The Supreme Refuge

Durgā's Transformation into the Hindu Great Goddess

Hillary P. Rodrigues (Autor)

Buch | Hardcover

458 Seiten

2025
State University of New York Press (Verlag)
979-8-8558-0469-0 (ISBN)

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Offers the first comprehensive analysis of the Hindu Great Goddess Durgā, tracing her evolution from a minor goddess into a transcendent supreme deity central to Hindu theology and the ultimate refuge accessible to all.

This study provides the first comprehensive examination of the Hindu Great Goddess Durgā, one of the most significant deities in the Hindu pantheon, who is celebrated annually during the Navarātra festival, a widely observed event across the Hindu world. Drawing on textual, inscriptional, and iconographic evidence, the study traces Durgā's evolution from a minor goddess to her identification as the Mahādevī, or Great Goddess. It presents an alternative chronology for hymnic materials, aligning them more closely with early iconographic depictions and offering new insights into misidentified attributes of the goddess. The work incorporates evidence from beyond South Asia to contextualize external influences on Durgā's persona and her central myths, particularly her defeat of the buffalo demon Mahiṣa. A detailed analysis of the myths in the influential Devī Māhātmya against earlier Purāṇic accounts highlights the text's sophisticated theological approach. Its strategy places Durgā in a transcendent role while asserting her as the supreme deity and ultimate refuge, accessible to both kings and commoners in dire need of her support.

Hillary P. Rodrigues is Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at the University of Lethbridge. His previous books include Ritual Worship of the Great Goddess: The Liturgy of the Durgā Pūjā with Interpretations and, coedited with Caleb Simmons and Moumita Sen, Nine Nights of the Goddess: The Navarātri Festival in South Asia, both published by SUNY Press.

List of Illustrations
Preface and Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
A Note on Transliteration
A Note on Abbreviations

Introduction

1. Durgā in Pre-Epic Literature

2. Durgā in Epic Literature

3. Proto-Durgās in the Earliest Material Evidence

4. The Earliest Buffalo-Subduing Goddess Images

5. The Wondrous Diadem

6. The Peacock Standard

7. The Rise of Durgā Mahiṣāsuramardinī

8. Durgā in the Devī Māhātmya

9. Analyzing the Predicted Manifestations

10. Koavai and Victorious Goddess Imagery

11. The Shape-Shifting and Emerging Demon Imagery

12. Durgā in the Early Purāṇas

13. Durgā Triumphant

Appendix I: The Rātrī Sūkta
Appendix II: A Powerful Queen Defeats an Arrogant Emperor
Appendix III: Peacock Angel Worship Among the Yezidis
Timeline of Pertinent Events
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Erscheinungsdatum	03.12.2025
Reihe/Serie	SUNY series in Hindu Studies
Zusatzinfo	3 Tables, black and white; 35 Figures
Verlagsort	Albany, NY
Sprache	englisch
Maße	152 x 229 mm
Gewicht	757 g
Themenwelt	Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte ► Regional- / Ländergeschichte
	Geisteswissenschaften ► Philosophie ► Östliche Philosophie
	Geisteswissenschaften ► Religion / Theologie ► Hinduismus
ISBN-13	979-8-8558-0469-0 / 9798855804690
Zustand	Neuware