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The Prolific Goddess: Images of the Goddess in Indian Literature

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The Prolific Goddess: Images of the Goddess in Indian Literature Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2003 The Prolific Goddess: Imagery of the Goddess within Indian Literature Marie Hendry Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES THE PROLIFIC GODDESS: IMAGERY OF THE GODDESS WITHIN INDIAN LITERATURE By MARIE HENDRY A Thesis submitted to the Department of International Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2003 The members of the Committee approve the thesis of Marie Hendry on November 7, 2003. Kathleen Erndl Professor Directing Thesis Burton M. Atkins Committee Member J. Grant Committee Member The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ................................................................................................................ iv INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 1. GODDESS AS RIVER ................................................................................... 8 2. JASMINE AS THE GODDESS ...................................................................... 17 3. YAJNASENI, DRAUPADI, AND KRISHNAA ............................................ 26 4. THE SHORT STORY: GLIMPSES OF THE GODDESS ............................. 34 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................... 41 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................. 45 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ................................................................................ 49 iii ABSTRACT This thesis is centered around Goddess imagery in literature from Indian women writers. A feminist approach is used to look at the literature as a form of cultural analysis. iv INTRODUCTION: BACKGROUND AND FEMINIST APPROACH Background Goddess worship within Hinduism has become a major focus of study over recent years. The Goddess has appeared in many sacred texts over the course of the development of Hinduism. She has been portrayed as both protector and mother to fierce and bloody. Within her lie many images or she is portrayed as the one, all encompassing Goddess. Later in religious history she is the most powerful surrounding force present in all things. The Goddess has always permeated religious doctrine, and many stories and myths have grown around her. Modern literature has used traditional Goddess symbolism as a means of communicating religious experience, feminism and self- expression. A look at Goddess imagery and its implications within texts by female authors is the focus of this study. A discussion of feminist approaches to the text and the parallels between the texts will strengthen the analysis of the Goddess imagery. Within Hindu religious history the Goddess is imbued with Shakti, or female power, in many images, and myth and ritual surrounding her expand throughout all areas of India and other areas where Hinduism is practiced. There are arguments that Goddess worship existed before, in the esoteric Tantra and exoteric Sakti forms. These forms became different models for worship within Hinduism, which are broken usually into two schools, Vedic and Tantric. Though both groups worship similar deities, Tantra is more heavily weighted in the direction of worshiping the Goddess. To this end many groups that focus heavily on a Goddess as a focus of their religion within Hinduism are dubbed academically as Tantric. The numerous groups and the numerous Goddesses worshiped in Hinduism cause a great deal of diversity within Hinduism. The Goddess is worshiped in many different aspects. She appears as a fierce Goddess whom becomes inebriated from drinking blood as Kali. She also reveals herself as protector in the Devi-Mahatmya (Erndl 1993, 22-30). The background of the Devi-Mahatmya, written in Sanskrit, is important in this study for it gives a religious background to the theme of Goddess imagery. The Devi- Mahatmya is revealed as three stories or truths of the Goddess to two men who have lost 1 their livelihood. The first was a merchant whose children steal his fortune, the second a king who was dethroned. Both men were sent into the forest, however neither one could rid himself of worry, the first for his children, the second for his kingdom. They seek a sage to help them (Coburn 49-84). The sage relates three stories of the Goddess. The first shows how the Goddess is in everything and all encompassing. She is personified as sleep and asked to leave Vishnu’s body by Brahma, who has seen two demons appear from Vishnu’s earwax. He refers to her as “...the primordial material (prakrti) of everything...”. When she leaves his body, Vishnu then can slay the demons (Coburn 37). It is the last story that is of particular importance to this study because the Goddess is shown in her many forms. When the worlds are terrorized by the demons Sumbha and Nisumbha, the Gods are helpless and call upon the Goddess to save them. She is invoked as protectoress; riding a lion she slays her foes in battle. She calls upon many aspects of herself in this story, such as Kali to lap the blood of the demon Raktibisha (Blood drop) who regenerates himself as his blood flows to the ground. In the end the Goddess prevails, calling all the Goddesses into herself, proclaiming “I am one” when taunted by the demon for having so much help. As she is victorious she is praised by the Gods and is asked to return when the help is needed. She agrees. After the sage relates the story, the two men worship the Goddess for all her great deeds, and they are both granted a boon. The merchant chooses mukti, or liberation, and becomes an enlightened being. The other becomes a universal ruler (Coburn 49-84). This imagery is important for it gives a historical and religious background to the literature that will be discussed in this study. The Devi-Mahatmya is revered as a sacred text and the Goddess in her splendor is shown. Literature Though female writers have surfaced throughout Indian history, more female writers have emerged within the last century. The past few decades have shown a resurgence of female Indian writers. Many different issues have been the focus of their 2 literature, such as caste issues in A God of Small Things by Arundhuti Roy to issues of religious fervor in A River Sutra by Gita Mehta. Though wide ranging in theme, there appears in much of the literature I surveyed elements of the Goddess, either symbolized or in direct form. The range of attributes the Goddess is given throughout the literature is used to invoke fear, passion, and worship. This study of Goddess imagery will be centered on identity, unity and variation. The identity of the Goddess and the use of traditional imagery within the literature become apparent as a common theme. Identifying the Goddess imagery and how it is used, to covey emotion, as part of the story or as a character is the approach of the research toward the literature. Subsequently the unities of that image throughout each book and compared with the other novels will be employed to dissect the variation of Goddess imagery among the texts. This is important to see the theme of the Goddess imagery as it emerges in modern popular literature. I have used female authors of Indian descent as the focus for the literature surveyed to perform a female-centered cultural analysis. The Goddess as represented in these texts is part of the dominant religion in India. This cultural and historical approach also serves as a backdrop for interpreting the imagery. The texts that will be closely looked at are A River Sutra by Gita Mehta, Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee and Yajnaseni: The Story of Draupadi by Pratibha Ray, as well as three short stories. These novels were picked for their difference in themes, as well as their representations of different aspects of a character’s experience. Mehta represents the religious and tribal mentality that surrounds the worship of the Goddess. In Jasmine, Mukherjee explores the issues of womanhood within a conflict between eastern and western cultures. Yajnaseni: the Story of Draupadi takes a myth of a particular Goddess and gives her human attributes. She relates these experiences to everyday life. The Goddess is transformed into a flawed and complex being. This allows the author to further explore the feminist questions raised by Draupadi. The short stories mirror daily life for women in India. They show particular modes and themes, such as small town life and traditional values that can be found in much of the literature throughout India. How these stories 3 deal with the unique experiences of females is exemplified by the overt Goddess imagery attached to each character for different reasons. In A River Sutra Gita Mehta relates different stories of a guesthouse manager on the banks of the sacred Narmada. His own religious experience goes through different stages throughout the story. The use of Goddess imagery is invoked as a tonal theme, by personifying the river Narmada with Sakti. Mehta uses this imagery to show how religion is perceived from different viewpoints. This analysis brings into question religious/cultural assumptions and beliefs (Mehta). In comparison Jasmine tells the sad story of a young girl’s life and the people she affects. Mukherjee
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