RACY Pintchman has done BOOK REVIEW something which baffles the Hindu Tcompletely. She has mapped the manifestation of the Jagadamba textually, locating the genesis of the Goddesses : Textual and feminine principle in the sacred and then describing its Spiritual evolution till it crystallises to give birth The Rise of the Goddess in the Hindu Tradition to the notion of a Great Goddess in the . Exhibiting remarkable Tracy Pintchman scholarship and a meticulous study of the : the Samhitas, the State University of New York Press, 1994 , the Upanisads, the six systems of philosophical discourse: Review: Sarbani Sarkar , vaisesika, purva-mimansa, , and , particularly the mimansa and the samkhya karika, together with the Pintchman understands “text” to non-Brahmanical traditions. By the time Puranas, Pintchman’s encounter with be both the oral and the written of the Puranas, the staticness of the the Goddess displays an academic dimensions of Brahmanical scripture, Vedic texts is replaced by a fluid, ever- systematism far surpassing that of with the Vedic and the post-Vedic expanding body of mythological lore. David Kinsley, C. Mackenzie Brown or Brahmanical traditions borrowing from Between these two polarities of the Madeline Biardeau. Amongst western each other from genre to genre and from orthodox and the bardic, the static and scholarly works, only Thomas period to period. This creates a culture the fluid, the genealogy of texts get Coburn’s celebrated work on the of inter-textuality from whence each played out discerned by common Mahatmya can match her theological new text is created as a conscious or patterns and principles and a common competence. Pintchman claims that she unconscious borrowed fragment of a grammar. textual continuum. The core tradition has attempted an “ontological” study From within this textual universe, of the Vedas as the symbol of authority, of the Goddess, perusing strictly Pintchman constructs the Mahamaya, with its cast of abstract, neutral “textual evidence”. Texts in India, as at first identifying her nebulous forms monism, gives way to the influence of Coburn has noted earlier, are living in an assortment of female, Vedic traditions and Goddesses are born not deities, which provides the framework only from the written traditions but and the principles upon which the also from a commingling of cultures Great Goddess is engrafted, principles spanning from the ascetic to the folk which get further refined and to the bawdy. In fact, one may say, the developed in the early philosophical written tradition was considered to be discourses. Finally, in the Puranas, a polluting one, and what existed was these philosophical and mythological the oral, the aural and the mnemonic categories get conflated when there is traditions. Pintchman, on the other a synthesis of divergent elements and hand, reads into these books the narratives from which emerges a notion notion of a twentieth century text, of a Great Goddess or a Devi. This looking at them through a post-modern Goddess is represented materially and hermeneutic lens. Incorrect tools tend cosmically, by and as prakrti, sakti and to warp the vision. Despite her — grammatically and essentially scholarly rigour, what baffles is the feminine terms — and Pintchman question of whether the Omnipresent methodically documents each instance One, who is at once nirguna —and of a cosmogonic account where the saguna— can be ontologically Divine Feminine most richly displays structured and textually constructed. herself through these three

No. 90 35 cosmological principles. The Goddess creation as well as a political need to creative as well as destructive. She is which emerges is thus identified by incorporate non-Brahmanical traits both the creator of maya and maya Pintchman as having the following within the dominant theological herself. She is the Benevolent One, the three patterns: discourse at this historical juncture. protector, the refuge and the shelter. She is the text; can it be that she is The Goddess as the creative It is this teleological construction present in one part and not in the other? impulse inherent within that is both baffling and problematic. which activates the process of creation What Pintchman has overlooked is the Can such Omnipresence be structurally and then sustains the universe; in this fact that the Vedic notion of the Divine mapped? sense she is sakti (energy); is what Max Mueller has called The Goddess, above all, is