In śrīkrama Tantra, various aspects of Durgā are worshiped in the śrīcakra. Of these, Vanadurgā, śūlinīdurgā, Bhrāmarī Durgā, etc. are worshiped as samayā dēvatās or as protective guardians. The three principal forms of Durgā worshiped are Mahādurgā, Chaṇḍikā, and Aparājitā. Of these, Chaṇḍikā has two forms: as Navārṇā Chaṇḍī of uttarāmnāya with three aṅgavidyās each of nine letters, Mahākālī, Mahālakṣmī and Mahāsarasvatī (together with navākṣarī constituting the thirty-six lettered vidyā popularly called the four-vicche mantra); the other form is of āmnāyanāyikā Triśakti Chāmuṇḍā who is an esoteric aspect of Chaṇḍī.
Mahādurgā, who represents the mūlaprakr̥ti, is again of three forms: Aśṭādaśabhujī Ugracaṇḍā, ṣōḍaśabhujī Bhadrakālī and Daśabhujā Kātyāyanī.
Avidyā is described in śākta lore as of three kinds: tāmasika, rājasika, and sāttvika. By upāsanā of Ugracaṇḍā, one is rid of tāmāsika-mala (impurity), as she represents the yoga of kriyā or action. Her form is said to be ugra or ferocious. Through the upāsanā of Bhadrakālī via the yoga of bhakti, rājasika mala is destroyed. She is described to be of a semi-wrathful countenance (ardha-ugrā, ardha-saumyā). Kātyāyanī destroys sāttvika-mala and is described as śuddha-saumya svarūpiṇī, representing viśuddha jñāna-yōga.
Mahiṣāsura, who represents the complex of avidyā, was killed by Bhagavatī not in her ferocious form (ugra), or semi-wrathful form (ardha-saumya), but rather in her saumya aspect as Kātyāyanī as it is śuddha-jñāna that can terminate avidyā. An unknown commentator on the Baḍabānala Tantra thus states that in Krama Tantra, the samjñā of Mahiṣamardinī applies to Daśabhujā Kātyāyanī alone and to no other deity.
Thus, Kātyāyanī represents both the path and goal as ātmavidyā svarūpiṇī.
She is worshiped with her eleven lettered vidyā that constitutes of tongue-twisting kūṭākṣaras, which, according to Sri Swamiji Maharaj of Datia, represents the complexity of jñānamārga. With her ten hands representing the five prāṇas and five upaprANas, she also shines forth as prāṇaśakti and the yogin who attains her grace achieves mastery over the prāṇa, and hence the senses and the mind. She is to be meditated in the center of one’s heart in the morning, in the navel at noon, and at the base of the spine in Kula Sahasrāra at night.
Her dhyāna ślōka is as below:
कात्यायन्याः प्रवक्ष्यामि मूर्तिं दशभुजां तथा |
त्रयाणामपि देवानामनुकारणकारिणीम् ||
जटाजूटसमायुक्तामर्धेन्दुकृतशेखराम् |
लोचनत्रयसंयुक्तां पद्मेन्दुसदृशाननाम् ||
अतसीपुष्पवर्णाभां सुप्रतिष्ठां प्रलोचनाम् |
नवयौवनसम्पन्नां सर्वाभरणभूषिताम् ||
सुचारुदशनां तद्वत् पीनोन्नतपयोधराम् |
त्रिभङ्गस्थानसंस्थानां महिषासुरमर्दिनीम् ||
त्रिशूलं दक्षिणे दद्यात् खड्गं चक्रं क्रमादधः |
तीक्ष्णबाणं तथा शक्तिं वामतोऽपि प्रदर्शयेत् ||
खेटकं पूर्णचापं च पाशमङ्कुशमूर्ध्वतः |
घण्टां वा परशुं वाऽपि वामतः सन्निवेशयेत् ||
अधस्तान्महिषं तद्वत् विशिरस्कं प्रदर्शयेत् |
शिरच्छेदोद्भवं तद्वत् दानवं खड्गपाणिनम् ||
हृदि शूलेन निर्भिन्नं निर्यदन्त्रविभूषितम् |
रक्तरक्तीकृताङ्गश्च रक्तविस्फारितेक्षणम् ||
वेष्टितं नागपाशेन भ्रुकुटीभीषणाननम् |
सपाशवामहस्तेन धृतकेशं च दुर्गया ||
kātyāyanyāḥ pravakṣyāmi mūrtiṃ daśabhujāṃ tathā |
trayāṇāmapi devānāmanukāraṇakāriṇīm ||
jaṭājūṭasamāyuktāmardhendukṛtaśekharām |
locanatrayasaṃyuktāṃ padmendusadṛśānanām ||
atasīpuṣpavarṇābhāṃ supratiṣṭhāṃ pralocanām |
navayauvanasampannāṃ sarvābharaṇabhūṣitām ||
sucārudaśanāṃ tadvat pīnonnatapayodharām |
tribhaṅgasthānasaṃsthānāṃ mahiṣāsuramardinīm ||
triśūlaṃ dakṣiṇe dadyāt khaḍgaṃ cakraṃ kramādadhaḥ |
tīkṣṇabāṇaṃ tathā śaktiṃ vāmato.api pradarśayet ||
kheṭakaṃ pūrṇacāpaṃ ca pāśamaṅkuśamūrdhvataḥ |
ghaṇṭāṃ vā paraśuṃ vā.api vāmataḥ sanniveśayet ||
adhastānmahiṣaṃ tadvat viśiraskaṃ pradarśayet |
śiracchedodbhavaṃ tadvat dānavaṃ khaḍgapāṇinam ||
hṛdi śūlena nirbhinnaṃ niryadantravibhūṣitam |
raktaraktīkṛtāṅgaśca raktavisphāritekṣaṇam ||
veṣṭitaṃ nāgapāśena bhrukuṭībhīṣaṇānanam |
sapāśavāmahastena dhṛtakeśaṃ ca durgayā ||