VISUALISING THE HINDU GODDESSES: Saraswati, Lakshmi, Durga
Raju Sharma (Nepal)
ABSTRACT
Hinduism is often labeled as a religion
of 330 million gods. This misunderstanding arises when people fail to grasp the
symbolism of the Hindu pantheon. Hindus worship the nameless and formless
Supreme Reality (Bramh) by various names and forms. These different aspects of
one reality are symbolized by the many gods and goddesses of Hinduism.
"Ekam sat vipraha bahuda vadanti" or "Truth is One, the wise
call It by many names." The forms are many, the reality is one; the
principle is very deeply rooted in Hindu thought, and was stated at the very
outset in the Rig Veda:
They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni
And he is heavenly nobly-winged Garutman.
To what is One, sages give many a title:
They call it Agni, Yama, Matarisvan.
It is the same with all
the gods and goddesses: they are not rivals but aspects of a single principle.
Hindus have represented God in innumerable forms. Each is but a symbol that
points to something beyond; and as none exhausts God's actual nature, the
entire array is needed to complete the picture of God's aspects and
manifestations. The Hindu devotee, while
he will generally have one particular form of god - his or her ishta deva, or
chosen deity - on whom his devotion centers, moves easily between one god and
another. The same idea carries over into the human sphere. Krishna and Rama are
not strictly speaking gods, but avatars, 'descents' - human incarnation of Vishnu
- since he is the 'upholder' of the world. This idea is brought forth clearly
in the following doctrine of the Artharva
Veda:
"He is
the one, the one alone; in Him
all deities
become One alone."
INTRODUCTION:
Hinduism
is teemed with the images with diverse gods /goddesses. The deities are today
not confined inside the shrines /temples. Because of the technological (graphic
or digital) reproduction, they are easily distributed everywhere. Pandit Shree
Rama Ramanuja Acharya in his Iconology on Hinduism says"All Hindu
icons are visual representatives of the transcendent Divine and the Spiritual
Forces which support, sustain and direct the Cosmos. The art and symbology of
Icons has been developed to an extremely sophisticated degree by the Hindu
mind. Each and every feature of an icon has a profound truth behind it, and all
the mystical teachings of the sages are presented to the spiritual seekers
through the means of these icons and symbols."
There
is much debate around Hinduism as a term and as a concept; this area focuses on
the twin concepts of Hinduism as social construction and as an “imagined”, or
visualized, religious identity. The image of a “mother” with multiple forms and
names best served the need of Hindus for a unifying narrative and symbol. The
modern Hinduism arose as a counter-narrative which empowered Hindus to
construct a flexible, complex, modern identity whose key components were
adaptability to change, a protective stance towards “traditional” values, and a
valorization of feminine power, all important elements of goddess mythology
“Hinduism” can refer to a religious or cultural identity or set of identities, sometimes
though not necessarily political in nature
THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF VISUALIZATION - “A REAL HINDU”:
The
main question of interest in this article is the process through which self
described Hindus “imagined”, through the print media, this problematic term’s
significance in terms of their lived historical experience. One crucial
dimension of that process involved a debate on the role of images: some
influential reformers eschewed image worship as antithetical to modern
rationality and un-Vedic to boot, while others, of a more devotional bent, privileged
it. (Mittal and Thursby 2008:81).
As
Diana Eck puts it in her revolutionary study of Hindu iconography, Darsan:
Seeing the Divine Image in India: Long before people wrote textual treatises, they
“wrote” in images…One must learn to “read” these visual texts with the same
insight and interpretive skill that is brought to the reading and
interpretation of scriptures, commentaries, and theologies.” Cheap prints and
calendars, readily available in the bazaar, were affordable even to the poor to
decorate the walls of their homes or places of work. As an art form
“universally accessible regardless of wealth and class”, mass prints had a
profound impact on Indian society. (Mitter 1994:174) Before the advent of mass
produced prints, few Indians possessed this sort of visual representation of
their deities. Now anyone, including people denied entrance to temple worship
on the basis of caste or gender, could worship their chosen deity when and as
they chose. (Smith, in Babb & Wadley 1995)
TERMINOLOGY
Hinduism
uses the term “image” to refer both to sculpture and painting; the usage
reflects the broad connotations of Sanskrit murti, meaning “form” or
“embodiment, the general term for an image which is an object of worship, as
distinct from pratima or pratikriti, which connote “likeness.” (Eck: 38) In
this aricle, I use “market image” as a general term for the genre of Hindu's
mechanically reproduced images, and “image”, “god picture, ” and “deity
picture” as general terms, understanding “image” to mean murti .It is also
important to understand the concept of the goddess as Shakti, cosmic energy
which transcends the academic questions such as: Is there one goddess or are
many goddesses? Kathleen M. Erndl writes, One on level, it is possible to speak
of the Hindu Goddess as a single omnipotent being, Mahadevi or the Great
Goddess. On another level, it is possible to speak of various manifestations of
the Great Goddess such as the three cosmic goddess Mahalaksmi, Mahasarasvati, and
Mahakali who are manifestations of the one Mahadevi. (Pintchman 2002: 199).
