The Queen of the Universe—Kunal Roy

According to Hindu belief, it is difficult to witness the divine presence of the Mother Goddess. And Her name is Durga.

 After killing Durgamasur to protect the world from his torture and sufferings, the Goddess came to be known as " Durga". It is very difficult to know the "Mother of the Universe". The expression 'Du' means difficult and 'Ga' means going. It is quite synonymous with one's keen interest to enter 'Durg' - the fort. The expression "Durgam" suggests something which is difficult to obtain or achieve. And surprisingly, with the addition of an "a", it becomes 'Durga'.

   She has ten hands. She controls the ten different directions. She is omniscient. She is with her spouse Lord Shiva and her four children namely Laxmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesha. A true devotee gets everything from her. Apart from the divine consciousness ( Brahma Gyan), one can also have the worldly pleasures from her. In 'Sudhamayi Chandi', it is mentioned that both King Suratha and Samadhi Vaishya worshipped her. However, Kind Suratha got back his kingdom and Samadhi Vaishya was bestowed with divine consciousness.

   In the temple premises, the banayan tree is found. People opine She is the spouse of Ganesha. But the truth is, it is called 'Navapatrika'. Seven types of trees. 'Potrika' means which has potro ( leaf). They are the various incarnations of Adi Shakti. They are also worshipped with her.

   The goddess is made of mud and straw. But on Astami, Kumari Puja is held with much pomp and splendour. She is worshipped in the forms of tree, mud and human being . The tree has life , but it is motionless. And Kumari is a little girl, a human being. So the Goddess is invoked in three different forms. She is Parashakti. She is one, but different with the same purpose! 

   There is a reason for placing the Ghot ( The Divine Vessel) in front of her. This vessel stands for the devotee. The water in it is the mind , the mango leaves arranged perfectly on its mouth symbolise our sense organs and the gold kept under the water is the soul. 

   The Goddess was created when the ' divine energy ' of all the Gods united. It shows that unity is strength. At this very hour the honest men feel insecured and helpless. The reason is obvious. They are not united unlike the dishonest ones. This is the prime significance of "Chandi": In Kaliyuga 'Solidarity' matters the most!

   The Goddess is decked up with ten different weapons. It has a reason. The good people should always have weapons with them. They know how to use them in the apt hour. Dishonest ones should remain empty handed! 

   The divine energy of Lord Shiva created the countenance of the Goddess. Shiva is always in deep penance. It shows how to act with patience in the midst of tough times.

  The divine energy of Lord Vishnu created the Goddess ' arms. Vishnu is the preserver of the cosmos. It shows if our deeds help the society to grow or expand or just serve our own interest. If our deed or Karma helps others to a great extent, it is the Divine Karma! 

   The divine energy of Lord Brahma created the feet of the Goddess. It shows one has to move and act. Brahma is the creator. It attempts to remind us if our actions are creative or not! According to " Chandi ", forsake the mundane chores, rise above and indulge in creativity.

    The trident was given by Shiva. The trident has three points - Sattava, Raja and Tamasa. One can be truly enlightened if one rises above all qualities. The weapon has two sides: one side has three sharp edges and the other side has only one sharp edge. The world has two faces. On one hand, there is an interplay of three Gunas and the other, the realisation of the One and Absolute ( Adwitiya Anubhava). Mahisasura was deeply engrossed in the Trigunas and so the Goddess killed him with the single sharp edge to grant him the absolute bliss.

  Vishnu gave her the divine discus. The moving discus shows the rapid changes of time and society. However, the hole in the middle shows everything becomes tranquil once one is able to hold the discus in a proper manner. This chiefly reminds us of the words of Sri Sri Thakur Ramakrishna, " Hold the God to do every task".

  Brahma, the creator gave her the garland, not of flowers, but of Rudraksha. The garland of deep meditation. This shows a human birth has to make an arduous journey to reach the zenith of moksha or true salvation! "Chandi" also focuses on this perennial truth.

   Durga Puja is not just a grand carnival, it is the timeless pride of Bengal. The Goddess is ubiquitous. She is above all the finite forms of the cosmos. She is the one and the only truth. She is always there to take care of her children. She is in us. She is the inspiration and the only instrument in putting us in the right direction!! 

                                Dr Kunal Roy 

(Assistant Professor, Department of English Language and Communication, George Group of Colleges, Kolkata)