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प्रथमं शैलपुत्रीति द्वितीयं ब्रह्मचारिणी ।
देव्याः कवचम्
तृतीयं चन्द्रघण्टेति कूष्माण्डेति चतुर्थकम् ॥
पञ्चमं स्कन्दमातेति षष्ठं कात्यायनी तथा ।
सप्तमं कालरात्रिश्च महागौरीति चाष्टमम् ॥
नवमं सिद्धिदात्री च नवदुर्गाः प्रकीर्तिताः ।
उक्तान्येतानि नामानि ब्रह्मणैव महात्मना ॥
prathamaṃ śailaputrīti dvitīyaṃ brahmacāriṇī |
Devyāḥ Kavacam
tṛtīyaṃ candraghaṇṭeti kūṣmāṇḍeti caturthakam ||
pañcamaṃ skandamāteti ṣaṣṭhaṃ kātyāyanī tathā |
saptamaṃ kālarātriśca mahāgaurīti cāṣṭamam ||
navamaṃ siddhidātrī ca navadurgāḥ prakīrtitāḥ |
uktānyetāni nāmāni brahmaṇaiva mahātmanā ||
First is Śailaputrī, second is Brahmacāriṇī,
third is Candraghaṇṭā, Kūṣmāṇḍā is fourth;
fifth is Skandamatā, sixth is Kātyāyanī,
and seventh is Kālaratri, and Mahāgaurī is eighth;
and ninth is Siddhidātrī, these are well-known as the Navadurgās,
these names were indeed uttered by the great Lord Brahma himself.
This article is Part 8 in the Navadurgā series, describing the eighth of the Navadurgās, Devī Mahāgaurī, who is worshiped on the aṣṭamīī tithi. The previous installments of the series can be accessed below:
- Part 1 on Śailaputrī Devī
- Part 2 on Brahmacāriṇī Devī
- Part 3 on Candraghaṇṭā Devī
- Part 4 on Kūṣmāṇḍā Devī
- Part 5 on Skandamātā Devī
- Part 6 on Kātyāyanī Devī
- Part 7 on Kālarātrī Devī
|| Mahāgauri iti ca Aṣṭamam ||
श्वेते वृषे समारूढा
श्वेताम्बरधरा शुचि:।
महागौरी शुभं दद्यान्
महादेवप्रमोददा ॥
śvete vṛṣe samārūḍhā
śvetāmbaradharā śuciḥ |
mahāgaurī śubhaṃ dadyān
mahādevapramodadā ||
The one with white complexion, riding on a bull,
wearing white coloured garments, the pure one,
Goddess Mahāgaurī, bestow auspiciousness,
the one who delights in Mahādeva, Lord Śiva.
Devī is worshiped as the Navadurgā Mahāgaurī on the aṣṭamī tithi. Mahā meaning “great”, and Gauri referring to the color white. She provides relief from all the sufferings in life: known as the forgiving Goddess, she forgives all devotees and purifies them of their pāpa. She denotes peace and endurance, and can fulfill all the desires of her devotees.
Mahāgaurī is a caturbhuja Navadurgā, having four hands. She holds a triśula, ḍamaru, and has one hand in abhaya mudra. In some depictions, her fourth hand clasps a lotus, while in others, it is in varada mudra. She wears a dazzling mukuṭa (crown) and dons a white or pink saree. Like Devī Śailaputrī, she rides the bull Nandi.
As per śastra - The asuras Śumbha and Niśumbha could only be killed by a female child of Devī Pārvatī. Hence, as advised by Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva used his power to turn Pārvatī`s skin black, giving her the epithet “Kālī”, meaning “black”. However, the word “Kālī” can also mean “death”, so Pārvatī was teased to no end.Agitated by this teasing, she began to cry and lament this. It was then that Ādi Parā Śakti appeared in front of her and tried to cheer her up. She told the tearful Pārvatī to go to the Himālaya and do severe penance for Lord Brahmā. So Pārvatī Devī did just this, and once there she chanted his name for a long time, never once stopping. Her penance was so severe that finally, Lord Brahmā appeared there and advised her to bathe in the Mānasarovar. As she took this bath, her dark skin separated from her and took the rūpa of another Devī. She was called Kaushiki, being born from the skin of Parvati. Kauśikī Devī in this way is known as a “daughter” of Devī Pārvatī, and we read about her helping Mā Kālarātri and others on the battlefield, against the hordes of asura armies, in various Purāṇas. As a result of the separation from her black skin, Devī Pārvatī gained her fair complexion back. Thereafter, she was known as Mahāgaurī - the most beautiful Navadurgā rūpa.
