The 64 Yoginis

Ajit Tambay
Viraj Shah
Iconography 103
07/01/15
The 64 Yoginis
The terms "Yogi" and "Yogini" are used in both Buddhism and in Hinduism to refer to male
and female experts on yoga, respectively 1. However, over time, under the beliefs of Tantricism and
Shaktism, it is only the female definition that has changed. Namely, Yoginis came to be sorceresses,
or women who had supernatural powers. There are normally 64 - 81 Yoginis, depending on the texts
being referred to. The Yoginis were women who had achieved enormous power through the practice
of yoga as well as a pursuit of knowledge and enlightenment; their powers included control over
bodily functions such as heart rate, fertility, exposure to heat and cold, their metabolism, and might
also have included the ability to fly 2. The fact that is not concrete is whether or not the women being
mentioned are human or divine, hence, in this paper, the term Yogini will focus more on the deified
aspect of these 64 representations of women.
The Yoginis are a large part of a Tantric-Shaktism cult. Shaktism, is one such sub-sect of
Hinduism that places a large emphasis on the female-principle 3. A large part of the cult is based on
an abstract idea; the Gods and Goddesses are all simply shaktis (energy). It is the union of this
energy that is key to achieving the ultimate knowledge. The Shakta philosophy holds that The Devi is
the ultimate being tasked with the roles of the creator, the sustainer and the destroyer 4. The Devi is
seen in her manifestations of Parvati, and then further in the forms of Uma, Durga and Kali. The
Yoginis, having been mentioned in the Vedas, are considered to be lower in status than the Devi
herself5. However, their purpose and composition are topics of speculation as they vary depending
on the religious scriptures being considered. Some of the texts refer to them as being manifestations
of the Goddess Durga, while other texts believe they are simply the attendants of the Supreme
Goddess. Due to the Yoginis being manifestations of The Devi, they represent all the various aspects
ranging from motherhood, love, and fertility to violent, fierce and terrible aspects of The Devi. In
correspondence with these various aspects, there are seven or eight principle Yoginis known as the
Matrikas6.
The Matrikas are the main source of all the other Yoginis, according to one myth. They In
another myth, they are the principle forms of the Supreme Goddess herself, who is also considered
to be the mother of all beings, divine or otherwise 7. This characteristic is reflected in the Matrikas
who are viewed as being auspicious goddesses tasked with the position of acting as mothers to the
rest of the world to protect it. Depending on the text, there are either seven or eight Matrikas, giving
them the names Sapta Matrikas or Astha Matrikas, respectively. The Markandeya Purana is known
for mentioning the Astha Matrikas who emerged from the anger and wrath of the Supreme
1
Shambhavi, Yogini. "Yogini, the Enlightened Woman." Vedanet. American Institute of Vedic Studies. Web. 06 Jan. 2015. <
http://vedanet.com/2012/06/13/yogini-the-enlightened-woman/>.
2
Davis, Kent. "India’s Chaunsat Yogini Temple and the Women of Angkor Wat."Devata.org. Wordpress, Mar. 2010. Web. 04 Jan. 2015. <
http://www.devata.org/chaunsat-yogini-temple-in-india-and-the-women-of-angkor-wat/#.VKwhIyuUdS1>.
3
Kinsley, David. "The Portrait of the Goddess in the Devī-māhātmya." Journal of the American Academy of Religion 46.4 (1978): 489-
506. JSTOR. Web. 04 Jan. 2015. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/1463045?ref=no-x-route:9fa66fbd848945218a82da30bcd94a18>.
4
Banerjea, Jitendra Nath. "Sakti." The Development of Hindu Iconography. Calcutta: U of Calcutta, 1956. 489-97. Print.
5
Khandro. "The 64 Dakinis or Yoginis." Home Page. Khandro.net, 2011. Web. 05 Jan. 2015. <http://www.khandro.net/dakini_the64.htm>.
6
7
Shah, Viraj. "Iconography 103." Tagore 1. FLAME, Pune. 28 Dec. 2014. Lecture.
1|T a m b a y
Ajit Tambay
Viraj Shah
Iconography 103
07/01/15
Goddess, but for the most part, Sapta Matrikas as considered to be the most commonly accepted
form of the Matrikas8. Incidentally, the word Matrikas can also be taken to mean "mother". The
seven mother goddesses are physical representations of the 7 great principles; life, mind and matter
which are composed of 5 key elements; earth, wind, fire, space and water. When the Puranas
mentioned the eight Matrikas, they come to represent a Hindu version of the Seven Deadly Sins
found in Christianity, but are more accurately known as 8 mental vices 9. A defining aspect of the
Matrikas within iconography is the presence of a small child in the hands of each Matrika 10, except
for Chamunda. In the academic sphere, it is theorized that the number 64 was arrived at due to eight
mother goddesses each creating her own eight attendants 11.
When studying the Sakta temples found all over India, it soon becomes a clear fact that each
site is viewed as a center of Tantricism. The Yogini cult has its origins in the local aboriginal culture of
India, primarily due to a base made up of a focus on rituals, black magic & sorcery, and the use of
such actions, signs and sounds that are commonly found in the folk traditions of India. The Yogini
cult rose to prominence sometime around the beginning of the 8th Century CE and lasted till the
15th Century CE with some inscriptions even indicating a continuation till the end of the 16th
Century CE12. During the 9th Century CE till the 12th Century CE, in accordance to multiple Tantric
scriptures that are backed by solid archaeological finds of multiple shrines, there was a movement to
help spread the popularity of this highly mis-understood cult. Ultimately, the cult of the 64 Yoginis
fell out of popularity and through a slow decline has eventually led to it almost being abandoned
altogether. The Yogini temples lies empty and deserted, however, occasionally it is still possible to
find offerings left by people at the foot of the Yogini statues, revealing the existence of a few who
still hold some faith within these goddesses 13. The purpose of the worship of Yoginis, due to the
major influence from Tantricism, was to attain supernatural power, in other words, black magic. The
influence of Tantricism created an emphasis on rituals and the Five Fold Path (Panchamackara). The
worshippers would partake in 1. Wine, 2. Meat , 3. Fish , 4. Yogic Practices, and 5. Sexual Union 14. It
is believed that the practice of all 5, coupled with regular Tantric rituals, would lead the devotee on
the path to achieving the ultimate knowledge and power. Some rituals, though having a grisly face
value, were of great significance and importance to the cult, i.e. the "Shava Chhedana" ritual
involved the decapitation of a human corpse. Despite the gruesome ritual, the action of separating
the head of the cadaver symbolized the ultimate form of detachment from all earthly passions and
desires15.
8
9
Refer to Appendix A for the names and meanings of the Astha Matrikas.
10
11
Refer to the Appendix B for all 64 Names of the Yoginis.
12
Choudhury, Dr. Janmejay. "Origin of Tantricism and Sixty-Four Yogini Cult in Orissa."Orissa Review. Orissa Government, Oct. 2004. Web.
5 Jan. 2015. <http://orissa.gov.in/e-magazine/orissareview/oct2004/englishpdf/originoftantricism.pdf>.
