Essay name: Devi Tantra, Mantra, Yantra (study)
Author:
Srider Basudevan Iyer
Affiliation: University of Mumbai / Sanskrit, University Department
This essay studies the history of Devi (the Goddess) in relation with worship using Tantra, Yantra and Mantra. The study explores the concept of the 'Female Principle' or Goddess, examining her role and significance in ancient Indian society.
Chapter 1 - Introduction
1 (of 55)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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chapter 1. Introduction UNIVERSIT OF MUMBAI * LIBRARY DEVI - TANTRA, MANTRA, YANTRA: THROUGH THE AGES. 1 Introduction.
Goddess, the female counterpart and an equivalent of the
devat膩, is perhaps the single unique and wonderful aspect not only in
the Indian but also in the world theistic beliefs. She continues to rule
H
over the imaginations and actions of her devotees the world over. A
general understanding of the female is to refer to her as the fairer sex
or as the delicate one. But, what interests all is to know that the so-
called docile and tamely-natured one has another aspect- that of terror,
terrifying both the devotees as well as those who incite her wrath and
are the culpable and punishable ones.
God is adored and worshipped as the mother, the great
universal -mother or Jagadamba' because in this aspect God is
active, produces, and sustains all. This power or the active aspect of
God is addressed to as 艢akt墨 or Siv盲'.
The belief that focuses upon the principle of 艢akti-the female
energy-is S膩ktism and the devotee of the Goddess or 艢akt墨 is known as
a s膩kta. The term 'Sakt墨' is personalized into a proper noun when the
Woodroffe John, Sakti and Sakta; Madras-1951, p.9
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