Shaktism is a major tradition within Hinduism that centers on Śakti, or Devī, the Divine Mother, as the supreme reality and source of all existence. The Goddess is not viewed merely as a consort of a male deity, but as the highest God, the ultimate reality itself, embodying energy, power, and creativity. In this vision, the feminine principle is indispensable for all cosmic functions, and the material universe is understood as a manifestation of this dynamic, creative power. Śakti is both transcendent, beyond all form, and immanent, present within every aspect of creation.

Within this tradition, the Divine Mother is worshipped in many forms, each revealing a particular facet of her nature. Goddesses such as Durgā, Kālī, Lakṣmī, Sarasvatī, Tripurasundarī, and Pārvatī are honored as expressions of the one Śakti. Shaktism often interprets reality as the interplay of Śiva and Śakti, with Śiva as pure consciousness and Śakti as the active power that brings that consciousness into manifestation. The emphasis, however, rests on Śakti as the more immediately accessible and experientially vivid aspect of the Absolute.

The scriptural and ritual life of Shaktism reflects this focus on the Divine Mother. Foundational texts such as the Devī Māhātmya, the Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa, and numerous Tantras describe the nature of the Goddess, the structure of the cosmos, and the methods of her worship. Practice commonly involves mantra, yantra (sacred geometric diagrams), visualization, and ritual worship (pūjā), often within a tantric framework that regards the material world as sacred rather than illusory. Through these disciplines, devotees seek to invoke, internalize, and recognize the presence of the Goddess in both the outer world and the inner self.

Spiritually, Shaktism teaches that liberation (mokṣa) is attained through devotion, surrender, and union with the Divine Mother, who is ultimately recognized as the innermost Self and the ground of all being. The path invites a reverent recognition of the divine feminine in nature, in human life, and in the very energy of awareness itself. In this way, Shaktism offers a vision in which ultimate reality is not static but inherently powerful and creative, and where the worship of the Goddess becomes a means of awakening to that living, all-pervading Śakti.