त्रिस्थाने शक्तिचक्रे क्रमति क्रमपदे द्योतयन्ती महेशम्‌ |

पञ्चार्णं क्षोभयन्ती शिवरविकिरणैः कुब्जिका मां पुनातु ॥

The concept of śākta upāsanā is an evolving idea, one that has undergone significant changes over time. Not that this is undesirable, for change is the nature of this world and everything with a name and a form is subject to change. Also, with the changing nature of the human interests and approach towards upāsanā, it is but natural for upāsanā to change as well.

The prakr̥ti of a Human can be sāttvika, rājasika or tāmasika. Correspondingly, his upāsanā becomes either Daivī (Divine) or āsurī (infernal), characterized by one of the two aspects of Parāśakti - vidyā or avidyā.

It is not an easy accomplishment to become a śākta, especially a true one who can be considered śuddha (pure) or amiśra (devoid of mixed modes). There are two kinds of śāktas:

1. śuddha śāktas - these are upāsakas of śuddhā mūlā śakti who is adhiṣṭhāna-rahitā

2. miśra śāktas - these are upāsakas of śakti accompanied by śiva, who is adhiṣṭhāna-sahitā

Based on these two approaches to śakti upāsanā, Yantras of Mahāvidyās are propitiated in two ways by the adepts at Tantras:

1. Yantras with a central position accorded to śakti trikōṇa (downward facing triangle) are śuddha-śākta as there is no separate notation for śiva.

2. Yantras with central position accorded to ṣaṭkōṇa (an intersection of upward facing and downward facing triangles) is miśra (mixed) and is śivaśaktyātmaka.

It is generally agreeable that without the agency of śiva tattva, most sādhakas cannot perceive the inconceivable Parāśakti, but there is a minority of accomplished aspirants capable of accomplishing this difficult feat. In other words, they can perceive the ‘Energy’ (śakti) in all its purity without requiring the agency of ‘Matter’ (śiva).

The undesirable state of affairs today is this - forget śuddha śāktādvaita (śākta non-dualism), not even Miśra śākta is prevalent in popular practice. While we claim ourselves to be śākta, there is generally the dual upāsanā of śiva and śakti with an inherent bias of prominence to śiva-tattva. So, technically this makes us śaiva and not śākta, because most upāsakas are incapable of intellectually and practically distinguishing between citśakti and māyā-śakti.

If primary importance is to Prākāśarūpī śiva (of course with some lip service to vimarśa echoing their inherent unity), it essentially makes one a śaiva. This is not only true in the case of officially śaiva schools, but also in several schools of Hādimata. Shaktisaṅgama Tantra states:

प्रपञ्चमूलो हि शिवः |

When we use the word śiva here, it does not mean the drāṣṭā brahma, who for us śāktas is Mūlā Parāśakti (who is the dharmī) - as this draṣṭā brahma is the Divine Feminine Herself, seated on a Lotus, enjoying the energetic dance of śiva Mahākāla:

मेघाङ्गीं शशिशेखरां त्रिनयनां रक्ताम्बरं बिभ्रतीं

पाणिभ्यामभयं वरञ्च विलसद्रक्तारविन्दस्थिताम्‌ ।

नृत्यन्तं पुरतो निपीय मधुरं माध्वीकमद्यं महा

कालं वीक्ष्य विकासिताननवरां आद्यां भजे कालिकाम्‌ ॥

In the same way that one knows both dharmī and dharma śaktis from śakti, both kartā and draṣṭā brahma are known from śiva. In the case of śhaiva siddhānta, śiva is everything - both the draṣṭā and bhōktā; similar is the case for śuddha śākta siddhānta.

At the cost of sounding blasphemous, what I am trying to say is simply this:

- In śaiva Tantra, śakti is vimarśa and śiva is prakāśa

- In śuddha śākta, śakti is prakāśa and śiva is vimarśa

Having forgotten this core concept of śuddha-śākta siddhānta, ‘impure’ śāktas refer to ādyā kālikā as the śakti of Mahākāla; or refer to Rājarājēśvarī as the śakti of Kāmēśvara - conveniently forgetting the crucial name in Lalitā Triśatī - labdhapatiḥ. When Tantras refer to Kālaśakti, it does not mean - ‘she is Kāla’s śakti’. It rather means ‘she, whose kriyāśakti is Mahākāla’. In other words, Parāśakti is the origin of both Dikśakti (space) aka Sadāśiva and Kālaśakti (time) aka Mahākāla. This concept central to śākta mata is reiterated by the Tantras:

अवष्टभ्य पद्भ्यां शिवं भैरवं च स्थिता तेन मध्ये भवत्येव मुख्या ।

Hopefully, knowledge of this true import of the word śakti will inspire aspiring śāktas to critically investigate further and dwell deeper.

ब्रह्मेन्द्ररुद्रहरिचन्द्रसहस्ररश्मि-

स्कन्दद्विपाननहुताशनवन्दितायै ।

वागीश्वरि त्रिभुवनेश्वरि विश्वमातः

अन्तर्बहिश्चकृतसंस्थितये नमस्ते ॥