Durga

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For other uses of "Durga", see Durga (disambiguation).
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Durga
Goddess of Victory of Good over Evil
Devanagari दुर्गा
Sanskrit Transliteration Durga
Affiliation Devi, Mother Goddess, Form of Parvati/Adi Shakti, Goddess Shakti, manifestation of Adi Parashakti
Abode Forest of Madamba Kadamba
Planet Mars
Mantra Om Durgaye Namaha / Om Aim Hreem Kleem Durga Devi Namaha
Weapon trident, discus,
Scimitar, lasso,
Conch shell, Mace, Bow and arrow, spear, sword (longsword), shield, bell, pink lotus flower, battle-axe, thunderbolt, elephant goad, lasso, snake, rod, spade, vajra, goblet, hammer weapon, iron weapon, weapon made out of thorns, javelin, dagger
Consort Shiva
Mount lion or tiger

Goddess Durga (Hindustani pronunciation: [ˈd̪uːrɡaː]; Sanskrit: दुर्गा), meaning "the inaccessible"[1] or "the invincible"; durga) is the most popular incarnation of Devi and one of the main forms of the Goddess Shakti in the Hindu pantheon.

Origins and evolution

Ramprasad Chanda writes the following about the evolution of Durga from primitive goddess to her current form.[2]

"...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 civilisation 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."

Story

Durga Mahishasuramardini, 9th-century Prambanan, Java
Durga Puja celebration during Navratri
Durga Slaying Mahishasura, Mahabalipuram

The myth of Durga runs as follows: The myth as to why Devi Parvati became Durga comes from the 7th book 28th chapter of the Srimad Devi Bhagavata Purana. It starts with king Janamejaya asking sage Vyasa as to why the auspicious wife of Shiva is called Durga. Thereafter Vyasa gives the following account. Unable to fight the turmoil created by the extremely powerful demon called Durgamasura (who becomes invincible due Brahma conferring him the boon of protection from the vedas themselves) the gods run to the Himalayas to propitiate the great goddess. Pleased with their prayers goddess Parvati appears in the form of goddess Shakhambari or the one with a thousand eyes. The exact verse is quoted hereby to avoid confusion as to who Durga is:

इति संप्रार्थिता देवी भुवनेशी महेश्वरी । अनंताक्षिमयं रूपं दर्शयामास पार्वती ॥३३॥ नीलाञ्जनसमप्रख्यं नीलपद्मायतेक्षणम् । सुकर्कशसमोत्तुङ्गवृत्तपीनघनस्तनम् ॥३४॥

iti saṃprārthitā devī bhuvaneśī maheśvarī | anaṃtākṣimayaṃ rūpaṃ darśayāmāsa pārvatī ||33|| nīlāñjanasamaprakhyaṃ nīlapadmāyatekṣaṇam | sukarkaśasamottuṅgavṛttapīnaghanastanam ||34||

Meaning: 33.1: Thus, when the Brahmins Prayed together to the Devi Bhuvaneshi Maheswari, ... 33.2: ... Devi Parvati Manifested Herself in a Divine Form shining with innumerable Eyes, 34.1: Her Color was distinct like the Dark-Blue Collyrium, and Her Eyes were wide like Blue Lotuses, 34.2: Her Breasts were High, Firm and Round.

Thus in this form of Shakambari,goddess Parvati fights with the demon Durgama and slays him and attains the name Durga. The exact word to word translation of this chapter can be found in http://www.greenmesg.org/mantras_slokas/devi_shakambari-shakambari_mahatmyam.php


Another version common in Bengal is the story of how the great goddess slayed the dreaded demon Mahishasura. While it is true the same goddess who slays Mahishasura takes birth as Parvati later in the HImalayas,Parvati herself gets the name Durga because of slaying Durgamasura and not Mahishasura.

Relationship with Kali

The Goddess Kali is a darker form of Adi Shakti, Parvati or Durga. They work together in battles, killing many demons and the demon kings, Shumbha and Nishumbha; for Raktabeej, Durga had to invoke the nine Matrikas from her.

Worship

Main article: Durga Puja
Durga Worship Mantra
A 51 seconds sample of Durga Puja Mantra recited in Sanskrit.
Problems playing this file? See media help.
Maa Durga
A traditional Durga idol at a pandal in Kolkata.

The four-day-long (Saptami to Dashami) Durga Puja is the biggest annual festival in Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and Nepal, where it is known as Dashain. It is celebrated likewise with much fervour in various 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 Vijayadashami (Bihar, Bengali), Dashain (Nepali) or Dussehra (Hindi) – these words literally mean "the Victory Tenth" (day).[3]

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).[4] Nine aspects of Durga known as Navadurga are meditated upon, one by one during the nine-day festival by devout Shakti worshippers. Durga Puja also includes the worship of Shiva, who is Durga's consort (Durga is an aspect of Goddess Parvati), in addition to Lakshmi, Saraswati with Ganesha and Kartikeya, who are considered to be Durga's children.[5] Worship of mother nature is done, through nine types of plant (called "Kala Bou"), including a plantain (banana) tree, which represent nine divine forms of Goddess Durga.[6] In South India especially, Andhra Pradesh Dussera Navaratri is also celebrated and the goddess is dressed each day as a different devi – Saraswati, Parvati, Lakshmi etc. – for the nine days.

