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CONCEPT OF THE GODDESS ŚAKTI EXPOUNDED IN THE LALfTOPAKHYANA 113

everywhere.“⁸¹ In just thrce words, viz., “śakteh sarvatra sambhavah" (i.e., possibility of Sakti is everywhere), the demon has expressed in a nulshcll

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Ihe concept of Sakti. We have seen above^B various manifestations of Sakti

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which would establish that Sakti exists everywhcre. Her manifestations are Her ‘arhśas' or portions. The whole world is the unfolding of Śakti.⁸³ She extends in all and contains all in Herself.⁸⁴ The words of DevT in the DevTmSh&tmya viz., — “ekaivśtra jagalyatra dvitly£ kamamaparS / paśyaitS dusta mayyeva viśantyo madvibhutayah" // ⁸⁵ i.e., I am all alone in the world here, what other is there besides Me; lhese goddesses are My own powers entering into Myself,” — corrobrorale the above statements. In the DevTmahatmya, She has been addressed as "Sarvasvarupe” i.e., “assuming all forms or existing in all forms i.e., One in whom all powers are combined or contained.” Thus anything concrete or abslract, animate or inanimate,

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possessed of power, smali or big, is a manifestation of Sakti, a \ibhuti’

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or a limitcd modę of Sakti, and the Goddcss Sakti is a sum total of all the powers in the univcrse. “All spccial powers are limited forms of the Great Crealive Power who is the Mothcr (Ambika) of the Universe."⁸⁶ In the BhagavadgM, Lord Krsna also has said, “Yadyadvibhulimatsattvam śrimadiirjitameva vS tattadev£vagacchmvam mama tejo%rtiiasambhavam"// ⁸⁷ i.e., “anything, whatevcr, which is invcsted with power, glory, or splendour, has come into existence out of a portion of My brilliance.” This would prove that the manifestations of the Goddess Lalita described above are Her Wibhutis’ i.e., limited modes of Her power.

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46. It will be seen herc that through Her manifestations, DcvT is brought down to the level of abstract ideas, attributes, impcrsonal feelings, various parts of an organie whole like an army, concrete objeets like weapons, individual personalilies like a commandcr of an army, navy, different supematural powers, etc., to bring home to Her worshippers that She is all this; Her powers are many; a man may seck to realise the Mothcr Power through Her limited forms or the \ibhutis’. Secondly, the manifestations would imply how unity becomcs mulliplieity.⁸⁸ So the purpose of this elucidation of the concept

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ot' Sakti can be said to unfold the extent of the Goddess Sakti and bring Her close to Her worshippers. It may be pointed out here that building up of mythology of any God or Goddess coułd not be without a reference to the needs of the worshippers, or without taking into account the relationship between the deity and the worshippers. The vcry concept of God has originated from a man’s needs for tremendous, invincible, supematural power capable of giving protection to him from all calamities. Macnicol remarks, “The doclrine of divine manifestations is a product of mora] need."⁸⁹ The description of the manifestations of the Goddess Lalita in the Lalitopśkhyśna would serve this purpose.