For the approach to Godhead depends on one’s attitude and aptitude, Bhava.
Broadly speaking they have been classified as┬а The Path Of Knowledge(Gyana Yoga),Bhakti Yoga(Path Of Devotion),Karma Yoga( Path Of Action, and Raja Yoga(Through meditation and regulation of sense organs.
Under each are various sub paths.
Again there are different instruments of reaching this goal through these steps.
Many a times we have some intention to speak our mind , knowing well that it would crate problems, we try to keep quiet; we fail to control, we speak out face the consequences and regret having spoken.
We say we cold not help speaking out.
This is the path of ‘Dhikbrama’ which is determined by his/her Karma.
When this speech comes from a Realized Soul it is called ‘Deva Vaaku’
Once it is kindled , Speech emanates.
We may observe this when we watch children attempting to speak.
They would struggle with sounds, choose a couple of them , mix them, produce the words, see our approval and choose such sounds that are approved by those around.
This Dormant Speech┬а Vak is controlled by Vakdevi/Savitri , a form of Goddess Sarasvati.
Gayathri is the Driving Force, Savitri is the Dormant Speech and Sarasvati , expressed Speech.
This is the reason we have┬а in the Sanshyavandan Aavaahava Mantra,,
In the Tantra Shastra worship of Devi, Sanskrit letters are hidden as it were in the Sri Chakra and┬а Lalitha (She Who Plays) Sahasranama and Soundaryalahari of Adi Shankaracharya.
The Vedas hide the letters and Mahamantras in the Texts dedicated to the Deity.
The Matrikas.Image source: Wiki.
Lord Rudra’s Mahamantra ‘Nama Svayacha, Sivadharaya cha’ is placed in the Eighth chapter (anuvakam) of the Sri Rudram .
The Soundaryalahari contains the 51 Aksharas hidden in 51 slokas.
It may be noted that the first portion of the SoundaryaLahari( was given by Lord Ganesha and the balance was composed by Adi Shankaracharya.
Devi is described as ‘Mathruka Varna Roopini’ Lalitha Sahasranama.
Mantrathmika-Lalitha Sahasranama.
Tantra Roopa Manon mayee-Lalitha Sahsranama
Sarva Mantrathmike, Sarva Yantrathmike0Shyamala Dandakam by Kalidasa.Lalita is also known as Matrika Devi, the Goddess of the Letters of the Alphabet. In Sanskrit there are 36 consonants and 15 vowels. In some arrangements of Her yantra these letters are to be found inscribed in the various triangles and petals of Shri Yantra. The combination of the 15 Vowels (the 15 Nityas) and the consonants (the 36 Tattvas) produces all sound, all mantra, all vibration, all word, and all music.
There are 8 letter groups in the Sanskrit alphabet. These 8 groups are personified as the 8 Little Mothers, worshipped all over India. The 9th group is Lalita Herself. She is beyond language and description. It is little realised ‘that gods and goddesses do not have names, but instead are described. “She who Plays” (Lalita) is not the name of the red goddess, but merely one of Her characteristics. She is beyond Name and Form.
In the first 12 verses (shlokas) of the Vamakeshvara Tantra is given a hymn to the Goddess as the Mother of the Letters:
1. I bow to the Goddess made of mantra, who consists of the (51) Ganeshas, the (9) Planets, the (27) Lunar Constellations, the (6) Yoginis, the (12) Signs of the Zodiac, and the (51) Matrika-Seats.
2. I bow to the great Matrika Devi, the Supreme Lady, who in Time is both a fraction of a second and the end of the Universe, the Destroyer and the Creatrix of Time.
3. Who is the whole perfect measure of the letters of the alphabet, worshipped by the Sun, Garuda, the Moon, the God of Love, by Lord Shankar, the God of Fire, and by Vishnu.
4. I worship the Devi of all Devis, the great Shri Siddha Matrika, whose letters of the alphabet, like moonlight, adorn the three worlds.
5. Who is the great thread of the letters of the alphabet, from which is woven the three worlds, who extends from the top of the head to the base of the spine. I worship you, 0 Siddha Matrika.
