Shakti and Shakta

What It's About

This is a collection of essays exploring the philosophical and spiritual foundations of Shaktism, the Hindu tradition that venerates Shakti - the Divine Feminine - as the supreme power underlying the universe. Woodroffe examines the relationship between the Tantra Shastra and the Vedas, defends Tantric religion against the dismissive attitudes of many contemporaneous Western and Indian scholars, and traces expressions of Shakti-worship as far afield as China and Tibet.

Key Concepts

Central to the essays is the idea of Shakti as both cosmic power and consciousness, explored through the twin aspects of Cit-Shakti (the conscious aspect of the universe) and Maya-Shakti (its psycho-physical aspect). Woodroffe discusses Shakta Advaitavada (non-dualist Shakta philosophy), the relationship between Tantra and Vedanta, the psychology of Hindu ritual, and the symbolic and practical meaning of Tantric sadhana, including its more controversial ritual elements.

About the Author

Sir John Woodroffe (1865-1936) was a British jurist who served as a judge of the Calcutta High Court during his years in colonial India. Under the pseudonym Arthur Avalon, he became one of the first Western scholars to present Hindu Tantric texts and philosophy as a serious and coherent system of thought, at a time when they were widely dismissed or misunderstood by both Western Orientalists and segments of Indian society.