*NAVARATRI WEEK* Maha Gouri

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"Maha Gouri.": The Great White Goddess

 

She is as white as a conch, moon and Jasmine. She is the fairest of

all the Durga-Shakti. Peace and Compassion radiates from her being.

Her clothes and ornaments are white sometime in green and clean. She

has three eyes. She rides on bull She has four hands. The above left

hand is in "Fearless - Mudra" and lower left hand holds "Trishul."

The above right hand has tambourine and lower right hand is in

blessing style. She is calm and peaceful and exists in peaceful

style. It is said that when the body of Gouri became dirty due to

dust and earth while observing penance, Shivaji makes it clean with

the waters of Gangas. Then her body became bright like lightning.

There fore, she is known as "Maha Gouri" in world.

 

On another story, it tells about Parvati. She feels pique when Siva

calls her by the nickname Kali ( blackie ) which Parvati takes as a

slur on her appearance. She resolves to rid herself of her dark

complexion and does so by performing austerities. Having assume a

golden complexion she the becomes known by the name Gouri ( the

bright or golden one). In the same version of this myth her

discarded, dark complexion or sheath gives birth to or transformed

into the furious battle queen Kausiki, who subsequently creates Kali

in her fury.

 

Goddess is also associated with Ganesha.

 

Once upon a time, the Goddess Gouri, while bathing, created Ganesha

as a pure white being out of the mud of Her Body and placed Him at

the entrance of the house. She told Him not to allow anyone to enter

while she went inside for a bath. Shiva Himself was returning home

quite thirsty and was stopped by Ganesha at the gate. Shiva became

angry and cut off Ganesha's head as He thought Ganesha was an

outsider.

 

When Gouri came to know of this she was sorely grieved. To console

her grief, Shiva ordered His servants to cut off and bring to Him the

head of any creature that might be sleeping with its head facing

north.The servants went on their mission and found only an elephant

in that position. The sacrifice was thus made and the elephant's head

was brought before Shiva. The Lord then joined the elephant's head

onto the body of Ganesha.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Om ParaShaktiye Namaha