Shaktism - Principal Deities

Principal Deities

Shaktas may approach the Devi in any of a vast number of forms; however, they are all considered to be but diverse aspects of the one supreme goddess.

With the many names used to refer to her – Devī, Caṇḍikā, Ambikā, Kālī, and a profusion of others – it is easy to forget that the Devi is indeed one., the Devi reveals that she is one without a second, saying, "I am alone here in the world. Who else is there besides me?" Following this proclamation of divine unity, which has been called the mahāvākya, or great dictum of Devīmāhātmya, she explains that all are but projections of her power, as are all the other forms she inhabits.

The primary Devi form worshiped by a Shakta is his or her ishta-devi. The selection of this deity can depend on many factors, including family tradition, regional practice, guru lineage, personal resonance and so on. There are literally thousands of goddess forms, many of them associated with particular temples, geographic features or even individual villages. Nonetheless, several highly popular goddess forms are known and worshiped throughout the Hindu world, and virtually every female deity in Hinduism is believed to be a manifestation of one or more of these "basic" forms. The best-known benevolent goddesses of popular Hinduism include:

  1. Adi parashakti: The Goddess as Original, Transcendent Source of the Universe.
  2. Durga (Amba, Ambika): The Goddess as Mahadevi,Material Manifestation of Supreme Divinity (Brahman)
  3. Lakshmi (Sri): The Goddess of Material Fulfillment (wealth, health, fortune, love, beauty, fertility, etc.); consort (shakti) of Vishnu
  4. Parvati (Gauri, Uma): The Goddess of Spiritual Fulfillment (divine love; the saguna form of Adi-Parashakti); consort (shakti) of Shiva
  5. Saraswati: The Goddess of Cultural Fulfillment (knowledge/education, music, arts and sciences, etc.); consort (shakti) of Brahma; identified with the Sarasvati River
  6. Gayatri: The Goddess as Mother of Mantras
  7. Ganga: The Goddess as Divine River; identified with the Ganges River
  8. Sita: The Goddess as Rama's consort
  9. Radha: The Goddess as Krishna's lover
  10. Sati: The Goddess of Marital Relations; original consort (shakti) of Shiva

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