Devi

From Thelemapedia

Categories: Religion | Hinduism

In Hinduism, Devi is the personification of the supreme God as the Divine Mother of Hinduism. The Goddess, the female aspect of divinity, is usually considered to have an equal role with the male aspect as energy or the driving force (Shakti), without which the male aspect, which represents consciousness or discrimination, is impotent.

She is widely worshipped in Hindu traditions. There is a separate tradition within Hinduism devoted to her worship called shakta. Hindu Tantra is practically inseparable from Shaktism. She is visualised in three forms as Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati.

She comes in many aspects (see list at bottom). Devi 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 uterus. She is also a goddess of death.

In art, Devi is depicted as having eight arms, one of which wields a sword. She rides a lion or tiger into battle.

Her main scripture, adored by Hindus, is the Devi Mahatmyam (also known as Chandi Path and Durga Saptashati), in which an allegorical telling of the binding force of Maya and ego is represented through devotional stories about the Divine Mother slaying demons who afflict the world. A common hymn to Her is the Lalitha sahasranama, which describes Her 1000 names.

In Sanskrit grammar, the Devi inflection is named after the word Devi.

Aspects

• Ambika
• Bhavani
• Bhutamata
• Brahmani
• Chamunda
• Durga
• Jagaddhatri
• Kali
• Maya
• Lakshmi
• Mahavidyas (ten)
• Nirrith
• Parvati
• Shakti
• Uma

References

• Adapted from: Wikipedia. (2005). Devi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devi). Retrieved on June 11, 2005.