In Hinduism, the Divine Mother is the female polarity of the Godhead, the Shakti or Adi-shakti. This article is about the Hindu religion. ... This article is in need of attention. ...

The supreme Shakti or Citi is the original cosmological principle from which the entire universe emerges. This is in keeping with the tendency in Hindu philosophy in general, in which the world-process or phenomenal reality (maya, prakriti) is identified with the female polarity. The word Maya or maya can refer to: The Maya – a Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America the modern Maya people the pre-Columbian Maya civilization the Maya language Maya – a concept in Hindu/Vedic philosophy a state of misperception of reality the inherent force of... Prakrti or Prakriti (from Sanskrit language) is, according to samkhya philosophy the basic matter of which the universe consists. ...

In addition to this cosmological context, there is a theological context, with the various Hindu goddesses and deities identified with the Mother. For example Ramakrishna was a devotee of the Divine Mother in the form of Kali. Shaktism, one of the main branches of Hinduism, and the source of most of the tantric texts and practices, is concerned with the worship of the Supreme Mother. Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture A goddess is a female deity, in contrast with a male deity known as a god. A great many cultures have goddesses, sometimes alone, but more often as part of a larger pantheon that includes both of the conventional genders and in some cases... Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (Bangla: রামকৃষ্ণ পরমহংস), born Gadadhar Chattopadhyay (Bangla: গদাধর চট্টোপাধ্যায়) , (February 18, 1836 - August 16, 1886) was one of the most important Hindu religious leaders of India, and is deeply revered by many Hindus and non-Hindus to this date. ... A common scene depicting Kali standing over Shiva. ... Shaktism is a denomination of Hinduism that worships Shakti, or Devi -- the Hindu name for the Great Mother -- in all of her forms whilst not rejecting the importance of masculine and neuter divinity. ... Tantra (Sanskrit: loom), tantric yoga or tantrism is any of several esoteric traditions rooted in the religions of India. ...

Cybele was referred to as the Magna Mater or Great Mother, and with Isis was one of the great mother goddess of the Roman Empire. The term "Divine Mother" is also used in Catholicism to refer to the Virgin Mary, and was originally used in ancient Egypt to refer to Isis. A fountain depicting Cybele in a chariot drawn by lions, in the Plaza de Cibeles, Madrid . Originally a Phrygian goddess, insofar as the Hellenes were concerned, Cybele (Greek Κυβέλη) was a manifestation of the Earth Mother who was worshipped in Anatolia from Neolithic times. ... It has been suggested that Isis in literature be merged into this article or section. ... This article considers Catholicism in the broadest ecclesiastical sense. ... The term Virgin Mary has several different meanings: Mary, the mother of Jesus, the historical and multi-denominational concept of Mary Blessed Virgin Mary, the Roman Catholic theological and doctrinal concept of Mary Marian apparitions shrines to the Virgin Mary Virgin Mary in Islam, the Islamic theological and doctrinal concept... It has been suggested that Isis in literature be merged into this article or section. ...

References

• Avalon, Arthur (Sir John Woodroffe), Shakti and Shakta, Dover Publications, New York, 1978
• Dash, Durgamadhab God as Divine Mother, Orissa Review, vol LXI, no.3 October 2004
• Gupta, Sudhir Ranjan Sen. Mother Cult. Firma Klm Private Ltd.: Calcutta, 1977
• Morales, Frank The Concept of Shakti: Hinduism as a Liberating Force for Women, Dharma central com., 1998
• Singh, Jaideva, Pratyabhijnahrdayam – the Secret of Self-Recognition, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 3rd ed. 1980