Durga

Durga, also known as Devi, Shakti and by numerous other names, is a principal an
d popular form of Hindu goddess.[4][5][6] She is the warrior goddess, whose myth
ology centers around combating evils and demonic forces that threaten peace, pro
sperity and dharma of the good.[5][7] She is the fierce form of the protective m
other goddess, willing to unleash her anger against wrong, violence for liberati
on and destruction to empower creation.[8]
Durga is depicted in the Hindu pantheon as a fearless woman riding a lion or tig
er, with many arms each carrying a weapon,[1] often defeating the mythical buffa
lo demon.[9][10] She appears in Indian texts as the wife of god Shiva, as anothe
r form of Parvati or mother goddess.[9][11]
She is a central deity in Shaktism tradition of Hinduism, where she is equated w
ith the concept of ultimate reality called Brahman.[12][7] One of the most impor
tant texts of Shaktism is Devi Mahatmya, also called as Durga Saptashati, which
celebrates Durga as the Goddess, declaring the Supreme Being and the creator of
the universe as feminine.[13][14][15] Estimated to have been composed between 40
0-600 CE,[16][17][18] this text is considered by Shakta Hindus to be as importan
t scripture as the Bhagavad Gita.[19][20] She has a significant following all ov
er India and in Nepal, particularly in its eastern states such as West Bengal, O
disha, Jharkhand, Assam and Bihar. Durga is revered after spring and autumn harv
ests, specially during the festival of Navaratri.[21][22]
Etymology and nomenclature[edit]
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The word Durga (??????) literally means "impassable",[21] "inaccessible",[4] "in
vincible, unassailable".[23] It is related to the word Durg (?????) which means
"fortress, something difficult to access, attain or pass". According to Monier M
onier-Williams, Durga is derived from the roots dur (difficult) and gam (pass, g
o through).[24] According to Alain Danilou, Durga means "beyond reach".[25]
The word Durga, and related terms appear in the Vedic literature, such as in the
Rigveda hymns 4.28, 5.34, 8.27, 8.47, 8.93 and 10.127, and in sections 10.1 and
12.4 of the Atharvaveda.[24][26][note 1] A deity named Durgi appears in section
10.1.7 of the Taittiriya Aranyaka.[24] While the Vedic literature uses the word
Durga, the description therein lacks the legendary details about her that is fo
und in later Hindu literature.[28]
The word is also found in ancient post-Vedic Sanskrit texts such as in section 2
.451 of the Mahabharata and section 4.27.16 of the Ramayana.[24] These usages ar
e in different contexts. For example, Durg is the name of an Asura who had becom
e invincible to gods, and Durga is the goddess who intervenes and slays him. Dur
ga and its derivatives are found in sections 4.1.99 and 6.3.63 of the Ashtadhyay
i by Pa?ini, the ancient Sanskrit grammarian, and in the commentary of Nirukta b
y Yaska.[24] Durga as a demon-slaying goddess was likely well established by the
time the classic Hindu text called Devi Mahatmya was composed, which scholars v
ariously estimate to between 400 to 600 CE.[16][17][29] The Devi Mahatmya and ot
her mythologies describe the nature of demonic forces symbolized by Mahishasura
as shape-shifting and adapting in nature, form and strategy to create difficulti
es and achieve their evil ends, while Durga calmly understands and counters the
evil in order to achieve her solemn goals.[30][31][note 2]
There are many epithets for Durga in Shaktism and nine appellations: Skandamata,
Kushmanda, Shailaputri, Kaalratri, Brahmacharini, Kaliputri, Chandraghanta and
Siddhidatri. A list of 108 names that are used to describe her is very popularly
in use by eastern Hindus and is called "Ashtottara Shatanamavali of Goddess Dur
ga".
History and texts[edit]
One of the earliest evidence of reverence for Devi the feminine nature of God, a
ppears in chapter 10.125 of the Rig Veda, one of the scriptures of Hinduism. Thi
s hymn is also called the Devi Suktam hymn (abridged):[33][34]
I am the Queen, the gatherer-up of treasures, most thoughtful, first of those wh
o merit worship.
Thus gods have established me in many places with many homes to enter and abide in.
Through me alone all eat the food that feeds them, each man who sees, breathes,
hears the word outspoken.
They know it not, yet I reside in the essence of the Universe. Hear, one and all, the
truth as I declare it.
I, verily, myself announce and utter the word that gods and men alike shall welc
ome.
I make the man I love exceeding mighty, make him nourished, a sage, and one who knows
Brahman.
I bend the bow for Rudra [Shiva], that his arrow may strike, and slay the hater
of devotion.
I rouse and order battle for the people, I created Earth and Heaven and reside as the
ir Inner Controller.
On the world's summit I bring forth sky the Father: my home is in the waters, in
the ocean as Mother.
Thence I pervade all existing creatures, as their Inner Supreme Self, and manifest th
em with my body.
I created all worlds at my will, without any higher being, and permeate and dwel
l within them.
The eternal and infinite consciousness is I, it is my greatness dwelling in everythin
g.
Devi Sukta, Rigveda 10.125.3 10.125.8,[33][34][35]

