Śatākṣī, ‘the hundred-eyed’ form of Durga appeared to earth during a desolate era – she cried from every one of her eyes, her tears filled the rivers and oceans. Grass, grains, vegetation grew and with that the fish, birds, insects, and animals flourished. She is spring emerging and abundance returning to the earth. Diversity in nature is its strength, eco-systems co-evolve together. Despite what we previously assumed about evolution, cooperation, reciprocity, multiplicity, interconnection, and adaptability (creativity) are predictors of success over individualistic strength. Her gift of life restored, the earth would again one day require her to defend it – just as a mother embodies both the energy of nourishment and protection.
Emerging from the sting and lash of the burning flames of a funeral pyre, the demon Mahiṣāsura emerges full of rage and on a mission of vengeance. The stench of smoke and death trails him as he amasses strength and power, raises an army. Having conquered all the world, his desire for domination turns to the heavenly realms, terrifying the gods. Forged in the fires of pure ambition, no single god can defeat him. The gods anxiously conference and gather their weapons. Assembling Indra’s thunderbolt of determination, courage, and power; Agni’s spear; śiva’s trident that pierces through the veil of delusion; Viṣṇu’s cakra of righteous intent; the mace, also known as ‘ego-crusher’; Viśvakarmā’s ax, containing the power of creation and destruction simultaneously, Brahma’s lotus, a reminder of detachment and wisdom; Vayu dev, the wind, gifts a bow and arrow – energy and movement; Gaṇeśa’s sword, representing discernment (viveka). And finally, the conch, the sound of creation, OṀ. Durga is imbued all aspects of the gods including the cycle of creation, preservation, and destruction.
Durga arrives to battle wearing red, the color of action, riding the lion of courage. Mahiṣāsura, blind with ambition, underestimates the goddess’ power. He is transfixed by her outward appearance, her beauty. His arrogance and assumptions about power, strength, cultural roles, and hierarchy will ultimately cause his demise. Durga’s multifaceted and dynamic collective strengths outshine the demon’s arrogance, ambition, egoic power. This epic battle and the demon’s defeat restore order and balance to the universe. “Durga portrays the divinity that stands outside the so-called civilized order of established dharma, and can by found only by one who has the courage to step out of the orderly world as we know it.” – Vanamali, Shakti
As adrienne maree brown writes in Emergent Strategy, “It is so important that we fight for our future, get into the game, get dirty, get experimental. How do we create and proliferate a compelling vision of economies and ecologies that center humans and the natural world over the accumulation of material?” Durga invites us to look for and assemble our various collective strengths, this moment requires reimagining and responding collectively and creatively to the multiple ongoinng threats – a climate crisis, multiple human rights crises, etc. Like Durga (and nature herself), our power exists collectively and has many forms, what are my strengths – and what strengths have I yet to recognize in my myself as well as my neighbors and friends. Change never comes as one instance, one flashpoint, one action. Change comes through working multiple ongoing actions, communities working together and in parallel to all serve the common aim. When we speak of individual activists, like Rosa Parks, or Angela Davis, Julia Butterfly Hill, or Greta Thungberg, we may unintentionally forget the fact that each hero we name had a multitude of organizations, support, tools, and networks working with and around them. “Where there is profound injustice, there is also creative struggle.” – Mariame Kaba
The navadurga, the nine aspects of the goddess represent the path of the spiritual seeker towards liberation itself; she is the goddess of inspiration, Śailaputrī; of patience, Brahmacāriṇī; dedicated practice Candraghaṇṭā; expansion/creative energy, Kuṣmāṇḍā; purification Skandamātā; courage and energy Kātyāyanī, discernment Kālarātri, contentment, Mahāgaurī; liberation and ultimate realization, Siddhidātrī. Transformation is not instantaneous. The practice unfolds through stages, requiring different skills, energies, and qualities over time. We might even reveal or discover attributes/strengths in ourselves through, and in service of, our spiritual practice or in our community work. As practitioners and activists we may, at different times need energy, rest, persistence, discernment, simplicity, or creativity to propel us forward on the path.
