It is Navaratri season
While there is a strong association of the festival with Shri Rāmachandra, the primary theme of the festival in much of India is the worship of the feminine power - the Goddess
While there is a strong association of the festival with Shri Rāmachandra, the primary theme of the festival in much of India is the worship of the feminine power - the Goddess
Shaktism is of course a major tradition in Hinduism where the highest metaphysical reality is feminine and represented by a wide range of Goddesses
But it is also a much misunderstood theological tradition
But it is also a much misunderstood theological tradition
There is a tendency to view "Shakta" traditions with a regional lens
While it is true that individuals who exclusively regard themselves as "Shakta" are concentrated in Eastern India today, the broader tradition of worshipping the feminine covers all of Hindu society
While it is true that individuals who exclusively regard themselves as "Shakta" are concentrated in Eastern India today, the broader tradition of worshipping the feminine covers all of Hindu society
There is another tendency to react to Shakta traditions with puritan distaste
Hey...this isn& #39;t "high brow". It can& #39;t be "Vedic". This isn& #39;t mainstream
These are medieval corruptions etc
Reactions that is mostly ill-informed
Hey...this isn& #39;t "high brow". It can& #39;t be "Vedic". This isn& #39;t mainstream
These are medieval corruptions etc
Reactions that is mostly ill-informed
Such a reaction greatly underestimates the deep roots of Shaktism and more broadly Devi worship in India
Roots that are very much in Vedic literature
It is also a reaction that does not bake in the very large mass of theological and paUrANika works dedicated to the Devi
Roots that are very much in Vedic literature
It is also a reaction that does not bake in the very large mass of theological and paUrANika works dedicated to the Devi
Works ranging from Devīmāhātmyam in Markandeya Purana
to Lalitha Sahasranāmam in Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa
From Devī Bhāgavatapurāṇa in the early middle ages to the mass of commentarial work on Shri Vidya by Bhāskararāya Makhin in 18th century
to Lalitha Sahasranāmam in Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa
From Devī Bhāgavatapurāṇa in the early middle ages to the mass of commentarial work on Shri Vidya by Bhāskararāya Makhin in 18th century
Clearly this wasn& #39;t the pre-occupation of a few communities on the margin
But a major intellectual movement that some of the finest theologians engaged in, for nearly two millennia
But a major intellectual movement that some of the finest theologians engaged in, for nearly two millennia
The assertion that Shakta traditions are somehow non-Vedic / medieval in origin does not hold water
Revering the feminine is very much present in the Vedas
As evidenced by the Devīsūkta , the 125th sukta in Mandala 10, Rig Veda https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRgI02plm14">https://www.youtube.com/watch...
Revering the feminine is very much present in the Vedas
As evidenced by the Devīsūkta , the 125th sukta in Mandala 10, Rig Veda https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRgI02plm14">https://www.youtube.com/watch...
The Sukta is unequivocal in declaring the omnipotence of the feminine power
"He who eats food, he who sees, who breathes, who hears the spoken word does so through me alone. Even the non-perceivers of you dwell near me. Hear me! he who is capable of hearing me!"
"He who eats food, he who sees, who breathes, who hears the spoken word does so through me alone. Even the non-perceivers of you dwell near me. Hear me! he who is capable of hearing me!"
So the worship of the Devi is something that dates back to the earliest layers of our history
It is not a new fangled thing, nor something subaltern that is lacking in legitimacy
It is not a new fangled thing, nor something subaltern that is lacking in legitimacy
The translation of the above verse is sourced from this link - which also includes a word-to-word translation of the Devīsūktam
http://www.ecs.umass.edu/ece/janaswamy/janaswamy_add_info/RJ_Devi_Suktam.pdf">https://www.ecs.umass.edu/ece/janas...
http://www.ecs.umass.edu/ece/janaswamy/janaswamy_add_info/RJ_Devi_Suktam.pdf">https://www.ecs.umass.edu/ece/janas...
