Ritual Worship of the Great Goddess
435 pages
English

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435 pages
English
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Description

During a nine-day period every autumn, Hindus in India and throughout the world worship the Great Goddess, Durga--the formidable deity who is loved like a mother. One of the most dramatic and popular of these celebrations is the Durga Puja, a rite noted for its visual pageantry, ritual complexity, and communal participation. In this book, Hillary Peter Rodrigues describes the Bengali style of Durga Puja practiced in the sacred city of Banaras from beginning to end. A romanization of the Sanskrit litany is included along with an English translation.

In addition to the liturgical description, Rodrigues provides information on the rite's component elements and mythic aspects. There are interpretive sections on puja, the Great Goddess, women's roles in the ritual, and the socio-cultural functions of the ritual. Rodrigues maintains that the Durga Puja is a rite of cosmic rejuvenation, of empowerment at both the personal and social levels, and a rite that orchestrates manifestations of the feminine, both Divine and human.

Illustrations

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

A Note on Transliteration and Pronunciation

1: Introduction

Genesis of this Study
The Durga Puja

PART I: CONTEXT AND OVERVIEW

2: The Setting

Which Navaratra?
Which Goddess?
Which Durga Puja?
Durga Puja in Bengal
Durga Puja in Banaras
Bengali Brahmanas in Banaras
The Ritual Performer (Purohita)
The Audience
Ritual Manuals
English Literature on the Durga Puja
This Description of the Durga Puja

3: Overview of the Durga Puja

General Comments on Puja
Overview of the Ritual

PART II: DESCRIPTION OF THE DURGA PUJA

4: The Durga Puja

4.1: Preliminaries
4.2: Bodhana
4.3: Adhivasa
4.4: Saptami
4.5: Mahastami
4.6: Sandhi Puja
4.7: Mahanavami
4.8: Vijaya Dasami

PART III: INTERPRETATIONS

5: The Nature of Puja

6: The Nature of the Great Goddess

Gynomorphic Forms of the Goddess
Yantric Forms of the Devi
The Devi as Elemental Substances
The Devi as Life Forms

7: Functions of the Durga Puja

Cosmic Rejuvenation
Empowerment: Personal, Sovereign, Communal, Political, Economic
Controlled Fertility
Religious Ritual as Illustrated by the Durga Puja

Notes

Glossary

Bibliography

Index

Sujets

Informations

Publié par
Date de parution 01 février 2012
Nombre de lectures 0
EAN13 9780791488447
Langue English
Poids de l'ouvrage 39 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,1898€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Ritual Worship of the Great Goddess
McGill Studies in the History of Religions, A Series Devoted to International Scholarship Katherine K. Young, editor
Ritual Worship of the Great Goddess
¯ THE LITURGY OF THE DURGÅ PUJÅ WITH INTERPRETATIONS
Hillary Peter Rodrigues
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK PRESS
Published by State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2003 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.
For information, address State University of New York Press, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207
Production by Diane Ganeles Marketing by Fran Keneston
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rodrigues, Hillary, 1953– Ritual worship of the great goddess : the liturgy of the Durgå Pºjå with interpretations / Hillary Peter Rodrigues. p. cm. — (McGill studies in the history of religions) Includes index. ISBN 0-7914-5399-5 (alk. paper) — ISBN 0-7914-5400-2 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Durgå (Hindu deity)—Cult. 2. Durgå-pºjå (Hindu festival) I. Title. II. Series.
BL1225.D82 R63 2002 294.5'38—dc21
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
2001049444
To my mother
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Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Contents
A Note on Transliteration and Pronunciation
Chapter 1: Introduction Genesis of this Study The Durgå Pºjå
PARTC I: ONTEXTAND OVERVIEW
Chapter 2: The Setting Which Navaråtra? Which Goddess? Which Durgå Pºjå? Durgå Pºjå in Bengal Durgå Pºjå in Banåras BengaliBråhmaœas in Banåras The Ritual Performer (Purohita) The Audience Ritual Manuals English Literature on the Durgå Pºjå This Description of the Durgå Pºjå
Chapter 3: Overview of the Durgå Pºjå General Comments on Pºjå Overview of the Ritual
vii
ix
xi
xiii
xv
1 3 7
15 15 16 17 18 21 24 27 28 30 31 31
35 35 37
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Contents
PARTD II: ESCRIPTIONOFTHE DURGÅ PU¯
Chapter 4: The Durgå Pºjå 4.1: Preliminaries 4.2: Bodhana 4.3: Adhivåsa 4.4: Saptamª 4.5: Mahå߆amª 4.6: Sandhi Pºjå 4.7: Mahånavamª 4.8: Vijayå DaÍamª
PART III: INTERPRETATIONS
Chapter 5: The Nature of Pºjå
Chapter 6: The Nature of the Great Goddess Gynomorphic Forms of the Goddess Yantric Forms of the Devª The Devª as Elemental Substances The Devª as Life Forms
Chapter 7: Functions of the Durgå Pºjå Cosmic Rejuvenation Empowerment: Personal, Sovereign, Communal, Political, Economic Controlled Fertility Religious Ritual as Illustrated by the Durgå Pºjå
Notes
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
71 71 84 120 132 194 210 224 236
251
261 262 267 273 276
287 287
288 296 303
313
357
363
385
Contents
Illustrations
ix
Figure 1.1. Commercial lithograph of the Great Goddess Durgå slaying the Buffalo Demon, Mahißa. Figure 1.2. Pandit Hemendra Nath Chakravarty, scholar and ritualist. (All unacknowledged photos are by the author). Figure 1.3. A traditional Bengali clay image complex. Durgå, her lion, and the demon, as well as the attendant deities, are grouped in a single arrangement topped with a painted arch. Figure 1.4. Large clay images installed in a community (sårvajanªna) group’s temporary shrine (paœ˚al). Figure 2.1. Priests (purohita) perform the Durgå Pºjå at the site of the oldest celebration in Banåras, the Mitra family’s home in Chaukhamba. (Photo: Ruth Rickard) Figure 3.1. The Lahiris’ ritualist, Pandit Nitai Bhattacharya, performs yogic breath control (pråœåyåma) as part of thebhºtaÍuddhi, an internal purification rite. Figure 3.2. An artisan ensnares the demon Mahißa with Durgå’s snake noose in his workshop, as he puts the finishing touches on the clay images prior to their delivery to thepºjå sites. Figure 4.2.1. The jar form of the Goddess is established atop the sarvatobhadramaœ˚alathe at purohita’s home. Figure 4.2.2. Thepurohitaassumes thedhyåna/yonimudrå, a ritual gesture that accompanies the meditative visualization of a deity. Figure 4.2.3. Thepurohita performsåratiringing a bell and passing an by honorific flame before Durgå during the awakening (bodhana) rite. Figure 4.3. Thepurohitaprepares to perform the anointing (adhivåsa) rite of the clay image complex at the patron’s home. Figure 4.4.1. Thepurohitais formally commissioned by the patron (yajamåna). Figure 4.4.2. Thepurohitabathes the Cluster of Nine Plants (navapatrikå).
ix
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