Manifestation (Sristhi) and Potentiality (Pralaya)

The feminine creative principle is Vimarsa sakti, 'the world from her womb'. The quality of the life principle is vibration, according to the Lakshmi Tantra. Sakti is a spontaneous vibration, the fullness of her blissful state and the bursting out of her joy compelling her towards self- unfolding. When Sakti expands or opens herself (unmishati), the universe comes into being, and when she gathers or closes herself up (nimishati), the universe disappears as a manifestation- an endless phenomenon of her total self "opening" and "closing", bringing into existence countless universes.

The Goddess alternates eternally between a phase of manifestation (sristhi) and dissolution or return to potentiality (pralaya); between relative space and time which is curved or circular (vrittakara) and Absolute Space (svasvyata-vyom) and Time, the uter dark depths, Mahakali. At the time of cosmic dissolution the universe of physical objects is withdrawn again into Sakti, as everything collapses inwards into one dimension: the 'bindu' or seed-state.

Sakti is also known as Svatantrya, meaning independence or freedom, because her existence does not depend on anything extraneous to herself, and Vimarsa, meaning "being many things at the same time". She is even regarded as substance, because all possible objects are latent and manifest in her womb. 'They have no existence apart from Shakti, and as such are like attributes of this substance'.

In tantric cosmology the whole universe is seen as being built up from and sustained by dual forces, Shakti and Shiva, the feminine and masculine principles; although as Devi says in the Devibhagavata. "At the time of final dissolution I am neither male, nor female, nor neuter." Formless, attributeless, in her ultimate highest aspect of Reality.

Feminine Divinity

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