Deepa Majumdar
This article is dedicated to Sri Sarada Devi, our historical Durga!
As Durga Puja arrives this momentous year of the pandemic, I imagine prayers rising like fragrant vapors from Earth – ecumenical prayers imploring the great Goddess Durga to heal Earth and all her creatures of Covid-19. Her eyes radiating an uncrowned regality, and her stance, the leonine strength of Shakti (strength), her deca-arms express her ambidextrous character – both blessing andchastising. Although our supreme benefactress, and the originary origin of all that is auspicious, Durga castigates as well. Yet even her chastisementsare hidden blessings.Like honeyed arrows, they find their targets, redeeming the human hearts they reach, through divine castigation that is the greatest of her blessings.When we meditate on her majestic visage and glorious glance of sheer mercy, our heartstremblewith awe.
I can well imagine how inspired a sculptorhas tobe, to forge in Durga’sicon, the right expression in hereyes. Indeed, it is she herself who inspires her sculptor. To dismiss this glorious image of Durga as a mere idol – as vulgar ideologues of the Abrahamic religions might – speaks of a frightening dearth of faith, belief, and mystical fervor – a febrile, blinding materialism that cannot see past the material image to the Light within this awe-inspiring icon. By imploring her presence, her votary elicits this divine Light in the icon of the great Goddess – not willing, nor summoning it, but pleading for it. A direct echo of the fervor of her votary, She, who is Pure Consciousness or wakefulness itself, awakens accordingly – in direct proportion to the degree of his bhakti (devotion) – recompensing his bhakti with her divine Presence. It is She who bestows this bhakti upon Her votary. Again, it is She who puts sight into the eye of his soul – awakening it, and enabling it to see hertrue nature, which is the living Durga.
A numinous ideal of Shaktifor every human person, Durgais especially present in members of the female gender – whetheradultorchild. For any human endeavor to succeed, the votary must first propitiate Durga. As the source of strength orShakti, She is the numinous ideal of a chaste feminism. All demons of patriarchy– especially those who commit rape and domestic violence– risk her divine wrath – a non-violent volcanic wrath that can reduce them to ashes in this life and in the hereafter. Nations and civilizations that abuse women go to rack and ruin by her fiat.
If in 2020, we interpreted Mahishasura, as a symbol of all the forces of moral and natural evil in the world right now – whether Covid-19, climate change, racism, violence against women, or the plight of the poor – we would not be remiss. Cringing at her holy feet, as she pierces him effortlessly with her spear, Mahishasura is neither matter, nor nothingness, but the opposite of Shakti. If Durga represents Shakti, or the strength that comes from God consciousness and the practice of the moral virtues that lead to this highest consciousness – then Mahishasura represents pursuit of worldly power, which robs us of strength, making us empty and violent. Although Shakti and power are polar opposites, all too many people worldwide confuse the two.
If effortless grace and benefaction mark Durga’s mien, then calm majesty marks her eyes that pour forth the ceaseless plenitude of Shakti. Radiating the strength of pure chastity, her majestic glance expresses awe-inspiring nonchalance. Neither guilt-ridden, nor murderous, She slays Mahishashura with inimitable nonchalance! From her supra-moral podium of pure Grace, She destroys him for his own good, as it were.In a posture of marvelousShakti, She strides a ferocious lion, which expresses her contained ferocity, as it helps her destroy evil. Her ten arms also symbolize this plenitude of Shakti– thus adding to her resplendent majesty.
One of the most endearing features of this level of Hinduism is the affection the Godhead inspires in her votary for herself – quite the opposite of the fear that the Abrahamic God inspires. His affection overflowing, the votary of Durga, takes liberties with the great Goddess, even as he extols her virtues and her awe-inspiring Shakti. This is exactly as it should be. For the Godhead is not some frightening punitive Judge to be encountered after death – but our most intimate immanent Friend, ever present in the here and now. Lodged in the depths of our own hearts and in that of every being, Durga is the divine Substratum and Creatrix of all that exists!
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