Artwork depicting the "Goddess Durga Slaying the Buffalo demon Mahishasura" scen
e of Devi Mahatmya, is found all over India, Nepal and southeast Asia. Clockwise
from top: 9th-century Kashmir, 13th-century Karnataka, 9th century Prambanan In
donesia, 2nd-century Uttar Pradesh.
Devi's epithets synonymous with Durga appear in Upanishadic literature, such as
Kali in verse 1.2.4 of the Mundaka Upanishad dated to about the 5th century BCE.
[36] This single mention describes Kali as "terrible yet swift as thought", very
red and smoky colored manifestation of the divine with a fire-like flickering t
ongue, before the text begins presenting its thesis that one must seek self-know
ledge and the knowledge of the eternal Brahman.[37]
Durga, in her various forms, appears as an independent deity in the Epics period
of ancient India, that is the centuries around the start of the common era.[38]
Both Yudhisthira and Arjuna characters of the Mahabharata invoke hymns to Durga
.[36] She appears in Harivamsa in the form of Vishnu's eulogy, and in Pradyumna
prayer.[38] Various Puranas from the early to late 1st millennium CE dedicate ch
apters of inconsistent mythologies associated with Durga.[36] Of these, the Mark
andeya Purana and the Devi-Bhagavata Purana are the most significant texts on Du
rga.[39][40] The Devi Upanishad and other Shakta Upanishads, mostly dated to hav
e been composed in or after the 9th century, present the philosophical and mysti
cal speculations related to Durga as Devi and other epithets, identifying her to
be the same as the Brahman and Atman (self, soul).[41][42]
Origins[edit]
The historian Ramaprasad Chanda stated in 1916 that Durga evolved over time in t
he Indian subcontinent. A primitive form of Durga, according to Chanda, was the
result of "syncretism of a mountain-goddess worshiped by the dwellers of the Him
alaya and the Vindhyas", a deity of the Abhiras conceptualized as a war-goddess.
Durga then transformed into Kali as the personification of the all-destroying t
ime, while aspects of her emerged as the primordial energy (Adya Sakti) integrat
ed into the samsara (cycle of rebirths) concept and this idea was built on the f
oundation of the Vedic religion, mythology and philosophy.[43]
European traders and colonial era references[edit]
Some early European accounts refer to a deity known as Deumus, Demus or Deumo. W
estern (Portuguese) sailors first came face to face with the murti of Deumus at
Calicut on the Malabar Coast and they concluded it to be the deity of Calicut. D
eumus is sometimes interpreted as an aspect of Durga in Hindu mythology and some
times as deva. It is described that the ruler of Calicut (Zamorin) had a murti o
f Deumus in his temple inside his royal palace.[44]
Attributes and iconography[edit]

Durga iconography at Prambanan temple (pre-Islamic Java, Indonesia).

