Mahadevi

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This article is about Supreme Goddess in Hinduism. For common term for a Hindu goddess, see Devi. For the personification of power, see Shakti. For the concept of Shaivism, see Parashakti. For article about a Sanskrit astronomical table text titled Mahadevi, see Mahadevi (astronomy book).

Mahadevi
An 18th-century painting of Mahadevi from Bikaner, Rajasthan
Devanagariमहादेवी/आदिशक्ति/पराशक्ति
Sanskrit transliterationMahādevī / Ādiśakti / Parāśakti
Affiliation
AbodeManidvipa
MantraŌm āim hrīm śrīm klīm[1]
WeaponDevi Chakra, Pasha, Ankusha, Trishula (trident), Panchajanya
SymbolOm, Sri Yantra
MountLion and Tiger
TextsDevi Suktam, Devi Mahatmya, Devi-Bhagavata Purana, Markandeya Purana, Mahabhagavata, Kalika Purana, Lalita Sahasranama, Soundarya Lahari, Shiva Purana, Shakta Upanishads such as the Devi Upanishad[2]
FestivalsNavaratri, Durga Puja, Vasanta Panchami, Lakshmi Puja, Kali Puja, Durga Ashtami, Lalita Jayanti, Adi-Puram

Mahadevi (Sanskrit: महादेवी, IAST: Mahādevī), also referred to as Adi Parashakti, Mahamaya and Devi,[3] is the supreme goddess in various sects of Hinduism.[4][5] According to the goddess-centric sect Shaktism, all Hindu gods and goddesses are considered to be manifestations of the goddess, who is comparable to the deities Shiva and Vishnu as Para Brahman.[6] Mahadevi as the Mulaprakriti (Primordial Goddess) is described having five primary forms—Durga, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Gayatri and Radha—collectively referred to as Panchaprakriti. All other goddesses are regarded as her Amshavatara or partial incarnations.

Shaktas often consider her primary form to be Durga, also believing her to have many other forms such as Tripura Sundari, Bhuvaneshvari, Kali, Parvati, Navadurga, Mahavidya, Lakshmi, Saraswati, and others.[7][8] Author Helen T. Boursier says: "In Hindu philosophy, both Lakshmi and Parvati are identified as part manifestations of the great goddess—Mahadevi—and the Shakti or divine power".[9] In Krishna-centric sects, Radha is regarded as the supreme goddess.[7]

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Epithets[edit]

Mahadevi is known by many names. She is commonly known as Mulaprakrti ('she who is primordial matter') and Mahamaya ('she who is the great maya').[10] The Devi Bhagavata Purana and Lalita Sahasranama describe Mahadevi's numerous epithets. These names include her divine and destructive characteristics.[10] In the Devi Bhagavata Purana she is described as 'the mother of all', 'the life force in all beings', and 'she who is supreme knowledge'. The Lalita Sahasranama also describes her as Visvadhika ('she who transcends the universe'), Sarvaga ('she who is omnipresent'), Vishvadharini ('she who supports the universe'), Raksasaghni ('she who slays demons'), Bhairavi ('the terrible one'), and Sarhharini ('she who destroys').[10] Mahadevi's destructive features are further described in a hymn called Aryastava, calling her Kalaratri ('night of death') and Nistha ('she who is death').[10]

Attributes[edit]

Mahamaya[edit]

In the first episode of the Devi Mahatmya Mahadevi is referred as Mahamaya, meaning the great illusion.[11]

Literature[edit]

Vedas[edit]

The Vedas name numerous forms of goddess such as Devi (power), Prithvi (earth), Aditi (cosmic moral order), Vāc (sound), Nirṛti (destruction), Ratri (night) and Aranyani (forest). Bounty goddesses such as Dinsana, Raka, Puramdhi, Parendi, Bharati and Mahi are among others are mentioned in the Rigveda.[12]

The Devīsūkta of the Rigveda (10.125.1 to 10.125.8) is among the most studied hymns, declaring that the ultimate reality is a goddess.[13][14]

I have created all worlds at my will without being urged by any higher Being, and dwell within them. I permeate the earth and heaven, and all created entities with my greatness and dwell in them as eternal and infinite consciousness.

