"Shakti - The Divine Feminine" by Anuja Chandramouli is the masterpiece of the mythological saga on the female goddess. I would say it is a literary treasure, which proves Anuja's prowess as the wordsmith.
Book Blurb
Lose yourself in Maya, the divine game of the Goddess!She is the Mother Goddess, Mahamaya the enchantress, the supreme consciousness, the pure source from which all creation emerges and to whom all must eventually return. As Usas, the enchanting goddess of the dawn, she is loved passionately and hated fiercely, leading to a horrific tragedy. As Durga, the invincible warrior, she defeats the savage Mahishasura, whom none of the male gods could vanquish. As Kali, the fearsome dark goddess, she delights in chaos. Yet she is also Shakti, beloved of all, who, when united with Shiva, restores balance to the universe.In this captivating narrative, explore the contrasting facets of the sacred feminine; experience her awesome power, forged on the flames of love and hate; and watch her teach the male-dominated pantheon a lesson in compassion. Witty, engaging and thought-provoking, Shakti: The Feminine Divine will force readers to re-evaluate everything they know about the gods and goddesses and inspire all to embrace the Shakti within.
"Shakti" brings completely different paradigm of Hindu mythology to readers. In India, Mother Goddess (we may call her Jagdamba, Amba, Aadhya-Shakti, Prakriti) is worshiped as the divine force that fuels the world. But in general, women were never considered equal to men. Anuja has taken this fact to show if this inequality applied Goddess Shakti, how she would respond. The main protagonist is Shakti and her various forms (Ushas, Durga & Kali). Main antagonists are Indra & Indra's wife Sachi.
Being the king of Devas, Indra wanted unparalleled fame after three principal male Gods. But Shakti was a female Goddess eons and eons elder than Indra, and she was revered as mother Goddess. This fact was unbearable for Indra and his wife. Apart from their jealousy towards Shakti, Indra always remained fearful towards people who he seems can outsmart him. His greed towards his throne of Deva made him blind to true justice. His actions always ended up creating bigger ripples that required Shakti's interventions. His male ego kept on getting hurt every time she intervened.
I would say this is a serious read. People who like to read thriller sagas won't like this book. You have to give the effort to understand each characters thought process. Anuja has given enough emphasis on the psychological role of each character in detailed.
Talking about ratings:
- Cover: 4 / 5
- Story line: 3.5 / 5 (Slow)
- Characters: 3.5 / 5
- Concept: 3.5 / 5
- Overall: 4 / 5
Reviews from other readers can be found at Goodreads
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