Durga has been a warrior goddess, and she is depicted to express her martial ski
lls. Her iconography typically resonates with these attributes, where she rides
a lion or a tiger,[3] has between eight to eighteen hands, each holding a weapon
to destroy and create.[45][46] She is often shown in the midst of her war with
Mahishasura, the buffalo demon at the time she victoriously kills the demonic fo
rce. Her icon shows her in action, yet her face is calm and serene.[47][48] In H
indu arts, this tranquil attribute of Durga's face is traditionally derived from
the belief that she is protective and violent not because of her hatred, egotis
m or getting pleasure in violence, but because she acts out of necessity, for th
e love of the good, for liberation of those who depend on her, and a mark of the
beginning of soul's journey to creative freedom.[48][49][50]
Durga traditionally holds the weapons of various male gods of Hindu mythology, w
hich they give her to fight the evil forces because they feel that she is the sh
akti (energy, power).[51] These include chakra, conch, bow, arrow, sword, javeli
n, shield, and a noose.[52] These weapons are considered symbolic by Shakta Hind
us, representing self-discipline, selfless service to others, self-examination,
prayer, devotion, remembering her mantras, cheerfulness and meditation. Durga he
rself is viewed as the "Self" within and the divine mother of all creation.[53]
She has been revered by warriors, blessing their new weapons.[54] Durga iconogra
phy has been flexible in the Hindu traditions, where for example some intellectu
als place a pen or other writing implements in her hand since they consider thei
r stylus as their weapon.[54]
Archeological discoveries suggest that these iconographic features of Durga beca
me common throughout India by about the 4th century CE, states David Kinsley a p
rofessor of religious studies specializing on Hindu goddesses.[55] Durga iconogr
aphy in some temples appears as part of Mahavidyas or Saptamatrkas (seven mother
s considered forms o Durga). Her icons in major Hindu temples such as in Varanas
i include relief artworks that show scenes from the Devi Mahatmya.[56]
Durga appears in Hindu mythology in numerous forms and names, but ultimately all
these are different aspects and manifestations of one goddess. She is imagined
to be terrifying and destructive when she has to be, but benevolent and nurturin
g when she needs to be.[57] While anthropomorhpic icons of her, such as those sh
owing her riding a lion and holding weapons are common, the Hindu traditions use
aniconic forms and geometric designs (yantra) to remember and revere what she s
ymbolizes.[58]
Worship and festivals[edit]
Main article: Durga Puja
Durga worship with drum beats

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A 51-second sample of Durga Puja
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Durga is worshipped in Hindu temples across India and Nepal by Shakta Hindus. He
r temples, worship and festivals are particularly popular in eastern and northea
stern parts of Indian subcontinent during Durga puja, Dashain and Navaratri.[1][
21][59]
Durga puja[edit]

Sculpture in Rani ki vav, Gujarat, 11th century

The ten-day-long Durga Puja is a major annual festival in Bengal, Odisha, Assam,
Jharkhand and Bihar.[1][21] It is scheduled per the Hindu luni-solar calendar i
n the month of Ashvin,[60] and typically falls in September or October. The fest
ival is celebrated by communities by making special colorful images of Durga out
of clay,[61] recitations of Devi Mahatmya text,[60] prayers and revelry for nin
e days, after which it is taken out in procession with singing and dancing, then
immersed in water. The Durga puja is an occasion of major private and public fe
stivities in the eastern and northeastern states of India.[1][62][63]
The day of Durga's victory is celebrated as Vijayadashami (Bijoya in Bengali), D
ashain (Nepali) or Dussehra (in Hindi) these words literally mean "the victory o
n the Tenth (day)".[64]

