Hindu Society of North Carolina

Author(s): Hindu Society of North Carolina
Publisher: Hindu Society of North Carolina

Page 39

37 Page
Himalayan Mountains, who worshipped the mother with utmost devotion.
GODDESS DURGA DEVI दुर्गा देवी
सर्व मङ्गल माङ्गल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थ साधिके । शरण्ये त्र्यम्बके गौरि । नारायणि नमोऽस्तुते ।।
Goddess Durga devi is described in the scriptures as old as Rig-Veda, Yajur-Veda, and Taittiriya Upanishad as "DURGA", the divine protectress of all living creatures against the peril of evil and destructive forces, and the defender of the heavens against the onslaught of demons. She is also worshipped as "Mahakali, Chandi, Gouri" and by a thousand other names.
One of the ancient narrative literature entitled "Markandeya Purana" narrates the glory of the goddess in her spectacular victory in heaven-shaking battles against the inveterate demons. The most widely worshipped form is " Mahishasura Mardhini", the destroyer of the demon who took the disguise of a buffalo. In this form, Durga Devi was worshipped by the heroes of two great Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, In Ramayan, Lord Rama worshipped Durga Devi to seek the power for his conquest of Lanka from the Demon king Ravana who had kidnapped his wife Sita. In Mahabharat, Lord Krishna advised the eldest of the Pandava brothers, Yudhishthir, to invoke the blessings of Durga Devi, at the start of the battle of Kurukshetra. Thus, we can see that in both epics, the victory of "truth" over "evil" is indirectly attributed to the blessings of Durga Devi. In our times, the great celebrations of "Dussera" in the month of October, accompanied by worship of Durga Devi, is the reenactment of Lord Rama's worship and victory with the goddess's blessings.
Mother "Shakti" also worshipped as "Kali", the Dark Form, symbolizes the eternal force holding the past, the resent and the future or "Maha Kal" together. Goddess Durga is also worshipped regularly in various forms and callings, such as "Jagat-dhatri", the deliveress of the world, as the goddess with four arms, sitting on a lion; "Annapurna", the munificent goddess, or Lord Shiva's consort, "Parvati" the daughter of the Himalayas, "Chandi" or "Chamunda Devi", also called "Chhinnamasta" in Haryana, and known as "Kamakhya Devi" in Assam.
The inherent "power" of the Trinity is the primeaval feminine power "Adya-Shakti" (Cosmic energy) or "Bhavani" mother soul of the universe). The great sages variously explained this relationship as the inseparable properties or ideas, like water and its fluidity, like mild and its whiteness, like gems and their glow like the oceans and its waves. This inseparable identity of the goddess Shakti with the Parama-Brahman is implied in her being called "Chandi" or "Chamunda-Devi" (which in Sanskrit means Chit Shakti, or the power of the supreme soul beyond the bounds of time and space). She is also worshipped as "Narayanee", the intrinsic power of "Narayan" or Lord Vishnu. Calling Shakti as "Katyayani" reminisces her appearance in the hermitage of the very ancient sage name Katyayan in the
December 2006
सर्वस्वरूपे सर्वेशे सर्वशक्तिसमन्विते । भयेयसाहि नो देवि दुर्गे देवि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
HINDU SOCIETY OF NORTH CAROLINA CELEBERATION AND APPRICIATION (1976-2006)