Aniconic representation of the Hindu goddess Shakti, consort of Shiva
For other uses, see Yoni (disambiguation).
Yoni and Lingam icons are found in both round and square base forms. Yoni is a symbol for the divine feminine procreative energy.[1][2]
Yoni (Sanskrit: योनि, IAST: yoni), sometimes called pindika, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu goddess Shakti.[3][4] It is usually shown with linga – its masculine counterpart.[3][5] Together, they symbolize the merging of microcosmos and macrocosmos,[5] the divine eternal process of creation and regeneration, and the union of the feminine and the masculine that recreates all of existence.[4][2] The yoni is conceptualized as nature's gateway of all births, particularly in the esoteric Kaula and Tantra practices, as well as the Shaktism and Shaivism traditions of Hinduism.[6]
Yoni is a Sanskrit word that has been interpreted to literally mean the "womb",[2][7] the "source",[8] and the female organs of generation.[9][10] It also connotes the female sexual organs such as "vagina",[4] "vulva",[11][12] and "uterus",[13][14] or alternatively to "origin, abode, or source" of anything in other contexts.[1][4] For example, the Vedanta text Brahma Sutras metaphorically refers to the metaphysical concept Brahman as the "yoni of the universe".[15] The yoni with linga iconography is found in Shiva temples and archaeological sites of the Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia,[16][17][18] as well in sculptures such as the Lajja Gauri.[19]
^ abMonier-Williams, Monier. "Yoni". Harvard University Archives. p. 858. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009.
^ abcLochtefeld, James G. (2001). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Volume 2. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 784. ISBN 978-0-8239-3180-4.
^ abDasgupta, Rohit (26 September 2014). Kimmel, Michael; Christine Milrod; Amanda Kennedy (eds.). Cultural Encyclopedia of the Penis. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 107. ISBN 978-0-7591-2314-4.
^ abcdDoniger, Wendy; Stefon, Matt (24 December 2014) [20 July 1998]. "Yoni (Hinduism)". Encyclopædia Britannica. Edinburgh: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
^ abBeltz, Johannes (1 March 2011). "The Dancing Shiva: South Indian Processional Bronze, Museum Artwork, and Universal Icon". Journal of Religion in Europe. 4 (1). Brill Academic Publishers: 204–222. doi:10.1163/187489210x553566. S2CID 143631560.
^Cite error: The named reference JonesRyan2006p516 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Indradeva, Shrirama (1966). "Correspondence between Woman and Nature in Indian Thought". Philosophy East and West. 16 (3/4): 161–168. doi:10.2307/1397538. JSTOR 1397538., Quote: "Nature is my yoni (womb), [...]"
^Grimes 1996, p. 361.
^Adams, Douglas Q. (1986). "Studies in Tocharian Vocabulary IV: A Quartet of Words from a Tocharian B Magic Text". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 106 (2). JSTOR: 339–341. doi:10.2307/601599. JSTOR 601599., Quote: "Yoni- 'womb, vulva', Yoni- "way, abode' is from a second PIE root [...]"; Indradeva, Shrirama (1966). "Correspondence between Woman and Nature in Indian Thought". Philosophy East and West. 16 (3/4). JSTOR: 161–168. doi:10.2307/1397538. JSTOR 1397538.
^Abhinavagupta; Jaideva Singh (Translator) (1989). A Trident of Wisdom: Translation of Paratrisika-vivarana. State University of New York Press. pp. 122, 175. ISBN 978-0-7914-0180-4. {{cite book}}: |last2= has generic name (help), Quote: "yoni or womb [...]" p. 122, "[...] in the female aspect, it is known as yoni or female organ of generation [...], p. 175"
^Cheris Kramarae; Dale Spender (2004). Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge. Routledge. p. 1840. ISBN 978-1-135-96315-6., Quote: "The sculpted image of the lingam usually stands erect in a shallow, circular basin that represents the yoni."
^Cite error: The named reference MeulenbeldLeslie1991p57 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference renou was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Gerd Carling (2003). "New look at the Tocharian B medical manuscript IOL Toch 306 (Stein Ch.00316. a2) of the British Library - Oriental and India Office Collections". Historische Sprachforschung / Historical Linguistics. 116. Bd., 1. H. (1): 75–95. JSTOR 40849180., Quote: "[...] diseases of the yoni (uterus and vagina) [...]"; Shivanandaiah, TM; Indudhar, TM (2010). "Lajjalu treatment of uterine prolapse". Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine. 1 (2): 125–128. doi:10.4103/0975-9476.65090. PMC 3151380. PMID 21836800., Quote: "[...] vaginal-uterine disorders (Yoni Vyapat) [...]"; Frueh, Joanna (2003). "Vaginal Aesthetics". Hypatia. 18 (4). Wiley: 137–158. doi:10.1111/j.1527-2001.2003.tb01416.x. S2CID 232180657.
^Klostermaier, Klaus K. (1998). A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Oneworld Publications. p. 214. ISBN 978-178074-6-722.
^Cite error: The named reference Urban2009p2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference hardy103 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Lopez, Donald S. (1995). Religions of India in Practice. Princeton University Press. pp. 304–307. ISBN 978-0-691-04324-1.
^Cite error: The named reference bolon1997p40 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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