Sri Vidya and Advaita

A Perspective from Dasa Maha Vidya Sutras

Sri Vasishta Ganapati Muni was an illustrious disciple of Sri Ramana Maharshi.
His skills in composing Sanskrit poetry at will earned him the title, Kavya Kantha.
So he came to be known as Kavya Kantha Ganapati Muni.He was an
extraordinary scholar well versed in most of our traditional arts and sciences and
a Maha Tapasvi. He was an exponent of Dasa Maha Vidyas and gave their
quintessence in the form of Sutras. The work consists of ten chapters with each
chapter being named after one of the Vidyas and aptly named Dasa Maha Vidya
Sutras. The third chapter called Sundari Patala talks about the glories of Sri
Vidya. It equates Sri Vidya to the Vedic Gayatri Mantra. He states few sutras to
bring out the synthesis of Vedanta and Tantra. The following sutras would pave
way for mutual appreciation and recognition among the aspirants of both the
traditions.

चित ् शक्तत: सन्

ु दरी ॥६॥
Sundari is Chit Sakthi (self-consciousness).

अस्या: संविदोऽध्यात्मानं त्रीणी परु ाणण ॥२१॥

Her boundaries/positions are three in the individual.

प्रथमं िक्षुर्ाागररत स्थानम ् ॥२२॥

In wakeful state, she is in eyes. This is her first position. (Ajna/Visva)

फालस्थेन्रधनप्र
ु भेतत नामनी अत्र भित: ॥२३॥
She is referred in the Sahasranamavali as – 593 & 594

द्िीतीयं शशरस्तैर्सस्थानम ् ॥२४॥

Her second position is Head (Also Visuddhi/Taijasa)

शशर:क्स्थता िन्रतनभा इतत नामतन अत्र भित: ॥२७॥

She is referred in the Sahasranamavali as – 591 & 592

तत
ृ ीयं हृदयं प्राज्ञस्थानम ् ॥२८॥
Third position is in Heart (Anahata/Prajna)

हृदयस्था रविप्रख्या इतत नामतन अत्र भित: ॥२९॥

She is referred in the Sahasranamavali as – 595 & 596

मम
ु क्ष
ु ु: सन्
ु दरीं उपासीत ॥४४॥
Mumukshu should do Sundari Upasana

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अस्या: शद्
ु धमप
ु ासनं आत्मतनष्टा ॥७७॥
Her (Sundrari’s) purest form of Upasana is Atma Nishta (Being in the Self)

अहं िवृ ि मल
ू गिेषणात्सा शसध्येददतत भगिान ् रमण: ॥७८॥
Bhagava Ramana says – If one gets to the root of ‘I’ consciousness Self is
attained.

तनत्यमात्म ज्ञप्तत्या िेवि िाशसष्ठ: ॥७९॥

Regular (Daily) practice (Japa) is the key – declares Vasishta (Ganapati Muni)

आत्मानं र्ानता गह्

ृ यमाणा अवप विषया: स्ितो भेदेन नानभ
ु य
ू न्ते ॥८०॥
External (sensory) experiences are also from one’s own Self. The externality is
caused by the illusory duality for Atma is only One.

इयं उपतनषत्सु सद्विद्या उच्यते ॥८१॥

This is called as Sad Vidya (Vaishvanara Vidya) in the Upanishads

आत्मविद्या सद्विद्या ब्रह्मविद्या इतत ि एकाथाा: ॥८२॥

Atma Vidya, Sad Vidya and Brahma Vidya are same (points to Sri Vidya)

सन्
ु दयप
ुा ासनात ् आत्मानभ
ु ि शसद्चध: आत्मानभ
ु ि शसद्चध: ॥८३॥
Sundrari Vidya Upasana leads to Atma Anubhava

Note: Icca, Kriya and Jnana of Sundari acts in Samashti and Vyashti Rupas.
She is Tripura as she is the sakti of all the deities in Terrestrial, Etherial and
Extra-terrestrial ( Pritvi, Antariksham and Dyava) and represented by the three
sides of Bindu. These concepts are to be used for visualization practices to know
the Tatasta Lakshana of Brahman. Once established eventually it would lead to
Svarupa Avasta.

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