So I'm Interested in Shaktism

[Buddha Dharma]

I've often encountered what seems to be this divine feminine oriented variant of Hinduism when reading about the religion. I find it fascinating Hinduism has an all-goddess tradition, as feminine spirituality interests me.

How can I learn more about it and it's historical roots/applications? Does it carry any major philosophical traditions within it, or is it more veneration centered?

 

[Terese]

We have some Shaktas here, they'd be happy to answer your questions. I believe in a supreme goddess, but she is not the centre of my worship. From what little i understand, all Vedantic traditions are philosophical and venerative. Shaktas can be dualist or non-dualist, and venerate their supreme through many means, such as bhakti.

 

[Kapalika]

There are a lot of other sects too that are feminine oriented like say some in Smarta who like Shakti, or even my own religion Kashmir Shaivism is very focused on Shakti. Shakta takes it the farthest very often to the exclusion of most male deities in terms of importance. Even in Buddhism you could explore the lore and realm of the Dakinis if you wanted.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Does it carry any major philosophical traditions within it, or is it more veneration centered?

I find it more veneration centered, honoring the mother (and women folk in general). Both the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and the Chief Minister of our largest state, Uttar Pradesh (population 220 million*), Yogi Adityanath, fast with non-cereal food for nine days in the two Devi worship periods (Navaratras, April and October).
* If Uttar Pradesh was a country, it would have been the fifth largest country by population.

Though the link is in Hindi but the image show you how the worship is done. Welcome including washing feet, garlanding, worship with earthern lamps, feeding, followed by giving gifts.
9 दिन बिना अन्न ‘दुर्गा' की उपासना, CM योगी ऐसे करते हैं शक्ति पूजा
(9 day worship of Goddess Durga without cereal food, this is how Chief Minister Yogi performs Shakti Puja)

Yogi Adityanath washing the feet of girls who are supposed to represent the nine Mother Goddesses. In addition to being the Chief minister, Yogi Adityanath is the head of the Gorakhnath Matha (Mathadheesha), a highly popular and respected religious order.

 

[Shantanu]

I've often encountered what seems to be this divine feminine oriented variant of Hinduism when reading about the religion. I find it fascinating Hinduism has an all-goddess tradition, as feminine spirituality interests me.

How can I learn more about it and it's historical roots/applications? Does it carry any major philosophical traditions within it, or is it more veneration centered?

The Supreme is available to us in two forms, male and female. The male form is Sri Krishna while the female form is Durga. They are incarnations of each other. Either can be worshipped as the Supreme. The female exposition of God is known as the Devi. She is worshipped during Navaratri during the Spring and Autumn.

Generally, in guna consciousness the Devi has sattvic (Saraswati), rajasic (Lakshmi) and Parvati (tamasic) components, who people relate to. They are counterparts to the male guna consciousness deities of Brahma (sattvic), Vishnu (rajasic) and Shiva (tamasic). These deities are therefore consorts of each other.

The Shakta (male) and Shakti (female) phenomenon of the Supreme is that part of God that uses divine powers to fight evil, that is asuras. The word Shakta/Shakti means divine power. This is because of the perennial struggle of good and evil on Earth. Men also fight evil so there must be a male component to Shakti.

If you adhere to this simple logic you can know a lot about the divine in Hinduism. Of course this is my personal interpretation. No one need agree with it. I do not follow traditions if they do not reveal perfection because God is perfect in everything He does.

 

[Araceli Cianna]

I am not Hindu but I work with Durga at times and I absolutely adore reading the Devi Mahatmyam. I first read it online and loved it so much I bought the book. It has taught me so much and continues to. I really feel connected to Devi and the Divine Feminine when I read it.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Welcome and nice to know that, Sheon. Hindus too adore Shakti in her multiple forms (hundreds, thousands). You will find Devi temples in all locations, whether high up in Himalayas or in the Indian desert (Thar, Rajasthan) or in the Mangrove forests in the Ganges delta or in the rain forests of peninsular India. Different villages may have their own form of Devi.

