Shakta Discussion

[Fireside_Hindu]

Yeah I was considering including you (since I know you and I both suffer from similar issues) but I didn't want to place into a question you may or may not want to be a part of.

Nah, even if I wasn't interested on a religious level, I'd be interested on an intellectual level. The Wikipedia page for "sampradayas" doesn't list and under a Shakta catagory. Maybe it gets lumped in with Shaivite Sampradayas?


:camp:

 

[Vinayaka]

Nah, even if I wasn't interested on a religious level, I'd be interested on an intellectual level. The Wikipedia page for "sampradayas" doesn't list and under a Shakta catagory. Maybe it gets lumped in with Shaivite Sampradayas?


:camp:

But the Wiki page on Shaktism lists two kulas, the Srikila and the Kalikula. A kulam is like a group.

Of the 4 main denominations, certainly Shaktite ansd Saiva are the closest.

 

[Kalidas]

But the Wiki page on Shaktism lists two kulas, the Srikila and the Kalikula. A kulam is like a group.

Of the 4 main denominations, certainly Shaktite ansd Saiva are the closest.

Yeah they appear to be for the most part. Honestly I haven't seen to much of a difference between the two.

 

[Vinayaka]

Yeah they appear to be for the most part. Honestly I haven't seen to much of a difference between the two.

Indeed ... Both quite tantric, more focus on various Agamas, both recognise can't have one without the other. Both have a lot of bhakti.

 

[Kalidas]

Indeed ... Both quite tantric, more focus on various Agamas, both recognise can't have one without the other. Both have a lot of bhakti.

Yeah actually... very true.

I do find it peculiar that I happened to find myself in an agamatic tantric sect of Hinduism and yet I am so very philosophical

 

[JaiMaaDurga]

Namaste,

Perhaps the use of "sampradaya" might have been confusing, since some
internet resources are defining the term more narrowly- for this I apologize.

As Vinayaka noted already, the most well-known division within Shaktism is
that between Srikula and Kalikula, and yes, there is much in common between
Shaiva and Shakta history, traditions, and philosophy in general.

FSH, the Pancharatra school perceives Lakshmi as supreme-
and this article explains more about Devi as Mahalakshmi generally.

Kalidas, here is a page of a mandir that has the perspective of Kali-as-supreme.

Aup, thanks for your contribution as well.

Again, it is cheering to see active and intelligent discussion in this thread!

May Devi enable this conversation to continue leading to more growth and understanding for all

JAI MATA DI

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

Namaste,

Perhaps the use of "sampradaya" might have been confusing, since some
internet resources are defining the term more narrowly- for this I apologize.

As Vinayaka noted already, the most well-known division within Shaktism is
that between Srikula and Kalikula, and yes, there is much in common between
Shaiva and Shakta history, traditions, and philosophy in general.

FSH, the Pancharatra school perceives Lakshmi as supreme-
and this article explains more about Devi as Mahalakshmi generally.

Kalidas, here is a page of a mandir that has the perspective of Kali-as-supreme.

Aup, thanks for your contribution as well.

Again, it is cheering to see active and intelligent discussion in this thread!

May Devi enable this conversation to continue leading to more growth and understanding for all

JAI MATA DI

Thank you for the resource, JMD. I tried to frubal you, but it won't let me! So here: :foryou:

:camp:

 

[Kalidas]

Namaste,

Perhaps the use of "sampradaya" might have been confusing, since some
internet resources are defining the term more narrowly- for this I apologize.

As Vinayaka noted already, the most well-known division within Shaktism is
that between Srikula and Kalikula, and yes, there is much in common between
Shaiva and Shakta history, traditions, and philosophy in general.

FSH, the Pancharatra school perceives Lakshmi as supreme-
and this article explains more about Devi as Mahalakshmi generally.

Kalidas, here is a page of a mandir that has the perspective of Kali-as-supreme.

Aup, thanks for your contribution as well.

Again, it is cheering to see active and intelligent discussion in this thread!

May Devi enable this conversation to continue leading to more growth and understanding for all

JAI MATA DI

Awesome! Thanks for the info. I can't no for sure but I think FSH and I appreciate this vey much. We both have similar backgrounds, us both being white American converts .

Personally I asked about the sampradaya question because (maybe FSH feels the same) some times I feel so left out or alone. Everyone. seems to belong to some sampradaya or have a spiritual guru to learn from. So from time to time I feel left out. But good things come to those who wait.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Never feel alone, you are always with the Mother. Though
I am an ..., they are still with me (you can say culturally).

 

[Kalidas]

Never feel alone, you are always with the Mother. Thou I am an ..., they are still with me (you can say culturally).

Awww thanks. You know just how to make me smile. I guess the best guru of all is mother herself! Atheist or not you are an awesome Hindu.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Awesome or awful? Are you sure that you have not misspelt?

