Tantric masters remind us that “masculine” Rudra and “feminine” shakti of Sri Vidya are always in full embrace. The world evolves from this embrace; we ourselves are a product of this embrace. The experience of this truth opens the floodgate of our intrinsic shakti, the power we need to reclaim life’s abundance and protect it from inner and outer enemies. This power, in tantric language, is called Durga, the omniscient fire (jatavedas agni). She is the valiant force of tenderness, merciless warrior of compassion, ferocious devourer of fear, unfailing deliverer of justice, enforcer of law and order, commander of peace, ruler of prosperity, provider of fulfillment, guide of our conscience, and the supreme Queen of beauty and bliss. Durga embodies and at the same time transcends all genders, numbers, karmas, dharmas, time, space, and the law of cause and effect. The practice of Durga Saptashati connects us to this power of all powers.

Durga Saptashati is one of the most mystical and potent scriptures in the tantric world. It is comprised of 700 mantras. When practiced with appropriate prerequisites and precautions, they emit the entire range of power that the combined shakti of Rudra Yaga and Sri Vidya embody. For the past thousand years, the Masters in our Tradition took it as their principal duty to keep these mantras fully awakened and protect them from the contaminations caused by human frailty.

This scripture is replete with hundreds of practices. A large number of them are for overcoming our day-to-day concerns and struggles in life. For example, it offers a spiritual solution to a life-threatening disease, marital discord, pain resulting from one’s own addictive behaviors or the bad habits of loved ones, fear of getting into an accident, fear of losing one’s possessions or livelihood, fear of repeated failures in one’s endeavors, or grief associated with childhood abuse or feelings of abandonment. This scripture also guides us on the path of inner awakening and upliftment. The most important gift of this scripture is teaching us how to restore a bridge between the mundane and sacred, and work toward the 18 dimensions of peace and harmony which we can use to engender a mega-change both in our personal and collective consciousness. In short, it is almost impossible to describe the depth of this scripture’s wisdom and power.

Special Features of the Study Intensive

• The lineage of the Durga Saptashati—the line of the Sages, periodical refinement of the practices, the transmission of spiritual power (shaktipata), and the tantric concept of locking and unlocking shakti.
• The 360 shaktis embedded in the Durga Saptashati that impregnate, nurture, provide for and protect the globe of our body and mind, and fasten this globe of life uniformly at each of its 360 referents (degrees) ensuring the laws of tension and compression are held in balance.
• The secret of Navarna mantra—its lineage, its capacity to anchor hundreds of mantras, yantras, and mandalas including 64 Yoginis, 360 shaktis of Durga Saptashati and their 700 corresponding mantras, and a large cluster of shaktis corresponding to Sri Chakra and Rudra Yantra.
• Different methods of practicing Durga Saptashati—three different stages of the practice and their distinct outcomes; prerequisites, precautions, and complimentary practices at each of these three different stages.
• Durga Saptashati and our personal practice—a discussion on when to undertake Durga Saptashati as a goal-driven periodical practice, as adjunct to our daily practice, or as a complete replacement of our existing practice.
• Durga Saptashati for transforming collective consciousness—when and how to organize a group practice to engender the 18 dimensions of peace and harmony and champion ourselves to be a force of change.

Special Features of the Practice Intensive

• 5-day purascharana (intensive personal practice) of one or two of the practices we learned during the study intensive. Learn more about purascharana.
• Participate in regular fire offering ceremonies (havan) with Rudra mantras and Sri Sukta.
• Daily satsanga with a special focus on using the Navarna mantra and some of the Durga Saptashati mantras for restoring the 18 dimensions of peace and harmony.
• Participating in the final fire offering featuring the 700 mantras of Durga Saptashati as completion of your 5-day purascharana.
• Tantric method of transforming your own body into an altar, your mind into a havan kund (the sacred fireplace), and your sankalpa (fully defined and mature intention) into the object offered into the sacred fire.
• Preparation for becoming a conduit for bringing the kali yuga to an end and paving the way for the sat yuga.