The Divine Mother
शक्ति (Śakti)
śak = To be able, to be powerful
The Power—creative, sustaining, and transforming force
Śakti is the primordial cosmic energy, the divine feminine principle that pervades all of existence. In Hinduism, she is worshipped as the Great Goddess (Mahādevī) in countless forms, while philosophically she represents the dynamic aspect of reality itself—the power by which the static, unchanging consciousness (Śiva) becomes the manifest universe.
The Philosophy
Śiva and Śakti - The Eternal Dance
The fundamental duality-in-unity:
Śiva (शिव) - Consciousness
Attributes:
- Pure awareness
- Unchanging witness
- Formless, attributeless
- Masculine principle
- The noun
Without Śakti:
शिव: शव: (Śivaḥ śavaḥ)
Without Śakti, Śiva is a corpse
Static, potential, unmanifest—consciousness without power to manifest.
Śakti (शक्ति) - Energy/Power
Attributes:
- Creative dynamism
- Constant change and motion
- Form, manifestation
- Feminine principle
- The verb
Without Śiva:
Blind force, chaos without direction—power without consciousness to guide it.
Inseparable Unity
The teaching:
- Śiva and Śakti are not two
- Two aspects of one reality
- Like fire and its heat
- Like sun and its light
- Conceptually distinct, actually inseparable
Ardhanārīśvara (अर्धनारीश्वर):
The iconic image of half-Śiva, half-Pārvatī in one body—visual representation of their essential unity.
Implications:
- Matter and consciousness are not separate
- World is not apart from God
- Your body is divine
- Power and awareness are one
The Three Primary Powers
Śakti manifests as three fundamental forces:
1. Icchā Śakti (इच्छा शक्ति) - Will Power
The power of intention:
- Desire to create
- First impulse toward manifestation
- “Let there be…”
- Choosing and initiating
In you:
Your will, intention, desire to act or create
2. Jñāna Śakti (ज्ञान शक्ति) - Knowledge Power
The power of knowing:
- Awareness, perception
- Intelligence and understanding
- Divine wisdom
- Seeing what is
In you:
Your capacity to know, understand, perceive
3. Kriyā Śakti (क्रिया शक्ति) - Action Power
The power of doing:
- Actual manifestation
- Creation in action
- All activity and movement
- Making it happen
In you:
Your capacity to act, create, move, manifest
All three together:
Divine Mother’s complete creative process—she wills (icchā), knows how (jñāna), and manifests (kriyā).
The Mahāvidyās - Ten Wisdom Goddesses
The ten forms of Devī revealing ten aspects of reality:
1. Kālī (काली) - The Black One
Attributes:
- Dark as night
- Naked, wild, fierce
- Garland of skulls
- Tongue out, dancing
Symbolism:
- Time that devours all
- Destroyer of ego
- Liberator through destruction
- The void, the womb
- Ultimate reality beyond form
Teaching:
Face your fears. Ego must die for truth to be revealed. She is terrifying to ego but liberation itself to the wise.
2. Tārā (तारा) - The Star
Attributes:
- Standing on corpse of Śiva
- Protector and guide
- Compassionate mother
- Blue-black in color
Symbolism:
- Star that guides through darkness
- Savior from suffering
- Compassionate wisdom
- Crossing the ocean of existence
Teaching:
Call on her in distress. She responds to those who sincerely seek help. She is the compassionate face of the absolute.
3. Tripura Sundarī (त्रिपुर सुन्दरी) - Beauty of the Three Worlds
Also called Lalitā, Śrī Vidyā:
- Most beautiful
- Sits on throne of five corpses (Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, Īśvara, Sadāśiva)
- Sixteen years old eternally
- Holds sugarcane bow, flower arrows
- Benevolent, wish-fulfilling
Symbolism:
- Beauty of creation
- Auspiciousness
- Desire transformed into spiritual longing
- Supreme śakti in gentle form
Teaching:
The universe is beautiful. Divine is attractive. Spiritual path can be blissful. Highest tantra.
4. Bhuvaneśvarī (भुवनेश्वरी) - Queen of the Universe
Attributes:
- Ruler of space
- Provides room for all
- Sustainer of worlds
- Golden complexion
Symbolism:
- Space itself
- That which contains all
- Expansiveness
- Mother’s nurturing aspect
Teaching:
Consciousness is like space—infinite, all-containing. She is the spatial aspect of reality.
5. Chinnamastā (छिन्नमस्ता) - The Severed-Headed One
Shocking image:
- Holds her own severed head
- Blood spurts from neck feeding her and two attendants
- Standing on copulating couple
Symbolism:
- Self-sacrifice
- Transcendence of body
- Feeding life from her own essence
- Sexual energy sublimated
- Kundalini awakened
Teaching:
Life feeds on life. Ego-death is liberation. The ultimate sacrifice is of identification itself.
