Lovely Durga

[Guest guest]

Thanks for sharing and for the description of your splendid Durga. Wower! Jai Maa

Sy

Black Lotus L Rosenberg <kalipadma (AT) juno (DOT) com> wrote:

I ordered the statue, which arrived last Thursday in a huge box full ofstyrofoam

peanuts. She's a bronze about a foot tall, solid (not hollow)and heavy. The

style is Nepalese -- meaning the Goddess is lesspneumatic than more southern

Hindu styles. Long-legged and flat-chested,the Goddess wears a long skirt with

an apron of carved bones (veryTantric!), and lots of jewelry above the waist.

Her right foot is on apuppy-sized lion (it's actually a mythical Himalayan snow

lion,resembling a Maltese doggy with a mane). Her left foot is crushing the

larger quadruped body of her opponent, the greedy (Water-)BuffaloDemon, whom

she's beheaded, and is pulling his human form out thebuffalo's neck, and

peircing him with a spear.Especially of interest to me is that this Durga has

the traditional 18(count 'm! eighteen!) arms, each with a different toy (as

Rita calls em):sword, discus, trident, bow, arrows, spear, shield, noose, and

so on. Ilit a candle before her, and the shadows of the arms spread across

thewalls of my room like some (benevolent?) giant spider. Truly "many-armedand

splendid," as some songwriter's lyric describes her.Durga is associated with the

waxing cycle of the Moon, as Kali isassociated with the Moon's waning cycle.

All the Goddesses are containedwithin Durga's field of energy, so one can use

Durga's image tosubstitute for any other Hindu goddess (although the slayer of

theBuffalo Demon is especially seen as an incarnation of Lakshmi). As my given

name is Leonard (meaning "like a lion"), I have a specialattunement to this

Goddess who often uses the Lion as her vehicle. Chanted this <shloka> many

times before the statue: When pleased, youremove all illnesses and

infirmities. When displeased, you will notgrant anyones' desires. Those who

resort to you will find refuge at yourfeet, and those who are granted your

refuge invariably become a refugefor others as well.In these days when greedy

men despoil the planet, we need the protectionof a powerful Lady whom no man

can defeat. Jai Durga ma!-- Len/ Kalipadma

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