Continued from Part 1 of this series.
Many sages, including Maharishi Vyasa, Sage Parashara, and Sage Markandeya, are associated with worshipping Divine Mother. Among these well-known names are twelve holy individuals who founded various Sri Vidya schools. These divine souls are:
Manu, Chandra, Kubera, Lopamudra, Manmatha, Agastya, Nandi, Surya, Indra, Vishnu, Shiva, and Durvasa. Skanda sometimes replaces Indra.
Today, only two schools and a partial third have survived. In this post, I will provide a brief overview of these.
Sa-di Vidya
It is so named because its primary mantra starts with Sa (स). From what I gather, this school of Sri Vidya, also known as Tara Krama, is no longer in active practice.
Some sources note that Sa-di Vidya disappeared because it wasn’t suitable for the family-oriented ones.
Ha-di Vidya
It is so named because its primary mantra starts with Ha (ह). Sage Lopamudra actively followed this school, also known as Hadi-matha and Sundari-krama.
Ha-di is often used in the Kaula tradition, which focuses on numerous external rituals. Some of these are even off-beat and difficult for the average person to understand and digest.
Ka-di Vidya or Para Vidya
It is named from its principal mantra, which begins with Ka (क). Manmatha or Kamaraja is claimed to have started it, while Shiva is also mentioned as the originator. Sage Agastya popularized this school, also called Kamaraja-vidya, Madhumathi-matha, and Kali-krama.
Ka-di Vidya follows a Vedic system called Samaya.
- Sama = peace, complete, and near (closer)
- Ya = a particle that means “you” in this context
That’s the intent of Ka-di Vidya: to make you peaceful and complete. So, it emphasizes internal rituals, such as cultivating virtue and discipline. Since it takes you closer to Para or Supreme Divine, it is also called Para Vidya.
My guru is an expert in all prominent Sri Vidya schools. However, this series and all my initiations are based on Ka-di Vidya, which is best suited for today’s world, especially those under 18.
Sri Gurubhoya Namaha. Sri Matre Namaha.
Love,
Sri Devi Om
Image: The famous Sri Vidya couple: Sage Agastya and Sage Lopamudra.