6. Bhairavī (भैरवी) - The Fierce One
Attributes:
- Consort of Bhairava (fierce Śiva)
- Red in color
- Weapons and severed head
- Destroyer of fear
Symbolism:
- Reality in its terrifying aspect
- Facing the inevitable (aging, death)
- Warrior goddess
- Transformation through confrontation
Teaching:
Face reality as it is. Don’t avoid the difficult. Embrace all of life, including its fierce aspects.
7. Dhūmāvatī (धूमावती) - The Smoky One
Unique:
- Only widow goddess
- Old, ugly, inauspicious
- Rides a chariot, holds winnowing basket
- Crows follow her
Symbolism:
- Loss, disappointment, poverty
- That which remains when all is taken
- Emptiness, void
- Wisdom through deprivation
Teaching:
In loss, something is revealed. Disappointments are teachers. Even the “negative” is divine. Surrender all, even spiritual attainments.
8. Bagalāmukhī (बगलामुखी) - The Crane-Headed One
Attributes:
- Yellow goddess
- Pulls tongue of demon
- Paralyzes enemies
- Controls speech
Symbolism:
- Power to stop
- Stun opponents
- Control gossip/slander
- Inner silence
Teaching:
Sometimes stopping is more powerful than acting. Silence the negative voices, internal and external.
9. Mātaṅgī (मातङ्गी) - The Outcaste
Attributes:
- Dark, beautiful
- Holds veena (musical instrument)
- Goddess of outcasts and margins
- Arts, music, learning
Symbolism:
- Divine as the rejected
- Wisdom in unexpected places
- All are included
- Beauty in the unconventional
Teaching:
Don’t reject anything or anyone. The divine is found where you least expect. Embrace the marginal, the different.
10. Kamalātmikā (कमलात्मिका) - Lotus Soul
Also called Kamalā:
- Identical to Lakṣmī
- Golden, beautiful
- Four elephants bathing her
- Abundance personified
Symbolism:
- Material and spiritual prosperity
- Grace and beauty
- Fulfillment
- Auspiciousness
Teaching:
Spiritual life doesn’t require poverty. Abundance is divine. Beauty and prosperity are manifestations of śakti.
The Triad: Three Primary Goddesses
Sarasvatī (सरस्वती) - Goddess of Knowledge
Domain:
- Learning, wisdom, arts
- Music, speech, writing
- White, sits on lotus or swan
- Holds veena and books
Worship:
By students, artists, musicians, seekers of knowledge
Mantra: ॐ ऐं सरस्वत्यै नमः (Om Aiṃ Sarasvatyai Namaḥ)
Lakṣmī (लक्ष्मी) - Goddess of Prosperity
Domain:
- Wealth, abundance, fortune
- Beauty, grace, auspiciousness
- Golden, sits on lotus
- Elephants pour water, gold coins flow
Worship:
By businesspeople, householders, anyone seeking prosperity
Mantra: ॐ श्रीं महालक्ष्म्यै नमः (Om Śrīṁ Mahālakṣmyai Namaḥ)
Pārvatī/Durgā/Kālī (पार्वती/दुर्गा/काली)
The Goddess of power itself:
As Pārvatī:
- Gentle wife of Śiva
- Mother of Gaṇeśa and Kārtikeya
- Devotion and family
As Durgā:
- Warrior goddess
- Rides lion/tiger
- Ten arms with weapons
- Slayer of demons
- Fierce protection
As Kālī:
- Most fierce form
- Destroyer of evil
- Time and death personified
- Liberator
Worship:
By those seeking strength, protection, transformation, liberation
Mantra: ॐ दुं दुर्गायै नमः (Om Duṁ Durgāyai Namaḥ)
Śakti in Practice
Śākta Traditions
Goddess worship is primary:
Śrī Vidyā
Most sophisticated:
- Worship of Lalitā/Tripurasundarī
- Uses Śrī Yantra (most complex sacred geometry)
- Sixteen-syllable mantra (secret)
- Requires guru initiation
- Highest tantra path
Levels:
- Gross (image worship)
- Subtle (yantra and visualization)
- Supreme (identification with goddess)
Kaula Tantra
Left-hand path:
- Uses traditionally taboo substances/acts
- Sees all as sacred
- Transforms poison into nectar
- Radical non-duality
- Only for qualified practitioners with guru
Kālī Worship
Bengal tradition:
- Intense devotion to Kālī
- Seeking liberation through her
- Famous practitioners: Ramakrishna, Ramprasad Sen
- Songs, ecstasy, direct experience
Kuṇḍalinī Śakti
Śakti as dormant potential:
The teaching:
- Śakti sleeps at base of spine (mūlādhāra)
- Coiled three and a half times
- Represented as serpent
- When awakened, rises through chakras
- Unites with Śiva at crown (sahasrāra)
- This union is liberation
The practice:
- Haṭha yoga prepares body
- Prāṇāyāma awakens energy
- Meditation guides the rise
- Grace completes the process
[See detailed teaching on Kuṇḍalinī Śakti]
Tantric Philosophy
Core principles:
1. Affirmation of World
Unlike some paths:
- World is not illusion to escape
- Matter is not evil
- Body is temple
- Senses are doorways
Tantric view:
World is śakti’s play. Reality is divine. Celebrate existence.
