During these Nine Nights (Navaraatri), nine different incarnations of goddess Durga are adored. These nine diverse forms of goddess Durga embody all her powers. They fulfill all the desires of the devotees and enable them to enjoy honour and reverence here in this world and salvation hereafter in the other world.
The Nine Manifestations of goddess Durga are as follows:
- Shailputri
- Brahmachaarini
- Chandraghantaa
- Kushmaandaa
- Skandmaataa
- Kaatyaayani
- Kaalaraatri
- Mahagauri
- Siddhidaatri
NavaDurga Life Phases Parvati, the Supreme Goddess of Power known as sagun form of Devi Adi-Parashakti primarily gives the concept of Nav-Durga Devi. In Reality Nav Durga are the life phases of Maa Parvati.
- In beginning When Lord Rudra worshiped Maa Adi-parashakti for creation, Lord Rudra cleared different levels of Shakti and Maa Shakti appeared in 'Saguna' form from the left half of Lord Shiva. The Goddess was Siddhidatri.
- Then Goddess started living inside center of Sun so that Sun liberates energy by the grace of Goddess, the Goddess is known as Goddess Kushmanda.
- The same Goddess then took birth in home daksha, Goddess was a great sati and her unmarried form is known as Goddess Brahmacharini.
- After the self immolation of Maa Sati she appeared as daughter of Lord Himalya, the Goddess is then recoganized as Goddess Shailputri.
- At the age of 16 Goddess Durga was extremely beautiful and very fair complexion and known as Goddess Mahagauri.
- When Devi gets married with Lord Shiva, as Lord Shiva, Devi also liked to wear half chandra on her forehead, and recoganized as Goddess Chandraghanta.
- When Devi became the mother of Lord Skanda or Lord Kartikeya, Devi was then known with name Goddess Skandmata.
- Then Devi took the form of Goddess Katyani to destroy Demon Mahishasura.
- Goddess Gauri or Goddess Parvati removed Devi's outer golden skin to fight against demons Shumbha-Nishumbha, Devi became very dark Goddess's this form is called Goddess Kaalratri.
- Mother Shailputri (The Daughter of Mountain)
Among the Nine Durgas, Mother Shailputri is considered to be the first manifestation of goddess Durga. She carries the trident and the lotus in her hands. Her vehicle is the Bullock.The narrative regarding her birth has been described in the Scriptures as follows:
Mother Shailputri in her previous birth was born as a daughter to Patriach Daksha. She was named 'Sati'. She had been deeply devoted to Lord Shiva since her childhood. When she grew into a maiden, she propitiated Lord Shiva by her penance and devotion and desired to beget him as her consort. Lord Shiva bestowed the desired boon on her and accepter her as his consort.
Once Patriarch Daksha organized a great sacrifice in which all the gods including Brahma, Vishnu, Indra and saints and sages were invited but Lord Shiva was excluded. When Goddess Sati came to know of it, she could not tolerate the disgrace of Lord Shiva. She felt extremely agitated. So, she decided to pay a visit to her father.
Getting angry Sati spoke to Lord Shiva, "O Dear Lord! My father Patriarch Daksha is performing a grand sacrifice. All the gods, saints, seers and sages have been invited to participate in this sacrifice, but he has disgraced you openly by not inviting you. I can never bear your insult. So, you kindly let me go to my father to speak out my mind to him."
Seeing the infuriated Sati, Lord Shiva said to her, "O Goddess! It does not behove you to lose your temper over such a trifle. Patriarch Daksha is the performer of this great sacrifice. It is his sweet will to invite or ignore any one. You must not poke your nose into his affairs. Such trivial steps may cause bitterness in relations."
Sati's anger did not subside even after such a sermon given to her by Lord Shiva. Seeing her great obduracy, Lord Shiva ultimately granted her the permission to see her father.
