The Academy of Yoga and Oriental Studies (AYOS) organised a lecture on “Glory of Mother Goddess” here on Sunday. The lecture was delivered by AYOS director Dr Indulata Das. The meeting was presided over by senior journalist Sugyan Choudhury. Former IPS officer Arun Kumar Upadhyaya was a special guest.
Dr Das said just as lord Visnu assumes incarnations whenever there is decline of Dharma and rise of Adharma, so also the goddess comes down to the earth in various forms to kill demons whenever there is demonic tyranny in the world. She is the primordial energy and the power of the powerful. She transfers her powers to the noble persons who try to establish Dharma and eradicate Adharma. She helped lord Ramachandra in killing the formidable demon Ravana. lord Ramachandra got her blessing by performing the Navaratra Vrata. If the nine-day worship, famous as the Navaratra Vrata, is performed with all its formalities, it bestows success and prosperity.
The goddess comes down to the earth to accept the worship of the devotees twice in a year, once in the autumn and again in the spring season. She is worshipped in her nine forms known as Navadurga or the nine Durgas in the nine days of Navaratri. These nine forms are known as Sailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kusmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri. If worshipped with deep devotion, the mother goddess fulfils all the desires of her devotees. She grants worldly prosperity to the devotees who desire it. And she also grants liberation to the devotees who want to get rid of the world. The last day of the Chaitra Navaratri is a very important day and famous as Ramanavami. lord Visnu descended on the earth in the form of Rama on this very day, Dr Das added.
There was a question-answer session after the lecture. Scholars like Sundar Rajan enriched the discussion by various questions and supplementary information.
Arun Kumar Upadhyaya discussed about the various incarnations of the goddess and about various demons from other angles. Sugyan Choudhury threw light on various aspects of the glory of the goddess. Mihir Kumar Mishra thanked the audience and the guests.