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THE FIFTEEN NITYAS
Welcome to the
15Nitya - The Fifteen Nityas Mobile App
Discovering the Lunar Goddesses
15 Nitya Mobile App serves as a dedicated guide to the 15 Nityā Devīs— the Fifteen Eternal Goddesses — who represent the fifteen phases, or lunar days (Tithis), of the moon. They are the radiating light and power of the supreme Goddess, Lalitā Tripurasundarī. In the sacred tradition of Śrīvidyā, each Nityā presides over a specific day of the lunar cycle and grants unique powers (siddhis), fulfilling distinct purposes and manifesting different aspects of consciousness.
By engaging with their forms and Mantras, the practitioner harmonizes their inner energies with the cosmic, eternal rhythm of Śakti (Divine Power).
Features and Traditional Content
This app provides meticulously compiled knowledge, offering a traditional structure for understanding and engaging with each Nityā. For each Goddess, you will find:
- Dynamic songs inspired by their Mantras (Vidyā or Gāyatrī)
- Seed syllables played over the dynamic songs.
- Beautiful set of images for each Nityā, from which you can choose one to display while listening to songs.
- Settings for volume of songs and seed syllables, the number of desired Bīja repetitions (except Gāyatrī and special songs where no Bīja is provided).
- A reminder displays key Moon Information, including Phase, Age, Illumination, Tithi–zone, the associated Nityā, and her seed mantra. (For premium users, these details are always shown; for others, some information is replaced by a specific icon).
- Accompanying text providing details for each Nityā (except Gāyatrī):
Divine Form and Dhyāna (Meditation):
- Detailed descriptions of the Goddess's Appearance (e.g., three-eyed, seated on the Yantra), Attributes (weapons, gestures), and Seat (Āsana) to aid in visualization and profound meditation.
Essential Mantras and Pronunciation:
- The sacred Bīja Mantra (Seed Syllable) and the Vidyā (Full Mantra) in both Sanskrit and accurate Transliteration.
- The precise Mantra mapping (Unicode) and phonetic details required for authentic practice.
- Ritual Placement (Nyāsa): Details for reciting and ritually placing the Bīja Mantras onto designated locations on your own body (like the heart, head, or arms). This process is used in traditional paths to energize the physical and subtle body with the power of the Mantra.
Yantras:
- Dedicated Yantra files presenting the complex geometric designs associated with the Goddess.
- Details on the construction, ritual arrangement, and syllable placement for maximizing the diagram's power.
Begin Your Journey
By engaging with the Fifteen Nityas, you can work toward gaining mastery over your inner self, fulfilling desires, and aligning with the ultimate source of power. This app is here to support you in your practice with the knowledge of the Fifteen Eternal Goddesses.
The Fifteen Nityas
The Fifteen Nityās — the Tithinityās — are the fundamental architecture of the universe. They are so named because they are to be worshipped sequentially on the fifteen lunar days (tithis), from the first day (pratipadā) up to the fifteenth (pañcadaśī). The ultimate purpose of worshipping The Fifteen Nityās is the profound contemplation of the non-difference of the Nityās from one's own Self.
The Nityā Sequence and the Cosmic Breath
The Fifteen Nityās preside over the lunar cycle with a precise, dynamic sequence:
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Bright Fortnight (Śuklapakṣa): Starting from the pratipat tithi (first lunar day) up to the paurṇamāsī (full moon), The Fifteen Nityās from Kāmeśvarī up to Citrā become the presiding Nityās for their respective days in sequence.
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Dark Fortnight (Kṛṣṇapakṣa): The order for The Fifteen Nityās is precisely reversed; they should be known as being "from Citrā down to Kāmeśvarī".
These goddesses are simultaneously the sixteen phases of the moon (candrakalās), which effect the lunar days "through their own manifestation and concealment (svātma tirodhānātirodhānābhyām)".