13
14
15
Khandro. "The 64 Dakinis or Yoginis." Home Page. Khandro.net, 2011. Web. 05 Jan. 2015.
<http://www.khandro.net/dakini_the64.htm>.
2|T a m b a y
Ajit Tambay
Viraj Shah
Iconography 103
07/01/15
On a mythological note, as written in certain Puranas, the Yoginis are said to support the
primary Goddess Durga as she battles demons. Shaktism believes that one of the Supreme Deity's
roles is to be incarnated in physical for on Earth in order to destroy the demons causing havoc. One
myth, as recorded in the Markandeya Purana, states that the energies or shaktis of Vishnu, Brahma,
Shiva, Varah, Kartikeya, Indra and Narasimha were released from their physical forms and went to
help The Devi in her battle against the demons Raktabija, Sumbh and Nisumbh 16. The Shaktis of the
seven gods gave form to the now known forms of the Sapta Matrikas. It is believed that the Astha
Martika, Chamunda, was created from The Devi herself as a representation of her wrath. The
shaktis/Yoginis were crucial in defeating the demon Raktabija due to a boon granted to him by
Brahma that caused many more Raktabijas to emerge from every sing drop of his blood that touched
the Earth. In another adaptation of this myth, Shiva is locked in mortal combat with the demon
Andhakasura, who was granted the same boon as Raktabija. To defeat what appeared to be an
invincible foe, Shiva created a multitude of Fierce Goddesses whose only task was to drink
Andhakasura's blood before it touched the ground. Having conquered Andhakasura, the Goddesses
turned their fury on the rest of the world and continued their destruction. Vishnu, in order to stem
the madness, created the Matrikas or Devine Mothers from his body, who, being stronger than the
furious Goddesses, were able to calm them down 17. It was then Vishnu who advised them to become
the protectors of the world as the mothers to it. The second myth is quite clearly a Vaishnavite story
while the first myth is a Shakta tale.
Due to the rise of Yoginis stemming from a mixture of Shakta, Tantric and folk ideas, the
symbol and underlying theme of the cult was a chakra or a wheel. It was illustrated as having sixty
four spokes, one to represent each one of the 64 Yoginis, and as wheels go, it is never shown with
just a part of a wheel, similarly, the Yoginis were never worshipped on their own as individual
deities18. However, though the Yogini cult had gained a lot of popularity, it failed to continue on as a
prominent religious cult for a variety of reasons that can at most only be theorized. In one such
theory, the cult's heavy focus on the Panchamackara and cryptic rituals which did not have readily
available information for the masses would have turned people away from joining the cult of the
Yoginis. There was never any practice of sacrifice, human or otherwise, and even the Shava
Chhedana ritual of beheading a cadaver was conducted by devotees being given dead family
members from poor backgrounds with the promise of proper funeral rites 19. The lack of information
in the esoteric cult made it difficult for the laymen to join in. Additionally, during the 15th Century
CE, there was the rise of the Bhakti movement that preached the path of god as being one of love,
peace, and a personal devotion to god, making the strange rituals practiced by the Yogini cult
redundant20.
16
17
18
19
20
3|T a m b a y
Ajit Tambay
Viraj Shah
Iconography 103
07/01/15
As far as the temples of the Yoginis are concerned, there are currently only nine that have
been found to be clearly marked as temples for the Yogini cult. Almost all the temples are left
empty, devoid of any visitors, and some have turned into ruins over centuries of lack of maintenance
due to the non-existence of the cult and local superstitions. Of the nine temples, there are four that
are roof-less (hypaethral)21. The reason for the open-air temples is theorized to be attributed to the
supernatural abilities of the Yoginis that allows them to fly. The most well known hypaethral temple
is found on the banks of the Bhargavi River in Hirapur, Orissa. It is a temple dated to being built in
the 9th Century CE during the reign of two particular kings, Somavamsisa and Bhauma 22. The Hirapur
temple is circular in structure, which appears to be the case with all the temples focused on the
Yoginis themselves. The outer wall is covered with niches that contain carvings of all sixty four
Yoginis, many of which a seen smiling or richly adorned. However, the Astha Matrikas were not
identifiable among the sixty four carvings present. Due to the cult being almost non-existent, a large
amount of information has been lost, making it impossible to accurately identify all sixty four Yoginis.
Another major hypaethral temple is found in Ranipur, Orissa. A odd finding in this temple reveals
that to date, only sixty two of the sixty four Yogini idols have been found on its walls 23. Another two
major Yogini temples are located in Madhya Pradesh. The oldest Yogini temple is located among a
group of temples lies in Khajuraho which dates back to the 9th Century CE while the second temple
found in Bhedaghat is not as old and dates back to the 10th Century CE. The Hirapur temple has
Shiva has the primary deity, while the temple in Khajuraho is focused on the Goddess Kali. Tying
back to the problem of identification of icons, what must be understood is that every one of the sixty
four Yoginis is represented differently in each temple 24. Sometimes the idol is shown standing, or
seated perhaps in lalitasana, or dancing. The forms are shown looking fierce or gentle, smiling or
scowling and in certain idols, even more feminine poses meant to emphasize sexuality, while others
are depicted as grotesque and mal-nourished 25.
The prominence of the Yogini cult, though a non-existent form of worship today, has made
its way into the pantheon of Hindu gods and goddesses. Although the cult died out due to the lack of
information about its cryptic practices and the rise of the Bhakti movement, the Yoginis are a key
chapter within Shaktism, albeit, as with all local cults and deities that are absorbed into the
mainstream religion, the Yoginis now take subsidiary roles compared to the major Hindus gods and
goddesses and are considered inferior, as revealed by the myths created around them stating that
they were created by Shiva and had to be controlled by Vishnu. The lesser status given to the Yoginis
reinforces their folk origin and makes sure their only task was to serve and support the main
goddesses in the Hindu pantheon.
21
22
23
24
25
4|T a m b a y
Ajit Tambay
Viraj Shah
Iconography 103
07/01/15
Word Count: 2497
Appendix A:
The following are the names of the Astha Matrikas as well as the eight mental vices they represent
when they are all together (Shah, Viraj).
1. Brahmini: pride
2. Maheshwari: anger
3. Kaumari: illusion
4. Indrani: fault-finding
5. Vaishnavi: greed
6. Varahi: envy
7. Chamunda: gossiping
8. Yogeshwari: desire
5|T a m b a y
Ajit Tambay
Viraj Shah
Iconography 103
07/01/15
Appendix B:
The following list is of the speculated names for all 64 Yogini, as understood from the Chandi Purana.
However, this is not a comprehensive list as there is no agreement within that academic world on
the names of all 64 Yoginis (Choudoury, Dr. Janmejay).
1. Chhaya 23. Kachikeswari 45. Ullaka