henotheistic. In other words, though The Goddess as materiality and the perceived devotionally. It depends it believes in one God, it finds that it material matrix in which the manifest upon the (devotion) of the does not affect its contemplation of world is grounded; in this form she is devotee to realize the Brahman in the many Gods. Different deities are prakrti (matter/nature); and shabd, i.e. the word. The text therefore, identified with and as the one Divine is bound to the reader symbiotically, The Goddess as the delusory (ekam) and in such identification the who already carries within him/her the power which creates and affects difference of number and gender are imprint of the Goddess. For She is no creation, as maya (illusion). ignored. Unlike Pintchman’s myth nor is She text-bound but real and Pintchman adds that in the Devi “construction”, the Jagadiswari, as the alive and born of a great living tradition Bhagavat Purana, the Goddess is also of which the text is only a part. For the identified as the Nirguna Brahman, the For She is no myth nor is Hindu, reciting the text or hearing it eternal, unchanging Absolute, but that She text-bound but real and being recited is another way of this depiction of the Goddess is “far worshipping the Divine Mother. The less common”. alive and born of a great text, however, does not enjoy the same living tradition of which the status as the text, for example, as does Vedic material to Pintchman is text is only a part. the Bible or the Holy Koran. obscure, vague, and indefinite. She Pintchman’s exercise therefore, seems to have only a fuzzy notion of becomes considerably limited. an all pervasive feminine principle. To nirguna and the Absolute, is her, even concepts of prakrti and sakti genderless, the only One in the From the Vedic tradition, across the are not clearly distinguished or universe. She is at once the Great Void samkhya tattvas to the Puranas and developed — therefore Vedic (as described in the Nasadiyasuktam the Tantrashastras, sets of “texts” goddesses like Vac or Viraj tend to of the Rgveda) as well as being emerged devoted to the glorification embody both principles. Prakrti, the materially manifest as prakrti: the five of particular aspects of the ultimate principle of materiality, is most gross elements of ether, air, fire, water paramatman. If the Upanisads are elaborately defined in the and earth; the triptychs of heat, water, abstractly metaphysical, then the Samkhyakarika, the philosophical food; red, white and black; the , Puranas concentrate on the discourse of the post-. and ; the sixteen vikaras mythographical details of the Brahman Sakti, on the other hand, is a concept including the buddhindriyas and in its masculine and feminine forms. developed much later outside the karmendriyas and the twenty-four Hence, the Kurma, Varaha, , Vedic-Brahmanical tradition, primarily tattvas. She is the whiteness of milk, Narada and Brahmavaivarta Puranas in the Tantric scriptures. It was the radiance of the sun, the pith of the are the celebration of and his incorporated in the Puranas (the reed. She is touch, taste, smell and incarnation as Krsna, while the Linga youngest group of ancient ) splendour. She is speech as and Siva Puranas elaborates the life of which according to Pintchman, is shabdbrahman, the masculine as Maheswara. The scriptures entirely where the Goddess finally comes into purusa, virat, mahat, Aditya, Shiv and devoted to the extolling of the Goddess Her own. Pintchman further holds that Vishnu. She is , Vac-, is the Devi Bhagavata and Chapters the Devi is crystallised only in the of the Vedas. She is cit, or 81-93 of Purana, better Puranas because of certain kinds of consciousness, the all-pervading known as the . This equations in the Puranic myths of Omnipresence. As Energy, she is does not imply that such a synthesized

