Navratri - Nav Durga forms
Maa Shailaputri is the daughter of the king of mountains, the Himalaya. She is considered as the forever form of nature. She is also known as Goddess Parvati, the better half of Lord Shiva and mother of Lord Ganesha and Lord Kartikeya.
Maa Shailaputri has a half moon on her forehead. You can also see a trident in her right hand and a lotus flower in her left hand. She rides on the Nandi (an ox).
The abode of Maa Shailaputri is believed to be in the Muladhara Chakra in the human body. Realising this divine form of energy is also considered as an important step towards attaining spiritual enlightenment.
Knowing the legends and importance of the form of Maa Durga will help you to perform your Navratri pooja with ultimate devotion and dedication. So, have a look at these points below.
First Among The Nine Durgas
Shailaputri means the daughter (putri) of the mountain (Shaila). Goddess Durga is named Shailaputri, as she was born in the house of the King of Mountains "Parvat Raj Himalaya". Among the nine Durga forms, Shailaputri is the first and foremost one.
It is said that Goddess Shailaputri was Sati, the daughter of Daksha in her previous birth. Once Daksha performed a big Yajna without inviting Shiva. Sati, being the wife of Shiva, came there to attend the holy function. Daksha insulted Shiva. Sati could not bear the thought of her father having insulted her husband for long, and she burnt herself in the fire of Yajna. In another birth, she became the daughter of the Himalaya and got married to Shiva as Hemavati.
Mother Of The Nature
Worshipping Maa Shailaputri will evoke the spiritual relationship with nature. Shailaputri is the expression of earth and covers all of the hills, valleys, water resources and the atmosphere.
Goddess Of Root Chakra
Maa Shailaputri is considered as the Goddess of the root chakra. Worshipping her will help in awakening the Moolchakra, thereby helping you to attain spiritual enlightenment. Performing pujas and chanting mantras on the first day of Navratri, keeping mooladhar in mind, will help you to perform the rituals auspiciously.
The Most Important Mantra Of Maa Shailaputri
VANDE VAANCHHIT LAABHAAYA CHANDRARDHA KRITA SHEKHARAAM,
VRISHAARUDHAAM SHULADHARAAM SHAILA- PUTRIM YASHASVINIIM
Its meaning: Worshipping Goddess Durga in the Maa Shailaputri form will help in overcoming any bad effect of the moon, which is governed by this form of Adi Shakti
Different bhog or prasada is offered on each day of the Navratri festival. On the first day, pure ghee is offered at the feet of the deity. It is believed that doing this removes all of the diseases and problems related to the health of the devotees. Prasad like Roath, an Indian sweet dish, is distributed to everyone at the end of the prayer sessions. Therefore, worshipping Maa Shailaputri makes life worth living
(please note that Akshamala contains beads providing feasibility such that it can be used to do Japa from the letters Aa to Ksha. So called as Akshamala and is a bit different one compared to a normal rosary or Japamala)
Generally, in the depictions of the Goddess Brahmacharini, her hands are usually shown adorned with lotuses. Sometimes even the neck, earrings are shown with lotuses instead of jewels or ornaments, indicating her stage of devout to tapas.
Mantra and Hymn of Maa Brahmacharini
Mantra
Om Devi Brahmacharinyai Namaha
Hymn
Dadhanaa kara padmabhyam akshamala kamandalaha
Devi praseedatu mayi Brahmacharini anuttama
(Salutations to you) The one who is holding a rosary (Akshamala) and a ritual waterpot (Kamandala) with her lotus like hands
Devi, be pleased on me, Goddess Brahmacharini, the uncomparable or unparalleled one (as Goddess Brahmacharini did the penance that is unparalleled with any others).
Story of Goddess Brahmacharini
After the incarnation of Shakthi as goddess Parvati (as the daughter of Menaka and Himavanta), she used to think all the time about reuniting with God Shiva.
Years passed on, the interest in God shiva became more intense.
One day Muni Narada came to Himavatpura and said to Himavantha that the reason Goddess Parvati was born is to reunite with God Shiva and told him that you too know the divine purpose of her incarnation.
Later Muni Narada asked Himavanta to send the Goddess to God Shiva to do the upacharas, as Shiva came to earth for meditating.
Agreeing to Narada’s words, Himavanta sent Goddess Parvati to do the upacharas for God Shiva.
During that time, mata used to do all the necessary things required.
The Acts of Devas to Unite God Shiva and Goddess Parvati
At the same time, Devas were severely affected by the acts of Demon Tarakasura, who had a boon that only the son of God Shiva can kill him, knowing the fact about the loss of Sati to Shiva and thinking that it’s impossible that Shiva unites back with Shakthi.
So all the devas thought to unite Parvati and Shiva in order to get rid of Tarakasura and also for loka kalyana.
To unite God Shiva and Goddess Parvati, all other Devas sent Manmada, the god of Love who used his flower arrows in the presence of Goddess Parvati to move the heart of Supreme God Shiva.
