Description
Book SynopsisHeroic Saktism is the belief that a good king and a true warrior must worship the goddess Durga, the form and substance of kingship. This belief formed the bedrock of ancient Indian practices of cultivating political power. Wildly dangerous and serenely benevolent at one and the same time, the goddess''s charismatic split nature promised rewards for a hero and king and success in risky ventures. This book is the first expansive historical treatment of the cult of Durga and the role it played in shaping ideas and rituals of heroism in India between the 3rd and the 12th centuries CE. Within the story of ancient Indian kingship, two critical transitions overlapped with the rise of heroic Saktism: the decline of the war-god Skanda-Mahasena as a military symbol, and the concomitant rise of the early Indian kingdom. As the rhetoric of kingship once strongly linked to the older war god shifted to the cultural narratives of the goddess, her political imagery broadened in its cultural resonance
Trade ReviewThis book's eclecticism offers something to every scholar interested in the goddess tradition... Sarkar's book considerably enhances our historical ability to recognise the goddesses at the heart of both households and state-formations in the early subcontinent. * Indrani Chatterjee, The English Historical Review *
a paradigm-shifting work that forces scholars of South Asian religions, history, and goddess traditions rethink the role of royal goddesses and kings' devotion in the broader shifts of the political process. It is essential for anyone interested in religion and kingship in Gupta/post-Gupta India. * Caleb Simmons, newbooks.asia *
[an] interesting and absorbing book ... the result of 10 years of research, is the first detailed historical study of the evolution of the cult of Durgā and the role it played in shaping civilizational ideals in India. * Pravrajika Prabuddhaprana, The Telegraph India *
Heroic Shāktism is a paradigm-shifting work that forces scholars of South Asian religions, history, and goddess traditions rethink the role of royal goddesses and kings' devotion in the broader shifts of the political process. It is essential for anyone interested in religion and kingship in Gupta/post-Gupta India. Portions might be useful for advanced undergraduate readers, but it is primarily geared toward specialists. * Caleb Simmons, University of Florida, newbooks.asia *
Table of ContentsPART 1: BEGINNINGS; PART 2: SYNTHESIS; PART 3: BELIEF SYSTEMS AND RITUALS