36 MANUSHI depiction of the Divine Mother is non- that of the , yet Pintchman the physical creation and the endless existent in other texts. The three Vedic attaches undue importance to “water” expanse beyond the earth. She is the goddesses, Vac-Saraswati, and Sri almost as the apex feminine principle. waters, the earth, the mother, the father, of the hymns Devisuktam, She devotes a lot of space to the sons, the gods, all that is born and Ratrisuktam and Srisuktam of the describing “water” as an will be born. A single verse on Aditi in Rgveda, vividly portray the three “undifferentiated, primordial matrix... the Visvadevasuktam of Rgveda manifestations of sakti as , portrayed as womb-like, emphasizing crystallises the essence of the Goddess Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati, the the maternal, nurturing, motherly rather than numerous myths of presiding deities of the Devi aspect,” in which the material, manifest creation involving water. In fact Mahatmya. The Ratrisuktam, usually cosmos gestates. The Universal Pintchman dismisses Aditi as read along with the Devi Mahatmya, garbha which gives birth to manifest possessing only “some kind of is a complete, devotional prayer to the matter in the form of the earth. Perhaps abstract, universal significance... even Bhuvaneswari, invoking the Goddess’ this is because Pintchman perceives though her precise nature is not clearly mercy to protect the world and to procreation to be the acme of articulated.” She even criticizes Max demolish the animalistic traits and Mueller for “stretch(ing) the limits of desires in man which surfaces in him textual evidence” in his assessment of from time to time. This is in concord Aditi’s significance. Likewise, with the Puranic and Tantric forms of Pintchman’s texts give ample evidence worshipping the Devi, where Her role of the significance of Vac or Speech as as a protectress and the destroyer of a feminine, creative principle, closely animalism both within and without man associated with water. Pintchman is is highlighted. In fact, the Devisuktam, so taken up with this constant “cross- also read along with the Devi identification” amongst the Vedic Mahatmya is considered to be the most goddesses and the roles they beautiful of all prayers invoked to the performed in creation — like water with Goddess. The ritualistic worship of the Vac, Vac with Saraswati, with Goddess as , which takes place Aditi, Vac with Aditi and so on — she annually in Bengal, is incomplete is unable to perceive the fact that they without the recitation of the are one and the same. To the believer, Devisuktam. Thus Pintchman’s claim such oneness and pantheism is easily that the theology of the Goddess is acceptable. For allows the crystallised in the Devi Mahatmya, fluidity of traversing between the one while true, is no teleological evolution. and the many with an ease that is It is crystallised equally in prayers and Cosmic Woman, rooted deep over thousands of years. mantras scattered across the gamut of , c. 18th century The deific differentiation of the texts belonging to the Hindu tradition. Goddess is depicted in the Puranas This myopia also comes to the fore femininity, whereas in the case of the where She is represented in the forms in Pintchman’s handling of the Vedic Divine Feminine, it is the Divine which of , , , and material. Pintchman identifies six Vedic is emphasised and encompasses the Uma. These images are largely goddesses representing either prakrti Feminine. To select only cosmogonic borrowed from Tantric scriptures which or sakti, having traits and attributes accounts for a discussion on the female deal exclusively with the worship of that are consistently “cross-identified” principle merely constricts one’s the Brahman as sakti in its masculine with each other. These six goddesses perception of the Goddess. Procreation and feminine forms: Vishnu/Shiv and in their descending hierarchy as is only a part of the Mahamaya’s Kali. With the exception of John accorded to them by the author are: functions as prakrti. On the other Woodroffe, Western scholars have Ap (the waters), Prithvi (the earth), hand, Pintchman hardly attaches any tended to view the as falling Aditi, Viraj, Vac-Saraswati and Saci/ importance to Aditi, who is the outside the Vedic-Brahmanical Indrani. Aditi is considered to be the unbounded Infinite, the universal, tradition, while Indian scholars have primary deity of the Rgveda and Prithvi abstract Goddess, who represents both by and large agreed that the