In North India, the tenth day, is celebrated as Dussehra, the day Rama emerged victorious in his battle against the demon, Ravana – 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 Mysore (which originated from Mahishasooru) in Karnataka, she is worshipped as Chamundeshwari, the patron goddess of the city during Dussehra (Dasara).

In Gujarat it is celebrated as the last day of Navaratri, during which the Garba dance is performed to celebrate the victory of Mahishasura-mardini, Durga.

The Goddess Durga is worshipped in her peaceful form as Maha Gauri, The Fair Lady, Shree Shantadurga also known as Santeri, is the patron Goddess of Goa. She is worshipped by all Goan Hindus.

In Maharashtra, Tulja Bhavani and Ambabai are worshipped as Mahishasur Mardini, who is the patron goddess of the land. Bhavani is known as Tulaja, Amba, Renuka, Yamai Saptshrungi and Jogai in different places of Maharashtra. She is the inspirational goddess of Raja Shivaji. As per legends, Bhavani appeared after Shivaji prayed to her and blessed him to be able to make Hindustan or the then India (ruled by the Mughals) independent – the kingdom he established eventually became the Hindu Pad Padshahi (sometimes also called the Maratha Empire), which comprised all the land ruled by the Mughals and brought India back under Hindu sovereignty.

In Bangladesh also, the four-day long Sharadiya Durga Puja (Bengali: শারদীয়া দুর্গা পুজো, ‘autumnal Durga worship’) is the biggest religious festivals for the Hindus and celebrated across the country with Vijayadashami being a national holiday.

The prominence of Durga Puja increased gradually during the British Raj in Bengal.[7] After the Hindu reformists identified Durga with India, she became an icon for the Indian independence movement.[8]

Western references

Some early Western accounts refer to a deity known as Deumus, Demus or Deumo. Western (Portuguese) sailors first came face to face with the murti of Deumus at Calicut on the Malabar Coast and they concluded it to be the deity of Calicut. Deumus is sometimes interpreted as an aspect of Durga in Hindu mythology and sometimes as deva.

It is described that the ruler of Calicut (Zamorin) had a murti of Deumus in his temple inside his royal palace.[9][10] The temple was two paces wide in each of the four sides and three paces high, with a wooden door covered with gods carved in relief. At the centre of the temple, there was a metal idol of Deumus placed in a seat, which was also made of metal.

Western accounts also describe the ruler of Calicut worshiping an ultimate god called Tamerani ("Tamburan"). The accounts also describes a misunderstood form of the "hook-swinging" ritual once commonly performed as part of some popular Hindu religious festivals.

Notable temples of Durga

In India

Andhra Pradesh
Assam
Bihar
Delhi
Goa
  • Shanta Durga temple in Goa
Haryana
Himachal Pradesh
Jammu
Karnataka
Kerala

[11]

Maharashtra
Odisha
Rajasthan
Tamil Nadu
Tripura
West Bengal
  • Kanak Durga Temple, Chikligarh, Medinipur, West Bengal
  • Nava Durga Temple, Kolkata, West Bengal[12]
  • Tarakeswar, Hooghly District, West Bengal
  • Tarapith, Birbhum, West Bengal

Outside India

In her aspect of Kali

  • Durga sculpture, Orissa, British Museum[1]

  • Durga Hoysala sculpture

  • Bamakhepa, the tantric saint of Tarapith, Birbhum, West Bengal in the 19th century


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See also

References

  1. ↑ "Durga,". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 October 2009. 
  2. ↑ McDaniel, June (2004). Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls: Popular Goddess Worship in West Bengal. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-516791-0. Pp. 214.
  3. ↑ Esposito, John L.; Darrell J. Fasching, Todd Vernon Lewis (2007). Religion & globalization: world religions in historical perspective. Oxford University Press. p. 341. ISBN 0-19-517695-2. 
  4. ↑ Parmita Borah (2 October 2011). "Durga Puja – a Celebration of Female Supremacy". EF News International. Retrieved 26 October 2011. 
  5. ↑ Kinsley, David (1988). Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-06339-2. p. 95.
  6. ↑ "Kolabou". Bangalinet.com. Retrieved 2013-06-25. 
  7. ↑ "Article on Durga Puja". 
  8. ↑ "Article on Durga Puja". Retrieved 1 October 2011. 
  9. ↑ Jörg Breu d. Ä. zugeschrieben, Idol von Calicut, in: Ludovico de Varthema, 'Die Ritterlich und lobwürdig Reisz', Strassburg 1516. (Bild: Völkerkundemuseum der Universität Zürich
  10. ↑ A briefe collection and compendious extract of straunge and memorable thinges, gathered out of the Cosmographye of Sebastian Munster, wherein is made a plaine description of diuers and straunge lawes, rites, maners and properties of sondrye nations, and a short report of straunge histories of diuers men, and of the nature and properties of certaine fovvles, fishes, beastes, monsters, and sondry countryes and places, published in London in 1574 by Tomas Marshe
  11. ↑ http://www.durgadevitemplevengoor.com/contact_us.php
  12. ↑ http://wikimapia.org/811725/NAVA-DURGA-MANDIR

Further reading

External links

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