Ÿäkafläyana 160Ÿäkafläyana
An ancient grammarian who lived
before YÄSKAand PÄŒINÏ.ÿäkhä (1) (‘branch’)
With reference to the Vedas ÿäkhä
means a particular recension of a text as
taught and transmitted by a particular
family or school, showing some minor
variations.ÿäkhä (2)
The smallest unit of the RÄÆTØÏYA
SVAYAMSEVAKSANGH.säk•ät-kära
A bodily vision of the deity, the goal of
many BHAKTIschools, believed to consti-
tute the assurance of final salvation.säk•ï (‘inner witness’)
Upani•adic notion of an immortal,
unchanging ‘witness’ consciousness,
which is the passive observer of every-
thing else. The Upani•ads use the simile
of the two birds on one tree: one eats
(ordinary consciousness) while the other
only watches (witness consciousness).
By focusing all attention on the ‘witness
consciousness’ one can gain immortali-
ty. MADHVAcalls the presence of Vi•æu
in the soul ÿäk•ï.ÿäkta
A follower of ŸAKTIreligion. (See also
ŸÄKTISM.)Ÿakti (‘power’)
Personified in the Goddess (DEVÏ). She is
either conceived as consort of a male
god, or as an independent supreme
being, created from the united power of
all the gods. In the first instance she is
identified with the letter ‘i’ in Ÿiva: with-
out it, he is ÿava, i.e. a lifeless corpse.Ÿäktism
(‘the worship of power energy’)
Personified in a female divinity, it is a
common feature of all forms of
Hinduism. Specifically it designates the
traditon in which the Goddess (DEVÏ) is
identified with the supreme principle
and worshipped in an exclusive way.
One of the major differences between
Ÿäktism and other expressions of
Hinduism is the identification of the
Goddess not only with spirit (BRAH-
MAN), but also with nature or matter
(prakøti).
Ÿäktism may be a remnant of the
prehistoric worldwide cult of the Great
Mother. In India terracotta figurines of
the Goddess, almost identical in shape,
have been found in prehistoric sites, in
the Indus civilization and in contempo-
rary villages.
As a form of mainstream Hinduism
Ÿäktism is especially prominent in mod-
ern Bengal and Assam. The main festiv-
ity is Durgäpüjä, celebrated during nine
days in autumn, when the image of Devï
Mahi•amärdiæiis displayed in homes
and public places and processions take
place in her honour.
The main literary sources of Ÿäktism
are Devï Puräæas and Tantras. True to
the principle that Ÿakti embodies both
mind and matter, Ÿäktism combines
theoretical reflections on the identity of
Ÿakti with brahmanand the unity of
everything with concrete forms of wor-
ship. The declared aim of Ÿäktism is
bhuktiand mukti, enjoyment and liber-
ation in one. In Ÿäktism vidyä(knowl-
edge) and mäyä(delusion) are seen as
one and the same.
There are two main branches of Ÿäk-
tism: ‘right hand’ and ‘left hand’. Right-
hand Ÿäktism resembles other forms of
BHAKTI: it consists of the worship of the
image of the Goddess with fruits and
flowers, the singing of hymns and the
burning of camphor and incense. Left-Encyclo - Letter S 10/2/03 9:59 am Page 160