6. Who is made up of the 11 adharas (in the body), the universe-seed, the source of the primordial triangle. From the top of the head to the base of the spine you are the Origin of the World.
7. Who is the aggregate of the 8 letter-groups A-Ka-Ca-Ta-Ta-Pa-Ya-Sa, the primordial Source and Many Rayed Dweller in the centre of the heart.
8. Unfolder of the letter I, essence of essences, Most Ultimate One, I bow to you Great Devi, form of the Utmost Bliss.
9. The primordial One, of whom other gods and goddesses have no inkling. Who knows what and from where She creates? O Producer of Form and Formlessness!
10. I worship You, the imperishable letter-form from A to Ksha, O Devi, Supremely Auspicious Being. You are the Expansion Mirror, the Maya of the 36 Tattvas.
11. The aggregate of the eight groups of letters, in whom the eight Little Mothers reside, I worship You, Great Lady of the eight siddhis which originate from the eight letter groups.
12. Dwelling at the Auspicious Sacred Seats (Pithas) of Kamarupa, Purnagiri and Jalandhara, I bow to You Great Shree Tripura, the fourfold abode of the Elements.
Syllables of Vidya.
Vidya is feminine of mantra. Lalita has various forms of mantra, the most popular seeming to be the vidya of 15 syllables which runs Ka E I La Hrim, Ha Sa Ka Ha La Hrim, Sa Ka La Hrim. This is a mantra with three sections which correspond to Moon, Sun and Fire. There is said to be a secret 16th syllable which is the Goddess Herself. This vidya is called Kadi (Ka etc.) because of its initial letter. The Kadi doctrine deals with involution of the yantra, the Hadi vidya with evolution. These 15 syllables correspond to the 15 Kalas of the Moon.
If you refer to the pages on Shri Puja and the Bhavana Upanishad as well as the Shri Yantra figure above and the page on the Nine Mandalas of the Shri Yantra, this text becomes much easier to follow..
Ashtadasa (18) Shakti peethas resemble few important letters out of 50:
a,i,u,am,ah,ka,ca,Ta,ta,pa,nga,nja,Na,na,ma,ya,sa,ksha.
Another logic for 18 Shakti peethas:
This is based on Sanskrit pronounciation:
(udatta+anudatta+swarita)*(hraswa+deergha+pluta)*(anunasika+niranunasika) [3*3*2] =18
3 1/2 Shakti peethas resemble the parts of devine OM:
A,U,M being the three and mmm… (ardha matra) being half.
Devi is worshiped in different forms, mostly as Mother.
There is a Branch of Hinduism which worships Devi through the Physical parts of the Body as well.
This system has the letters of the Sanskrit Alphabets to aid the process of realizing God hood, Devi.
There are various steps,branches in this.
Please read my post, Lalitha Sahasranama, an Introduction.
In this system the Devi is worshiped in the Form of Chakras in the body.
Each Chakra has a letter corresponding to it.
The Universal Vibration is synchronised with the inner vibration to achieve Union, of the Jivatman, in the case of Dwaita or Visishtadvaita┬а or reverting back to the Reality, as in Advaita,
The slokas Lalitha Sahasranama nad Soundarya lahari are replete with details of this process.
Tara тАУ The Goddess as Guide and Protector, or Who Saves.Who offers the ultimate knowledge which gives salvation (also known as Neel Saraswati).
Tripura Sundari (Shodashi) тАУ The Goddess Who is “Beautiful in the Three Worlds” (Supreme Deity of Srikula systems); the “Tantric Parvati” or the “Moksha Mukta”.
Bhuvaneshvari тАУ The Goddess as World Mother, or Whose Body is the Cosmos
Bhairavi тАУ The Fierce Goddess
Chhinnamasta тАУ The self-decapitated Goddess[5]
Dhumavati тАУ The Widow Goddess,or the Goddess of death.
Bagalamukhi тАУ The Goddess Who Paralyzes Enemies
Matangi тАУ the Prime Minister of Lalita (in Srikula systems); the “Tantric Saraswati”
Kamala тАУ The Lotus Goddess; the “Tantric Lakshmi”
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