Lalita Tripurasundari

The supreme manifestation of Adi Shakti; one of the Mahavidyas; goddess of beauty, pleasure, compassion, and liberation; the creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe.

Lalita Tripurasundari, often simply called Tripurasundari or Lalita, is one of the most important and revered goddesses in Hinduism, particularly within the Tantric tradition of Shaktism. She is the supreme manifestation of Adi Shakti, the ultimate cosmic power, and is considered the most beautiful of the three worlds (Tripura means 'three cities' or 'three worlds'). She is also one of the Dasa Mahavidyas, the ten Tantric goddesses. Lalita Tripurasundari embodies beauty, grace, compassion, and ultimate liberation. She is often depicted as a youthful, radiant goddess with four arms, seated on a throne or upon the body of Shiva (Kameshwara). In her hands, she typically holds a noose (Pasha), a goad (Ankusha), a sugarcane bow, and five flower arrows. These symbols represent her control over creation and the senses, and her ability to grant both worldly desires and spiritual liberation. Her worship is central to the Srikula tradition of Shaktism, where she is revered through the complex geometry of the Shri Chakra or Shri Yantra, which is considered her symbolic abode and a powerful tool for meditation and spiritual realization.