Devi: Goddesses of India (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society)

Comparative Studies in Religion and Society

by John Stratton Hawley, Donna Marie Wulff

The monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have severely limited the portrayal of the divine as feminine. But in Hinduism "God" very often means "Goddess." This extraordinary collection explores twelve different Hindu goddesses, all of whom are in some way related to Devi, the Great Goddess. They range from the liquid goddess-energy of the River Ganges to the possessing, entrancing heat of Bhagavati and Seranvali. They are local, like Vindhyavasini, and global, like Kali; ancient, like Saranyu, and modern, like "Mother India." The collection combines analysis of texts with intensive fieldwork, allowing the reader to see how goddesses are worshiped in everyday life. In these compelling essays, the divine feminine in Hinduism is revealed as never before―fascinating, contradictory, powerful.

Genres: India, Nonfiction, Religion

366 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1996

About the author

John Stratton Hawley is Professor of Religion at Barnard College, Columbia University.

Reviews

[Surabhi Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devi is a book for scholars, students of literature, religious studies and Hindu studies. This is not for general readers. It is not a story book but a research on Hindu goddesses of India. It is a valuable edition in terms of knowledge and insight the faith and customs of worshipping the goddesses which are the embodiment of vigor and change. Goddesses give an identity to women who are Saraswati: the goddess of knowledge and Kali: the fearless goddess.

The book was first released in 1997 and released in India by Aleph book Co. recently. The book has everything one needs to know about Hindu religion, goddess worship and many more.

An extraordinary and powerful read for beginners of Hindu and religious studies allowing them to soak in the extensive fieldwork, combining the texts of research of scholars who have been working in the field on the identity, existence, and influence on the minds of their worshipers.

https://thereviewauthor.com/

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is undoubtedly one of the best books that have grown out of western thoughts regarding the Divine Feminine. Followed by a concise and cogent prologue penned by the editor, it contains essays written on the following manifestations of Devi:
Part One: Goddess as Supreme and Goddess as Consort
* Devi~ Thomas B. Coburn (an introduction as well as primer with respect to his superlative works on Devi Mahatya);
* Vindhyavasini~ Cynthia Ann Humes;
* Kali~ David R Kinsley (an introduction as well as primer with respect to his magnificient works on the Divine Feminine);
* Sri~ Vasudha Narayanan
* Radha~ Donna M. Wulff (a classic work, previously published in 'The Divine Consort' anthology).
Part Two: Goddesses Who Mother and Possess
* Ganga~ Diana L. Eck (another classic, which had also been previously published in 'The Divine Consort' anthology);
* Saranyu/Samjna~ Wendy Doniger (this unputdownable as well as thought-provoking essay has been included in her collection 'On Hinduism');
* Seranvali~ Kathleen M. Erndl;
* Bhagavati~ Lindaey Harlan;
* Bharat Mata~ Lise McKean.
Epilogue: The Western Kali~ Rachel Fell McDermott
Unfortunately, the chapters dealing with regional versions of Devi got bogged down by the respective author's concerns regarding patriarchal versions, Vaishnava-Shaiva dichotomy, social thoughts borne out of field studies. But the chapter on Vindhyavasini was special, since it was the only one that at least tangentially touched one aspect that was either unconsciously or deliberately left by all the essayists— Tantra!
Devi is completely linked with Tantric notions, because both have a genetic link with the pre-Vedic Samkhya philosophy. Regrettably, most of the authors were totally abosorbed by the notion of the male triad (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) dictating various manifestations of Devi. Thus they left out the atheistic monism of 'Prakriti'. Also, rather strangely, none of the essays covered Durga, probably confusing her with the other lion-riding goddesses! That itself crippled this collection.
Nevertheless, this is a solid book. But I would personally recommend the works of Coburn, Kinsley and Doniger to be pursued separately. Their works have a comprehensive outlook that doesn't concern itself with the number of women interviewed etc.

[Anuradha Goyal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Detailed Review here https://www.anuradhagoyal.com/devi-go...

[Atlin Merrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad I read this book.

As a western reader, I admire what one reviewer here called the "extensive fieldwork" of Devī's western scholars, who by necessity approach the topic of Hindu goddesses from that western viewpoint. Equally, I'm glad to read the perspective of some of the reviewers here, several who seem to come from a south Asian perspective, and who generally have positive views on the book.

It took awhile to finish this, as it's a heavily scholarly book, rich with references and notes, each essay coming from writers who largely specialize in the goddess about whom they're writing. There's a fair bit of uniting a goddess' story with today's world, but never so much that the connections draw focus away from the history of the goddesses themselves.

I found the epilogue essay, "The Western Kālī," by Rachel Fell McDermott, to be the most well-written for a lay reader, hers is a smooth academic style, and her topic in many ways unites the other essays, so many (if not all) of which come from western writers *for* western writers.

Again, I'm glad to have read this book, it introduced me to a wide array of Hindu goddesses, and shared deep research that goes far toward hinting at the much deeper stories of each goddess, all of whom come from a religion more than four millennia old.