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- For other uses see Devi (disambiguation).
Devi (Devanagari: देवी) is the Sanskrit word for Goddess. She is synonymous with Shakti, the female aspect of divinity, and is conceptualized in the Shakta tradition as the driving force without which the male aspect, which represents consciousness or discrimination, is impotent.
In Sanskrit grammar, the Devi inflection is named after the Goddess Devi.
Shakta
Devi comes in many aspects. She is the mother of all living things. Her right hand holds joy and pain and her left hand holds life and death. She is a goddess of fertility, rain, health and nature, and holds the entire universe in her womb. She is also a goddess of the entire cycle of life including death. Hindu Tantra is practically inseparable from Shaktism.
She is visualised in three forms as Saraswati, Lakshmi and Kali. During the annual Navaratri "Nine Nights" festival, the three aspects of the Great Goddess are celebrated as MahaSarasvati, MahaLakshmi and MahaKali. Durga ("she who is difficult to approach") is sometimes named as the third aspect of the Great Goddess (instead of Kali) although Durga also represents the Great Goddess in her primoridal form beyond all aspects.
Her main scripture is the Devi Mahatmyam, (also known as Chandi Path or the Durga Saptashati), in which an allegorical rendering of the binding force of Maya and ego is represented through devotional stories about the Divine Mother slaying demons who afflict the world. The most famous festival dedicated to Her is Navratri.
Aspects
Devi is the original form of every goddess in Hinduism. Because of this, all of the goddesses of Hinduism are aspects of Devi. This is a list of the most well known goddesses, ie. devis in Hinduism.
- Ambika
- Bhavani
- Bhutamata
- Brahmani
- Chamunda
- Dakshayani
- Durga
- Jagaddhatri
- Kali
- Maya
- Lakshmi
- Mahavidyas (ten)
- Nirrith
- Parvati
- Saraswati
- Sati
- Shakti
- Tara (Devi)
- Uma
See also
- Shaktism
- Hindu deities
- List of Hindu deities
- List of Hinduism-related articles
- Devi/The Goddess (1960 film by Satyajit Ray)
- Ramprasad Sen - Shakti poet (1720-1781) Author of "Grace and Mercy in Her Wild Hair".
- Ramakrishna Paramahamsa - Shakti mystic (1836-1886).
- Kumari (Kumari Devi) - the living goddess of Nepal
- kaalrathri-the goddess of war , death and justice believed to be the incarnatrion of kali
- Bhramini the consort of bhrama
- Kalyani the goddess of victory and success
- vaishanvi the consort of Vishnu
- Maheshwari goddess of death judgement and evil destruction , cosort of shiva
- shailaputri
- siddidathri
- Chandraghanta
Further reading
- Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions (ISBN 8120803795) by David Kinsley
- Grace and Mercy in Her Wild Hair : Selected Poems to the Mother Goddess, Ramprasad Sen (1720-1781). (ISBN 0934252947)
External links
- The Vaishnodevi Temple website is http://www.maavaishnodevi.org
- http://www.jaimatadi.org/
- Conception and Evolution of The Mother Goddess in India by Dr.P. C. Jain
- Shrimad Devi Bhagavatam Translation by Swami Vijñanananda
- http://www.tirupatitimes.com/ A visit to this site will show the way to visit several official websites of Indian temples including Sri Vaishnodevi,Lord balaji,Shirdi Sai, Lord Ayyappa and Maata Madurai Meenakshi
"Devi"