One of the books forbidden
for handling by us when we were little, with our constantly soiled playful
hands, was the Chandipat. It lay quietly in its fierce red cover, in our altar
room, lined with its many pictures, all icons of the facets of our inner
selves, my mother told us. One sister
loved the long-haired, lovely Lakshmi, sitting on her lotus throne, pouring
gold from her hands; she is now an epidemiologist and consultant living near
Malibu. My baby sister mused at the elephant god, humming Henry Mancini’s Baby
Elephant Walk when she could barely walk herself; she now removes obstacles as
a family lawyer. Another sister loved Shiva, with his fountain of water, his
meditative pose and view of the Universe, and his comfort in sitting still til
it was time to act; she is now an astrophysicist. But I loved Durga.
She was so beautiful, so
fierce, and she existed just to help others; then she would disappear. My
mother said we should love them all equally.
❧
Durga’s
birth story is narrated in the Chandipat (chanda=fierce), also known as the
Durgā Saptashatī, or the Devi Mahatmya (Glory of the Goddess). This text
is one of the Puranas, composed around 400 CE and is the centerpiece of Shakti
worship. In 700 verses (sapta=seven, shatī=hundred, or sati=devoted mothers) arranged
into 13 chapters, it tells of the increasing cruelty of the king of demons,
Mahisasura, against the pantheon of gods. Unable to tolerate his tyranny, the
gods finally plead with Vishnu, the sustainer of the harmonious Universe, who
has been in the trance of Yoganidra, to annihilate the demon. Brahma, the
creator of the universe appears from Vishnu's nabhi, and prays to with great
devotion and ultimately Vishnu wakes up from his yognidra.
The
Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara/Shiva project their energy together
from their tritiya netra, third eye, and evoke a new form of energy, a powerful
counterpart of themselves crystallised into the heavenly form of female. The
gods immediately bestow upon this Supreme creation their individual blessings
and weapons. The Himalayas gift her the lion to act as her carrier.
Vishnu gives her the Chakra. Mahadeva gives her the trident. Yama gives her the
danda, or long stick. Brahma gives her the rosary and the container of sacred
water. Indra gives his vajra. The moon god gives her ashtachandra. Kaladev
gives her the khadga. The sun gives her the bow and arrow. Kuber gives
her a necklace. Vishwakarma gives her a protective shield, the kawach.
With
ten arms, she is Goddess Durga, Mahamaya, the Mother of the Universe, who
embodies the primeval source of all power, as she emerges in full battle array
to combat Mahisasura. Armed with all the weapons of a true a warrior, the
Mother goddess rides her lion into battle with the Mahisasura. After a fierce
combat for ten days, this Durgati-nashini, destroyer of that which seems
unconquerable, is able to slay the king of Asura demons with her trident, thus
ending the rule of evil forces. Heaven and earth rejoice at her victory. She
returns to her energetic, non-material form on the tenth day. On this day,
we appeal to this Supreme Power to protect us as she leaves, "Ya devi
sarbabhuteshshu, sakti rupena sanksthita…”
But the Goddess Chandika is
eternal. She has no birth, no definite physical form. She assumes a
manifestation of majestic might only to restore the process of Creation from
the terrible Asuras or evil incarnates.
❧