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040			_ckinley
082			_aEB301
100			_aKinsley, David.
245			_aTantric visions of the divine feminine: _bthe ten Mahavidyas / _cDavid Kinsley,
260			_aDelhi : _bMotilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited, _c1997.
300			_aix, 296 p. :
504			_aIncludes bibliographical references and index.
520			_aThe Hindu pantheon is rich in images of the divine feminine--deities representing a wide range of symbolic, social, and meditative meanings. This book documents a highly unusual group of ten Hindu tantric goddesses, the Mahavidyas, many of whom are strongly associated with sexuality and violence. What is one to make of a goddess who cuts her own head off, or one who prefers sex with a corpse? The Mahavidyas embody habits, attributes, or identities usually considered repulsive or socially subversive and can be viewed as "antimodels" for women. Yet it is within the context of tantric worship that devotees seek to identify themselves with these forbidding goddesses. The Mahavidyas seem to function as "awakeners"--Symbols which help to project one's consciousness beyond the socially acceptable or predictable. Drawing on a broad range of Sanskrit and vernacular texts as well as extensive research in India, including written and oral interpretations of contemporary Hindu practitioners, this book describes the unusual qualities of each of the Mahavidyas and traces the parallels between their underlying themes.
650			_a Hindu goddesses.
650			_aTantrism.
856			_uhttp://10.10.80.15/cgi-bin/koha/opac-retrieve-file.pl?id=5302da0b45a395279910a27d93b29148 _yTantric visions of the divine feminine: the ten Mahavidyas /
942			_2ddc _cEBOOKS
999			_c15419 _d15419