...Shakta...

[heartfully]

_/|\_
Namaste.

I am exploring Hinduism, but finding myself drawn very deeply to Shaktism. I would like to learn more about the practices of those who follow this path. Some of my current questions:

1. What would an altar/shrine to Her include besides an image of Her?
2. What are the most common prayers to Her?
3. What are some of the most common Shakti mantras?
4. What would Shakta use for japa?
5. Which sacred texts, if any, are read most by those who worship Her?
6. What about other goddesses from other traditions? Would it be ok to practice Shaktism worship Devi in Her Aspect of Isis?

I am not familiar with the terms used so please forgive any mistakes I have made.

Jai Ma! Om Shanti Shanti Shanti!

[heartfully]

_/|\_
Namaste

I have a couple other questions.

1. What would be tilaka worn by those who are Shakta?
2. Is there a specific prayer or ritual I could say to dedicate myself to Shakta? Whether it is one actually used by Shakta or one you think would be a good way to begin a couple months dedicated to Shakti?

Blessed Be!

[sunyata07]

Namaste heartfully,

I am still learning much about worship within the Shakta tradition, so I cannot pretend that I have the answers to all your questions. I believe we have a few devotees of Goddess on the board, but they don't seem to be regular posters, so it might take some time before all your questions may be answered. I'm curious to know the answers to some of them myself. I will share what I know already about the Shakta path. You might find this website helpful for the time being: http://www.devi-durga.com/index.html.



What would an altar/shrine to Her include besides an image of Her?



I know that within the tantric forms of Shaktism, devotees often include the Sri Yantra into worship of the Mother Goddess. As far as my limited knowledge goes, the yantra is supposed to symbolise the shakti of Goddess. Maybe this is because Devi usually serves as the shakti or consort of a Deva. Within Shakta worship, Shiva or male forms of God play a different role that is not the same as shakti's role in other types of worship. You can read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Yantra.



What are the most common prayers to Her?



There are a wealth of prayers to be found within the Shakta's main scriptural text, the Devi Mahatmyam. I really recommend that you try locate a copy that includes the text in Sanskrit, English translation and then Sanskrit transliteration (assuming you are unable to read Devanagari). I'd also suggest reading some of the hymns written in Her honour by the great satguru and poet Adi Shankaracharya. They are some of the most beautifully composed eulogies in the world, written for Mahalakshmi, Saraswati and Durga.

Some common prayers I often like to use (which can be found in the Devi Mahatmyam I've been talking about):

Sarva mangala mAngalye
Shive sarvAtha sAdhike
Sharanye tryamba ke Gauri
NArAyani namostute

Adorations to the Source of all Fortune
Auspcious one who is the Accomplisher of all things
Three-eyed Refuge, Mother Gauri
She who gives rise to Consciousness, I bow to You

JayantI mangalA KAlI
BhadrakAlI kapAlinI
DurgA kshamA shivA dhAtrI
SvAhA svadhA namostute

Victorious and Auspicious Mother Kali
Gentle Mother Kali, Bearer of Skulls (Remover of ego)
Durga, ever-merciful and blessed Mother who is the Support of the Universe
Take the oblations of ancestral praise, I bow to You



What are some of the most common Shakti mantras?


Forgive the simplicity of my answers. Different aspects of Devi have special beej (seed) syllables that correspond to different mantras invoking Her. These seed sounds activate the mantra to create greater potency for the person reciting them.

Durga: Om Dum Durgayai namaH
Saraswati: Om Aim Saraswatyai namaH
Lakshmi: Om Srim Mahalakshmyai namaH
Kali: Om Krim Kalikayai namaH
Chamunda: Om Aim Hrim Klim Chamundayai vicche namaH

Japa is probably the same as in other traditions, where the devotee recites the mantra of the chosen Deity 108 times and focuses their mind inwardly on that form of God.



Which sacred texts, if any, are read most by those who worship Her?



Like I said before, the Devi Mahatmyam is the primary scripture read by Shaktas. There is a ritual reading of the entire text each time Navaratri is celebrated.


