Devi is a Sanskrit word meaning Goddess which is synonymous with
Shakti, the female aspect of divinity. In the Shakta tradition, she is
seen as the driving force without which the male aspect is considered
impotent. She is even known by many names in the of the Hindu culture.
The Divine Mother has forms like that of the warrior Durga and the
bloodthirsty Kali. She at the same time can be gentle as Parvati or
mother of the elephant god Ganesha. She is the better half of Shiva,
i.e. Parvati. Devi is considered to be the "Mother Goddess",
thus, meaning the mother of all. Her right hand interprets joy and pain
while the left hand means life and death. She is seen as the god of
nature and life since she brings rain and is a savior as from death. She
is even worshiped for her mild and loving nature. She could be terrible
as a Mother of Death. Her divine vehicle is either lion or tiger
whenever she is fighting the evil. In a nutshell, she is the goddess of
creative power and represents all women in the universe.
