The book Matrka is a journey for the wanderers through the paths of artistry, imagination, intuition, religious beliefs and scholaticism of the Indian mind. This book focuses on the imagery related to the cult of fertility, and on the Goddesses honoured as the Mother. This book is equally informative for the teachers, researchers, students and connoisseurs of religious and art history.
Veneration to the Mother, the Sakti who creates, nurtures the good and destroys the evil. From time immemorial humankind has worshipped the Mother. The Matrka is the enerigy who gives birth and leads us towards progeny. She overwhelms us with her power of affection and with the eternal bliss of good fortune.
The cult of Mother Goddess began from the very early period in the Indian scenario. The archaeological remains found in the Indus valley civilization show the prevalence of fertility cult, and numerous depictions of female figures on seals and figurines have been found here Marshall remarks, "She is the Mother or Great Mother and prototype of the power (prakti) which developed into that of Sakti." (Mahenjodaro and the Indus Civilization, Vol.1, p.63) Mackay has opined that Mother Goddess were kept in every house in the ancient Indus cities, probably in a recess or on a bracket on the wall." (Early Indus Civilizations, p.54) The ringstones and phallic symbols discovered in Indus sites indicate that the power of fertility was also worshipped in aniconic forms. The tradition of veneration goes on.
In Vedic literature names and appraisal of a few Goddesses can be found, but these are more or less of an abstract character. Concept of a beautiful Goddess of abundance and fortune and the Mother Nature was present in the mind of the Aryans. In RigVeda she is Purandhi, the Goddess of abundance and fortune; she is Dhisana, the Heaven, Air and Earth: she is Vak, the Goddess of Utterance or the river Goddess Sarasvati on whose bank the art of Speech or hymnist culture of RigVeda originated. In RigVeda and Atharva Veda she is Aditi, the divine mother of the universal nature. In RigVeda she is the Usas, the Goddess of Dawn dressed in vermilion red like a graceful dancer; she is beautiful and rich Raka and Sinivali, connected with different phases of the Moon. In the hymns of the Atharva Veda Sinivali is imagined as broad hipped, fair armed and fair fingered. Sri is the Goddess of plenty and is imagined as beautiful.
Later this power of imagination took a concrete shape. In the course of time, abstraction was gradually givingway to personification or anthropomorphic form of Goddess.
Atributes and accessories were connected with her gradually in later times. As for example Svetapadmavasini Srilakymi was imagined and became connected with lotus in Brahmanical literature. In the Brahmanical pantheon the Supreme Mother took three emanated principal forms Mahakali, Mahalakymi and Mahasarasvati as have been mentioned in the Des Imahatmya of Markandeya Purana.
Deves or divine female forms with specific attires, attributes, mounts and accessories emeriged and some were carried over from earlier traditions. As for example the portray of nude Mother Goddess from Indus seals standingwith her legs apart and with tendrils issuingfrom her womb associates her with the vegetation and this concept blossomed in the Brahmanical Devi Sakambhari, the Goddess of vegetation. Later Devi became Annapurna, the Goddess who blesses with a full bowl of rice hence the power of feedingthe livingcreatures. In iconic representation of Annapurna, her right hand is in the gesture of blessingand Siva stands near her with a vessel to get the food. The same concept is attributed on Devi Lakymi, who blesses with richness and abundance. In Indian scenario the brides are blessed to be a Laksmi in her in laws household and it is desired from her that she should have the capacity to feed and satisfy all. The characteristic features of age old gramadevis i.e. village Goddesses and deities of tribal and folk traditions were absorbed into Brahmanism with adoration and their features were meriged into Brahmanical concept of Goddess. As may be quoted from J.N.Banerjea, "She is also described...as Aparna (not even covered with a leaf garment, 'nude'), Nagna-Sabari (the naked Sabara woman") and Parna-Sabari (the leaf-clad Sahara woman...)." (Development of Hindu Iconography, p.492)
In literature the Goddess is described as the great savior from pains and terrors like epidemics, captivity, wilderness, drowning, harassment, dense forests, robbers and others. In iconographical features, she holds her hand in abhaya mudra, the gesture of givingassurance of protection. In other cases she also holds a weapon in the gesture of fightingthe Asura, the personified terror and evil. Her nature is ambiguous, winningand destructive. She is Candi who fights the evil, destroy the evil and Abhaya who protects her devotee. Imagination centeringthis desire of protection is expressed in the ferocious multi handed images of Devi Duriga, Kall and Tara. All these efforts resulted in formation of classical canonical norms for iconography and crystallized into various forms.
Vedas (1294)
Upanishads (481)
Puranas (610)
Ramayana (837)
Mahabharata (331)
Dharmasastras (163)
Goddess (472)
Bhakti (240)
Saints (1302)
Gods (1269)
Shiva (340)
Journal (144)
Fiction (51)
Vedanta (333)
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