The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism (2 Vol Set)

is associated with a particular divinity,
which is believed to rule over this direc-
tion and to be the guardian associated
with it. See Guardians of the Directions.

Divine Life Society

Religious organization founded in 1936
by Swami Shivananda. It is headquar-
tered at the Divine Life Ashram, just
outside the holy city of Rishikeshon the
river Ganges in the state of Uttar
Pradesh. Although Shivananda himself
died in 1963, the society is still quite
active in spreading the ways of Hindu
life: through yoga (self-discipline) train-
ing programs at the Divine Life Ashram;
through publishing religious texts, both
traditional scriptures and the teachings
of Swami Shivananda; through estab-
lishing religious centers throughout the
world; and through various social ser-
vice projects in India itself. Swami
Shivananda was a Dashanami Sanyasi
(ascetic) in the Saraswati division,
which is one of the divisions that admits
only brahmins(priests). The Swami’s
brahmin background comes through in

the organization’s teachings, which

stress vegetarianism, rigorous spiritual

development, an emphasis on learning,

and a strict moral code. For all these rea-

sons the organization is widely respected in

Indian society, despite having a significant

number of foreign practitioners.

Divine Powers

When a single divinity is deemed to be

the supreme power in the universe, he

or she is generally said to wield five over-

arching divine powers: creation, order-

ing and maintaining the cosmos,

destruction, concealment, and giving

grace (divine self-revelation). The first

three powers describe the relationship

between the deityand the physical uni-

verse, whereas the fourth and fifth focus

on the deity’s relationship with individ-

ual devotees. By using the power of con-

cealment, the deity becomes hidden

in creation, and thus human beings

are kept in ignorance. This power

of concealment is often also described

as the deity’s maya, or the power of

illusion that keeps human beings from

Divine Powers

A man performs the dipa ritual, offering a lamp before the image of a deity.