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Full Description
Offers the first comprehensive analysis of the Hindu Great Goddess Durgā, tracing her evolution from a minor goddess into a transcendent supreme deity central to Hindu theology and the ultimate refuge accessible to all.
This study provides the first comprehensive examination of the Hindu Great Goddess Durgā, one of the most significant deities in the Hindu pantheon, who is celebrated annually during the Navarātra festival, a widely observed event across the Hindu world. Drawing on textual, inscriptional, and iconographic evidence, the study traces Durgā's evolution from a minor goddess to her identification as the Mahādevī, or Great Goddess. It presents an alternative chronology for hymnic materials, aligning them more closely with early iconographic depictions and offering new insights into misidentified attributes of the goddess. The work incorporates evidence from beyond South Asia to contextualize external influences on Durgā's persona and her central myths, particularly her defeat of the buffalo demon Mahiṣa. A detailed analysis of the myths in the influential Devī Māhātmya against earlier Purāṇic accounts highlights the text's sophisticated theological approach. Its strategy places Durgā in a transcendent role while asserting her as the supreme deity and ultimate refuge, accessible to both kings and commoners in dire need of her support.
Contents
List of Illustrations
Preface and Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
A Note on Transliteration
A Note on Abbreviations
Introduction
1. Durgā in Pre-Epic Literature
2. Durgā in Epic Literature
3. Proto-Durgās in the Earliest Material Evidence
4. The Earliest Buffalo-Subduing Goddess Images
5. The Wondrous Diadem
6. The Peacock Standard
7. The Rise of Durgā Mahiṣāsuramardinī
8. Durgā in the Devī Māhātmya
9. Analyzing the Predicted Manifestations
10. Koavai and Victorious Goddess Imagery
11. The Shape-Shifting and Emerging Demon Imagery
12. Durgā in the Early Purāṇas
13. Durgā Triumphant
Appendix I: The Rātrī Sūkta
Appendix II: A Powerful Queen Defeats an Arrogant Emperor
Appendix III: Peacock Angel Worship Among the Yezidis
Timeline of Pertinent Events
Notes
Bibliography
Index
