8th 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!
Day8
Goddess Mahagauri
The eighth form of the NavaDurga is Goddess Mahagauri who has the power to fulfill all the desires of her devotees. Worshipped on Mahashtami, Goddess Mahagauri is known as the forgiving goddess and forgives sinners and purifies them. She denotes peace and endurance and Her grace cleanses a devotee’s heart and makes him pious.
KNOW YOUR GODDESS
Origin/Birth: The demons Shumbha and Nishumbha could only be killed by a female child of Parvati. Hence, as advised by Brahma, Shiva used his magic to turn Parvati’s skin black, giving Parvati the epithet “Kali”. However, the word “Kali” can also mean “death”, so Parvati was teased.
Parvati was agitated by this teasing, so she performed severe penance to Brahma to regain her fair complexion. Brahma advised her to take a bath in the Mansarovar river in the Himalayas. As she took a bath, her dark skin separated from her and took the form of a female who was called Kaushiki.
Parvati got her white fair complexion back, and so she gained the epithet “Mahagauri”
Etymological Meaning:The name Mahagauri means extremely white, as she was white in color and very beautiful (Maha = great; Gauri = white).
Worship Day:8th day of Navratri>
Planet: Rahu
Flower To Be Offered: Night-blooming jasmine, mogra
Color Associated: Purple
Hymn/ Mantra: Om Devi Mahagauryai Namah ॐ देवी महागौर्यै नम
Also Known as:Vrisharudha
Form/Appearance: The most beautiful form of the Divine Mother, Goddess Mahagauri rides the bull, has four arms, holding a Trishul in one of her right hands and depicts the Abhayamudra with the other right hand. She carries a tambourine or Damaru in one left hand and depicts the Varadamudra or kamandalu in her other left hand.
On the auspicious day of Mahashtami, we bring to you a stupendously beautiful bhajan on Goddess Parvati by Shruti Sadolikar Katkar, the foremost exponent today of the famous Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana of Hindustani classical music. It seems fitting that the music should come from this Gharana today, because, despite its male dominance and the ‘mardana’ (masculine) quality, with a forceful and voluminous projection of voice, it also boasts of feminine power/prowess --we are talking about its legendary female performers like Mogubai Kurdikar, Kesarbai Kerkar Laxmibai Jadhav, Kishori Amonkar! The Gharana owes its origin to the iconic Ustad Alladiya Khan Saheb and has a scholarly approach to music, with amazingly melodious singing, extensive and intricate ‘taans’, and an open, full throated voice with tremendous breath control.
A Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee, Shruti Sadolikar performs all forms of Indian classical and semi-classical music, including thumri, tappa, and Natya sangeet, and is the Vice-Chancellor of the Bhatkhande Music Institute University in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Her expertise as a vocalist is backed by her vast theoretical knowledge of the art. An extraordinary artist, she upholds the sanctity and tradition of this great Gharana which she inherited as a ‘dharohar’ from her father.
Blessed are we to witness the Goddess Mahagauri amidst us today...let the strains of bhakti and bhaava in the golden voice of Shruti Sadolikar bind us ceaselessly to Her magnificent benevolence.
Listen to it here :https://youtu.be/vE8EWU5Boec