Auspicious Wisdom: The Texts and Traditions of Śrividyā Śākta Tantrism in South India

SUNY Series in Tantric Studies

by Douglas Renfrew Brooks

Rooting itself in Kashmir Shaivism, Srividya became a force in South India no later than the seventh century, and eventually supplanted the Trika as the dominant Tantric tradition in Kashmir. This is the first comprehensive study of the texts and traditions of this influential school of goddess-centered, Sakta, Tantrism. Centering on the goddess's three manifestations—the beneficent deity Lalita Tripurasundari, her mantra, and the visually striking sricakra—Srividya creates a systematic esoteric discipline that combines elements of the yogas of knowledge, of devotion, and of ritual. Utilizing canonical works, historical commentaires, and the interpretive insights of living practitioners, this book explores the theological and ritual theories that form the basis for Srividya practice and offers new methods for critical and comparative studies of esoteric Hinduism.

Genres: Hinduism

328 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Will Zenn]

Auspicious Wisdom: The Texts and Traditions of Śrividyā Śākta Tantrism in South India by Douglas Renfrew Brooks. 1992.

This was Professor Brooks' follow-up to his 1990 The Secret of the Three Cities, which was about Śākta Tantra more broadly. Here in Auspicious Wisdom, he hones in more specifically on Śrividyā of South India. This is a seminal scholarly work on the topic. It is, no doubt, a specialized text, but a must-read for anyone who has an interest in the topic.

[Vishnu Ramasubramanian]

A great work to cherish. Written with such great clarity and scholarly depth...