Introduction

In Hinduism

Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

Source: Wisdom Library: Kubjikāmata-tantra

Dūtī (दूती, “female messengers”):— They are eighty-one goddesses that occupy the region of the Dūtīcakra, that is, the second cakra out of the five cakras assigned to the human body (e.g. pañcacakra), according to the Kubjikāmata-tantra. Together they symbolize another component of the sixfold path, namely the padādhvan which consists in this case of eighty-one padas derived from the Navātman.

They are presided over by nine male deities (called bhairavas, they are emenations of Ananta, the presiding deity of the Dūtīcakra):

1. Kapāla,
2. Caṇḍalokeśa,
3. Yogeśa,
4. Manonmana,
5. Hāṭakeśvara,
6. Kravyāda, 
7. Mudreśa,
8. Diṅmaheśvara,
9. and Ananta.

Each of these nine deities enfolds himself again into nine, and as a result nine time nine padas are created, which are said to be the cause of the Dūtīs. Thus, eighty-one Dūtīs came into existence, arranged in nine groups of nine Dūtīs each.

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.

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: Wisdom Library: The Matsya-purāṇa

Dūtī (दूती) is the name of a mind-born ‘divine mother’ (mātṛ), created for the purpose of drinking the blood of the Andhaka demons, according to the Matsya-purāṇa 179.8. The Andhaka demons spawned out of every drop of blood spilled from the original Andhakāsura (Andhaka-demon). According to the Matsya-purāṇa 179.35, “Most terrible they (e.g., Dūtī) all drank the blood of those Andhakas and become exceedingly satiated.”

The Matsyapurāṇa is categorised as a Mahāpurāṇa, and was originally composed of 20,000 metrical verses, dating from the 1st-millennium BCE. The narrator is Matsya, one of the ten major avatars of Viṣṇu.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

1a) Dūtī (दूती).—An Akṣara devī.^*

• * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa IV. 19. 58; 37. 34.

1b) A Mind-born mother.^*

• * Matsya-purāṇa 179. 10.

context information

The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Source: archive.org: Natya Shastra

Dūtī (दूती, “messenger”).—A wise woman, female story-teller, a female ascetic or a woman of the stage, an intelligent woman, a female neighbour, a female friend, a maid-servant, an unmarried girl, a crafts-woman, a foster-mother, a nun or a female fortune-teller can be employed as female a Messenger (dūtī).

context information

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (śāstra) of performing arts, (nāṭya, e.g., theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing dramatic plays (nataka) and poetic works (kavya).

Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: academia.edu: Women in Early Śākta Tantras

Dūtī (दूती).—The female ritual partner (dūtī/śakti).—A female ritual partner, most commonly called dūtī (“female messen-ger” or “mischief-making woman”) or simply śakti (“female power”), is not necessary for all śākta tantric rituals. The Brahmayāmala (45.185-188) prescribes the use of a partner only for the tālaka type practitioner, who nevertheless seems to be the most advanced in his nondual ritual practice, in which he is to transcend the duality of what is considered pure and impure according to orthopraxy.

context information

Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.

In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Tibetan Buddhism

1) Dūtī (दूती) refers to a group of beings mentioned as attending the teachings in the 6th century Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa: one of the largest Kriyā Tantras devoted to Mañjuśrī (the Bodhisattva of wisdom) representing an encyclopedia of knowledge primarily concerned with ritualistic elements in Buddhism. The teachings in this text originate from Mañjuśrī and were taught to and by Buddha Śākyamuni in the presence of a large audience (including the Dūtīs).

2) Dūtī (दूती) is also mentioned as the name of a Dūtī (i.e., messengers of Lord Vajrapāṇi) mentioned as attending the teachings in the 6th century Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa.

Source: academia.edu: A Critical Study of the Vajraḍākamahātantrarāja (II)

Dūtī (दूती) refers to “female messengers”; techniques to please them are described in the Vajraḍākatantra chapter 38.—Accordingly the word Dūtī (female messenger) is a synonym of Yoginī, Ḍākinī and Mudrā in that it means a sacred lady or a partner of a Yogin. The word dūtī is frequently used in the Cakrasaṃvara literature. The text strictly prohibits a Yogin from raping every kind of Dūtīs and insists that the Dūtīs should be perfected by pleaseure (sukha). Having enumerated three types of the women (Citriṇī, Plīvī and Śaṅkhinī), five techniques to please Dūtīs as well as the Yogin himself and to enlarge a Yogin’s gentials are introduced. Various kinds of woods and plants in addition to honey and butter are utilized for this purpose.

context information

Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.

Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

dutī : (f.) a messenger; envoy.

context information

Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Dūtī (दूती).—

1) A female messenger, a confidante.

2) A go-between, procuress.

3) A gossiping or mischief-making woman. (N. B. The tī of dūtī is sometimes shortened; see R.18.53;19.18; Ku.4.16. and Malli. thereon.)

See also (synonyms): dūtikā.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Dūtī (दूती).—substantially = mahādūtī, q.v.: (Ārya-)Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa 12.(18—) 19, read, (mahādūtyaḥ aneka-)dūtī-gaṇa-parivāritā(ḥ).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Dūti (दूति).—f.

(-tiḥ) See dūta du-vā ti dīrghaśca .

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Dūtī (दूती):—[from dūta] f. female messenger, [especially] procuress, go-between, [Ṛg-veda; Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.

2) [v.s. ...] a kind of bird (= sārikā), [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

3) [v.s. ...] Name of a female attendant on Durgā, [Horace H. Wilson]

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

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