About Durga Maa
Goddess Durga
Goddess Durga also known as Devi Shakti is one of the female energies of the Supreme Absolute. The word Durga literally means invincible, the unconquerable force.
Maa Durga is the true embodiment of protection, strength, motherhood, devastation, and conflicts.
To her devotees she’s the one who provides protection to them, power and ability to overcome the challenges of life, provides the love and nurturing like a mother, saves them from the negative forces or evil, both external and internal to one’s self.
According to the Shiva Purana, Goddess Durga was created for slaying the evil demon Mahishasura by combining the powers of the Trimurti – Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer. She arose as a spirit from the holy water of river Ganges and then took the bodily form of Goddess Durga. Her body parts were created by different gods thus giving her the collective energy of all of them. She is seen as riding a lion with 10 arms, each holding a different weapon.
Maa Durga fought ferociously with the buffalo demon Mahishasura for straight 9 days and took 9 different forms of power (NavDurga) to kill him.
Weapons of Goddess Durga and their significance
Goddess Durga is seen holding 10 different weapons in her 10 hands. Each of these divine weapons is gifted to her by different Gods and Demigods and symbolizes something very meaningful:
Weapon of Goddess Durga | Given by |
Trishul (Trident) | Shiva |
Sudarshan Chakra | Vishnu |
Vajra (Thunderbolt) | Indra |
Bow and Arrow | Vayu |
Shankh (Conch) | Varuna |
Lotus | Brahma |
Khitaka / Parashu (Axe) | Vishwakarma |
Bharji (Spear) | Agni |
Khadga (Sword) | Ganesha |
Snake | Shiva |
- Trishul (Trident):
According to Vedas, the Trident of Shiva is considered to be one of the most powerful weapons. The meaning of Trident is very complex and has been interpreted in many different ways.
The three points of the Trishul represent the three Gunas of humankind i.e. tamas, rajas and sattva, or aspects of reality, and also symbolize the three Goddesses. It is often said that the three points of the Trishul represent the three powers of Shiva: Iccha shakti (willpower), jnana shakti (knowledge), and kriya shakti (action). - Sudarshan Chakra:
This is a divine weapon of Lord Vishnu which looks like a disc with sharp spikes on its edges. The word Sudarshan is made up of 2 Sanskrit words – Su meaning good and Darshan meaning vision. It teaches mankind to have a good perspective in life and keep progressing on the path of righteousness. - Vajra (Thunderbolt):
Indra’s weapon which represents firmness of spirit and power. It signifies that with strong spirit and determination one can become more resilient to the challenges of life and come out even stronger than ever before. - Bow and Arrow:
This weapon signifies that humans should have patience, precision and concentration. They should have clear goals in life and should keep working with full focus to achieve the same in life. - Shankh (Conch):
It is a symbol of purity and auspiciousness. When blown, the sound produced from Shankh is associated with the sound of ‘OM’ or ‘AUM’ which is believed to be the first sound of creation. It marks the beginning of any good work and removes all the negativity around us. - Lotus:
Lotus is a symbol of beauty, prosperity and fertility comes from Brahma. According to Hinduism, every human imbibes the spirit of a lotus which is pure, divine and youthful. If we channel our inner energy in the right direction, we have the potential to attain wisdom and finally find liberation. - Khitaka / Parashu (Axe):
The weapon of Lord Vishwakarma that teaches humans to be fearless and brave. It symbolizes the courage with which one should face the circumstances or fight against injustices without having any fear of the consequences. - Bharji (Spear):
The weapon of God of Fire (Agni dev) signifies the inner strength of humans to overcome all obstacles in life. It’s the symbol of bravery and fearlessness. The burning spear head signifies that Maa Durga is the utmost source of energy. - Khadga (Sword):
The sword symbolizes both strength and wisdom. The humans should destroy their ignorance and know their real purpose in life. They should shine with knowledge that is free from all illusions. - Snake:
Given by Lord Shiva, this snake represents the human consciousness. Like a snake which wiggles slowly, the human mind should slowly move upwards from the lower state of consciousness to the higher state of existence. The purpose is to realize our true self and our relationship with the Supreme power and have an eternally blissful life.
An Epic Battle & Mahishasura’s Vadh- famous story of Maa Durga
The depictions of this epic battle can be found in the carvings on the panels of a cave temple, Mahishasuramardini mandapa in the town of Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu, India.
The word Mahishasura is a made of two Sanskrit word, ‘Mahisha’ meaning buffalo and ‘Sura’ meaning demon. He was a buffalo demon born as a union of Rambha and she buffalo (Mahishi). He was a mighty demon who become all the more powerful after receiving a boon from Brahma dev. Per the boon, Mahishasura could be killed only a woman.
To put an end Mahishasura’s terror, Maa Durga was born. The powers of all the three Gods – Shiva, Vishnu and Bramha along with powers of some other lesser-known gods was combined and Maa Durga was created. She arose as a spirit from the banks of river Ganga and took the bodily form. She rode a lion with 10 arms, each holding a different weapon given to her by all different gods.
Maa Durga fought Mahishasura over a period of 9 days during which he kept assuming different forms. He took the form of a buffalo, a lion, a man carrying a sword and an elephant to mislead her. Finally, when he transformed into a buffalo, Goddess Durga stabbed him with her trident and that was the end of him. This is how Maa Durga got her yet another name, Mahishasura Mardini – the one who slayed the demon Mahishasura.
We at Durga Shakti portal and all Durga devotees wish you success at your journey to connect with Ma Durga and get her blessings.
Jai Durga! Jai Shakti!
Your fellow devotees at DurgaShakti.org
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