Faced with possible defeat in his battle to reclaim his beautiful wife Sita, in an eons later epic battle of the Ramayana, Prince Rama invokes the primal Shakti (Energy Force) in the form of Durga-the warrior Goddess. She has been created to vanquish the almost invincible Mahisha, a king of the dark world. Mahisha spent years praying for the boon of immortality, but eventually settled for a lesser boon that would allow him to die only at the hands of a woman. Satisfied that it was an impossible event, Mahisha, being an extraordinary warrior, began to tyrannize all the three worlds. The three worlds cried out to Bramha, the Father God, to help them.
Thus there was the creation of Devi, in the form of a woman. The metaphor being that all are born of a mother, without whom life is not possible. Thus the giver of Life is the the strongest force known. All the Gods gifted her with their choicest weapons. Thus Durga, who is 'Durgati nashini'- the destroyer of Evil, came into her form.
However Mahisha in his arrogance paid no attention to this, and scoffed at this beautiful woman who came riding on a roaring lion to fight him. He did not notice that she was symbolically gifted every weapon known, including the ones symbolizing peace and mercy-the necessary qualities of the greatest warriors. Over eight terrifying days the Demon fought the Mother, shattering the three worlds, and was slain on the eighth (Mahashtami- the Great Eighth).
Mahisha died at Her feet, but not before asking for Her forgiveness as an errant son would ask of his mother. Of course like every mother, Durga tenderly forgave Her son. So also, Rama invokes the power of Durga, to fight the mighty King Ravana, who has abducted Sita. His brother Lakshmana is mortally wounded and his allies are monkeys. Rama is desperate. His puja must be completed before dawn, when he will attack. It is the eighth day of prayer, just like the eighth day of battle between Durga and Mahisha. His Sandhi Puja needs one hundred and eight blue lotuses, the rarest and the best, but he has only one hundred and sevenlotuses. So he determines to sacrifice one of his eyes , as the hundred and eighth. Durga is touched. She blesses him. He goes on to victory. So we celebrate Rama's puja today and pray to Ma Durga as She appeared to Rama in an untimely and desperate situation. After all, we feel we need the Mother's intervention at all those times when we are desperate.Wishing all readers of this blog that they be blessed by their mothers, who are the representatives of the Divine Mother, on this earth.
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu Matri Rupena Samstitha, Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namoh Namaha !(O Devi , All pervasive, Who appears in the form of Mother, we bow worshipfully , we bow worshipfully, we bow worshipfully)
Posted by LinaS at 9:31 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Mahalaya Early this morning , fresh on a cool autumn morning came Mahalaya. This heralds the start of the Devipaksha The Devi has risen! Created out of the best virtues of all the Gods, armed with their weapons, from the deep superconscious state of JogaNidra, comes this Goddess Durga. For most Bengalis, the day starts before daybreak, the dark torn apart by strains of Mahishashurmardini, our beloved recounting of Her story. All India Radio began its broadcasts of Chandi Kavya or Chandi path ( recitation of Chandi's deeds) since the 1930s. The voice of the original narrator Birendra Kishore Bhadra and the musical direction of Pankaj Mallik have remained the gold standards of this body of work. When felled by a heart attack, Birendra Kishore Bhadra relinquished his recitation to the film idol, Uttam Kumar. Public demand brought Mr. Bhadra back. Bengalis hold his voice synonymous with the Mahalaya recitation. Even now, the recitation and hymns hold us in their thrall. The dark moonless night that yields to the brightening waxing lunar phase of this Devipaksha, is no less sacred and important for those who are alive. It marks the culmination of the Pitrupaksha, when all pay homage to the souls of ancestors and loved ones. By all the sacred rivers however, a very deeply felt ritual marks this homage. It is the offering of water and black sesame seeds to ancestors. This offering is called Torpon. The offering symbolizes our wishes to the souls of our ancestors to be where they may enjoy the fruits of the nutrient rich sesame seeds. A kind of a thanksgiving and a recognition. May they never go hungry and may they never be thirsty. In our Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna speaks the Eternal truth of the soul. This brings solace to all who grieve, as what they have lost with their loved ones by death, is merely the body, which is cast off like worn clothes. The soul, it never dies. 'Na jayate mriyate va kadachin Nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyuh Ajo nitva saswatoyam purano Na hannyate hannyamaane sharire.' (For the soul, there is neither birth nor death at any time. The soul has not come into being, does not come into being, will not come into being. The soul is unborn, eternal, ever existing and primeval. The soul cannot be slain when the body is slain. The soul does not die.)
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