Nine Embodiments of the Deity
Sakand Mata
By the mercy of this gracious goddess, even the idiot becomes an ocean of knowledge. The great & legendary Sanskrit Scholar Kalidas created his two masterpiece works viz 'Raghuvansh-Maha Kavya' and 'Meghdoot' by the grace of Sakand Mata. The mother is riding over mountains and rescuing the living beings from trackless forests of this miserable world. The fifth form of Durga Sakand Mata is also believed to be the mother of Sanat Kumar (asage) who is believed to bless the devotees with knowledge and wisdom and raise the levels of consciousness.
Katyayani
As mother, she stayed in the Ashram of sage Katyayan for penance, therefore, named as Katyayani. It is the brightest of all lights and the sum total of the all deities. There are other connotations with the name. According to the tradition of four Pithas, Katyayani (with Jagannatha) presides over uddiyani Pitha in West India. Katyayani was one of the two wives of sage yojnavalkya. She took upon herself the burden of the household, allowing free time to sage & the other wife Matreyi for spiritual persuits. Katyayani is an epithet or Parvati, the mother of Kartikeya. The worship of mother Durga in this form is all the more important in present scientific age. Without her mercy educated and research persuits can not bear fruit. She appeared at a place named Vaid Nath and became famous in the world.
Kal-Ratri
The destroyer of darkness and ignorance, Kal-Ratri, is the seventh form of Nav-Durga meaning scourer of darkness; enemy of darkness. It is the light, which is foe of darkness, however, light transcends everywhere & destroys darkness without any material presence. The devourer of fear and giving safety from immanent danger to her devotees, the mother goddess Kal-Ratri's famous shrine is in Calcutta.
Maha-Gauri
The goddess, in the form of Mahagauri, the eighth among the Nava-Durga, rides a bull along with other assests peculiar to her. She is radiant with tranquil effulgence always righteous and inseparable from Maha Deva.
The goddess mother is the saviour of all the virtuous men and women. She is the embodiment of graciousness, who pardons the sins of sinners also. Shri Durga ji's eighth form of Mahagauri can be seen in a temple at Kankhal near famous pilgrim-centre Haridwar.
Sidhi-Datri
Shri Durga ji, in her ninth form of Sidhi-datri, grants living beings accomplishments. She grants supreme felicity and as such named Sidhi-datri. She also grants the eight super human faculties, as a result of yogi's effort in yoga of accomplishment. The famous pilgrim centre, which stands in her name, is located in Nanda Parvat in the Himalayas.
The nine-rupas (forms) of goddess Durga are elaborately given in Devi-Kavach & called Nava Durga. The worship of goddess as Nav-Durga fulfills in accomplished desires of devotees.
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