Lord Rama and Goddess Durga

August 8, 2005

Dear Members,

Iam very happy that members are watching and reading my postings very keenly. Iam saying this because just a few minutes after I posted the third chapter in Devi Mahaatmyam. One member(somu) has asked me a question in email just as I was logging out what the connection between Lord Rama and Godess Durga is and says he never say such an image (which i uploaded) before. Good! This is the effect I wanted. Be more curious to know about different aspects of Devi,finally choose one aspect and stick to that form. Maybe curiosity kills the cat maybe but makes a man...nay! a yogi too!

The association of Durga with Rama's success in battle over Ravana in the Ramayana tradition, although not part of Valmiki's Ramayana, has become a well-known part of the Rama story throughout India. In the Kalika-purana we are told:

In former times, the great Goddess was waked up by Brahma when it was still night, in order to favour Rama and to obtain the death of Ravana. On the first day of the bright half of the month of Asvina, she gave up her sleep and went to the city of Lanka, where Raghu's son formerly lived. When she came there, the great Goddess caused Rama and Ravana to be engaged in battle, but Ambika herself remained hidden.... Afterwards, when the seventh night had gone by, Mahamaya, in whom the worlds are contained, caused Ravana to be killed by Rama on the ninth day. . . . After the hero Ravana had been killed on the ninth day, the Grandfather of the worlds (Brahma) together with all the gods held a special worship for Durga. Afterwards the Goddess was dismissed with Sahara-festivals, on the tenth day; Indra on his part held a lustration of the army of the gods for the appeasement of the armies of the gods and for the sake of prosperity of the kingdom

of the gods. . . . All the gods will worship her and will, on their part, lustrate the army; and in the same way all men should perform worship according to the rules. A king should hold a lustration of the army in order to strengthen his army; a performance must" be made with charming women adorned with celestial ornaments; . . . After one has made a puppet of flour for Skanda and Visakha, one should worship it in order to annihilate one s foes and for the sake of enjoying Durga.

In the Devi-bhagavata-purana Rama is despondent at the problems of reaching Lanka, defeating Ravana, and getting back his beloved Sita. The sage Narada, however, advises him to call on Durga for help. Rama asks how she should be worshiped, and Narada instructs him concerning the performance of Durga Pooja or Navaratra. The festival, which Narada assures Rama will result in military success, is said to have been performed in previous ages by Indra for killing Vrtra, by Siva for killing the demons of the three cities, and by Vigr?u for killing Madhu and Kaitabha. Rama duly performs Durga's worship, and she appears to him mounted on her lion. She asks what he wishes, and when he requests victory over Ravana she promises him success, The traditions of Rama's inaugurating Durga Pooja for the purpose of defeating Ravana is also found in the Brhaddharma-purana and the Bengali version of the Ramayana by Krttivasa (fifteenth century) Bengali

villagers tell of a tradition in which it was customary to worship Durga during the spring. Rama, however, needed the goddess s help in the autumn when he was about to invade Lanka. So it was that he worshiped her in the month of Asvin and inaugurated autumnal worship, which has become her most popular festival. "When Rama . . . came into conflict with Ravan . . . Rama performed the pooja when he was in trouble, without waiting for the proper time of the annual Pooja. He did the Pooja in the autumn, and later this Pooja became the most popular ritual of the goddess.

Hope this helps slaking your thirst and curiosity Somuji!

Yours yogically,

Shreeram Balijepalli

Purity, Powers, Parabrahmam...

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