2. Using Everything
The principle:
- What binds can liberate
- Poison can be medicine
- Desires can be transformed
- Nothing is rejected
The practice:
Take what would pull you down and redirect it upward. Sexual energy becomes spiritual energy. Anger becomes fierceness for truth.
3. The Body as Microcosm
Mapping the universe:
- Chakras = planets/realms
- Nāḍīs = rivers
- Body = temple
- You contain everything
The practice:
Work on your own body-mind. Transform yourself, you transform world.
4. Guru-Śiṣya Transmission
Essential:
- Cannot learn from books alone
- Need living transmission
- Śakti passed through lineage
- Initiation awakens potential
The relationship:
Guru embodies śakti. Through proximity, grace flows. Student opens, receives, transforms.
Śakti and Non-Duality
The Paradox
Question:
If Advaita (non-duality) says only Brahman exists, what about Śakti?
Answer:
Śakti IS Brahman in motion. Two views of one reality:
- Śiva/Brahman = Static view (pure being)
- Śakti = Dynamic view (becoming)
Like ocean and waves:
- Ocean = Śiva (still depth)
- Waves = Śakti (moving surface)
- Not two—one water
Practical Implications
In meditation:
- Masculine: Witnessing, being, stillness
- Feminine: Energy, devotion, transformation
- Both needed for balance
In life:
- Masculine: Structure, discipline, clarity
- Feminine: Flow, intuition, receptivity
- Integrate both
In relationships:
- Masculine and feminine energies in all
- Not about gender
- About balance of qualities
- Dance of Śiva-Śakti in relationship
Devotion to the Mother
The Bhāva (Attitude)
How to relate:
As Child to Mother
The easiest:
- Natural love
- Complete trust
- Dependency acknowledged
- Receiving care
The beauty:
No qualifications needed. Mother loves unconditionally. Just be her child.
As Lover to Beloved
The passionate:
- Intense longing
- Romantic devotion
- Union sought
- All-consuming love
Examples:
Ramprasad Sen’s songs to Kālī, medieval mystics’ poems
As Servant to Queen
The devotional:
- Humble service
- Following her will
- Offering all actions
- Complete surrender
Practices
Daily worship (Pūjā):
- Offer flowers, incense, light
- Chant her names
- Feed her (offer food)
- See her in all
Japa:
- Repeat her mantra
- 108 times or more
- With mālā (rosary)
- Constant remembrance
Meditation:
- Visualize her form
- Feel her presence
- Merge into her
- Become her
Living:
- See her in women
- In nature
- In life force itself
- In all forms
The Recognition
What Śakti Reveals
Ultimate teaching:
She is not other:
- The power reading these words is śakti
- The heartbeat in your chest is śakti
- The awareness itself is śakti
- You are śakti
The realization:
अहं शक्तिः (Ahaṁ śaktiḥ)
I am Śakti
Not “I have power” but “I am the power itself”—the dynamic aspect of consciousness playing at being individual.
The cosmic perspective:
One Śakti appearing as many:
- Your mother—śakti
- The earth—śakti
- The universe—śakti
- All women—embodiments of śakti
- All creation—her dance
Liberation Through the Mother
Her promise:
सर्वं शक्तिमयं जगत् (Sarvaṁ śaktimayaṁ jagat)
The entire universe is pervaded by Śakti
The path:
- Worship her
- Surrender to her
- Recognize her everywhere
- Realize you are her
The end:
When devotee and Mother merge, when worshipper realizes they are the worshipped, when seeker realizes they are the sought—that is liberation.
Contemplation
*She is the throb of life
In every heartbeat.
She is the breath
That breathes you.
She is the power
That grows the flowers,
Spins the planets,
Births the galaxies.
The same śakti
That creates universes
Sleeps in your spine,
Waiting to awaken.
She is called dangerous—
Yes, to the ego.
She is called destroyer—
Yes, of illusions.
She is called mother—
Yes, of all that is.
Fierce and gentle,
Terrifying and beautiful,
Destructive and creative,
Immanent and transcendent—
All paradoxes reconciled
In the Divine Mother.
Not somewhere else,
Not someone else—
The power aware of itself
Through these very eyes.
Śakti recognizing Śakti
As Śakti.
That is the worship.
That is the revelation.
That is the liberation.*
May you recognize the Śakti within and without, may you honor the Divine Feminine in all forms, and may you realize you are the power itself playing at being separate. 🌺🙏
जय माता दी (Jaya Mātā Dī) - Victory to the Divine Mother