— Devi Sukta, Rigveda 10.125.8, Translated by June McDaniel[15][16]

Upanishads[edit]

Shakta Upanishads are a group of minor Upanishads of Hinduism related to the Shaktism theology. There are eight Shakta Upanishads in the Muktika anthology of 108 Upanishads.[17] The Shakta Upanishads are notable for declaring and revering the feminine as the Supreme, the primal cause and the metaphysical concepts in Hinduism called Brahman and Atman (soul).[18][19]

Shakta Puranas[edit]

A modern depiction of Mahadevi as the Supreme Goddess encompassing all divinities.

Shaktas conceive the Goddess as the supreme, ultimate, eternal reality of all existence, or same as the Brahman concept of Hinduism. She is considered to be simultaneously the source of all creation, its embodiment and the energy that animates and governs it, and that into which everything will ultimately dissolve. She has manifested herself as Shiva in male form. Her half is Shiva.[20]

Devi Bhagavata Purana[edit]

The Devi Bhagavata Purana describes Mahadevi in her form of Bhuvaneshvari. It is stated that Shiva worshipped and meditated on the goddess for thousands of years using the bīja mantra hrīm. The goddess is described to possess both the aspects of Para Brahman, nirguna (without form) and saguna (with form). In her form of saguna, she is extolled as the mother of the universe, residing upon the highest abode named Manidvipa. All the gods and goddesses are described to be her various forms. In the Devi Mahatmya, the Trimurti and the demigods praise the goddess.[citation needed]

गायन्ती दोलयन्ती च बालभावान्मयि स्थिते ।
सेयं सुनिश्चितं ज्ञातं जातं मे दर्शनादिव ।।
कामं नो जननी सैषा शृणु तं प्रवदाम्यहम् ।
अनुभूतं मया पूर्व प्रत्यभिज्ञा समत्थिता ॥

Now I recollect all what I felt before at Her sight & recognize that She is the Bhagavati. These very things I now communicate to you. Hear attentively that She is this Lady & She is our Mother.

— Devi Bhagavata Purana Canto 03, Chapter 03, Verse 66:67

In the third canto of the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam, Devi addressed the Trimurti as follows:

There is oneness always between me & the Purusha; there is no difference whatsoever at any time between me & the Purusha (the Supreme Self). Who is I, that is Purusha; who is Purusha, that is I. The difference between force & the receptacle of force is due to error. He who knows the subtle difference between us two, is certainly intelligent; he is freed from this bondage of Samsara; there is no manner of doubt in this. The One Second less Eternal ever lasting Brahman substance becomes dual at the time of creation.[21][better source needed]

— Srimad Devi Bhagavatam Canto 03, Chapter 06, Verse 02:03

In the Devi Gita of Devi Bhagavatam, it is suggested that before incarnating as Parvati, she appeared to King Himalaya and revealed divine, eternal knowledge to him. She explained herself, in the words of the Vedas, as having neither beginning nor end. She is the only, eternal truth. The whole universe is her creation. She is the only victor and the manifestation of victory itself. She is a manifested, un-manifested and transcendent divinity. She then displayed her scarcely seen form to him: Satyaloka was located in her forehead; the created universe were her hairs; the sun and moon were her eyes; in her ears were the four directions; the Vedas were her words; death, affection and emotion were her teeth; Maya was manifested by her smile.[22] The goddess Parvati as Kushmanda gives birth to the universe in the form of a cosmic egg which manifests as the universe. Ultimately, Adi Shakti herself is the zero energy which exists even after destruction of the universe and before its creation.[8]

According to the Tripura Rahasya, only Mahadevi was existed in her form of Tripura Sundari before the beginning of the universe. She is supposed to have created the Trimurti, and began the creation of the universe.[23]

Long ago, at the time of creation, Tripura the Universal Consciousness was all alone. There was nothing other than Her. She, the embodiment of Power, who is Self independent wanted to create; the desire developed. From desire, knowledge was born & then action. From Her 3 glances the 3 gods were born. Pashupati represented desire, Hari knowledge & Brahma action. They were looked at by Sankari & became naturally powerful & Truth abiding.

