Where Is Durga?

From 28th September,Navarathri celebrations start throughout India .
Nine full days are allotted for Devi Worship.
Durga Saptashati (400-600 CE) is unhesitatingly emphatic. Durga, manifestation of Parvati, wife of Shiva, is the Supreme Being and Creator of the Universe. Shiva, without her, is inert. He is the omnipresent, omniscient, all-knowing representation of Brahman, the attributeless (nirguna) undifferentiated consciousness pulsaing through the cosmos .But without the latent Shakti in Brahman, he is powerless.
Durga is that invincible, unassailable Shakti that enables Shiva to manifest himself.


The mythological Durga is not a quiet, reticent, withdrawn, passive or elusive deity. As the Supreme Creator, she is depicted as the Warrior Goddess,
riding a lion, with eight or 18 arms, each carrying a weapon to defeat the designs of evil and ensure the victory of good. In this goal, she succeeds where all the gods fail. None can defeat the mighty demon, Mahishasura, who has the boon to change his shape into any form, and is waging a relentless war against the Devas. Unable to defeat him, the gods approach Durga. The Devi — whose very name, Durga, literally means “fortress”, and who is impregnably beyond defeat — then takes on the task. Riding her lion, she slays him, unwavering in her resolve, and unbeatable in her martial powers. She is willing to forgive those who are ready to change their ways, but unyielding to those who are not worthy of her mercy. That is why she is also called Mahishasuramardini, the goddess who defeats the demon, her face calm and serene as she ruthlessly meets out vengeance to the unrighteous.
Consequence of the pinnacle on which they place the goddess, at least a fraction of the reverence do they reserve for her? Is there some correlation between the deification of the Devi, on the one part, and the respect for women in society, on the other? Or, are we a nation of schizophrenics who will prostrate before a goddess, but see no contradiction in illtreating females in human form, who, theoretically, are representatives of the Devi herself?


Do we accept that philosophical belief and religious ritual have nothing to do
with actual behaviour? It would be to confess that there need not be a nexus between theory and practice. Durga as goddess can rule the world, with people bowing low in obeisance to her, but the Devi in human form is met with men — and often, surprisingly, women — who self-righteously stand erect in opposing her interests.
As we commence yet another year of joyous festivities to celebrate Durga Puja, let us pause for a moment to honestly examine how big the gulf is between our glorification of the female principle at the level of religion and the dereliction of our duties towards females at the level of society.
Is there a meeting point between Durga, the goddess, and Durga, the neighbour ?
Or, are they poles apart, one deservedly on a pedestal, and the other at the lowest rung of the societal ladder?
The incidents of physical violence against women continue to proliferate. The statistical bulge can only partly be explained away by the argument that more cases are being reported now. Certainly, there has to be something seriously wrong.
In India a sexual offence against a girl child takes place every 15 minutes, and that there has been a five-fold increase in crimes against minors in the last 10 years. Rape, according to the National Crime Bureau, is the fourth most common crime against women in India. Dowry, although banned since 1961, is still a pervasive evil, and a major contributor to observed violence against women. The repulsive practice of female foeticide continues to be widely prevalent.
Not everything is negative. There is a new assertion in women, particularly in those who are economically independent. More girls are being sent to school, and at the tertiary level, the gap between boys and girls has considerably narrowed. We have women at the helm of many national-level institutions, both in government and in the corporate sector. we have women in the Supreme Court, women who fly airplanes, and are doing an excellent job in such hitherto unlikely sectors like the police and the armed forces.

So, is Durga today ascendant or still a prisoner of a primeval, medieval, patriarchal mindset that sees no contradiction in worshipping a goddess, but oppressing the species that best represents the remarkable powers she is endowed with?Let us contemplate.

jayasala42

 

Thank you Joylokhi for your kind response. This has been a topic of discussion right from my childhood. No doubt that patriarchal mindset is being nourished by many women.I have seen even lady doctors practising gynaecology long to have male children for themselves.I am sad that the discussion stops academically and even today, with all the hi-fi talks on women empowerment,patriarchy rules supreme.
All talks about'Naree-tu-Narayanee'are superfluous and carry no significance.
jayasala42

 

Dear Balaji,
Thank you for your response. Though seemingly harsh, it is the sour fact that ladies too are aware.But the suggestion given by you, has never been effective.At the most it has been tolerated,but never accepted.
jayasala42

 

Dear Viswa

"Gender differences are just for the well-being and progression of the society and both are human. They have the same set of tools and only the way they are raised, think, talk and act differ based on information and analysis carried out in their mind"

Theoretically it is nice to hear such things. But reality is totally different.Is it a practical possibility to revolt when man/woman dominates?Then the advice will spring up" Acceptance is the essential principle of life.That which cannot be cured should be endured"

.It is this endurance by women mostly, has resulted in this crisis.
jayasala 42