2. Maya 24. Anala 46. Samasila
3. Narayani 25. Rupa 47. Mudha
4. Brahmayani 26. Barahi 48. Dakhinai
5. Bhairavi 27. Nagari 49. Gopali
6. Maheswari 28. Khechari 50. Mohini
7. Rudrayani 29. Bhuchari 51. Kamasena
8. Baseli 30. Betali 52. Kapali
9. Tripura 31. Kalinjari 53. Uttarayani
10. Ugratara 32. Sankha 54. Trailokya Byapini
11. Charchika 33. Rudrakali 55. Trilochana
12. Tarini 34. Kalavati 56. Nimai
13. Ambika Kumari 35. Kankali 57. Dakeswari
14. Bhagabati 36. Bukuchai 58. Kamala
15. Nila 37. Bali 59. Ramayani
16. Kamala 38. Dohini 60. Anadi Shakti
17. Santi 39. Dwarini 61. Balakshatrayani
18. Kanti 40. Sohini 62. Brahmani
19. Ghatabari 41. Sankata Tarini 63. Dharani
20. Chamunda 42. Kotalai 64. Matangi
21. Chandrakanti 43. Anuchhaya
22. Madhavi 44. Kechamukhi Samuha
6|T a m b a y
Ajit Tambay
Viraj Shah
Iconography 103
07/01/15
Works Cited:
Book/Excerpt:
Banerjea, Jitendra Nath. "Sakti." The Development of Hindu Iconography. Calcutta: U of Calcutta,

