Yoginis: The Lesser Known Divine

Across northern, central and eastern parts of India are found the temples of intrigue, awe and abandon. What unifies them into our visual narratives are their peculiar architectural designs - mostly a simple circular pattern with no roof under the high canopy of open skies, as the elements of nature from stark sunlight to heavy rains pour in - the absence of a Garbha Griha is as puzzling. These are the temples of Yoginis! 

Since we’ve taken on the visual narrative, before we define what a Yogini in her definition is, her identification to the beholder is usually sculpted in a beautiful, voluptuous body with usually a non-human head. This secrecy of their physical form can only be explained by the essence of what these feminine figures represent. The sense of awe, and secrecy lingering around these remote Yogini temples often translates into the fear in the head of a commoner, native or visiting. To some extent we see the pursuit of this fear charted from the ancient scriptural references. As Dehejia mentions in her work - the Brahmānda Purāna incorporating the well known verses of Lalitā Sahaaranāma concluded it’s section with the caution for anyone who so loses his wits as to impart the poem to a non-initiate will be cursed by the Yoginis. To incur the curse of the Yoginis is regarded as fate worse than death. ‘Initiation’ on its own hints to the connection of Tantra with the Yoginis. The tradition of Tantra finds its origin in the Vamachara (the left-handed path to attain the divine in Hinduism), and is known to form esoteric principles of methodologies, ideas, tools and wisdom. 

Irrespective of their Tantric nature, the study of Yoginis has rather been limited and the access to understanding them specially in the Northern and Central parts of India from Tantra Gurus is only possible through the passage of carefully guarded initiation, which entails an oath of secrecy. It should not be of a surprise to us then, why they are called the Rahasya and Ati-Rahasya Yoginis. 

As a matter of semantics, the term Yogini is variant - a woman who follows the path of Yoga, in light of Tantra she’s a woman who participates in one’s initiation, she’s a sorceress in ancient Indian literature. In astrology, she’s associated with different planets and partaking in the highs, she’s the attendant to the Great goddess, she becomes an aspect of her and recognised among the patron goddesses of the Heterodox Kaula Tradition. It is this Kaula tradition of Tantra that holds some of the most important knowledge of Yoginis, in codified language only understandable to the initiated under the Guru.

As their sacred adobes are marked into circular sites, the representational spirit speaks of the completeness and separateness these divine female figurines hold - forming what’s known as an enclosed Chakra or Mandala. In its completion a circle symbolises human perfection and enlightenment; perhaps what Yoginis bestow through the very careful channelisation of their beings. Usually in the geometric centre of these Yogini temples, sits Lord Shiva, as Bhairava - who in cognisance of the Kaula tantras is the leader of Yoginis. In the distributive aspect - 64, 81, 50 and 42 are recurring numbers informed by the localised and independent traditions developing in their own space and at a certain time. While some iconographic evidence from north western India reveal the Yoginis emerging from the Devi, the Chandi Purāna from eastern India confirms the narrative in mentioning how these Yoginis come from the different body parts of Devi, specific to their own power and glory. 

As these Yoginis reside away from the discernible forms of worship today, their story is never lost, they’re what the Devi Upasakas contemplated and contemplated upon in bindus of infinity. Their names are still chanted from Kamakhya of the north east to Kamakshi Amman of south. While their mention still evoke the hush caution in tones, they’re the mirror to our stimulation, fascination, life force and above all - our completion, upon which we pay our homage to the lesser known divine of Yoginis.