The Oxford History of Hinduism: The Goddess
The Oxford History of Hinduism: The Goddess
Professor Emerita
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Abstract
The central purpose of the book is the critical exposition of the Hindu idea of the divine feminine, or Devī, conceived as a singularity expressed in many forms. With the theological principles examined in the opening chapters, the book proceeds to describe and expound historically how individual manifestations of Devī have been imagined in Hindu religious culture and their impact upon Hindu social life. In this quest the authors draw upon the history and philosophy of major Hindu ideologies, such as the Purāṇic, Tantric, and Vaiṣṇava belief systems. A particular feature of the book is its attention not only to the major goddesses from the earliest period of Hindu religious history but also—and especially—to goddesses of later origin, in many cases of regional provenance and influence. Viewed through the lenses of worship practices, legend, and literature, belief in goddesses is discovered as the formative impulse of much of public and private life. The influence of the goddess culture is especially powerful on women’s life, often paradoxically situating women between veneration and subjection. This apparent contradiction arises from the humanization of goddesses while acknowledging their divinity, which is central to Hindu beliefs. In addition to studying the social and theological aspect of the goddess ideology, the essays in this book take anthropological, sociological, and literary approaches to delineate the emotional force of the goddess figure that claims intense human attachments and shapes personal and communal lives.
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Front Matter
- Introduction
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Part I The Idea of Devī
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Part II The Development of the Goddess Tradition
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3
Lalitā, the Graceful and Enchanting Goddess of Kāñcipuram
Sanjukta Gupta
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4
Śrī/Lakṣmī: Goddess of Plenitude and Ideal of Womanhood
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5
The Elusive Sarasvatī: A Goddess, a River, and the Search for the Universal in the Particular
Elizabeth Mary Rohlman
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6
Rādhā: Lover and Beloved of Kṛṣṇa
Tracy Coleman
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7
Sītā: Enduring Example for Women
Heidi R. Pauwels
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8
Here Are the Daughters: Reclaiming the Girl Child (Kanyā, Bālā, Kumārī) in the Empowering Tales and Rituals of Śākta Tantra
Madhu Khanna
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3
Lalitā, the Graceful and Enchanting Goddess of Kāñcipuram
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Part III The Regional Heritage
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9
Becoming a Living Goddess
Brenda Beck
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10
Bathukamma: The Folk-Song Tradition of the Flower Goddess of Telangana in South India
Prabhavati C. Reddy
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11
A Goddess from Bengal: Devī Manasā, Goddess of Serpents
Krishna Datta
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12
Domestication of the Disorderly Devī: The Caṇḍī Maṅgalakāvya of Bengal
Saswati Sengupta
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9
Becoming a Living Goddess
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Part IV Devī in the Modern World
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End Matter
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