Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine

Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine PDF Author: David Kinsley
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520917723
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 328

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Book Description
The Hindu pantheon is rich in images of the divine feminine—deities representing a wide range of symbolic, social, and meditative meanings. David Kinsley's new book documents a highly unusual group of ten Hindu tantric goddesses, the Mahavidyas, many of whom are strongly associated with sexuality and violence. What is one to make of a goddess who cuts her own head off, or one who prefers sex with a corpse? The Mahavidyas embody habits, attributes, or identities usually considered repulsive or socially subversive and can be viewed as "antimodels" for women. Yet it is within the context of tantric worship that devotees seek to identify themselves with these forbidding goddesses. The Mahavidyas seem to function as "awakeners"—symbols which help to project one's consciousness beyond the socially acceptable or predictable. Drawing on a broad range of Sanskrit and vernacular texts as well as extensive research in India, including written and oral interpretations of contemporary Hindu practitioners, Kinsley describes the unusual qualities of each of the Mahavidyas and traces the parallels between their underlying themes. Especially valuable are the many rare and fascinating images he presents—each important to grasping the significance of the goddesses. Written in an accessible, engaging style, Kinsley's book provides a comprehensive understanding of the Mahavidyas and is also an overview of Hindu tantric practice.

Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine

Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine PDF Author: David Kinsley
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520917723
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 328

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Hindu pantheon is rich in images of the divine feminine—deities representing a wide range of symbolic, social, and meditative meanings. David Kinsley's new book documents a highly unusual group of ten Hindu tantric goddesses, the Mahavidyas, many of whom are strongly associated with sexuality and violence. What is one to make of a goddess who cuts her own head off, or one who prefers sex with a corpse? The Mahavidyas embody habits, attributes, or identities usually considered repulsive or socially subversive and can be viewed as "antimodels" for women. Yet it is within the context of tantric worship that devotees seek to identify themselves with these forbidding goddesses. The Mahavidyas seem to function as "awakeners"—symbols which help to project one's consciousness beyond the socially acceptable or predictable. Drawing on a broad range of Sanskrit and vernacular texts as well as extensive research in India, including written and oral interpretations of contemporary Hindu practitioners, Kinsley describes the unusual qualities of each of the Mahavidyas and traces the parallels between their underlying themes. Especially valuable are the many rare and fascinating images he presents—each important to grasping the significance of the goddesses. Written in an accessible, engaging style, Kinsley's book provides a comprehensive understanding of the Mahavidyas and is also an overview of Hindu tantric practice.

Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine

Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine PDF Author: David R. Kinsley
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
ISBN: 9788120815230
Category : Hindu goddesses
Languages : en
Pages : 330

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Book Description
What is one to make of a group of goddesses that includes a goddess who cuts her own head off, a goddess who sits on a corpse while pulling the tongue of a demon, or a goddess who prefers sex with corpses? Tantra visions of the Divine Faminine deals with

Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine

Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine PDF Author: David Kinsley
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 9780520917729
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 332

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Hindu pantheon is rich in images of the divine feminine—deities representing a wide range of symbolic, social, and meditative meanings. David Kinsley's new book documents a highly unusual group of ten Hindu tantric goddesses, the Mahavidyas, many of whom are strongly associated with sexuality and violence. What is one to make of a goddess who cuts her own head off, or one who prefers sex with a corpse? The Mahavidyas embody habits, attributes, or identities usually considered repulsive or socially subversive and can be viewed as "antimodels" for women. Yet it is within the context of tantric worship that devotees seek to identify themselves with these forbidding goddesses. The Mahavidyas seem to function as "awakeners"—symbols which help to project one's consciousness beyond the socially acceptable or predictable. Drawing on a broad range of Sanskrit and vernacular texts as well as extensive research in India, including written and oral interpretations of contemporary Hindu practitioners, Kinsley describes the unusual qualities of each of the Mahavidyas and traces the parallels between their underlying themes. Especially valuable are the many rare and fascinating images he presents—each important to grasping the significance of the goddesses. Written in an accessible, engaging style, Kinsley's book provides a comprehensive understanding of the Mahavidyas and is also an overview of Hindu tantric practice.

Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine

Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine PDF Author: David R. Kinsley
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 9780520204980
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 318

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Book Description
"A far-ranging and impressively comprehensive book with exemplary iconographic analyses. Kinsley has drawn together a group of rare, stunning, and fascinating images."--Miranda Shaw, author of "Passionate Enlightenment"

Hindu Goddesses

Hindu Goddesses PDF Author: David Kinsley
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
ISBN: 9788120803947
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 296

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Book Description
Hindu Goddesses is a valuable sourcebook and reference work for students and scholars of Hindu goddesses and of Hinduism in general. Each goddess is dealt with as an independent deity with a coherent mythology, theology and, in some cases, cult of her own. Within the complex, diverse, and rich goddess traditions of Hinduism, one can find suggestions of nearly every important theme in the Hindu religion. In many ways, this book is as much a study of the Hindu tradition itself as it is a study of one aspect of that tradition. No other living religious tradition has displayed such an ancient, continuous, and diverse history of goddess worship.

Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine: The Ten Mahavidyas

Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine: The Ten Mahavidyas PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN: 9788120815223
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


The Sword and the Flute

The Sword and the Flute PDF Author: David R. Kinsley
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
ISBN: 9788120813151
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 188

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Book Description
FOR SALE IN SOUTH ASIA ONLY

Chinnamastā, the Aweful Buddhist and Hindu Tantric Goddess

Chinnamastā, the Aweful Buddhist and Hindu Tantric Goddess PDF Author: Elisabeth Anne Benard
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
ISBN: 9788120817487
Category : Chinnamasta (Buddhist deity)
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This is the first monograph which examines the rare Buddhist and Hindu Tantric goddess, Chinnamasta, her rituals, her names and forms (namarupa) and their symbolism by comparing and contra-sting her sadhanas (spiritual practices) in Hinduism and Buddh-ism. The entire Hindu Chinnamastatantra section from the Sakta Pramoda, the Buddhist Chinnamunda Vajra-varahisadhana and theTrikayavajrayoginstuti are translated for the first time into English. Since Chinnamasta is a rare goddess, her texts were not popularized or made fashionable according to the dictates of a particular group at a particular time. The earliest extant texts dated from the ninth and tenth centuries a time when Hindu and Buddhist Tantras were developing under common influences in the same place in India. Having such texts about Chinnamasta Chinnamunda from these centuries, one can begin to understand the mutuality of a general Tantric tradition and the exclusivity of a particular Hindu or Buddhist Tantric tradition. Hence the study not only examines Chinnamasta, but also attempts to under-stand what is a Tantric tradition.

Das Mahavidyas

Das Mahavidyas PDF Author: Som P. Ranchan
Publisher:
ISBN: 9788170175261
Category : Tantrism
Languages : en
Pages : 235

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Book Description
On the Tantric worship of Śakti, Hindu deity; a study.

Ásura- in Early Vedic Religion

Ásura- in Early Vedic Religion PDF Author: Wash Edward Hale
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publishe
ISBN: 9788120800618
Category : Gods, Vedic
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
The present Dictionary is a practical exercise in word-compilation to facilitate the study of Sanskrit language. Based on Webster`s complete English dictionary it includes general terms of all sciences and such technical terms as could be duly represented by Sanskrit equivalents actually existing in that language. Besides the general vocabulary quotations from the works of famous authors have been inserted to render the connotation of a word easily intelligible. It is also designed to help scholars translate any passage from English into Sanskrit.