— Shri Tripura Rahasya (Mahatmya Khanda), Chapter 10, Verses 18 to 22

Shaiva Puranas[edit]

The Shiva Purana says Adi Parashakti incarnated in materialistic form as Parama Prakriti from the left half of Lord Shiva (Parabrahman) during the beginning of the Universe. The Linga Purana states that Adi Shakti brings forth the evolution of life in every Universe through the union of every Shiva and Parvati in all of the Universes.[24][25]

That alone, Paramesvari of three attributes, creates the universe; she alone sustains it and she alone destroys it at the proper time.

— J.L.Shastri, Shiva Purana (Umasamhita), Chapter 45, Verse 49

I bow to the great Maya, the Yogic slumber, Uma, Sati, Kalaratri, Maharatri, Moharatri, greater than the greatest, the mother of the three deities, the eternal, the bestower of the fruits of the cherished desires of the devotees, the protectress of the gods and the ocean of mercy.

— J.L.Shastri, Shiva Purana (Umasamhita), Chapter 45, Verses 58-59

Vaishnava Puranas[edit]

A painting of Lakshmi surrounded by two elephants
Radha as the Supreme Goddess being worshipped by Krishna

The goddess Lakshmi is revered as manifestation of Mahadevi in the Vaishnavite tradition, extolled to possess a thousand names and qualities.[26] Various texts like the Garuda Purana, Bhagavata Purana, and Lakshmi Tantra refer to Lakshmi as form of Mahadevi. According to Devdutt Pattanaik, "Lakshmi is worshipped as maya, the delightful delusion, the dream-like expression of divinity that makes life comprehensible, hence worth living. She is true shakti, energy, boundless and bountiful".[27]

इच्छारूपां भगवतस्सच्चिदानन्दरूपिणीम् । सर्वज्ञां सर्वजननी विष्णुवक्षस्स्थलालयाम् । दयालुमनिशं ध्यायेत्सुखसिद्धिस्वरूपिणीम् ॥

I always meditate on that Goddess who has the form of pleasure & salvation,

Who takes that form that is dear to the God, who is the form of divine joy, Who knows everything, who is the mother of all,

Who lives on the chest of Lord Vishnu & who is very merciful.

— Vyasa, Lakshmi Sahasranama Stotram, Skanda Purana

According to Krishnaism, Radha is the chief female deity and is associated with Krishna's maya (material energy) and prakriti (feminine energy). At highest level Goloka, Radha is said to be united with Krishna and abiding with him in the same body. The relationship between Radha Krishna is that of substance and attribute: they are as inseparable as Milk and its whiteness or Earth and its smell. This level of Radha's identity transcends her material nature as prakriti and exits in the form of pure consciousness (Narada Purana, Uttara Khana - 59.8). While Radha is identical to Krishna at this highest level, this merger of identities seems to end when she separates from him. After separation she manifest herself as the goddess Primordial prakriti (Mūlaprakriti) who is called the "Maker of Universe" or "Mother of All" (Narada Purana, Purva-Khanda, 83.10-11, 83.44, 82.214).[28][29]

In Nimbarkacharya's Vedanta Kamadhenu Dashashloki (verse 6), it is clearly stated that:

In Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Radha (or Rādhikā), who is inseparable from Krishna, appears as the main goddess. She is mentioned as the personification of the Mūlaprakriti, the "Root nature", that original seed from which all material forms evolved. In the company of the Purusha ("Man", "Spirit", "Universal soul") Krishna, she is said to inhabit the Goloka, which is a world of cows and cowherds far above the Vishnu's Vaikuntha. In this divine world, Krishna and Radha relate to one another in the way body relates to the soul. (4.6.216)[30][31]

Forms[edit]

As Parvati, she is kind and tender and represents motherhood

[[File:Goddess Lalita Tripura Sundari.jpg|upright|thumb|As Tripura Sundari, she is the complete supreme form.[32]<ref>{{cite book | date=1987 | last1=Śaṅkarācārya | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V4rXAAAAMAAJ | title=Saundarya-lahari of Sri Sankarac

