Sunday, October 1, 2000		Article

THE worship of Durga is as old as the Vedic period. The Vagambhriniya Sukta of the Rigveda (1.25.6) refers to the Mahashakti tattva as the sum and substance of all existence. In the Taittiriya Upanishad she is mentioned as Vairochini; in the Mundaka Upanishad as Kali and Karali; in the Kena Upanishad as the daughter of Himavat; in the Ramayana as the spouse of Lord Shiva; and in the Mahabharata, a hymn is addressed to her by Arjuna.

According to the Markandeya Purana, Durga assumed ten forms to crush her foes: as Durga she received the message of the giant demons; as Dashabhuja she annihilated the army of Shumbha; as Simhavahini she fought with Chand and Mund; as Mahishasurmardini she killed Shumbha in the form of a buffalo; as Jagadadhatri she crushed another army of his enemies; as Kali she slew Raktabija; as Muktakeshi she defeated a gang of demons; as Tara she slew Shumbha "in his own proper shape"; as Chinnamastaka she killed Nishumbha; and as Jagadagauri she received applause from the gods for her awe-inspiring deeds.

Both in her fierce and benign aspects Durga is worshipped in not less than 64 forms throughout India. However during the Navaratras, the first nine nights in the bright lunar fortnight falling in Ashvina which are sacred to Durga, her three forms are propitiated: that of Mahakali for the annihilation of human vices such as lust and anger; that of Mahalakshmi for sattvic and rajasic gains; and that of Mahasaraswati for knowing the true nature of the supreme soul.

Much value is attached to the performance of holy practices such as fasting vigils (jagran) Kumari Puja (worship of virgins) and continuous recitation of mystic syllables during the Navaratras. Sometimes animals are sacrificed to please the deity. In Bengal, Navaratra is celebrated with much gusto. The images of Durga are prepared, decorated, worshipped and finally, immersed on the Dasehra day.

It is a grand occasion for home-coming, feasts and festivities, settling differences and renewing friendships. At places, group idols of Durga are made of straw and bamboo (sometime of cowdung) and doused in a nearby pond or rivulet along with the barley plants which are sown on the first day of the lunar fortnight of Ashvina.

In some parts of South India, a Kalasha (pitcher) made up of copper clay or silver is covered with a coconut and nine types of leaves (navapatrika) before being consecrated to the deity. Yantra Puja is also performed by reciting mantras appropriate for the occasion, viz., Om hrim dum Durgayai namah. Om Cala cili culu culu kulu kulu mulu mulu hum hum hum hum phat phat phat phat phat Padmahasta svaha.

The Jyotirnibandha, a treatise on festivals, says:
Ashvinasya site pakshe dashmanyam tarkodaya
Sa kalo vijayo jneyah sarvakaryarthaasiddhaya.

On the tenth day in the month of Ashvina at the time of the rising of stars comes a mahurat (moment) named vijaya (victory) which gives success in all matters."

It is said that Lord Rama had propitiated the Goddess Durga during this period before launching an expedition against Ravana. Tantriks believe that kavachas (protectives) and talismans prepared on Dasehra day serve as a prophylactic agent against evil spirits and enemies. Chakra Puja and Stri Puja are performed along with other necromantic or vocdooistic rites for victory over inimical forces, and for acquiring esoteric powers. Sacred trees as palasha (Butea frondosa) and Shami (Prosopis spicigera) are also worshipped for success and prosperity.

The professional classes such as craftsmen teachers and even priests adore the implements and tools for use viz. scales, knives, pliers, screw drivers and pincers. Dasehra, being the day of the triumph of Durga, is regarded as an suspicious occasion for starting any work. In ancient times, the Kshatriyas (warrior classes) used to begin their military expeditions on this day.

Reference to Durga worship during the Navaratras frequently occur in the Yogini Tantra, the Skanda Purana, the Ramacharita of Sandhyakaranandi, the Desinamamala of Hemachandra and the Yasastilaka Champu of Somaveda Suri.

Alberuni who came to India during Sultan Mahmud’s time and lived in the Punjab for several years, wrote about Shakti worship in Tahkik-i-Hind: "On the 8th of svayuja when the moon stands in the 19th station, mula, begins the sucking of the sugarcane. It is a festival holy to Mahanavmi, the sister of Mahadeva, when they offer the first fruits of sugar and all other things to her image, which is called Bhagwati. They give much alms before it ... He who does not possess anything to offer stands upright by the side of the idol, without ever sitting down, and sometimes pounces upon whomsoever he meets and kills him."

The rulers of Vijayanagar used to celebrate Dasehra, the culmination of Navaratras, with great enthusiasm. The Vanchi royal family of Kerala observed it with festivities on a grand scale. Akbar, the great Mughal Emperor, associated court celebrations with Dasehra. His successors Jahangir and Shahjahan continued the tradition. Haider Ali Khan, the valiant Muslim ruler of Mysore, used to accompany the procession carrying the jhankis of Lord Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, Hanuman and others in palanquins on a caprisoned elephant.

The worship of Durga in both her gracious and terrifying aspects continues. The Devi Mahatmya describes the deity as the sole substratum of the world, the embodiment of all beings and "the intelligence in the heart of all creatures". In her supreme aspect, she personifies Shakti which is neither male nor female nor neuter, but in her finite form, she is seen as one who took shape out of the bodies of all gods, who is effulgent like the moon shining "at the fringe of a cloud", who has three eyes and eighteen arms which hold a sword, disc, mace, arrows, bow, club, spear, missile, human head, conch and auspicious emblems, who rides a lion and who is adorned with ornaments.