The process of protecting oneself, from internal and external foes, is an important aspect of upāsanā. The deities invoked for this purpose are generally of ferocious countenance invoking terror in the minds of the unprepared and undeserving. The primary goal of a upāsaka is the attainment of complete oneness with the Deity, represented by Lalitā Parābhaṭṭārikā in the case of śrīvidyā. Without experiencing both the peaceful and fierce aspects of life, the true Knowledge of the Deity cannot arise within the upāsaka. The human life, subject to the sphere of influence of the five senses and their sensory objects, is obstructed from attaining oneness with the Deity, due to avidyā or ignorance. The refinement of these is essential to overcoming avidyā, and this cannot happen without a full gamut of self-experience – involving both the peaceful and fierce aspects of life (represented by specific deities of significance, skillfully invoked in upāsanā following a definitive scheme).
While many of those deities have their own retinue and systems where they assume a central position, in śrīvidyā, they occupy the position of protective deities within the bigger family of Rājarājēśvarī. They exhibit both the aspects of nigraha and anugraha. While the destruction of enemies and obstacles (ari and vighna) is their aspect of nigraha, protecting the upāsaka characterizes their aspect of anugraha. The enemies can be internal (physical aspects such as lethargy, sleep, inattentiveness, bodily unsteadiness, etc.) or external (supernatural forces, material foes, etc.) The same applies to obstacles as well. By systematic invocation of these deities before upāsanā of the main deity, one attains Siddhi.
In Bimbāmbikā sampradāya, there are three types of rakṣā vidhis:
1. Nitya – daily practice, which is detailed below
2. Naimittika – followed on special occasions such as Navarātri etc. This employs one of the three groups of sixty-four Yōginī and Bhairavas (classified based on the yōginīkulas of Lalitā of Dakṣiṇāmnāya, Guhyakālī of uttarāmnāya and Chaṇḍikā of upāmnāya)
3. Viśēṣa – (also known as asādhāraṇa) employed in extraordinary circumstances when everything else fails. This involves the difficult prayoga of Mahāgaṇḍabhēruṇḍa Nr̥siṁha accompanied by Guhyakālī, surrounded by a retinue of twenty-five Nr̥simhas (Jvālāmālī & Dhūmakālī to Sarvatejomaya-nr̥simha & Unmattakālī)
As Sampradāya prohibits the discussion of the last two, we can deal with the first and the most important one here.
The four chief deities invoked before upāsanā are:
durgā vighnaṁ ca śarabhamaghōraṁ ca sudarśanam |
ētā samayavidyāstu japēt pratyūhaśāntayē ||
And additionally:
vīrārdanaḥ krōdhasiṁhastathā pāśupatāstrakaḥ |
khaḍgarāvaṇamantraiśca mahābalayugaistathā ||
Thus, the deities to be invoked at the beginning of upāsanā are:
1 Vighnarāja – 4 letters (gaṇaka, gāyatrī)
2 Jayadurgā – 11 letters (nārada, gāyatrī)
3 Sharabhēśvara – 44 letters (kālāgnirudraḥ, jagatī)
4 Aghora – 52 letters (aghōraḥ, triṣṭup)
5 Sudarśana – 19 letters (jayantaḥ, gāyatrī)
6 Vīrārdana – 53 letters (dakṣiṇākālī, atijagatī)
7 Krodhabhairava – 33 letters (pratyaṅgirā, triṣṭup)
8 Mahāsimha – 22 letters (trailōkyamōhanamahāviṣṇuḥ, gāyatryuṣṇiganuṣṭup)
9 Pāśupatāstra – 12 letters (gautamaḥ, paṅktiḥ)
10 Khaḍgarāvaṇa – 17 letters (khaḍgarāvaṇaḥ, triṣṭup)
11 Atibalā and Balā – (virāṭpuruṣaḥ, gāyatrī)
Women replace Khaḍgarāvaṇa mantra with Svarṇākarṣaṇa Bhairava.