Goddess Durga and Sacred Female Power

Goddess Durga and Sacred Female Power
Author: Laura Amazzone
Publisher: University Press of America
Total Pages: 276
Release: 2010
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0761853138

"Amazzone's voice is strong and clear. Goddess Durga promises the transformation, empowerment, and dignity that is our birthright."--Marisa Tomei, Academy Award-winning actor.

Goddess Durga

Goddess Durga
Author: Pratapaditya Pal
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2009
Genre: Durgā (Hindu deity)
ISBN: 9788185026930

This book of essays has no agenda - either gender or religious - but discusses the many facets of the Goddess Durga's images and worship on the Indian subcontinent. The nine authors (in keeping with Navaratri) belong to both the East and West, and to four religions: Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian. The ten essays like the ten armsof the great goddess in her Bengali manifestation cannot possibly be all-encompassing but does cover the physical geography of the subscontinent by including discussions of her presence and prevalence in Nepal and Kashmir, in Baluchistan, TamilNadu and Keral, and of course, in West Bengal, especially Kolkata, where her autumn festival is celebrated annualy.

Awakening Shakti

Awakening Shakti
Author: Sally Kempton
Publisher: Sounds True
Total Pages: 373
Release: 2013-02-01
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 1604079444

How do you live a life of spiritual awakening as well as outer abundance, inner freedom as well as deep intimacy? How do you serve the world selflessly, yet passionately celebrate your life? The sages of Tantra have known for centuries that when you follow the path of Shakti—the sacred feminine principle personified by the goddesses of yoga—these gifts can manifest spontaneously. Yet most of us, women as well as men, have yet to experience the full potential of our inner feminine energies. When you know these powers for what they are, they heighten your capacity to open spiritually, love more deeply and fearlessly, create with greater mastery, and move through the world with skill and delight. In Awakening Shakti, you will learn how to recognize and invite: Kali, bringer of strength, fierce love, and untamed freedomLakshmi, who confers prosperity and beautySaraswati, for clarity of communication and intuitionRadha, who carries the divine energy of spiritual longingBhuvaneshvari, who creates the space for sacred transformationParvati, to awaken creativity and the capacity to love With a wealth of meditations, visualizations, mantras, teachings, and beautifully told stories, Awakening Shakti provides a practical guide for activating the currents of the divine feminine in every aspect of your life. “Sally Kempton's new book is a treasure that brings myth, meditation, and everyday revelation together in a way that will allow every woman to embody the divine feminine in her life. Sally enlivens the full spectrum of the goddess—from independent protector, to lover, to dynamic and powerful creatrix. I highly recommend this soon-to-be classic!” —Shiva Rea, yogini “Sally Kempton has given us a mythic manual for a new kind of feminism—a feminism of the soul. And this is a good thing, because humanity needs feminine power now as both a healing tonic and a source of reinvention.” —Elizabeth Lesser, cofounder of the Omega Institute, author of Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow

Stories of Hindu Goddess Durga (Illustrated)

Stories of Hindu Goddess Durga (Illustrated)
Author: Vyanst
Publisher: CreateSpace
Total Pages: 50
Release: 2015-04-25
Genre:
ISBN: 9781511909693

The basic dynamism of God has been defined in Indian philosophy as nature or Prakriti which is supposed to be Primeval Power that has been visualized from time immemorial as 'Adyashakti' by seers and thinkers.'Adyashakti' is again the integral active form of God keeping the entire cosmos in control while Her manifestation has been portrayed by the artists and sculptors of ancient India as the Supreme Goddess Mahamaya, the creative force of the Universe. That is why She is also known as Brahmani which is an epithet of Durga. The genesis of the concept of the Supreme Goddess Mahamaya is to be found in the prevailing faith of a great number of people on the supremacy of matriarchal culture. Mahamaya or Brahmani is also known as Durga, Chamunda, Chanda, Kali, Amba and Mahishasurmardini. These violent forms of Mahamaya denote her victory over the vicious and sinful elements. She is represented on these various violent forms as a slayer of demons and sinners. She is also represented as Maha Sarasvati, the great Goddess of learning and absolute Knowledge. She is as well represented as MahaLakshmi, the great Goddess of wealth, beauty and Bliss. Like the Triad of Brahma, the God of Creation, Vishnu the God of Protection and Mahesh the God of Destruction, Mahamaya also assumes the role of Creation, Protection and Destruction. Durga or MahaKali destroys the wicked while Maha Lakshmi and Maha Sarasvati uphold Virtue, spread enlightenment and grant power and prosperity while offering protection. In this volume we present select stories about Durga. The stories allegorically describe struggles between gods and demons and teach the human race to hope that eventually truth and justice prevail. The stories are designed for children and are accompanied with beautiful illustrations.

