Overview
Shaktism (Sanskrit: Śāktasampradāyaḥ) is a major Hindu denomination in which Shakti, the divine feminine energy, is revered as the Ultimate reality and personified as Adi Parashakti, the Great Goddess. Her numerous forms, each with distinct functions and attributes, are worshipped across India. An adherent of this tradition is called a Shakta.
The pantheon venerated within Shaktism is broad. Prominently worshipped goddesses include Durga, who vanquishes evil and restores cosmic order; Parvati, the mother goddess associated with fertility and devotion; and Kali, the primal force of time and transformation. Other revered deities include Saraswati, associated with knowledge and the arts; Lakshmi, associated with wealth and prosperity; and Tripura Sundari, associated with beauty and grace. Various Gramadevatas, or local village guardian deities, are also honoured as protectors of their communities.
Following the decline of Buddhism in India, elements of Hindu and Buddhist goddess worship gradually merged, contributing to the emergence of the Mahavidya, a group of ten fierce and esoteric goddesses central to the tantric strands of Shaktism. The tradition encompasses several tantric subtraditions, including the Vidyapitha and the Kulamārga. Shaktism places considerable emphasis on intense love of the deity rather than simple obedience, reflecting an influence of the Vaishnavaite ideal of the passionate relationship between Radha and Krishna as a model bhava.
Shaktism has also exerted influence on Vaishnavism and Shaivism, and is in turn shaped by them. The goddess is regarded as the consort and energy (shakti) of Vishnu and Shiva, who are paired with their individual shaktis—Vaishnavi for Vishnu and Maheshvari for Shiva—and with the consorts Lakshmi and Sati/Parvati respectively. The Sruti and Smriti texts of Hinduism form an important scriptural foundation for Shakta practice, alongside a subst