The ascetic goddess who is half woman: female authority in the discourses of M?riyammaṉ's Tapas

This paper explores the popular narratives of tapas (or ascetic penance) of MÄ?riyammaá¹?, a south Indian goddess of diseases associated with poxes. Unlike the tapas of the goddess P?rvat? of Śaiva temple legends (talapur?ṇams), which is predicated upon her erotic longing to re/unite with the male g...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Srinivasen, Perundevi (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Univ. 2012
In: Nidān
Year: 2012, Volume: 24, Issue: 1, Pages: 66-83
Further subjects:B Ardhanari
B Authority
B Siva
B Samayapuram
B Goddess
B Androgynous
B Feminism
B Bhringi
B Tamilnadu
B Tapas
B Asceticism
B Poxes
B Ardhanarisvari
B Mariyamman
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
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Summary:This paper explores the popular narratives of tapas (or ascetic penance) of MÄ?riyammaá¹?, a south Indian goddess of diseases associated with poxes. Unlike the tapas of the goddess P?rvat? of Śaiva temple legends (talapur?ṇams), which is predicated upon her erotic longing to re/unite with the male god Śiva through marriage, M?riyammaṉ's tapas aims to subvert the male authority through pox-affliction and/or violence. In the narratives, not only is M?riyammaṉ's marriage with Śiva ruled out, but Śiva's conventional androgynous (Ardhan?r?) form is appropriated by her in such a way that her supreme authority and cosmic sovereignty are reinforced. M?riyammaṉ's tapas provides a model of female asceticism that underscores a significant female autonomy.
ISSN:2414-8636
Contains:Enthalten in: Nidān
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.58125/nidan.2012.1