4th day of Navratri!
The Omnipresent, Omniscent, Omnipotent Jagat Janani!
Divine Shakti manifests as the power to be conscious, to feel ecstasy, the power of desire, to know, and the power to act.
Whatever is offered in devotion with a pure heart -- a leaf, a flower, fruit, or water -- Maa accepts with joy!
Day four
Goddess Kushmanda
The fourth form of the NavaDurga is the radiant Goddess Kushmanda believed to end darkness and negativity with her divine smile. Her abode is in the center of the sun, whose energy she liberates to the entire universe, to heal and uplift.
It is said that the birth of the universe occurred due to the illuminating smile of Goddess Kushmanda. She was the one who produced the Cosmic egg. Symbolizing, both, radiant beauty and great bravery, worshipping Her gives you the strength to keep the negative energy away and repels all the troubles from your life.
KNOW YOUR GODDESS
Origin/Birth: The Mother Goddess as Siddhidatri started living within the core of the Sun and liberated the Sun’s energy to the universe. Thus,this form of the Goddess has been known as Kushmanda, symbolizing her power and capability to live inside the Sun.
Etymological Meaning:Ku means little, Ushma means energy and Anda means cosmic egg.
Worship Day:4th day of Navratri (Chaturthi Tithi)
Planet: Sun
Flower To Be Offered: Jasmine
Color Associated: Royal Blue
Hymn/ Mantra: :Om Devi Kushmandayai Namah ॐ देवी कूष्माण्डायैont>
Form/Appearance: The Goddess riding a tiger is depicted with eight to ten hands holding a trident, discus, sword, hook, mace, bow, arrow and two jars of honey (Elixir) and blood. Her one hand is always in abhaya mudra from which she blesses all her devotees.
In Her honour, we bring to you, a Raag deriving its identity from the name of the Goddess Herself--Raag Durga.Sung in the second division of the night ( between 9 pm to midnight).
Raag Durga aptly evokes the ‘Sringara Rasa’ for this radiantly beautiful form of Maa. And who better than the great Ustad Bismillah Khan saheb to paint Her divine image with the haunting notes of the shenai! A Bharat Ratna recipient, the Ustad single handedly made an instrument ,erstwhile played only at weddings,into one that graced global music concert platforms !Not only is Ustad ji, a beloved symbol of the ‘Ganga-Jamuni’ tehzeeb of Benaras, but he embodied the secular spirit which no other artiste has been able to match till date. In his words, he was a worshipper of Allah and Saraswati, and the rich tones of his shenai were his breath notes reaching out to the divine. Benaras and Bismillah were/are two sides of the same coin.
The void left after his demise has not been filled and till date none have been able to coax that sweetness and poignance form the shenai as the Ustad.Perhaps, we can safely ( and proudly) say that Ustad Bismillah Khan was truly God’s special child.
As we listen to that liquid gold flowing from his shenai, the illuminated, radiantly beautiful image of Goddess Kushmanda , rises up in our minds, filling us with energy, strength and positivity.
Listen to it here :https://youtu.be/g44wmAB-d6o