Mahadevi

For Hindi poet, see Mahadevi Varma.

Mahadevi
Mahadevi in the form of Mahishasuramardini Durga
All Hindu Goddesses, Brahman
Devanagari	महादेवी
Sanskrit Transliteration	Mahādevī
Affiliation	Devi, Brahman
Abode	Varies by interpretation
Weapon	Varies by iconographic form
Consort	Shiva
Mount	Varies by iconographic form

In Hinduism, Mahadevi (Sanskrit: Mahādevī, Devanagari: महादेवी) or "Great Goddess" is a term used to denote the Goddess or Devi that is the sum of all other Devis - an all encompassing Female Deity as the consort or complement to an all encompassing Male Deity (Deva) or the Ultimate Reality (Brahman) in Shaktism.

She is often identified with a specific Goddess, the most common being Durga, Parvati, Kali (or Mahakali) or Lakshmi, Saraswati depending on the sectarian slant of the individual.

See also

• Devi Mahatmya
• Great Mother
• Shakti

References

• Seeking Mahadevi: Constructing the Identities of the Hindu Great Goddess (ISBN 0-791-45008-2) Edited by Tracy Pintchman
• Encountering The Goddess: A Translation of the Devi-Mahatmya and a Study of Its Interpretation (ISBN 0-7914-0446-3) by Thomas B. Coburn
• In Praise of The Goddess: The Devimahatmyam and Its Meaning (ISBN 0-89254-080-X) by Devadatta Kali
• The Triumph of the Goddess: The Canonical Models and Theological Visions of the Devi-Bhagavata Purana (ISBN 0-7914-0363-7) by C. MacKenzie Brown
• The Srimad Devi Bhagavatam (ISBN 8-1215-0591-7) translated by Swami Vijnanananda

External links

• Prof. P.C. Jain: Conception and Evolution of The Mother Goddess in India 2004