Mantra, Temple, and the Yoginī-Affiliated Goddesses of the Devīpurāṇa

This paper explores the iconographic and sonic construction of yoginī-affiliated goddesses in the Devīpurāṇa (ca. 8th–9th century), a crucial but understudied Purāṇic source for early Śākta traditions. Chapter 50 presents rich material on sixty goddesses—akin to later formulations of yoginī groupings, architecturally realised in their unique hypaethral stone temples—including iconographic traits, prescriptions for elaborate shrine construction, and details of their worship and mantras. The text also preserves a more complex and explicit padamālā-vidyā for the chief goddess Cāmuṇḍā in Chapter 9, whose identity spans both mātṛ and yoginī sets. This vidyā was later integrated into the Agnipurāṇa and Garuḍapurāṇa, with changing frame stories that parallel art-historical trajectories. The paper brings together textual and visual sources to highlight the evolving (public) function of Śākta mantras and goddess typologies. By tracing the intersections of mantra and sculpture, the study reassesses the role of the Devīpurāṇa in the early articulation of yoginī traditions.