Hinduism cannot be understood without the Great Goddess and the goddess-orientated Śākta traditions. The Goddess pervades Hinduism at all levels, from aniconic village deities to high-caste pan-Hindu goddesses to esoteric, tantric goddesses. Nevertheless, the highly influential tantric forms of South Asian goddess worship have only recently begun to draw scholarly attention. This book addresses the increasing interest in the Great Goddess and the tantric traditions of India by exploring the history, doctrine and practices of the Śākta tantric traditions. The highly influential tantric forms of South Asian goddess worship form a major part of what is known as 'Śāktism', and is often considered one of the major branches of Hinduism next to Śaivism, Vaiṣṇavism and Smārtism. Śāktism is, however, less clearly defined than the other major branches, and the book looks at the texts of the Śākta traditions that constitute the primary sources for gaining insights into the Śākta religious imaginative, ritual practices and history. It provides an historical exploration of distinctive Indian ways of imagining God as Goddess, and surveys the important origins and developments within Śākta history, practice and doctrine in its diversity. Bringing together contributions from some of the foremost scholars in the field of tantric studies, the book provides a platform for the continued research into Hindu goddesses, yoga, and tantra for those interested in understanding the religion and culture in South Asia.

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Olesen, Bjarne Wernicke

Ashgate Publishing Limited

Taylor & Francis Ltd

Gower Publishing Ltd

Routledge studies in tantric traditions, London, 2016

Taylor & Francis (Unlimited), London, 2016

United Kingdom and Ireland, United Kingdom

1, 2015-09-28

1, PS, 2015

producers:
Adobe Acrobat 8.13 Paper Capture Plug-in

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Cover 1
Half Title 2
Title Page 4
Copyright Page 5
Table of Contents 6
List of illustrations 7
List of contributors 8
Foreword 11
Acknowledgement 13
Introduction 14
General remarks 14
This volume 15
The Śākta Traditions project 15
The conference 16
Particulars 17
Notes 27
References 27
1. Śakti in early tantric Śaivism: historical observations on goddesses, cosmology and ritual in the Niśvāsatattvasaṃhitā 29
Introduction 29
Mahādevī 30
Śakti, cosmology and theology 31
Śakti sets 33
Mother-goddesses 35
Ritual 36
Conclusion 38
Notes 38
References 42
2. The (Un)Dreadful Goddess: Aghorī in early Śākta tantras 46
Introduction 46
1 The triad of Aghora, ghora and ghoraghoratara 47
2 Aghorī in groups of eight goddesses 49
3 Aghorī or Aghoreśī as the supreme goddess 52
Conclusion 56
Notes 57
References 61
3. Varieties of melaka in the Jayadrathayāmala: some reflections on the terms haṭha and priya 64
Introduction 64
Preliminary linguistic analysis of the collocation of the terms 65
Conclusion to the analysis of collocation of selected terms 71
Second reading: melaka as a visible ritual described in the Vidyāpīṭha texts 72
Concluding remarks consisting in some reflections on haṭhamelaka-related transformation 75
Notes 77
References 84
4. Snakebite goddesses in the Śākta traditions: roots and incorporations of Tvaritā, Kurukullā and Bheruṇḍā 87
Introduction 87
Tvaritā 87
Kurukullā 97
Bheruṇḍā 101
Conclusion 103
Notes 103
References 106
5. The Cāṇḍālī as Śakti: untouchable women in some tantric texts 109
Cāṇḍālī – Chief Goddess, Lady of Hosts 109
The Caṇḍlā woman 111
The level of society 113
Menstruation 115
The level of mystical experience: the Ḍombī of the Caryāgīti 116
A tentative conclusion 118
Notes 119
References 120
6. Śāktism and haṭhayoga 122
Introduction 122
Early haṭhayoga 123
Other methods of yoga 127
Munis and siddhas 132
The muni tradition of haṭhayoga 133
Conclusion 135
Notes 137
References 148
7. Śāktism, polity and society in medieval Malabar 154
Introduction 154
Śāktic and Tantric Kerala 155
Textual interventions 156
Ethnological reflections 159
Polity and Puranic Śākta goddesses 165
Lineage of the Śākta officiants 168
Brahman mantravāda, yogis, and popular religion 170
Textual dynamics in social context 174
Artifice and expurgation in blood-rites 177
Notes 181
References 184
Index 187
Cover
1
Half Title
2
Title Page
4
Copyright Page
5
Table of Contents
6
List of illustrations 7
List of contributors 8
Foreword 11
Acknowledgement 13
Introduction 14
General remarks 14
This volume 15
The Śākta Traditions project
15
The conference 16
Particulars 17
Notes 27
References 27
1. Śakti in early tantric Śaivism: historical observations on goddesses, cosmology and ritual in the Niśvāsatattvasaṃhitā
29
Introduction 29
Mahādevī
30
Śakti, cosmology and theology
31
Śakti sets
33
Mother-goddesses 35
Ritual 36
Conclusion 38
Notes 38
References 42
2. The (Un)Dreadful Goddess: Aghorī in early Śākta tantras
46
Introduction 46
1 The triad of Aghora, ghora and ghoraghoratara 47
2 Aghorī in groups of eight goddesses
49
3 Aghorī or Aghoreśī as the supreme goddess
52
Conclusion 56
Notes 57
References 61
3. Varieties of melaka in the Jayadrathayāmala: some reflections on the terms haṭha and priya
64
Introduction 64
Preliminary linguistic analysis of the collocation of the terms 65
Conclusion to the analysis of collocation of selected terms 71
Second reading: melaka as a visible ritual described in the Vidyāpīṭha texts
72
Concluding remarks consisting in some reflections on haṭhamelaka-related transformation
75
Notes 77
References 84
4. Snakebite goddesses in the Śākta traditions: roots and incorporations of Tvaritā, Kurukullā and BheruṇḊā
87
Introduction 87
Tvaritā
87
Kurukullā
97
BheruṇḊā
101
Conclusion 103
Notes 103
References 106
5. The CāṇḊālī as Śakti: untouchable women in some tantric texts
109
CāṇḊālī – Chief Goddess, Lady of Hosts
109
The CaṇḊlā woman
111
The level of society 113
Menstruation 115
The level of mystical experience: the Ḍombī of the Caryāgīti
116
A tentative conclusion 118
Notes 119
References 120
6. Śāktism and haṭhayoga
122
Introduction 122
Early haṭhayoga
123
Other methods of yoga 127
Munis and siddhas
132
The muni tradition of haṭhayoga
133
Conclusion 135
Notes 137
References 148
7. Śāktism, polity and society in medieval Malabar
154
Introduction 154
Śāktic and Tantric Kerala
155
Textual interventions 156
Ethnological reflections 159
Polity and Puranic Śākta goddesses
165
Lineage of the Śākta officiants
168
Brahman mantravāda, yogis, and popular religion
170
Textual dynamics in social context 174
Artifice and expurgation in blood-rites 177
Notes 181
References 184
Index 187

The highly influential tantric forms of South Asian goddess worship form a major part of what is known as 'Śāktism', and is often considered one of the major branches of Hinduism next to Śaivism, Vaiṣṇavism and Smārtism. Śāktism is, however, less clearly defined than the other major branches, and the book looks at the texts of the Śākta traditions that constitute the primary sources for gaining insights into the Śākta religious imaginative, ritual practices and history. It provides an historical exploration of distinctive Indian ways of imagining God as Goddess, and surveys the important origins and developments within Śākta history, practice and doctrine in its diversity. --Publisher description

2022-02-20