What about other goddesses from other traditions? Would it be ok to practice Shaktism worship Devi in Her Aspect of Isis?


This is a question that would do well to be placed in another part of HDF. You will get a number of different answers from members here, depending on their viewpoint about mixing religions. Some of us have discussed before about the trouble in equating non-Hindu deities with the Devas that are worshipped actively within Sanatana Dharma. That said, I have always felt that the forms of Goddess are more easily equatable than the forms of God. You sometimes see people finding it hard to put away that Shiva vs. Vishnu debates, but you don't quite find this with devotees of the Goddess. The distinction between the different forms of Goddess are heavily blurred within Shakta tradition. When I was still learning Maa's names, I would become confused over which form was which. It didn't matter, because they are all Her emanations. For this reason, I think it is viable for you to still include Isis in your worship of the Mother. Others may agree with this, whilst others would not. Really though, it is your decision.

[heartfully]

Namaste Sunyata...

Thank you for taking so much time out to write such an awesome reply to my questions. I am taking it in slowly, exploring the websites and thinking of ways to build my worship for Ma.

I will probably respond slowly as I go through your post. I have so many questions, but they fill me with this feeling like it is time to celebrate this new path She has brought me to.

Peace,
<3full

[PatrickMB]

Namaste Heartfully,

I too am a newcomer to the Eternal Religion. Shakti first drew me to Hinduism. I grew up with a Paternalistic religion which actually taught that God was neither female nor male, but at the same time reflexively referred to the Divine as "he". Further, the people looked at me as though I were a heretic if I referred to God as "she."

While I am not a Hindu, I chant on my Mala to Maa Durga regularly, and I also adore Sri Radha, who in inextricably linked to Lord Krishna.

I believe that God is pure spirit, without form, but will come to us in any respectful form that is pleasing to us. For me, God is most often an Indian woman riding a tiger (Durga).

Best of luck on your journey.

Patrick

[heartfully]

Thank you, Patrick. I have had that "look" when I call God She instead of He also. Yet the argument is always that God has no gender when they are telling me the masculine pronoun is appropriate but the feminine one is unacceptable.

May you be blessed on your journey.

<3full


Namaste Heartfully,

I too am a newcomer to the Eternal Religion. Shakti first drew me to Hinduism. I grew up with a Paternalistic religion which actually taught that God was neither female nor male, but at the same time reflexively referred to the Divine as "he". Further, the people looked at me as though I were a heretic if I referred to God as "she."

While I am not a Hindu, I chant on my Mala to Maa Durga regularly, and I also adore Sri Radha, who in inextricably linked to Lord Krishna.

I believe that God is pure spirit, without form, but will come to us in any respectful form that is pleasing to us. For me, God is most often an Indian woman riding a tiger (Durga).

Best of luck on your journey.

Patrick

[iksvakave]

I asked someone how brahma, vishnu, shiva are born. Their response was shakti. I guess she was split into three parts. Is this true?

I am just curious why would someone be drawn to worshipping shakti and not Sri Krishna or Rama.

What would draw them or inspire them to pray to a goddess?

Iksvakave

[sunyata07]

I am just curious why would someone be drawn to worshipping shakti and not Sri Krishna or Rama.


Namaste Iksvakave,

I am equally curious why someone would be drawn worshipping Lord Vishnu's avatars, Lord Shiva or indeed any other aspect of God. The answers that devotees of the Mother Goddess can give you would be many and multivaried, I would imagine, so perhaps my own response will not be enough to convince you why there is a reason - nay, even a need for some! - to worship Devi. It's important to remember that within Shakta worship, Shakti is no longer just dynamic power as She is understood in male-oriented worship. She is God in Her own right in the form of the Female.