The feminine power is acknowledged in Upanishadic literature
Most notably in the Kena Upanishad wherein Indra approaches a Yaksha, that disappears only to be replaced by Uma
Most notably in the Kena Upanishad wherein Indra approaches a Yaksha, that disappears only to be replaced by Uma
Elsewhere in the MunDaka Upanishad, the "Kali" features for the first time possibly in Indian literature
Not as a goddess, but as one of the seven flaming tongues
Not as a goddess, but as one of the seven flaming tongues
Translation
"Kali, Karali,Manojava,and Sulohita and that which is Sudhumravarna, as also Sphulingini, and the shining Visvaruci –these are the seven flaming tongues"
Adi Shankara adds in his bhashya that these tongues are meant for devouring clarified butter offered as oblation
"Kali, Karali,Manojava,and Sulohita and that which is Sudhumravarna, as also Sphulingini, and the shining Visvaruci –these are the seven flaming tongues"
Adi Shankara adds in his bhashya that these tongues are meant for devouring clarified butter offered as oblation
In the two great itihAsas (RamayaNa and MahAbhArata), which have a strong Vaishnavite orientation, the worship of the feminine is very much present in the background
The most notable example being the worship of Durga by Yudhishtira in Virata Parva and Arjuna in Bhishma Parva
The most notable example being the worship of Durga by Yudhishtira in Virata Parva and Arjuna in Bhishma Parva
Link to Arjuna& #39;s invocation of Durga on the eve of the battle is below (Kisari Mohun Ganguly& #39;s translation of the epic)
Note the invocation
https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m06/m06023.htm">https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m06/m...
Note the invocation
https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m06/m06023.htm">https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m06/m...
But it is with the Devi Mahatmyam in Markandeya Purana (roughly dating to 400 CE), that we clearly see the maturation of a theological tendency present since early Vedic period
An unequivocal worship of the Goddess as the Supreme spirit
An unequivocal worship of the Goddess as the Supreme spirit
But the Devi Mahatmyam surely isn& #39;t something that would have arisen in isolation
The worship of Durga in the epics does suggest that the Markandeya Purana represents the maturation of a tradition, not its incipience
The worship of Durga in the epics does suggest that the Markandeya Purana represents the maturation of a tradition, not its incipience
The Devīmāhātmyam comprises of some 700 verses, and is one of the earliest sources of legend on the Goddess, primarily Durga
The centerpiece legend is that of Durga leading the battle against the buffalo Demon - Mahishasura
A legend deeply ingrained in Indian culture
The centerpiece legend is that of Durga leading the battle against the buffalo Demon - Mahishasura
A legend deeply ingrained in Indian culture
The city of Mysore today derives its name from the Mahishasura legend
But this is no doubt a pan Indian legend, with its appeal going way beyond pockets in Eastern or Southern India
But this is no doubt a pan Indian legend, with its appeal going way beyond pockets in Eastern or Southern India
With the ascendance of Vaishnavism in the past 1000 years, perhaps the Goddess worship is less strong than it was at one point in the Northern plains
But archeological record does suggest that legends like Mahishasura-slaying were pan Indian in their appeal
But archeological record does suggest that legends like Mahishasura-slaying were pan Indian in their appeal
Here& #39;s a 12th century depiction of Durga slaying Mahisha the demon from Himachal Pradesh - now found in the Metropolitan Museum in NYC
It& #39;s interesting as we don& #39;t associate Himachal with the Devi legends today as a top-of-mind recall
It& #39;s interesting as we don& #39;t associate Himachal with the Devi legends today as a top-of-mind recall
The Devimahatmyam is not just a collection of legends
It has a theological mooring where the feminine power is the principal creative force
The text incorporates Sankhya philosophy wherein the Devi embodies all three Gunas - Sattva, Rajas and Tamas (latter represented by Kali)
It has a theological mooring where the feminine power is the principal creative force
The text incorporates Sankhya philosophy wherein the Devi embodies all three Gunas - Sattva, Rajas and Tamas (latter represented by Kali)
Not an expert here
But in my view this is a somewhat stark contrast to Vaishnavite traditions where we tend to associate the divine with the Sattva Guna (the attribute that epitomizes balance, harmony, purity, serenity)
But in my view this is a somewhat stark contrast to Vaishnavite traditions where we tend to associate the divine with the Sattva Guna (the attribute that epitomizes balance, harmony, purity, serenity)
In the Shakta traditions, we see the divine representing all forms of existence and types of attributes, and not merely a sanitized Sattva mode
Moving away from Devi Mahatmyam, we have the perennially popular Lalitha SahasranAmam - a paen to the mother goddess, containing her 1000 names
The Lalitha Sahasranama is not, again, an isolated Stotra. But a part of the much larger BrahmANDa purANa (dating to 1st millennium CE)
The Lalitha Sahasranama is not, again, an isolated Stotra. But a part of the much larger BrahmANDa purANa (dating to 1st millennium CE)
Along with VishNu Sahasranama, the Lalitha Sahasranama has to be one of the most widely recited Sanskrit texts in the country
Here& #39;s a rendering of the Lalitha Sahasranama on youtube. With over 3MM views
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwCIK750HPU&list=RDcFvkthxOkJc&index=3">https://www.youtube.com/watch...
