Essence of Durgà Puja

The Shakti or the Cosmic Active Power or Energy has, in Hindu scriptures, been
depicted as a mother because a mother is the giver of life and sustenance to her
offspring. Shakti as Parâshakti or Adishakti is the Cosmic Original Energy:
Source of Existence and Potentialities. Adishakti is Absolute Original Power from
which everything emerges and into which everything merges back. Original here
means that which has no origin. She is also the Power of Creation, Preservation,
Destruction, Ignorance, Projection, Absorption, Elevation, Grace and Illumination.
She is power of matter, energy, life, action, knowledge, ignorance, will, desire,
instincts, consciousness, unconsciousness, sub-consciousness and super-
consciousness. She is in fact the embodiment of all knowable and imaginable powers
(both positive/constructive and negative/destructive) in the whole universe and still
beyond knowledge and imagination. She is the Supreme Ruler and Goddess of the
whole Universe (Mahàdevi/ Mahàshakti/ Ishvari). These aspects have been depicted
by the Devi’s multiples hands, weapons, and sitting on the king of animals. She is the
One Power controlling and subjugating the all the different spheres such as the
geosphere, the biosphere, the psychosphere as well as the spirituosphere.

Everactive Adishakti or Prakriti has a hidden immutable dimension called Purusha or

Shiva or Nàràyana or Brahman. These twin dimensions are inseparable because in
essence they are One and Non-dual. They are like fire and light or fire and heat.
In the Devi Mahatmyam of Màrkandeya Purana, the glories and prowess of Shakti are
exemplified and chanted. She is called Mahàmàyà (Supreme Immeasurable Power
which no other power could counter), Yoganidrà (Cosmic Slumber or Night where
there is no creation), Vishnumàyà (Cosmic Illusion Power which makes the universe
possible, the Cause of all causes).

Her Nature is considered as uncreated, original. Her Form is embodied as the

universe, which she pervades and sustains. Her Function is to accomplish the purpose
of the Devas, the cosmic forces acting in accordance with Cosmic Design. Her abode
is Hari-netra-kritàlayà, that is, She is Active Power dwelling in the seeing of
Supreme Being, the One who remains after dissolution of everything (haram) by
Shakti. During cosmic dissolution, She assumes the Power of Cosmic Absoption or
Deep Sleep (Yoganidrà) overpowering the awareness of the Supreme Being and
during cosmic actualisation (day of Brahmà), She is Vishnumàyà, the All-pervading
Cosmic Power. She is the Shakti which activates the Supreme Being’s will for cosmic
manifestation and She is the Shakti which symbolically puts the Supreme Being to
sleep. Such is the significance of Adi-Shakti. Everything happens through Her, the
Cosmic Power, or the Energy Aspect of the Life. It has been said that without Shakti,
Being is impotent and without Being, Shakti is barren.

To illustrate Shakti’s power and significance, the Chandee relates three main episodes:
the slaying of Madhu/Kaitabha, the destruction of Mahishàsura, and the elimination of
Shumbha/Nishumbha.
THE SLAYING OF MADHU AND KAITABHA
According to the legend, when Brahmà appeared in the lotus emerging from the navel
of Vishnu, who was still under the influence of Yoganidrà, two fierce demons called
Madhu and Kaitabha emerged from the ears of Vishnu (when one is immersed in
sleep, one’s ears are naturally impervious to sound and Sound stands for Creation or
Brahmà). These demons, who are the tamasic aspects of Shakti, represent the forces
creating obstacles to the process of creation or creativity. Hence the fear of Brahmà,
the one responsible for creation. Moreover, without the ordering effect of Vishnu’s
look (Ikshàna Kriya), there could be no proper organisation of creation at all. Thus
Brahmà invoked the power of Yoganidrà to withdraw from Hari’s eyes so that the
creation project could proceed without impediment and chaos. The Shakti
immediately released Vishnu from her self-absorption power; Vishnu,who instantly
recovered His intelligence and power, then playfully and craftily (through Shakti’s
Power of Delusion) killed both demons. This episode shows how even the Cosmic
Being is overpowerd by the Devi, His own Power.

