INTRODUCTION                     

Sanatana Dharma is the most unique and profound dharmic tradition, dating back to the early Rig Vedic period of 7000 BC (Bhatnagar, AK) and continuing till the present period; and now over a millennium, it is referred to as Hinduism. One of its significant attributes is worshiping Ishwara in the feminine form and giving equal status to women in society. Though at various points in history, the society becomes patriarchal for various reasons, it never crosses the red line unlike other societies beyond the boundaries of Bharatvarsha. There are several examples in the Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas where Ishwara is worshiped in the feminine form, unlike in the Abrahamic religions where it is exclusively masculine. 

In Hinduism, females and males are the two halves of ‘one whole’ in the form of Shiva and Shakti. The Hindu scriptures extol the quality of the female divine as well as the spiritual equality among male and female deities while highlighting the differences in their manifested forms.  In the ancient ages, even from the pre-Vedic era and in present-day Hindu culture, in tradition, and in literature, women are given the highest honor and a prime role in family and society. The Rig Veda is the first Hindu scripture that mentions the Absoluteness of the feminine divine, and the divine truth was realized by female sages or rishikas. In an ideal tradition, a woman is treated as a princess at her parents’ home and a queen by her in-laws. 

DIVINE PRESENCE OF WOMEN IN FAMILY LIFE 

Women are principally denoted by four words, i.e., Jananī, Jāyā, Bhaginī, and Putrī. Jananī is the mother who gives birth, nurtures, and is an embodiment of endless love, affection, and sacrifice; perhaps no attributes of the glory of a mother can ever be possible in this world. Jāyā or Patnī is a co-partner of a man in family life, in religious and societal duties as well as a co-traveler in the path of ascendance to higher worlds; hence the word ‘wife’ is not a substitute for the word ‘Jāyā’ or ‘Patnī’. She has a unique standing as a companion in the journey of a male person, whereas the other three, viz., Jananī, Bhaginī, and Putrī are related to both male and female individuals. A Bhaginī or sister, being a companion in childhood joy, innocence, friendship, and the beholder of similar virtues of a person, occupies a special position in one’s life. A Putrī or daughter, is an embodiment of endless affection. In a dharmic tradition like ours, these relations are not simply for worldly happiness in this present world, and if they become so, then they become bondage and cause of suffering. These relations are for benediction in the present world as well as for the performance of dharmic actions leading to evolution from our present state of consciousness to higher realms.

IS THE SUPREME MASCULINE OR FEMININE?    

In other religions, the Supreme power is worshiped in masculine form, but in the Sanatan Dharma, this concept is much broader. It says that the Supreme Lord is: i) masculine, ii) feminine, iii) both masculine and feminine, and iv) neither masculine nor feminine. The worship of Ishwara, Purusha, Shiva, Tridevas- Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesha, and other Devatas are of masculine forms. Similarly, Durgā, Chandi, Prakriti, Shakti, Tridevis- Mahākālī, Mahālaxmī, Mahāsaraswatī, and other Devis are worshiped as feminine forms. We worship Ardhanarīswara, the combined form of Shiva and Shakti, where the divine is both masculine and feminine. And when we denote the word “Tat or Tat pada” to the Absolute or the Nirguna Brahman, that is neither masculine nor feminine. But here in this essay, our emphasis is on elaborating upon feminine divinity.

BHAGAVATPADA’S REALISATION OF SHAKTI                        

Bhagavatpāda Shri Ādi Sankaracharya is known for the propagation of Advaita Vedanta and was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. But during the initial stage of his spiritual journey, he neglected the feminine divine and believed that there was no such actual feminine power. One day, while worshiping or doing Abhishekam of Lord Shiva on the river bank of Mother Ganga at Kashi, he required some water to complete the Abhishekam. While walking to the holy river to fetch water, he fell unconscious and was unable to reach the river that was just flowing by his side. He felt so fatigued that he was unable to pick up a dry leaf. He was even unable to utter a word. He was seeking some help but couldn’t as he had lost all his vigor. Soon after some time, he saw an old widow coming towards him. The old woman, addressing him as son, asked why he was lying there. Shri Ādi Sankaracharya said he couldn’t take water from the river for the Lord’s Abhishekam as he had no strength (or Shakti) left within him. Listening to his answer, the old mother smiled and said, “how is it possible that due to lack of Shakti you are not able to fetch water? You always denied the existence of Shakti, and proclaimed Shiva as the Ultimate. It is strange that you are now contradicting your own theory. Try once more, my son!” Then Bhagavatpāda said, “Oh mother! I am unable to fill the water and I understand that you are not an ordinary woman. Be kind to me and reveal yourself.” Then the old woman came to her actual form, and She is Mā Ādi Shakti. By seeing her and realizing his fault, and then surrendering him at the feet of Mā Ādi Shakti he narrated: 

