SHAKTI PUJA

 The Nepalese tradition of Shakti or Mother Goddess Worship has a very ancient origin. We can sense the antiquity of this tradition very well if we only take a little trouble to examine the nature of customs and rituals connected with the worship still prevalent in the society. Yet, it is quite difficult to say when this tradition exactly started.

When we turn to the Vedas which date back as far as 3000 to 4000 B. C. we meet with several interesting hymns dedicated to the glory of great goddess Devi, the Universal Mother. Some of her earlier names mentioned in the Vedas are Usha, Prithivi, Vac, Ratric and Aditi. All these names belong to one supreme power, that is Devi, the mother goddess. Many names have always meant many powers.

Even in the puranas, Devi is addressed by so many different names like Chamuda, Durga, Kali, Laxmi, Saraswati, and so on. Despite all this, she is often identified with Parvati, the most powerful one, the divine consort of Shiva. The Devi Mahatmya of Markandeya Purana tells us in detail how all the gods had to rush to Devi for shelter when they were driven away by demons during war between gods and demons. Since it is only Devi Durga, who could destroy demons and rescue her devotees from all kinds of dangers, she has always been regarded as Maha Shakti and is worshipped accordingly. Devi Durga has said to have been created out of the combined energies of all the gods including the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The beautiful verses in the Vedas devoted to her emphatically extol her as a very unique embodiment of divine powers by which the entire Universe is sustained.

According to Devi Mahatmya, Devi has manifested herself in three basic forms, Mahakali, Mahalaxmi and Maha Saraswati. These three forms of Devi are generally identified with three primordial qualities known as Tamasic, Rajasic and Sattwic representing destructive, preservative and creative powers respectively. The trinity gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh also stand for the same qualities. Kali, Laxmi and Saraswati are the female consorts of Mahesh, Vishnu and Brahma respectively who are inseparable from their respective lords or spouses. Thus it appears to be quite clear that basically they are all one though they are in different forms. The philosophy of Hindu religion believe in diversity in unity. However, diversity is never accepted as an ultimate goal. It is only a means to attain perfect unity, that is the ultimate eternity or Bramhah. This is one of the main reasons why Hindus devotees are not bothered by the existence of a pantheon of 330 million gods and goddesses.