Godwoman’s vision of empowerment: A feminist rhetorical analysis of Anandmurti Gurumaa’s Shakti

Anandmurti Gurumaa?s book Shakti is analyzed through the lens of feminist rhetoric analysis. Issues of treatment towards women in India in the present times with a focus on femicide is discussed in Shakti . Gurumaa?s criticism of unequal treatment towards women shows a new approach to the already prevalent numerous discourses on treatment of women in India. By appealing to well-established customs of Hinduism and building a sense of reawakening of inbuilt power or ?shakti,? Gurumaa founds herself as a new type of crusader in the Indian society. Gurumaa?s advocacy as a spiritual leader demarcates an uncharted means of addressing a social issue in the country.
Gurumaa?s manner of addressing the audience also indicates the working of a transnational persona. She involves audience within the country as well as in diaspora to expand the support for her views on the cause as well as to bring awareness among people. The way in which she appeals through several dominant languages in India as well as the means of putting together the cause through her website and her book shows that she seeks to involve a transnational audience. Through Gurumaa?s approach new changes can be seen in the way issues are addressed in India to involve an extended audience and affect change.