Hillary P. Rodrigues: The Supreme Refuge, Gebunden

Klappentext

Demonstrates the historical and ritual forces that secured Durg's position as Hinduism's Great Goddess, combining textual, inscriptional, and iconographic evidence with rich, firsthand accounts of contemporary worship. This is the second installment in a two-volume, comprehensive examination of the Hindu Great Goddess (Mahdev) Durg. Whereas the first traced the goddess's emergence as Mahdev through the sophisticated metaphysics of the Dev Mhtmya, the present work investigates the historical, regional, and ritual processes that further consolidated her supremacy across the Hindu world. Drawing together textual, inscriptional, and iconographic evidence with firsthand ethnographic observation, it first follows Durg's development in India and Nepal before turning to Southeast Asia-especially Java and Bali-where her persona took on distinctive forms. With Banras as a focal point, the analysis then examines major ritual institutions, including Durg Pj and the temple networks associated with the Nine Durg pilgrimage. It also explores both exoteric and esoteric dimensions of devotion, showing how ritual practice intersects with interpretations articulated through yantras, mantras, mythic narratives, and embodied performance. Taken together, these strands reveal how Durg's appeal expanded beyond sovereign empowerment to encompass her roles as supreme refuge and ultimate reality-an enduring source of protection, grace, and ontological grounding for worshippers across the Hindu world.