Mother Durga

[Guest guest]

New Delhi, INDIA

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

>So what can be considered the destination of a sincere worshipper of Mother

>Durga?

 

It depends on what do we mean by "sincere worshipper". Sincerity might be

applied to various goals, four in total: bhukti, mukti, siddhi, or bhakti,

and those who sincerily worship Durg€dev… with one of them in mind will

eventually attain the desired goal.

 

Just as Lord KŠa says in the Bhagavad-gita (4.11): ye yath€ m€ˆ

prapadyante t€ˆs tathaiva bhaj€my aham - "As all surrender unto Me, I reward

them accordingly." ®r…la Prabhup€da in his purport to this verse explains

that KŠa fulfills the desires of karmis by giving them bhukti, the desires

of jñ€n…s by granting them liberation, and endowing yog…s with mystic

siddhis according to their qualification. But if somebody worships Lord

KŠa with the purpose of bhakti, he will attain that.

 

>If she is the consort of Shivaji then would that person go to Mahesh dhama?

>The Brahma samhita states that Mahesh dhama is partly in the material world

>and partly out of it.

 

Mahea-dh€ma is situated within the brahmajyoti. ®r…la Prabhup€da says in

CC Madhya 21.54 purp.:

 

"When a living entity is liberated from Dev…-dh€ma but does not know of the

opulence of Hari-dh€ma, he is placed in Mahea-dh€ma, which is between the

other two dh€mas. The liberated soul does not get an opportunity to serve

the Supreme Personality of Godhead there; therefore although this

Mahea-dh€ma is Lord ®iva’s dh€ma and above the Dev…-dh€ma, it is not the

spiritual world. The spiritual world begins with Hari-dh€ma, or

VaikuŠ˜haloka."

 

and in the Ligth of Bh€gavata 47:

 

"Mahea-dh€ma is the marginal place between Hari-dh€ma and Dev…-dh€ma. The

impersonalists who want to merge into the existence of the Transcendence are

placed within Mahea-dh€ma."

 

If somebody worships Durg€dev…, with the intention of liberation, he may

attain Mahea-dh€ma, because both she and her consort Lord ®iva are endowed

by the Lord with the right to grant liberation. ®r…la San€tana Gosv€m…

confirms this in Bhad-bh€gavat€mta (3.27):

 

ato brahm€di-sampr€rthya-

mukti-d€n€dhik€rat€m

bhavate bhagavatyai ca

durg€yai bhagav€n ad€t

 

[N€rada Muni adrresing Lord ®iva says]: "Therefore the Supreme Lord granted

to you and to goddess Durg€ also the authority to give liberation, for the

attainment of which Brahm€ and many others pray."

(translated by HG Gop…par€Šadhana Prabhu)

 

>Otherwise, "those who worship the demigods go to the demigods" - does that

>person stay in the material world ie Devi-dhama?

 

If somebody desires bhukti, or material opulence, he is advised by the

Bhagavatam 2.3.3 to worship Durg€dev…: dev…ˆ m€y€ˆ tu r…-k€mas - "One who

desires good fortune should worship Durg€dev…, the superintendent of the

material world."

 

In this way he remains within the scope of material world, or

Dev…-dh€ma,until he gets satiated with material enjoyment and starts seeking

mukti. This world is where Durg€dev… works, as the goddess of fortune of

this material world, or jagal-lakm… "because she protects the bewildered

conditioned souls" (CC Madhya 21.53 purp.). But she herself resides, as the

most chaste wife, with her consort Lord ®iva in his abode:

 

"The planets up to Brahmaloka are part of the material world (Dev…-dh€ma).

Because the material world is under the control of Dev…, Durg€, it is called

Dev…-dh€ma. Above Dev…-dh€ma is a place where Lord ®iva and his wife Um€

reside. Those brightened by spiritual knowledge and liberated from material

contamination reside in that ®ivaloka." (CC Madhya 23.116 purp.)

 

Similarly, being the original Durg€-akti, material energy is the source of

all mystic powers a yog… may aspire for, and grants them according to his

qualification.

 

>These are the two possible conclusions I have reached. Any information

>would be appreciated.

 

This two options seems correct - attainment of bhukti or siddhi in this

material world or Dev…-dh€ma, or otherwise getting liberation in

Mahea-dh€ma.

 

But there is a third option. If somebody worships ®r…mat… Durg€dev… with the

intention to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he can attain pure

devotional service by her grace. ®r…la San€tana Gosv€m… further says in

Bhad-bh€gavat€mta (3.34):

 

p€rvaty€ ca pras€dena

bahavas tat-priy€ƒ kt€ƒ

tattv€bhijño vieeŠa

bhavator iyam eva hi

 

"By Mother P€rvat…'s mercy many other persons have become dear devotees of

the Lord. She knows especially well the true positions of you and Lord

KŠa."

 

®r…la Bhaktisiddh€nta Sarasvat… confirms the same in his purport on

Brahma-saˆhit€ (5.44): "The work of purifying these penalized j…vas is the

duty devolved upon Durg€. She is incessantly engaged in discharging the same

by the will of Govinda. When, luckily. the forgetfulness of Govinda on the

part of imprisoned j…vas is remarked by them by coming in contact with

self-realized souls and their natural aptitude for the loving service of

KŠa is aroused, Durg€ herself then becomes the agency of their deliverance

by the will of Govinda."

 

®r…la Bhaktivinoda µh€kura in his commentary on the Brahma-saˆhit€ 5.41

states that M€y€devi is the organizing medium between the Lord and the

world, who is spreading the Vedic knowledge in this world, which puts in

order all spheres of life and is connected to the three modes of nature

(traigunya visaya veda) He goes on to say in 5.44, that she gives liberation

to those who become devotees of Lord KŠa and turn back to Him.

