Durga

"She [Durga] looks gracious always with sweet smile on her lips, her hands are one thousand in number. Various weapons are in all her hands. The clothing's of the three-eyed one are bright and purified by Fire. She is decorated with ornaments all of jewels. All the women who are the jewels are sprung from her parts and parts of parts and by the power of her Mâyâ, all the people of the world are enchanted. She bestows all the wealth that a householder needs to have."

"According to legend, Durga was created for the slaying of the buffalo demon Mahisasura, by Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and the lesser gods who were otherwise powerless to overcome him. Embodying their collective energy (shakti), she is both derivative from the male divinities and the true source of their inner power. She is also greater than any of them. Durga presents a fierce menacing form to her enemies. She is usually depicted riding a lion and with 8 or 10 arms, each holding the special weapon of one of the gods, who gave them to her for her battle against the buffalo demon. The Durga-puja, held annually in her honor, is one of the great festivals of northeastern India."

"[Durga or Parvati] in Hindu mythology is the wife of Siva and daughter of Himavat (the Himalayas). She has many names and many characters."

"Roman alphabet:Om dum durgayei namaha"

"English Meaning: Om and Salutations to that feminine energy which protects from all manner of negative influences and for which Dum is the seed"

"Purport: Memorize it, chant it out loud when possible, keep it in your head- or write it on a yellow stick-ems and post them on your computer, on your phone, your desk. Any time your boundaries being impinged upon, start chanting it over and over in your mind."

"Commemoration during the renowned Navaratri celebrations at Mysore, which otherwise strongly emphasizes the Durga legend, as may be expected in the city built at the very site of the events of the Durga legend."

"Roman alphabet: tvam hi durgaa dashapraharanadhaarinee kamalaa kamala dalabihaarinee vaanee vidyaadaayinee namaami tvaam namaami kamalaam amalaam atulaam, sujalaam sufalaam maataram vande."

"English translation:For thou art Durga holding her ten weapons of war, Kamala at play in the lotuses And speech, the goddess, giver of all lore, to thee I bow! I bow to thee, goddess of wealth pure and peerless, richly-watered, richly-fruited, The Mother!"

"'Iśvara' holds the semantic field: master, lord, prince, king, mistress, queen, a husband, God, the Supreme Being, the supreme soul (आत्मन्), Shiva (शिव), the god of love, Durga (दुर्गा), Lakshmi (लक्ष्मी), of any other of the shaktis (शक्तिs) or female energies of the deities, and it is often glossed 'controller' in English."

"Literally “She who is abundant [purna] with food [anna],” the goddess Annapurna is considered a form of Durga or sometimes of Parvati, both being wives of Shiva. In her iconography she is light colored and stands on a lotus or sits on a throne."

"Parvati, his [Shiva's] second wife and the daughter of the Himalaya mountain, may well have been a distinct divinity in ancient times. Later, as Durga and Kali became recognized as wives of Shiva, many of the local goddesses lost some or all of their original character and began to be understood as Durga or Kali under other names."

"She [Durga] also takes on the role of mother in her later history. At her most important festival, Durga Puja, she is shown flanked by four deities identified as her children: Karttikeya, Ganesha, Sarasvati, and Lakshmi."

"...it is possible to distinguish two different strata – one primitive and the other advanced. The primitive form of Durga is the result of syncretism of a mountain-goddess worshiped by the dwellers of the Himalaya and the Vindhyas, a goddess worshiped by the nomadic Abhira shepherd, the vegetation spirit conceived as a female, and a war-goddess. As her votaries advanced in civilization the primitive war-goddess was transformed into the personification of the all-destroying time (Kali), the vegetation spirit into the primordial energy (Adya Sakti) and the saviouress from “samsara” (cycle of rebirths) , and gradually brought into line with the Brahmanic mythology and philosophy."

"Parvati has wrathful incarnations surely, As Durga, Kali, Shitala Devi, Tara, Chandi, She has benevolent forms like Katyayani, Kamalatmika, Bhuvaneshwari, Lalita, Gauri."

"In Devanagari: “नमस्तेशरण्येशिवेसानुकम्पे, नमस्तेजगद्व्यापिकेविश्वरूपे। नमस्तेजगद्वन्द्यपादारविन्दे, नमस्तेजगत्तारिणित्राहिदुर्गे॥१॥"

"English translation: She the refuge, peaceful and merciful undoubtedly, She pervades over all, is universal form certainly, Her lotus feet worshipped by universe – all Glory, On your appeal “Protect me Durga” saves entirely."

"The Goddess is Maya, embodiment of all delusions. She is Shakti, personification of energy. She is Adi, primal, as ancient and boundless as the soul...The embodiment of Adi- Maya-Shakti – Durga is the invincible one. She is at once bride and warrior. The one establishes home, provides pleasure, produces children and offers food."

