Tripura Rahasya The Mystery of Goddess Tripura (Jnana Khanda)

The Mystery of the Goddess Tripura is a treastise that presents the mythology, theories, and practices related to the goddess Tripura Sundari. It is part of the corpus of Samhita texts of the Sakta tantric literature and is part of the canon of the Srividya tradition. Srividya is the most intellectual sakta initiatory path among all the Tantric currents; as an integral part of cognitive enquiry (jnana vicara), along with Advaita Vedanta it is also known as Brahma Vidya. The Srividya tradition is a traditional lineage that integrates Veda and Tantra in a particular style. The jnana khanda is presented as the essence of Vaidika, Vaisnava, Saiva, Sakta and Pasupata knowledge. Srividya conceives of the highest reality as feminine: the goddess Rajarajesvari or Tripura Sundari. “The most beautiful of the three cities” — meaning the three worlds (loka-s: earth, heaven and the intermediate or psychic world). the three bodies of man (physical; sthula; subtle; suksma; causal: karana) and the three states (waking: jagrat; dream: svapna; deep sleep: susupti). It is the Consciousness behind everything that exists, transcendental and non-dual. In this supreme Consciousness, identical to Atman, the universe is reflected like a city is reflected in a mirror. The symbolic structure (mandala, yantra, cakra) specific to Tripura is the Sriyantra or Sricakra.