atulaNavaratri…celebration of women power
September 30th 2008 11:35
Navaratri celebrations begin today in India and this is the festival that worships the female divinity in its nine forms.
Nava mean nine and Ratri means night in Sanskrit language. The combined word thus forms navaratri. The nine nights and one day in all form the ten-day celebration of this eagerly awaited festival.
Each state in India has a different way of celebrating this festival. While in Gujarat this is the time when people dance the famous dandiya or garba, the eastern state of West Bengal is where the Bengali’s celebrate the home coming of Godess Durga.
I will tell more about each form of the celebration in my coming posts. Today a little more about the Navaratri and the nine forms of Female God that are worshipped during these nine days.
The Navratri commences on the first day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Ashwin. The festival is celebrated for nine nights once every year during the beginning of October, although as the dates of the festival are determined according to the lunar calendar, the festival may be held for a day more or a day less.
Hindus consider Godess Durga to be the symbol of Power or Shakti and thus the nine forms of Shakti are worshipped during the Navaratris. The Devis worshipped depend on the tradition of the region,
1.Durga
Maa Durga (Mother Durga) is a form of Devi, the supreme goddess. Goddess Durga is considered by Hindus to be the mother of Ganesha, and Kartikeya. She is thus considered the fiercer, demon-fighting form of Shiva's wife, goddess Parvati.
Durga is depicted as a warrior aspect of Devi Parvati with 10 arms who rides a lion or a tiger, carries weapons and has symbolic hand gestures. This form of the Goddess is the embodiment of feminine and creative energy (Shakti).
2.Kali
Bhadrakali also known as the gentle Kali, is generally an auspicious form of the goddess Kali, and the consort of Virabhadra, who was himself born of the wrath of Rudra.
According to the epics she came into being by Devi’s wrath, when Daksha insulted Shiva, during the great Ashvamedha Yagna (Horse-sacrifice
According to Tantra Rahasya, she arose from the North (Uttaramnaya) face (Amnayas) of Shiva, which is blue in color and with three eyes. [3]
It is believed that Bhadrakāli was a local deity that was assimilated into the mainstream Hinduism, particularly into Shaiva mythology. Sometimes she assumes terrible aspect, and is represented with three eyes, and four, twelve or eighteen hands. She carries a number of weapons, with flames flowing from her head, and a small tusk protruding from her mouth
3. Amba
is another name for Goddess Durga. Amba was the eldest daughter of King of Kashi in the Hindu epic of the Mahābhārata.
Along with her sisters Ambika and Ambalika, she was taken by force by Bhishma from their Swayamvara. (Bhishma challenged the assembled Kings and Princes and defeated them.) He presented them to Satyavati for marriage to Vichitravirya, the king of Hastinapura.
Vichitravirya married only her sisters and rejected Amba since she had already given her heart to another. When Amba went to see her beloved, he rejected her as well in shame of losing the combat against Bhishma at the Swayamvara. Amba then returned to Bhishma and demanded that he marry her. He declined since he had already taken a vow of bachelorhood. Enraged that she was going to be an unmarriageable women, she swore to kill him, at least in her next life, and died.
She was re-born as Shikhandi the son of Drupada. In the battle of Kurukshetra, Shikhandi was instrumental in Bhishma's death.
4Annapurna
in Sanskrit literally means "full of food" (feminine form), but is normally translated as Goddess of the Harvests. In Hinduism, Annapurna is a goddess of fertility and agriculture and an avatar of Durga.
5 Sarvamangala
The one who gives joy (mangal) to all (sarva)
6 Bhairavi
is a fierce and terrifying aspect of the Goddess virtually indistinguishable from Kali, except for her particular identification as the consort of the Wrathful Shiva.
7 Chandika or Chandi
Chandi is described as the Supreme reality who is a combination of Mahakali, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswati. Later in the Murti Rahasya she is described as Maha Lakshmi with eighteen arms (Ashtadasa Bhuja Mahalakshmi) bearing weapons. But she is fearful form of Devi Parvati, who even sends Shiva as her messenger Thus she is also called as Shivduti.
8. Lalita
Also known as the goddess Tripura Sundari in her aspect as Shodasi is represented as a sixteen-year-old girl, and is believed to embody sixteen types of desire. The Shodasi Tantra, a treatise on the Tantra, describes Tripura Sundari as "the radiant light in the eyes of Shiva". She is described as being of dusky color, and is depicted in an intimate position with an aspect of Shiva. The couple are shown on a bed, a throne, or a pedestal resting on the significant male gods of Hinduism like Brahma, Visnu, Rudra, and Indra.
9. Bhavani
Bhavani is a ferocious aspect of theHindu goddess Parvati . Bhavani means "giver of life", the power of nature or the source of creative energy. In addition to her ferocious aspect, she is also known as Karunaswaroopini, "filled with mercy".
