For other uses, see Shakti (disambiguation). Shakti/Adi-Para-Shakti The Tridevi – the conjoined forms of Lakshmi in Right, Parvati in middle and Saraswati in left- considered Shaktis of the Trimurti- Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma respectively Abode Devi Loka Weapon Trishul, Conch, Chakram, crossbow,lotus. Consort Adi-Shiva Mount Chariot of Seven Lions Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति) from Sanskrit shak - "to be able," meaning sacred force or empowerment, is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the entire universe in Hinduism.1 Shakti is the concept, or personification, of divine feminine creative power, sometimes referred to as 'The Great Divine Mother' in Hinduism. On the earthly plane, Shakti most actively manifests through female embodiment and fertility, though it is also present in males in its potential, unmanifest form.2 Not only is the Shakti responsible for creation, it is also the agent of all change. Shakti is cosmic existence as well as liberation, its most significant form being the Kundalini Shakti,3 a mysterious psychospiritual force.4 Shakti exists in a state of svātantrya, dependence on no-one, being interdependent with the entire universe. In Shaktism, Shakti is worshiped as the Supreme Being. However, in other Hindu traditions of Shaivism and Vaishnavism, Shakti embodies the active feminine energy Prakriti of Purusha, who is Vishnu in Vaishnavism or Shiva in Shaivism. Vishnu's female counterpart is called Lakshmi, with Parvati being the female half of Shiva. Contents 1 Evolution 2 Shakti/Parvati/Sati Peethas 3 Adi Parashakti 3.1 Adi-Parashakti Forms 3.2 Adi Shakti diversion to other forms 4 Bhajans and Mantras 5 Shaktism 6 Vaishnavism 7 Smarta Advaita 8 Shakti force: Devi Prakriti 9 Standard representation 10 See also 11 Further reading 12 Notes 13 External links // Evolution

Swamini Maytitananda notes that at the beginning of Creation, as it is written in the Shakta Advaita, the Divine Mother took form and set in motion the wheel of manifestation. She bestowed her healing spirit into the womb and regenerative energy of every female of every species of the earth.5 According to the Vedic seers, or rishis, a woman's femininity cannot exist apart from her Shakti, and Shakti is a metaphor for womanhood.6 David Kinsley believes that the concept of "Shakti" may be derived from Lord Indra's consort Sachi (Indrani), meaning power.7 Indrani is part of a group of seven or eight mother goddesses called the Matrikas (Brahmani, Vaishnavi, Maheshvari, Indrani, Kumari, Varahi and Chamunda and/or Narasimhi), who are considered shaktis of major Hindu gods(Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Indra, Skanda, Varaha/Yama and Devi and Narasimha respectively). The Shakti goddess is also known as Amma (meaning 'mother') in south India, especially in the states of Karnataka,Tamil Nadu,Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. There are many temples devoted to various incarnations of the Shakti goddess in most of the villages in South India. The rural people believe that Shakti is the protector of the village, the punisher of evil people, the curer of diseases, and the one who gives welfare to the village. They celebrate Shakti Jataras with a lot of hue and great interest once a year. Some examples of incarnations are Gangamma, Aarti, Kamakshamma, Kanakadurga, Mahalakshmammma, Meeenakshamma, Poleramma and Perantalamma. Shakti/Parvati/Sati Peethas Main article: Shakti Peethas

There are 4 Adi Shakti Pith and 51 important centres of Shakti worship located in the Indian sub-continent, which are located in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Tibet and Pakistan. These are called Shakti Peethas. Most Shakti peethas have since developed into famous temple complexes, including: Jwalaji (Himachal), Tara Tarini Berhampur, Orissa, Katyayani (Chattarpur, Delhi), Kamakhya (Assam), Naina Devi (Himachal), Manasa devi (Chandigarh). Main pithas in are Tuljapur(Jagdamba), Kolhapur(Mahlaxmi), vani-Nashik(sptashrungi), Mahurgad(Renukamata). Adi Parashakti Adi-Shakti or Adi Shakti is a Hindu concept of the Ultimate Shakti, the ultimate feminine power inherent in all Creation. This is especially prevalent in the Shakta denomination within Hinduism, which worships the Goddess Devi in all Her manifestations. Adi-Parashakti Forms 1) Parvati or Sati or Durga: She is the Dimensional (Sagun) Form of Maa Adi-Parashakti, She is the Adi- Parashakti herself, Devi Gita declares her as complete Goddess who is beyond to reach even by Lord Shiva (her Consort), Lord Vishnu (Her Brother), Lord Brahma (Her Biggest Devotee). Thus She is considered as supreme Goddess and Primary Deity in Shaktism as Lord Krishna is in Vaishnava Tradition. She is one who is every other god or goddess and she is also the one who slew Demon Mahishasura. For any matter for which we are worshipping different deities, ultimately we are worshiping Her. She is every other Goddess e.g. She is Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Saraswati in her milder form and Goddess Kali and Goddess Chandi in her wrathful Form, more over She is Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha in Masculine forms. Color of her Vestment is white, that dipicts that she is Sarva gun Sampan.

