Shakti

Rare card · No. 49620

Shakti in Hinduism, is the divine feminine energy. The numerous Hindu goddesses are considered personifications of Shakti, with each goddess (Devi) representing a certain aspect of her infinite nature. The origins of Shakti concept lie in the early Goddess worship traditions in the Indian subcontinent. While archaeological excavations suggest that goddess worship cultures prevailed for thousands of years before the Vedic period (c. 1500 – c. 500 BCE), it was in the Vedic era that the ideas which would later evolve to form a definite goddess theology appeared. The Vedas, the Puranas, and the Tantras form the primary textual sources in the study of Shakti. The beliefs regarding Shakti are varied. In the Hindu pantheon, Shakti is personified as the wife of a particular deity, especially Shiva, for whom Shakti took many forms – "Uma, Durga, the terrifying Kali, and the motherly Parvati". Similarly, corresponding with Vishnu, she is Lakshmi. Likewise, in Hindu custom, the wife of a man is his...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Rim sim, CC0