"Among followers of the goddess Durga, who are particularly predominant in Bengal and Assam, the Durga-puja (“Worship of Durga”) is celebrated during this period. Special images of Durga commemorating her victory over the buffalo demon Mahishasura are worshipped daily, and on the tenth day (Dussehra), they are in jubilant procession to nearby rivers or reservoirs for immersion in water."

"One day my wife wished to worship Durga so that our child might be cured of his disease. For this purpose she requested me to bring a goat. When we sacrificed the goat at the temple of goddess Durga, the goat cursed me: "O sinful one, lowest of all, you wish to make my children fatherless. For this reason you will also take birth as a goat." O Madhava, when the time for my death came, I attained this body of a goat, but by the grace of Lord Govinda I can remember my previous births."

"The concept of Shakti is indvisibly connected with Mother worship (shakti sadhana). Generally the worship of Durga, Kali, Saraswati and other goddesses is considered Shakti worship. But the worship of Narayana, Shiva, Ganesha and other gods, too, is the worship of Shakti Herself. Whatever the means - image, symbol or yantra - the worship is only of Shakti. This is because, in the use of all these means there is a superimposition of the creation - preservation - destruction aspects of Shakti either fully or partially. So in a wider sense all worshippers are Shakti worshippers."

"As Parvati or Gauri, she showed her maternal and wifely emanation; as Durga, she was unapproachable; as Kali, she was terrifying and castrating."

"Shakti: the Mother Goddess, power or energy, originating, perhaps, in the non-Aryan culture of the Indus Valley. Mythologically Shakti is equated with the Goddesses Kali, Parvati and Durga, consorts of Shiva. The cult of Shakti flourished since the fifth century A.D."

"Mantra Upanishad: These teachings center on esoteric interpretations of specific sounds and syllables and place those interpretations into Yogic as well as Saiva, Vaishnava, and Durga theistic contexts. Typical of these works are Tarasara, Kalisantarana, and Narayana Upansihad."

"O Best of Brâhmanas! ... She is Nârâyanî; She is Îs’ânî; She is the S’akti of all and She is the Presiding Deity of the intelligence of S’rî Krisna. From Her have come out many other Devîs; She is Mûla Prakriti and She is Îs’varî; no failings or insufficiencies are seen in Her. She is the Tejas (of the nature of Fire) and She is of the nature of the three Gunas. Her colour is bright like the molten gold; Her lustre looks as if ten millions of Suns have simultaneously arisen."

"Aum Sarva Mangala Maangalye Shive Sarvartha Saadhike Sharanye Trayambike Gauri [Durga] Narayani Namostute."

"Salutations to Devi Narayani, who is blessed with every felicity Filled with auspiciousness, able to accomplish everything, Who is the protectress, the three eyed Gauri."

"Varaha Purana is that in which the glory of the great Varaha is predominant, as it was revealed to Earth by Vishnu, in connection, wise Munis, with the ManAva Kalpa, and which contains twenty-four thousand verses...It is narrated by Vishnu as Muni or in the boar incarnation, to the personified Earth. Sumantu, a Muni observed :”The divine Varaha in former times expounded a Purana, for the purpose of solving the perplexity of Earth.”... Like the Linga Purana, it is a religious manual, almost wholly occupied with forms of prayer, and rules for devotional observances, addressed to Vishnu; interspersed with legendary illustrations, most of which are peculiar to itself; though some are taken from the common and ancient stock; many of them, rather incompatibly with the general scope of compilation, relate to the history of Shiva and Durga. A considerable portion of the work is devoted to descriptions. In the sectarianism of the Varaha Purana there is no leaning to the particular adoration of Krishna, nor are the Rathyatra or Janmshtami included amongst the observances enjoined."

"The tiger is associated with Shiva and Durga, but its cult is confined to the wilder tribes; in Nepal the tiger festival is known as Bagh Jatra, and the worshippers dance disguised as tigers. The Waralis worship Waghia the lord of tigers in the form of a shapeless stone. In Hanoi and Manchuria tiger-gods are also found."

"With great sorrow, touching her with my head (to honour her), I place this Durga, the dweller of the fort and destroyer of bad luck, into this pit, till the god Skanda turns their (Mlecchas) glory (Sun) to dust. When ill fate meets the Yavanas, she might re-appear, or manifest herself again amidst uproar. Until that time I am a fool like a drunkard. (However) let not fear enter you; the gods will quickly return (with victory) along with you."

"For centuries Durga's myth known as the Devi Mahatmya has been used to guide Her devotees through tumultuous life experiences. Durga’s myth, the Devi Mahatmya dates back to the fifth century CE. Today different episodes from the myth are recited on each day of Her autumn and spring festivals that take place around the equinoxes each year."

"Durga is Goddess invincible to patriarchal constructs and control. She is the amazon, the “no-husband” one” as defined by Vicki Noble, who may choose to have lovers or consorts but is not possessed by them. Nor does She lose herself and her desires to them. She is the virgin in the original sense: whole unto herself regardless of whether or not She chooses a lover. Durga and her entourages carry a vast legacy of empowered leaders, healers, and artists. They offer multiple models female existence."

