Hindu Goddesses

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From the Jacket This book incorporates outlines of most of the important Hindu Goddesses, in religion, thought and literature. Hinduism, a religion which has never converted into its philosophies and the one which has always given out and never taken in, forms the first chapter of this introductory book. The second chapter makes a mention of different Goddesses Vedic, Brahmanical and in Hinduism. Chapter third is an account of Vedic Goddesses Aditi, Diti, Prithivi, Saranyu, on which published literature, so for, is scanty. Saraswati, Ganga and Yamuna have been further described, published literature on these is not comprehensive. Subsequent chapters on Lakshmi, Devi, Sati, Parvati, Durga and Kali give their broad aspects, origin, power, legends and worship. Bibliographical reference as foot notes show the authenticity of the text and are a guide for those interest in detailed studies. In order to make the publication interesting and to exhibit the artistic symbolism of the Goddesses, a few illustrations have been included. The index at the end provides a ready hasty reference to the text.

The book will be found interesting by those curious to gain knowledge of Hindu mythology, in its true aspect, philanthropists, indologists and artists interested in mythological art.

About the Authors Dr. (Mrs.) Chitralekha Singh is a reader in the department of fine Arts. Agra College, Agra. She is the first woman D.Lit. in the world in Drawing and Painting. Her deep knowledge of Hindu mythology has already won an international reputation for her published two volume set ‘Paintings of Siva in Indian Art’, a classic, knowledgeable for philosophers, theologists, Historians. Artists and scholars in literature. Her other published works are ‘Art of China’ and ‘Drawings of Rajasthan’. A prolific writer, she has contributed many papers to research journals, contributed articles to magazines and newspapers. She is the sub editor of the research journal ‘Tria’ an organ of Agra Artists Association. Her forthcoming works are ‘Drawing series: Mughal, Pahari and Modern. She is also writing on the life and works of contemporary Indian Artists (Painters).

Shri Prem Nath, with an academic career in, Medicine, Science, and Law, is a very well read person who has co-related his basic studies in Religion and Philosophy, fine arts, archaeology, Indology history and mythology. His approach to the topic is scientific, logical and easily understandable.

Preface The aim of this book is to apprise the reader the importance of Goddess worship in Hinduism. It is a preliminary book, dealing with a vast, highly complicated subject of Hindu Mythology.

Generally the books have a chapter on “Introduction”. Such chapter is read by only those who wish to have an intensive study, but the general reader skips over “Introduction” and runs to the first chapter. In this book “Introduction” has been avoided, so that reader starts with the first chapter, which gives broad outlines of Vedism, Brahmanism and Hinduism. It was considered essential so that the general reader could have the necessary background before studying the later ones. An introductory chapter on Goddesses follows the one on Hinduism. This is also a run through the basic goddess cult in Hinduism.

Vedic Goddesses are rarely worshiped, although they are the natural mother goddesses. Literature on such deities is also scanty and beyond the reach of the general literature read by a common man. Foreign writers, who have contributed vast knowledge of Hindu mythology, have not been able to do justice to these deities. They just mention them, but not adequately. A brief description of the Vedic female deities has been given in this book, elaboration will follow in subsequent books, one each vedic Goddess.

Whereas there is abundance of literature on Hindu Gods, the literature on Hindu Goddesses is not adequate, in Modern Hinduism, Worship of Hindu Goddesses, their temples, their festivals and their celebrations (fasts, offerings and devotion) is much more, yet written text on them, their iconography, mythology is inadequate. This book gives a short account of a few important and popular vedic, Brahmanical and Hinduism Goddesses.

There are certain deities, matris, matrikas, Nayaikas, Yoginis who are worshipped, but are not Goddesses. No description has been given of these; as also of Tantric Devi (Shakti). Tantricism is a very wide subject, only a passing reference to some Goddesses, mentioned in this topic, has been made under different Goddesses.

There are innumerable regional and village-to-village deities, who are worshipped. It was outside the scope of this book to give any details about them.

Our endeavour in this book has been to give an outline account of Hindu Goddesses so that the common man and the Westerners could gain a basic true knowledge. Few illustrations added will not only make the publication impressive but their very depiction will exhibit the power and strength of the particular Goddess.

Crest publishing House after publishing, ‘Hindu Gods’, have launched this project on Hindu Goddesses. We are obliged to Shri S.C. Sethi, for having entrusted this project to us.

We hereby gratefully acknowledge the rich material used by us from books in the bibliography. We express our gratitude to the authors and the publishers, concerned.

We request the readers to let us the publishers know any querries that they may have, so that those can be dealt with in the series.

Back of the Book Myths, legends and stories are the life-blood of every nation and race. Here in these pages have brought together many of those of ancient India. The gods of the elements play and war together and help human beings in their troubles. The great powers of creation-preservation and destruction-regeneration come to life before us. Demons trouble the earth and are destroyed and wonderful things come from the churning of the Ocean of Mink.

The heroes and heroines of the great Epics: the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, live again: while Rama, Krishna and Gautama the Buddha appears as examples of the perfact king and man, of the spiritual teacher and friend, and of glorious sacrifices. Hanuman’s devotion and loyalty make him perhaps the most beloved of legendary figures.

Through these pages the great panorama of life unfolds to us part of its mystery.

Let us hopes that these stories will never fade from human memory.

Contents

	Preface	vii
	List of Illustrations	xi
Chapter 1	Hinduism: An Introduction	1
Chapter 2	Hindu Goddesses	13
Chapter 3.1	Vedic Goddesses	19
	3-1.1 Aditi	23
	3-1.-1-1 Diti	26
	3-1.2 Prithvi	32
	3-1.3 Saranyu	53
	3-14 Ushas	56
	3-1.5 Nisha	68
	3-1.6 Rati	73
	3-1.7 Manasa	79
Chapter 3.2	River Goddesses	83
	3-2.1 Ganga	84
	3-2.2 Yamuna	107
	3-2.3 Saraswati	112
Chapter 4	Brahmanical Hindu Goddesses	123
	4-1 Saraswati	123
	4-2 Lakshmi	130
	4-3 Devi	145
	4-3.1 Sati	176
	4-3.2 Uma	194
	4-3.3 Parvati	203
	4-3.4 Durga	227
	4-3.5 Kali	239
	4-3.6 Shitla	250
	4-3.7 Shashti	252
	Bibliography	259
	Index	262