No. 90 37 rahasyamarg (path of mysticism) of been more exposed to influences In conclusion, Pintchman has the Vedas which is revealed to the external to theVedic-Brahmanical added a sociological footnote to the disciple only at the acharya’s tradition and have been open enough book. “Despite the rich tradition of (initiator/guru) discretion, may be to incorporate some of these elements. goddess reverence,” the Indian identified with the sadhanamarg (path This does not make the Tantras, as woman, “has been and continues to of diligence/practice) of the Tantras. popularly believed, specially by be tremendously undervalued.” In fact, the Tantrashastras are held to western scholars, spiritually non-Vedic Pintchman believes that the problem be distinctly Atharvavedic and also and non-mainstream Hindu. It, along lies in the way the different images of the Great Goddess have been draw heavily from the Taittiriya with its practice of Devi-worship, is interpreted and emphasised to . Tantric yantras, mantras, very much endemic to the Vedic- generate and support a continuing chakras and mandals are traceable in Brahmanical tradition. Goddess Kali, tradition which restricts choices that these two scriptures. Pragyanananda, for example, the presiding deity of the women have. The role of the Goddess in his Tantratattvapravesika has Tantrashastra, is popularly believed by many to be essentially non-Brahmanic, in cosmogony represents the meticulously demonstrated the quintessential paradigm for a similitude of rituals in the Tantras and symbolizing power and destruction. The Tantras worship Kali as constructive, nurturant and beneficent the Vedas. In fact, Tantric rituals can expression of the feminine principle. Brahmasvarupini, the manifest be located even in the Rgveda. The Goddess, by transforming pure creativity of the unmanifest Mahakal Bhaskaray, the author of power to material matrix creates the Lalitasahasranama, is of the opinion manifest world from which order arises. that the Tantras are a part of the Hinduism allows the Similarly, the woman, by channelising Upanisads. The Saptamatrikas- fluidity of traversing her sexuality solely towards her Brahmini, Maheswari, Vaisnavi, husband in a martially confined Indrani, , Narasinghi and between the one and the universe, becomes a mother, giving Chamunda — Tantric goddesses who many with an ease that is birth to progeny. Unmarried and are incarnations of and Kali, rooted deep over thousands polygamous female sexuality are mentioned in the Vedas. Several of years. represents chaos and matter out of other Puranic feminine deities are also place, threatening cultural institutions. mentioned in the Vedic tradition, e.g., Such unbridled sakti therefore must be in Taittiriya , Uma and Shiv or the Brahman. At a more channelised for the maintenance of in Taittiriya Aranyaka, profound level, the Tantras worship social order. Pintchman holds that Uma-Haimavati in Keno Upanisad, Kali as Vac, the emblem of matrika and hitherto benevolent and “submissive” Kali, Karali, Manojaba in Mundakya i.e., the alphabet, the syllabary goddesses like have been upheld Upanisad as well as references to and the syllable, which is a as exemplars of appropriate female sakti, Shiv’s consort, in the quintessential form of worship in the behaviour. It might be better to Svetasvatara Upanisad. Aditi, Prithvi Tantrashastra. In this rahasyamurti, appropriate the images of more and Vac-Saraswati have been equated Kali’s garland of heads is nothing but independent but “good” goddesses by many Indian scholars to Ambika, a garland of syllabary, her extended like Durga and Saraswati in “ways that Uma, and Kalika. Unlike the tongue the symbol of the syllable and are more empowering than the ways in Advaita Vedantists to whom Brahman Kali herself is the manifest varna. which they have been appropriated in is the only reality and the procreated Pintchman’s understanding of the the past.” Such equations are too material world an illusion, the Tantrists Goddess would have been enriched if simplistic and the claims problematic, envision the Supreme Self equally in she had incorporated a study of the but this requires a separate discussion its abstract and gross incarnations. Tantras, which would have provided on the sociology of the feminine. Philosophically this is the only her with insight into the spiritual and If any U.S. subscribers are willing “difference” between the Vedists and metaphysical premises of the Devi. It to part with their back issues of the Tantrists. In practice, Tantrashastra would have blended her notions of the Manushi, please contact us as we is devoid of any strictures and philosophical and the ritual to generate have had some requests from regulations and is accessible to a more wholistic understanding of the overseas students who cannot anybody irrespective of caste, creed Goddess, removing in the process her afford a subscription and have or sex. Hence, the Tantrashastra has webs of confusion. requested for old back issues.

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