For myself personally, Divine Mother is able to inspire in me the greatest feelings of a tender, immutable Love that in its very nature cannot discriminate or separate. If you can imagine for one moment the devotee as a toddler who in his own clumsy and unlearned way patters on first to his mother for care, nourishment and affection, perhaps you might understand the mindset of a bhakta of Mother Goddess. In childhood we have complete faith and devotion to our mothers; we totally surrender ourselves into their care and are literally at their mercy. When a child stumbles, falls and hurts himself, to whom does he look for first for comfort? Children take their mothers' love almost for granted, and yet they show it to their children unconditionally. This is not confined only in the human species. When you threaten a lioness's cubs, see how ferocious she becomes so that she can protect her babies! In the same way, a devotee puts his faith in Devi with the knowledge that She will protect and watch over him as Her very own dear child. It is also natural to lean towards association of traditionally "feminine" virtues like compassion, gentleness and humility with the mother figure before the father figure.

I don't mean to deny worship of other forms of God, especially not in the male form. For me, gender is ultimately an irrelevant point if the devotee's goal of goals is to enter into total union with Brahman. But for the sake of putting things into perspective and increasing bhakti, it is not without merit to conceive of God as either male or female. Worship of Rama and Krishna therefore is no different from worship of Devi, nor do I personally think it is any different, although I prefer to see God as Devi. The same love that Vishnu and Shiva can inspire in Their devotees is the same kind of love (with the same intensity, too) I can feel for Divine Mother. You'll have heard this a million times, no doubt, that all these forms are God. He/She has many hundreds of thousands of millions of manifestations - more than any of us could ever possibly conceive. Slowly then will you come to realise that this Divine One can be perceived in an infinitely endless number of ways in the kaleidoscope of the mind that we have been born with. So, really, why the curiosity at all?

Om namah Shivaya

[heartfully]

Namaste...

I have felt for several years that I am blessed by a Feminine Divine Presence. Yet I also believe the Divine is beyond form and gender. On the other hand, I think the Divine is not limited to being beyond form and gender. It/She/It/They can be all or none. I also believe the feminine earthly body is not necessarilarly the Feminine Divine Essence. Am I making sense?

Love to all,
<3full

[devotee]

Namaste Hf,



I have felt for several years that I am blessed by a Feminine Divine Presence. Yet I also believe the Divine is beyond form and gender. On the other hand, I think the Divine is not limited to being beyond form and gender. It/She/It/They can be all or none. I also believe the feminine earthly body is not necessarilarly the Feminine Divine Essence. Am I making sense?


If I remember correctly, you have come from a Islamic background. So, truly speaking, now alone what you are saying makes sense.

The form and formlessness are illusions. The Ultimate Reality is beyond all forms and also formlessness & yet no one can claim that they have no form. Actually, scientifically speaking, all the perception of a form forms only in our mind. Our sense of sight, touch, smell, likes, dislikes .... are all born in our mind ... it has no meaning in absolute sense.

God (or Goddess) is not someone looking from top ... hungry for our submission to him/her ... & yet It is someone who cares for us in the form we are comfortable with. So, your experience is certainly divine born out of your sincere devotion to mother aspect of God. Let me tell you that mother Goddess Kaali used to present herself in the form of a woman to Ramkrishna Parahansa & even ate from his hands. .... and yet Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa followed the path of Jnan yoga which believes that all forms/formlessness are just illusions created by mind. ... Was he confused due to this ? No, he didn't learn this by reading any book or from someone ... It was his direct experience in Samadhi (i.e. being one with God with no differentiation).

Rest assured. You are fortunate to feel the care/attention of mother Goddess.
My best wishes on your path of spiritual journey ...

OM

[BryonMorrigan]

_/|\_
Namaste

I have a couple other questions.

1. What would be tilaka worn by those who are Shakta?
2. Is there a specific prayer or ritual I could say to dedicate myself to Shakta? Whether it is one actually used by Shakta or one you think would be a good way to begin a couple months dedicated to Shakti?

Blessed Be!

