Swami Ishatmananda

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MAA DURGA:
The Symbol of Unity in Diversity

Swami Ishatmananda
Ramakrishna Mission

Durga Puja, held in autumn every year, has become a national festival in India.
People, forgetting all differences, join in this celebration. As mother never makes any
difference among her children, similarly in the Puja of Devi Durga all classes of people
without any distinction of caste, creed, color, language participate. In fact, the real
essence of Hinduism is expressed through Maa Durga.
Though Tantra scripture clearly mention that Durga is all pervading consciousness,
Chiti-rupena ya kristnam-etad byapya sthita jagat (Chandi 5/34), M Durga is being
worshiped as personal Goddess by millions of people for thousands of years. The
beauty of the Hinduism is that it expresses the most subtle and complicated religious
truth, philosophy in a very simple and attractive way so that even a very ordinary person
can also understand and get interest in developing higher mental attitude, spirituality.
Veda, which means Knowledge, is the foundation of Hinduism. There are two
types of knowledge Mundane and Spiritual (Apara Vidya and Para Vidya). Veda is the
container of both these knowledge. We all are aware of Mundane or worldly knowledge
but almost all of us are ignorant about spiritual knowledge. Why? Because spiritual
knowledge is very very subtle and, moreover, it is subjective knowledge. The Guru, the
scriptures, temples etc. can only help us but we have to realize the Truth ourselves.
The highest Truth the man has ever realized, discovered is the Atman, the Self,
the Brahman. No word can express If because It is beyond time, space & causation.
This can only be felt, understand, realized through pure mine. And mind can only be
purified through truthfulness, austerity, unselfishness and love for all beings. A pure soul
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realizes that this universe with its millions of verities, names & forms are nothing but
Brahman, Paramatma. Everything have been created, sustaining and will dissolve in
Brahman. There is no distinction, there is no high or low. This knowledge of unity in
diversity, this realization of oneness is called true religion. In the words of Swami
Vivekananda Religion is Realization. What to realize? Oneness. This is the core of
Hindu religion.
The Rishis of the old formulated different methods to make ordinary people
aware about this great truth of oneness, hidden unity in manifested diversity. The
conception of Maa Durga is a wonderful method to bring all together. The remarkable
story of Goddess Durga is
There was a just and kind king, name Suratha. Though he was an excellent warrior and
a good ruler loved by his subjects, he was defeated in a long bloody battle with Kola, a
ferocious group of people. Because of treachery of his ministers, the king went into in
deep jungle to save his life. There he suddenly came across another gentleman seating
alone inside that deep jungle.
Who are you? the king asked.
My name is Samadhi. I am a big merchant, he replied.
Why then you are here in this jungle? The King asked.
The merchant in a pensive tone said, I have been cheated by my wife, children
and relatives. They have thrown me out from my own house.
The king was taken aback hearing the reply of the merchant. He felt as if he was
listening his own story.
Inside that jungle there was a beautiful Ashrama School headed by a very
learned sage, Medha. Both the king Suratha and the merchant Samadhi went to that
Ashrama and met Medha Muni, the sage. Both of them told the sage how they were
cheated, insulted, defeated and deprived of from their own property by their own people.
Then they asked the sage, a very interesting question
Swami Ishatmananda

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O venerable sir, please tale us why we are still feeling so much attachment for
those who have done so much harm in our life? Why cant we forget them? Why we are
not able to control our mind?
From here, in fact, begins the famous book, Sri Sri Chandi which is also known
as Durga Saptasati. Sri Sri Chandi is a part of Markendya Purana. From 81 chapter up
to 93 chapter, total 13 chapters of Markendya purana are known as Sri Sri Chandi. Like
Bhagawat Gita, it has 700 mantra. Sri Sri Chandi is containing the core teachings of all
the Tantra scriptures.
In reply to the question of king Suratha and the merchant Samadhi, sage Medha
said, if you really want to overcome your problems and be successful, you have to
worship Goddess Durga, the Primal Power (.. -.|. of the universe, if she becomes
gracious on any one She can give everything including the liberation from the circle of
birth and death. ... ... .. ... -..|. -.. .
The king Suratha then asked, respectable sir, please tale us who is that
Goddess? How she came into being?
The sage in reply said, once upon a time war broke out between Devatas (Gods)
and Asuras (demons). After a long fearful war unfortunately the Asuras defeated the
Devatas. The asuras due to their cruel mentality could not forgive Devatas rather they
brutally tortured them. The vanquished Devatas then rushed to the creator, sustainer
and destroyer of the universe, the great Gods, Brahma, Bishnu and Maheswara.
Indra the head of the Devatas narrated in a touchy language the plight and the
horrible condition of the Devatas. Hearing that the three great Gods, Brahma, Bishnu
and Maheswara became terribly angry and their faces became red and their divine
power came our as fire. All other gods and goddess also joined their respective divine
powers with that and the sum total of that power was seen as a huge burning mountain.
That divine power slowly turned into a beautiful Goddess and all the gods and goddess
decorated Her with their ornaments and armaments and thus bright golden complexion,
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big compassionate eyes, smiling face, ten hands, sitting on the Lion beautiful Ma Durga
took form. The ancient Sages are wonderfully describing Her as - .-. -.|. .|
most beautiful among all the beautiful things in the world. (Chandi -1/81)