“Na tāto na mātā na bandhur na dātā

na putro na putrī na bhrityo na bhartā; 

na jāyā na vidyā na vrittir mamaiva

gatistvam gatistvam tvamekā bhavāni. ” (Bhavānyastakam: 1)

Neither the father nor the mother, neither the friends nor the donors;

Neither the sons nor the daughters, neither the servants nor the husband;

Neither the wife nor the worldly knowledge, neither my profession belongs to me;

Oh Mother Bhavāni, You are my refuge; You alone are my refuge.

This verse is from his Bhavānyastakam. His famous Devi Stutis are Ānandalahari, Soundaryalahari, Lalitāpanchakam, Shriannapurnā Strotram, Shrikālikāstakam and many more. This one incident changed the perspective of Bhagavatpada about the feminine aspect of Ishwara and made him one of Her ardent devotees.

RISHIKĀ VĀK AMBHRINI 

Though the above example is a popular event glorifying the feminine divinity in Hinduism, the first mentioned description of this can be traced back to the early Rig Veda. There are more than thirty female sages (rishikās) in the Rig Veda, which denotes hymns associated with them. Vāk Ambhrini is one of the first female poet-seer mentioned there. She was the daughter of Rishi Ambhrina and is known as Rishika Vāgāmbrini. Her name is combined with two words Vāk (meaning speech or Vāgdevi) and that of her father, Rishi Ambhrina. She is regarded as the avatar of goddess Vāk or Saraswati, the Ādi Shakti. 

After attaining the samadhi, or highest consciousness through meditation in a Rishi-like-state when one has a glimpse of Knowledge of the Self, she realized “Aham Brahmāsmi” which means “I am the Brahman” or “I am the Absolute”. She finds her existence integral to that of the Goddess of speech or Vāgdevi.  Her hymns appear in RigVeda, Mandala 10, Sûkta 125 as Vāk Sûkta. It is also known as Ātma Sûkta – the song of the Self or Devi Sûkta – the song of Devī. The eight verses in this sûkta explain the realization of the Absolute as the Self. The oneness of the individual self with the Brahman is described, and that too, in a feminine perspective. 

Vāk sûkta hymns are sacred with spiritual knowledge and ritual chants. She is treated as Jagat Jananī – the mother of the universe as the creator, and is called Prakriti, Mother Nature. She is a feminine manifested form of the Absolute; in fact all the manifestation is feminine, it is prakriti (nature). The Devi makes it possible for rishis – the learned seers and sages – to hear, grasp, and reveal the truths of pure existence, to devise, and create the hymns and rituals that express the knowledge of their visions in a Rishi-like-state. She bestows vision on the seers. She gives wisdom to the wise.  She is the energy principle of this universe. She is the center of the creation of all wisdom. In Vāk Sûkta she says (here the first and last verses of the sûkta are given below);

Aham rudrebhir vasubhis charāamyaham ādityair uta visvadevaihû

Aham mitra varunobhā bibharmyaham indrāgni aham asvinobhā. (Ātmasûkta: 1)

I move with the Rudras and also with the Vasus, I walk with the Adityas and the Vishwadevas. I hold both Mitra and Varuna, and also Indra and Agni, and the twin Ashvini Kumaras.

Here Vāgdevi teaches that the entire world appears in the Self only. The substractum of all these names and forms, from Rudras to Ashvini Kumaras, is nothing but the Self. 

Ahameva vāta iva pra vāmi arabhamānā bhuvanāni vishvā;

Paro divā para enā prithivi etāvatī mahinā sam babhûva. (Ātmasûkta: 2)

I blow as the mighty wind on my own without being directed by anyone else, I as the cause, hold together all these worlds. I am beyond the heavens and above the earth, such am I in my might and fame.

This means she says; “I am the cause, power, and strength of this world. I am the knowledge; I am the one who gives food, the wind which the beings breathe, and so on. I am beyond all the manifestations. Though I am everything still I am untouched, unattached. I am the Absolute Consciousness. I move with my own glory”.

ADITI, THE BEGINNINGLESS 

The Divine Mother is sung as Aditi and she has manifested as the Praāna, the life energy: Yā prānena sambhabatyaditih devatāmayī (Kathopanishad: 2-1-7). Rig Veda says; from Aditi, the Unborn Parā Shakti was born Daksha, the Able One, the Creator, and again from Daksha the Aditi, the Ādishakti was born (Rig Veda: 10-72-4). And now from the Aditi, the Ādishakti who is the daughter of Daksha many noble immortal Devs took birth (Rig Veda: 10-72-5). She is the ultimate creator, and She is the creation. 