2) Mahasaraswati: She is the 1st partial expansion of Goddess Adi Parshakti, Who is primary in satva gun, She is the original power of Lord Brahma. She is Goddess of knowledge, Creation and learning. She is giver of all kinds of arts. She is one who slew Shumbha and Nishumbha, who were the symbols of stupidity and non knowledge. She was born of outer sheath of Goddess Parvati, outer Sheath of Maa Parvati represents her hardwork, spirituality and bhakti. So Maa Mahasaraswati is Primary Deity of Satva Gun. Her Nirgun Form is Sound Energy. Color of her vestment is Yellow. 3) Mahalakshmi: She is the 2nd partial expansion of Goddess Adi Parshakti, She is Goddess of material, Sustaining and spiritual satisfaction. She is original power of Lord Narayana She is giver of all kinds of wealth and pleasure. She was born of Goddess Parvati's mind expansion whose cosmic form took birth in the home of sage katya which were then created by collection of powers of all gods in her sagun form, So Maa Mahalakshmi is Primary Deity of Raja Gun. Her nirgun form is Light. Color of her vestment is Red. 4) Mahakali: She is the 3rd partial expansion of Goddess Adi Parshakti, She is Goddess of Spiritual fulfillment and Destruction. She is giver of Salavation. She is original power of Lord Shiva. She is one who helped Lord Mahavishnu to slay Demon Madhu-kaitabha. She was born of the eyes of Godhead Mahavishnu. Maa Mahakali is Primary Deity of Tamo Gun. Heat Energy is her Nirgun Form. Color of her vestments is Blue. Adi Shakti diversion to other forms

Maa Parvati Mahasaraswati Brahmacharini Chandraghanta Shailputri Mahalakshmi Kashminda Katyaani Mahagauri Mahakali Skandmata Kaalratri Sidhidhaatri Bhajans and Mantras There are many ancient Shakti devotional songs and vibrational chants in the Hindu and Sikh traditions. The recitation of the Sanskrit bij mantra MA is commonly used to call upon the Divine Mother, the Shakti, as well as the Moon. Kundalini-Shakti-Bhakti Mantra Adi Shakti, Adi Shakti, Adi Shakti, Namo Namo! Sarab Shakti, Sarab Shakti, Sarab Shakti, Namo Namo! Prithum Bhagvati, Prithum Bhagvati, Prithum Bhagvati, Namo Namo! Kundalini Mata Shakti, Mata Shakti, Namo Namo! Translation: Primal Shakti, I bow to Thee! All-Encompassing Shakti, I bow to Thee! That through which Divine Creates, I bow to Thee! Creative Power of the Kundalini, Mother of all Mother Power, To Thee I Bow!8 "Merge in the Maha Shakti. This is enough to take away your misfortune. This will carve out of you a woman. Woman needs her own Shakti, not anybody else will do it… When a woman chants the Kundalini Bhakti mantra, God clears the way. This is not a religion, it is a reality. Woman is not born to suffer, and woman needs her own power.” “When India and Indian women knew this mantra, it dwelt in the land of milk and honey.” ~ Yogi Bhajan (Harbhajan Singh) 9 Shaktism Sri Guru Amritananda Natha Saraswati, performing the Navavarana Puja, an important ritual in Srividya Tantric Shaktism, at the Sahasrakshi Meru Temple at Devipuram, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Shaktism regards Devi (lit., "the Goddess") as the Supreme Brahman itself, the "one without a second", with all other forms of divinity, female or male, considered to be merely Her diverse manifestations. In the details of its philosophy and practice, Shaktism resembles Saivism. However, Shaktas (Sanskrit: Śakta, शक्त), practitioners of Shaktism, focus most or all worship on Shakti, as the dynamic feminine aspect of the Supreme Divine. Shiva, the masculine aspect of divinity, is considered solely transcendent, and Shiva's worship is generally relegated to an auxiliary role.10 from Devi-Mahatmya - By you this universe is borne, By you this world is created, Oh Devi, by you it is protected from Shaktisangama Tantra - Woman is the creator of the universe the universe is her form; woman is the foundation of the world, she is the true form of the body. In woman is the form of all things, of all that lives and moves in the world. There is no jewel rarer than woman, no condition superior to that of a woman. Vaishnavism Like Shiva-associated Shaktism, Shakti embodies the active feminine energy and power of male supreme deity Vishnu in Vaishnavism. Vishnu's female counterpart is called Lakshmi. However, in Srivaishnavism, a school of Vaishnavism, Lakshmi or Sri does not play any particular part in the creative function of the Lord, because Prakriti is the manifest aspect of the Lord.11 In Srivaishnavism, Vishnu alone is the great creator, although Sri is coeval with Him.12 As Vishnu is the Father who stands for absolute justice, Sri is the Mother of the universe and is considered to be important element in the redemption of mankind, and is the interceder with Vishnu on behalf of spiritual seekers.12 Smarta Advaita

