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Weight loss: 6 easy tips to make your workouts more effective. Om usually begins and ends Hindu prayers. Dum is the seed mantra sound of Mata Ji Durga. Nahama means in your essence, we bow to you; in your presence, only you are recognized.
This mantra invokes her name and her compassion to protect against all manner of harm. Dancing is also a huge part of Navratri celebrations. Sri Prem Baba, a master teacher in the Sachcha spiritual lineage of northern India explains that this special attention is called during this celebration. It is a time to be with your own self, dedicating yourself to the practice of japa, the repetition of mantras.
During this period, transformation is intensified, since the layers of the lower self are focused on and brought to the surface with the objective of purifying your actions, your tongue, your mind and your heart.
During this period, devotees will fast. They avoid abusing or binge eating because it is believed that a lot of energy passes through the body and if they ear in excess, they tend to suffer and feel bad. This is a time when the body is nourished in a frugal manner with fruits and vegetables.
According to tradition, non-vegetarian food, alcohol, all grains including rice, quinoa, wheat, barley, oats, bread, cereals, flax seeds , spices and salt are avoided. It is without a doubt that Navratri is one of the most important celebrations in Hindu religion. The Divine Mother is beyond all material attributes. She is omniscient and eternal and her nature is pure consciousness. This supreme consciousness or the absolute soul is infinite, birthless, deathless, beyond time and space, and beyond the law of causation.
Goddess Durga is the inherent dynamic energy through which this supreme consciousness manifests itself. Goddess Durga represents the power of the Supreme Being that preserves moral order and righteousness in the universe.
She is the energy aspect of the Lord. Lord Shiva is only the silent witness. He is motionless, absolutely changeless. He is not affected by the cosmic play. Shiva has no direct connection with the tangible elements in the universe and is obliged to emanate a manifestation, an emission of energy, shakti, through the goddess. It is Durga who is the doer of all actions.
Shiva and Durga are regarded as the twofold personalization of Brahman, the primeval substance. The Sanskrit word Durga means a fort, or a place that is protected and thus difficult to reach. Durga, also called Divine Mother, protects mankind from evil and misery by destroying evil forces such as selfishness, jealousy, prejudice, hatred, anger, and ego.
The projection of the stronger and fiercer side of womanhood is but obvious in the tales surrounding goddess Durga. According to certain mythological tales, Durga is thought to be the skin of Parvati, which slips off and fights the demon brothers - Shumbha and Nishumbha. Sometimes Durga is supposed to have created helpers to fight for her, Kali being the most famous. In other versions she is supposed to have created the Saptamatrikas, the Seven Mothers, who were originally Yaksha gods.
The absence of any male influence as well as of any male assistance, in Durga's fierce battles with male demons, is worth noting. The most interesting facet of the tales of her origin is not that she is presented as Shakti - the divine power - but rather, that she assumes the powers of the male gods to save the universe.
Hindu mythology tells an interesting tale of the fierce battle of Durga with Mahishasura, a demon who earned the favour of Lord Shiva after long and hard penance. Lord Shiva, pleased with the devotion of the demon, blessed him with a boon that no man or deity would be able to kill him. Empowered with the boon, Mahishasura started his reign of terror over the Universe and people were killed mercilessly.
He even attacked the abode of the gods. The war between gods and demons lasted a hundred years, in which Mahishasura was the leader of the Asuras or demons and Indra was the chief of the gods.
In this contest the army of the gods was defeated by the more powerful demons. When Mahishasura conquered the gods, he became their leader. Having heard of the misdeeds of the demons, pure energy blazed forth from Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - the trinity forming the pure energy of Godhood. As the gods witnessed this fiery crest of energy pervading all the directions and blazing forth like a mountain peak aflame with the sun , this matchless energy that sprang from the bodies of all the gods, its light illuminating the three worlds, became concentrated in one spot and took form of the Goddess.
Her face was from the light of Shiva. Her ten arms were from Lord Vishnu. Her feet were from Lord Brahma. The tresses were formed from the light of Yama god of death and the two breasts were formed from the light of Somanath Moon God , the waist from the light of Indra the king of gods , the legs and thighs from the light of Varun god of oceans , and hips from the light of Bhoodev Earth , the toes from the light of Surya Sun God , fingers of the hand from the light of the Vasus the children of Goddess river Ganga and nose from the light of Kuber the keeper of wealth for the Gods.
