Śakti is the Supreme Reality, the primordial maternal energy, and the absolute conscious power that creates, maintains, and dissolves the entire universe. She is not a subordinate consort to a male deity, but the dynamic, kinetic energy without which the universe and the gods themselves would be inert.
"All the gods waited upon the Goddess and asked: ‘Great Goddess, who art Thou?’ She replied: I am essentially Brahman. From Me has proceeded the world comprising Prakṛti and Puruṣa, the void and the Plenum. I am all forms of bliss and non-bliss. Knowledge and ignorance are Myself. Brahman and non-Brahman are to be known – says the scripture of the Atharvans."
She is further described as the supreme power that emits the world: "She, here, is the Power supreme. She, here, is the science of Śambhu, known either as the science beginning with ka, or as the science beginning with ha, or as the science beginning with sa." — Devī Upaniṣad
1. The Non-Duality of Śakti and Śaktimān
The principle of Śāktism is that Śakti and Śaktimān (the male deity who holds the power, such as Śiva or Viṣṇu) are one and the same reality.
"Just as śakti, or power, is not different from śaktimān, the holder of power, similarly parāśakti, the highest power, who is the essence of the absolute (and therefore) identical with dharma, can never be separated from Bhairava, the possessor of dharma." — Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra, Verse 18
"Just as the power to burn is not separate from fire, similarly parāśakti is not different from Bhairava. However, it is imagined as separate in the beginning, as a preliminary step towards entry into its knowledge." — Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra, Verse 19
Adbhuta Rāmāyaṇa confirms this non-duality and directly applies it to Lord Rāma and Sītā:
"Essentially, the fundamental Śakti is one. There is only one divine being to command this Śakti, and that is Lord Śiva. Yogis who are well versed and expert in the basics of essential knowledge do not regard any difference between the two of them." — Adbhuta Rāmāyaṇa, Canto 24, Verse 14
"Jānakī Devī is Śakti personified, while Śrī Rāma (Rāghava) is the authority who is the Lord of that Śakti. Experts in the basics of the essential knowledge of this creation have specially emphasized this point in the Purāṇas." — Adbhuta Rāmāyaṇa, Canto 24, Verse 15
2. Śakti as Prakṛti and Māyā
Śakti is Prakṛti and Māyā.
"Know that Nature (Prakṛti) is Māyā (the creative power), and the great Lord (Maheśvara) is the wielder of Māyā. This entire world is pervaded by beings that are parts of Her (Him)." — Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad, Chapter 4, Verse 10
"Jānakī (Sītā) is an image or personification of Prakṛti. She is the primary primordial force present even before the creation of the basic elements (bhūtas) of life came into existence." — Adbhuta Rāmāyaṇa, Canto 1, Verse 13
"She is universally and uniformly present in both the Brahman as well as the creation of that Brahman, the Brahmāṇḍa (Universe). She is at the root of all causes and reasons in the world. She is the supreme patron Goddess of both Mother Nature, known as Prakṛti, as well as its opposite, the Vikṛti." — Adbhuta Rāmāyaṇa, Canto 1, Verse 15
3. Tridēvajananī Ambē Mā
In the Śākta doctrine, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva originates from the Ambē Mā and relies entirely on Her energy to perform their cosmic functions.
"That Supreme Auspicious Goddess is the preserving energy of Viṣṇu, the creative power of Brahmā, and the destroying force of Śiva. Whatever exists in this infinite Universe, whether Temporal or Eternal, She is the Underlying Force of all; how, then, can She have an origin! Her origin is not Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśa, Sun, Indra, or the other Devas, not this Earth nor this Upholder of the Earth; She is devoid of any qualities, the Giver of Salvation to all, the Full Prakṛti. In the time of the final dissolution of this Universe, She lives with the Supreme Puruṣa." — Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Book 3, Verses 30-33
Śakti Devī assumes countless forms and names, appearing as the consorts of various gods
"All branches of knowledge are Your modifications, O Goddess. All women in the entire world are Your forms. By You alone, O Mother, this entire universe is filled. What praise can there be for You, who are beyond all praise?" — Devī Māhātmya, Chapter 11, Verse 6
"You are Sāvitrī, the consort of Brahmā. You are Bhavānī, the consort of Śiva. You are Śrī (Ramā), the consort of Lord Viṣṇu. You are Śacī, the consort of Indra, the king of heaven. O Goddess Māyā, You shine as the supreme consort in all the worlds." — Kalki Purāṇa, Chapter 15, Verse 10
"The goddess, full of Kṛṣṇa, and the highest deity is called Rādhikā. She is of the nature of all beauty and of the nature of Kṛṣṇa's joy. Therefore, O brāhmaṇa, she is called Hlādinī by the wise. Durgā and others having the three constituents (Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas) are a part of the croreth portion of her. She is actually Mahālakṣmī, and Kṛṣṇa is Lord Nārāyaṇa. O best sage, there is not the slightest difference between the two. She is Durgā (i.e., Pārvatī); Hari is Rudra. Kṛṣṇa is Indra; she is Indrāṇī. She is Sāvitrī; Hari is Brahmā. She is Dhūmorṇā; Hari is Yama." — Padma Purāṇa, Pātālakhaṇḍa, Verses 52b-56a
