Within the Shakta tradition, the Divine Mother, or Shakti, is understood as the single, supreme reality that underlies all existence. Theologically, this gives Shaktism a fundamentally monotheistic character: there is one ultimate divine principle, one primordial feminine consciousness and power, which is the source and ground of everything. All divinities are ultimately rooted in this one Shakti, who is often regarded as the highest expression of the Absolute. From this perspective, the many names, forms, and stories do not point to separate, competing gods, but to the self-disclosure of a single, all-encompassing Divine Mother.

At the same time, the lived religious world of Shaktism is rich with multiple goddesses and forms of worship that appear, on the surface, thoroughly polytheistic. Devotees may venerate Durga, Kali, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Tripurasundari, or regional goddesses such as Kamakhya or Meenakshi, each with distinct iconography, myths, and ritual traditions. Yet these deities are not regarded as independent, unrelated beings; they are viewed as particular aspects, functions, or manifestations of the one Shakti, each highlighting a different quality or power of the same supreme reality. In this way, Shaktism can be described as a monotheistic or monistic vision of the Divine Mother expressed through a polytheistic devotional landscape, where the many serve as gateways into the One.