Ya devi sarva bhuteshu, shanti rupena samsthita
Ya devi sarva bhuteshu, shakti rupena samsthita
Ya devi sarva bhuteshu, matri rupena samsthita
Ya devi sarva bhuteshu, buddhi rupena samsthita
Namastasyai, namastasyai, namastasyai, namo namaha
O omnipresent goddess who is the Universal Mother, the omnipresent goddess who embodies power, the omnipresent goddess who is peace personified, O Devi, who resides in all the living beings in the form of Buddhi (Intelligence) and Rupena (Beauty), I bow down to you over and over.
The months of October and November in India are full of celebration. With beautifully tinted skies, lit houses, and people looking their best in gorgeous ethnic attires, the entire country gets into a festive mood to celebrate Dussehra and Diwali. However, they are both preceded by Navratri: nine days of fasting and worshipping of goddess Durga and her nine divine manifestations. “The Navratri season is a time when Maa Durga pays a visit to her parents on Earth, along with her children, and relaxes at her Maayka (maternal home). She brings hope, prosperity, happiness, and strength, and blesses us with her presence,” my grandfather used to tell me when I was a little kid.
Being a Bengali (the Durga Pujo tradition is very prominent in Bengal), I have always wondered about the significance of Devi Shakti (divine feminine energy), also called Maa Shakti (Divine Mother), who is worshipped in the form of Goddess Durga in the Hindu tradition. I have always felt that Maa Durga is not just some deity or a god-like entity but divine energy that resides in all of us. This divine energy makes us fight our battles and live a righteous life.
This story is from the November 2020 edition of Life Positive.
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This story is from the November 2020 edition of Life Positive.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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