Dear Dylan, thank you very much for explaining Kālasaṁkarṣiṇī, I was overcome with awe when I read what you wrote "She is the all-consuming Void which not even Mahākāla can escape." How else can one describe Mahapralaya if not in terrible images, take the Dhumavati stotra, the terrible description directly shows the destruction of the ENTIRE universe! You refer to the 17th bija mantra, where can I get acquainted with it, Tivraji cited the mantra of Shri Chinnamastā Devi, 17 bijas. Is this Kali the 13th in the Kali-krama system? Today is one of the dates of Jayanti Shri Kali!

Navratri is approaching and I need to know about Navratri practices in Srividya. As I understand it, there are 3 sections: sutra (puranas), tantra and yoga-tantra (Dzogchen) - complete non-duality. Ordinary Navratri is puranas (Devi mahatmya) and tantric Navratri is Mahatma Kanda where there are completely different Goddesses: - Mahalaxmi, Maphasaraswati, Gayatri, Durga, Bala, Rajashyamala, Mahavarahi and Tripurasundari. How is the practice of these Goddesses done in the Srividya tradition. And of course, it is interesting from the position of Anutara-yoga-tantra, that is, self-worship?

Sir can you explain is there any restriction on speaking out loud Or speaking in mind like while doing nyas does the mantra have to be spoken out loud or can it be done in mind.

Found this interesting book https://www.amazon.in/CHINNAMASTA-MAHAVIDHYA-0N-SRIVIDHYA-VI/dp/B07RLDX4WH which prescribes worshipping chinnamasta in srichakra.

Para sanatan dhandhat praman in your gracious feel and maa lalita lotus feet, Tīvra i was wonder if grace shakti took form of para shakti in order to elevate/guide them away from suffering and pain and become like their father lord. How exactly we as soul were suffering before grace shakti took form of para shakti?

Namaste Amatersu. Guhyakālī's uppermost face is Caṇḍayogeśvarī, the name for Kālasaṁkarṣiṇī in Her nine-syllable vidyā. Guhyakālī embodies Kālasaṁkarṣiṇī, as do the other main deities of the Uttarāmnāya: Kāmakalākālī and Siddhilakṣmī. You ask about Her powers. She is the all-consuming Void which not even Mahākāla can escape. Perhaps it is better if I tell you about a certain Kālī upāsaka who understood this. In the dim past, Śivānanda was initiated by the Goddess in the great cremation ground of Karavīra in Oḍḍiyāna. He in turn initiated three: Keyūravatī, Madanikā, and Kalyāṇikā. These best of Yoginīs initiated three more: Govindarāja, Bhānuka, and Eraka. Govindarāja, having been pierced by the Sun of Kula, the very body of Kālī, had accomplished the highest good. Thinking 'when so much has been understood, what is there left to do now?', he resigned himself to inactivity until he dropped his body, his sole purpose in life from that point on being to teach those who came to him. Bhānuka did the same. Eraka, however, had dedicated his efforts to attain supernatural powers. After doing so, however, he lamented, saying 'what use are worldly enjoyments, that I have experienced such great trouble to attain them? How is it that I was not, like my fellow students Govindarāja and Bhānuka, intent on solely as long as I lived to just elevating those who approached me for instruction? For the great and fierce Kālī, Her eyebrows knit with tremendous fury, destroys even the venerable Sadāśiva. Having understood this, one should, having reached the supreme state, venerate the Goddess Kālasaṁkarṣiṇī with the great force that withdraws even Sadāśiva. May I now also grace all people by propagating also by means of a hymn the secret teachings present in my own being to them.' That hymn was the Kramastotra, which describes the liturgy of Kālasaṁkarṣiṇī. Niṣkriyānanda, another great Kālī upāsaka, says of this liturgy: "The expanding Sun of Consciousness is the bliss of the great lotus of consciousness. The joyous play of humour and dance impels the universe, mobile and immobile. When grasping and rejection, due to the distinction between taking up and letting go, has ceased, the yogi is established in the liturgy of the worship of Kālī which is the forceful attainment of the foundation of consciousness." This has to be learned from the Mouth of the Guru, for the full essence of the teachings cannot be conveyed here.

Many thanks for your response. My curiosity arose from the following: 1. In most schools the mantras that are given are of Bala, Matangi, Varahi, Panchadashi, Shodashi and Mahashodashi. Then where do Bagalamukhi or Swarnakarshan Bhairava etc. fit in. One gentleman was saying that post Purnabhishek diksha, the sadhak gets adhikara of all, how correct is that. 2. Sri Vidyarnava Tantra says that there is no other sampraday other than that of Shankaracharya, then why is there so much variation? 3. Can you please suggest some book on these topics.

Namaste to all, Can anyone please enlighten me about Kalasankarshini Kali and Guhya Kali? How are they related to each other? Are they the same entity? From what I see online, the iconography appears the same, with only the names being different. Could anyone please explain their powers? Are these two manifestations of the Mother considered the highest?

1. Aṅga devatas are ancillary deities associated with the main deity. They are generally lower forms of the main deity and are most important. Without the help of the Aṅga devatas, it is not possible to gain the fruition of the main deity's mantra. Initiation to the Aṅga devatas is required. Generally speaking, the initiation starts with the practice of the Aṅga devatas, before graduating to the main deity. 2. An initiation is required for any and all tantric deities from a qualified practicing guru. A self-initiation is not suggested in most cases. There are many rituals that can only be learned directly by the grace of one's guru. Learning from tutorials, videos and books is not easy. 3. You may find these in the published books or can learn from your guru in person. At this time, we have not covered them on our website and currently do not have any intent or timeline, on publishing the same. 4. Navāvaraṇa pūja applies to Śrī Lalitā Devī and is not applicable to the worship of the Divine Mother Pratyaṅgirā. If you are a Śrī Vidyā upāsaka initiated in the Pañcadaśī or any of its variants like Ṣoḍaśī etc, then you may practice the Śrī Cakra Navāvaraṇa Pūja as suggested by your Śrī guru. Laghu Pūja is normally followed. The detailed pūja will take several hours and may be performed on special occasions to propitiate the Divine Mother in Her full glory!

There are certain elementary questions about various deities and mantras which need to be addressed. I will highlight a few. 1. What is the meaning of ang-devtas? Do you need specific mantropadesh for angadevtas too, or mantropadesh of main deity makes mantras if angadevtas valid for you? 2. There are various forms of Devi Pratyangira as already highlighted. Can Sri Vidya sadhakas worship Atharvan Kali Pratyangira Devi? Does one need separate Diksha for respective Pratyangira Devi? 3. There are several nitya karmas that begin from rising from bed - like Guru Smaran, Tantrik Sandhya etc. I don’t see any specific write-up covering them. 4. What all nitya kriyas are mandatory for daily and specific dates. Is detailed Navavaran Puja mandatory daily?