1956. 489-97. Print.
Newspaper Article:
Choudhury, Dr. Janmejay. "Origin of Tantricism and Sixty-Four Yogini Cult in Orissa."Orissa Review.
Orissa Government, Oct. 2004. Web. 5 Jan. 2015. <http://orissa.gov.in/e-
magazine/orissareview/oct2004/englishpdf/originoftantricism.pdf>.
Database:
Kinsley, David. "The Portrait of the Goddess in the Devī-māhātmya." Journal of the American
Academy of Religion 46.4 (1978): 489-506. JSTOR. Web. 04 Jan. 2015.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/1463045?ref=no-x-
route:9fa66fbd848945218a82da30bcd94a18 >.
Website:
Davis, Kent. "India’s Chaunsat Yogini Temple and the Women of Angkor Wat."Devata.org.
Wordpress, Mar. 2010. Web. 04 Jan. 2015. < http://www.devata.org/chaunsat-yogini-temple-in-
india-and-the-women-of-angkor-wat/#.VKwhIyuUdS1>.
Shambhavi, Yogini. "Yogini, the Enlightened Woman." Vedanet. American Institute of Vedic Studies.
Web. 06 Jan. 2015. < http://vedanet.com/2012/06/13/yogini-the-enlightened-woman/>.
Lecture:
7|T a m b a y

The 64 Yoginis

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The 64 Yoginis

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Ajit Tambay

Word Count: 2497

1. Chhaya 23. Kachikeswari 45. Ullaka

Banerjea, Jitendra Nath. "Sakti." The Development of Hindu Iconography. Calcutta: U of Calcutta,

You might also like