Navratri - celebrating 9 forms of Shakti

||श्री||

Navratri is the festival when Hindus celebrate the 9 forms/manifestations of the divine Mother Goddess - Shakti.  Here is a short description of the 9 different forms of the devine Mother. 

1. माँ शैलपुत्री | Maa Shailputri
-1st Day of Navratri is dedicated to Godess Shailputri:

‘Shail’ means mountains and ‘Putri’ means daughter. She is also known as Parvati or Hemavati.

Shailaputri is the rebirth of Sati, the daughter of Daksha and the wife of Lord Shiva. In her second birth she is Parvati, the daughter of Himalaya and later she became the consort of Shiva. This is one of the very first forms of Shakti and is closely associated with Lord Shiva.

2. माँ ब्रह्मचारिणी | Maa Brahmacharini 

– Manifestation Worshipped on the second day of Navratri

Here Brahma means ‘one who constantly meditates on the Supreme Being’. Brahmacharini is highly pious and is a peaceful form or is in meditation. She is also known as Tapashcharini, Aparna and Uma.

This form of Durga is related to the severe penance undertaken by Sati and Parvati in their respective births to attain Lord Shiva as husband. Some of the most important Vratas observed in different parts of India by women is based on the strict austerities followed by Brahmacharini.

3. माता चंद्रघंटा | Maa Chandraghanta 

Art by Manohar Saini.
Watercolor on cotton,
 available atwww.exoticindia.com

- The form of Mother Goddess worshiped on 3rd day of Navratri

The goddess Chandraghanta represents supreme knowledge and bliss with radiant face which appears like an image of solar system. A bell shaped mark of moon is present on her forehead because of which she is named Chandraghanta. Her pacifying form clears all the sorrows and sadness of her devotees. She has 10 hands which hold weapons like trident, chakra, bow and arrow, paash(lasso), sword,mace etc. She has a Golden bright complexion and rides a lion with a pleasant smile on her face. The saints are pleased with her looks and worship her with the chant of mantras.

The sound of the bell on her forehead keeps away the demons and negative energy. It repels all the troubles from the devotee’s life.

As a potent force and facet of the female energy, Goddess Chandraghanta claims as her own the Manipur Chakra. Symbolized by a lotus with ten petals, this chakra is also known as "nabhi" or navel chakra. This Manipur chakra embodies the change or conversion from simplicity to complexity.

4. माता कूष्मांडा | Mother Goddess Kooshmanda
- The form of Mother Goddess worshiped on the 4th day of Navratri.

कू (ku) = little | उष्म (ushm) = Warmth |
अंड (und) = the cosmic egg
The Mother Goddess who created this Universe (the cosmic egg) with only a little of her warmth, is known as Kooshmanda (कूष्मांडा)

She has eight arms. In her seven hands she holds Kamandal, Bow, Arrow, Lotus, a jar of nectar, discus, mace, respectively. In her eighthth hand she holds a rosary capable of giving eight Siddhis and nine Nidhis. She rides Lion.

Kushmand in Snaskrit stands for Pumpkin, which is used to perform sacrifice for the Mother Goddess Kooshmandaa. This sacrifice rids the devotee of the violent thoughts and actions.

5. मां स्कंदमाता | Mother Goddess Skandmata

- The Fifth manifestation of Mother Goddess.

In Dev-asur Sangraam (देव-असुर संग्राम | the war of the Gods and Asuras), Skanda (also known as Kartikeya and Murugan),Son of Mahadev and Parvati, was chosen by Gods to lead their army.
on the 5th day of Navratri, we pray to the Mother of lord Skand - Skandmata. Her worship implicitly includes worship of Lord Skanda in his child form. She has 4 arms and 3 eyes and she rides a Lion.
She grants wishes of her devotees. He/She who worships her is always surrounded by a divine aura.


6. माँ कात्यायिनी | Mother Goddess Katyayini - The sixth Manifestation of Mother Goddess.