Durga festival images (clockwise from top): Durga puja pandal in Kolkata, dancin
g on Vijayadashami, women smearing each other with color, and family get togethe
r for Dasain in Nepal.
This festival is an old tradition of Hinduism, though it is unclear how and in w
hich century the festival began. Surviving manuscripts from the 14th century pro
vide guidelines for Durga puja, while historical records suggest royalty and wea
lthy families were sponsoring major Durga puja public festivities since at least
the 16th century.[62] The 11th or 12th century Jainism text Yasatilaka by Somad
eva mentions a festival and annual dates dedicated to a warrior goddess, celebra
ted by the king and his armed forces, and the description mirrors attributes of
a Durga puja.[60]
The prominence of Durga puja increased during the British Raj in Bengal.[65] Aft
er the Hindu reformists identified Durga with India, she became an icon for the
Indian independence movement.[citation needed]
Dashain[edit]
In Nepal, the festival dedicated to Durga is called Dashain (sometimes spelled a
s Dasain), which literally means "the ten".[59] Dashain is the longest national
holiday of Nepal, and is a public holiday in Sikkim and Bhutan. During Dashain,
Durga is worshipped in ten forms (Kushmanda, Chandraghanta, Brahmacharini, Shail
aputri, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri, Mahakali and Durga) with on
e form for each day in Nepal. The festival includes animal sacrifice in some com
munities, as well as the purchase of new clothes and gift giving. Traditionally,
the festival is celebrated over 15 days, the first nine day are spent by the fa
ithful by remembering Durga and her ideas, the tenth day marks Durga's victory o
ver Mahisura, and the last five days celebrate the victory of good over evil.[59
]
During the first nine days, nine aspects of Durga known as Navadurga are meditat
ed upon, one by one during the nine-day festival by devout Shakti worshippers. D
urga Puja also includes the worship of Shiva, who is Durga's consort, in additio
n to Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya, who are considered to be Durga's
children.[66] Some Shaktas worship Durga's symbolism and presence as Mother Nat
ure. In South India, especially Andhra Pradesh, Dussera Navaratri is also celebr
ated and the goddess is dressed each day as a different Devi, all considered equ
ivalent but another aspect of Durga.
Other countries[edit]
In Bangladesh, the four-day-long Sharadiya Durga Puja is the most important reli
gious festival for the Hindus and celebrated across the country with Vijayadasha
mi being a national holiday. In Sri Lanka, Durga in the form of Vaishnavi, beari
ng Vishnu's iconographic symbolism is celebrated. This tradition has been contin
ued by Sri Lankan diaspora.[67]
In Buddhism[edit]

The Buddhist goddess Palden Lhamo shares some attributes of Durga.[68]

According to Hajime Nakamura, over its history, some Buddhist traditions adopted
many of the Hindu ideas and symbols. The fierce goddess Yamantaka in Vajrayana
Buddhism, for example, is a syncretic Yama and Durga.[69] The Tantric traditions
of Buddhism included Durga and developed the idea further.[70] In Japanese Budd
hism, she appears as Butsu-mo (sometimes called Koti-sri).[71] In Tibet, the god
dess Palden Lhamo is similar to the protective and fierce Durga.[72][68]
In Jainism[edit]
The Sacciya mata found in major medieval era Jain temples mirrors Durga, and she
has been identified by Jainism scholars to be the same or sharing a more ancien
t common lineage.[73] In the Ellora Caves, the Jain temples feature Durga with h
er lion mount. However, she is not shown as killing the buffalo demon in the Jai
n cave, but she is presented as a peaceful deity.[74]
In Sikhism[edit]
Durga is exalted as the divine in Dasam Granth, a sacred text of Sikhism that is
traditionally attributed to Guru Gobind Singh.[75] According to Eleanor Nesbitt
, this view has been challenged by Sikhs who consider Sikhism to be monotheistic
, who hold that a feminine form of Supreme and a reverence for Goddess is "unmis
takably of Hindu character".[75]
Outside Indian subcontinent[edit]

Goddess Durga in Southeast Asia, from left: 7th/8th century Cambodia, 10/11th ce
ntury Vietnam, 8th/9th century Indonesia.
Archeological site excavations in Indonesia, particularly on the island of Java,
 have yielded numerous statues of Durga. These have been dated to be from 6th ce
ntury onwards.[76] Of the numerous early to mid medieval era Hindu deity stone s
tatues uncovered on Indonesian islands, at least 135 statues are of Durga.[77] I
n parts of Java, she is known as Loro Jonggrang (literally, "slender maiden").[7
8]
In Cambodia, during its era of Hindu kings, Durga was popular and numerous sculp
ture of her have been found. However, most differ from the Indian representation
in one detail. The Cambodian Durga iconography shows her standing on top of the
cut buffalo demon head.[79]
Durga statues have been discovered at stone temples and archeological sites in V
ietnam, likely related to Champa or Cham dynasty era.[80][81]
Influence[edit]
Durga is a major goddess in Hinduism, and the inspiration of Durga Puja a large
annual festival particularly in the eastern and northeastern states of India.[82
]
One of her devotees was Ramakrishna who founded Ramakrishna Mission, and who was
the guru of Swami Vivekananda.[83]
Durga as the mother goddess is the inspiration behind the song Vande Mataram, su
ng by Rabindranath Tagore during Indian independence movement, later the officia
l national song of India.[84][85]