The Das Mahavidya or 'Great Wisdoms' are a group of ten Tantric goddesses. While the concept of Mahavidyas is ancient, the exact time and source of origin of these great forms is still a mystery. According to the Hindu tradition, the word Mahavidyas comes from the Sanskrit roots of Maha, which means great, and Vidya, meaning Wisdom, Knowledge, Manifestation, or Revelation. 

The Mahavidyas are often compared to the Matrikas, another group of ten goddesses. This comparison is not entirely accurate as the Matrikas are the Shakti (divine energy) of the ten major Goddesses of the Hindu pantheon, whereas the Mahavidyas are ten different forms of the Goddess herself. They are considered to be the shakti (energy) of the Hindu Primal Lord Shiva and are known as the embodiment of the primordial creative energy. The two main groups of the Mahavidyas are 1) The Siddhi (Power) and 2) The Buddhi (Intelligence) groups. The Buddhi group consists of Kali, Tara, Bhuvaneshwari, Chinnamasta, Dhumavati, and Bagala. The Siddhi group consists of Matangi, Bhairavi, Chinnamasta, Bagala, and Kamalatmika. These goddesses are represented in various forms including the yantra, a geometric pattern with symbolic meaning.

The Devi is regarded by Shakta Hindus as the Power (Shakti) of the Supreme Being, the Ultimate Manifestation of Brahman, the Universal Mother, and the Cosmic Creator. Shaktism is simply the older and more established denomination of Hinduism. The worship of the Mother Goddess is as old as Hinduism. The ultimate reality of Shaktism is said to be both the personal feminine divine of the Goddess and the impersonal divine feminine - the Great Mother. The word Shaktism means "act of empowering" or "act of divine energy". The Devi Mahatmyam, one of the chapters of the epic Mahabharata, gives the definition of Shakti and Shakta. Shakti is the energy through which the world is created, it is the power that causes the world to dance, change, and move. Shakta refers to the worshipper of Shakti, which is Devi herself, who is the personification of Shakti. In the Devi Mahatmyam, the Devi is presented as the supreme universal power. She is the Mother of the world who is to be worshiped and loved by all.

The Devi-Bhagavata Purana (11.23.53) states that the Goddess is “both immanent and transcendent, manifesting as the universe, yet non-different from the formless Reality that is the cause of the universe”. The Devi creates her own appearances, manifests herself, and then merges back into herself, thus she is regarded as both personally appearing and yet non-manifest. She is the material cause, the instrumental cause, and the efficient cause of creation. She is the basis of the universe and its transformations. The das Mahavidya mantra is a sacred mantra, part of the Hindu tradition. These mantras are called the ten great knowledge sources. They are said to be the source of all true knowledge. The Mahavidyas are the ten forms of the Goddess Parvati. These ten forms are the various manifestations of the Goddess Parvati. These ten forms are depicted as ten of the ten primary forms in the Dasamahavidya Stotram. The Das Mahavidya Stotram is a hymn that details ten of the forms of the Goddess. The ten forms are: 

1) Adi-Shakti or Adi-Parashakti  (the Primeval Power),

 2) Maha-Vishnu-Devi (the Great Goddess), 

3) Maha-Devi (the Great Goddess), 

4) Maha-Kali-Devi (the Great Goddess), 

5) Maha-Lakshmi-Devi (the Great Goddess of Wealth),

 6) Maha-Sarasvati-Devi (the Great Goddess of Knowledge), 

7) Maha-Kumari-Devi (the Great Virgin Goddess), 

8) Maha-Tripurasundari-Devi (the Great Goddess of Beauty), 

9) Maha-Sri-Devi (the Great Goddess of Fortune and Prosperity), and 

10) Maha-Saraswati-Devi (the Great Goddess of Knowledge and Learning).

Get all about Dasa Mahavidya's history of appearance, Mahavidya Mantra, Mahavidya Yantra, and the Stotram through the link given below.

The Das Mahavidya or the Ten Goddesses are ten aspects of the Devi Parvati or the Divine Mother in Hinduism. These ten aspects of Parvati, in the form of ten fearsome deities, were used to frighten demons and devils and tempt them away from their evil ways. They were also used to frighten young children into behaving well in their childhood and adolescent years. They are considered to be manifestations of the great Adi-Shakti (Primordial Power of the Divinity).