THE DESTRUCTION OF MAHISHA (Mahishàsura-mardanam)

According to this legend, a great demon called Mahisha launched an attack on the
godly forces (forces of nature in Heaven) with a view to taking over control of the
worldly affairs and creating a chaotic world design. The gods, forces of unity,
harmony and expansion, ran to the Trinity (Shakti in three higher aspects) for succour.
Then, all the gods and the three great Gods concentrated and combined their energies,
which manifested as Durga, the Supreme Terrible Power. She then vanquished
Mahisha’s armies led by Chiksura and Chàmara and finally killed Mahisha, who kept
changing forms during the terrible battle.

Symbolically, Mahisha means the ruler (isha) of the worldly sphere (Mahi). On earth,
the ruler is man’s ego or persona. Ego, the rajasik aspect of power, is viewed as a
demon, a very crude form of human consciousness, blinded by self pride and
ignorance. When the ego defies the forces of nature and misappropriates nature for its
selfish pursuits instead of global welfare, there is a great disturbance in nature, which
demands restoration of balance. The ever deficient, dissatisfied and depressed ego,
which constantly changes its masks in order to foster its own security, superiority and
sensual pleasures, is basically a residual animal instinct of self-preservation through
aggressiveness and sexuality. This is why Mahisha is depicted as half animal and half
human. To combat this cancerous entity, all the forces of order and welfare gather
their energies into one Supreme Power (Chit Shakti), who first eliminates the army of
four dark forces under the leadership of Chiksura and Chàmara (Pride and Prejudice).
Finally, the root cause of evil, Mahishàsura, is subdued with Devi’s sword of spiritual
wisdom. Natural order (devaràjya) is then restored and the heavenly gods are happy
again. It all happened through the gathering of all the natural and orderly energies into
n undivided energy of awareness.

THE KILLING OF RAKTABIJA, SHUMBHA AND NISHUMBHA

This legend relates the mounting power of two demoniac brothers, Shumbha and
Nishumbha (vanity & possessiveness – I & my: two energy-forms of separative ego),
who turned the heavenly gods (natural harmonious order) into slaves of destructive
forces. The gods then invoked the Mâhâshakti and reminded Her of the promise to
save them in times of danger. During the invocation, the Shakti is praised as the
aggregate of all powers ranging from material, biological, psychological to spiritual
forces ruling over man, nature and the whole universe. Then Ambikà (Mother, source
of power and sustenance) or Kaushiki (Light of pure consciousness) issued from the
body of Pàrvati, the mountain-girl, who could sit in meditation like a mountain –
completely silent and still. This Divine Light can only emerge from complete stillness
and silence of the attentive mind.

This indicates the emerging of spiritual Chit shakti, which laid hidden after creating
the body and world, from the poised body-senses-mind complex (kosha). Then
Chanda and Munda (forces of attraction and aversion) tried to appropriate the Most
Beautiful Shakti for the self-gratification of the ego’s vanity and possessiveness. But
the Shakti imposes the condition that only the one conquering Her in battle and
humbling Her, thus becoming her match in strength, shall be Her Master and Lord.
Only the Divine Being has such a power and none else. These demons, who were
crude psychic energies, tried to overpower Her by force and thus got engaged in a
terrible war with Her.

