Table of Contents

Foreword by Steven Collins Introduction 1. The Religious Life of Woman-as-householder 2. The Woman Who Is Not a Householder: Widowhood, Unmarriageability, and Female Asceticism 3. Unity and Diversity I: Basic Terminology 4. Unity and Diversity II: Sectarian Affiliation, Spiritual Path, and Ascetic Mode 5. Socioreligious Aspects of Female Asceticism in Varanasi 6. Sainthood, Society, and Transcendence: Legends and Poetry of Women Saints Notes Glossary of Hindi and Sanskrit Terms Bibliography Supplemental Bibliography by Meena Khandelwal Index

About the Author

Lynn Teskey Denton (1949-1995) was Assistant Professor of Religion at Concordia University and also taught at McMaster University.

Reviews

"Although renunciation and asceticism in India have received much attention, female asceticism - both historical and contemporary - has not. This is an important work, which makes a significant contribution to this topic." - Patrick Olivelle, author of Rules and Regulations of Brahmanical Asceticism"