Here& #39;s a rendering of the Lalitha Sahasranama on youtube. With over 3MM views
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwCIK750HPU&list=RDcFvkthxOkJc&index=3">https://www.youtube.com/watch...
The Lalita Sahasranama has attracted a great deal of commentarial attention over centuries
With a notable commentary being that of Bhaskara-raya the great Marathi Tantra expert from the Tamil country in the 18th century
With a notable commentary being that of Bhaskara-raya the great Marathi Tantra expert from the Tamil country in the 18th century
Another work from the 1st millennium, that retains its popularity in much of modern India today, way beyond Shakta circles, is the text - "Soundarya Lahari"
Commonly attributed to Adi Shankara
An important Shakta text that appeals to numerous Non Shaktas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qEQs9xKjwo">https://www.youtube.com/watch...
Commonly attributed to Adi Shankara
An important Shakta text that appeals to numerous Non Shaktas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qEQs9xKjwo">https://www.youtube.com/watch...
So clearly the Shakta tradition was well developed by the middle of the 1st millennium
And many of the texts from that period remain with us today, as living texts
With Devi mahatmyam being the foremost among them
And many of the texts from that period remain with us today, as living texts
With Devi mahatmyam being the foremost among them
As we move to the second millennium the tradition that got its big impetus with Devi mahatmyam continued with new texts being composed in the same vein
Devi Bhagavata Purana being the preeminent text that adds more detail to much of the theology in the older Devi mahatmyam
Devi Bhagavata Purana being the preeminent text that adds more detail to much of the theology in the older Devi mahatmyam
At some point in these crowded centuries, you get the concept of Mahavidya from Tantra literature- where you depict the goddess in ten forms
All varied and distinct
Kali, Tara, Tripura Sundari, Bhuvaneshvari, Bhairavi, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi and Kamala
All varied and distinct
Kali, Tara, Tripura Sundari, Bhuvaneshvari, Bhairavi, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi and Kamala
The range here is remarkable
Kali is the one Mahavidya form that is most controversial and problematic to some modern sensibilities
Terrifying and dark
On the other hand, you have the musically inclined, green-complexioned Matangi - also a Mahavidya form
Kali is the one Mahavidya form that is most controversial and problematic to some modern sensibilities
Terrifying and dark
On the other hand, you have the musically inclined, green-complexioned Matangi - also a Mahavidya form
I find it interesting that Durga does not find mention among these ten Mahavidya forms, though she is the primary Goddess whose legends are narrated in Devi Mahatmyam
Maybe someone can fill in on why that& #39;s the case
Maybe someone can fill in on why that& #39;s the case
One of the foremost Mahavidya forms is of course Tripura-Sundari
The deity worshipped in many temples across India - including the famous Kanchi Kamakshi temple
The deity worshipped in many temples across India - including the famous Kanchi Kamakshi temple
Within the Tantric fold concerning the Mother goddess, there is a division of sorts between two traditions -
The Srikula traditions focused on Tripura Sundari / Lalita Devi. Predominant in Southern India
The Kali-kula traditions of Eastern India focused on Durga / Kali
The Srikula traditions focused on Tripura Sundari / Lalita Devi. Predominant in Southern India
The Kali-kula traditions of Eastern India focused on Durga / Kali
The textual orientations are very different for these two traditions -
The principal texts for the Srikula traditions are Lalitha Sahasranama, and Saundarya Lahari, which we have touched upon
While the Kali-kula tradition focuses more on Devi mahatmya (a.k.a. Chandi-Patha)
The principal texts for the Srikula traditions are Lalitha Sahasranama, and Saundarya Lahari, which we have touched upon
While the Kali-kula tradition focuses more on Devi mahatmya (a.k.a. Chandi-Patha)
The Sri-kula tradition is also known by the name "Shri Vidya" - a major school in Southern India
One of its major doyens being the brilliant Bhaskara-raya, a theologian with over 40 works to his credit
One of its major doyens being the brilliant Bhaskara-raya, a theologian with over 40 works to his credit
Bhaskara-raya Makhin was a Maharashtrian who lived all his life in Tamil country
What marks him out is his theological range
What marks him out is his theological range
He has written commentaries on Sri-kula texts like the Lalitha Sahasranama, as well as on Devi Mahatmya
But he was also a major Tantra exponent - the author of Sethubandha, a treatise on Tantra worship focused on Tripura Sundari