The divine nature of The Fifteen Nityās is intrinsically linked to the flow of time and breath:
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Tantrik texts, such as the Saundaryalaharī, Tattvacintāmaṇi, and Ānandeśvarapaddhatiḥ, state that all the Tithis are of the nature of 21,600 breaths in a day/night.
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Lalitā, the sixteenth Nityā, embodies their totality (samaṣṭi-vigrahavatī).
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The other Fifteen Nityās are each of the nature of 1,440 breaths in their individual aspect (vyaṣṭi-viśeṣeṇa). The instruction is to contemplate them in this way.
The Sixteen Nityās and the Śrī Vidyā Mantra
The Fifteen Nityās, along with the Sixteenth, are fundamental to the sacred sounds of the tradition:
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The Tripurasundarī Mantra has sixteen syllables (ṣoḍaśavarṇāḥ), and these "sixteen letters are of the nature of the sixteen Nityās".
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The letters beginning with Ka are stated to be the source of the sixteen Nityās.
The Sixteenth Nityā, referred to as a kalā (phase) due to its similarity to a moon phase, is the supreme phase (parā kalā) and is defined as pure consciousness (cidekarasā). The Nyāsa of the Sixteen Nityās "should be understood as the inclusion of the Śrī Vidyā, which presides over the fifteen tithis and is placed after the fifteen aforementioned Nityās". The instruction is to "place the Śrī Vidyā on the head, as she presides over the fifteen tithis".
The Three Cosmic Forms: Where the Śrī Cakra Resides
The ultimate power of The Fifteen Nityās is that they constitute the universe itself, which is threefold: of the nature of Time (kāla), Space (deśa), and both (ubhaya). Crucially, the Śrī Cakra is located within these universal forms:
- 1. Time-Form (Kāla-rūpa): This is the contemplation of the "transformation of Time in the form of the Tithis—that is, the realization that Time itself is transformed into the universe". The Śrī Cakra resides within this perpetually transforming Cakra of Tithis/Time, not outside it.
- 2. Space-Form (Deśa-rūpa): This is the structure of the cosmos, where the "seven islands... and seven oceans... along with Mount Meru and the transcendent space beyond the seventh ocean, make sixteen regions". The Śrī Cakra resides within this Cakra of Space, not outside it.
-3. Time-Space-Form (Ubhaya-rūpa): This form is created by the eight orbits of the planets and the eight spaces between them, which also creates sixteen regions that are a Time-Cakra. The sixteen Nityās circulate in these regions in the reverse order of the space-cycle. The Śrī Cakra resides within this Cakra as well.
The ultimate reality (pāramārthika-rūpaṁ) of all three kinds of Cakras is the Nityā Cakra. Since everything other than Brahman is delimited by Time and Space, "the entire universe is of the nature of the Nityās".
There are two widespread paths for studying the Nityās (Eternal Goddesses) in the Śrīvidyā tradition, and they primarily differ in how the Supreme Goddess, LalitāTripurasundarī, is accounted for.
I. The Popular Path: Sixteen Nityās (Ṣoḍaśī)
In the more common path, LalitāTripurasundarī is counted as the first of sixteen Nityās. The sequence begins with Lalitā and continues with Kāmeśvarī as the second, and so on. This is Tantrarāja main concept.
II. The Path Adopted in App: Fifteen Nityās (Pañcadaśī)
We follow the path where the study begins with the fifteen individual Nityās who govern the lunar phases (Tithis), excluding Lalitā from the sequential count.
- The sequence starts with Kāmeśvarī as the first Nityā.
- The final Nityā in this sequence is Citrā, who presides over the Full Moon (Pūrṇimā) Tithi itself, representing the ultimate, full manifestation of lunar light.
- Lalitā Tripurasundarī is viewed as the Mahā-Nityā (Great Eternal One) and the ultimate transcendent source that governs this final stage of fullness. Since Lalitā is the supreme, unlimited essence of Śrīvidyā, we learn about the fifteen phases first, culminating in the realization of Lalitā as the final and absolute goal.