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The word ''[[Shakti]]'', means sacred feminine force, and Durga reflects the warrior aspect of the goddess, embodying a traditional male role. Other incarnations include [[Annapurna]] and ''Karunamayi'' (''karuna'' = kindness). Durga's darker aspect [[Kali]] is represented as the consort of god Shiva, on whose body she is often seen standing. |
The word ''[[Shakti]]'', means sacred feminine force, and Durga reflects the warrior aspect of the goddess, embodying a traditional male role. Other incarnations include [[Annapurna]] and ''Karunamayi'' (''karuna'' = kindness). Durga's darker aspect [[Kali]] is represented as the consort of god Shiva, on whose body she is often seen standing. |
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Durga's form is blindingly bright and radiant ([[devi]]), with three lotus-like eyes, ten powerful hands, lush hair with beautiful curls, a red-golden glow from her skin and a quarter moon on her forehead. She wears a shiny |
Durga's form is blindingly bright and radiant ([[devi]]), with three lotus-like eyes, ten powerful hands, lush hair with beautiful curls, a red-golden glow from her skin and a quarter moon on her forehead. She wears a shiny attire emitting fierce rays. Her ornaments were carved beautifully of gold, with ocean pearls and precious stones embedded in it. |
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[[Image:Godess Durga painting.JPG|thumb|Durga painting Orissa, India]] |
[[Image:Godess Durga painting.JPG|thumb|Durga painting Orissa, India]] |
Revision as of 22:12, 26 October 2008
Durga | |
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Devanagari | दुर्गा |
In Hinduism, Durga (Sanskrit: "the inaccessible"[1] or "the invincible"[2]) or Maa Durga (Mother Durga) "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress". Durga is a form of Devi, the supreme goddess. She is depicted as a warrior aspect of the Divine Mother, with 10 arms, who rides a lion or a tiger, carries weapons (including a lotus flower), and assumes mudras, or symbolic hand gestures.
An embodiment of creative feminine force (Shakti), she exists in a state of svātantrya (dependence on the universe and nothing/nobody else, i.e., self-sufficiency) and fierce compassion. The warrior goddess Durga is considered by Hindus to be an aspect of Kali, and the mother of Ganesha, and Kartikeya.[3] She is thus considered the fiercer, demon-fighting form of Shiva's wife, goddess Parvati. Durga manifests fearlessness and patience, and never loses her sense of humor, even during spiritual battles of epic proportion.
The Legend
The word Shakti, means sacred feminine force, and Durga reflects the warrior aspect of the goddess, embodying a traditional male role. Other incarnations include Annapurna and Karunamayi (karuna = kindness). Durga's darker aspect Kali is represented as the consort of god Shiva, on whose body she is often seen standing.
Durga's form is blindingly bright and radiant (devi), with three lotus-like eyes, ten powerful hands, lush hair with beautiful curls, a red-golden glow from her skin and a quarter moon on her forehead. She wears a shiny attire emitting fierce rays. Her ornaments were carved beautifully of gold, with ocean pearls and precious stones embedded in it.
As a Goddess, Durga's feminine power contains the energies of the gods. Each of her weapons was gifted to her by various gods: Rudra's trident, Vishnu's discus, Indra's thunderbolt, Brahma's kamandalu, Kuber's Ratnahar, etc.
According to the narrative from the Devi Mahatmya story of the Markandeya Purana text, Durga was created as a warrior goddess to fight an asura, (an inhumane force/a demon) named Mahishasur. He had unleashed a reign of terror on earth, heaven and the nether worlds, and he could not be defeated by any man or god.
Eventually, since only a woman could kill him, the gods went down to the river Ganges and prayed the mantra, "Om Namo Devaye", imploring of the great mother goddess Devi to save their realm from ruin. They were blessed with her compassion when the goddess Durga was born out of the river to fight Mahishasur. And initially, Mahishasura tries to marry Durga, because of her strikingly beautiful radiance. However, Durga graciously refused and proceeded towards battle.
When Durga battled the terrible Mahisasur he rampaged against her, changing forms many times. First he was a buffalo demon, and she slayed him with her sword. The he changed forms and became an elephant that tied up the goddesses' tiger and began to pull it towards him. The goddess cut off his trunk with her Khorgo. The demon Mahishasur continued his terrorizing, taking the form of a lion and then a man but both of them were gracefully slain by the goddess Durga.