 

[Araceli Cianna]

Welcome and nice to know that, Sheon. Hindus too adore Shakti in her multiple forms (hundreds, thousands). You will find Devi temples in all locations, whether high up in Himalayas or in the Indian desert (Thar, Rajasthan) or in the Mangrove forests in the Ganges delta or in the rain forests of peninsular India. Different villages may have their own form of Devi.

I try to respect each religious tradition as it is but would you say that Shaktism is universal in the search for the Divine Feminine? So, I work with Roman Goddess Diana, who as you know is not a Hindu Deity, but she is still the Divine Feminine, a Goddess and therefore part of Mahadevi or the Great Goddess?

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

I've often encountered what seems to be this divine feminine oriented variant of Hinduism when reading about the religion. I find it fascinating Hinduism has an all-goddess tradition, as feminine spirituality interests me.

How can I learn more about it and it's historical roots/applications? Does it carry any major philosophical traditions within it, or is it more veneration centered?

Namaste and Welcome. I'm a Goddess devotee - specifically Mahalakshmi, but I also venerate other forms of the Goddess.

I find the author David Frawley's work to be very educational and easy to understand when it comes to the worship of the Goddess in Hinduism. He is a westerner, but has adopted Hinduism long ago and is very well respected.

Here is a good one: https://www.amazon.com/Tantric-Goddesses-Spiritual-Secrets-Ayurveda/dp/0910261393

It deals specifically with the 10 Mahavidyas, or "Wisdom Goddesses" and it gives a nice explanation of their qualities, worship, and influence.

 

[Jainarayan]

but she is still the Divine Feminine, a Goddess and therefore part of Mahadevi or the Great Goddess?

I would have to say yes in principle if not in practice. Remember, most Hindus believe there is only one Reality. Despite that comment we’re not the stereotypical monotheists ala Abrahamics. While we believe in one Reality, we tend to believe It takes many forms, any of which we’re free to worship. God shows himself in a way meaningful to the devotee.

Sri Krishna says that though we may think we’re worshiping different deities we’re really worshiping only one. For Vaishnavas that’s him, for Shaivas that’s Shiva, for Shaktas it’s Devi (Krishna shows himself to Arjuna as all deities).

Now, I don’t think you’ll find many Hindus worshiping a Greek god/dess simply because it’s not something that has been part of Indian and Hindu history and culture. While we do have a warrior goddess in Durga (counterpart or aspect seen in Artemis/Diana, Athena/Minerva) the huntress aspect is missing in Durga that is present in Artemis.

No one path or religion has the market cornered on truth. We see only a cross-section of reality from the path we follow. Sure, there is only one mountain with one summit but from the road we’re on we may see different parts of the mountain; few can see the whole mountain.

All the preceding is only my opinion and view; there’s nothing authoritative in it.

 

[Buddha Dharma]

Athena/Minerva

I've most often seen Athena associated with Saraswati, who some argue is her Vedic counterpart. Is there something to this association?

 

[SomeRandom]

I've most often seen Athena associated with Saraswati, who some argue is her Vedic counterpart. Is there something to this association?

Insofar as they are both associated with knowledge and learning I suppose.

There are many Shakti sects. So it depends on which Devi you are draw to and which tradition gels with you the most.
I'm quite partial to Kali Kula myself.
Many Shakti sects seem to focus very much on the experiential side of devotion. What that entails specifically differs sect to sect.

 

[Jainarayan]

Is there something to this association?

I’ve never heard of a direct correspondence or correlation but I wouldn’t blow it off. Both are goddesses of wisdom, learning, arts. There are some differences but that’s to be expected with the divergence of PIE religion, culture and language. I’m sure there are overlaps with most deities.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I've most often seen Athena associated with Saraswati, who some argue is her Vedic counterpart. Is there something to this association?