When Goddess Sati reached the site of the sacrifice, she heard everybody denouncing Lord Shiva. Even Patriarch Daksha, her father, surrounded by his servants was busy with the denunciation of Lord Shiva. All her sisters were mocking at Sati. Such a hostile situation fanned the fire of her fury all the more. She failed to endure such a horrible disgrace of her Lord and consigned herself to the sacrificial flames. When Lord Shiva heard of Sati's self-immolation, he sent his attendants to destroy the sacrifice.
Sati in her next birth was born as a daughter to Himalaya, the Lord of Mountains. She was named Parvati. Since she was born as a daughter to the mountain-king Himalaya, she is also known as Shailputri. She propitiated Lord Shiva by her severe penance and begot him has her husband. Among the Nine Durgas, the importance and powers of Mother Shailputri are unlimited. On the first day of auspicious Navaraatri, she alone is adored and worshipped.
Mother Brahmchaarini
The second manifestation of 'Nine Durgas' is Mother Brahmchaarini. She is clad in white and carries the rosary in one hand and the kamandalu in the other. The narrative regarding her birth has been described in the Scriptures and Puraanas as follows:Having immolated herself in the sacrificial fire, Sati was born of Maina as a daughter to the Mountain-King Himalaya. Keeping in view her auspicious traits, she was given the name of 'Parvati'. When she had grown up into a beautiful maiden, the celestial sage Narada while roaming about happened to reach the court of king Himalaya.
Sage Narade was warmly welcomed by the Lord of mountains. Thereafter Himalaya and Maina prayed to Sage Narada to predict the future of Parvati by reading her palms. Sage Narada agreed to their request. So, Parvati was brought to the court in no time.
Seeing Goddess Parvati, Sage Narada stood up and bowed to her with great reverence. The mountain-king Himalaya and queen Maina were amazed at such an unusual behavior of Sage Narada.
They were curious to know the cause of this unique behavior from Sage Narada. Thereupon he spoke with a smile, "O Lord of Mountains! This daughter of yours in her previous birth was Sati, the daughter of Patriarch Daksha and the consort of Lord Shiva. She had cast off her body in the sacrificial fire as Daksha hurled disgrace on Lord Shiva. Now she is born again as your daughter Parvati. That is why I bowed to her. By virtue of her merits, she shall again beget Lord Shiva as her husband."
Having listened to the prediction of Sage Narade, Goddess Parvati inquired of him how to beget Lord Shiva as her consort. Thereupon Sage Narade advised her to perform an austere penance.
Acting upon the advice of Sage Narada, Goddess Parvati renounced all the pleasures of the palace and started performing penance to beget Lord Shiva as her husband.
She spent the first thousand years of her penance by living on fruit and roots. Thereafter she lived on leaves for another three thousand years of her penance. Then she lived on water and then air alone braving heat and cold, rain and storms and all kinds of sufferings.
Goddess Parvati meditated on Lord Shiva for thousands of years. The austere penance performed by her reduced her to a mere skeleton. A great hue and cry prevailed in the three worlds because of her severe penance. All the Gods including Indra and Saints and Sage were terrified by her penance. They approached Brahma in a body and prayed to him to bestow the desired boon on Parvati.
At last Brahma, the Great Grandfather, appeared before Parvati and said to her, "O Goddess! All the Gods bow to you in deep reverence. Such an austere penance can be performed only by you. Your cherished desire shall soon be fulfilled. You shall beget Lord Shiva as your consort. By virtue of this austere penance you shall be known as "Brahmchaarini" – a woman of celibacy. Thereafter Brahma restored her physical charm and grace.
Thus Goddess Parvati begot Lord Shiva as her husband by virtue of her penance. She earned the reputation of being a Brahmchaarini.
The worship of Mother Brahmchaarini is conducive to penance, renunciation, virtue and nobility. Her devotees are endowed with peace and prosperity. On the second of the Navaraatri, Mother Brahmchaarini is adored and worshipped.
