When the Autumnal season turns the leafs to red, gold and brown..The Great Goddess Ma Durga is said to visit her earthly children with her celestial family.. The Goddess Durga is depicted as a beautiful lotus eyed woman , golden hued..riding on a Tiger or a Lion..she has eights hands carrying various weapons to destroy the evil enemies of the good and she also carries a conch shell, prayer bead and has one of her hands raised in benediction. She is dressed in red, gold, green and the beautiful colors of autumn.Sri Ma Sarada Devi who was the spiritual mentor of thosands in India once said.." There is a great worship taking place every moment in the universe..you can hear it in the songs of the birds and see it in the blossoms of the flowers..live each moment of your life carefully".
During the 10 days of ' Nava Ratri ' when she is said to visit Earth..her visit is celebrated with prayers, celebrations, music, dance and poetry. The eighth and ninth days are specially auspicious as she is said to have slain the great Demonic forces during those days. For spiritual aspirants,, fasting and special prayers and ' Homa' sacrificial offerings to the fire are performed.The season starting from ' Navaratri ( the nine days of Durga puja ..in mid October .until Diwali in November) is also known as `Devi Paksha'..the time ruled by the Goddess...The followers of the ancient Vedic religion worship her in her many aspects as Durga, MaKali and Ma Laxmi during this auspicious period of time. In Diwali which falls on November 2nd this year , people decorate their homes with ,lights and lamps and the auspicious new year is welcomes in with the offering of sweets and goodies to family, friends and community,Interestingly some other old religions such as Judaism celebrate their Thanksgiving and eight day festival of lights Hanukka during the month of November too
In the ancient Indian story of the great King Lord Rama who fought against the great evil Ravana it is said that he invoked the power and energy of the Goddess to finally defeat the demon.
That is why the 10th day Dasserah or Vijaya Dashami ( Victory) has a special significance in India. It is also the day on which the symbol of Ma Durga is symbolically immersed in water as she returns to her heavenly abode.
Reverend Swami Kripamayananda head of the Vedanta society of Toronto..beautifully explained the symbolism as saying that when we physically immerse the picture or the idol...
the spiritual presence of the great divine goddess does not disappear into the elements but goes deep into our hearts and souls where we must always make a place for her and feel her presence.
The worship of images and symbols..is the outer expression of the worship of divinity which must always be deep within each ..
This is a picture of the image of Godess Durga which was worshiped at the Vedanta society of Toronto during the recent festivity which fell on the Thanks giving weekend.19th Oct- 22nd Oct 2013.
The festival of Durga Puja or Dasserah has just ended and the earth now awaits her special blessings as Diwali the festival of lights is set to begin this week.
During Diwali the divine Goddess is worshiped as Ma Lakshmi in most of parts of India..while in N Eastern Indian especially in Bengal..the dark night of the coming lunar month is observed as the night of Ma Kali Puja..Revered Swami Kripamayananda Head of the Vedanta society of Toronto explained why Sri Ramakrishna the Indian mystic often said that the new moon night is very auspicious to spiritual aspirants . "The new moon ( or darkest night of the lunar month) represents the darkness that sometimes overwhelms our lives..when our world becomes dark it is then that we turn inwards to God" he explained beautifully. That is why Mother Durga in her fierce and relentless form as Bhardrakali or Mahakali has been worshiped as a protector against our enemies and all danger in bad times and in good times..since antiquity.
Picture of Bhavatarini MaKali who was worshiped by Sri Ramakrishna in Dakshineshwar India. This is her benign form which is worshiped by millions as a symbol of great protection.
MahaKali is the extreme symbolization of the Goddess since she is depicted as a ferocious dark hued woman with weapons..and a garland of skulls..walking amongst the dead .below her feet lies her unconscious husband the God Shiva..who is trying to stop her dance of death and destruction. She is usually worshiped.as Bhadrakali which is the benign form worshiped in most Ma Kali temples in India and the world over..in this form she is more benign..
