Shakti is the word for divine power in the Hindu religion. It refers to the primordial (primitive or original) energy that creates and animates the entire universe. Hindus believe shakti takes form in goddesses and women, who have life-giving power. Shakti is also another name for Mahadevi, or Devi, the Great Goddess, of whom all other Hindu goddesses are different forms. According to Shaktism, a major branch of Hinduism, shakti is the ultimate reality.
According to traditional Hindu belief, the divine masculine represents form and passivity, and the divine feminine represents action and power. Each aspect of divinity needs the other. There is an ancient saying that shiva, the divine masculine, without shakti is sava, a corpse. In Hindu temples, gods usually are shown with their female companion.
Without masculine influence, shakti becomes wild and destructive. Such goddesses as Kali symbolize this aspect of shakti. These goddesses sometimes appear as vicious and full of rage. In stories about Kali, after a great battle in which she defeats her enemies, she begins a wild, joyful dance. She is drunk on her enemies’ blood. Her dance spins out of control and threatens the safety of the world. To calm her down, her husband, the god Shiva , appears on the battlefield as a crying infant. Seeing the baby in distress, Kali becomes motherly. She picks up the child and feeds it, thus soothing her fury.
Hindus worship shakti in various ways. They often dedicate themselves to a particular goddess, such as Durga , Lakshmi , or Parvati . They also honor shakti in nature, especially rivers. The Ganges River , for example, is considered to be the physical form of the goddess Ganga. In addition, shakti takes form as numerous village goddesses who are community protectors and healers.