Mother Chandraghanta
On the third day of the Navaraatri, the Third Power (Shakti) that emerged out of the person of Goddess Durga is worshipped. Her forehead is bedecked with the crescent moon resembling the shape of a ghantaa. That is why she is called Mother 'Chandraghantaa' by devotees.By her grace all the sins, distresses, physical sufferings, mental tribulations and ghostly hurdles of the devotees are eradicated. Riding on the lion the Mother inspires her devotees with fearlessness. She is the very embodiment of serenity. The devotees who adore and worship her with their deeds, minds and speech develop an aura of divine splendor. Their persons emit out invisible power-waves which exercise a great impact on those who come in contact with them. They easily achieve success in every walk of life. Mother Chandraghantaa is ever ready to destroy the wicked, but to her devotees she is ever visible as the kind and compassionate Mother showering peace and prosperity.
The complexion possessed by Mother Chandraghantaa is golden. She possesses ten arms which wield weapons and missiles like the sword, the bow, the mace, the arrows and the like. During the battle between the gods and the demons, the horrible sound produced by her ghantaa had sent thousands of wicked demons to the abode of the Death-god. She is ever in a warring posture which shows her eagerness to destroy the foes of her devotees so that her devotees may ever live in peace and prosperity. Divine vision is acquired by her grace. If a devotee happens to enjoy divine fragrance and hears diverse sounds, he is said to be blessed by the Mother.
Mother Chandraghantaa should be adores and worshipped with great purity in mind and heart observing all the rites properly. Having acquired her grace, we get rid of all worldly turmoil and enjoy Supreme bliss. Devotees should always have her gentle form in their minds while meditating on her.
Mother Kushmaandaa
The fourth manifestation of Goddess Durga is called Mother Kushmaandaa. She is adored and worshipped on the fourth day of the Navaraatri. She dwells in the abode of the Sun God. That is why her hue and spendour is as brilliant as the sun itself. It is her spendour that pervades in every creature of this universe. All the ten quarters are illuminated by her divine refulgence.When this universe was non-existent and darkness prevailed everywhere, it was Mother Kushmaandaa who produced the Cosmic Egg with her mild smile. That is why she is called Mother Kushmaandaa as she created the universe by a mere mild smile of hers.
At the time of the creation of the universe, it was none but Mother Kushmaandaa who infused her own refulgence into the sun and the stars. Since then each and every object and creature in this universe has been getting its energy from her.
As she possesses eight arms, she is called the eight-armed Mother. She wields the kamandalu, the bow, the arrow, the lotus, the pot of nectar, the disc, the mace and the rosary bestowing all Perfections and Treasures in her holy hands. Her vehicle is the lion. Mother Kushmaandaa confers all achievements, powers, pelf and salvation on her devotees. Her true devotion is instrumental in destroying all ailments, troubles and hurdles of devotees.
Mother Kushmaandaa is the bestower of all pleasures. She gets please with service and devotion and fulfills all desires. Her regular worship is conducive to prosperity, pleasures, power and finally salvation. Her adoration and worship delivers a person from all kinds of ailments and leads him on to the path of prosperity and pleasures. So, a devotee should adore and worship her with a purified mind and intellect.
Mother of Skanda (Skandamaataa)
Skandamaataa is the fifth manifestion of Goddess Durga. She is worshipped on the fifth day of the Navaraatri. Her son Karttikeya is also called Skanda. So, she is called Skandamaataa or the Mother of Skanda.Lord Skanda can be seen in her lap. She possesses four arms out of which two hold the lotus flowers. One of her hands is always in the boon-conferring gesture and with the other she holds her son Skanda in her lap. Her complexion is white and she is seated on the lotus. So, she is also called the Goddess with a lotus-seat. The Lion also is her vehicle.
Skandamaataa who possesses the brilliance of the sun fulfills all the desires of her devotees. He who is selflessly devoted to her attains all the achievements and treasures of life.
