Namaste
I think we have talked about this many times haven't we?
Adi MahA Lakshmi is not only transcendental to the prakruti, is also muLa prakruti, is the same Devi and there is a secret - keep reading.
Durga = MuLa Prakruti, yes, but circles back to being Adi Shakti come back.
DurgA is the later form as KAtyAyanI, and whom each Deva gave their own shakti to become the collective shakti of all Devas to fight MahishAsur. Hence MahishAsur Mardini.
According to Shaktism also, not only acc to VaishNavism, the Adi Adi Adi parA shakti , the secret Devi (who created all the other MahA Devis and their 'saumya rupa' counterparts, according to Devi Bhagwat), is MahALakshmi! (while the common people equate Adi Shakti to Parvati.)
This is a secret that is not spelled out, but you have to go through a maze puzzle to figure this out from the secret text called Rahasya TrayaM.
I will post verses from Rahasya TrayaM shortly.
So, DurgA is the complete Adi Shakti, but Her original Adi form "behind the scenes" is MahA Lakshmi.
From MahA Lakshmi came the other Devis, and the pairs etc.
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Not only acc. to Vaishnavism, that Shri is parA shakti of NArAyaN,
Acc. to VaishNav pancharAtra system, of which Lakshmi Tantra is a part,
the highest, innermost AtmA (ParamAtmA) is VAsudev, and His counterpart Devi is Lakshmi in the form called ShAntA
So when the Lord is Adi ParA VAsudev, Lakshmi is ShAntA - and is way beyond the material Prakruti.
PancharAtra Agama (Agama of the 5 nights when VishNu narrated some truths to Shiva , BramhA, , and NArad PancharAtra to NArad Muni), explains the 4 whorls of the adhyAtmic Lotus.
VAsudev = innermost whorl of the Lotus = AtmA (essentially ParamAtmA)
SankarshaN = shuddha ahaMkaar
Pradyumna = mAnas
Aniruddha = buddhI
are the 4 whorls of the Lotus inner to outer.
So the Lakshmi matching ParA VAsudev is Shanta and way beyond creation.
ShAntA means one who is an embodiment of ShAnti i.e. utter peace.
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Back to Devi Bhagwat , 9th Canto says
Devi as their Supreme is mULa prakrutI, the formless avyakta muLa,
and there is no distinction but She takes all the Devi forms.
It also says Shri KRshNa is the first and most beautiful form manifestation from the formless Devi
DurgA is buddhi of Shri KRshNa and merges into Him at mahA pralay
Radha is prANa of Shri KRshNa and merges into Him at mahA Pralay
NArAyaN merges into KRshNa's right arm -- now readers might say "give me a break!" I know, but this is what Devi Bhagwat says, (while Bramha-Vaivarta purAN is not being considered here.)
and please note Devi Bhagwat is an upa-purAN and was one of the later purANas.
continued:
Ganesh and Kartikeya merge into NArAyaN
All Lakshmis into Adi Lakshmi
etc. (at mahA pralay)
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Shri of Shri VidyA - LalitA SahasranAma has one of the 1000 names as
ChidagnirUpA = of the form of the fire of pure consciousness
The highest forms of Adi Shakti are pure consciousness alone, and Shaktism knocks off any differences in the other sampradAy - Shaiva , VaishNav by saying all Devis are the One Devi
who is actually MahA Lakshmi although commonly ShAkta-Shaiva people think it is Uma - which makes no difference that they assume this.
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My experience says this is all Bramha' -- sarvaM khalvidaM Bramha'
and you cannot tear apart Shakti from the ShaktimAn and yet Shakti is a role.
Ride the tiger, lion, form the galaxies, and be the pure consciousness. All in One.
You can't tear us apart.