Shakti: The Feminine Principle
Shakti is a Sanskrit word that denotes feminine energy. The word Shiva-Shakti expresses the balance of male and female energy, with Lord Shiva representing male energy. When the two energies are balanced, the world would be more just, compassionate, and equitable. But currently, it has excessive masculine energy on account of which female energy is oppressed and suppressed. Due to this, the world is in a state of imbalance. The truth is, the world needs more of Shakti. Feminine energy has the power to create and nurture. It expresses love and compassion, and its impulse is to protect and preserve everything. It is the active, dynamic, and creative force that manifests out of the void.
Shakti, who is also called Adi Shakti or Adi Para Shakti, personifies the energy that creates, sustains, and destroys. In Hinduism, it is often referred to as "The Great Divine Mother". Hindus believe that Shakti is behind both Srishti or creation, and all change. Shakti is the active energy of Shiva and is identified with Tripura Sundari or Goddess Parvati.
There are many temples in South India for various incarnations of Goddess Shakti. Village people believe that the goddess protects the village. She is also believed to punish evil people, cure diseases, and ensure the welfare of the entire village.
Shakti As a Powerful Archetype
Goddess Parvati, Lalita, Mahalakshmi, Goddess Durga, Bhuvaneshwari, Kamakshi, Meenakshi, Yellamma, Perantalamma, and Poleramma are all incarnations of Goddess Shakti. Shakti often incarnates to destroy evil forces and restore the balance in the world. She is a fierce warrior, mother goddess, and the goddess of destruction. Every male god in Hinduism has a Shakti form. Shakti is an archetype that represents fertility, strength, and power. One could identify with her as a powerful female figure.
Shakti is a Great goddess, an amalgam of all other goddesses. As Parvati, she is Shiva’s wife and the energy behind him. Shiva is the god of destruction and rejuvenation. Parvati is a goddess who symbolizes fertility, power, devotion, conjugal bliss, and asceticism. She is the mother goddess, a source of power, energy, and creativity. As Durga, she rides a tiger which represents the ego and arrogance that we need to overcome. She is the fierce warrior who kills the evil demon Mahishasur. As Rajarajeshwari or Kamakshi, she is the Great Mother. Kali is her angry form. Her name denotes “the black one,” and she is the dark goddess of destruction. In Hinduism, she represents the temporary and destructive nature of life. But she is also believed to protect her devotees on earth as well as the afterlife.
Celebrating Shakti
On March 8, we celebrate International Women’s Day. It is a day for celebrating womanhood, and all that it stands for – love, compassion, tenderness, strength, and power. In other words, everything that Shakti represents. Hindus believe that the entire universe is a manifestation of Shakti, also called Devi. She manifests within us as instinct, intelligence, energy, willpower, action, and magic. She has the power to energize our communication skills. For men to understand women, and for women to understand their own nature, they must first understand Shakti. She is the mother, the healer, a figure of desire, and the one who destroys. Right now, the world we live in needs more of Shakti, the feminine principle which creates, preserves, and nurtures. Too much masculine energy is destroying the earth in the form of unwanted wars and increasing everyday violence. It is also causing large-scale environmental destruction. The remedy is to awaken the Shakti that lies dormant within us and use it to change the world, so that peace will reign on earth, and everyone will prosper. We can also use it to slay our personal demons and the evils that we see around us. With the energy of Shakti, women can become more powerful versions of themselves.
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