[Advaita-l] Sakti Peetha Karaveera

[Venkata sriram P]

Namaste,
 
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Question- Karaveera Pura is a Sakti Peetha some part of Sati Devi fell
there. But in the above Purana they say Mahalakshmi came there not a
part of Sati Devi. How do you explain this?
 
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This is the kalpa bhEda and both are correct.  
 
Among the 51 sAkta piThAs, the trinEtra of sati fell here.  There are 
corresponding saktis & bhairavas with respect to the sAkta pIthas.
Here the sakti is mahishamardini and bhairava is krOdhIsha.  
 
In Maharashtra, there are "three and half shakta peetas" also called "sADE teen sakti pIth".  And they are Mahalakshmi of Kolhapur, Bhavani of Tuljapur, Renuka or Ekavira of
Mahurgad and Ambe Mata of Vani (Vani is a village in Sapthashringi which is 50 km from
Nasik).  These 4 Divine Mothers are called "sADE teen sakti pIth" because estoterically
they represent 3 and half coils of the Kundalini.  Also, they preside over the 3 
cantos (charitas) of Devi Sapthasati and the 4th one is the mUla prakriti that preside 
over these 3 deities of 3 charitas (prathama, madhyama & uttama) of Chandi Sapthasati.
 
The 4th one is the Mahalakshmi of Kolhapur which is the mUla-prakriti from whom the
dasa-bhuja mahAkAli (deity of prathama charita), aShTAdasa-bhuja mahAlakshmi (deity of madhyama charita) & aShTa-bhuja mahasaraswati (deity of uttama charita) emanate.  
 
The mUla prakriti which is the 4th one holds 4 hands and carry mAtulinga (a sweet lime),
gadA (mace), khETaka (a shield) & pAna pAtra (a cup filled with madhu) in her 4 hands
respectively.  On her crown, is sported the yOni (the base of Siva Linga), linga (siva linga) & nAga (serpant).  This is the mUla-prakriti rupa mahAlakShmi which is the brahma mAya.  The rahasya traya of Devi Sapthasati describes this wonderful form of Adya Sakti
mahAmAya as mUla-prakriti rUpa which is the samaShTi tattva of mahAkAli,  mahAlakShmi and mahAsaraswati.  
 
The above form exactly matches with the vigraha of Kolhapur Mahalaskhmi who sports
with mAtulinga phala, gadA, khETaka & pAna pAtra.  On her crown are nAga, linga & yOni.  She is none other than the mUla-prakriti & viShNumAya.  
 
regs,
Sriram