[4] In the Brihat Samhita, Varahamihira says that "Matrikas are forms of Parvati taken by her with cognizance of (different major Hindu) gods corresponding to their names.

[6] Brahmani emerged from Brahma, Vaishnavi from Vishnu, Maheshvari from Shiva, Indrani from Indra, Kaumari from Kartikeya, Varahi from Varaha and Chamunda from Chandi.

According to Jagdish Narain Tiwari and Dilip Chakravati, the Matrikas were existent as early as the Vedic period and the Indus Valley civilization.

[16][17] The Rigveda (IX 102.4) speaks of a group of seven Mothers who control the preparation of Soma, but the earliest clear description appears in select chapters of the epic Mahabharata dated to 1st century CE.

He cites two reasons for his assertion: their description in Mahabharata as dark in colour, speaking foreign languages and living in peripheral areas and their association with god Skanda and his father and mother, Shiva and Parvati, whose forms were the Matrikas and Bhairavas had Vedic attributes.

[25] The diverse folk goddesses of the soldiers like Matrikas were acknowledged by the Gupta rulers and their images were carved on royal monuments in order to strengthen the loyalty and adherence of their armed forces.

[35] Laura K. Amazzone cites: The inconsistency in the number of Matrikas found in the Indus Valley today (seven, eight, nine) possibly reflects the localization of goddesses.

The Varaha Purana names Yamuna – the shakti of Yama, as the seventh and Yogeshvari as the eighth Matrika, a form of Parvati emerged from flames coming from Shiva's mouth.

The two Matrikas called as Kalyani and Kumari, who are the powers of Matsya and Kurma, the first and fish form and the second and sea turtle of Vishnu is also included sometimes in Central India.

[52] In Matsya Purana, Shiva had created seven Matrikas to combat the demon Andhaka, who had the ability to duplicate from each drop of his blood that falls from him when he is wounded.

Narasimha, Vishnu's man-lion incarnation, creates a host of thirty-two benign goddesses who calm down the terrible, fire-breathing Matrikas.

[19] Further, sage Mandavya is described as worshipping the Māṭrpaňcaka (the five mothers) named Kaumari, Maheshvari, Chamunda, Brahmi, Vaishnavi and who have been established by Brahma; for saving king Harishchandra from calamities.

[19] The Mahabharata narrates in different chapters the birth of warrior-god Kartikeya (the son of Shiva and Parvati) and his association with the Matrikas – his adopted mothers.

These are Kāki, Halimā, Mālinī, Bṛhalī, Āryā, Palālā, Vaimitrā, which Skanda accepted as his mothers, who stole other children – a characteristic of the Matrikas.

Skanda agrees and grants them two boons: to be worshipped as great goddesses and permission to torment children as long as they are younger than 16 years and then act as their protectors.

They are said to fight like Indra in battles, invoking terror in minds of enemies; speak different foreign tongues and lives in inaccessible places away from human settlements like crossroads, caves, mountains, springs, forests, riverbanks and cremation grounds.

The Saptamatrikas are generally carved in relief on a rectangular stone slab in the sequential order of Brahmani, Maheshvari, Kaumari, Vaishnavi, Varahi, Indrani, Chamunda, being flanked by two male figures – Shiva and his son with Parvati, Ganesha in both sides (first – on their right and last – on their left).

The Saptamatrika (Brahmani, Maheshvari, Kaumari, Vaishnavi, Varahi, Indrani, Chamunda) joined by Chandi and Mahalakshmi form the nine Matrikas cluster.

Bhattacharyya sums it this way: "The growing importance of Shaktism (of the matrikas and yoginis in the first millennium CE) brought them into greater prominence and distributed their cult far and wide.

[80] In Tantra, the fifty or fifty-one letters including vowels as well as consonants from A to Ksha, of the Devanagari alphabet itself, the Varnamala of bija, have been described as being the Matrikas themselves.

[81] The 50 Matrika Kalas are given in the same account as follows: Nivritti, Pratishtha, Vidya, Shanti, Indhika, Dipika, Mochika, Para, Sukshma, Sukshmamrita, Jnanamrita, Apypayani, Vyapini, Vyomarupa, Ananta, Srishti, Riddhi, Smriti, Medha, Kanti, Lakshmi, Dyuti, Sthira, Sthiti, Siddhi, Jada, Palini, Shanti, Aishvarya, Rati, Kamika, Varada, Ahladini, Pritih, Dirgha, Tikshna, Raudri, Bhaya, Nidra, Tandra, Kshudha, Krodhini, Kriya, Utkari, Mrityurupa, Pita, Shveta, Asita, Ananta.

The Astha Matrikas are considered as Ajimas (grandmother goddesses, who are feared as bringer of disease and misfortune as well act as protectresses) in the Newar pantheon.

Like Vishnudharmottara Purana (discussed in Legends), the Matrikas are considered as representing a vice and are worshipped by pithapuja (a pilgrimage around the pithas) to free oneself from them.

Banabhatta's Kadambari, Bhasa's Cārudatta, Shudraka's Mrichakatika mention the ritual offerings of food and shrines of Matrikas at crossroads.

Tantric works like Tantrarāja-Tantra (unknown date, author) and Kulacūḍāmaṇi discuss the worship of Matrikas as Shaktis or letters of the alphabet.

[99] The Hrillekha-matrika-nyasa, a more specialized form of Matrika-nyasa, combines the installation of "most powerful set of all letters (Matrikas)" with the seed syllable Hrīṃ of Goddess Bhuvaneshvari.

The Svacchaṇḍa Tantra(1.33) explains that the primary function of Matrikas is to preside eight groups (vargas) of letters of Devanagari alphabet, while Brahmayāmala states they issue originate from the vowels.

[102] Indra declares in chapter 90 of Devi Purana that the Matrikas are the best among all deities and should be worshipped in cities, villages, towns and shields.

[19] The temples of the Matrikas are found earliest dating to the fourth century and from textual evidence, it is predicated that "there must be impressive shrines all over the (Indian) subcontinent".

[66] The Saptamatrikas or Matrikas are worshipped for "personal and spiritual renewal" with Mukti as the ultimate goal as well as for powers to control and rule and earthly desires (Bhukti).