She does have some attributes of Sarswati but the names have no similarities. Plato:

"For most of these in their explanations of the poet, assert that he meant by Athena "mind" [νοῦς, noũs] and "intelligence" [διάνοια, diánoia], and the maker of names appears to have had a singular notion about her; and indeed calls her by a still higher title, "divine intelligence" [θεοῦ νόησις, theoũ nóēsis], as though he would say: This is she who has the mind of God [ἁ θεονόα, a theonóa). Perhaps, however, the name Theonoe may mean "she who knows divine things" [τὰ θεῖα νοοῦσα, ta theia noousa] better than others. Nor shall we be far wrong in supposing that the author of it wished to identify this Goddess with moral intelligence [εν έθει νόεσιν, en éthei nóesin], and therefore gave her the name Etheonoe; which, however, either he or his successors have altered into what they thought a nicer form, and called her Athena."
Athena - Wikipedia

 

[Sirona]

This is not a Hindu source text but after my question on Radha I bought a book on Shaktism which I found quite helpful:

Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga by Sally Kempton

The book presents various famous Hindu goddesses with illustrations and mantras (including pronounciation guides). From my background knowledge I can only give my opinion on the chapter about Radha, which I found well-researched and accurate.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

From what I know as a Shakta, it is mostly experiential and there's not as much written material. Most people would have no idea what it is, at least outside India. In the West, Krishna, Ganesha and Shiva are most well-known let alone any of the Goddesses. But I believe Kali is the Supreme Being and she's not widely worshiped compared to other Goddesses in India, so I can't speak to the others. I'm part a very small minority (fine with me, I'm used to it). I guess that's to be expected as Kali is a very intense Goddess who tends to be associated with the Left-Hand Path, at least in the West where I'm from. As for me, I'm a strict non-dualist which also lead to me to adapting forms of nihilism. I do not claim to speak for as varied a category as Shaktism. My conclusions are my own. I'm sure dualist conclusions can reached, as well.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I’ve never heard of a direct correspondence or correlation but I wouldn’t blow it off. Both are goddesses of wisdom, learning, arts. There are some differences but that’s to be expected with the divergence of PIE religion, culture and language. I’m sure there are overlaps with most deities.

I'm not sure Athena was originally a Proto-Indo-European Goddess. Hellenic religion is heavily syncreticized with other cultures and has a lot in common with Near Eastern religion. Only Zeus was so obviously Indo-European. Athena was identified with the Egyptian Goddess, Neith, for example.

I don't know as much about Saraswati but Athena is one of my main Goddesses who claimed me. She comes across, in her communication to me, as emotionally "cold" and much like a hyper-rational college professor. She was also "virgin" in that she never married or had a consort. She is asexual, as in not interested in love, lust or sex at all. Interestingly, I don't recall her ever being depicted in the nude as the other Olympians were at one point or another, which further confirms her state of being detatched from the affairs of the flesh. She also has glowing eyes, which might scare some people...Lol.

 

[Aupmanyav]

But I believe Kali is the Supreme Being and she's not widely worshiped compared to other Goddesses in India, so I can't speak to the others. .. I guess that's to be expected as Kali is a very intense Goddess who tends to be associated with the Left-Hand Path, at least in the West where I'm from.

Kali is sort of last refuge Goddess, when all others fail.

 

[sayak83]

I've often encountered what seems to be this divine feminine oriented variant of Hinduism when reading about the religion. I find it fascinating Hinduism has an all-goddess tradition, as feminine spirituality interests me.

How can I learn more about it and it's historical roots/applications? Does it carry any major philosophical traditions within it, or is it more veneration centered?

This will help.
The Guptavati and Navarna Mantra – Part One

 

[spyrichuwel]

This is just my monotheistic take on Hinduism, if you feel this violates your beliefs feel free to ignore them

- I feel no form is anymore particularly valid, neither the feminine forms as the Goddesses nor the masculine forms as the Gods, because neither are more particularly Divine

- I think its very characteristically Hinduish monotheism to have a scenario like this

"I'm a man, why the bloody hell would I bow down to a female looking God? I think I'll choose a masculine God instead... haha look at that, that's a woman God!"

then the Great Goddess appears before this ignoramus demon

"don't you know I'm Divine? fool you have been mislead by my outer appearance! assuming women to be inferior, you have taken me to be inferior as well!"

although I do think the material aspect of Hindu symbolism is usually consistent with the meanings of the origins of its symbolism, it cannot be completely equated because there is always the element of the supernatural...

- God being the Creator of all cannot possibly be either male nor female

- I mean inanimate things are neither male nor female, why should God resemble the animate and living more? does that not reek of self-projection?