Mahavidyas

A collective name for ten fierce and
powerful manifestations of the Goddess.
According to tradition, the goddess Sati
assumes these forms one after another,
in an attempt to persuade her husband,
the god Shiva, to allow her to attend a
sacrifice given by her father Daksha.
These ten forms are all frightful and
fearsome, even to Shiva, showing the
ultimate superiority of the Goddess over
Shiva. These ten forms are Kali, Tara,
Chinnamasta, Bhuvaneshvari, Bagala,
Dhumavati, Kamala, Matangi, Shodashi,
and Bhairavi. Some of these forms, particularly Kali, have become important
deities in their own right. For further
information see David R. Kinsley, Hindu
Goddesses, 1986.