Shakti

“Power”, “energy”, “capacity”. The dynamic feminine principle of the universe, the Goddess as cosmic energy.

Aspects:

• Cosmological: The energy that creates, maintains, and destroys the universe. Counterpart to Śiva (static consciousness).
• Personal: Kuṇḍalinī śakti, the dormant energy in every human being.
• Practical: The capacity to act, the life force.

Śiva-Śakti relationship:

• Śiva without Śakti is śava (corpse) — consciousness without power
• Śakti without Śiva is blind — power without direction
• The union of both is the goal of tantra

In haṭha yoga, awakening kuṇḍalinī is liberating śakti from its latent state and reuniting it with Śiva in sahasrāra. This union is samādhi.