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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 December 2009
FROM the Western point of view the process by which the Goddess gradually established herself in the official Hindu Pantheon is of great interest. As it took place in historical times and in a culture which has known no violent breaks or radical changes of religion, it gives us a fairly continuous series of glimpses which illustrate the ways and means by which this prominence was reached. On the one hand we find accounts of the violent means—wars and massacres—employed by Devi in order to achieve recognition, as for instance in the Bengali folk-epics of Candi and Manasa-Devi. On the other hand, we find a series of philosophical-metaphysical speculations which increasingly stress the importance of the female principle in the workings of the Universe, and finally establish the Goddess in the very centre of things. Like her Lord Siva, Devi has many aspects, but—at least in the official and orthodox view—all these often conflicting aspects converge in the concept ‘The Goddess’, whatever their individual autonomy may have been or still is among the village worshippers. There is no doubt that, however young both Siva and the Goddess may be in official religion, they can claim a non-canonized existence prior perhaps to that of Brahma himself.
page 519 note 1 Sastri, S. Subrahmanya and Ayyangar, T. R. Srinivasa: Saundarya-lahari (The Ocean of Beauty) of Sri Samkara-Bhagavat-Pada with Transliteration, English Translation, Commentary, Diagrams, and Appendix on Prayoga. The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar, Madras, 1937.Google Scholar
page 519 note 2 Saundaryalahari i, p. 8. sivah saktya yukto yadi bhavati saktah prabhavitum na ced evam devo na khalu kusalah apanditum api
page 519 note 3 ibid, p. 19. The Devi-bhagavata avers that Siva deprived of the Kundalini-sakti is but Sava, a corpse.
page 521 note 1 Sangitaratndkara (I, 2, 163 ff.): tatra syat sagunadhyanad bhuktir muktis tu nirgunad dhyanam ekagracittaikasadhyaip na sukaram nrnam tasmad atra sukhopayam srimannadam anahatam guropadistamargena munayalj samupasate so' pi raktivihinatvan na manorafijako nrnam tasmad ahatanadasya srutyadidvarato 'khilam geyam vitanvato lokarafijanam bhavabhanjanam utpattim abhidhasyamas tatha srutyadihetutam
page 521 note 2 ibid. (I, 3, 2): nadopasanaya deva brahmavisnumaheSvarah bhavanty upasita nunam yasmad ete tadatmakah
page 522 note 1 Natyasdstra, I, 45, 46: drsta maya bhagavato nilakanthasya nrtyatah kaisiki slaksnanaipathya srngararasasambhava asakya purusaih sadhu prayoktum strijanad rte
page 522 note 2 Anandalahari p. 58.
page 523 note 1 As sung on Columbia G.C.E. 29 (CE1 19689): nadatanum anisam sankaram namami me manasa sirasa moksakaram nigamottamasaram vedasaram varam varam sadyojatadipancavaktrajam sarigamapadhanivarasaptasvaram vidyalolam vidalitakalam vimalahrdayatyagarajapalam
page 523 note 2 Saundaryalahari 25, p. 103: trayanam devanam trigunajanitanam tava sive bhavet puja puja tava caranayor ya viracita
page 524 note 1 ibid, 23, p. 98: tvaya hrtva vamam vapuraparitrptena manasa. sarirardham Sambhor aparam api sanke hrtam abhut yad etad tvad rupam sakalam aranabham trinayanam kucabhyam anarnram kutilasasicudalamakutam
page 524 note 2 ibid, p. 49.
page 524 note 3 ibid, 41, p. 157: tavadhare mule saha samayaya laayaparaya navatmanam manye navarasamahatandavanatam
page 524 note 4 ibid, p. 158.
page 525 note 1 ibid, 69, p. 203: gale rekhas tisro gatigamakagitaikanipune vivahavyanaddhapragunagunasaipkhyapratibhuvah virajante nanavidhamadhuraragakarabhuvam trayanam gramanam stithiniyamasimana iva te.