Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Tradition

It is a work of considerable breadth. Kinsley not only describes the main appearances and roles of the goddesses he has selected but also interprets the significance of each goddess within Hinduism and shows how she has come to exemplify an important truths within the Hindu tradition. Each goddess is dealt with as an independent deity with a coherent mythology, theology and, in some cases, cult of her own. There are separate chapters devoted to Laksmi, Parvati, Sarasvati, Sita, Radha, Durga, Kali, and Mahadevi. Other chapters deal with goddesses in the Vedic literature, goddesses associated with geographical features (such as Ganga, who is identified with the Ganges River), the Matrkas (a group of goddesses collectively known as the mothers), the ten Mahavidyas (a group of goddesses particularly important in Tantrism), and the village goddesses. Each chapter is complete in itself, and the book also includes an excellent bibliography. Hindu Goddesses is a valuable sourcebook and reference work for students and scholars of Hindu goddesses in particular and of Hinduism in general. Within the complex, diverse, and rich goddess traditions of Hinduism, one can find suggestions of nearly every important theme in the Hindu religion.