In India the Great Goddess in general is often referred to as Devi. Devi is the sum of all manifestations or forms of the Mother. All forms be they Lakshmi, Kali, or Durga are forms of Devi. As Jaganmata, or Mother of the universe, she assumes cosmic proportions, destroying evil and ever creating and dissolving universes. She is One and she is many. In some forms she is benign and gentle and in other forms she is dynamic and ferocious.
Aspects of Devi
There are many ways we can view the goddess Devi: chronological, religious, or by function. There are six basic categories. Devi is first seen as cosmic force (e.g. Durga, Kali), where she destroys demonic forces that threaten world equilibrium, and creates, annihilates, and recreates the universe. Next, in her gentle, radiant dayini form (e.g. Lakshmi, Sarasvati), she is the gracious donor of boons, wealth, fortune, and success. As heroine (e.g. Sita, Draupadi, Radha) and beloved, Devi comes down to earth and provides inspiring models for earthly women. In this aspect, Devi is then seen as a local protector of villages , towns, and individual tribal peoples, where she is concerned only with local affairs. In her fifth aspect, Devi appears as semi-divine (e.g. Nagini, Sundari) force, manifesting herself through fertility spirits, and other supernatural forms. Finally, she is also represented in women saints and yoginis, who are born on earth but endowed with deep spirituality and other-worldly powers.
Compassionate Mother
who's grace is beyond eternity
My friends and I will draw another cup of joy
from the wellspring
of your radiant heart
And raise it to our lips with a shout
Victory to the Mother!
Victory to the Mother of all beings!
And when this tavern of divine revelry
closes in the morning's wee hours
We will all walk home arm in arm
with faltering steps
to our conventional minds
staggering with the intoxication of love
and waking the neighbors
shouting like bugle blowers
Victory to the Mother!
Victory to the Mother of the universe!
Experience the divinely intoxicating love of the Goddess. Explore the book Soft Moon Shining.
Learn how to love the Goddess and feel the Goddess loving you in the book Finding God's Love.
The book Soft Moon Shining by Ethan Walker III is a work of devotional poetry that revolves around God in the feminine form. Like Rumi, Hafiz and Ramprasad, Soft Moon Shining beautifully and effortlessly ferries the reader into the realm of the Divine on the ship of innocent love. It is an invitation to step into the heart of the Goddess - the all-pervading Divine Mother of the Universe. The Goddess is ready to shower Her love and affection on any who care to turn their gaze toward Her luminous heart.
