Rathi Devi:

Rathi Devi: Goddess of Love (RRV-15).

(See also: Rathi Devi, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Prakrti Devi - the goddess of nature.

(See also: Prakrti Devi, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Bhakti-devi - the goddess of devotion. All potencies of the Lord have personified forms. In Madhurya-kadambini (1.3) Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains that bhakti is the svarupasakti of Bhagavan and that she is yadrccha, which means that bhakti has her own will. Being sva-prakasa, self-manifest, she is not dependent on any other agency in order to manifest in a person’s heart. In the Bhagavatam (1.2.6) it is said: yato bhaktir adhoksaje ahaituky apratihata - "that by which causeless and uninterrupted bhakti for Lord Adhoksaja arises.”

The word ahaituky in this sloka indicates that bhakti has no cause. The only cause of bhakti is bhakti herself. Srila Cakravartipada analyzes the meaning of this statement. He says that bhakti situated in the heart of a bhava-bhakta is the only cause for her manifesting in others. Since Krsna is under the control of His unalloyed bhaktas, He has invested such power in them. Therefore sadhana is not the true cause of bhakti’s appearance.

Bhakti-devi, being self-willed, manifests bhakti in the heart when she is pleased with the bhakta’s unalloyed service attitude. Ultimately this indicates that Bhakti-devi acts through the agency of Krsna’s bhaktas who are situated in the stage of bhava. When they see the sincerity of the sadhaka-bhakta, the bhakti which is one with the very nature of their hearts is transmitted into the hearts of the sadhakas. Other than this, there is no cause for bhakti’s appearance.

(See also: Bhakti-devi, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Ganga (-devi)

The great sacred river flowing from the peaks of the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal and delivering from sin everyone who comes in contact with her. When she cascaded down from heaven by the endeavors of King Amshuman and his son and grandson, Lord Siva detained her waters on his head to cushion the earth from the force of her descent.

(See also: Ganga, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

 Devi:

a goddess

(See also:  Devi, Body Mind and Soul)

Devi Gita: (Sanskrit) Twelve chapters (29 to 40) from the 7th book of Srimad Devi Bhagavatam, a Shakta scripture. It teaches external worship of the Deity with form and meditation on the Deity beyond form.

(See also: Devi Gita, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Devi-Durga (Sanskrit) Spiritual and inaccessible goddess; also called Kali (the black one), she is a warlike, bloodthirsty goddess who destroys and devours her enemies without pity. She is "raw power, energy untamed by discipline or direction" (Classical Hindu Mythology 226). Sometimes considered an independent deity, at others an aspect of Siva's consort, whose benign aspect is named Parvati.

The feminine consorts of the various divinities of ancient peoples represent the vehicular or encompassing substances and powers surrounding the emanating monad itself; and because these powers and substances are in incessant action, they are often grouped under the name sakti, active universal energy, which is septenary, denary, or duodenary in hierarchical construction, according to the manner of counting.

Thus these spiritual or divine consorts are equivalent to the theosophical elements or principle-elements, whether of the cosmos or of any individual, which surround the individual monad and furnish the field of action through which it expresses itself.

(See also: Devi-Durga, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Devi-bhagavata and Devi-gita -  are two books that the saktas promote as proving that Devi is the supreme personality. However, the great acaryas and later scholars have not accepted them as authoritative.

(See also: Devi-bhagavata and Devi-gita, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Devi Kamadha:

Devi Kamadha (Dhevee Kaamadha). Goddess granting desires.

(See also: Devi Kamadha, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Devi Bhagavata Purana. See BHAGAVATA PURANA

(See also: Devi Bhagavata Purana, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Devi Bhagavata Purana: Composed around the 15th century, one of the major Puranas of Bhakti Hinduism which focuses on the Goddess Devi, they mythological wife of Shiva; the text is central to proponents of Shaktsm

 (See also: Devi Bhagavata Purana, Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Shaktism (Shakta): (Sanskrit) "Doctrine of power."

The religion followed by those who worship the Supreme as the Divine Mother - Shakti or Devi - in Her many forms, both gentle and fierce. Shaktism is one of the four primary sects of Hinduism. Shaktism's first historical signs are thousands of female statuettes dated ca 5500 bce recovered at the Mehrgarh village in India.

In philosophy and practice, Shaktism greatly resembles Saivism, both faiths promulgating, for example, the same ultimate goals of advaitic union with Siva and moksha. But Shaktas worship Shakti as the Supreme Being exclusively, as the dynamic aspect of Divinity, while Siva is considered solely transcendent and is not worshiped. There are many forms of Shaktism, with endless varieties of practices which seek to capture divine energy or power for spiritual transformation.

Geographically, Shaktism has two main forms, the Srikula "family of the Goddess Sri (or Lakshmi)," which respects the brahminical tradition (a mainstream Hindu tradition which respects caste and purity rules) and is strongest in South India; and the Kalikula, "family of Kali," which rejects brahminical tradition and prevails in Northern and Eastern India.

Four major expressions of Shaktism are evident today: folkshamanism, yoga, devotionalism and universalism. Among the eminent mantras of Shaktism is: Aum Hrim Chandikayai Namah, "I bow to Her who tears apart all dualities." There are many varieties of folk Shaktism gravitating around various forms of the Goddess, such as Kali, Durga and a number of forms of Amman. Such worship often involves animal sacrifice and fire-walking, though the former is tending to disappear.

See: Amman, Goddess, Ishta Devata, Kali, Shakti, tantrism.

(See also: Shaktism, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Vrinda (-devi)

A principal gopi, a direct expansion of Srimati Radharani. She is the presiding deity of Vrindavana forest, and the tulasi plant is her expansion. She and grandmother Paurnamasi make all the behind-the-scenes arrangements for Radha and Krishna’s daily pastimes.

(See also: Vrinda, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Rathi Devi:

Rathi Devi (Rathee Dhevi). Goddess of love.

(See also: Rathi Devi, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Lakshmi (-devi)

The eternal consort of the Supreme Lord Vishnu. She presides over the infinite opulences of Vaikuntha, and her partial expansion dispenses opulences in the material world; money.

(See also: Lakshmi, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Rukmini (-devi)

Krishna’s first wife, the mother of Pradyumna, nine other illustrious sons, and one daughter. She is Krishna’s principal queen in Dvaraka.

(See also: Rukmini, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Murthi-devi:

Murthi-devi (Muurthi-dhevee). Wife of Dharma and mother of the twins Nara and Narayana.

(See also: Murthi-devi, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Sita (-devi)

The eternal consort of Lord Ramachandra. She appeared as the daughter of King Janaka of Videha.

(See also: Sita, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Devi Mahatmyam

Otherwise known as the Durgasaptasati or the Candi, this is a sacred text to the Divine Mother used for chanting.

(See also: Devi Mahatmyam, Hinduism, Vedic Scriptures, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

Devi Upanishad: (Sanskrit) A Shakta Upanishad dealing with the nature and worship of the Goddess.

See: Shaktism.

(See also: Devi Upanishad, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Devi Bhagavatham:

Devi Bhagavatham (Dhevee Bhaagavatham). The story of the glory of Universal Divine Mother. One of the Puranas.

(See also: Devi Bhagavatham, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)