MULTIPLICITY IN HINDU ART
Multiplicity
is a characteristic feature of virtually all Hindu iconography depicting the
goddess in her powerful, or shakti, aspect. Her four, six, eight, or ten arms
depict her power to be and do many things simultaneously for her many “children,
” not unlike the cosmic cow whose multiple udders provide milk for members of
all communities. The creation of an image is a religious practice, from the
selection of the raw materials to the moment when the artist’s vision of the
divine form is fully realized. The Shilpa Shastras, Sanskrit texts based on
orally transmitted traditions governing iconography and iconometry, deal with
the production of images. Now the image is no longer an object made of wood or
stone, but a murti, a “living” image through which the devotee can enjoy darshan,
the experience of seeing and being seen by the divine. Ironically, in a temple
setting an image may be difficult to view, either because of the press of
crowds, or because it is all but obscured by drapery and garlands. (Mittal
2008) The experience of darshan, though understood as visual, involves the
worshiper’s sense of being in the presence of the deity as much as it does
having a clear view of the deity’s image. In a sense, then, it does not matter
what the deity looks like: what is important is the transformative emotional
experience associated with darshan.
The
major deities of the bhakti tradition are Shiva, Vishnu, and Shakti, and they
are worshiped through the ritual of puja, which usually involves offerings of
flowers, fruit, and incense. (Corrigan 2008:53) Thus, a viewer can enjoy and
worship terrifying images such as Kali or Durga equally with serene images such
as Lakshmi or Sarasvati, without being completely overcome either by fear or by
love. In bhakti- puja, the devotee seeks fully to embody the role of bhakta, lover.
S/he may love the beloved as friend, child, Mother, or consort, but the goal of
bhakti is consciously to experience loving and being loved, not to merge with
the Beloved. The goal of Hindu aesthetics in a bhakti context, then, is for the
worshiper to experience a powerful and transformative emotion, inspired by the
murti (image), even while the murti protects the viewer from being overwhelmed
by emotion. The important thing in the Hindu aesthetic experience of worship is
the transformative effect of devotion, which occurs through the mutual “seeing”
of darshan. The question is not one of the image’s beauty, originality, or
provenance, but rather the image’s efficacy as a “window to god” and vehicle of
transformation.
THE
TRIUNE GODDESS: UNIVERSAL AND SMALL
The
identification of Kali/Durga, Sarasvati and Lakshmi as aspects of one
fundamental feminine principle and ground of being (prakriti) appears as early
as the Devi-Bhagavata-Purana where the Goddess transforms herself into three
forms (corresponding with the triune nature of prakriti, matter) when she
wishes to create. (Pintchman 1994: 180) Viewed as the embodiment of Prakriti, the
goddess is understood to contain within herself the three gunas personified in
her major manifestations as Mahalakshmi (sattva), Mahasarasvati (rajas) and
Mahakali (tamas) (Erndl 1993: 31; Pintchman 1994: 180). On the highest level, prakriti
is both an impersonal principle and the Devi herself, who both transcends and
encompasses all (other) female deities (Pintchman 1994:165). Kali/Durga Kali
and Durga, both fierce, warrior aspects of the Devi, are so closely identified
in contemporary Hinduism that their names are often interchanged, or used
conjointly, although they do have distinct mythologies.
DURGA
THE DEMON DEMOLISHER: SYMBOL OF RESISTANCE
The
image of the goddess Durga is shown in a triumphant pose as the slayer of the
buffalo demon, Mahisha. Durga is a manifestation of the Goddess, who can also
appear as the consort Parvati or as a destructive figure Kali. Durga is a
powerful manifestation of Parvati and as such appears on her own rather than as
a consort of Shiva. Durga appeared when the gods were unable to subdue a demon
who was threatening the entire world. In this scene, the struggle and violence
of the combat between Goddess and demon is only subtly suggested. Durga stands
victorious over the head of the buffalo, alluding to the famous story but
focusing most of the viewers’ attention on the powerful goddess herself.