"In order to understand the essence of Durga and all that She offers, we must understand the principles, practices and ideologies of the Tantric tradition."

"Durga stares them down, unfazed. They mistake Her composure for fear. Their egos swell and pride overcomes them as they get lost in visions of the grandeur that awaits them once they conquer this Goddess. However, they are forgetting who She is. As Mahamaya (Great Illusion), the all powerful Goddess outwits the demons by influencing their minds to think they can overcome the Divine. She immediately knows through her Omniscience, that these demons are clouded by ignorance. As they advance towards Her She lets out a sigh, which is the mantra Hum. Her earlier epithet Vac, Saraswati is the power of sound, a power which can create and destroy. As Her divine utterance reverberates across the cosmos, She points her finger at them and the demons are destroyed."

"The Sapta and Asta Matrkas (seven and eight Mother Goddesses) are aspects of the Great Goddess Durga and come to Her aid in the battle against the demons. They are feared and respected for their elemental natures and life-giving and death-wielding powers."

"Therefore, many village rituals, particularly during the Durga Puja, emulate this relationship between the nine lunar months of pregnancy and the nine-month agricultural and monsoonal cycles."

"Such important goddesses as Parvati, Durga, Kali, Radha, and Sita are unknown in early Vedic literature. Sri, though she appears in later Vedic literature, is not fully developed and does not occupy the central role that she does in the later tradition."

"One of the most impressive and formidable goddesses of the Hindu pantheon — and one of the most popular — is the goddess Durga. Her primary mythological function is to combat demons who threaten the stability of the cosmos. In this role she is depicted as great battle queen with many arms, each of which yields a weapon. She rides a fierce lion and is described as irresistible in battle. The demon she is most famous for defeating in Mahisha, the buffalo demon."

"Around the fourth century AD images of Durga slaying a buffalo begin to become common throughout India. By the medieval period (after the sixth century) Durga has become a well-known and popularly worshiped deity. Her mythological deeds come to be told in many texts, and descriptions of and injunctions to undertake her autumnal worship are common in several late Upanishads."

"Although Durga becomes an establishment goddess in medieval Hinduism, protecting the cosmos from the threat of demons and guarding dharma like a female version of Vishnu, her roots seem to be among the tribal and peasant cultures of India, which eventually leavened the male dominated Vedic pantheon with several goddesses associated with power, blood and battle."

"In the Devi-mahatmya Durga is also described as quaffing wine during battle in her fight with Mahisa and as laughing and glaring with reddened eyes under its influence. In the concluding scene of the Devi-mahatmya her devotees are instructed to propitiate her with offerings of their own flesh and blood."

"One of the most important festivals in North India is Durga Puja, which is celebrated in the autumn during the month of Asvin. The festival takes place over a period of nine days and is often called the Navaratra festival. The central image of the festival shows Durga slaying Mahisha."

"Although the worship of a goddess is not always part of Dasara celebrations, there are many indications in ritual and mythological texts that the annual (usually autumnal) worship of a warrior goddess, often specified to be Durga, was part of festivals associated with military success."

"Navaratra and Dasara, probably were often understood to be one continuous festival in which the worship of Durga and the hope of military success were inseparably linked. Although the military overtones of Durga Puja are apparent, other themes are also important during this great festival, and other facets of Durga’s character are brought out by the festival."

"Durga, then, in the form of the pot, is invoked both as the power promoting the growth of the agricultural grains and as the source of the power of life with which the gods achieved immortality. In the forms of the navapattrika and the ghata (pot) Durga reveals a dimension of herself that primarily has to do with the fertility of the crops and vegetation and with the power that underlies life in general. In addition to granting freedom from troubles and bestowing wealth on those who perform her puja, Durga is also affirmed to grant agricultural produce, and at one point in the festival she is addressed as she who appeases the hunger of the world."

"It is a typical ceremonial scenario [blood sacrifice] in many cultures, and it seems likely that at one time it was important in the celebration of Durga Puja."

"Promotion of the fertility of the crops by stimulating Durga's powers of fecundity also seems to underlie the practice of publicly making obscene gestures and comments during Durga Puja. Various scriptures say that Durga is pleased by such behavior at her autumnal festival"

"Kali, Tara, and sometimes Durga are the main forms of the goddess in this tradition [non-scriptural], and there are ten different forms of Kali that are worshiped (the ten Mahavidyas or great wisdom figures)."

"A composite form of the female energies emerged as Mata or w:DevIDevi....When she enetered the puranic pantheon the virgin Earth Mother become Durga and, changing with provenance and tribe, her names andanthropomorphic forms are legion."

"Worship may be on a small scale, with household altars and family ceremonies, or it may be on a larger community scale, with large shrines, jeweled statues, and sacred food piled high on silver trays, at festivals such as Durga Puja and Kali Puja."