NavDurga : 9 Avatars of Devi Durga

GODDESS DURGA

  "Devi Durga" or "Durga Maa" is the goddess of protection and motherhood.She is associated with strength,destruction and wars.She is aadishakti and source of everything.  Durga Maa is an incarnation or avatar  of Goddess Parvati. She took the avatar of Devi Durga to destroy Mahishasura- a demon who can make the form of a buffalo.

     Devi Durga is seen as a motherly figure and she also known as Durga maa  and often depicted as a beautiful woman, riding a lion or tiger, with many arms each carrying a weapon and often defeating and killing the demons.

       Devi Durga is worshipped all across India.Mainly 9 avatars  of Devi Durga is worshipped during Navaratri. Nine spiritual avatars of Goddess Durga that will make us blessed  and today we will talk about these Nine Avatars of Durga Maa which are as follows :

1. Mata Shailputri :    

      When Devi Sati consumed herself with her yogic shakti because Prajapati Daksha ( son of Lord Brahma) dishounered Lord Shiva by using bad words for him. 

    Devi Sati or Aadishakti taken birth as Parvati . She was daughter of King Himavat who was king of Himalaya and Queen Mainavati. "Shail" means mountain and as she was daughter of King of mountain , so she got the name of  Shailputri as a daughter of Shail or mountain.

2. Mata Brahmacharini :

   Second form of Devi Durga is Mata Brahmacharini. After the demise of Devi Sati, Lord Shiva went into deep penance. So to wake Lord Shiva from his penance and to attain him as her husband Devi Parvati did harsh penance. 

    She dressed herself as an female ascetic as she wore white clothes and dried Rudraksh Beads as her ornaments.She holds Mala in her right hand and kamandal in her left hand. In this form of Brahmacharni, Devi Parvati crossed the different levels of Penance or tapa  to convince Lord Shiva to marry her.

Read more : 8 avatars of Lord Ganesha

3. Mata Chandraghanta :

      Third form of Devi Durga is Mata Chandraghanta. In this form Mata Chandraghanta is always ready to fight demons.Her third eye is always open.She has Ten Hands having different kind of weapons in it.

  When Lord Shiva Went to marry Devi parvati,his appearence was scary that his whole body is covered with ashes and snakes are present in his hairs and all over his body. And procession of Lord Shiva was of ghosts, ghouls and demons.All relatives of Devi Parvati got scared and fainted.

   So to handle the situation,she transformed into a massive form of Chandraghanta. And in this form she went to Lord Shiva to transform himself into a noble form and after that Lord Shiva transformed into a handsome groom and they got married.

4. Mata Kushmanda :

        Fourth form Devi durga is Mata Kushmanda.When there was nothing in this universe and there was darkness everywhere,then Devi Kushmanda with her smile created the universe.

   She has eight hands and her vehicle is lion.She also likes Bali of white pumpkin known as Kushmanda. It is believed that all the power to bestow Siddhis and Niddhis are located in her Jap Mala and Devi Kushmanda wore different kinds of weapons in her hands.

5. Skandamata :

  Fifth form of Devi Durga is Skandamat. As she holds her son skanda ( other name of Karitkeya ) in one hand thats why she is known as Skandamata.She represents Devi Parvati in her stage of motherhood.   

     Fifth form of Devi Durga is Skandamata having four hands and rides a lion.She holds her son Skanda in her one hand and her other hand is placed in Abhaymudra to give blessings to her devotees, while in other two hands she holds lotus.

Read more : 19 avatars of Lord Shiva

6.  Mata Katyayani :

   Sixth form of Devi Durga is Mata katyeyani.She represents Parvati in warrior stage. Her four hands each carried a sword, shield, lotus and trident. She's seen seated on a fearsome lion. She is considered to be the slayer of Demon Mahishasura.He got boon from Lord Brahma that he will not be killed by any devas and Danavas.So Mata Katyeyani riding her lion killed Demon Mahishasura in a battle. 

7. Mata Kaalratri :

    Seventh and fearsome form of Mata Kalaratri. She represents Devi Parvati in form of destruction.This form of Goddess is believed to be the destroyer of all demon entities, ghosts, evil spirits and negative energies, who flee upon knowing of her arrival. She is Slayer of Demon chanda,munda , Raktbheeja.

8. Mata Mahagauri :

    Eight form of Devi Parvati is Mata Mahagauri.She represents Devi Parvati in her form of recovery.The one who worships the goddess, gets relief from all the sufferings in life. Mahagauri has four arms. Her right arm is in the pose of allaying fear and right lower hand holds a trident in it. She holds a tambourine in her left upper arm and the lower one is in the form of a blessing. She is slayer of Demon Shumbha and Nisumbha.

9. Mata Siddhidhatri :

     Ninth form of Devi Parvati is Mata Siddhishatri.She represents Parvati in her stage of reaching her highest and supreme form as Mahashakti. It is believed that one side of Lord Shiva’s body is that of Goddess Siddhidatri. Mata Siddhidharti is giver of accomplishments ( siddhi's ), thats why her name is Siddhidhatri.

                            || JAI MATA DI ||

Read more :

1. Shani Dev : God of Justice

2. Vayu Dev : God of Wind

3. Varun Dev : God of Oceans

4. Indra Dev : God of Thunder

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