Saturday, August 22, 2026

In Hinduism, what is the meaning of Shakti? Is God feminine?

 In Hindu Dharma, Shakti refers to that executive power that makes things happen. It is the movement, action and the divine energy present in everyone. Life is not possible without it. Shakti (Prakriti) is Feminine force, that creates. This is the reason it is depicted as the Divine Mother (Paramba).

However, the one who does the creation through or basically with Shakti is the Maheshwara or simply referred as Ishwara (Purusha). The Purusha is the Masculine force that represents awareness, it is the consciousness that holds the power. That is why it is depicted as the Divine Father (Param Pita). This divine consciousness is present in everyone.

The cosmic seed that ultimately leads to the entire creation is the union of these two masculine and feminine forces. Shakti is the projection of Ishwara, this relationship is similar to that of Sun and Sunlight or Ocean and Wave. So God (Bhagwan) is masculine aspect while Power of God (Shakti) is his own feminine aspect. The absolute reality is the non-duality (oneness) of Ishwara and Shakti.

So, the concept of God is not about one particular aspect. Fundamentally the Ultimate Being is attribute less (Nirguna), and for the creation and expansion, it is in the form of both masculine and feminine forces.