Shakti This article is about the Hindu religious concept . For other meanings of the word see Shakti ( disambiguation ) . To meet Wikipedia 's quality standards , this article or section may require cleanup . Please discuss this issue on the talk page , or replace this tag with a more specific message . Editing help is available . This article has been tagged since October 2005 . In Hinduism , Shakti is an aspect of Devi , and a personification of God as the Divine Mother who represents the active , dynamic principles of feminine power . In Shaktism , Shakti is worshiped as the Supreme Being . Alternatively , in other Hindu traditions , Shakti represents the power of God , called Vishnu or Shiva . For Vaishnavites , God 's power or Shakti is Lakshmi . For Shaivites , God 's power is Parvati . Etymology The various uses of the word Shakti range from a means of signifying the ultimate primordial creative power to expressing the capacity or power of words to convey meaning . Etymologically it is derived from the root 'shak , ' meaning potency or the potential to produce , an assertion of Her inherent creative aptitude . All interpretations of the word 'shakti ' hold common one parameter , namely power . Specifically , Shakti means power , force and feminine energy . Used as a noun the word 'shakti ' can also mean a female consort or a weapon , depending on context . Shakti represents the fundamental creative instinct underlying the cosmos , and is the energizing force of all divinity , of every being and every thing . Devotees believe the whole universe is a manifestation of Shakti , who is also known by her general name Devi , which like our word `` divine '' , is from the Sanskrit root 'div ' which means 'to shine . ' Mythology In the Brahmin scripture ' Devi Mahatmya ' , Mahamaya ( Great Maya ) is said to cover Vishnu 's eyes in Yoganidra ( Divine Sleep ) during cycles of existence when all is resolved into one . By exhorting Mahamaya to release Her illusory hold on Vishnu , Brahma is able to bring Vishnu to aid him in killing two demons , Madhu and Kaitabh , who have manifested from Vishnu 's sleeping form . Shri Ramakrishna often spoke of Mother Maya and combined deep Brahmin allegory with the idea that Maya is a lesser reality that must be overcome so that one is able to realize his or her true Self . The Shakti goddess is also known as Amma ( meaning 'mother' ) in south India , especially in Tamilnadu and Andhrapradesh states . There are many temples devoted to various incarnations of the Shakti goddess in most of the villages in south India . The rural people believe that Shakti is the protector of the village , the punisher of evil people , the curer of diseases , and the one who gives welfare to the village . They celebrate Shakti Jataras with a lot of hue and great interest once a year . Some examples of incarnations are Gangamma , Kamakshamma , Kanakadurga , Mahalakshmammma , Meeenakshamma , Poleramma and Perantalamma . Shakti Peeths There are 51 important centres of Shakti worship located in the Indian sub-continent , most of which are located in India and Nepal , the only Hindu Kingdom of the world but some in neighbouring Bangladesh , Tibet and even Pakistan . These are called Shakti Peethas . See also Shakti Peeth Shaktism Shaktiman External links Celebrate Navaratri in its pure form . Indian Mythology : Shakti A site containing short biographies of several Shakta devotees from the Indian state of Bengal Shakti - Power and Femininity in Indian Art The Shakti of Islam Weekly podcast on Vedic Chanting and Vedic Mythology with stories from the Puranas Kolkata Durga Puja 2006 Hinduism | Hindu mythology | Itihasa Female Deities : Gayatri | Saraswati | Lakshmi | Dakshayani | Parvati | Durga | Shakti | Kali | Sita | Devi | Radha | Mahavidya | more ... Male Deities : Vishnu | Shiva | Rama | Krishna | Ganesha | Kartikeya | Hanuman | Lakshmana | Indra | Surya | more ... Texts : Vedas | Upanishads | Puranas | Ramayana | Mahabharata This box :   view • talk • edit Categories : Cleanup from October 2005 | Hindu philosophical concepts | Shaktism | Sanskrit terms | Goddesses In other languages : Deutsch | Français | Italiano | Polski | Português | Svenska October 2005 