Goddess Caṇḍī, other than Devī Candraghantā, killed the asura Dhūmralocana (Śrī Durgā Saptaṣatī, adhyaya six), while the asuras Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa were killed by Cāmuṇḍā Devī, who appeared from the third eye of Caṇḍī (Śrī Durgā Saptaṣatī, adhyaya seven). Even today, Goddess Cāmuṇḍā is revered as the warrior Goddess across Bhāratavarṣa, with one of her most famous shrines located in Cāmuṇḍa Hills in Mysuru, Karnataka.
Caṇḍī then transformed into Kālrātri to kill Raktabījāsura (Śrī Durgā Saptaṣatī, adhyaya eight). In adhyayas nine and ten of Śrī Durgā Saptaśatī, where Niśumbha and Śumbha vadha are detailed respectively, Devī Mahāgaurī gives her fair complexion to Kauśikī and again attains the form of Kālī Mā. Goddesses Sarasvatī and Lakṣmī provide their strength and capabilities to Kālī Mā, as a result of which Mā Kālī transforms again into Caṇḍī or Raṇacaṇḍī. She vanquished the hordes of asuras, along with their commanders. Finally it is Kauśikī Devī who kills Niśumbha and Śumbha. After all, only a daughter of Pārvatī was to slaughter them. Devī Kauśikī then merged back with Cāṇḍī Mā, transforming her back to Mahāgaurī rūpa.
त्र्यक्षरी दिव्य-गन्धाढ्या सिन्दूर-तिलकाञ्चिता । उमा शैलेन्द्रतनया गौरी गन्धर्व-सेविता ॥ १२६ ॥
श्री ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्रम्
tryakṣarī divya-gandhāḍhyā sindūra-tilakāñcitā | umā śailendratanayā gaurī gandharva-sevitā || 126 ||
Śrī Lalitā Sahasranāma Stotram
Gaurī pūja is commonly performed across Bhāratavarṣa on the aṣṭamī tithi of śukla pakṣa during Āśvayuja māsa - on the eighth day of Śāradīya Navarātrī. This ritual is famously known as Aṣṭamī pūjā. There is also a Gaurī pūjā that occurs during the Gaṇeśa caturthī festival in Bhādrapada māsa, a few weeks before the start of Navarātrī. Along with welcoming Śrī Gaṇeśa into the home, a Gaurī-Gaṇeśa pūjā is performed by married women for the health and well-being of their family.
Devī Mahāgaurī abides in the viśeddha or throat cakra. Here, Mahāgaurī symbolizes purity and inner strength. Similar to Skandamātā of the same cakra, this rūpa emphasizes the importance of clear communication and self-expression.
Mahāgaurī is associated with the planet Rāhu, and her favorite flower is the night-blooming jasmine or mogra. Her favorite color is purple, and riding the bull Nandi she is also known as Vṛṣārūḍhā.
This aṣṭamī, may we gain peace and the ability to endure all experiences - which comes from inner purity and strength - through the upāsanā of Devī Mahāgaurī.
Next - Siddhidātrī | Navadurgā - Part 9
References
- Śrī Durgā Saptaśatī, Devī Māhātmyam, Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa
- Navadurgā Stotram
- Śrī Lalitā Sahasranāma Stotram, Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa
- Durga Puja or Navaratri
- Navadurga Symbolism of Chakra Awakening
- Significance of Navadurga
- 9 Divine Forms of Goddess Durga