Hindu Goddesses

by David Kinsley

Hindu Goddesses is a valuable sourcebook and reference work for students and scholars of Hindu goddesses and of Hinduism in general. Each goddess is dealt with as an independent deity with a coherent mythology, theology and, in some cases, cult of her own. Within the complex, diverse, and rich goddess traditions of Hinduism, one can find suggestions of nearly every important theme in the Hindu religion. In many ways, this book is as much a study of the Hindu tradition itself as it is a study of one aspect of that tradition. No other living religious tradition has displayed such an ancient, continuous, and diverse history of goddess worship.

About the Author:

David Kinsley is Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada. He is the author of other books on Hinduism including The Sword and the Flute--Kali and Krsna, Dark Visions of the Terrible and the Sublime in Hindu Mythology, The Divine Player--A Study of Krsna Lila.

Editorial Reviews:

"Kinsley has done a remarkable job in assembling an entire pantheon of Hindu goddesses in one delightful volume . . . . Mandatory reading for all scholars and students interested in South Asian religion, comparative mythology, or models of the feminine in sacred literature." - Vasudha Narayan, Journal of Asian Studies

"A compendious survey of major Hindu goddesses . . . The kind of book that one can readily recommend to students for clear, reliable information and reasonable commentary on the goddesses it examines." - Glenn Yocum, Religious Studies Review