  1. ^ Narayanananda 1960, p. 50.
  2. ^ Jones, Constance; Ryan, James (2014). Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Infobase Publishing. p. 399. ISBN 978-0816054589.
  3. ^ Mani, Vettam (1975). Puranic encyclopaedia : a comprehensive dictionary with special reference to the epic and Puranic literature. Robarts - University of Toronto. Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 217–219. ISBN 978-0-8426-0822-0.
  4. ^ Vanamali (21 July 2008). "3. Mahadevi". Shakti: Realm of the Divine Mother. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-59477-785-1.
  5. ^ Dalal, Roshen (6 January 2019). The 108 Upanishads: An Introduction. Penguin Random House India Private Limited. ISBN 978-93-5305-377-2.
  6. ^ Hay, Jeff (6 March 2009). World Religions. Greenhaven Publishing LLC. p. 284. ISBN 978-0-7377-4627-3.
  7. ^ a b Pintchman, Tracy (21 June 2001). Seeking Mahadevi: Constructing the Identities of the Hindu Great Goddess. SUNY Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-7914-5007-9.
  8. ^ a b Bonnefoy 1993, p. 95.
  9. ^ Boursier 2021, p. 30.
  10. ^ a b c d Kinsley 1998, p. [page needed].
  11. ^ Hawley, John Stratton; Wulff, Donna Marie (1998). Devī: Goddesses of India. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 33.
  12. ^ Kinsley, David (1988). Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions. University of California Press, ISBN 0-520-06339-2.
  13. ^ McDaniel 2004, p. 90.
  14. ^ Brown 1998, p. 26.
  15. ^ McDaniel 2004, p. 90; Brown 1998, p. 26.
  16. ^ Sanskrit original see: ऋग्वेद: सूक्तं १०.१२५;
    for an alternate English translation, see: The Rig Veda/Mandala 10/Hymn 125 Ralph T.H. Griffith (Translator); for
  17. ^ Deussen 1997, p. 556.
  18. ^ McDaniel 2004, pp. 89–90.
  19. ^ Brooks 1990, pp. 77–78.
  20. ^ Dikshitar 1999, pp. 77–78.
  21. ^ "Cosmology". Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo & The Mother. 9 May 2009. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  22. ^ "The Devi Gita index". Sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  23. ^ Rao, T.B. Lakshmana (2011). Shri Tripura Rahasya (Mahatmya Khanda). Sri Kailasamanidweepa Trust, Bengaluru. p. 108.
  24. ^ Shastri, J. L. (1970). English translation by J. L. Shastri (ed.). The Shiva Purāṇa (includes glossary) – via Wisdom Library.
  25. ^ Shiva Mahapurana | Gitapress Gorakhpur
  26. ^ "Lakshmi Sahasranama Stotram - Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia". www.hindupedia.com. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  27. ^ Pattanaik, Devdutt (2002). Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth and Fortune: An Introduction. Vakils, Feffer and Simons. ISBN 978-81-8462-019-1.
  28. ^ Pintchman, Tracy (14 June 2001). Seeking Mahadevi: Constructing the Identities of the Hindu Great Goddess. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-9049-5.
  29. ^ Pintchman, Tracy (8 April 2015). Rise of the Goddess in the Hindu Tradition, The. State University of New York Press. p. 159. ISBN 978-1-4384-1618-2. Radha is said to be produced from half of Krishna's body and she manifest as Mulaprakriti Isvari, the Primordial Goddess Prakriti.
  30. ^ Dimitrova, Diana; Oranskaia, Tatiana (14 June 2018). Divinizing in South Asian Traditions. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-351-12360-0.
  31. ^ Amore, Roy C (1976). "Religion in India". Journal of the American Academy of Religion. XLIV (2): 366–a–366. doi:10.1093/jaarel/XLIV.2.366-a. ISSN 0002-7189.
  32. ^ Vasantānanta, Nā Irāmaccantiraṉ (1993). Sri Lalita Sahasranamam: Nama-wise Commentary in English with Text in Sanskrit. p. 358.
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