Department or Program

Religious Studies

Abstract

This thesis examines the three largest sects within Hinduism: Vaiṣṇavism, Śaivism, and Śaktism and compares their relationships with monism and panentheism as witnessed through poets and theologians. As devotional literature is a common medium through which people have connected to their higher power, poetry and prose foundational to their sect can serve as an insightful gateway into the beliefs of said community. The ways in which Vaiṣṇavism, Śaivism, and Śaktism depict oneness are compared and contrasted so as to provide greater dimensions to what monotheism can look like. Upon seeing the many Hindu gods and goddesses depicted in bronzes and temple reliefs, Hinduism (which itself is a colonial construct) was categorized as a polytheist religion. To combat this label’s misgivings, Hinduism first must be understood as an umbrella term encompassing multiple traditions and sects, and each sect is usually identified by the God whom that community holds supreme over all other gods. Therefore, the question arises: can these sects be called “monotheist” and how does that one-ness manifest itself in each sect? In order to answer this question, sectarian literature held in high reverence by their respective communities will be examined to determined how each sect asserts their God as Supreme. First, a literary analysis of the anonymously produced Devī-Māhātmya will be conducted to observe how the Śakta sect hails Devī over the other gods. Then, the poetry of the Tamil Śrī-vaiṣṇava saint Nammāḻvār and subsequent commentaries by theologians Rāmānuja and Piḷḷāṉ will be consulted to gain an understanding of how Viṣṇu is portrayed as one in monistic Vaiṣṇava communities. The poetry of the Kashmiri Śaiva saint Lal Děd will be examined alongside the Śiva-Sūtras to ask the same questions about monism in the Trika sect of Śaivism. By researching and comparing these ideas about oneness, greater nuance and depth can be viewed in contemporary ideas and values such as unity, diversity, inclusion, and exclusion.

Level of Access

Restricted: Campus/Bates Community Only Access

First Advisor

Melnick, Alison

Date of Graduation

5-2026

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Number of Pages

86

Components of Thesis

1 pdf 

Download

Restricted

Available to Bates community via local IP address or Bates login.

Share

COinS