and omnipresence to all the worlds.  

Portrayal

Tripura Sundari is often depicted as seated cross-legged on a lotus that blooms over a reclining Shiva. Somewhere, the lotus itself stems out of Shiva's navel, while somewhere else, it emerges from Sri Chakra, the celebrated Yantra of Tripura Sundari.

Goddess Tripura Sundari has 4 hands, holding a bow, arrow, noose, and an elephant goad in them, and is seated royally like a queen on a golden throne, decorated with dazzling jewelry all over her body. She is also adorned with a crescent Moon on her forehead and is shown as being served by divinities like Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Saraswati, and Lakshmi.       

She is also portrayed in some quarters as living in the peaks of the Himalayas, wearing a tiger skin and a snake garland around her neck, holding a trident and small drum in 2 of her four hands, riding a bull and venerated by sages and celestial nymphs.   

Somewhere else, Goddess Tripura Sundari is also shown as an exceptionally lovely young maiden with a charming smile, clad in red silk and dark flowing hair adorned with colorful flowers.       

Shodashi and Lalitha

One of the versions portray Tripura Sundari as a breathtaking 16-year-old beauty, giving her the name Shodashi, 'the 16-Year-old,' who can also grant 16 types of desires. There is also a 16-syllable Mantra, made up of 15 syllables and a seed syllable, in praise of Shodashi.

Tripura Sundari is also quite playful by nature, drawing others towards her through her childlike innocence and purity. Hence, she is also called Lalitha, 'the playful one.'

Temples

Goddess Tripura Sundari is worshiped in many Temples across the country. Temples in Mysore, Karnataka; Banswara, Rajasthan; Manali, Himachal Pradesh; and Udaipur, Tripura, are some of the famous ones, where thousands of people offer worship to the Divine Mother seeking her blessings.   

Blessings of Goddess Tripura Sundari

Tripura Sundari is a compassionate mother, who heeds the prayers of sincere devotees, provides relief, and bestows many blessings. Her grace can dispel misfortune, illnesses, poverty, infertility, and disharmony and bless with the boon of early marriage with a suitable life partner, progeny blessing, good health, wealth, promising vocation, status, and social respect, and a long and happy life.