Abstract
The discourse of women‟s empowerment in India presents a paradox: while the feminine divine is exalted in cultural and religious traditions, women continue to face entrenched inequalities in education, employment, political participation and social life. This paper critically re-engages with the indigenous concepts of Shakti and Stri-Shakti, examining their potential as philosophical, cultural and political resources for reimagining empowerment in twenty-first century India. Grounded in classical Indic texts such as the Rigveda, Devi Mahatmya and Tantric traditions, alongside feminist theory and cultural critiques, the study highlights the layered interpretations of feminine power as cosmic principle, goddess figure and socio-cultural symbol. Complementing this conceptual framework, empirical fieldwork conducted in Ahmedabad, Anand, Bharuch and Surat documents how women perceive and embody Stri-Shakti in their everyday lives. Participants associated Shakti variously with inner strength, collective solidarity, spiritual endurance, economic independence and leadership within families and communities. At the same time, findings reveal the persistent disjuncture between symbolic reverence for goddesses and the lived marginalisation of women, echoing the “mythic–social divide” noted in feminist scholarship. Intergenerational shifts further complicate these dynamics: older women often framed empowerment in terms of sacrifice and tolerance, whereas younger women emphasised financial autonomy, education and public participation. The study argues that Stri-Shakti, when critically reclaimed, offers an indigenous model of empowerment that privileges relational solidarity, cultural legitimacy and negotiated agency, while resonating with global feminist calls for equality and justice. However, the analysis cautions against essentialist and instrumentalist appropriations of goddess symbolism, which risk burdening women with mythic expectations or reducing them to metaphors. The paper concludes that a plural, inclusive and pragmatic engagement with Shakti and Stri-Shakti can bridge the gap between symbolism and structure, tradition and modernity, spirituality and materiality contributing to a holistic and indigenised vision of gender justice for contemporary India.
Keywords
- Shakti
- Stri-Shakti
- Women’s Empowerment
- Gender Justice
- Indigenous Narratives
How to cite
Patel, S. B. (2026). Shakti and Stri-Shakti: Reclaiming indigenous narratives of women empowerment in modern India. Interdisciplinary Indic Studies – A Brilliant Waves Journal, 1(1), 40–71. https://www.brilliantwavesenterprise.com/publications/journal/vol-1-inaugural-issue/bwjv1iip2