Rather than invoking the feelings of Love, the acts of Manmada angered God Shiva, which resulted in the turning Manmadha into ashes.
All devas understood that taking control of the acts of God Shiva is wrong and returned back to the Deva loka, looking at that situation.
Parvati’s Unparalleled Tapas
However, Goddess Parvati, in order to get united with Shiva, she took another path of doing actions that God Shiva like.
Taking god Shiva as inspiration, Mata has done a great tapas by just eating fruits for several years. Later she continued doing tapas just by eating ripened leaves that are fallen from trees.
Then after, she continued doing the tapa in a more intense way even without eating leaves. (As goddess Parvati had left eating leaves too during her tapas, she got the name Aparna. Aa- means no and Parna means leaves).
Like this, the tapas of Goddess Parvathi as Brahmacharini continued for several years.
The intensity of the tapas spread across the lokas. God Brahma came to the earth and said Mata Parvati to please stop the penance and your wish of getting god shiva as your husband is about to fulfill.
God Shiva reunites with Goddess Parvati
Later in order to test the devotion and integrity of Parvati on him, God Shiva himself came as an old man and talked to Parvati, insulting God Shiva that he lives in smasana, wearing kapalas, and so on.
Maa Parvati replied to him about god shiva does these actions to protect the worlds.
However, God Shiva in the form of an old man, intensified his words that why a beautiful person like you want to marry such a person? And he even criticized the personality of God Shiva in a bad way.
Maa Parvati got angry and said, if you don’t leave now, I don’t care who you are and so on to that old person and she tried to leave from that place.
Then God Shiva, who is present in the old man, revealed his original form to Devi Parvati and said he just came to test her faith in him.
Later, Goddess Parvati married God Shiva and reunited with him.
Temples
A temple dedicated to Maa Brahmacharini is present in Varanasi, India.
Naivedyam
Usually, in several temples that follows the Navadurga puja vidhi, Pulihora or tamarind rice is offered to the Goddess on this day. However, it may differ between Devasthanam as per the temple customs
Upon the insistence of Sage Narada, Parvati observed austere penance to get Lord Shiva as her consort. Shiva, after losing Sati, had become detached from worldly affairs and had retired into the mountains in deep meditation, isolation and austerity.
But after seeing Parvati’s resolve to get him, Shiva relents and agrees for the marriage. On the day of marriage, Shiva reaches King’s Himavan’s palace in a most terrorizing form along with the strangest marriage procession. His body was smeared with ash with snakes around his neck and in the matted locks of his unkempt hair.
His marriage procession consisted of ghosts, ascetics, sages, goblins, ganas, ghouls and aghoris. Upon seeing such a terrorizing form of Lord Shiva and his strange marriage procession, Parvati’s mother and other relatives are left in a state of shock. Most of them faint purely out of terror.
To avoid any embarrassment to her family and to Lord Shiva, Parvati transforms herself into a terrorizing form – Chandraghanta.
In this form, her complexion was golden and she possessed ten arms. In nine of her arms she wielded the following weapons – a trident, mace, arrow, bow, sword, lotus, goad, bell and a kamandalu (water pot), while with the tenth hand, she blessed her devotees. Her vehicle is a lion. This from depicts that Adi Shakti can be terrible and malevolent towards her enemies while being compassionate and motherly towards her devotees.
In the form of Chandraghanta, she prayed and persuaded Shiva to take the form of a handsome prince and also turn his marriage procession nobler. Shiva thus reappeared as a charming prince bedecked with many jewels. Shiva and Parvati’s marriage was solemnized as per rituals. The day of their marriage is celebrated as Maha Shivratri every year.
By the grace of Ma Chandraghanta all the sins, distresses, physical sufferings, mental tribulations and ghostly hurdles of the devotees are eradicated. Riding on the lion, she exudes fearlessness in her devotees. She also embodies serenity. The devotees who adore and worship her with their deeds, mind and speech, develop an aura of divine splendor around themselves. It is said that they can easily achieve success in every walk of life. Ma Chandraghantaa is ever ready to destroy the wicked being but to a devotee she always appears as the kind and compassionate mother showering love, peace and prosperity.
The name Kushmanda is a combination of three words- Ku, Ushma and Anda. Here 'Ku' means little, 'Ushma' means warmth or energy and 'Anda' is egg. It basically means the one who created this universe as a 'little cosmic egg'. The Goddess is very happy in this manifestation. It is believed that when the universe did not exist, there was complete darkness everywhere. Then the Goddess smiled and darkness was eliminated. So, Devi Kushmanda is believed to have created this universe with her divine smile.
Details:
According to the Durga Saptshati, Goddess Kushmanda created the universe. She is the one who controls the functioning of the solar system. She is the one who existed when there was nothing except darkness. Then She smiled and the universe was created, illuminated with light.
