72 Spirituality Studies 11-1 Spring 2025 1 Introduction The notion of the feminine has been largely framed through a political lens in gender studies, a perspective justified by the centuries of systemic oppression faced by women. However, femininity, in its deepest sense, extends beyond the discourse on gender. Many mystical traditions across the world present a vision of the feminine that is not confined to biological identity or social roles, but as a way of being that is open to the mysterious dimension of life. In mysticism, the feminine is not merely a social construct or an identity but a mode of being that is rooted in an open, vulnerable, and deeply subjective engagement with the divine. This perspective is quite different from the logocentric worldview of the Western philosophical tradition centred on rationality and structured knowledge. The feminine principle, as celebrated in mystical traditions, is intuitively immersed in a sense of wonder, surrender, and devotion. Unlike the rational, transactional mindset that is at the heart of the market economy of our times, the feminine experience of reality is rooted in emotional depth and an intimate connection with the unknown. While rationality has undeniably shaped the modern world, mystical traditions remind us that there are other, equally profound ways of understanding existence, ways that have often been marginalized in favour of logic and utility. It is also true that this same rational mindset, driven by an aggressively utilitarian logic, has led the planet into an ecological crisis. Thus, it is time to revisit and listen more closely to the feminine voices of the past, particularly those found in the literary works of mystics. One such tradition offering alternative ways of being is the Bhakti movement in India. The tradition of saint-poetry has played a significant role in the cultural and spiritual life of the Indian subcontinent since the sixth century CE. This tradition is not only renowned for its spiritual depth but also for the radical political stances taken by the saints, particularly with regard to the social subjugation of lower castes and women. As A. K. Ramanujan (1999, 270) points out in his essay On Women Saints the experience of Bhakti is inherently feminine: “an especially arresting aspect of the bhakti milieu is the extent to which bhakti itself appears feminine in nature”. At the same time, the political impact of these saints underscores their ability to engage in a rational critique of social structures while remaining immersed in the cosmic experience of communion with the divine. In other words, they maintained a dynamic femininity while challenging societal injustice. This aspect of Bhakti poetry is especially significant in the case of female saints, as movements for women’s emancipation have often painted the feminine ways of being as either socially conditioned forms of domestication or as resistance to patriarchy. This paper delves into the dynamics of rational critique and irrational surrender as seen in the poetry of one of the most famous female saints – Akka Mahadevi, and thereby, argues that the feminine ideal in her poetry defies the dichotomy of resistance and domestication. 2 Methodology This study employs hermeneutic textual analysis as its primary methodological framework, drawing from HansGeorg Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics and Paul Ricoeur’s theory of interpretation. Gadamer (1975, 330) states that “the general requirement of hermeneutics is that every text must be understood according to the aim appropriate to it”, highlighting the necessity of interpreting texts in their specific conceptual and cultural contexts. Ricoeur (1989, 13) makes an insightful elucidation on the process of literary interpretation by asserting that “interpretation is the work of thought which consists in deciphering the hidden meaning in the apparent meaning, in unfolding the levels of meaning implied in the literal meaning”. Following these principles, this study conducts a two-stage analysis of Akka Mahadevi’s poetry: first, through an explicatory analysis, the study examines linguistic patterns, metaphorical language, and symbolic imagery, aligning with Ricoeur’s structural hermeneutics; second, a contextual and thematic interpretation situates these poems within the Bhakti tradition and mystical discourse, foregrounding their existential and spiritual meanings through Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics. The thematic analysis further identifies key motifs such as renunciation, devotion, and self-transcendence, and thereby, illustrates how Akka Mahadevi’s poetry challenges conventional notions of the feminine. Through this close reading of her poetry within the framework of Bhakti tradition and mysticism, the study explores the dialectic between feminine devotion and the social construct of gender, revealing how her poetry functions not only as literary discourse but as a dynamic spiritual expression with broader philosophical and cultural resonance, particularly regarding the spiritual significance of the feminine as a way of being.
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