In this episode of “5 Minutes,” Dr. Robert Svoboda explores the traditional understanding of the Yoginis, their place in the Shakta tradition, and why they are approached with reverence and caution.

Nowadays, the word yogini is often used to describe a woman who practices yoga. Traditionally, however, the Yoginis are an entirely separate class of deities. They were especially worshipped for about 500 years, roughly between 700 AD and 1200 AD. Their temples are generally circular and open to the sky.

If you want to learn about the Yoginis, there are two worthwhile books to read. One is Yogini Cult and Temples by Vidya Dehejia, published by the National Museum of India, although it is unfortunately not as widely available as it could be. Another is Kiss of the Yogini by David Gordon White.

Some Sanskrit texts identify Yakshinis with Yoginis, but Vimalananda maintained that the Yoginis were an entirely separate group. He also taught that when we speak of the Nine Durgas, the Navadurgas, or the Ten Mahavidyas, those groups of goddesses represent the entire range of possible shaktis in the universe, expressed through nine or ten forms.

In the case of the Yoginis, he said they may be understood as the attendants of the great goddesses. Although the number sometimes varies, they are traditionally regarded as sixty-four in number. Together, these sixty-four Yoginis represent the complete range of shakti throughout the universe.

There is no single list of the names or forms of the sixty-four Yoginis. Every temple has a different group. Some temples have fewer than sixty-four, while others have more.

The best-preserved Yogini temple is at Hirapur, between Bhubaneswar and Puri in the Indian state of Odisha. The temple was discovered only in 1953. When I first visited it in 1984, it stood alone in the middle of a rice field. There was nothing there except a single flower at the base of the image of Bhairava.

In these circular temples, with the sixty-four Yoginis surrounding the interior, Bhairava stands at the centre, overseeing the Yoginis. At that time, there was no obvious sign of worship except that single flower, which showed that someone was still offering reverence there.

Since then, the temple has become much better known, and many people now visit it. Even so, many Yogini temples remain in isolated places and appear to receive little public worship.

This reflects the nature of the Yoginis themselves. They are liminal goddesses, existing closer to the human realm than the great goddesses. Because of this, they can be deeply benevolent when approached in the proper way, but they can also consume those who approach them without the right understanding.

If you wish to work with the Yoginis, it is very important to understand the tradition and the disciplines associated with them. They have not become as consistently benevolent as the great goddesses. They remain in a realm that is more amoral than benevolent.

The Yoginis are very powerful and possess a unique form of shakti. As with many sacred traditions, they should always be approached with great reverence and caution.