Shaktism is the tradition that worships the Goddess, Shakti, as the supreme reality. She is worshipped in some schools as the supreme deity in her own right and in others as the power of Shiva, and every goddess, Durga, Kali, Parvati, Lakshmi and the rest, is taken as one of her forms. Its basic texts are the Devi Mahatmya (Durga Saptashati) of the Markandeya Purana and the Shakta Tantras, and it is especially strong in Bengal and Assam.
- Founder
- No single founder
- Philosophy
- Shakti is both the creator and the creation; monistic, according to the Himalayan Academy
- Main texts
- The Devi Mahatmya (Durga Saptashati, part of the Markandeya Purana), the Devi Bhagavata Purana, the Lalita Sahasranama (Brahmanda Purana), the Shakta Tantras
- Main centres
- Bengal and Assam; Kamakhya (Guwahati), the Shakti Peethas
- Tilak
- No single agreed mark is recorded in the sources; it follows region and lineage
- Main festivals
- Navratri, Durga Puja
What Shaktism is
Shakti means power or energy. Shaktas hold the Goddess to be the supreme reality: in some schools she is the highest goddess in her own right, in others the consort of Shiva and his power. Many Hindus worship her as the divine mother who asks for complete surrender; all goddesses are taken as her forms, and she may be called simply “Devi”, the Goddess.
Her gentle forms are Uma, Parvati and Ambika, her fierce forms Kali and Durga, slayer of the buffalo-demon Mahishasura. She is also worshipped as Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu.
History in brief
According to Britannica the cult of the mother goddess had gained a significant place in Indian religious life by the end of the 5th century. The Devi Mahatmya of the Markandeya Purana (c. 5th–6th century) is the first Sanskrit text to centre entirely on the Goddess as the supreme deity; in it the Goddess, as Durga, slays Mahishasura.
In later centuries came the Shakta Tantras, such as the Kularnava Tantra and the Sharadatilaka of Lakshmanadeshika (11th century), and the Devi Bhagavata Purana, which opens with the creation of the universe by the Goddess. The chief centres of both Tantra and Shakta worship were Bengal, Bihar and Assam; according to Britannica, Kamarupa in Assam, with the Kamakhya temple at Guwahati, was where Tantric Hinduism took shape.
Beliefs and practice
According to Britannica Shaktism combines Shaiva thought with mother-goddess traditions: in Shaiva thought it is Shiva’s shakti that is active, and Shaktas take this further: Shakti is the creator and is the creation itself.
In yoga Shakti is held to lie coiled in the body as kundalini, to be awakened for liberation. Britannica keeps Shakta worship and Tantra apart: Tantra is the search for spiritual power and release through mantras, mandalas and secret rites, found among Shaivas, Vaishnavas and Shaktas alike. The Himalayan Academy describes four expressions of Shaktism: devotional, folk, yogic and universalist.
Schools and centres
The Shakta tradition has no single organisation; its centres are lineages of teachers, schools of Tantra and the temples of the Goddess’s many forms. The Kamakhya temple in Assam, Bengal and the Shakti Peethas across the land are its main places of pilgrimage. At Navratri the Goddess Durga and her nine forms are worshipped; Durga Puja, which celebrates her victory over Mahishasura, begins on the same day in Bengal, Assam and eastern India.
Where the sources differ
- The Goddess’s place: according to Britannica, Shakti is conceived either as the supreme goddess or as the consort of a male deity, generally Shiva.
- Beginnings: Britannica says goddess worship became significant by the end of the 5th century; the Himalayan Academy dates organised Shaktism to around the 5th century.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Shakta sampradaya?
The tradition that worships the Goddess (Shakti) as the supreme reality. All goddesses, Durga, Kali, Parvati, Lakshmi and the rest, are taken as forms of the one Goddess.
What are the main texts of the Shakta sampradaya?
The Devi Mahatmya (Durga Saptashati) of the Markandeya Purana, the Devi Bhagavata Purana, the Lalita Sahasranama of the Brahmanda Purana, and Shakta Tantras such as the Kularnava Tantra.
How are Shaktism and Shaivism related?
Very closely. In Shaiva thought it is Shiva’s power (shakti) that is active, and Shaktas take this idea further and hold Shakti herself supreme. In many Shakta traditions the Goddess is worshipped as Parvati, Shiva’s consort.
Where is the Shakta tradition strongest?
According to Britannica, in Bengal and Assam; the chief centres of Tantra and Shakta worship have been Bengal, Bihar and Assam. The Kamakhya temple in Assam is one of its great shrines.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: “Shaktism”, “Hinduism: Tantric traditions and Shaktism”, “Devi Mahatmya”
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: “Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa”, “Kamarupa”, “Navratri”, “Durga Puja”
- Lalita Sahasranama, closing line: “iti shri-brahmanda-purane uttara-khande shri-hayagrivagastya-samvade …”
- Himalayan Academy (Kauai’s Hindu Monastery): “The Four Denominations of Hinduism”
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