SCRIPTURES SING THE GLORY OF THE DIVINE MOTHER AND COMMON PRACTICES

There are many other Vedic richas that sing the glory of the Divine Mother. To mention some of those are Rātrisûkta, Shrisûkta, Shridevyatharvashirsa, Bahbrichopanisad, Bhavanopanisad, and Arunopanisad. Most Hindus are familiar with Rātrisûkta and Shridevyatharvashirsa as these are part of their daily recitations. It is needless to mention that the most famous Vedic mantra is the Gāyatri mantra and Gāyatri Upāsanā is a daily ritual practice for most of the Sanatanis.

There is a vast body of literature on feminine divinity, and it is not possible to mention it all here. Very common and popularly used in every household is Shri Durgā Saptashatī from Mārkendeya Purāna; this is recited and is commonly called ‘Chandi Pātha’. Then we have the famous Shrimad Devībhāgavat Mahāpunaā singing the glory of the Mahādevī.

The common practice of worshipping the Mother is in Navarātrī, Dashaharā, Deepavali, Basanta Panchami, Sharad Purnima, and so many other occasions. Visiting fifty-one Shakti Peethas as a pilgrimage and worshiping there is a part inof the life of devotees of the Divine Mother.  The worship of Grāma Devatī, the Goddess of the Village, is a very common practice in our villages. She is worshiped in various forms as Nava Durgā, Sapta Mātrika, Asta Kalī, Asta Lakshmi, Shodasha Mātrikā, Chausathi Yogini, Dasha Mahvidya, and so on.

In Vaishnavite traditions (the worshipers of Lord Vishnu), Radha Rani has a special place in the tradition as she is the Power of Bliss of the Supreme Lord and, without her grace, success in bhakti (devotion) is not possible.

SHĀKTA TANTRA

We have a vast literature and tradition of worshiping the Divine as the mother in Shākta Tantra. Mostly it is known as Kaula Tantra and is broadly divided into the worship of Devis of Shri Kula and Kali Kula. These are ritualistic practices, lengthy in nature, and require special training. So these practices are restricted to the Guru-shishya tradition in Tantra. The sixty-four Tantric works of literature are found for this purpose and are not read by ordinary people. 

Then we have Samayāchāra Tantra which is a higher form of meditation technique practiced under the guidance of a Guru.

Yantra pujā is also found in Tantra where a specially designed geometric instrument or diagram is worshiped. Shri Yantra worship is very profound among these, along with others like Durga Yantra, Kali Yantra, etc. These are also learned from a Guru of a tradition.

Then there are some secret and rare practices in Vāma Mārga, the left path in Tantra. Since these are not accepted by society, not much is known to ordinary people about these traditions, and they are looked at with fear. These can be called aberrations in spiritual traditions.

WORSHIP OF COMPONENTS OF MOTHER NATURE

Hindus worships Bhudevi or the mother earth, holy rivers like Ma Ganga, tirthas or pilgrimage places like Prayagraj, mountains like the Himalayas, seven seas, seven main landmasses, the Sun, Moon, planets, stars, fire, air, water, ether, trees, and animals, and many of these in feminine form. We see divinity in anything and everything because they are all manifestations of One Divine. 

CONCLUSION

It is really difficult to draw a conclusion about feminine divinity since it is infinite in nature. It is also not possible to mention all of these in a single article and by a single author. But we can conclude with what the Vedic Rishis have taught us; Mātru devo bhava, let your mother be your first deity. So we learn first to worship our own mother, who has given birth to us, and from there we begin to walk in the path of the worship of feminine divinity.

REFERENCES

1. Kalyana, Shakti Upasana Anka, 1987, Gita Press, Gorakhpur- 273005, U.P.
2. Giri, Swami Nityananda, 2013, Kriya-yoga: The Science of Life-force, Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi- 110055
3. Devistrotraratnakara, Code 1774, Gita Press, Gorakhpur- 273005, U.P.
4. Bhatnagar, AK, 2012, Astronomical dating of planetary references in Rgveda and epics using planetarium software, In Historicity of Vedic and Ramayan Eras, eds. Bala, S and Mishra, K, I-SERVE, Hyderabad- 500035 
5. Shestirs, 2013/08/11, Goddess Vak- Queen of Heaven, Mother of Speech…, shestirs.wordpress.com
6. Chaitanya, Satya, Vak Ambrini and Her song of the Soul, boloji.com/articles/1747