Vacadevi, Vācādevī, Vaca-devi: 1 definition

Introduction:

Vacadevi means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

In Hinduism

Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

Source: Wisdom Library: Kubjikāmata-tantra

Vācādevī (शब्ददेवी):—One of the four principal Devīs out of the twenty total, who form the Devīcakra, according to the Kubjikāmatatantra. Together they symbolize the twenty lower Sāṃkhya categories which are the five gross elements (mahābhūta), the five subtle elements (tanmātra), the five faculties of perception (buddhīndriyas) and the five faculties of action (karmendriyas).

Vācādevī represents the faculty of action ‘speech’ but is also related to the remaining four faculties of action, ‘handling’, ‘moving’, ‘excretion’ and ‘reproduction’.

She is related with the Śānti-kalā (śāntir vāgeśvarī smṛtā).

She is identified with the nasal consonant na (न).

Mental image: her colour is red.She has one face, three eyes and four arms which hold a lotus and a thunderbolt on the right side (padmavajradharā dakṣe) while one of the left arms holds a rosary; the other left one makes the gesture of knowledge (jñānasūtraṃ ca vāmake). She is seated on a lotus and is adorned with many ornaments. (See the Śrīmatottara-tantra and the Gorakṣa-saṃhitā (Kādiprakaraṇa))

Shaivism book cover
context information

Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.

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