Then Mahishasur again began another attack, starting to take the form of a buffalo again. The patient goddess became very angry, and as she sippped divine wine from a cup she smiled and proclaimed to Mahisasur in a colorful tone - "Roar with delight while you still can O illiterate demon, because when I will kill you after drinking this, the gods themselves will roar with delight". When Mahashaur had half emerged into his buffalo form, he got paralyzed by the extreme light emitting from the goddesses' body. The goddess then roared with laughter before cutting Mahisasur's head down with her Khorgo.
And thus Durga slayed Mahisasur...
Worship
The four day long Durga Puja is the biggest annual festival in Bengal, Orissa and Bihar. It is celebrated likewise with much fervour in other parts of India, especially the Himalayan region, but is celebrated in various forms throughout the Hindu universe.
The day of Durga's victory is celebrated as Vijaya Dashmi, Dashain or Dussehra - these words literally mean "the Victorious Tenth" (day). In Kashmir she is worshipped as shaarika (the main temple is in Hari Parbat in Srinagar).
The actual period of the worship however may be on the preceding nine days (Navaratri) followed by the last day called Vijayadashami in North India or five days in Bengal (from the sixth to tenth day of the waxing-moon fortnight). Nine aspects of Durga known as Navadurga are meditated upon, one by one during the nine-day festival by devout Shakti worshippers.
In North India, the tenth day, signifying Rama's victory in his battle against the demon Ravana, is celebrated as Dussehra - gigantic straw effigies of Ravana are burnt in designated open spaces (e.g. Delhi's Ram Lila grounds), watched by thousands of families and little children.
In Gujarat it is celebrated as the last day of Navaratri, during which the Garba dance is performed to celebrate the vigorous victory of Mahishasura-mardini Durga.
The Goddess Durga is worshiped in her peaceful form as MahaGauri, The Fair Lady, Shree Shantadurga also known as santeri, is the patron Goddess of Goa. She is worshiped by all Goan Hindus irrespective of caste and even by some Christians in Goa.
Goddess Durga is worshiped in many temples of Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka .
Another important text on Durga is the 21-verse long Mahishasura Mardini Stotram (Prayer to the Goddess who killed Mahishasura) written by Sri Sri Sri Shankara Bhagavatpadacharya.
Notable temples in India
- Matrimandir in the city of Auroville near Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu.
- Ambika Mata Temple in the village of Jagat near Mount Abu in Rajasthan, India.
- Bhairabi Devalaya, in Tezpur, Assam
- Kalighat Temple, Kolkata.
- Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati, Assam
- Kanaka Durga Temple, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
- Shanta Durga temple in Goa
- Shila Devi temple at Amber Jaipur Rajasthan
- Shitla Mata temple at Patna Bihar
See also
- Kali
- Durga Puja
- Shantadurga
- Hindu Goddess
- Kala, husband of Durga in Javanese mythology.
- List of women warriors in folklore, literature, and popular culture
References
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 25 Feb. 2007 <http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9363243/Durga">.
- ^ "Durga" Sanatan Society <http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses/durga.htm>.
- ^ Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls: Popular Goddess Worship in West Bengal By June McDaniel p.225
Further reading
- Durga Puja: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Sudeshna Banerjee, Rupa and Co, Calcutta, 2004. (ISBN 81-291-0547-0)
- Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions, David Kinsley. (ISBN 81-208-0379-5)
- Grace and Mercy in Her Wild Hair : Selected Poems to the Mother Goddess, Ramprasad Sen (1720-1781). (ISBN 0-934252-94-7)
- Durga Puja Beginner, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Devi Mandir, 2001. (ISBN 1-887472-89-4)
- "Chandi Path", Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Devi Mandir (ISBN 1-877795-52-6)
- "Chandi Path: Study of Chapter One", Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Devi Mandir (ISBN 1-877795-58-5)
- "Chandi Path: Study of Chapter Two", Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Devi Mandir (ISBN 1-877795-60-7)
- Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls: Popular Goddess Worship in West Bengal, June McDaniel, Oxford University Press, 2004. (ISBN10: 0195167910)
- "Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs", Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Devi Mandir (ISBN 1-877795-61-5)
- "Devi Gita", Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Devi Mandir (ISBN 1-877795-56-9)
- The Bond Between Women: A Journey to Fierce Compassion, China Galland, Riverhead Trade Publishing, U.S., 1999.