Who is Sapta Matrika
The Sapta Matrika (Seven Mothers) are a group of seven goddesses who embody the shaktis (divine energies) of major male deities. Their earliest collective mention appears in the Rigveda (10.72.8-9) where seven mothers are alluded to, and they are fully enumerated in the Devi Mahatmya (chapters 8-10) as fierce warriors aiding the goddess Durga in battle against demons. The seven are: Brahmani (Brahma's shakti, holding a lotus and rosary), Maheshvari (Shiva's shakti, bearing a trishula and damaru), Kaumari (Kartikeya's shakti, wielding a spear and riding a peacock), Vaishnavi (Vishnu's shakti, with shankha, chakra, and gada), Varahi (Varaha's shakti, with a boar face and holding a plow), Indrani (Indra's shakti, carrying a vajra and riding an elephant), and Chamunda (a fierce form of Devi, depicted as emaciated with a skull staff).
Iconographically, they are often shown seated in a row with their respective vahanas (mounts) and attributes, as described in the Matsya Purana (chapter 261) and the Devi Purana. The Sapta Matrika are primarily worshipped for protection, fertility, and the combined power of all goddesses. They are especially venerated in South India, Nepal, and Odisha, where temples like the Saptamatrika Temple in Bhubaneswar and the Matrikas in the Pashupatinath complex exist.
During Navaratri, they are invoked in many homas and pujas. In Tantric traditions, they are associated with the seven chakras and are considered guardians of the directions. The Skanda Purana (Maheshvara Khanda) narrates their origin from the flames of the gods' mouths to destroy the demon Andhaka.
Their worship is believed to bestow strength, remove obstacles, and grant progeny. The Sapta Matrika represent the collective maternal energy that sustains and protects the cosmos, embodying both nurturing and fierce aspects of the divine feminine.
Names by which the divine is addressed
What they hold
Form, mudras, weapons & vahana
Seven goddesses depicted together. Each has specific attributes: Brahmani (lotus), Maheshvari (trishula), Kaumari (spear), Vaishnavi (shankha, chakra), Varahi (boar face), Indrani (vajra), Chamunda (skeletal).