::: Devi | Goddess
:::
1. Goddess Durga, who is
the ultimate form of Vegdevi, is the undifferentiated
power that creates and procreates.
::: Durga | The Inaccessible
:::
2. As a consort of Shiva,
Durga, the Supreme deity, destroyed a demon at the
request of the gods. She delivers the devotes from
fear. She is accessible only through pure devotion
and prayers.
::: Tribhuvaneshwari
| Goddess of The Three Worlds :::
3. The Goddess assumes the
name and form of Bhuvaneshwari whose forces constitute
the material world. With a complexion like the effulgence
of the rising sun, she reigns supreme in the three
worlds.
::: Yashodagarbha
Samboota | Emerging From Yashoda's Womb :::
4. Goddess Durga is believed
to be the daughter of Yashoda, and hence, the sister
of Krishna. She is great strength and great intelligence.
She is the beloved of Shiva.
::: Narayanavarapriya
| Fond of Narayana's Booms :::
5.She, who lives in every
being as Vishu Maya, is always fond of Narayana's
boons being bequeathed on His devotess.
::: Nandagopakulajta
| Daughter of the Nandagopa Race :::
6. She is wife of Shiva,
and the daughter of the Nandagopa race, She is the
source of all that is good and auspicious. She is
the Queen of the universe, and Immanent in all.
::: Mangalya | Auspicious
:::
7. Mangalya, the personification
of everything auspicious, is the embodiment of the
64arts or nityakal, the divine forces that are instrumental
in dispellin gthe forces of dualism.
::: Kulvardhini |
Progenitor of The Race :::
8. As Ultimate Power and
Ruler of the universe, Goddess Durga is the Progenitor;
the sustained and protector of all the races. She
blesses the races with progeny.
::: Kansavidravanakari
| Threatened Kansa :::
9. In this form, the Goddess
threatened Kansa, the dreaded uncle of Lord Krishna,
of being vanquished by his nephew, her brother.
::: Asurakshayamkari
| Destroyer of Demons :::
10. Slaying the heads of
numerous demons, earned her this name. She thus
rids the distressed of the fear of evil and protects
them.
::: Shilathata Vinikshibda
| At Birth, Slammed by Kansa :::
11. Believed to be the Daughter
of Yashoda, Goddess Durga was slammed against the
wall at birth by Kansa. But the powerful Goddess
being beyond death, survived it and foretold Kansa's
end of being vanquished by her brother.
::: Akashagamini
| Flits in The Sky :::
12. The Great Goddess is
described as clothed in space, sky-clad and can
also travel in the sky. She is Nature in her pristine
openness. Her motherhood is a ceaseless creative
process.
::: Vasudevabhagini
| Sister Of Vasudeva :::
13. Goddess Durga is the
female counterpart of Vishnu, bearing the Shanka,
Chakra and Gada. She is Mahalakshmi, the Power of
Vishnu, and sister Vaishnavi of Vasudeva, who is
Vishnu.
::: Divyamalya Vibhooshita
| Adorned with Beautiful Garlands :::
14. She has a garland of
suns. Adorned with these beautiful garlands She
looks radiant.
::: Divyambaradhara
| Beautifully Robed :::
15. The beautifully robed
Goddess is present in all beings as an embodiment
of Pure Consciousness and Wisdom. She in the Source
of the perennial beauty, clad in her special and
beautiful garments.
::: Khadgaketakadharini
| Bearer of Sword And Shield :::
16. Mother Goddess, personifying
victory and success, bears a sword and shield in
her hands, weapons that destory, figuratively speaking,
lust ego and evil.
::: Shiva | Auspicious
:::
17. The beloved Goddess is
the aggregate of the three powers of will, action
and knowledge. She is formless, undifferentiated
Consciousness, and embodies all that is true, auspicious
and pure.
::: Papadharini |
Bearer of Others' Sins :::
18. As Queen of the entire
universe, moving and non-moving, she takes upon
herself the sins of others, thereby protecting them
from evil.
