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Durga, the mother of the universe

November 12, 2019

The Hindu Goddess Durga is one of the many manifestations of Mahadevi or the Great Mother Goddess of the entire universe. She represents the divine feminine force, Shakti, in a state of calm. She durga is not afraid of anything or anyone and she also has an extraordinary sense of humor. Meditating on deities such as Durga, Hanuman, Shiva or Lakshmi can help us reveal certain specific qualities that we carry within us. Who is Durga and how can she help us in our contemporary daily lives?

The meaning of Durga

The word is associated with strength or place of difficult access. Goddess who "eliminates suffering", her name means "the inaccessible one". She is the wife of the god Shiva and the mother of the gods Kartikeya, the god of war, and Ganesha, the elephant man.

 

  • Hindu name: Durga or Maa Durga (Mother Durga)
  • Flower: lotus
  • Incense: lotus
  • Color: red or yellow
  • Stone: Perlas
  • Sacred animal: lion or tiger
  • It represents: the regeneration of the universe
  • Symbols: sword, trident, bow and arrows
  • Durga's qualities - The arms of the goddess, represented with eight or ten hands - The three eyes - The lion or tiger, his mount - Durga carries the weapons lent to her by the gods: Rudra's trident, Vishnu's disk, Indra's thunderbolt, among others.
  • Word class of the goddess: bounds
  • Goddess Statement: "I set clear boundaries to show love for myself."
The holiday of navarathri or the Nine Nights of the Divine Mother, in which the Mother of the Universe is celebrated, happens twice a year. One, the most important and well-known, is in the fall, in October in the Western calendar. The other is Vasanta Navarathri, the festival of the spring Goddess.

Durga's role

The Hindu goddess Durga manifests her destructive force in the form of love and compassion towards her children, with the intention of saving them from their inner demons. With bows, arrows and her divine disk she breaks the ego wall of her devotees, using her weapons to combat the imperfections and inner human darkness. Durga's function is to destroy man and the world around him; this destruction, must be understood as a necessary step for the regeneration of the Universe.

Mantra

Chanting the Durga mantra helps us awaken inner strength and courage to courageously remove destructive people, situations or habits from our lives, without fear or guilt. Om Dum Durgaye Namaha means "I greet and invoke the invincible Goddess who overcomes adversity". You can chant the Durga mantra to…
  • face adversity
  • request protection from any danger
  • fight without fear or guilt in the face of unfair situations or people
  • destroy pernicious habits or promote healthy habits
  • destroy internal or external “demons”
  • overcome negative aspects of our own being
  • take new paths etc.

Representation

Durga as an icon of female power
Durga is one of the most adored and revered Goddesses in the Hindu tradition and has become an icon of the power of femininity.
Durga as protective and demanding mother

Another fundamental aspect of Durga is her facet as a protective mother. Durga goes out to fight to “protect the world”. But she is not a cuddly mother but a mother determined to provide you with courage to face our destiny. Tradition says that she only appears when she is invoked and venerated. Only when we admit that we don't know or can't and put ourselves in the hands of life, of a superior force, Durga appears. Have you ever insisted on doing something and life has put one wall behind another? Suddenly, one day, you understand that this was not your path and you find within yourself the courage to change course. There is Durga! Durga is a demanding Goddess. But she helps us with little signs to know when we are on the right path and when we are not.

Remember that in YogaYe.com, your online Yoga store has Yoga material and accessories to deepen your practice. Check out our other articles on the blog YogaYe.com. Happy day, happy practice.

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