Sage Katyayan of Katya clan performed deep  tapasya ( तपस्या = Penance) of Mother Goddess desiring her to be born as his own daughter. The Goddess acceded to his request and Hence was called 'Katyayini'. When Gods were driven out of their abode in Heaven by the army of powerful demon 'Mahishasur' (महिषासुर), the trinity of Gods – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, got infuriated and they created Goddess Katyayini, who was a culmination of the powers of all deities. Goddess Katyayini killed MAhishasur and hence is also called Mahishasur-mardini (महिषासुरमर्दिनी = the one who killed Mahishasur)

She has three eyes and four arms. She is epitome of love but won’t hesitate to rise up in anger to defend righteousness and Dharma. It is believed that Maa Katyayani persistently battles against the evil and deceitful entities.

To get God Krishna as a husband gopis worship Maa Katyayani in Vraj. So she is established as the Queen of Vraj. There is a very famous temple in Delhi (Chhattarpur) of Maa. This shrine is dedicated to Goddess Katyayani, whose “darshan” can be availed only on “Ashtami” falling in every month. Otherwise, the “darshan” of Goddess Katyayani can be made throughout the days of ‘Navratri’.

7. माँ कालरात्रि | Mother Goddess Kalratri :
- Seventh Manifestation of the Divine Mother Goddess.

Kalaratri means the One who is 'the Death of Kaal'. Here Kaal means time & death and ratri means night. Kalaratri is the one who destroys ignorance and removes darkness. The Mother Goddess appears in this Dangerous form to protect good from the evil. She is also known as Shubhamkari or 'good-doing'. In taking this form the Goddess Kalaratri killed the demon Raktabeej, who could multiply from every drop of his blood as it fell on the ground (instant cloning?) She is believed to endow her devotees with both calm and courage.

The complexion of Maa Kalaratri is like dark night with unlocked hair. She has four hands. The left two hands holds a 'Khadag' (rounded tip sword) and a torch, and the right two are in the mudras of 'giving' and 'protecting'. She wears a necklace that shines like the moon. Kalaratri has three eyes which emanate rays like lightning. Flames appear through her nostrils when she inhales or exhales. Her mount is the donkey. The appearance of Maa Kalaratri can be seen as being very dangerous for evil-doers. But she always bares good fruits for her devotees.

8. माँ महागौरी | Mother Goddess Mahagauri 

- Eighth manifestation of the divine Mother Goddess.

( महा | Maha = great, extreme; गौरी | Gauri = white )
The name Mahagauri means extremely white. Mother Goddess Mahagauri is extremely white in colour, wears white cloths and rides on a white bull.

once Goddes Parvati performed intense penance to get Lord Shiva as her husband. During this period her body got covered with soil and turned black in colour. After a long time Lord Shiva got pleased with her penance. He gave her a boon that, she will become His wife soon. Then, Lord Shiva cleaned goddess Parvati with water from Ganga, and saw her skin shining like gold and thus he named her Mahagauri.

Mahagauri has four arms. Her right arm is in the pose of allaying fear and right lower hand holds a trident in it. She holds a tambourine in her left upper arm and the lower one is in the form of a blessing. She grants wishes of her devotees.

9. माँ सिद्धिदात्री | Mother Goddess Siddhidatri

- Ninth Manifestation of Mother Goddess.

सिद्धि (Siddhi) = Accomplishment, attainment |
दात्री (datri) = the one(female) who gives
according to scriptures, there are 8 siddhis, which are:
1.अणिमा (Anima) = reducing one's body even to the size of an atom
2.महिमा (mahima) = expanding one's body to an infinitely large size
3.गरिमा (garima) = becoming infinitely heavy
4.लघिमा (laghima) = becoming almost weightless
5.प्राप्ति (Prapti) = having unrestricted access to all places
6.प्राकाम्य (prakamy) = realizing whatever one desires
7.इशत्व (Ishatv) = possessing absolute lordship
8.वस्त्व (Vastv) = the power to subjugate all

In ‘Devi Bhagvata Purana’ it is mentioned that Shiva received all these siddhis by worshipping Maa Siddhidatri and hence the name. In this form, she is seated on a lotus while her four hands are holding a lotus, mace, discus and a book.She symbolizes wealth and happiness.This form of Goddess Durga showers knowledge which purifies the soul.