The worship of the female principle  is one of the basic tenets of Hinduism

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Right from the Vedas, where the one of the Fundamental principles elaborated is Prakriti, the Female principle.

This, in conjunction,  by mere Sparsa, meaning touch, slight rubbing, grazing,the word Sparsa is difficult to translate, with Purusa, the male principle is the cause for the evolution of this illusory world of Names and Forms.

Shaiva Siddhanta has two aspects Shiva and Shakti.

Lord Vishnu is described as the Ultimate Conjurer,in His Maya Form.

Samkhya Philosophy also speaks of Prakriti.

Prakriti is Nature ,

It is the Potential energy.

Kinetic Energy is The Purusha.

Yoga Sasra describes the Kundalini as a female.

Lalitha Sahasranama startts with the salutation, The Mother,-Sree Matha, Maharjne SrimadSrimad Simhasaneswari’

The worship of Devi is considered very effective and the methods of worship are strict and are tough.

So varied have been the forms of worship and methods that Adi Shankaracharya classified Shaakatam as a part of Shanmatha.

Please read my post on Six Forms of Worship, Shankaracharya.

Noe this system of worship of the Devi is broadly divided into two aspects.

One is the worship of Shakti, where the Shakti and Shiva are considered the same.

Those who follow this are called Samayin-s.

Adi Shankaracharya follows this in the Soundaryalahari, starting with,

‘Sivasaktiyaayuktho…’

The other form of worship is called the Kaulamarga.

This is mentioned in the Lalith Sahasranama

‘Kuchala Komalakaara Kurukulla Kuleswari,

Kula Kundaalaya kaulamaarga Thtpara Sevita.

here the sleeping Kundalini is worshipped, the Solar Plexus, called the Kula/Muladhara.

Tha Samayins believe in rising the Kundalini, through Upasna, through the Six Chakras, the latter is worshiping  Kundalini direct , by worshiping which one obtains temporal gains and as a spin-off Liberation.

Being an extremely heavy subject, I shall be posting shorter posts on the subject.

More to follow including the Drawing of Sri Chakra, procedure for worship and common myths about Devi Upasna