Goddesses in Hindu culture or Sanatan Dharma, the oldest religion in the world, are linked with divine feminine energy – the nurturing and compassionate aspect of the Godhead. The Shaktism school of Hindu tradition considers Shakti (feminine energy) as the ultimate source of all creation and the cause of the maintenance and destruction of the material universe.
In contrast, the Vaishnavas claim Lord Vishnu as the Supreme cause of all causes and the original Personality of Godhead. Goddesses are the internal potencies of the male consorts and assist them in their various material and spiritual affairs. This can be understood through the analogy of fire.
Fire has the characteristics of light and heat. Without these elements, it cannot be regarded as fire. This means that light and heat are inseparable parts and parcels of fire. Similarly, Goddess or Shakti is the internal energy of the Godhead and cannot ever be separated from Him. The root cause of energy is the energetic.
Hinduism is diverse and allows people having different degrees of faith and influenced by modes of material nature to take to different paths of spiritual practices. There are various Goddesses to worship according to their inclination and desires (material or spiritual). Each deity is associated with different departmental aspects of this material world and inspires the conditioned souls to surrender to the Supreme.
Feminine energy is all about the love and care of a mother who never wants to see her children suffer gravely. She is the ocean of mercy and boundless compassion flows from her heart for illusioned souls. The concept of worshiping the deities of Hindu Goddesses has been devised in the Vedic scriptures to build a personal connection with them. The worshipers engage in their devotional service and experience the bliss of a loving relationship. Here are some Hindu Goddesses who are revered for their feminine energy and power:
The statue of Lakshmi Goddess displays her as having a beautiful golden complexion, wearing a red silk saree, and possessing four arms carrying a blooming lotus flower in two hands. With one hand, she pours down an influx of gold coins which represents wealth and prosperity. She is the consort and the divine energy of Lord Vishnu who resides in Vaikuntha, His eternal abode which is free of all material afflictions and miseries.
Lakshmi Devi is the epitome of all feminine qualities and engages them in pleasing Lord Vishnu. Shastra explains that taking the shelter of the Lotus feet of Lord Vishnu is the only means to be delivered from the cycle of repeated births and deaths. But to get the mercy of the Lord is impossible unless one has attained the causeless mercy of Goddess Lakshmi.
The Lord is pleased only when His internal potency is pleased. Goddess Lakshmi being very merciful gives a chance to the conditioned beings to return to Godhead. However, if the rebellious souls choose not to accept her mercy and try to enjoy the material world through their minds and senses, she bestows them with material assets which further bind them to the world. But for those who pray to her to approach Lord Vishnu, she bestows on them the greatest benediction and fulfils their spiritual desires.
Durga Goddess is known for her powerful form – riding a lion or tiger and having eight or ten arms carrying various weapons and articles. Some Puranas depict the pastime in which she killed a demon named Mahishasura who declared war against the demigods and started creating havoc on the earth by harassing the living entities.
Goddess Durga, with her powerful Trident weapon and immense rage, confronted the Mahishasura demon in a fierce battle and slayed him. This pastime is celebrated as the nine-day festival of Navaratri in which nine forms of Durga Devi are worshiped with devotion. Behind the fierce form of Goddess Durga is her extremely caring and nurturing quality to protect the Dharmic living entities from miscreants. She is the presiding deity of this material world.
Goddess Parvati or Uma is the consort of Lord Shiva, the lord among all demigods. She is often shown with her two children, Lord Ganesha and Lord Kartikeya, and her divine husband. There are many instances in the Vedic Shastra where it is described how unmarried girls worship Goddess Parvati to get a qualified husband and to live in a religious householder order of life (Grihastha Ashram).
Even if Lord Shiva, being the most revered personality, does not live in an opulent palace, Goddess Parvati does not complain and serves him without any ulterior motives. When a woman worships Goddess Uma with sincere devotion, she blesses her with all the qualities of a chaste woman who serves her husband lovingly and in a submissive mood.
Goddess Kali is probably the most misunderstood aspect of Shakti than any other form. Her black complexion, disheveled hair, her tongue lolling out, her neck garlanded with human skulls, and ash smeared on her body. This seemingly terrible form of Kali Ma represents her wrath towards the demonizing elements in the material world.
When the demons overburden the earth and irreligion starts prevailing, her extremely fierce form creates fear in the hearts of the miscreants. Anyone who worships Kali Goddess is protected from disturbing elements and is able to devote their lives to the Supreme Absolute Truth.
Ever-youthful Srimati Radharani is the primeval internal potency of Lord Krishna. Endowed with unlimited transcendental qualities, She attracts even the all-attractive Lord who is beyond the reach of even austere sages and saints. It is described that Lord Krishna is the most merciful form of the Supreme yet Srimati Radharani even excels Him in His compassionate nature. One who meditates upon the transcendental form Goddess Radhika develops all divine feminine qualities to attract the attention of Lord Krishna, the bestower of all kinds of liberation.
Hindu Goddesses teach us to harmonize soft feminine qualities and empowerment. While unbound benevolence flows from their heart, they still take strong action against irreligious forces. But even their most fierce forms carry the hidden compassion for all beings – even the demons who get slayed earn spiritual credit and attain better destinations.
Engage in the deity worship of these personalities and experience the topmost bliss which can never be achieved in exchange for any material asset. At Exotic India Art, we have a diverse collection of Hindu Goddesses statues that show exemplary intricate details and induce divinity around the space.
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