The Principal Mission and Vision of Devipuram is to make the profound knowledge of Śrī Vidyā accessible to all who wish to learn.
Pujya Guruji, Śrī Amṛtānanda Nātha Saraswatī, has been teaching the way to worship the Divine Mother and understand the principles and philosophy behind such external worship, to all irrespective of caste, gender or creed. For the last 6 years, formal classes have been conducted as per Guruji’s guidelines and following the methodology taught by Bhagawan Paraśurāma, in his Kalpasūtrās.
At once simple, and in a form that is easy to practice in today’s times, Guruji strived to bring the lofty ideas and ideals of Śrī Vidyā to the levels of common understanding.
Based on the experiences of both our teachers and students over the last three years, we have decided to re-organise the content and have devised a new structure. This intends to make learning more successive, making sure the foundations are firm before moving on to higher levels.
It is proposed to have the course in three levels- Beginners, Mid-level and Advanced. Each level takes you on a journey of higher understanding, learning more elaborate rituals and combining the science behind the rituals with practical modes of worship for an enjoyable learning experience. It is required to complete the Sadhana prescribed for the previous level in order to attend the next level
Beginner’s level Course:
This covers the first steps of the Spiritual Journey. Starting with the basics of Kundalini and the human Cakra System, we begin the worship of Gaṇapati at the Muladhara chakra. When appeased by ritual bathing called Tarpanas, He provides the initial impetus to the seeker by removing obstacles that prevent progress.
This is followed by teaching the concepts of Nyasam and internal mantra japam, moving awareness through the various chakras. The philosophy of yantra, mantra and tantra forms the core of Sri Vidya sadhana, and these are explained through the teaching of the yantra puja of Gaṇapati, the geometric form of the deity and its worship.
We then move on to the worship of the deities of the Svādhiṣṭhāna and Maṇipūrā chakras, i.e., Bālā (a young form of Lalitā) and Caṇḍī or Durgā. The first three Chakras form the basis of this Beginner’s Course.
Then follows a special technique devised by Guruji – termed Kalāvāhanā – which focuses on merging the external and internal forms of worship. This is a very potent ritual wherein the energies present in the Universe are invoked into a living person and the consciousness present within them is worshipped. This is a special technique for self-empowerment through accepting and experiencing our true divine nature. The goal of Śrī Vidyā is the realization of the oneness of the individual with the Universe external to us.
Mid-level Course:
In this course, we learn the Essence and Nature of the Goddesses: Śyāmā in Anāhata, and Vārāhī at Ājñā. Continuing with our ritual worship, the yantra pujas of Śyāmā and Vārāhī are taught. We also learn how to draw the Śrī Cakra, the most elaborate of Yantras, encompassing the entire Cosmos within it. Describing the process of Creation and our own journey back to the Source, drawing this Yantra is itself a meditation granting immense benefits. The structure of the Śrī Chakra, the placement of the Khadgamala deities within the yantra, and its correlation to the human body all form the explorations during this Mid-level course. Another important aspect of worship is Homam, or fire ritual. Learn the simple way (Laghu Vidhi) to perform these magical ways to interact with divine energies and derive their immense benefits.
Siri Jyoti Pūjā Devipuram’s signature program is Tantra in practice and course participants are introduced to this beautiful ritual. Invoking Nature’s Energies into the Śrī Cakra decorated with flowers and lights, this puja showers abundance in all aspects of our lives. When our thinking changes from “I” to “We”, and from “Mine” to “Ours”, expansion of our individual consciousness to envelop the Universe takes place. Love and service are the prerequisites that purify us, taking us close to God.
Advanced level Course:
In this Course, you learn about the 10 Wisdom Goddesses (the Daśa Mahāvidyās) and how to channel their energies. With a special focus on Tripura Sundari, we approach the Supreme Empress, Lalitā, and learn the techniques of worshipping Her with the ritual of the Navāvaraṇa Pūjā. A wonderfully exquisite ritual, this paves the way for internal focus of worship of the Goddess Parā. Having begun our worship of Bala at the Svadhishthana Chakra in the Beginner’s course, we now access Her energies through internal meditative forms of worship. You will also learn the Rashmimala mantras which are said to come from the Sun forming a garland around the Divine Mother. These important mantras along with special Vighnahara mantras are given by Bhagawan Paraśurāma and are prescribed for Śrī Vidyā Upāsakās as a daily practice.
You will have hands-on experience of detailed method of performing homams and understanding the way to invoke various deities, their mantras and special offerings in the fire.
Śakti is the play of the infinite variety and beauty of life, and Śiva is the silent witness to all the drama of life. And yet, the two only appear different though in reality, there is only Unity.
Advaita is the culmination of our practices, leading us gently but surely towards the bliss of Union of the self into the Self. A most wondrous journey where the achievement of the goal is a given though the time frames can encompass several lifetimes!!
As Guruji Amṛtānanda Nātha says, “Begin your journey to the Goddess today, no matter how feebly. I am there with you all the way. Devipuram has everything you need to elevate you physically, mentally, and, most importantly, spiritually. So come, Enjoy, Empower and Realise Yourself!”.
Online Beginner's Śrī Vidyā Course:
For those interesting in pursuing a serious commitment to knowing more about Devi and may like to take the Beginner’s Course, we have put together a Starter Regime, a mandatory pre-requisite to help prepare for the course.
The objectives of this pre-requisite are to
· Provide the seekers a set of experiences and practices of Sri Vidya
· Familiarise them with the accurate pronunciation of Sanskrit alphabet
· Optimise on instructors time and effort in guiding the students
· Help the seekers assess their readiness to seriously embark on the full-fledged Śrī Vidyā Sadhana
Please note that Śrī Vidyā is a lifelong intensive sadhana and it needs very serious commitment from the students. There will be an assessment of the applicants and the assessment will be on the knowledge given in both the PDFs - Starter Regime & Sacred Vāk. Candidates will be notified through an e-mail about the upcoming assessment 15 days before the commencement of the next Beginner’s Course batch.
Your queries, doubts etc. will be answered via a dedicated support board on this forum- Amritananda Śrī Vidyā Online Forum. Our volunteers will be happy to help!
If you are interested to join, please fill this form and the pdfs will be shared with you. All the best in your learning journey