That in all are the godesses worshipped during the navratri and shows how powerful a role female play in the hindu culture…
Nava mean nine and Ratri means night in Sanskrit language. The combined word thus forms navaratri. The nine nights and one day in all form the ten-day celebration of this eagerly awaited festival.
Each state in India has a different way of celebrating this festival. While in Gujarat this is the time when people dance the famous dandiya or garba, the eastern state of West Bengal is where the Bengali’s celebrate the home coming of Godess Durga.
I will tell more about each form of the celebration in my coming posts. Today a little more about the Navaratri and the nine forms of Female God that are worshipped during these nine days.
The Navratri commences on the first day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Ashwin. The festival is celebrated for nine nights once every year during the beginning of October, although as the dates of the festival are determined according to the lunar calendar, the festival may be held for a day more or a day less.
Hindus consider Godess Durga to be the symbol of Power or Shakti and thus the nine forms of Shakti are worshipped during the Navaratris. The Devis worshipped depend on the tradition of the region,
Goddess Durga
1.Durga
Maa Durga (Mother Durga) is a form of Devi, the supreme goddess. Goddess Durga is considered by Hindus to be the mother of Ganesha, and Kartikeya. She is thus considered the fiercer, demon-fighting form of Shiva's wife, goddess Parvati.
Durga is depicted as a warrior aspect of Devi Parvati with 10 arms who rides a lion or a tiger, carries weapons and has symbolic hand gestures. This form of the Goddess is the embodiment of feminine and creative energy (Shakti).
Kali
2.Kali
Bhadrakali also known as the gentle Kali, is generally an auspicious form of the goddess Kali, and the consort of Virabhadra, who was himself born of the wrath of Rudra.
According to the epics she came into being by Devi’s wrath, when Daksha insulted Shiva, during the great Ashvamedha Yagna (Horse-sacrifice
According to Tantra Rahasya, she arose from the North (Uttaramnaya) face (Amnayas) of Shiva, which is blue in color and with three eyes. [3]
It is believed that Bhadrakāli was a local deity that was assimilated into the mainstream Hinduism, particularly into Shaiva mythology. Sometimes she assumes terrible aspect, and is represented with three eyes, and four, twelve or eighteen hands. She carries a number of weapons, with flames flowing from her head, and a small tusk protruding from her mouth
3. Amba
is another name for Goddess Durga. Amba was the eldest daughter of King of Kashi in the Hindu epic of the Mahābhārata.
Along with her sisters Ambika and Ambalika, she was taken by force by Bhishma from their Swayamvara. (Bhishma challenged the assembled Kings and Princes and defeated them.) He presented them to Satyavati for marriage to Vichitravirya, the king of Hastinapura.
Vichitravirya married only her sisters and rejected Amba since she had already given her heart to another. When Amba went to see her beloved, he rejected her as well in shame of losing the combat against Bhishma at the Swayamvara. Amba then returned to Bhishma and demanded that he marry her. He declined since he had already taken a vow of bachelorhood. Enraged that she was going to be an unmarriageable women, she swore to kill him, at least in her next life, and died.
She was re-born as Shikhandi the son of Drupada. In the battle of Kurukshetra, Shikhandi was instrumental in Bhishma's death.
Annapoorna
4Annapurna
in Sanskrit literally means "full of food" (feminine form), but is normally translated as Goddess of the Harvests. In Hinduism, Annapurna is a goddess of fertility and agriculture and an avatar of Durga.
5 Sarvamangala
The one who gives joy (mangal) to all (sarva)
6 Bhairavi
is a fierce and terrifying aspect of the Goddess virtually indistinguishable from Kali, except for her particular identification as the consort of the Wrathful Shiva.
7 Chandika or Chandi
Chandi is described as the Supreme reality who is a combination of Mahakali, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswati. Later in the Murti Rahasya she is described as Maha Lakshmi with eighteen arms (Ashtadasa Bhuja Mahalakshmi) bearing weapons. But she is fearful form of Devi Parvati, who even sends Shiva as her messenger Thus she is also called as Shivduti.
8. Lalita
Also known as the goddess Tripura Sundari in her aspect as Shodasi is represented as a sixteen-year-old girl, and is believed to embody sixteen types of desire. The Shodasi Tantra, a treatise on the Tantra, describes Tripura Sundari as "the radiant light in the eyes of Shiva". She is described as being of dusky color, and is depicted in an intimate position with an aspect of Shiva. The couple are shown on a bed, a throne, or a pedestal resting on the significant male gods of Hinduism like Brahma, Visnu, Rudra, and Indra.
9. Bhavani
Bhavani is a ferocious aspect of theHindu goddess Parvati . Bhavani means "giver of life", the power of nature or the source of creative energy. In addition to her ferocious aspect, she is also known as Karunaswaroopini, "filled with mercy".
That in all are the godesses worshipped during the navratri and shows how powerful a role female play in the hindu culture…
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