"In order to promote the welfare of the worlds, Mahālakṣmī, who is beautifully formed, manifests, with herself as the substratum, the two divine states of being Agni and Soma, characterized as man and woman. She has four arms, large eyes, a complexion like refined gold, and she holds a mātuluṅga (a citron), a club, a shield, and a vessel containing amṛta. That is myself, famed as the exquisitely limbed Mahālakṣmī, also known as Mahāśrī, Caṇḍā, Caṇḍī, and Caṇḍikā. I am also called Bhadrakālī, Bhadrā, Kālī, Durgā, Maheśvarī, and Triguṇā; and since I am the wife of Bhagavat (the Holy One), I am also known as Bhagavatī (the Holy One)."— Lakṣmī Tantra, Chapter 4, Verses 37-40
"I am always the beloved of Nārāyaṇa; therefore I am named Nārāyaṇī in the Vedas. I am the chief Śakti of Viṣṇu, I am Viṣṇumāyā and I am Vaiṣṇavī. I am always causing illusion to the endless koṭis of Brahmāṇḍas (universes). And I am Sarasvatī, manifest on the lips of learned people. All the universes exist in the pores of Mahāviṣṇu; I am His Mother, the Origin of all; and it is I that am the Rāseśvarī (the Lady in the circle of the Rasa dance) embodying all the forces (Śaktis)."— Nārada Pañcarātra, Discourse on the Highest Knowledge, Verses 59-61
"He should worship Hari with Lakṣmī or Rudra with Umā. Lakṣmī is identical with Umā and Hari is identical with Rudra. It is so declared in all Śāstras and Purāṇas. Any Śāstra or Kāvya which states otherwise is not worthy of its name. Viṣṇu should be considered as Rudra and Lakṣmī as Gaurī. He who speaks of a difference between them is lowly (Adhama) and should be considered an atheist outside the field of dharma."— Varāha Purāṇa, Chapter 28, Verses 3-6
4. Śakti Devī Residing in All Beings
Śakti is the inner consciousness and intelligence of every living entity.
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu cetanetyabhidhīyate | namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ || yā devī sarvabhūteṣu buddhirūpeṇa saṃsthitā | namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ || "To the Goddess who in all beings is called Consciousness, Salutations to Her, Salutations to Her, Salutations to Her, again and again. To the Goddess who abides in all beings in the form of Intelligence, Salutations to Her, Salutations to Her, Salutations to Her, again and again." — Devī Māhātmya, Chapter 5, Verses 14-16
"One attains vigour and all excellences by the grace of the goddess Śakti. O son of Pṛthā, she is stationed in all living beings as Buddhi (intellect), Hrī (modesty), Puṣṭi (nourishment), Lajjā (shyness), Tuṣṭi (satisfaction), Śānti (peace), Kṣamā (forgiveness), Spṛhā (desire), Śraddhā (faith), and Cetanā (consciousness). Śakti originates from Utsāha (zeal), Mantra (counsel), and Prabhu (the Lord). Hence Śakti should always be worshipped by an embodied soul. On being delighted, she grants all desires. On being angry, she annihilates in a moment. That Supreme Prakṛti exists in many different forms." — Skanda Purāṇa, Kaumārikākhaṇḍa, Chapter 47, Verses 3-8
"Though she abides in the heart of all, she is invisible to the worlds. She is of the nature of fascination. It is she who, out of her sports, creates distinctions between names and forms. She stays presiding over them but is not attached to them. She is the bestower of wealth and love. Obeisance to that great goddess. Repeated obeisance to the omnipotent goddess." — Lalitopākhyāna, Chapter 13, Verses 18-20
5. The Five Cosmic Functions of Śakti
Śakti performs the five primary acts of the universe.
"O king of the gods, I have five ever-existing functions, viz. tirobhāva (concealment), sṛṣṭi (creation), sthiti (preservation), saṃhṛti (destruction), and anugraha (grace/salvation). O Śakra, hear a systematic description of these functions."— Lakṣmī Tantra, Chapter 12, Verses 13-14
6. Kuṇḍalinī Śakti
"Piercing the earth element in the Mūlādhāra, the water element in the Svādhiṣṭhāna, the fire element in the Maṇipūra, the air element in the Anāhata, the ether element in the Viśuddhi, and the mind in the Ājñā cakra, You ascend through the Kula path and sport in secret with Your Lord in the thousand-petalled lotus (Sahasrāra)." — Saundaryalaharī, Verse 9
"Śacī and Indra, Rohiṇī and Candra, Svāhā and Agni, Prabhā (light) and Sun, Lakṣmī and Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu), Vāṇī (Goddess Sarasvatī) and Dhātā (Brahmā), Night and Day, Agni and Soma, Bindu and Nāda, Prakṛti and Puruṣa, Support and Supported, Enjoyment (Bhoga) and Emancipation (Mokṣa), Prāṇa and Apāna (two major vital breaths), Word and Meaning, Injunction and Prohibition, Happiness and Misery—all these manifestations that are duals are all Forms of Śakti-Śiva." — Kulārṇava Tantra
7. The Simultaneous Bestowal of Enjoyment and Liberation
Other paths demand the renunciation of the world, Śakti Devī provides both material fulfillment (i.e Bhoga) and spiritual liberation (i.e Mokṣa) to Her devotees.
"Hence, in regard to the entire world, nowhere can there be a simultaneous attainment of worldly enjoyment and salvation without the propitiation of Goddess Tripurā." — Lalitopākhyāna, Chapter 5, Verse 34
Jay Mata Di