Omkar Dattatray
Shakti is all powerful, all pervading, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient and inclusive and what not ?Again Shakti is all pervasive, universal, above all is the energy, spirit and force driving us all including the God almighty. Even God is incomplete without Shakti and all great works in the universe are possible only through spirit called Shakti. It is the driving force in this universe and it even is important to God. It is all energy, knowledge and the force without which we cannot work and attain the highest in spiritual and the material world. Even the meditation of a devotee is not possible without the blessings of the Shakti which permeates all forms of manifestation.
Thus even the Atma, Mahatma and Parmatma is incomplete without Shakti and so even gods propitiate and respect as well as revere Maa Shakti. The cause and basis of all creation is Shakti and so this universe is not possible without the driving force and energy of Shakti. Mother is also a form of Shakti and a mother is always great and her one eye stands for love and affection and the other eye stands for giving sanaskaras to her children .Every man has a women behind him which propels him to action. Mother is the form of Shakti, creates the world and sustains it too. Shakti is the epitome of love ,affection and care. Shakti permeates all living and creation and she should be respected and venerated in all her forms and manifestations. Shakti is one of the most fundamental concepts of Hindu tradition.
It represents the divine feminine and is typically associated with the mother goddess .According to Hinduism, Shakti is responsible for the universe’s creation, maintenance and destruction. Shakti takes the form of Mahakali to destroy the demons and to establish the righteousness. The concept of Shakti has been a fundamental part of Hindu tradition for thousands of years. Archeologists have found the earliest mentions of it tracing back to the Indus Valley civilization, where various artifacts depict the worship of the Mother Goddess. Shakti is also mentioned in Rig Veda, one of the oldest Hindu scriptures ,describing her as the cosmic energy that permeates the universe .However ,worshipping Shakti as a distinct form of divine feminine did not become prevalent until later in Hindu history. More specifically ,the widespread worship of her as a primary deity emerged in the medieval period with the rise of Shakta sects. Based on Hindu tradition ,the goddess Shakti is generally associated with creative energy and is responsible for the universe’s creation and destruction. Shakti also represents various goddesses who embody a broad set of elements and roles. Hindu mythology often portrays her as a powerful, dynamic force that drives the universe forward. One of the most significant ways Shakti manifests as a creative force as the mother goddess ,an essential aspect of the Hindu religion ,believed to represent the nurturing and life -giving aspects of the divine feminine. The mother goddess is often depicted as a powerful warrior who wields weapons to protect and defend her devotees. She is associated with birth ,death and rebirth cycles. Her nurturing and protective qualities make her a symbol of compassion, love and strength ,representing the ideals of motherhood. People worship the goddess for her power but also for creative energy ,as is reflected in various cultural and artistic practices such as elaborate and beautiful Rangoli designs. These designs consist of patterns made on the ground using combination of colored sand ,rice ,and flower petals. Many Rangoli designs feature images of worshipped goddesses like Laxmi or Durga. People consider these designs as a way to honor and welcome the divine feminine into their homes. Similarly, the celebration of Navratri is a festival dedicated to the worship of goddess Durga in her nine forms .Thus this festival is celebrated over nine nights and involves fasting ,puja and other rituals to honor the goddess.
The worship of Shakti is essential to many Hindu practices and rituals .As a spiritual force ,Shakti is associated with Kundalni energy, which according to Hindu teachings lies dormant at the base of spine and can be awakened through various spiritual practices. Yagna, on the other hand ,is a way to worship that involves praying to the goddess and giving her offerings in a sacred fire .Another example is the practice of Tantra, which is closely related to the worship of Shakti. Tantra is a spiritual practice that uses the divine power of the feminine to achieve transformation and self-development. The practice involves meditation breath work ,and visualization to awaken Kundalini energy and channel it towards spiritual growth. Shakti has significantly impacted popular media and culture ,especially in India ,where people embrace the divine feminine as a symbol of female empowerment. The Bollywood film industry produces many films depicting the power and strength of feminine energy. One famous example is ”Mother India ”about a women’s struggle to rise her children against all odds ,which is praised for portraying the mother goddess as a symbol of resilience and strength. Shakti is seen as a symbol of female strength and resistance to patriarchy .The symbolic value of Shakti plays a vital role in India’s culture. Shakti plays an integral part in Hinduism as a dynamic and powerful force. The influence of Shakti exists ritualistically, spiritually, and within popular culture and media. By understanding Shakti’s role in Hinduism. We can appreciate the symbolic value of a very powerful concept. In Hindu scriptures women is held in high esteem and many religious and spiritual rituals are incomplete without the participation of women. But despite all this importance and respect to Shakti, women in India are discriminated and atrocities are committed against them in homes and at work places ,schools ,play grounds and in fact everywhere. On one side we worship girls on Navratri and on the other side we heap atrocities on them. It is very unfortunate that in India ,women are emotionally and even sexually exploited. The women are harassed and intimidated. There is discrimination with the women and all this should come to an end. We talk much about women empowerment ,but do little in practical world to really empower women. Now Modi government has played a great role in passing of the legislation in both houses of the parliament to provide 33% reservation to women in Lok Sabha and the state legislatures and this is really a historical development in the democratic history of the country. It is hoped that with the passage of this bill ,the glaring discriminations with the women will come to an end .Besides the women will have a great say and role in the governance of the country .We should learn to respect and revere the women who are the true forms of Shakti in practical world.
Shakti is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient and all pervading and even god’s are incomplete without the primeval force and energy called Shakti. Shiv is incomplete without Shakti and in fact mankind is incomplete without Shakti and thus Shakti in its various forms and manifestations is indispensible not only for gods, humanity but the whole cosmos is incomplete without the Shakti as energy is very important and the life is incomplete without Shakti. In Sanatan Dharma, Shakti is worshipped in its various forms and to be specific during Navratras, nine forms of Maa Durga are worshipped and these nine forms of Durga are in fact the nine forms of Shakti. Hindus worship and pay reverence to various forms of Shakti and in ordinary life as well Hindus worship Shakti in various forms. Even Narayan is incomplete without his consort Lakshmi and similarly, Ram is incomplete without Sita and Krishna is incomplete without Radha ,meaning thereby that even various forms of God are incomplete without Shakti. So far as humans are concerned, Shakti is indispensible for them and every man has a women behind him to lift him up and induce him to do all chorus of activities. No creation is possible without feminine power and from birth to death Shakti is all important .We cannot think of creation without the role of Shakti.
Hindus are the worshippers of Shakti as in Navratras small girls are worshipped in every home and they are presented with gifts and money as well as all items like bangles ,handkerchief ,utensils ,nail polish and are served Prasad and their feet are washed and much respect is paid to these little girls and they are considered as being the nine forms of Maa Shakti or Maa Durga.
Despite all this women are subjected to physical, emotional and sexual exploitation and in various parts of the country rape, kidnapping, abduction and murder of women are taking place.
These barbaric atrocities puts all of us to shame .We are hypocrites because on one side we worship girls but on the other side heap atrocities on them including rape and murder .There is urgent need to change the societal perception about women and we should try to put the religious prescriptions about women into practice and end all discrimination and atrocities against women .There is also need to implement stringent laws against those indulging into rape cum murder .Whole society should revolt against the discrimination and barbarity against women and then and only then can we call ourselves cultured and modern ,otherwise not.Let me conclude this write up with a quote from Rigveda which reads, “‘Yatri Sithursto Samanta, Tatra Ramanty Deva” meaning where women are respected, gods travel there.
(The author is a columnist,
social and KP activist).