Durga, the demon-slaying goddess,

Making sense of the mounts

All members of the entourage are accompanied by an animal with which they share symbolic synergy. What the mounts stand for in some cases reinforces the powers of the god and in others complements them to present the deity in greater glory.

Lion: Durga’s mount was a gift from Himalayas when she went to war with Mahishasura. It fought ferociously on its own in the deciding battle. The lion stands for power. In the pose in which she is worshipped, the Devi has her right foot firmly planted on the lion’s back. The accent thus is on extreme self-control, which can keep power oil a tight leash and prevent it from spilling on to the realms of tyranny.

Owl: The mount of Laxmi is a nightbird. While men are busy with their worldly pursuits through the day, it is deep in a sleep of disinterestedness, it chooses to stay up and meditate in the cairn of night, and guard its store of spiritual wealth. The choice of such a mount for tile goddess of prosperity sends out the strong message that spiritual attainment is as important as material acquisitions for a person to prosper.

Swan: Tile feathered mount of the fair goddess Saraswati is said to have a unique gift. it can separate milk from water when the two are mixed. Hence it symbolises the power to distinguish between good and evil, and choose the pure over the impure. This is a quality that wisdom is supposed to bestow on one.

Mouse: There are two accounts that explain why the mouse is the mount of the elephant-headed god. Vajurveda writes how Agni, the fire god, was once terrified of Shiva’s rage and metamorphosed himself into a mouse to hide underground. Therefore, the mouse has a fiery qua1ity. Like the flames, it can yield many benefits if it is in harness, but will wreak havoc if it spins out of control. In another account, a curse had transformed a Gandharva (one of a semi-divine race) to a mouse. As it was scampering about in the abode of the sage Parashar, Ganesha threw a dice at it and brought the restless creature in his grip. This gave the god of prosperity the power to rein in fickle-minded Fate. The puny creature also makes a virtue of accumulation and storage, another necessity for commercial success.

Peacock: Kartik’s mount is as beautiful as its lord. Yet it stands for control over the six inherent vices in man—

passion, anger, greed, wine, infatuation, vanity and envy. No wonder, the warlord is himself a bachelor.

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