Lecture 7

Question 1

what is devi

Answer 1

the goddess– idea of supreme goddess but often talk about MANY

Question 2

what is the difference between Shakti, Shakta and Shaktism

Answer 2

shakti- goddess
shakta– related to the goddess
shaktism - tradition

Question 3

who is sarasvat

Answer 3

goddess talked about but not central

Question 4

who is Lakshmi/shri

Answer 4

goddess of prosperity, wealth, abundance, beauty,, good fortune

Question 5

who is durga

Answer 5

goddess famous for slaying buffalo demon, seen as taking on all powers of the gods, played demons the male gods couldn’t

Question 6

who is Kali

Answer 6

goddess know for fierce, particularly danergoys, licks up blood from blood dropper demon (when a drop hit the ground, a new newton would grow), wildness only tempered by the submission of husband in some stories, seen as fierce ‘mother’, Kali means ‘dark goddess’

Question 7

who is ganga

Answer 7

river goddess

Question 8

who are some of the mentioned goddesses

Answer 8

ganga, kali, durga, lakshmi/shri, sarasvati

Question 9

what are the three strands/broad ways of thinking about divinity related to Vishnu, Shiva and Sakti/Goddess

Answer 9

the god, those related to the god and the tradition

Question 10

give an overview of vishnu

Answer 10

Vishnu (e.g. arataras); unity in linear plurality, royal power, continuity, dharma

Question 11

give an overview of shiva

Answer 11

-Shiva (e.g. ardhanarisvara, shiva linga); opposites help together; paradox; transgression and transcendence

Question 12

give an overview of Shakti/Devi

Answer 12

-Shakti/Devi (e.g. river goddess, blood sacrifice, possession); power itself, energy, power of transformation, immanent connection of one and many

Question 13

what is the tilaka

Answer 13

forehead mark

Question 14

what are tilaka for

Answer 14

• marriage ritual
• in some cases, some marks are for adornment; but usually they convey layers of social and religious meaning
• can show marital status for some women, secular identity, etc

Question 15

what does the tilaka look like for vaishava

Answer 15

v mark on forehead

Question 16

what does the tilaka look like for Shaiva

Answer 16

3 stripes of ash horizontal

Question 17

what does the tilaka look like for shakta

Answer 17

less distinct, red line/dot

Question 18

what is darshana

Answer 18

‘seeing’ and being seen by the deity; mutual seeing as an intimate moment of devotion and grace
-often occurs in temples

Question 19

what is Puja

Answer 19

worship; specifically worship with marital religious objects and prayer; ritualized form of devotion worship
-transformation FROM vedic fire worship to an embodied form of deity

Question 20

what is Upcara

Answer 20

an offering that treats the image as the living, presence of the deiry including awakening, bathing, adorning the enlivened, embodied image (murti)
-standardized ritual actions that provide conventional framework for devotees to connect and divinity through puja (ritual bathing etc)

Question 21

what are the words associated with puja and embodied religion

Answer 21

puja, darshana, upcara. prasada

Question 22

what is included in themany lists of upcara

Answer 22

• provides structure for worship (puja) which makes the deity happy.pleased
• they treat the image as a living presence of the deity ‘god as your guest’

includes;

• invocation and installation of deity
• water for washing feet, head. body, etc
• waking up, bathing, dressing, upanayana
• gestered of respect
• putting deity to bed

Question 23

what is prasada

Answer 23

divine grace/favour, in both abstract and material forms

• deity shows grace/favour by offering something back to devotee
• this mean ‘favour’ in 2 senses;
  1. ‘abstract’ favor (blessing, grace, knowledge, inside)
  2. ‘material’ favor (scarves, etc)

Question 24

how are puja and prasada related

Answer 24

puja as a ritual of transvaluation that produces prasada

Question 25

what is Bharjan

Answer 25

devotional songs

-reading of religious texts

Question 26

what is vrata

Answer 26

observance, votive, ritual vow; often involves fasts and other modifications of behaviour; most frequently done by women
-often described in normative; people hear about and observe then they want to do it

Question 27

what is saubhagya

Answer 27

good fortune, well being; and auspiciousness associated with marital women

Question 28

what is auspiciousness

Answer 28

associated with thriving, conducive to life (inauspiciousness is the opposite)

• particular auspiciousness associated with married women (symbolizes social order, stability, having children, positivity). Problems with this because widows then have the stigma as inauspiciousness
• women married to goddesses are always auspiciousness
• other practices associated with auspiciousness are designs outside of doors (certain ones)

Question 29

what is tirtha

Answer 29

‘ford’ or ‘crossing place’; a holy site frequently visited by pilgrims because of its power for carrying one across some difficulty to desired goal (healing, a child, liberation, etc)

Question 30

where are rituals done

Answer 30

domestic ad public

Question 31

what is arati

Answer 31

pooja is (uncountable) a form of worship in south asia; a religious ceremony while aarti is a particular hindu prayer ritual, involving candles made from clarified butter.

Arati (pronounced ar’ a tee) is an offering of respect, welcome, or worship to an exalted person. Since the most exalted person is the Supreme Lord, it is most appropriate to offer arati to Him.

Arati is one aspect of Deity worship. During arati, auspicious items are offered to the Deity.

Guidelines

Aratis can be short or long. And time, place, and circumstance dictate how many aratis are offered each day. Whatever standard is established should be maintained.

In a full arati, incense, a flame (ghee lamp), a conch shell with water, a cloth, flowers, a chamara (yak-tail fan), and a peacock-feather fan are offered to the deity. While doing so, the devotee chants mantras appropriate for each article and rings a bell with the left hand. In a short arati, incense and one or more of the articles used in the full arati may be offered.

Aratis should be accompanied by the singing of the Hare Krishna mantra, the most important part of deity worship. Worshipers attending the arati may sing, or the devotee offering the arati may sing or play a recording.