Shri Durga is one of the most beloved deities in the Hindu tradition. She represents the supreme Shakti, the Mother Goddess of all creation. In her form as the warrior Durga, she is a fierce power that removes all negativity and everything that keeps us from experiencing our true divine nature.
Shri Durga is invoked in times of great need, and she is known for her compassion and for protecting humanity. The Sanskrit word Durga literally means “inaccessible” or “a place difficult to overcome.” So Shri Durga is the one who carries us through difficulties and she who removes all difficulties and dangers.
In the Durgā Sūkta, we find the verse:
sa naḥ parṣad ati durgāṇi viśvā
“May the divine power carry us across all difficulties.”
She is much more than a protector, though. Shri Durga represents Maha Maya, the power of the Universe that brings forth the world into creation. She is also the power that sustains it and dissolves it.
The Nārāyaṇī Stuti says:
सृष्टिस्थितिविनाशानां शक्तिभूते सनातनि
Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-vināśānāṃ śakti-bhūte sanātani
“O eternal one, you are the power behind creation, preservation and dissolution.”
And that same dynamic is always at play within us. In her role as a fierce goddess, Shri Durga is also what animates the body, what powers everything that is alive. And ultimately, she is the fierce power of grace. She is Kundalini Shakti herself, the divine power within all humans that purifies the mind and body, and the power that burns through the delusion that we are separate. The supreme Shakti of Durga is a powerful reminder that everything is connected.
In the tradition of yogic Tantra, Bija mantras, or seed mantras, are considered the most potent sound-form vibrations of the various deities, which represent various aspects of the Divine.
The Bija Mantra of Shri Durga is:
Om Duṃ Durgāyai Namaḥ
The meaning is:
Duṃ: The Bija Mantra of Durga, associated with protective, obstacle-destroying Shakti.
Durgāyai: To Durga.
Namaḥ: I bow or honor.
Here is a recording of the Durga Bija Mantra we did. You can simply sing along or listen to it while meditating.
Text and video by Vidura Barrios