The worship of Skandamaataa purifies the heart of a devotee. While worshipping her devotee should have absolute control over his senses and mind. He should free himself from worldly bondage and worship her with a single-pointed devotion. Her worship is twice blessed. When the devotee worships her, Lord Skanda, her son in her lap, is automatically worshipped. Thus the devotee happens to enjoy the grace of Skandamaataa along with the grace of Lord Skanda.
If devotee worships her devoid of selfishness, the Mother blesses them with power and pelf. The devotees who worship Skandamaataa shine with divine splendor. Her worship is ultimately conducive to salvation.
Mother Kaatyaayani
Mother Kaatyaayani is worshipped as the sixth manifestation of Goddess Durga. She is adored on the sixth day of the Navaraatri. The narrative regarding her birth has been described in the Scriptures as follows:The world-renowned sage Kaatyaayana was born in the dynasty of sage Kaatya. He was an excellent devotee of Goddess Durga. He performed an austere penance for many years to propitiate her. Being delighted by his devotion, Goddess Durga appeared before him and asked him to demand the desired boon. Thereupon the great Sage Kaatyaayana demanded that she should be born as a daughter to him. Goddess Durga granted his wish.
When the atrocities committed by Mashisha, the wicked demon, became intolerable on the Earth, Goddess Durga's sixth manifestation appeared as a daughter to sage Kaatyaayana. She came to be known as 'Kaatyaayani' as she was the daughter of Sage Kaatyaayana.
As soon as Mother Kaatyaayani was born, she assumed a huge and massive form. Seeing her Universal Form, sage Kaatyaayana bowed to her with great reverence and adored and worshipped her for three days from the Bright seventh to ninth. Having accepted the adoration and worship of the sage, Mother Kaatyaayani assassinated demon Mashisha.
Another version in the Puraanas is that the sixth incarnation of Goddess Durga was due to the combined splendor emanating from the persons of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha. Since sage Kaatyaayana was the first to worship her, she came to be called 'Kaatyaayani'.
Mother Kaatyaayani can give everything to her devotees. The gopis of Braja too worshipped her on the banks of the Yamuna in order to beget Lord Krishna as their husband. The four-armed Mother Kaatyaayani rides the Lion. She is easily propitiated by devotion and destroys all sins of her devotees. Her worship is conducive to Dharma, wealth, pleasures and salvation.
Mother Kaalaraatri
The seventh manifestation of Goddess Durga is Kaalaraatri (Night of Death). She is worshipped on the seventh day of the Navaraatri. Her person like the dense darkness is absolutely black. She possesses three eyes in her forehead which are as round as the universe itself.The hair on her head is very dense but disheveled. She is bedecked with a glorious garland round her neck which emits great refulgence. She breathes out horrible and terrible flames of fire. Although her person is absolutely black yet refulgent rays keep on emanating from it.
Her vehicle is the Donkey. She is the four-armed Goddess. She wields the sword and a pointed weapon in her two hands while her other two hands can be seen in the boon-conferring gesture and the gesture of fearlessness.
Although the outward form of Mother Kaalaraatri is extremely frightening yet she always bestows boons on her devotees. So, she is also called Shubhankari as she always brings about the welfare of her devotees. All sins are washed off by her adoration and worship. Devotees deserve all kinds of merits by having her vision. Those who adore and worship her selflessly are relieved of all distresses and turmoil. They enjoy prosperity and pleasures.
Mother Kaalaraatri is the destroyer of demons, ghosts, goblins and evil-minded persons. All planetary hurdles are removed if a devotee chants her name with devotion. She confers the state of fearlessness on her devotees. A devotee should worship her with a purified mind and intellect in order to derive full merit by his devotion.
