Book

The Graceful Guru

Karen Pechilis

Published in print August 2004 | ISBN: 9780195145380
Published online October 2011 | e-ISBN: 9780199849963 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195145380.001.0001
The Graceful Guru

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A distinctive aspect of Hindu devotion is the veneration of a human guru, who is not only an exemplar and a teacher, but is often worshipped as an embodiment of the divine. In the past these gurus have almost always been men. Today, however, female gurus are a noticeable presence, especially in the United States. This book containing nine chapter looks at the phenomenon of the female guru both in its original Indian context, where Hindu women leaders have been unusual but not unknown, and as it has evolved on the American scene. Each chapter is devoted to a particular female guru, ranging from the 5th-century Tamil saint Karaikkal Ammaiyar to Gurumayi, who today presides over the worldwide movement of Siddha Yoga, headquartered in the Catskill resort town of South Fallsburg, New York.

Keywords: Hindu devotion; veneration; guru; exemplar; teacher; worship; divine; women leaders; Karaikkal Ammaiyar; Gurumayi

Book.  288 pages. 

Subjects: Hinduism

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Table of Contents

Introduction: Hindu Female Gurus in Historical and Philosophical Context in The Graceful Guru

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Sita Devi, an Early Vaishnava Guru in The Graceful Guru

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The Life of Gauri Ma in The Graceful Guru

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Anandamayi Ma, the Bliss-Filled Divine Mother in The Graceful Guru

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Fusion of the Soul: Jayashri Ma and the Primordial Mother in The Graceful Guru

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Mother Meera, Avatar in The Graceful Guru

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Gurus and Goddesses, Deities and Devotees in The Graceful Guru

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Shree Maa of Kamakkhya in The Graceful Guru

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Ammachi, the Mother of Compassion in The Graceful Guru

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Gurumayi, the Play of Shakti and Guru in The Graceful Guru

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