In the Smarta Advaita sect of Hinduism, Shakti is considered to be one of five equal bonafide personal forms of God in the panchadeva system advocated by Adi Shankara.13 Shakti force: Devi Prakriti Devi Prakriti (a Shakti) in the context of Shaktis as forces unifies Kundalini, Kriya, Itcha, Para, Jnana, Mantrika Shaktis. Each is in a chakra. Standard representation The Adi Shakti has a Unicode representation of U+262C (☬) on the Miscellaneous Symbols table. This symbol is also known as the Khanda used in Sikhism. See also Shekhinah Further reading Shakti and Shakta, by John Woodroffe, Published by Forgotten Books, 1910. ISBN 160620145X. Hymns to the Goddess, Translated by John George Woodroffe, Ellen Elizabeth (Grimson) Woodroffe, Published by Forgotten Books, 1952 (org 1913). ISBN 1606201468. Hymn to Kali:Karpuradi Stotra, by Sir John Woodroffe. Published by Forgotten Books. 1922. ISBN 1606201476. McDaniel, June (2004). Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls: Popular Goddess Worship in West Bengal. New York: Oxford University Press.  Datta, Reema and Lowitz, Lisa. Sacred Sanskrit Words, Stonebridge Press, Berkeley, 2005. Feuerstein, Georg. The Shambhala Encyclopedia of Yoga, Shambhala Publications, Boston, 2000 Tiwari, Bri. Maya. The Path of Practice: A Woman's Book of Ayurvedic Healing, Motilal Banarsidass Press, 2002 Shakti : Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Women’s Empowerment in India/edited by Ranjana Harish and V. Bharathi Harishankar. New Delhi, Rawat, 2003, ISBN 81-7033-793-3. Notes Constructs such as ibid. and loc. cit. are discouraged by Wikipedia's style guide for footnotes, as they are easily broken. Please improve this article by replacing them with named references (quick guide), or an abbreviated title. ^ Sacred Sanskrit words, p.111 ^ Tiwari, Path of Practice, p. 55 ^ The Shambhala Encyclopedia of Yoga, p.270 ^ Ibid, p.162 ^ Tiwari, Path of Practice p.54 ^ Tiwari, Path of Practice, p.54 ^ Hindu Goddesses Visions of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Tradition by David Kinsley page 17 minor vedic Goddesses ^ Yogi Bhajan as quoted in the Conscious Pregnancy Yoga Teacher's Manual by Tarn Tarn Kaur, Espanola, New Mexico p. 79 ^ Ibid ^ Subramuniyaswami, p. 1211. ^ Swami Tapasyananda, Bhakti Schools of Vedanta, pg. 52, Ramakrishna Mission ^ a b Swami Tapasyananda, Bhakti Schools of Vedanta, pg. 53, Ramakrishna Mission ^ http://www.himalayanacademy.com/resources/books/dws/dws_mandala-02.html External links Shakti: Listing of usage in Puranic literature v · d · eHindu deities and texts Gods Deva · Brahma · Vishnu · Shiva · Rama · Krishna · Ganesha · Murugan · Hanuman · Indra · Surya · more Goddesses Devi · Saraswati · Lakshmi · Sati · Parvati · Durga · Shakti · Kali · Sita · Radha · Mahavidya · Navadurga · Matrikas · more Texts Vedas · Upanishads · Puranas · Ramayana · Mahabharata · Bhagavad Gita · more Hinduism · Hindu mythology · Indian epic poetry