Shaktism

Shaktism
/shuk"tiz euhm, shahk"-/, n. Hinduism.
the worship of Shakti as the wife of Shiva.
Also, Saktism.
[1900-05; SHAKT(I) + -ISM]

* * *

Worship of the supreme Hindu goddess Shakti.

Together with Vaishnavism and Shaivism, it is one of the major forms of Hinduism practiced today. Particularly prominent in Bengal and Assam, Shaktism takes various forms depending on conceptions of Shakti. In popular worship she has many names, and some scholars consider most female deities in Hinduism to be various manifestations of her. Shakti is worshiped and cultivated as a power that can lead to spiritual liberation. Shaktism is inseparably related to the system of practices for the purification of mind and body that are grouped under Tantric Hinduism.

* * *

▪ Hindu sect
also spelled  Śāktism 

      worship of the Hindu supreme goddess, Shakti (Sanskrit: “Power,” or “Energy”). Shaktism is, together with Vaiṣṇavism and Śaivism, one of the major forms of modern Hinduism and is especially popular in Bengal and Assam. Shakti is conceived of either as the paramount goddess or as the consort of a male deity, generally Śiva.

      People of spiritual disposition worship Shakti as the divine will, the divine mother who calls for absolute surrender. Yogis consider Shakti as the power, lying dormant within the body as a coiled serpent (kuṇḍalinī), that must be aroused and realized to reach spiritual liberation. Shaktism is inseparably related to Tantric Hinduism (q.v.), a system of practices for the purification of both mind and body.

      In popular worship the goddess Shakti is known by many names; some authorities consider most female deities in Hinduism to be her different manifestations. She may be referred to simply as Devī (goddess). In her beneficent aspect she is known variously as Umā, Pārvatī, and Ambikā. In her fierce, destructive aspect she is represented as the black Kālī, the demon-destroying Durgā, and the goddess of smallpox, Śītalā. The goddess is also worshiped as the gracious Lakṣmī, who is the consort of Vishnu.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Shaktism — ( Sanskrit: IAST|Śāktaṃ, sa. शाक्तं; lit., doctrine of power or doctrine of the Goddess ) is a denomination of Hinduism that focuses worship upon Shakti or Devi – the Hindu Divine Mother – as the absolute, ultimate Godhead. It is, along with… …   Wikipedia

  • Shaktism — also Saktism noun Date: 1877 a Hindu sect worshipping Shakti under various names (as Kali or Durga) in a cult of devotion to the female principle often with magical or orgiastic rites …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Shaktism — noun A branch of Hinduism that focuses on the worship of Shakti as a supreme goddess …   Wiktionary

  • shaktism — shak·tism …   English syllables

  • Shaktism — Shak•tism [[t]ˈʃʌk tɪz əm, ˈʃɑk [/t]] n. ear (in Hinduism) the worship of Shakti as the wife of Shiva • Etymology: 1900–05 …   From formal English to slang

  • Shaktism — noun 1. a Hindu sect worshiping Shakti • Syn: ↑Saktism • Derivationally related forms: ↑Shaktist (for: ↑Saktism), ↑Shaktist • Hypernyms: ↑sect, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • History of Shaktism — The roots of Shaktism – a Hindu denomination that focuses worship upon Shakti or Devi , the Hindu Divine Mother – penetrate deep into India s prehistory. From the Devi s earliest known appearance in Indian Paleolithic settlements more than 20,000 …   Wikipedia

  • Hinduism — /hin dooh iz euhm/, n. the common religion of India, based upon the religion of the original Aryan settlers as expounded and evolved in the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, etc., having an extremely diversified character with many… …   Universalium

  • Hindu views on God and gender — In Hinduism there are diverse approaches to the understanding of God and gender.While most Hindus focus upon God in the neutral form,Fact|date=August 2008 Brahman being of neuter gender grammatically, there are prominent Hindu traditions that… …   Wikipedia

  • Shakti — Shakti, meaning sacred force , power , or energy , is the Hindu concept or personification of the divine feminine aspect, sometimes referred to as The Divine Mother . Shakti represents the active, dynamic principles of feminine power. In Shaktism …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”