Mahagauri is one of the nine forms of Goddess Durga, the supreme mother goddess in Hinduism. She is worshipped on the eighth day of Navaratri, a nine-day festival that celebrates the different aspects of the goddess. Mahagauri means “extremely white” or “extremely radiant”, as she has a fair complexion and a divine glow. She is also known as Shwetambardhara, meaning “wearing white clothes”, as she symbolizes purity and peace. She is the goddess of beauty, women, and divine prosperity, and she has the power to fulfill all the desires of her devotees.
The Origin of Mahagauri
According to Hindu mythology, Mahagauri was originally a dark-skinned form of Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva. She was called Kali, meaning “the black one”, by Shiva, who teased her for her complexion. Parvati was hurt by this and decided to perform severe penance to Brahma, the creator god, to get a golden complexion. Brahma told her that he could not grant her such a boon, but he asked her to stop her penance and slay the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha, who were terrorizing the gods and humans.
Parvati agreed and went to take a bath in the Ganga river in the Himalayas. As she immersed herself in the holy water, her dark skin washed off from her body and she emerged as a beautiful golden woman, wearing white garments and ornaments. She was then called Mahagauri by Brahma and the other gods, who praised her for her radiance and grace.
She then appeared in front of the gods who were praying to her at the Himalayas for the destruction of Shumbha and Nishumbha. She asked them who they were worshipping, and then she reflected herself as the black Kaushiki Durga, who was the virgin form of Parvati that could kill the demons. She answered her own question and said that they were worshipping her as they were defeated by the demons. She then absorbed Kaushiki back into herself and turned black out of pity for the gods.
She then transformed into Chandi, another fierce form of Durga, and killed many demons with the help of other goddesses like Chamunda, Kali, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. She finally killed Shumbha and Nishumbha in a fierce battle and restored peace and order in the world. She then transformed back into Mahagauri and returned to Shiva, who was pleased with her victory and accepted her as his wife.
The Iconography of Mahagauri
Mahagauri is usually depicted with four hands, holding a trident, a damaru (a small drum), an abhaya mudra (a gesture of fearlessness), and a varada mudra (a gesture of blessing) in her left and right hands respectively. She rides on a white bull, which is also the mount of Shiva. She wears white clothes, jewelry, and a garland of jasmine flowers. She has long black hair that flows down her back. She has a serene expression on her face and a crescent moon on her forehead.
The Worship of Mahagauri
Mahagauri is worshipped on the eighth day of Navaratri, which is also called Ashtami or Durga Ashtami. On this day, devotees offer white flowers, milk, rice, sugar, coconut, and sacred scriptures to the goddess. They also recite prayers and mantras to invoke her purity and prosperity. One of the powerful mantras associated with Mahagauri is:
“ॐ देवी महागौर्यै नमः” (Om Devi Mahagauryai Namah)
This mantra means “Salutations to the goddess Mahagauri”.
Devotees also observe fasts and perform rituals like Kanya Puja (worshipping young girls as manifestations of the goddess) and Sandhi Puja (worshipping the goddess at the juncture of Ashtami and Navami). They believe that by worshipping Mahagauri, they can attain peace, happiness, wealth, health, wisdom, and liberation from all sins and troubles.
Mahagauri is revered as a compassionate and benevolent goddess who protects her devotees from all kinds of dangers and grants them courage, strength, and success. She is also considered as a manifestation of Shakti (the cosmic energy) that pervades everything in the universe. She is also associated with the planet Rahu (the north node of the moon) and the crown chakra (the highest energy center in the body), which give the invoker knowledge, power, and wealth.
Mahagauri is a goddess who inspires us to pursue purity and prosperity in our lives. She is a goddess who reminds us that true beauty lies in the radiance of the soul and not in the color of the skin. She is a goddess who teaches us that by overcoming our challenges and enemies, we can achieve our goals and dreams. She is a goddess who blesses us with her grace and love. She is Mahagauri, the goddess of purity and prosperity
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