Durga, the Radiant Goddess

hindu deity Durga is considered to be the mother of all existence and is also said to be the driving force behind creation, preservation and destruction. Her name originates from the Sanskrit word for 'the inaccessible' or the Bengali word for 'the invincible' and she is always referred to with the prefix of 'Maa' or mother. She is the embodiment of the feminine forces, both creative and destructive. She has multiple aspects of her being each of which represents a different quality. The inherent attributes of Durga are fearlessness and patience. She is also sometimes depicted as the mother of Ganesha, Kartik, Swaraswati and Lakshmi.

Durga being the warrior aspect of the Divine mother and thus she was created to fight the evil forces of a demon named Mahishashura. Mahishashura was terrorizing the heavens, the Earth and also the nether worlds. He had been blessed by Brahma and thus could not be defeated by a man. In their desperation they approached the gods Vishnu and Shiva who then formed Durga, a female warrior out of the energy that they radiated in their anger.

After she had manifested herself she went down to meet Mahishasura on the battlefield. Upon encountering her for the first time Mahishasura underestimated her thinking that it was impossible for a woman to defeat him. After battling him for ten days and in his various mortal forms, the goddess finally beheaded him. Thus victory over the forces of evil and darkness was achieved. It is said that the dexterous goddess built an army to aid in her fight against the forces of the demon. When the battle had been won, she rewarded them for their services by bestowing the knowledge of gold crafting and ornament making upon them.

She is usually depicted as having ten arms, each wielding a different weapon. One hand is used to hold a lotus which symbolizes the source of creation. She is seen riding a tiger or a lion which is her vahana and also a symbol of courage. She is also known to manifest herself in different forms, each with their own divine attribute. Kali, the goddess of violence and destruction and a consort of Shiva is one of her aspects.

Durga puja forms one of the biggest festivals of the eastern states of the country and is prominently celebrated in Bengal, Orissa, Assam and Bihar. In Nepal it is known as Dashain. It is a 10 day long festival out of which 5 days are celebrated with unbridled festivity. The final day or the day of victory on which Durga prevailed over Mahishasura is known as Vijayadashami and Dussehra.

To know more about Hanuman chalisa and read about Hindu Gods like Shiva, visit Prabhubhakti.

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