Exploring Divine Power and Gender Hierarchies: Goddess Durga and the Position of Women in Patriarchal Societies

Abstract

This article examines the symbolic meaning of Goddess Durga in Hindu mythology and contrasts her mythic power with the lived experiences of women in a patriarchal Indian society. Through the analysis of a particular episode of the Devi Mahatmya, the research demonstrates how Durga’s mythic power stands in sharp contrast to the sociocultural oppression of women. While Goddess Durga is worshiped as an icon of divine feminine power, this worship rarely finds actual expression as power for women under Hindu patriarchal systems. Previous research has tended to either deify Durga’s iconography or record women’s subordination in isolation; this article fills the lacunae by bringing both strains together in a feminist interpretative approach. Drawing on theoretical concepts from gender studies, particularly Judith Butler’s theory of gender performance and Uma Chakravarti’s work on Brahmanical patriarchy, the article examines how religious symbolism both reflects and reinforces prevailing gender roles, revealing a paradox between divine iconography and lived experience. The study bridges feminist theology (Ruether, Daly) and sociological critique (Bourdieu) to explore how Durga’s symbolism is ritualized within patriarchal structures.