The three piṇḍīs in the Vaiṣṇo Devī Temple represent three supreme energies (Mahāśaktis) of the Goddess. Interestingly, they all emerge from a single 5.5-foot-tall rock base, with the holy water known as Caraṇagaṅgā flowing beneath them.
The three piṇḍīs are:
1. Mātā Mahākālī: This piṇḍī represents Kriyā Śakti. She is śyāma varṇa. She grants physical strength, destroys enemies, helps overcome life's obstacles, and blesses devotees with a healthy and disease-free life.
2. Mātā Mahālakṣmī / Vaiṣṇavī: This piṇḍī represents Dhana Śakti. Her piṇḍī is mūṅgā/rakta varṇa. She blesses her devotees with wealth, prosperity, success in business, fame, and honor.
3. Mātā Mahāsarasvatī (माता महासरस्वती): This piṇḍī represents Jñāna Śakti. Her piṇḍī is white in śveta varṇa. As the presiding deity of knowledge, she grants wisdom, intellect, and clear judgment.
The Vaiṣṇo Devī Temple is considered highly unique and significant because it is a place where these three essential powers for human life health and action, wealth, and wisdom are worshipped together in unison.
Many people think these tripiṇḍīs are the Tricaṇḍikās of the Saptaśatī because the Durgā Saptaśatī is chanted there. However, this is not true. For example, the Jhandewalan Mandir features idols that are replicas of the Vaiṣṇo Devī piṇḍīs, and it clearly has idols of the Tridevī (Mahākālī, Mahālakṣmī, and Mahāsarasvatī), not the Tricaṇḍikās. The Saptaśatī is chanted there because Vaiṣṇo Devī is Lakṣmī, and the Saptaśatī is also ultimately dedicated to Lakṣmī.
As the Lakṣmī Tantra (Chapter 7) explains:
"The expansion of Mahālakṣmī, who is Māyā characterized by the three guṇas, is described as the dual form of Mahākālī and Mahāvidyā. Mahālakṣmī, Mahākālī, Mahāvidyā, are truly greatest their manifestation occurs under the third sheath, which is known as Prasūti, in this schema."