The Eighth Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to MahaGauri - The Great Beauty, The 'Great White One' ; The Ninth Night of NavRatri, to Siddhidhatri - the Bestower of Boons, The Giver of Empowerment. Both because I am rather late in my finishing of this piece - but also due to a certain underlying thematic unity ... … Continue reading The Vitality of the Universe Entire – On MahaGauri, SiddhiDhatri, and Demeter
Katyayani
Katyayani for Chaitra Navratri – MahishasuraMardini (The Destroyer of the Demon) Herself
The Sixth Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as Katyayani - in many ways, perhaps the most iconic understanding for Devi amidst the modern Hindusphere. When we think of Durga - this tends to be Whom we are praising. For She is MahishasuraMardini - The Destroyer of the Buffalo-Demon - Herself ! [An effort … Continue reading Katyayani for Chaitra Navratri – MahishasuraMardini (The Destroyer of the Demon) Herself
The Names Of The NavaDurgas In Accessible Translation For NavRatri
With NavRatri beginning tonight - here's an enumeration of the Nine NavaDurgas (One for each Night) … along with an attempt to make the theonyms more understandable via colour-coding. The colour of the part of the word in Sanskrit corresponds to the English word it's translated as. So, for instance, 'Shailaputri' has 'Shaila' (Mountain) in … Continue reading The Names Of The NavaDurgas In Accessible Translation For NavRatri
Devi Durga As Mahishasura Mardini – Glorious Modern Hindu (A)Art(i) For Friday, Devi’s Day
Amazing modern (A)art(i) for Friday - Devi's Day. Durga as Mahishasura Mardini - the Destroyer of the Buffalo-Demon. Dawon, Her Lion Vahana [vehicle/steed] is looming behind. And Mahishasur, of course, is the exsanguinating horned figure under Her Feet and Spear. To quote from one of my previous works via way of explication - "To this … Continue reading Devi Durga As Mahishasura Mardini – Glorious Modern Hindu (A)Art(i) For Friday, Devi’s Day
MahaShivRatri And The Mytholinguistics Of War [Part 3] – The Mind, The Mania, The Manyu
[Author's Note: It is said that some efforts take on a 'mind of their own'. While this was initially intended as the third part to our MythoLinguistics of War series, with a focus more narrowly upon the strong saliency of Indo-European concepts of "Mind" and 'Spirit' with those of Warfare - as the writing progressed, … Continue reading MahaShivRatri And The Mytholinguistics Of War [Part 3] – The Mind, The Mania, The Manyu
Navratri – The Nine Nights of Goddess Durga
Tonight marks the start of NavRatri – the Nine Nights of Goddess Durga. In North Indian tradition, we mark each one of the Nine as being dedicated to a particular NavaDurga Aspect of MataDI; whereas in South India, it is more common to regard it as three sets of three days apiece – one for … Continue reading Navratri – The Nine Nights of Goddess Durga
arya-akasha 