2023-02-16 06:27:17 by ambuda-bot
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10
LALITÄ-SAHASRANAMA
age, we have the following passage in the Dezi-
Mahātmya:
"Whenever there is trouble of this kind caused by
the Dänavas, at each such time I shall incarnate
myself and accomplish the destruction of the enemy."
Thus in the history of our religion there have
arisen two types of monotheism-one centring round a
supreme God and another sound a supreme Goddess,
both of whom are admittedly only symbols of the
impersonal Absolute.
VI
In the early Vedic literature we have no supreme
Goddess any more than a supreme God. There were a
number of goddesses like Uşas, Rātri, Väk, Prithivi
and Sarasvati, and a number of consorts of gods, like
Indrāni, Varunani, etc. But all of them occupy a very
subordinate position. However, before the end of
the Vedic period we see signs of the emergence of a
supreme Goddess as well as of a supreme God. Just as
of the other goddesses, especially Väk. For instance,
in a passage in the Taittiriya Aranyaka she is referred
to by three different names-Katyayani, Kanyakumari
and Durga. In the Kena Upanişad she is identified
with Umä Haimavati, who symbolizes Brahma-vidyā.
And two other names which afterwards become asso-
ciated with her, vis., Kali and Karali, occur in the
Mundaka Upanişad where they denote two tongues of
LALITÄ-SAHASRANAMA
age, we have the following passage in the Dezi-
Mahātmya:
"Whenever there is trouble of this kind caused by
the Dänavas, at each such time I shall incarnate
myself and accomplish the destruction of the enemy."
Thus in the history of our religion there have
arisen two types of monotheism-one centring round a
supreme God and another sound a supreme Goddess,
both of whom are admittedly only symbols of the
impersonal Absolute.
VI
In the early Vedic literature we have no supreme
Goddess any more than a supreme God. There were a
number of goddesses like Uşas, Rātri, Väk, Prithivi
and Sarasvati, and a number of consorts of gods, like
Indrāni, Varunani, etc. But all of them occupy a very
subordinate position. However, before the end of
the Vedic period we see signs of the emergence of a
supreme Goddess as well as of a supreme God. Just as
of the other goddesses, especially Väk. For instance,
in a passage in the Taittiriya Aranyaka she is referred
to by three different names-Katyayani, Kanyakumari
and Durga. In the Kena Upanişad she is identified
with Umä Haimavati, who symbolizes Brahma-vidyā.
And two other names which afterwards become asso-
ciated with her, vis., Kali and Karali, occur in the
Mundaka Upanişad where they denote two tongues of