Gods and goddesses are an important part of the Hindu culture and the festivals that are celebrated within it. Every festival from Diwali, and Holi to Navratri, have one thing in common – they all will not be complete without remembering the goddesses related to those festivals.
These goddesses who are also addressed as “Devis” – a Sanskrit word meaning a highly respected goddess, have stories about them that make for an interesting bit of trivia and sometimes also help in understanding the significance of these festivals.
Do you know the stories of these Devis particularly – Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati? If not, this is the right opportunity for you to know more about them and deepen your knowledge of Indian culture!
Devi Durga
The story of the goddess Durga is a fearless one!
Long ago, there lived a Demon king called Mahishasura, who had been blessed with the boon that no man or animal could kill him. However, his ego did not let him add women to the list. Taking advantage of this, he wreaked havoc in many villages and attacked Trilok – Earth, Heaven and Hell.
One day, after much suffering and struggle, all the gods collectively decided to put an end to Mahishasura’s reign of terror. However, due to the boon, they could not fatally injure him. Tired and defeated, all the gods went to Lord Vishnu asking for help.
After much consideration, Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma created Goddess Durga by collectively combining their powers. She was believed to be the incarnation of goddess Parvati and a fearless Hindu warrior.
Over a span of nine days, the Goddess fought with Mahishasura. He took many different forms, turning into dangerous animals, to fight with the Goddess. When he finally took the form of a buffalo, the Goddess valiantly pierced him with a trident, marking the death of the demon king.
Therefore, Goddess Durga is referred to as a Devi and people celebrate Durga Puja to worship and honour her.
Devi Lakshmi
Goddess Lakshmi is considered to be the goddess of wealth, prosperity, richness, fortune and luxury. She is Lord Vishnu’s wife and is also known as the mother of our whole universe. According to legends, it is believed that Goddess Lakshmi was born as the result of a clash between the gods and the asuras (demons) during the Samudramanthan.
Once a well-known sage Durvasa, cursed Lord Indra (the God of rain and storms) for disrespecting the garland that the sage had offered to the god. Having angered the sage by throwing the garland he had offered, Lord Indra and his kingdom fell into decay. Plants and foods stopped growing, people committed crimes, they became greedy and everyone forgot the importance of good values. Troubled with the curse, Lord Indra, with a few other gods, went to Lord Vishnu for a solution. Lord Vishnu suggested that the gods churn the ocean and obtain Amrit (the nectar of life and immortality) to restore balance.
Thus began the tug-of-war between the Gods and the demons, to obtain this Amrit, since the demons too wanted to become immortal. It is said that it was because of this churning of the ocean water that Goddess Lakshmi was born. She appeared in white clothes signifying purity and fortune, seated on a lotus in full bloom. She then chose gods over the demons to grant the Amrit, making them the fortunate ones.
Thus, Devi Lakshmi is worshipped as she bestows good fortune and prosperity on people. This is also the reason why the Goddess is worshipped during the festival Diwali, to bless everyone with good health, wealth and prosperity.
Devi Saraswati
Goddess Saraswati is known in Hindu mythology as the goddess of knowledge, wisdom and learning. She is also widely known as the patron of art and music. Devi Saraswati is also worshipped as the wife of Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe. The Goddess is also known as the first creation of Lord Brahma in the universe.
During the creation of the universe, Lord Brahma wanted to bring balance and order in the universe which was initially in a state of chaos. While thinking of a solution, Devi Saraswati appeared before Lord Brahma in her divine form, riding a swan, and holding a book (later the Vedas) and a veena (lute, an Indian stringed musical instrument) in her hands. The Goddess explained to Lord Brahma that knowledge is the only solution to bring order into the universe and make sense of man’s various problems. It is said that it was only because of Goddess Saraswati that Lord Brahma acquired the ability to think, understand and communicate. Further, Lord Brahma also managed to find the mantras (Hindu prayers and hymns) amongst the haphazard cacophony of the universe.
It is because of the divine knowledge that Goddess Sarawati blessed Lord Brahma with, that he could create a world in this universe with such detail and wisdom.
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