::: Varada | Granter
of Booms :::
19. Goddess Durga is the
greatest granter of boons to her most beloved devotess.
The Supreme form embraces all these- space, time,
matter and energy, mind and life which are manifestations
of consciousness.
::: Krishna | Sister
of Krishna :::
20. As the Sister of Krishna,
for She incarnated in the family of Nandagopa, She
is worshiped by all the gods upon their salvation
from the dreaded wicked forces. Her splendor is
praised by the devas. - Brahma, Vishnu and Indra.
::: Kumari | Young
Girl :::
21. The youthful Goddess
is depicted as a beautiful young Girl. Being eternally
young and graceful, she enjoys the company of Mahakala,
Eternal Time and is thus named Kumari.
::: Brahmacharini
| Seeker of Brahman :::
22. The Great Goddess, the
antecedent to all Triads, [ Trimurtis, Trigunas,
the three worlds], seeks Brahman, the Supreme Soul.
::: Balarka Sadrishakara
| Like the Rising Sun :::
23. Like the rising sun that
enevelopes the world in its embrace, Goddess Durga
embraces all. There are 360 Kalas or rays that emanate
from the Goddess' feet. All these are so many aspects
of the Primordial Power of the Goddess.
::: Purnachandranibhanana
| Beautiful like the full Moon :::
24. Adorned with the beautiful
full moon, the great Goddess is the source of all
powers and energies. She is beautiful, shining like
the full moon, with a beautiful smile.
::: Chaturbhuja |
Four - Armed :::
25. The great Goddess sports
four arms. In one hand she holds a scimitar, in
one the head of a demon held by his hair, the third
is held open, bestowing a blessing, and the fourth
holds spear.
::: Chaturvaktra
| Four - Faced :::
26. The four-faced Durga,
with a moonlike face, is effulgent like the rays
of the powerful sun. She is engergy, the power behind
all creation.
::: Peenashronipayodhara
| Large-Bosomed :::
27. The Beautiful, large-bosomed
Durga is radiant like the brilliance of a thousand
suns. The Ultimate Mother is to be visualized as
a great and deep lake of consciousness, un comprehended
by space and time.
::: Mayoorapichhavalaya
| Wearer of Bangles Made up of Peacock Feathers
:::
28. Goddess Durga, who is
present in all beings as the shadow of the Real
Being, loves to sport bangles made of peacock feathers.
::: Keyurangadadharini
| Bejewelled with Armlets and Bracelets :::
29. Goddess Durga wears armlets
and bracelets as weapons and also as jewels. By
the brilliance of the jewels in the ornaments, the
stars are put to shame, suggesting her brilliant
cosmic dimensions.
::: Krishnachhavisama
| Like Krishna's Radiance :::
30. Goddess Durga, radiant
like Krishna in all his splendor, is the basis of
all happiness.
::: Krishna | Dark
- Complexioned :::
31. The Goddess is beautiful
but dark complexioned, being Infinite like the vast
space, representing the orignial state of the universe.
Worshiping her is characterized by fervent self
surrender to the Mother, not only by intellect,
but also by mind and body.
::: Sankarshanasamanana
| Equal to Sankarshana :::
32. As the Creator of the
universe Goddess Durga is the primary cause and
is also Shiva's power or Shakti. She is the Ardhanareshwari,
the female counterpart of Sankarshana, i.e., Shakti
and Shiva.
::: Indradhwaja Samabahudharini
| With Shoulders Like Indra's Flag :::
33. Goddess Durga's shoulders,
resembling Indra's flag, look grand and all powerful,
denoting the primal Energy and Strength.
::: Patradharini
| Vessel - Holder :::
34. Dazzling with all her
beauty, hte supreme deity holds a vessel of nectar
in one of her hands, denoting susteance and eternal
wealth.
::: Pankajadharini
| Lotus - Holder :::
35. Holding the lotus in
her hand, the Goddess in manifested with pure self-consciousness.