The teeth were formed from the light of Prajapati the lord of creatures , the Triad of her eyes was born from the light of Agni Fire God , the eyebrows from the two Sandhyas sunrise and sunset , the ears from the light of Vayu god of Wind.
Thus from the energy of these gods, as well as from many other gods, was formed the goddess Durga. The gods then gifted the goddess with their weapons and other divine objects to help her in her battle with the demon, Mahishasura.
Lord Shiva gave her a trident while Lord Vishnu gave her a disc. Varuna, gave her a conch and noose, and Agni gave her a spear. From Vayu, she received arrows. Indra, gave her a thunderbolt, and the gift of his white-skinned elephant Airavata was a bell. From Yama, she received a sword and shield and from Vishwakarma god of Architecture , an axe and armor. The god of mountains, Himavat gifted her with jewels and a lion to ride on. Durga was also given many other precious and magical gifts, new clothing, and a garland of immortal lotuses for her head and breasts.
The beautiful Durga, bedecked in jewels and golden armor and equipped with the fearsome weaponry of the gods, was ready to engage in battle with the fierce and cruel Mahishasura. Her lion's thunderous roars shook the three worlds. Oceans boiled and surf poured overland. Continents were torn at their granite foundations as whole new chains of mountains rose, while older ranges crumbled, cracked, and gave way to dust in a thousand landslides. Mahishasura and his demon allies found their attention drawn from heaven to Earth, as Durga's power moved its way towards heaven.
Though confident of their power and control in heaven, the demons could not help being awestruck. As Mahishasura's armies were struck down effortlessly by Durga, it became obvious to him that he was not as secure in heaven as he had thought. No demon could fight her and win. Her breath would replenish her armies - bringing back to life all of her soldiers who fell.
From Airavata's gift, the bell, came a confusing clamor. The demons were in chaos and were easily defeated and captured. The ground was left littered with the broken limbs and body parts of the defeated demon army. Mahishasura was shocked and enraged by the disastrous events on the battlefield. He took on the form of a demonic buffalo, and charged at the divine soldiers of Durga, goring and killing many and lashing out with his whip-like tail.
Durga's lion pounced on the demon-buffalo and engaged him in a battle. While he was thus engaged, Durga threw her noose around his neck. Mahishasura then assumed the form of a lion and when Durga beheaded the lion, Mahishasura escaped in the form of a man who was immediately face to face with a volley of arrows from Durga.
The demon escaped yet again and then having assumed the form of a huge elephant, battered Durga's lion with a tusk. With her sword Durga hacked the tusk into pieces. The demon reverted once more to the form of the wild buffalo. He hid himself in the mountains from where he hurled boulders at Durga with his horns. Durga drank the divine nectar, the gift of Kuber. She then pounced on Mahishasura, pushing him to the ground with her left leg.
She grasped his head in one hand, pierced him with her sharp trident held in another, and with yet another of her ten hands she wielded her bright sword, beheading him. At last he fell dead, and the scattered surviving remnants of his once invincible army fled in terror. The Gods bowed to the goddess and showered their praises on the goddess following her victory:.
You are the strength of all. Devatas Gods , Rishis sages , Yakshas demi-gods , Kinnaras heavenly musicians with human bodies and heads of horses all bow to you. For the Dharmik righteous you are Lakshmi Goddess of wealth , for the adharmiks evil you are Alakshmi she who brings misfortune. You are buddhi knowledge , you are lajja modesty , you are shraddha respect. You were there always and will be there forever.
You are the adhar source for all, You are Prakriti nature. You save the earth by killing the numerous asuras demons. The tale of Durga continues beyond Mahishasura, through the tale of goddess Kaushiki, another form of goddess Durga. After Mahishasura, two more demon brothers, Shumbha and Nishumbha forcibly drove the gods out of heaven. The gods then started praying to Mahamaya - the mother Goddess - to help them.
At that moment, Goddess Parvati - wife of Lord Shiva - was going to take a bath in the river. After Parvati heard their tale of woe, a beautiful woman emerged from Parvati's body.