SARASWATI
Saraswati
is the Goddess of learning, knowledge, and wisdom. The name Saraswati itself is
one of the most beautiful in all Sanskrit. It means "Flowingly
elegant". Saraswati is represented in Hindu mythology as the divine
consort of Lord Brahma, the Creator of the universe. Since knowledge is
necessary for creation, Saraswati symbolizes the creative power of Brahma. She
represents the free flow of wisdom and consciousness. She is the mother of the
Vedas, and chants to her, called the 'Saraswati Vandana' often begin and end
Vedic lessons. She has four hands representing four aspects of human
personality in learning: mind, intellect, alertness and ego. She has sacred
scriptures in one hand and a lotus the symbol of true knowledge in the second.
With her other two hands she plays the music of love and life and a string
instrument called the veena. She is dressed in white” the symbol of purity” and
rides on a white swan and a peacock.
LAXMI
Lakshmi
(“goal, prosperity, fortune”), also known as Sri (“radiance”), has been known in
Hindu tradition since pre-Buddhist times. She does not appear in the very
earliest Vedic literature, but the term sri is common there. Perhaps the
earliest hymn to Sri-Lakshmi appears in an appendix to the Rg-veda known as the
Sri-sukta. (Kinsley 1986:20) She is requested to bring fame and prosperity, and
to banish her sister Alakshmi (“misfortune, ”) who appears in such inauspicious
forms as poverty, hunger, thirst, and want. The hymn to Sri-Lakshmi identifies
two objects which are associated with her throughout her history: the lotus and
the elephant. She sits on a lotus, is garlanded with lotuses, she appears like
a lotus, is the color of a lotus; synonyms for lotus, “Padma” and “Kamala”, are
her epithets. Lakshmi’s second most enduring attribute, are associated with
sovereignty. The most common representations of Lakshmi show her seated on a
lotus, flanked by elephants who shower her with water (and, sometimes, with
gold) from their trunks, as a king or deity is “bathed” in the ritual known as
abhishekha – consecrated to service, and endowed with authority. Thus, Sri-Lakshmi,
with her elephant attendants, is a cultural symbol of fertility, authority, royalty,
and potency, as well as spiritual authority, material abundance, and the power
to transcend limitations. In later Hinduism, she is often depicted as the
consort of rulers, and – as Vishnu’s consort – she is the epitome of the model
Hindu wife, always incarnating with Vishnu as his helpmate in upholding dharma
age after age.
As
this brief consideration of Kali/Durga, Sarasvati and Lakshmi shows the
iconography and symbolism which accumulated from them to the “new goddess” have
profoundly deep roots in Hindu religion and art, many reaching back to the
early Vedic period.
My article does not
attempt to answer the one-or-many question authoritatively; it simply asks what
popular mechanically reproduced images of the goddess have to say to us about
Hindu religious identity formation.
Works
Cited:
– Achari, Sri
Rama Pandit Ramanuja. Hindu Iconology: The study of the symbolism and meaning
of Icons. Simha Publications, 2012
– Eck, Diana,
Darsan: Seeing the Divine Image in India, Columbia University Press, 1998
– Flood, Gavin,
ed, The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism, Wiley-Blackwell, 2003
– Flood, Gavin,
“The Saiva Traditions”, in The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism, 200-228 285
– Kalidos,
Raju, Encyclopaedia of Hindu Iconography, Vol. III: Sakti Goddesses, Sharada
Publishing House, 2007
– Kinsley,
David R., Hindu Goddesses: Visions of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious
Tradition, University of California Press, 1988.
– Mittal,
Sushil, and Thursby, Gene, Studying Hinduism: Key Concepts and Methods, Rout
ledge, London and New York, 2008
– Pintchman,
Tracy, The Rise of the Goddess in the Hindu Tradition, SUNY, 1994
– Pintchman,
Tracy, ed., Seeking Mahadevi: Constucting the Identities of the Hindu Great
Goddess, SUNY, 2002
Web
source:
http://www.hinduwisdom.info
प्रतिक्रिया व्यक्त गर्नुहोस्