In lyrical praise of Devi

Victory to you, the destroyer of demon Mahisha — you, who have beautiful locks of hair and are the daughter of the mountain king!” goes the chorus of a popular hymn (the Ayigiri Nandini), the Mahishasuramardini Strotam, authored by the saint-philosopher Adi Shankara. The supremacy of Devi Durga is attested throughout our scriptures and devotional lyrics with elaborate similes and extravagant metaphors, for she is the embodiment of shakti or power. Throughout the nine days of the Navaratri festival, the Devi is worshipped as Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. She is, after all, the epitome of all excellent attributes inherent in several powerful deities and divinities. Legend has it that she was created out of the powers of all gods so that she could become invincible and is able to vanquish the demon armies led by fearsome ogres who had been terrorising the three worlds through their unspeakable atrocities. The beautiful story of how Durga was created and equipped for battle by the combined forces of the gods in heaven is told in the Markandeya Purana. As part of their Navratri worship, devotees sing in musical choruses and verses even today, like the following one: “We bow before you who killed Mahishasur and grants happiness to her devotees, please give us knowledge and victory over delusions. Grant us the fame that arises from realisation. Destroy our enemies, including the ones that stem from lust, rage, delusion, greed and arrogance.” The Devi Atharvasheersh, a hymn from the Atharva Veda, says that the gods approached Devi respectfully and asked her, “Who are you, O goddess ” She replied, “I am of the form of Brahma. The world that is characterised by the twin forms of prakriti andpurusha was also born out of me. Whatever is manifest in this world is me alone. I traverse the worlds as the Rudras, Adityas and Vishvedevas. I nourish Mitra, Varuna, Indra, Agni and the Ashvins. I am Brahma, Vishnu and Prajapati. I am wealth of all kinds. I am the chief of all worlds, the bestower of prosperity on those who seek me. I am the foremost among those to whom yajnas or sacrifices are made.” The devas then beseech Devi, “Namaste astu bhagavati maatarasmaan paahi sarvatah” (Obeisance to you, O Mother Goddess, protect us in every way.) This Navratri we may as well join the gods in their flower-petal-raining eulogy: Namaami tvaam mahaadeveem mahaabhaya vinaashineem, mahaadurga prashamaneem mahaakaarunya roopineem (Obeisance to the great goddess who destroys terrible fears, resolves great adversities and is ocean-like in her compassion. Thus, Navratri is a time to experience the splendour and the might of Devi Durga. What better way to worship her than through these timeless lyrics

Raji P. Shrivastava can be reached at raji_1992@yahoo.co.in