Seated on a lotus, the light from both her feet
defeats the lotus in brightness, denoting that she
dispels ignorance.
::: Kanthadhara |
Holder of Shiva's Neck :::
36. As creator of the universe,
a projection of the mind through the senses, Goddess
Durga is the Primordial Energy, dwelling in Lord
Shiva. She held his neck when he swallowed the poison,
arresting the poison from descending further into
his body.
::: Pashadharini
| Holder of Rope :::
37. Goddess Durga, holding
a rope in one hand, is the power behind all creation,
the only support for all in the universe.
::: Dhanurdharni
| Holder of Bow :::
38. As the wielder of the
bow and other weapons, Goddess Durga manifests as
triumph of virtues over evil. She manifests as the
supreme being who lights all the three worlds.
::: Mahachakradharini
| Holder of Chakra :::
39. The Goddess who creates,
preserves and destroys, holds the chakra in her
hand, browbeating the bloated ego of the demons.
::: Vividayudhadhara
| Bearer of Various Weapons :::
40. Goddess Durga is indestructible
and changeless, but is the changing basis of all
change. She is adamant in her destructive power
of evil, and her various weapons denote her triumph
over evil.
::: Kundalapurnakarna
Vibhooshita | Wearer of Earnings Covering The Ears
:::
41. The Goddess, eternally
pure, untouched, great and unsullied is resplendent
in all her glory, wearing beautiful earrings that
cover both her ears completely.
::: Chandravispardimukha
Virajita | Beautiful like The Moon :::
42. Resplendent with a forehead
like the moon, the beautiful Goddess is radiant
and attractive like the full moon. She is the centre
of the celestial the moon.
::: Mukutavirajita
| Shining with Crown Adorned :::
43. With a jeweled crown
adorning her head, Goddess Durga is significant
of mighty power. In this form she radiates light
the stars, brilliant and sparkling.
::: Shikhipichhadwaja
| Having Peacock - Feathered Flag :::
44. Goddess Durga holds aloft
a flag which is a peacock feather. Devotess worship
her by meditating, without any physical or mental
image or form to concentrate on. She is pure consciousness,
unformulated or undifferentiated.
::: Kaumaravratadhara
| Observer of Fasts Like Young Girls :::
45. The great, beautiful
Goddess observes fasts like young girls to please
her lord, Shiva.
::: Tridivabhavayirtri
| Goddess of the Three Worlds :::
46. This great Goddess of
the three worlds is worshiped by everybody including
the Devas, and is the possessor of all the good
qualities.
::: Tridashapoojita
| The Goddess of The Celestials :::
47. Goddess Durga is the
greatest of the goddesses, and the Goddess of the
celestial beings. She is Infinite, and the queen
of all. She leads devotees to the highest status
or reality, which is herself.
::: Treylokya Rakshini
| Protector of the three worlds :::
48. In this form, the Goddess
protects the three worlds from malefic effects.
She is equipped with an army of powers, signifying
the power she has over the three worlds.
::: Mahishasurananshini
| Destroyer of Mahisha :::
49. In this form, the Godess
slew the demon Mahishasura, appearing in the form
of a fierce buffalo. She is the personification
of destruction of all evils and illusions.
::: Prasnna | Cheerful
:::
50. The Goddess is the blissful
happiness of youth. As the eternally beautiful Devi,
she is in the center of the ocean of nectar. She
is the Abode of cheer and bliss, being the ultimate
power.
::: Surashreshtha
| Supreme Among The Celestial Beings :::
51. Manifested as energy
in every matter, Goddess Durga is the almighty power,
the ruler of the universe, and supreme among the
celestial beings.
::: Shiva | Shiva's
Half :::
52. Goddess Durga, as Shiva,
is Shiva's other half. She is the power in him,
the Ardhanareshwari, As Shiva and Shakti they are
inseparable.
:::
Jaya | Victorious :::
53. Goddess Durga represents the triumph of spirit
over obstacles. She is Shakti who destroys the various
forces of bondage.
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