Secret Goddesses of Tantra - An Esoteric Understanding of Tantra and Philosophical Interpretation of Dasha Mahavidya

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What would you call a group of Goddesses that wear garlands of skull, while the other drinks her own blood? A Goddess with incomparable beauty while the other is a crone. A Goddess that loves leftovers while the other demands cleanliness. This book discusses Dasha Mahavidyas one of the most important Goddesses of Tantra.

As the laws of science define energy as primordial ever existent, that is utilized through a medium, similarly, Dasha Mahavidyas are the primordial Sakti or energy, that creates, destroys, and sustains the universe. They are Mahavidyas or "Great Knowledge" where each Goddess has something distinct to teach.

Every Goddess in the book is dealt independently - illustrating appearance, stories of origin, symbolism, various forms and relation to other Goddesses, Mantras, Yantra, Sadhana procedure, temples and any parallels that can be drawn from other cultures.

Tantra is often perceived as black magic, voodoo or art of love, but in reality. Tantra is "A way of life" that stretches the body to its limit and prepares one to walk the path of liberation. Tantra uses various objects that may otherwise be a taboo or appalling in nature, however, it is not what it appears to be. The objects are just extreme tools to control senses and mind. This book breaks such myths around Tantra and explores its hidden knowledge. It attempts to reason every aspect from a literary and philosophical point of view.

Mehul Vora is an accomplished writer, speaker, astrologer and a proponent of ancient Indian culture and Tantra. He is a vivid reader of ancient texts which inspire him to interpret knowledge in a simplified manner so that everyone can relish the treasures of wisdom. He has written on many topics that range from ancient history to world mythology. Mehul brings his experiences and knowledge of Tantra in this book.

Tantra is a highly misunderstood and less-researched subject. In the modern context, Tantra is vaguely categorized as evil, black magic, voodoo practice or it is perceived as the art of seduction and sex. However, in reality, Tantra is a way of life, a path to liberation. Just as we have other books of knowledge, we have the books of Tantra. Tantra is often said to be an offshoot of Atharva Veda and the Agamas. This is divine knowledge in action spoken by Lord Siva himself and heard by goddess Parvati. Tantra, in the real sense, is Sarvartha yena tanyante trayante cha bhayajanan one that includes the procedures to master one's body, to stretch it to its limits, and make one fearless is Tantra.

This book aims to bring out the real essence of Tantra, which involves great austerities and rules that immediately uplift the consciousness and purify the mind, body, and soul. This is a difficult path to follow, as it involves worship in action that may be taboo or breaking rules of the societal order. Therefore, Tantra has witnessed many assumptions, criticism, and appalment. However, if one removes all material perception and sees with the eyes of knowledge it has a much higher meaning. All the rituals, rules, and processes of worship in Tantra aims only to control the mind and senses. The aspect of gaining spiritual abilities through sadhana is only an added advantage. The real goal is only to serve the deity and be free from the cycle of birth and death. The Dasha Mahavidyäs have always been an integral part of the Tantra texts. This group of Ten Mahavidyäs, or great wisdoms, have attracted the attention of laypeople, scholars, and theological experts. However, their study and available data remains minimal and scattered. I could not find a single text fully dedicated to the Mahavidyas. There are a few texts on the subject, but they talk about ways to worship them instead of talking about them.

I met Mehul Vora for the first time virtually as a Trainer during the pandemic, when he conducted an Online training on a Technology topic. When I received his biodata for his introduction, I was amazed by the huge range of interest and work in vast and diverse fields ranging from media to technology on one hand, and mythology and Ancient Indian History on the other.

Later, when I met him in-person and we discussed several topics, he spoke about the work he had done on Tantra Shastra and Dasha Mahavidyās, and that he was planning to publish it as a book. Frankly enough, the topic was extremely alien to me, and so I passed it off as a casual conversation. Later when he shared his manuscript with me and urged me to read, it took me a bit to gather myself to read it.

This was because I must confess, I am extremely 'mytho-illiterate' and I didn't want to be exposed so poorly to a master of mythology. But a few weeks later when Mehul asked me if I had got the chance to read the manuscript, I felt even more embarrassed.

That's when I decided to read it.... And that is when I was in for one of the most unexpected experiences of my life. Segregating the book into sections, Tantra Shastra and Dasha Mahavidyās, Mehul has separated and connected the ethos of the two topics extremely well.

Mehul has succinctly brought out how Dasha Mahavidyas are one of the most important goddesses of Tantra. He has dealt with each goddess independently, and has beautifully illustrated their appearance, along with interesting stories of their origin, symbolism, and relationship with other goddesses. He has also incorporated various elements of Tantra and also drawn parallels from other cultures. The reasoning of the conduct of the 10 goddesses, puts women into a sublime light.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages