Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine

by David Kinsley

• ISBN13: 9780520204980
• ISBN10: 0520204980
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2023-07-28
• Publisher: University of California Press

Summary

The Hindu pantheon is rich in images of the divine feminine--deities representing a wide range of symbolic, social, and meditative meanings. David Kinsley's new book documents a highly unusual group of ten Hindu tantric goddesses, the Mahavidyas, many of whom are strongly associated with sexuality and violence. What is one to make of a goddess who cuts her own head off, or one who prefers sex with a corpse? The Mahavidyas embody habits, attributes, or identities usually considered repulsive or socially subversive and can be viewed as "antimodels" for women. Yet it is within the context of tantric worship that devotees seek to identify themselves with these forbidding goddesses. The Mahavidyas seem to function as "awakeners"--symbols which help to project one's consciousness beyond the socially acceptable or predictable. Drawing on a broad range of Sanskrit and vernacular texts as well as extensive research in India, including written and oral interpretations of contemporary Hindu practitioners, Kinsley describes the unusual qualities of each of the Mahavidyas and traces the parallels between their underlying themes. Especially valuable are the many rare and fascinating images he presents--each important to grasping the significance of the goddesses. Written in an accessible, engaging style, Kinsley's book provides a comprehensive understanding of the Mahavidyas and is also an overview of Hindu tantric practice.

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS	ix
Introduction	1	(8)
PART I. THE MAHAVIDYAS AS A GROUP	9	(58)
The Ten Mahavidyas	9	(5)
Typical Literary and Iconographic Contexts	14	(4)
The Mahavidyas as Forms of the Mahadevi	18	(4)
Mahavidya Origin Myths	22	(16)
Interrelationships among the Mahavidyas	38	(11)
Worship of the Mahavidyas	49	(6)
The Mahavidyas and Magical Powers	55	(2)
The Significance of the Term Mahavidya	57	(4)
Concluding Observations	61	(6)
PART II. THE INDIVIDUAL MAHAVIDYAS	67	(166)
Kali: The Black Goddess	67	(25)
Tara: The Goddess Who Guides through Troubles	92	(20)
Tripura-sundari: She Who Is Lovely in the Three Worlds	112	(17)
Bhuvanesvari: She Whose Body Is the World	129	(15)
Chinnamasta: The Self-Decapitated Goddess	144	(23)
Bhairavi: The Fierce One	167	(9)
Dhumavati: The Widow Goddess	176	(17)
Bagalamukhi: The Paralyzer	193	(16)
Matangi: The Outcaste Goddess	209	(14)
Kamala: The Lotus Goddess	223	(10)
PART III. CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS	233	(20)
Corpses and Cremation Grounds	233	(5)
Skulls and Severed Heads	238	(3)
Sexuality and Awakened Consciousness	241	(3)
The Conjunction of Death and Sexual Imagery	244	(2)
The Roles of Women and Reverence for Women	246	(5)
The Potentially Liberating Nature of Social Antimodels	251	(2)
NOTES	253	(28)
GLOSSARY	281	(8)
BIBLIOGRAPHY	289	(10)
INDEX	299