The ten great learning’s are related with Sati, Shiva, Guri, Parvati, all synonymous of the same Adi Shakti (eternal power). She is also known as Navdurga, Chamunda, Vishnupriya etc and is worshipped. The origin of this ten great knowledge is as follows. They are:-

• KALI
• TARA
• SHODASHI
• BHUVANESHWARI
• TRIPURSUNDARI
• CHHINNMASTA
• DHOOMAVATI
• BAGALAMUKHI
• MATANGI
• KAMALA

The worship of these is also prescribed as an astrological remedy - for the 9 planets and the Lagna as follows: Kali for Saturn, Tara for Jupiter, Maha Tripura Sundari (or Shodasi-Sri Vidya) for Mercury, Bhuvaneshvari for Moon, Chinnamasta for Rahu, Bhairavi for Lagna, Dhumavati for Ketu, Baglamukhi for Mars, Matangi for Sun, and Kamala for Venus.( The tantrik worship of these most powerful Vidyas must be practiced only under the guidence of a siddha Guru. )

Daksha Prajapati,the first ruler of our mortal world and the father of Sati, once performed a Yagna (religious sacrifice) in which he invited all the deities and sages, except his own Son-in-law Lord Shiva, because of his jealousy towards him.

Sati wanted to be present at that occasion but Lord Shiva refused to give permission, thinking it was improper for her to go without the invitation. But she was unmoved. She said "I will certainly go to the Yajna, I would either get the fortune of that religious sacrifice for my dearest, deity of the deities, husband (Lord Shiva) or else I would destroy that religious sacrifice itself."

Sati's eyes became red. She looked at Lord Shiva violently, her lips began to flutter, and her complexion became dark. The fire of her anger made her appearance look frightened and violent.

Such an appearance of Sati was frightening even for Lord Shiva. Her appearance, which had the blaze and radiance of Crores of mid-noon-suns, made her so fearful that he just ran away.

To stop Lord Shiva from running away in all the possible ten directions, Sati manifested herself in to ten different forms. These ten Shaktis (powers) of Sati are known as the ten great knowledge’s or 10 great learning’s or ten Mahavidhya. These ten Mahavidyas provide knowledge of all possible sciences.