The first demon leader She killed was Dhumralochana, the one with smoke in the
eyes, veiled/unclear vision of limited selfish consciousness. She then slayed Chanda
and Munda (sense of duality inhabiting a limited selfish consciousness), as if
sacrificing animals and became famous as Chàmundà. She thereafter gathered all
Her various forces (Matris) into one Force and She (Shivaduti) sent Shiva, underlying
pure consciousness, as her messenger to persuade the demons to retreat and surrender.
As the gentle persuasion failed to produce the expected result, a terrible war ensued.
Raktabija, who had the capacity of multiplying himself from the drops of his blood
falling on the ground, engaged himself in the war. Raktabija stands for the capacity of
thought and desire to multiply itself endlessly in the seedful (bija) egoic mind,
especially when faced with mortal danger. Meditation, the process of enlightenment,
involves the destruction of the stream of automatic thoughts and multiplying desires.
These thoughts usually tend to multiply and harass novice practitioners, who tend to
renounce the path.
As Raktabija was injured by the Màtris, Kàlikà, the dark space of meditative
attention, absorbed all the blood (rakta) dripping from his wounds and debarred him
of the possibility of multiplication. And finally, Kaushiki (Light of pure awareness)
burnt him to death. This is related to the process of meditation, where the thinking
process of the reflective mind is completely absorbed by spiritual absorption till the
annihilation of thought by divine awareness. Thereafter, the Shakti eliminated
Nishumbha (greed, possessiveness). She then flung Shumbha (egotism, vanity) to the
ground and killed him by piercing his heart. The enjoyer aspect of ego, vanity, after
being dispossessed of its twin force, greed, is thus reduced to dust. Finally, victory is
secured and natural balance is restored.

DURGA PUJA

Durgà is considered as the Supreme Power of the Eternal, Perfect and Holy Being,
underlying the whole existence. She is the Supreme Source of all Powers and
Energies (Nârâyani, Brahmâni or Parâshakti). There is no Power above Her; She is
Being in action or dynamic active Being. Man, after acknowledging the existence of
such a Divine Power, invokes Her asistance to purify (Kàli), edify (Lakshmi) and
elevate (Sarasvati) his consciousness till total merging into the Absolute
Consciousness. The day of total mergence is considered as the celebration of the
Ultimate Victory (Vijayadashami).

It is an undeniable fact that man has within himself so many adverse forces thriving,
colliding and creating much disorder and suffering. His unrestrained and hectic
thoughts, feelings, urges such as fears, yearnings, anger, hatred, pride, selfishness,
jealousy, pettiness and so on act as lawless villains that disrupt the natural
balance(devarâjya). To restore the balance, these disruptive forces have to be
exterminated. When no amount of gentle persuasion and counselling works, one has
to call upon a Superior Power (Chiti) through the accumulation of dissipated energies
and will power. The development of an unfragmented, single-pointed attention
together with a strong resolve and a fiery, ferocious passion for self-realisation and
liberation are the necessary conditions to attain that end. This passion is painted as the
sanguine Kâli destroying everything perverted, petty and phoney on Her way with
her clear-sighted sword. She then wears the garland made of the skulls of the false
and distorted values She has rectified. Entering the dark space of attention is
something like moving towards death and self-destruction to the insecure ego.

This purification/cleansing process is the first step in the project of restoring peace
and harmony. During the first three nights of Navaratri, Kàli, the Destructive Dark
Force, is invoked for the destruction of all inner negative tendencies, forces and
agents. Three nights are needed to operate at physical, emotional and mental levels.

During the next three nights, Lakshmi, the Protective Force of Good Fortune, is
invoked for re-orientation of consciousness. This is the stage of cultivating and
preserving moral, ethical, noble and spiritual values and traits which will foster self-
control, love, kindness and sensitivity. Having been able to go through the process of
dying and ego-destruction is indeed viewed as good fortune.
During the last three nights, Sarasvati, the Creative Power and Bestower of the
Essence (Sara) of True Self, is invoked for realisation of Being. This is the stage of
spiritual learning and mystical realisation which will set us free from bondage, from
illusion. Saraswati is usually depicted as seated on a lotus which indicates One whose
consciousness is well established in transcendental knowing. As upholder of truth,
She holds the scriptures pointing to the path and the goal. She plays the Lute of the
silent and still mind and intellect to show the activity of drawing out divine melody or
essence or harmony from within consciousness. The lotus or rosary in Her hand,
points to the principle of constant realisation of the hidden aspects and levels of
Being.

