Devi Mahatmya: The Crystallization of the Goddess Tradition

The Devi-Mahatmya is well-known to both devotees and scholars of the Indian Great Goddess. The central task in this study is to explore how an anonymous Sanskrit text articulates a view of ultimate reality as feminine when there is virtually no precedent in the Sanskrit for such a view. To accomplish this task, an appropriate method of scriptural analysis is developed. This involves an examination of Hindu understanding of the Puranas and of the Devi-Mahatmya in particular, along with consideration of several recent scholarly discussions, in India and elsewhere. The study culminates in annotated translations of the text's hymns.