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APPENDIX IV
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nature also became one half white (whence one of her names Gauri) and the other half black (whence her name Kali).
Then, again, each of these opposite characters became variously modified and endlessly multiplied. The white or mild nature ramified into the Saktis called Uma, Gauri, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, etc., the black or fierce nature into those called Kali, Durga, Candi, Camunda, etc. And just as Shiva has 1008 names or epithets, so his wife possesses a feminine duplicate of nearly everyone of his designations. At least one thousand distinct appellations are assigned to her, some expressive of her benignant, some of her ferocious character. Notably it is declared in the Tantras that if any one repeats eight of her names containing the letter m, kings will become his servants, all men will love him, and all his difficulties come to a happy termination.
In short, all the other Saktis came to be included by the Saktas under the Sakti or female energy of Shiva, which eventually developed into innumerable separate manifestations and personifications.
But it began in a rather modest way by starting the worship of the Durga along with Shiva, Laxmi along with Vishnu, Radha along with Krishna and Sita along with Rama. The number of Shaktis was not defined.
Sometimes only eight Saktis are enumerated and sometimes nine, viz, Vaishnavi, Brahmani, Raudri, Mahesvari, Narasinhi, Varahi, Indrani, Karttiki, and Pradhana. Others reckon fifty forms of the Sakti of Vishnu, besides Laxmi; and fifty of Siva or Rudra, besides Durga or Gauri. Sarasvati is named as a Sakti of Vishnu and Rudra, as well as Brahma. According to the Vayu-purana, the female nature of Rudra (Siva) became two-fold, one half Asita or white, and the other half Sita or black, each of these again becoming manifold. The white or mild nature includes the Saktis Uma, Gauri, Laxmi, Sarasvati, &c, the black or fierce nature includes Durga, Kali, Candi, Camunda, &c.
Soon however all the Shaktis were universalized under the Shakti or female energy which eventually developed into innumerable separate manifestations and personifications.
These personifications, following the analogy of some of Vishnu’s incarnations, are sometimes grouped according to a supposed difference of participation in the divine energy, such for example as the full energy ( purna sakti ) , the partial ( ansarupini ) the still more partial ( kala-rupini ) , and the partial of the partial (kalansa-rupini), this last including mortal women in various degrees, from Brahman