Mother Mahagauri
Goddess Parvati made up her mind to perform an austere penance as advised by Sage Narada so that she might beget Lord Shiva as her husband. So, she renounced all the comforts of the palace and started performing penance in the forest.Her severe penance continued for many years. She braved heat and cold, rains and drought and terrible storms. Her body was covered with dust, earth, soil and leaves of trees. She had developed a blackish skin over her body. At last, Lord Shiva appeared before her and gave his solemn word that he would marry her. He bathed her vigourously by the holy waters of the Ganga emanating from his matted hair.
The holy and sacred waters of Ganga washed off all the dirt clinging to Parvati's person with the result she became white-complexioned and glorious. Thus by virtue of having acquired a white complexion, Parvati came to be known as Mahagauri (Extremely Fair).
Mother Mahagauri is worshipped on the eighth day of the Navaraatri. She is the four-armed Goddess. Her vehicle is the Bullock. This manifestation of hers is very placid and serene. All the sins of the devotees are burnt to ashes by her adoration and worship. She possesses invincible powers and bestows merits on her devotees. She destroys all the distresses of her devotees and blesses them with all kinds of merits and virtues.
Mother Mahagauri's medidation, her adoration, her worship, and her devotion are conducive to the welfare of devotees. He who concentrates his mind on her enjoys her blessings. He who enjoys her grace achieves perfection in every walk of life. Mother Mahagauri fulfils all the desires of her devotees. She enables them to enjoy prosperity and pleasures here in this world and salvation hereafter.
Mother Siddhidaatri (Bestower of Perfection)
On the ninth and final day of the Navaraatri Mother Siddhidaatri (the perfection-giving Mother) is worshipped. She is the mistress of all achievements and perfections. The narrative regarding her emergence runs as follows:When the Universal Mother was gripped with the idea of projecting Creation, She, first of all, created Lord Shiva who prayed to Her to endow him with perfections. For this purpose, the Universal Mother (Durgaa) produced Goddess Siddhedaatri from Her own person. As the behest of the Universal Mother, Goddess Siddidaatri bestowed eighteen kinds of rare perfections and powers and potentialities on Lord Shiva. By virtue of these siddhies, Lord Shiva happened to develop a divine splendor.
Having acquired the siddhies from Goddess Siddhidaatri, Lord Shiva created Lord Vishnu who in turn created Lord Brahma who was entrusted with the task of the Creation whereas Lord Vishnu got the task of Protection and Lord Shiva that of Destruction.
Lord Brahma felt a great difficulty in his task of the Creation in the absence of man and woman. Thereupon he remembered Mother Siddhidaatri. When she appeared before him, Lord Brahma said to her, "Oh Great Mother! I cannot carry on with the task of the Creation in the absence of man and woman. You kindly solve this problem of mine through your supernatural attainments (siddhies)."
Having heard Lord Brahma, Mother Siddidaatri converted half the person of Lord Shiva into a woman. Thus Lord Shiva became half-male and half-female and came to be known as Ardhanaarishwara. Thus the problem of Lord Brahma was resolved and the task of the Creation went on smoothly.
The vehicle of Mother Siddhidaatri is the Lion. She is seated on the lotus also. Devotees get all their desires fulfilled by her adoration. She bestows supernatural attainments on her devotees.
According to the Puraanas, Mother Siddhidaatri confers eighteen kinds of supernatural attainments (siddhies) : Anima, Laghima, Praapti, Praakaamya, Mahimaa, Ishitva (Vaashitva), Sarvakaamaavasaayitaa, Sarvagyatva, Doorshravana, Parkaayapraveshana, Vaaksiddhi, Kalpavrikshtva, Srishti, Sanhaarkaranasaamarthya, Amaratva, Sarvanyaayakatva, Bhaavanaa, and Siddhi.
Mother Siddhidaatri possesses four arms. She carries the mace, the lotus, the conch-shell and the disc in her four hands. He who acquires her grace attains salvation after enjoying the pleasures of life. She fulfils all the mundane and divine aspirations of her devotees. Her worship destroys all distresses
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