Shaktism Shaktism (Śāktaḥ, lit., “doctrine of energy, power, the eternal goddess“) is a major tradition of Hinduism, wherein the metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically a woman and Shakti is regarded as the supreme godhead. It includes many goddesses, all considered aspects of the same supreme goddess. Shaktism has different sub-traditions, ranging from those...
Kali Kali ( काली, Kālī), also known as Kālikā (कालिका) or Shyāmā (श्यामा), is a Hindu goddess. Kali is the chief of the Mahavidyas, a group of ten Tantric goddesses. Kali‘s earliest appearance is that of a destroyer of evil forces. She is the most powerful form of Shakti, and the goddess of one of...
Devi Devī (देवी) is the Sanskrit word for “goddess“; the masculine form is Deva. Devi – the feminine form, and Deva – the masculine form, mean “heavenly, divine, anything of excellence”, and are also gender specific terms for a deity in Hinduism. The concept and reverence for goddesses appear in the Vedas, which...
Mahavidya Mahavidyas (Great Wisdoms) are a group of ten aspects of Adi Parashakti in Hinduism. After the decline of Buddhism in India, Sakta and Buddhist goddesses were combined to form this list of ten. The development of Mahavidyas represents an important turning point in the history of Shaktism as it marks the rise...