In
Hinduism,
Shakti (
Devanagari: ; from
Sanskrit shak, "to be able"), also spelt as
Sakthi or
Shakthi, meaning "power" or "empowerment," is the
primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the entire
universe. Shakti is the concept, or personification, of
divine feminine creative power, sometimes referred to as 'The Great Divine Mother' in
Hinduism. As the mother she is known as
Adi Parashakti or
Adishakti. In her avatar as Akshara Mandhapati, her power is her uncontrollable energy. On the earthly plane, Shakti most actively manifests through female embodiment and creativity/fertility, though it is also present in males in its potential, unmanifest form.