Mahakali symbolizes the face of God which appears to man as the force behind extreme calamities like hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions..when thousands are killed..she is the face of God that rules in time of war and carnage. When galaxies collapse and Black holes devour entire solar systems..it is the hand of Mahakali taking entire creations into a dimension beyond..darkness, death and..time into a state that is eternal, pure and effulgent. Taking refuge in her..her followers believe that they are protected from the horrors which wars , life and natural calamities bring..Her appearance is frightening to those who cannot see that it is finally God behind everything good and bad that happens on earth...Finally she is the fearless Mother who strikes fear in the heart of your worst enemy in times of danger..She is the great protector against evil and demonic forces.
One then wonders if Ma Durga was to walk amongst humans as an ordinary human being what would she be like and who would she look like.?.would she be a bewitching beauty ..enticing men with her celestial outer beauty..? Would she want to attract humans by power, riches and glitter..or would she walk incognito ..arising the beauty, kindness, purity, spirituality and divinity in the hearts of all men and women? Maybe she would be the simplest of the simple and the humblest of the humble...The incarnations always choose the abode of the poor and the humble in heart.
Sri Ramakrishna the great spiritual mystic of India who saw the divine truth of all religions and the presence of the divine Mother in all women worshiped his own wife Sri Sarada Devi as Shodashi the great divine Mother..she became the living symbol of inner beauty, the essence of Mother hood , kindness , tolerance and magnitude in heart and spirit. Her outer beauty was hidden from the world as her inner beauty blossomed and touched the life of millions even after her passing.. Her qualities are depth, kindness, patience, spirituality, kindness, wisdom, inner strength, foresightedness and motherly love towards all creatures..to name a few..For further reading ( ..www.belurmath.org/srisaradadevi.htm )
This is a photograph of Ma Sarada Devi who is a symbol of purity, spirituality and essence of Motherly love and kindness in every woman's heart.
This is a beautiful life like painting of Ma Sarada by by Baishaki and one of her favorite quotes by Ma Sarada devi.. My dear friend Baishaki who often visits the Vedanta society of Toronto is a Dentist and also an artist and a devotee of Ramakrishna and Ma Sarada.
In this painting.Ma Sarada has a far away look in her eyes as if she is thinking of all of her children far and near. This is Ma Sarada in the later more mature years of her life..when she was established as a spiritual mentor and a Mother in every sense of the word to hundreds.
Painting by Baishaki Toronto Canada.
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Not only the followers of Sri Ramakrishna but also the humble villagers and foreign visitors to India turned to her for wisdom, love, understanding and guidance in their life...Ma Sarada is to millions the divine Mother who came incognito as a simple village woman whose love , spirituality and generosity touched and continues to touch hundreds. Her message was that the chief purpose of human life is to realize God and to be a source of joy to others
Baishaki my friend came to Canada as a young girl but yet remembers the love and affection of the elderly mother figures in her own life and her childhood days back in Siliguri and Coochbihar in India..When homesick for her beloved Grand Mother and aunts who all embodied that essence of love and motherhood and kindness... Baishaki found in the pictures of Ma Sarada her own Grand Mother and she painted this beautiful picture as an act of love. This painting was donated by Baishaki to the Vedanta society of Toronto during the recent Durga Puja festival.
..and to conclude wherever we see that great manifestation of motherly love..whether it be in a Mother Teresa or a teacher we have never forgotten..whether we see it in our own Mothers heart or in that of women who have touched our lives in a divine way that nobody else ever has that is a reflection of the same divine Goddess who we are all a part of..
It is said that there are noble and great men who can be described as a Father with the heart of a Mother..then that is true..whoever protects another..gives them joy and solace in their hour of need..whoever loves another unselfishly and serves others with only the thought of giving and leading them away from danger and sorrow..those noble ones are reflections of that great universal Mother Durga who is called Mary, Makali..Ma Laxmi ..or just Ma..and who mankind has turned to since time immemorial.. ..Also view this post which is related :http://lipimukherji.blogspot.ca/2013/09/when-darkness-encompasses-man-he-turns.html
