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Hinduism - Who Are The Mahavidyas?

 

A collective term for 10 strong and powerful Goddess manifestations.

According to legend, the goddess Sati takes on each of these forms in order to convince her husband, the deity Shiva, to let her attend a sacrifice performed by her father Daksha.


These 10 forms are all terrifying and terrifying, even to Shiva, demonstrating the Goddess's supremacy over Shiva.


  1. Kali, 
  2. Tara, 
  3. Chinnamasta, 
  4. Bhuvaneshvari, 
  5. Bagala, 
  6. Dhumavati, 
  7. Kamala, 
  8. Matangi, 
  9. Shodashi, and 
  10. Bhairavi are the 10 forms.


Some of these manifestations, particularly Kali, have risen to prominence as deities in their own right.

See David R. Kinsley's Hindu Goddesses, 1986, for further details.


You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.

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