 

[Kalidas]

Awesome or awful? Are you sure that you have not misspelt?

No... you are awesome!

 

[Kalidas]

So I did some thinking of the symbolism of Kali standing atop Shiva. So I always thought of it from Kalis point of view but decided to look at it from Shiva. So Kali is the energy that allows the action (Shiva) to happen. She is that fire in your belly that tells you to get up and grab life by the horns. Yet it is Shiva that decides how this energy is "spent". In the story Kali's eagerness to help fight the demons lead to her losing control and she even began killing innocents, Shiva had to stop her.

Just as one divine being needed to be stopped by another sometimes we need to be stopped. Having the energy to do good is great and all but without a guideline of what to do we will just move about chaotically causing harm. In this instance I feel that Shiva represent Dharma. The guidelines for how we should use our energy in a constructive manner.

The other one though Jai Maa Durga I had a hard time finding a full completion of the story. I \found a few things explaining what it was about but not the full actual story.

 

[Kalidas]

So I did some thinking of the symbolism of Kali standing atop Shiva. So I always thought of it from Kalis point of view but decided to look at it from Shiva. So Kali is the energy that allows the action (Shiva) to happen. She is that fire in your belly that tells you to get up and grab life by the horns. Yet it is Shiva that decides how this energy is "spent". In the story Kali's eagerness to help fight the demons lead to her losing control and she even began killing innocents, Shiva had to stop her.

Just as one divine being needed to be stopped by another sometimes we need to be stopped. Having the energy to do good is great and all but without a guideline of what to do we will just move about chaotically causing harm. In this instance I feel that Shiva represent Dharma. The guidelines for how we should use our energy in a constructive manner.

The other one though Jai Maa Durga I had a hard time finding a full completion of the story. I \found a few things explaining what it was about but not the full actual story.

I should add this goes for all of Shaktis forms, for each one there is a masculine aspect there to support her and act on behalf of her divine energy. Hey behind every great man is an even greater woman

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

So I tumbled upon a form of Amba that I had never heard of before and it delighted me to no end. However, Her wikipedia page offered very little information about her so I'm hoping someone else can help. I was reviewing possible itineraries for visiting Northern India when I stumbled upon the Goddess Harshat Mata or the Happy Mother. She is also known as Harshsidhhi.

She has a temple in Rajasthan, which is how I found her name in the first place. I am having trouble finding a depiction of her. There are a few small images of her murti but are their any paintings of her?

I appreciate anyone's contribution - for some reason I find her compelling.

:camp:

 

[ShivaFan]

Here is Harsidhhi Ma.
She is happy for your devotion.

Om Namah Sivaya

 

[Poeticus]

So I tumbled upon a form of Amba that I had never heard of before and it delighted me to no end. However, Her wikipedia page offered very little information about her so I'm hoping someone else can help. I was reviewing possible itineraries for visiting Northern India when I stumbled upon the Goddess Harshat Mata or the Happy Mother. She is also known as Harshsidhhi.

She has a temple in Rajasthan, which is how I found her name in the first place. I am having trouble finding a depiction of her. There are a few small images of her murti but are their any paintings of her?

I appreciate anyone's contribution - for some reason I find her compelling.

:camp:

... She is a folk deity of various Hindu ethno-linguistic communities of [North] India. In other words, her application is as a kuldevi (Community Goddess, Clan Goddess, Tribal Goddess). She has temples in various places, not just in Rajasthan. She is the Goddess of various kshatriya groups along with various fishermen groups. For more context: Kuladevata - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

 

[Kalidas]

... She is a folk deity of various Hindu ethno-linguistic communities of [North] India. In other words, her application is as a kuldevi (Community Goddess, Clan Goddess, Tribal Goddess). She has temples in various places, not just in Rajasthan. She is the Goddess of various kshatriya groups along with various fishermen groups. For more context: Kuladevata - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

So like a special personal Goddess for a particular village or city?

 

[Poeticus]

So like a special personal Goddess for a particular village or city?

Village, yes. For a particular city ? No ... More specifically, a tribal deity for a particular clan. This is strictly a folkish aspect of socio-cultural importance. The meaning lies in the breakup of the term, "kuldevi": the Devi of a specific Kula, or lineage (i.e., tribe/clan); "Protector of Tribe"; "Community Goddess".

 

[Kalidas]

Village, yes. For a particular city ? No ... More specifically, a tribal deity for a particular clan. This is strictly a folkish aspect of socio-cultural importance. The meaning lies in the breakup of the term, "kuldevi": the Devi of a specific Kula, or lineage (i.e., tribe/clan); "Protector of Tribe"; "Community Goddess".

OH like Kalikula!