She was named Kaushiki. Upon the emergence of Kaushiki, Parvati's body turned black and she then became known as Kalika. Kaushiki was spotted by Chanda and Munda, the two trusted assistants of Shumbha and Nishumbha. They reported to their masters, that they had spotted a beautiful woman. Shumbha then sent a messenger to Kaushiki. The messenger, Sugriva, went to Kaushiki and informed her of the desire of their masters, Shumbha and Nishumbha, who were also the rulers of the heavens, that Kaushiki marry either of the two demon brothers.
Kaushiki, feigning innocence replied that she was very foolish and that she had pledged that she would marry only that person who would defeat her in warfare. She asked Sugriva to convey to his masters that whoever could defeat her in battle could win her.
On hearing this, Shumbha sent Dhumralochana to capture the goddess. Initially the asura demon tried to persuade the Devi to accompany him, but when she refused, he rushed to capture her. The goddess uttered a mantra and the asura was reduced to ashes. On hearing this, Shumbha sent Chanda and Munda to capture the Devi.
On seeing Chanda and Munda coming, Kaushiki wriggled her eyebrows. From the eyebrows emerged a ferocious looking goddess with a sword and a noose in her hands. She wore a tiger skin around her body. Her big eyes were red and from her tongue saliva dribbled. She was goddess Kali. Kali jumped among the asuras demons and started killing them. She killed Chanda and Munda and dragged their bodies to Kaushiki. This gave Kali the name of Chamunda.
The asuras, after the death of Chanda and Munda, attacked the goddesses Kaushiki and Kali from all sides. At that moment, from the bodies of the various gods, women forces began emerging.
These goddesses started fighting along with Kaushiki. This act of Kali requesting Lord Shiva to be her messenger earned her the name Shivaduti - she whose messenger is Shiva. Hearing Shiva's message, the asuras became even more ferocious. Among the asuras there was one named Raktabija. If a drop of his blood, dropped on the ground, another asura would spring forth from that drop of blood.
Unknowingly, the goddesses attacked Raktabeeja and from his flowing blood numerous Raktabeejas emerged. Following this, Kali swallowed up Raktabeeja and the asuras which emerged from his blood. Upon Raktabeeja's death, Nishumbha was killed by Kaushiki after he attacked her. After Shumbha too was defeated, he asked if so many goddesses fighting against a solitary demon was fair.
In response, all the goddesses merged into Kaushiki and thereafter she killed the evil Nishumbha. Durga is also equated with Mahamaya - the supreme creator of illusions and attachment - the one whose spell even the gods cannot elude.
There is an interesting tale related to Mahamaya. Before the creation of the universe, water pervaded all space. From the navel of Lord Vishnu appeared Lord Brahma, the creator, seated on a lotus. From the wax in Lord Vishnu's ear were formed two demons, Madhu and Kaitabha. Madhu and Kaitabha were supposed to be companions of Brahma but being demons they indulged in naughty acts, which disturbed Lord Vishnu's slumber and he ordered them to limit their fun and frolic in the depths of the ocean so that his cosmic slumber wouldn't be disturbed.
Though the demons went away they pledged vengeance on Lord Vishnu. They propitiated the Mahamaya and appeased her into giving them a boon of choice of their own death, which she granted them. The demons then decided to come back to where Brahma and Vishnu resided and started scaring Brahma. Seeing this Lord Vishnu decided to kill the two demons but he could do little since they were protected by Mahamaya's boon. Brahma and Vishnu then propitiated Mahamaya. Mahamaya used her powers of illusion and cast spells on the two demons, which made them grant a boon to Lord Vishnu.
They granted Lord Vishnu the boon of being able to kill them, on the condition that he did so only where there be no earth or water, no air or ether, neither mind nor intelligence and not even false ego.
Taking this opportunity, Lord Vishnu squashed the two demons on his thigh, which was neither of earth, water, air, ether, fire, mind, intelligence or false ego, since Lord Vishnu's was a transcendental body. Thus the Mahamaya using her skills at illusions brought the evil demons to their own end.
Durga is also equated with two other popular Indian goddesses - Sati and Parvati - both consorts of Lord Shiva, though at different points in time.
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