Description
Durga (or Doerga) is the great Hindu mother goddess. Her name means "she who is difficult to approach" or "the inaccessible," and she embodies the wrath of the gods. Durga is an invincible warrior goddess; she battles the male demons who threaten the world order. When she is angry, Kali emerges from her mouth. Durga is usually depicted with a beautiful face and a meditative smile, and four, eight, ten, or twenty arms. She holds the many weapons given to her by the gods (including the lotus flower, a discus, a thunderbolt, and a trident) and a third eye on her forehead. She rides the tigress (or lioness) Dawon and performs mudras with her hands. Durga is fearless and patient, retaining her sense of humor even in the most difficult (spiritual) battles. Durga is a manifestation of Shakti, the feminine divinity who, in the eyes of a Shakta—a worshipper of Shakti—is the Supreme Reality (Brahman). She can be a fierce and fearsome guardian goddess. Durga came into the world fully grown, ready to battle demons. Durga is considered one of the aspects of the Devi, like Kali, Parvati, and Sati. However, unlike the other devis, she will never connect with a man, neither through flattery nor through threats: she is the Virgin, "She who belongs to herself," she is autonomous. And that is precisely her great strength. Durga fought the asura Mahisha after Vishnu and Shiva refused to engage this demon. During the battle, Mahisha transformed herself into a buffalo, a lion, an armed warrior, and an elephant. Durga decapitated Mahisha and destroyed the male twin demons Canda and Munda after they first tried to seduce her and then threatened her. Depending on her actions, Durga manifests herself in different forms, such as Candi (protection against wild animals) and Shitala (protection against smallpox), but she also has more expressions. One of the most important prayers In Javanese mythology, the giant Kala (the god of destruction) is associated with a goddess also called Durga.
Durga Mantra and the Birth of Durga.
