Ritual Worship of the Great Goddess , livre ebook

435

pages

English

Ebooks

2012

Écrit par
Hillary Peter Rodrigues

Publié par
State University of New York Press

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435

pages

English

Ebook

2012

Lire un extrait

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne En savoir plus

Publié par

State University of New York Press

Date de parution

01 février 2012

Nombre de lectures

EAN13

9780791488447

Langue

English

Poids de l'ouvrage

39 Mo

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

Voir

Publié par

State University of New York Press

Date de parution

01 février 2012

Nombre de lectures

EAN13

9780791488447

Langue

English

Poids de l'ouvrage

39 Mo

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

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

xiii

1 3 7

15 15 16 17 18 21 24 27 28 30 31 31

35 35 37

viii

Contents

PARTD II: ESCRIPTIONOFTHE DURGÅ PU¯JÅ

Chapter 4: The Durgå Pºjå 4.1: Preliminaries 4.2: Bodhana 4.3: Adhivåsa 4.4: Saptamª 4.5: Mahåß†amª 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

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).

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