Hymns to the Goddess

Hymns to the Goddess is a book by Arthur Avalon (John Woodroffe), first published in 1913, that assembles a collection of English translations of Sanskrit hymns praising the feminine divine. Drawing from sources such as the Tantra, Purāṇas, the Mahābhārata, and works by figures like Śaṅkarācārya and Vālmīki, the volume presents a wide-ranging anthology including the Ānandalaharī (“Waves of Bliss”), Durgāśatanāma, Sarvaviśvajananī (“Mother of the Whole Universe”), and Devi Aparāda Kṣamāpana (“May the Devi Grant Me Pardon”).

These hymns are accompanied by footnotes and interpretive commentary. John Woodroffe, writing under the name Arthur Avalon, was a British scholar and judge who played a significant role in introducing Indian philosophical and spiritual traditions to a Western audience, and his translations helped open a window onto Hindu Tantra at a time when it was little understood outside India.

In this volume, he highlights the Divine Feminine in her many forms—Durga as protector, Kali as destroyer of ignorance, Lakṣmī as bringer of abundance, and Sarasvatī as goddess of wisdom—presenting a theology that is both complex and deeply devotional. Though the language and symbolism may be most familiar to readers with some background in Hindu philosophy or Sanskrit, the book remains a foundational work in Western study of Tantra and Goddess worship, serving as both a devotional offering and a scholarly achievement.

It invites readers to explore the power and grace of the divine feminine principle at the heart of Indian spirituality.