The core of the Sun is believed to be the residence of Goddess Kushmanda. She is the one who provides the energy to the Sun to shine and emit light to the universe. All the directions get illuminated by Her divine smile including the Sun itself. Goddess Kushmanda is depicted as an eight armed Goddess. In Her seven hands She holds a kamandalu, bow, arrow, lotus, a jar of nectar, mace and a discus. In Her eighth hand, She holds a rosary which has all the eight Siddhis and nine Niddhis. She rides a lion which represents 'Dharma'.
It is believed that if one worships Devi Kushmanda on the fourth day of Navratri, he/she is blessed with good health, prosperity, fame and strength. The rituals of worshipping the Goddess are elaborate. The worship begins with the worshipping of the Kalash. All the other Gods and Goddesses are invited to the Kalash. Then the puja begins by chanting the mantra of the Devi. The Goddess also loves the sacrifice of a pumpkin. Hence, sacrificing pumpkin in front of the Goddess is a crucial ritual of the fourth day.
Favourite Flower - Red color flowers
Mantra -
ॐ देवी कूष्माण्डायै नमः॥
Om Devi Kushmandayai Namah॥
Prarthana -
सुरासम्पूर्ण कलशं रुधिराप्लुतमेव च।
दधाना हस्तपद्माभ्यां कूष्माण्डा शुभदास्तु मे॥
Surasampurna Kalasham Rudhiraplutameva Cha।
Dadhana Hastapadmabhyam Kushmanda Shubhadastu Me॥
Stuti -
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु माँ कूष्माण्डा रूपेण संस्थिता। नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः॥
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu Maa Kushmanda Rupena Samsthita।
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah॥
Dhyana -
वन्दे वाञ्छित कामार्थे चन्द्रार्धकृतशेखराम्।
सिंहरूढ़ा अष्टभुजा कूष्माण्डा यशस्विनीम्॥
भास्वर भानु निभाम् अनाहत स्थिताम् चतुर्थ दुर्गा त्रिनेत्राम्।
कमण्डलु, चाप, बाण, पद्म, सुधाकलश, चक्र, गदा, जपवटीधराम्॥
पटाम्बर परिधानां कमनीयां मृदुहास्या नानालङ्कार भूषिताम्।
मञ्जीर, हार, केयूर, किङ्किणि, रत्नकुण्डल, मण्डिताम्॥
प्रफुल्ल वदनांचारू चिबुकां कान्त कपोलाम् तुगम् कुचाम्।
कोमलाङ्गी स्मेरमुखी श्रीकंटि निम्ननाभि नितम्बनीम्॥
Vande Vanchhita Kamarthe Chandrardhakritashekharam।
Simharudha Ashtabhuja Kushmanda Yashasvinim॥
Bhaswara Bhanu Nibham Anahata Sthitam Chaturtha Durga Trinetram।
Kamandalu, Chapa, Bana, Padma, Sudhakalasha, Chakra, Gada, Japawatidharam॥
Patambara Paridhanam Kamaniyam Mriduhasya Nanalankara Bhushitam।
Manjira, Hara, Keyura, Kinkini, Ratnakundala, Manditam॥
Praphulla Vadanamcharu Chibukam Kanta Kapolam Tugam Kucham।
Komalangi Smeramukhi Shrikanti Nimnabhi Nitambanim॥
Stotra -
दुर्गतिनाशिनी त्वंहि दरिद्रादि विनाशनीम्।
जयंदा धनदा कूष्माण्डे प्रणमाम्यहम्॥
जगतमाता जगतकत्री जगदाधार रूपणीम्।
चराचरेश्वरी कूष्माण्डे प्रणमाम्यहम्॥
त्रैलोक्यसुन्दरी त्वंहि दुःख शोक निवारिणीम्।
परमानन्दमयी, कूष्माण्डे प्रणमाम्यहम्॥
Durgatinashini Tvamhi Daridradi Vinashanim।
Jayamda Dhanada Kushmande Pranamamyaham॥
Jagatamata Jagatakatri Jagadadhara Rupanim।
Charachareshwari Kushmande Pranamamyaham॥
Trailokyasundari Tvamhi Duhkha Shoka Nivarinim।
Paramanandamayi, Kushmande Pranamamyaham॥
Kavacha -
हंसरै में शिर पातु कूष्माण्डे भवनाशिनीम्।
हसलकरीं नेत्रेच, हसरौश्च ललाटकम्॥
कौमारी पातु सर्वगात्रे, वाराही उत्तरे तथा,
पूर्वे पातु वैष्णवी इन्द्राणी दक्षिणे मम।
दिग्विदिक्षु सर्वत्रेव कूं बीजम् सर्वदावतु॥
Hamsarai Mein Shira Patu Kushmande Bhavanashinim।
Hasalakarim Netrecha, Hasaraushcha Lalatakam॥
Kaumari Patu Sarvagatre, Varahi Uttare Tatha,
Purve Patu Vaishnavi Indrani Dakshine Mama।
Digvidikshu Sarvatreva Kum Bijam Sarvadavatu॥
So, worship Goddess Kushmanda today and get blessed with inner strength, good health and prosperity.
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