Hymns To The Goddess

She is seen as one and as many: as it were, but one moon reflected in countless waters.She exists, too, in all animals and inorganic things, since the universe, with all its beauties, is, as the Dev Pura says, but a part of Her. All this diversity of form is but the infinite manifestations of the flowering beauty of the one Supreme Life--a doctrine which is nowhere else taught with greater wealth of illustration than in the kta stras and Tantras. The great Bharga in the bright sun, and all Devat, and, indeed, all life and being are worshipful, and are worshipped, but only as Her manifestations. And he who worships them otherwise is, in the words of the great Devbhgavata, "like unto a man who, with the light of a clear lamp in his hands, yet falls into some waterless and terrible well." It is customary nowadays to decry external worship, but those who do so presume too much. The ladder of ascent can only be scaled by those who have trod all, including its lowest, rungs. The aktirahasya summarises the stages of progress in a short verse, thus: "A mortal who worships by ceremonies, by images, by mind, by identification, by knowing the self, attains kaivalya." Before brahma-bhva can be attained the sdhaka must have passed from pjbhva through hymns and prayer to dhyna-bhva. The highest worship for which the sdhaka is qualified (adhikri) only after external worship, and that internal form known as sdhra is described as nirdhra. Therein Pure Intelligence is the Supreme akti who is worshipped as the Very Self, the Witness freed of the glamour of the manifold universe. By one's own direct experience of Mahevar as the Self, She is, with reverence, made the object of that worship which leads to liberation.

Hymns to the Goddess by Arthur Avalon, also known as Sir John Woodroffe, is a collection of devotional hymns and sacred texts dedicated to the worship of the Hindu goddesses, particularly the divine feminine energies of Shakti. Avalon's translations and interpretations provide insights into the profound symbolism and spiritual significance of the goddess traditions. Key Points: Avalon offers a deep exploration of the feminine divine principles in Hinduism, presenting hymns and verses that celebrate the power, grace, and nurturing qualities of the goddesses, inspiring devotion and reverence among readers. The book delves into the mystical and symbolic aspects of the goddess traditions, unveiling the deeper meanings behind the myths, rituals, and iconography associated with various goddesses, inviting readers to connect with the divine feminine within themselves and in the world. Hymns to the Goddess serves as a spiritual guide and a source of inspiration for those interested in the goddess-centric traditions of Hinduism, providing a deeper understanding of the profound wisdom and transformative potential inherent in the worship of the divine feminine.

About the Book The Goddess or Devī is God in Its Mother aspect. Devī, who is existence, consciousness and bliss, is thought of as a female, a male or pure Brahman. This volume Hymns to the Goddess is an endeavour of Sir John Woodroffe (Arthur Avalon) to translate the Sanskrit hymns in praise of the Goddess or Devī, scattered in Tantra and Purāṇa texts, Mahābhārata, and in the hymns of Śaṅkarācārya, who was an incarnation of devotion and a great philosopher, Vālmīki and Indra. After a general introduction, the book starts with a hymn to Kālabhairava, the spouse of Devī, followed by Devī stotras. In these hymns, Devī is praised as Bhairavaī, Bhuvaneśvarī, Ādyakālī, Lakṣmī, Tārā, Mahiṣamardinī, Aṇṇapūrṇā, Sarasvatī, Durgā, Tripurā in Tantra texts; Sarvaviśvajananī, Ambikā, Caṇḍikā, Mahādevī and Jagadambikā in Purāṇas; Durgā, Āryā, Durgā in Mahābhārata; Tripurasundarī, Gaṅgā, Ānanadalaharī, Yamunā, Narmadā and Mahālakṣmī. Hymn to Kālī (Karpūrādi Stotra), another book within the book, is a celebrated Kaula stotra, having commentary on the hymns. It, in addition to mantroddhāradhārā, contains stotras of dhyāna, yantra, sādhanā, madya, māṁsa, maithuna and phala-śruti matters. About the Author Sir John George Woodroffe (1865–1936), also known by pseudonym Arthur Avalon, was a British Orientalist whose work helped to develop in the West a deep and wide interest in Hindu philosophy and yogic practices. A lawyer by profession, he developed parallel interest in Sanskrit, Indian philosophy and religion. Sir Woodroffe wrote or translated more than a dozen books: Introduction to the Tantra Sastra; Tantra of the Great Liberation (Mahanirvana Tantra); Hymns to the Goddess; The Serpent Power; Hymn to Kali: Karpuradi-Stotra; The World as Power; The Garland of Letters; Principles of Tantra (2 vols) and Is India Civilized? Essays on Indian Culture are some of them.

In 1923, Achad published an edition of only 220 copies, of a series of hymns or poetic devotions, in a manner slightly reminiscent of Crowley's own emphatic style, aimed at adoring the Egyptian goddess Nuit (the number 220, being intended to align with the number of verses in Crowley's own Book of the Law). Achad titled his own book, Thirty-One Hymns to the Star Goddess. The goddess Nuit features prominently in the first chapter of the Book of the Law, and the many quotations attributed to the Star-Goddess in Achad's small collection have been taken directly from the Book of the Law.

Translation of classical Tantric text by noted Tantric scholar, Sir John Woodroffe.