On the tenth day, Vijayadashami is celebrated to indicate the destruction of the root
of evil, of ego, of separative existence. Durgà, who is the combination of all the three
forces into One Undivided Energy permeating consciousness throughout, is
worshipped in grandiose fashion. This is the stage of final emancipation whereby one
reaches the Imperishable State beyond the Veil of Illusion and Ignorance
(Mahàmàyà).
 9 ASPECTS OF DURGÀ

Through the process of meditation, Shakti [chiti, chitshakti], our own superior
spiritual energy, awakens from Her stagnant state in the form of Shailaputri
and progresses through nine steps (nava) through diving into the night or
darkness (râtri) of inner consciousness.

1. Shailaputri: normal, physical, outward-flowing conscious energy is stilled

and turned inwards.

2. Brahmachârini: gathering of energies through the practice of stillness and

silence learned through satsanga (Devi’s meeting with Nârada : giver of
spiritual wisdom) and moving (chara) into the boundless space of pure
awareness (brahma).

3. Chandraghantâ: inner vibrations (ghantâ) of the accumulated energies are

triggered in the poised moon-like mind (Chandra). This refers to the inner call
for entering into the poised mental state.

4. Kushmânda: Sitting on the conserved physical and psychological energies

without moving away (kushma) just like a mother hen incubating her eggs
(anda).
5. Skandamâtâ: giving birth to (mâtâ) the passionate energy that accelerates the
single-pointed yearning for liberation from the illusion (Skanda), the killer of
tarakâsura: the impeder of liberation.

6. Kâtyâyani: manifestation of the Chitshakti through constant attention in the

herenow resulting from the spiritual vision in silence and stillness. She is
depicted as the offspring of the rishi, the seer, the inner looking awareness.

7. Kâlarâtri: manifestation of the spiritual energy, carrying the sharp sword of

discernment, that supports the mind in facing the innermost darkness of the
deeper unconscious levels (râtri), which appears as death (kâla). This triggers
the ability to discern between the underlying truth and the surface illusion.

8. Mâhâgauri: After crossing the utter darkness of the deeper unconscious

levels, the mind is soaked with the Supreme Soothing Light of Being.

9. Siddhidhatri: Merging continuously into that Light of Being, one attains the
complete fulfilment of life as an individual and one realises oneself as the
Absolute Ground of existence in Its unity and seeming diversity.

From that fulfilled and liberated state (Vijaya), one can move to the next stage
of helping to free others (muktash chânyân vimochayet-Vedas)

Thus, in the progression from Shailaputri à Siddhidhâtri, the yogi’s energy in

the form of Durgà Devi eliminates all the negative forces and obstacles (asuras,
râkshasas) that haunt our consciousness at superficial psychic levels. The six
most important asuras or group of foes, manifesting at thought, speech and
action/behaviour levels, are:

1. lustfulness & sexual debauch,

2. aggressiveness & defensiveness,

 3. greediness & possessiveness,

4. delusion & irrationality,

5. pride & vanity,

6. envy & betrayal.

Caution: Merely involving in the ritual year in and year out is but participating in the
traditional celebration, which is devoid of the true wisdom, spirit and beauty of the
Shakti. The Durga Puja is meant for spiritual cleansing, upliftment and enlightenment.
So, dear ones: Awake, Rise and Realise so as to be no longer harassed by the evil
forces, leading to self-destruction and suffering to others.

koosradha@gmail.com
Speech delivered on the occasion of Durga Pooja: 1997 at the Sai Centre of Chemin
Grenier.

Put on Facebook upon the special request from a very good friend Vinod (Italy) for
other friends who have left Mauritius, such Varsha (Ireland), Yoghesh (London),
Vinusha (Australia), Rajeev (Seychelles), Ravi (Italy) and others close to the heart.
Happy Durgà puja to all of you.

Koosraj-3.10.2010