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The Portrayal of Kālī in the Devī Māhātmya

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The Portrayal of Kālī in the Devī Māhātmya University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies Legacy Theses 2011 Goddesses, Monsters, and Monstrous Goddesses: The Portrayal of Kālī in the Devī Māhātmya Marks, Kendra Darynne Brougham Marks, K. D. (2011). Goddesses, Monsters, and Monstrous Goddesses: The Portrayal of Kālī in the Devī Māhātmya (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/11892 http://hdl.handle.net/1880/48392 master thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Goddesses, Monsters, and Monstrous Goddesses: The Portrayal of Kālī in the Devī Māhātmya by Kendra Darynne Brougham Marks A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES CALGARY, ALBERTA JANUARY, 2011 © Kendra Darynne Brougham Marks 2011 The author of this thesis has granted the University of Calgary a non-exclusive license to reproduce and distribute copies of this thesis to users of the University of Calgary Archives. Copyright remains with the author. Theses and dissertations available in the University of Calgary Institutional Repository are solely for the purpose of private study and research. They may not be copied or reproduced, except as permitted by copyright laws, without written authority of the copyright owner. Any commercial use or re-publication is strictly prohibited. The original Partial Copyright License attesting to these terms and signed by the author of this thesis may be found in the original print version of the thesis, held by the University of Calgary Archives. Please contact the University of Calgary Archives for further information: E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: (403) 220-7271 Website: http://archives.ucalgary.ca Abstract This thesis examines the portrayal of Kālī in the purāṇic narrative known alternatively as the Devī Māhātmya or the Durgā Saptaśatī, which is embedded in the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa and which circulates independently as a popular recitational text in the śākta traditions. This portrayal is an important part of Kālī‘s character within Hindu traditions, and influences her depictions in later textual narratives. This thesis analyses Kālī‘s character in this early text with recourse to the study of character in narrative theory, incorporating concepts from Indian aesthetic theories and themes from Sanskrit mythic literature more generally in order to give greater context to the figure of Kālī in this narrative. ii Acknowledgements My sincere thanks are offered to Elizabeth Rohlman, my supervisor, without whom I would not have even conceived of this project, let alone attempted to undertake it. For this, and for her constant support and inspiration, I am most grateful. My thanks also go to Michael Hawley and Debra Jensen, for inspiring in me a love of mythology, Indian religious traditions, and female characters; Tinu Ruparell, for excellent discussions and for his consistent support; Morny Joy, whose classes I have been privileged to take and who inspires and humbles me every time we speak; Chris Framarin, who was always willing to discuss my ideas and whose classes on Indian philosophy and literature both fascinated and challenged me; Hillary Rodrigues, for his enthusiasm and unstinting belief that my project was fascinating; Anne Moore, for her constant kindness and encouragement; Virginia Tumasz, who has shown extraordinary kindness to me over the past several years; Clara Joseph, for graciously sitting on my defence committee; and Douglas Shantz, for agreeing to be a most excellent neutral chair. My utmost gratitude also goes to Perlea Ashton and Rachel Le Blanc, without whom I am sure the universe would disintegrate into chaos. The support and love of my four parents over the past seven years has shown me that I am the luckiest of daughters. None of this would have been possible without their encouragement and their unwavering belief in me and my chosen path. All of them ensured that I have always felt loved and supported by an extraordinary family. I would also like to thank my grandparents, living and dead, for always encouraging my love of reading and for their firm belief in me. I wish you were all here to see me now. My gratitude is extended to Kristen Burns, Caitlin Holton, Bonnie Shedden, and Katie Young for their kindness, humour, and constant support. Seng Chia, Chris and Jaki Daniels, Tracy Derynck, Tenzan Eaghll, Darryl Ferguson, Sarah Gallant, Nicole Hembroff, Chien-Yuan Hsu, Illana Huckell, Aaron Jensen, Shaleefa Juma, Yasmin Merchant, Kyle Nunweiler, Stephen Rubletz, Anna Samuelson, David Savage, Maegan Sharp, John Siddons, Andrea Sollberger, Dustin Thatcher, Hans Wiens, and Dan Wimmer all made graduate school infinitely more enjoyable; I am astonished and humbled at my luck in these friends. For all things, I would like to thank Joël Laforest, who kept me company throughout this project, who supported me through difficult times, and who continually inspires me. Without him this academic journey would have been much lonelier. iii Dedication for my parents, who told me stories iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract .................................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... iii Dedication .............................................................................................................................. iv Epigraph ............................................................................................................................... vii Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 Outline ................................................................................................................................ 6 Chapter One: History of Scholarship & Methodology ...................................................... 9 Historical & Cultural Context of the Devī Māhātmya ...................................................... 10 Summary of the Devī Māhātmya ...................................................................................... 20 Overview of Devī Māhātmya Scholarship ........................................................................ 25 Overview of Kālī Scholarship ........................................................................................... 33 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 38 Concluding Remarks ......................................................................................................... 64 Chapter Two: Gruesome, Violent, & Enraged ................................................................ 65 Kālī‘s Story ....................................................................................................................... 65 Kālī‘s Portrayal in the Devī Māhātmya: The Aesthetics of Revulsion & Wrathfulness .. 67 Kālī‘s Behaviour in the Devī Māhātmya: Violent Sacrifice & the Importance of Noise . 85 Grotesquery, Violence, & Wrath in Kālī‘s Literary Context .......................................... 101 Characterisation, Textual Space, & Some Remarks on Being Narratively Essential ..... 108 Concluding Remarks ....................................................................................................... 116 Chapter Three: A Monstrous Goddess ........................................................................... 118 Character Types in the Devī Māhātmya ......................................................................... 119 Character Types: The Gods ........................................................................................ 120 Character Types: The Goddesses ............................................................................... 122 Character Types: The Monsters ................................................................................. 133 Character Types: A Brief Summary ............................................................................ 139 Ambiguity among the Gods, the Goddesses, & the Monsters ........................................ 141 The Relationship Between Kālī & Caṇḍikā .................................................................... 143 Kālī and the Goddesses: A Closer Look at the mātṛs & Śivadūtī ................................... 147 v Kālī and the Monsters ..................................................................................................... 150 Kālī as the Monstrous Goddess ...................................................................................... 155 Some Concluding Remarks about Goddesses as Liminal Figures ................................. 159 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 162 Bibliography ....................................................................................................................... 169 vi Epigraph
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