In Sri Sri Chandi details has been given how the Goddess Durga killed one after
another terrible demons including Mahisasura. One may read in Chandi the detailed
description of the unique war. Unique because only one Goddess with her divine power
alone destroyed the whole army of fearful demons.
Ma Durga is worshiped in image as a personal goddess by millions. But the Mantras,
Slokas about Ma Durga mentioned in Sri Sri Chandi clearly indicates that She is also
impersonal, formless. The creation of Durga, about which we have already mentioned
also indicates that She is the consciousness (S ix), all perverting, Omnipotent,
Omniscient.
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Creation of Durga symbolizes unity, unity of different Gods, Faiths, Paths. This
subtle knowledge, this abstract idea is depicted in the image of Maa Durga. The clay
which is used to make the image of Maa Durga comes from the door steps of a
Brahmin, a King and a Prostitute. The brahmin is the symbol of high caste, the symbol
of Sattva. The king represents khsatriya caste and Raja. The prostitute is the symbol of
low caste and Tama. This shows that the Divine Mother is present equally both in high
and low, upper caste and lower caste. There is no difference for Divine Mother.
Her ten hands is the symbol of Omnipresent God She is everywhere. The
different armaments in her hands depict the fact that she is all-powerful. The intelligent
hindu, through symbol teaches that the divinity is present even in animals & birds. The
lion & the rat with image of Goddess Durga symbolizes the whole gamut of animals
similarly the peacock & the owl symbolizes the whole range of birds. The Divine Mother
is present even in these creatures. The divinity is also present in the reptiles that is
symbolized by the snake she is holding and the small plantain tree covered with
different varieties of creepers signifies that the divinity is present in the plants and trees.
In Durga Puja water from well, pond, rivers, oceans and also dewdrops are necessary.
Dusts from different pilgrimages are essential. And again right from rice different
paddies, milk, card, cowdang, sandalwood, sand, water etc., almost everything is used
for puja. Interestingly, puja is performed mainly on a water-filled pitcher. Water is
symbol of formless. Inside the pitcher (Pancha Ratna); five treasures which are
symbols of five organs of knowledge (Pancha Gyanendriya). The five organs of
knowledge are eye, ear, nose, tongs and skin. Top of the pitcher is covered with five
mango leaves and a green coconut. The mango leaves symbolizes five sense organs of
actions (Pancha Karmendriya: voice, hand, leg, organ of creation and organ of
excretion. The green coconut is the symbol of intelligence (Budhi), discriminating
faculty and the five decoration on the body of the pitcher is the symbol of shuttle body.
Keeping the image in front, the mainpuja is done of this pitcher.
The truth which has been expressed in Upanishads Isha Varsam Idam Sarvam. (The
whole universe is covered by God); or in Gita Sarvatha pani padam tat, Sarvatha
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akshi Shira Mukham etc., (All varieties of manifestation is the expression of one God); is
crystallized in the image of Goddess Durga.

How to invoke Her blessings? By destroying the lower tendencies Anger, Lust,
Greed, Selfishness etc., which symbolizes the Asura. The moment the Asura which is
hidden within our mind is slained or removed, then the wealth & prosperity (Laxmi),
success & fame (Ganesha), knowledge and culture (Saraswati), manliness & leadership
(Karthikeya) will be achieved.
When Maa Durga is pleased, the life becomes blissful. That is the reason the
devout people never forget before every work to utter the holy name, Durga ! Durga !!
Durga !!!

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