Here's a way to get some info from one of the priests at the Washington Kali Temple:


FOR A FREE KALI PRAYER BOOKLET in a PDF file, simply email me at jaimaakaalee@gmail.com. You will also receive the Devi Mahatmyam, as well as a comprehensive letter explaining how to end suffering and make great spiritual progress toward liberation. Love and blessings, Acharyaji JAI DEVI MAHA KALI MA

He will set you on the right path! :)

Also, the most common tilakas for Shaktas (as far as I know...any Indians are free to correct me!) are either a big red kumkum circle, or a kumkum verticle stripe, like you see on me in my avatar (though that's more common with males, in my experience). However, I've also noticed other Shaktas being less "conspicuous" about their tilaka, or just not wearing them.

I would suggest, if you are serious, divorcing yourself from non-Hindu forms like Isis, and Neo-Pagan customs (like "Blessed Be!"). This kind of thing can confuse you, and I personally view that keeping a hold on these other traditions is kind of like being "noncommittal." When you aren't born or brought up as a Hindu, as with both you and I, we don't have the decades of traditional upbringing and knowledge that a "Born Hindu" receives as a matter of course. We have to struggle with it, and we have to be committed...and above all, we should seek to learn from those more knowledgable than ourselves...rather than saying, "Well...I understand that that is the tradition that has lasted for thousands of years...but I like this better!"

Whether you call her "Isis," "Cybele," or "Prthivi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prithvi)," is unimportant...except for tradition and cohesiveness. One would not worship the Vedic Prthivi by using a Latin Roman invocation...or call upon the Roman Cybele using a Native American dance ritual...nor would one call upon the Egyptian Isis through a Sanskrit mantra.

Keep it simple. ;)

[PatrickMB]

Namaste...

I have felt for several years that I am blessed by a Feminine Divine Presence. Yet I also believe the Divine is beyond form and gender. On the other hand, I think the Divine is not limited to being beyond form and gender. It/She/It/They can be all or none. I also believe the feminine earthly body is not necessarilarly the Feminine Divine Essence. Am I making sense?

Love to all,
<3full

I think I understand what you mean, Heartfully. I come from a Catholic background, where thinking of God as female is a heresy. I realize that all images of God are illusions. Yet my finite human mind, buried in ignorance, craves an image of God to meditate upon. The Heavenly Mother: Indian, beautiful, astride her Tiger makes me feel protected and loved. I love Her dearly. Yet I realize that it is illusory. But for me, for the moment, it is an aid in meditation. I am very happy for you!

[heartfully]

Namaste Hf,



If I remember correctly, you have come from a Islamic background. So, truly speaking, now alone what you are saying makes sense.

The form and formlessness are illusions. The Ultimate Reality is beyond all forms and also formlessness & yet no one can claim that they have no form. Actually, scientifically speaking, all the perception of a form forms only in our mind. Our sense of sight, touch, smell, likes, dislikes .... are all born in our mind ... it has no meaning in absolute sense.

God (or Goddess) is not someone looking from top ... hungry for our submission to him/her ... & yet It is someone who cares for us in the form we are comfortable with. So, your experience is certainly divine born out of your sincere devotion to mother aspect of God. Let me tell you that mother Goddess Kaali used to present herself in the form of a woman to Ramkrishna Parahansa & even ate from his hands. .... and yet Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa followed the path of Jnan yoga which believes that all forms/formlessness are just illusions created by mind. ... Was he confused due to this ? No, he didn't learn this by reading any book or from someone ... It was his direct experience in Samadhi (i.e. being one with God with no differentiation).

Rest assured. You are fortunate to feel the care/attention of mother Goddess.
My best wishes on your path of spiritual journey ...

OM

Namaste!

Thank you, your words meant a lot and comforted me very much. I know that Ibn Arabi also had a vision of Sophia. I feel Mother's Light and Love many times during the day. I get a little tug in my heart whenever it happens. I feel so loved, my heart reacts. Maybe there really is that tiny part of the heart that holds the soul and connects us. Perhaps we are always connected, but we need to focus on the connection and let go of all these distractions which keep us from uniting with Love inside our hearts.