 

®r…la Prabhup€da states in SB 10.1.69, additional notes:

 

"The Brahma-saˆhit€ says, ch€yeva yasya bhuvan€ni bibharti durg€. Durg€ is

not different from yogam€y€. When one understands Durg€ properly, he is

immediately liberated, for Durg€ is originally the spiritual potency,

hl€din…-akti, by whose mercy one can understand the Supreme Personality of

Godhead very easily. R€dh€ kŠa-praŠaya-viktir hl€din…-aktir asm€d. The

mah€m€y€-akti, however, is a covering of yogam€y€, and she is therefore

called the covering potency. By this covering potency, the entire material

world is bewildered (yay€ sammohitaˆ jagat). In conclusion, bewildering the

conditioned souls and liberating the devotees are both functions belonging

to yogam€y€."

 

Yet the most definite statement about the role of Durg€ as the giver of not

just liberation, but pure devotional service, is given in SB 9.24.58:

 

yan m€y€-ce˜itaˆ puˆsaƒ

sthity-utpatty-apyay€ya hi

anugrahas tan-nivtter

€tma-l€bh€ya ceyate

 

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead acts through His material energy in the

creation, maintenance and annihilation of this cosmic manifestation just to

deliver the living entity by His compassion and stop the living entity’s

birth, death and duration of materialistic life. Thus He enables the living

being to return home, back to Godhead."

 

According to this definition, all other desires besides helping M€y€dev… to

return us back to Godhead by pleasing her with our devotional service cannot

be considered sincere in the true sense of the word. Therefore, "it behooves

everybody to obtain the guileless grace of Durg€, the mistress of this

prison house, by propitiating her with the selfless service of KŠa." (Bs.

5.44 purp.)

 

We should also consider our great fortune of having Durg€dev… as a VaiŠav…

of our samprad€ya. This is described in CC Antya 3.250-261:

 

tabe n€r… kahe t€‰re kari’ namask€ra

’€mi——m€y€’ karite €il€‰a par…k€ tom€ra

 

After offering obeisances to Harid€sa µh€kura, the woman said: “I am the

illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I came here to test

you.

 

brahm€di j…va, €mi sab€re mohilu‰

ekel€ tom€re €mi mohite n€rilu‰

 

“I have previously captivated the mind of even Brahm€, not to speak of

others. Your mind alone have I failed to attract.

 

mah€-bh€gavata tumi,——tom€ra darane

tom€ra kŠa-n€ma-k…rtana-ravaŠe

citta uddha haila, c€he kŠa-n€ma laite

kŠa-n€ma upadei’ kp€ kara mote

 

“My dear sir, you are the foremost devotee. Simply seeing you and hearing

you chant the holy name of KŠa has purified my consciousness. Now I want

to chant the holy name of the Lord. Please be kind to me by instructing me

about the ecstasy of chanting the Hare KŠa mah€-mantra.

 

caitany€vat€re vahe prem€mta-vany€

saba j…va preme bh€se, pthiv… haila dhany€

 

“There is now a flood of the eternal nectar of love of Godhead due to the

incarnation of Lord Caitanya, All living entities are floating in that

flood. The entire world is now thankful to the Lord.

 

e-vany€ya ye n€ bh€se, sei j…va ch€ra

ko˜i-kalpe kabhu t€ra n€hika nist€ra

 

“Anyone who does not float in this inundation is most condemned. Such a

person cannot be delivered for millions of kalpas.

 

p™rve €mi r€ma-n€ma p€ñ€chi ’iva’ haite

tom€ra sa‰ge lobha haila kŠa-n€ma laite

 

“Formerly I received the holy name of Lord R€ma from Lord ®iva, but now, due

to your association, I am greatly eager to chant the holy name of Lord

KŠa.

 

mukti-hetuka t€raka haya ’r€ma-n€ma’

’kŠa-n€ma’ p€raka hañ€ kare prema-d€na

 

“The holy name of Lord R€ma certainly gives liberation, but the holy name of

KŠa transports one to the other side of the ocean of nescience and at last

gives one ecstatic love of KŠa.

 

kŠa-n€ma deha’ tumi more kara dhany€

€m€re bh€s€ya yaiche ei prema-vany€

 

“Please give me the holy name of KŠa and thus make me fortunate, so that I

also may float in the flood of love of Godhead inaugurated by ®r… Caitanya

Mah€prabhu.”

 

eta bali’ vandil€ harid€sera caraŠa

harid€sa kahe,——“kara kŠa-sa‰k…rtana”

 

After speaking in this way, M€y€ worshiped the lotus feet of Harid€sa

µh€kura, who initiated her by saying,“Just perform chanting of the Hare

KŠa mah€-mantra.”

 

PURPORT: Now even M€y€ wanted to be favored by Harid€sa µh€kura. Therefore

Harid€sa µh€kura formally initiated her by asking her to chant the Hare

KŠa mah€-mantra.

 

upadea p€ñ€ m€y€ calil€ hañ€ pr…ta

e-saba kath€te k€ro n€ janme prat…ta

 

After thus being instructed by Harid€sa µh€kura, M€y€ left with great

pleasure. Unfortunately, some people have no faith in these narrations.

 

Thus, by praying to ®r…la Harid€sa µh€kura and follwong in his lotus feet by

rigidly chanting the holy name of the Lord, we can easily please M€y€ and

get her permission to go back to Godhead.

 

Please forgive me for the long letter, but I hope that most of it, being

quotations from our €c€ryas and €stras rathen than my own useless words,

will please the hearts of all the assembled VaiŠavas.

 

Your servant,

Madana-mohana das