15. Story of Durga (Devotional)

      Durga is a form of Parvathi. Once there was a demon called Mahishasura who born out of a demon and buffalo. He was able to change between human and buffalo form at will. He was terrorising all gods who pleaded Parvathi/Shakthi to save them. She created a form of herself called Durga who fought with Mahishasura and his army. Durga's feminine power contains the energies of the gods. She rides on tiger and each of her weapons was given to her by various gods. She decimated his army in 9 days and finally killed him on 10th day. The event is celebrated in various versions as Dussehra in India. Durga was called as Mahishasuramardhini which means who killed demon Mahishasura.

      Once Lord Shiva called Parvathi as "Kali" (means black in hindi) as Parvathi's skin was a bit dark. Parvathi got angry on this and left for conducting penance for goddess of beauty. As Parvathi is shakthi herself, goddess of beauty appeared before her soon and removed all black particles from her skin. Then Parvathi's color became white thus she was called Gori (means white in hindi) which converted as Gouri. Black particles took a form which was called Kali. Goddess Parvathi is being prayed as mother Kali and mother Gouri also. Kali and Gouri have difference not only in color but also in their nature. Mother Kali always shown as furious form where as Mother Gouri always shown as peaceful form.

      Once there was a demon called Raktabija who was granted a boon that every drop of blood falling from him to the ground will become another Raktabija. Parvathi as Durga was fighting with him. Whenever she cut him into pieces, he was getting doubled, tripled. Finally she called her Kali form and started fighting with Raktabija. Kali spread her giant tongue and drank up all the blood before it fell to the earth. Thus Raktabija was killed. But intoxicated with Raktabija's blood, Kali ran across the three worlds, destroying everything. To stop her, Shiva took the form of a corpse and blocked her path. As Kali blinded by blood lust tripped on his lifeless body, she was jolted out her frenzy. She wondered if she had killed her own husband. She placed a foot on Shiva's chest and revived him. Shiva took the form of a little child and began to cry stirring maternal love in her heart which forced her to shed her fierce form.