Book Of Durga

Book Of Durga
Author: Chitgopekar
Publisher: Penguin Books India
Total Pages: 148
Release: 2009-07-20
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780143067672

On the Mystery of Being

On the Mystery of Being
Author: Zaya Benazzo
Publisher: New Harbinger Publications
Total Pages: 281
Release: 2019-10-01
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 1684033977

Who are we? What is our place in this vast and ever-evolving universe? Where do science and spirituality meet? If you’ve pondered these questions, you’re not alone. Join some of the most spiritually curious and renowned minds of our time for an exploration into the mystery of being. From founders of the Science and Nonduality (SAND) conference, Maurizio and Zaya Benazzo, On the Mystery of Being brings together an array of visionary spiritual leaders, psychologists, philosophers, scientists, teachers, authors, and healers to celebrate and explore what it means to be human. This beautifully arranged collection of essays and insights highlight topics on the convergence of spirituality and science, weaving scientific theory and spiritual wisdom from some of the most influential thinkers of our time—including Deepak Chopra, Rupert Spira, Adyashanti, and many more—with pieces that get straight to the heart of the matter. As a powerful antidote to our chaotic and materialist modern world, this dazzling volume offers timeless wisdom and new insight into humanity’s age-old questions. On the Mystery of Being also reveals the cutting-edge explorations at the intersection of science and spirituality today. May it encourage your spirit, challenge your mind, and deepen your understanding of our interconnectedness.

Durgā

Durgā
Author: Chitralekha Singh
Publisher:
Total Pages: 124
Release: 1999
Genre: Durgā (Hindu deity)
ISBN:

In Praise of the Goddess

In Praise of the Goddess
Author:
Publisher: Nicolas-Hays, Inc.
Total Pages: 407
Release: 2003-12-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0892546166

About 16 centuries ago, an unknown Indian author or authors gathered together the diverse threads of already ancient traditions and wove them into a verbal tapestry that today is still the central text for worshippers of the Hindu Devi, the Divine Mother. This spiritual classic, the Devimahatmya, addresses the perennial questions of the nature of the universe, humankind, and divinity. How are they related, how do we live in a world torn between good and evil, and how do we find lasting satisfaction and inner peace? These questions and their answers form the substance of the Devimahatmya. Its narrative of a dispossessed king, a merchant betrayed by the family he loves, and a seer whose teaching leads beyond existential suffering sets the stage for a trilogy of myths concerning the all-powerful Divine Mother, Durga, and the fierce battles she wages against throngs of demonic foes. In these allegories, her adversaries represent our all-too-human impulses toward power, possessions, and pleasure. The battlefields symbolize the field of human consciousness on which our lives' dramas play out in joy and sorrow, in wisdom and folly. The Devimahatmya speaks to us across the ages of the experiences and beliefs of our ancient ancestors. We sense their enchantment at nature's bounty and their terror before its destructive fury, their recognition of the good and evil in the human heart, and their understanding that everything in our experience is the expression of a greater reality, personified as the Divine Mother.

Nava Durga

Nava Durga
Author: Nalini Ramachandran
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
Total Pages: 96
Release: 2020-10-19
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 935305981X

Durga, as this powerful warrior-goddess is known, Has nine special forms-each one unique, not just a clone. Shailaputri, Brahmacharini and Chandraghanta, Kushmanda and Skandamata, Katyayani and Kaalratri, Maha Gauri and Siddhidatri . . . They are the Nava Durga, Worshipped during Navaratri, The festival of nine nights and nine days That's celebrated across India and the world in myriad ways To praise the goddesses and their glory. This is their story!

Nine Nights of Power

Nine Nights of Power
Author: Ute Hüsken
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Total Pages: 293
Release: 2021-10-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 1438484089

The autumnal Navarātri festival—also called Durgā Pūjā, Dassehra, or Dasain—is the most important Hindu festival in South Asia and wherever Hindus settle. A nine-night-long celebration in honor of the goddess Durgā, it ends on the tenth day with a celebration called "the victorious tenth" (vijayadaśamī). The rituals that take place in domestic, royal, and public spaces are closely connected with one's station in life and dependent on social status, economic class, caste, and gender issues. Exploring different aspects of the festival as celebrated in diverse regions of South Asia and in the South Asian diaspora, this book addresses the following common questions: What does this festival do? What does it achieve, and how? Why and in what way does it sometimes fail? How do mass communication and social media increase participation in and contribute to the changing nature of the festival? The contributors address these questions from multiple perspectives and discuss issues of agency, authority, ritual efficacy, change, appropriation, and adaptation. Because of the festival's reach beyond its diverse celebrations in South Asia, its influence can be seen in the rituals and dances in many parts of Western Europe and North America.