But he was also a major Tantra exponent - the author of Sethubandha, a treatise on Tantra worship focused on Tripura Sundari
One way in which the Lalitha / Tripura Sundari tradition differs from the Eastern Durga-centric traditions is in the mode of worship
While the northern traditions focus more on the lore and the icons, the southern traditions are focused more on Sri-Yantra - a geometric figure
While the northern traditions focus more on the lore and the icons, the southern traditions are focused more on Sri-Yantra - a geometric figure
The Sri-Yantra is very intriguing
A diagram of 9 triangles combine to form 43 smaller triangles as shown below
A diagram of 9 triangles combine to form 43 smaller triangles as shown below
It might be intriguing to read Bhaskara-raya expound on Sri-Yantra
Something that I haven& #39;t done
But curious to hear from anyone who might have read Sethu-bandha, his major work
Something that I haven& #39;t done
But curious to hear from anyone who might have read Sethu-bandha, his major work
Bhaskara-raya was perhaps the last major figure in the intellectual history of Shaktism
But even in our own times, in the 20th century, the tradition has continued to evolve
But even in our own times, in the 20th century, the tradition has continued to evolve
Most notably in the 1970s, a Bollywood movie titled "Santoshi Ma" gave a fillip to "mother goddess" worship in the North Indian plains - a region where Goddess worship traditionally has been relatively less developed and prevalent compared to the East or South
In modern India, the worship of the feminine receives a major fillip during the Navaratri period
But individuals who regard themselves as "Shaktas" exclusively are for the most part in Eastern India, though mother goddess worship is pan-Indian
But individuals who regard themselves as "Shaktas" exclusively are for the most part in Eastern India, though mother goddess worship is pan-Indian
Some of the greatest Bengali hindu figures of the 19th century were born in Shakta families -
Notably Ramakrishna Paramahansa, and Swami Vivekananda
But Vivekananda in his own writings wrote more on Vedanta than on Tantra
Notably Ramakrishna Paramahansa, and Swami Vivekananda
But Vivekananda in his own writings wrote more on Vedanta than on Tantra
Shakta worship and Tantra have, on the other hand, fascinated Westerners
An interesting figure being John Woodroffe (1865-1936), a major western scholar on Shakta tradition
His works include The Serpent Power, Hymns to the Goddess, Shakti and Shâkta
An interesting figure being John Woodroffe (1865-1936), a major western scholar on Shakta tradition
His works include The Serpent Power, Hymns to the Goddess, Shakti and Shâkta
So that brings us to the thread& #39;s conclusion -
The worship of the feminine in varied forms has occupied the Indian mind, starting with the Rig Veda Mandala 10 to Santoshi Mata in our times
The worship of the feminine in varied forms has occupied the Indian mind, starting with the Rig Veda Mandala 10 to Santoshi Mata in our times
It& #39;s been a tradition constantly worked upon. Not ossified in 1-2 texts.
A tradition that is pan-Indian yet not homogenous
And a tradition that continues to challenge us in ways that some of the other traditions don& #39;t.
We will end on that note
A tradition that is pan-Indian yet not homogenous
And a tradition that continues to challenge us in ways that some of the other traditions don& #39;t.
We will end on that note
Post-script : One may wonder
Is the worship of the feminine something abjured in Vaishnava traditions
Of course not, but that would require a separate thread. Starting perhaps with Sri-Suktam in RV, and discussing the Maha Lakshmi and her centrality in Sri-Vaishnava theology
Is the worship of the feminine something abjured in Vaishnava traditions
Of course not, but that would require a separate thread. Starting perhaps with Sri-Suktam in RV, and discussing the Maha Lakshmi and her centrality in Sri-Vaishnava theology
Post-script 2: The extracts from Kena and Mundaka Upanishad in the thread are sourced from this very fine resource hosted by IITK -
https://www.upanishads.iitk.ac.in/ ">https://www.upanishads.iitk.ac.in/">...
https://www.upanishads.iitk.ac.in/ ">https://www.upanishads.iitk.ac.in/">...
Post-script 3: The thread briefly touched upon Sri Vidya tradition and Sri-Yantra
Here& #39;s a more in-depth look at the tradition from @subhashkak1 I came across today https://swarajyamag.com/culture/the-great-goddess-lalita-and-the-sri-chakra">https://swarajyamag.com/culture/t...
Here& #39;s a more in-depth look at the tradition from @subhashkak1 I came across today https://swarajyamag.com/culture/the-great-goddess-lalita-and-the-sri-chakra">https://swarajyamag.com/culture/t...