Midst the festivity of Navratri, nine days of that month are devoted to worship nine various forms of Maa Durga- described in various kinds of Durga Paintings available at the online art galleries for all. While this Hindu festivity is about the win of good over evil; this victory is celebrated for nine days and thus is portrayed in various kinds of Durga Paintings with beautifully created landscape art in the background.
On the tenth day of this nine-day celebration- all the devotees hail to the victory of Lord Ram over Ravana. Midst all this, Goddess Durga’s paintings aim to symbolize that divine force, also known as the divine shakti which is used to fight against the wrong and the evil. The powerful portrayal of the Goddess is said to protect her devotees from all the evil and negative power that reside around them – safeguarding them from the bad.
Weapons Found Commonly in Various Durga paintings
Goddess Durga signifies the Supreme Being’s power to maintain moral order and righteousness in the universe. Durga is a Sanskrit word that refers to a fort or a protected location that is difficult to reach. Durga, also known as Divine Shakti, guards humanity against evil and misery by slaying bad energies (negative energy and vices like hubris, jealously, prejudice, wrath, anger, greed, and selfishness).
Goddess Durga is represented as an eight-handed warrior goddess wielding various weapons while assuming mudras (symbolic hand motions) that convey her teachings.
- Dharma is symbolized by the chakra in her first upper right hand. In life, we must fulfill our duties and responsibilities.
- Happiness is symbolized by the conch in her first upper left hand. We must carry out our responsibilities joyfully and enthusiastically, rather than with animosity.
- The sword she holds in her second right lower hand represents the abolition of vices. We must learn to recognize and eliminate our negative traits.
- In her second left lower hand, she holds a bow and arrow, which represents Lord Rama. We must not lose our character when confronted with adversities in life (values).
- Detachment is symbolized by the Lotus Flower in her third lower left hand. We must live in the world while being apart from it. The lotus flower, for example, smiles and provides its beauty to others despite being immersed in filthy water. This is the only way to get a response.
- The club on her third right lower hand is Hanuman’s emblem, and it represents devotion and surrender. Whatever we do in life, we do it with love and devotion, accepting the result as God’s will.
- Her fourth left lower hand holds a trident/Trishul, which represents courage. We must have the courage to overcome our negative traits and tackle life’s obstacles.
- Her blessings and forgiveness are symbolized by the fourth lower right hand. We must forgive ourselves and others for any mistakes we may have made, as well as any harm we may have caused.
Durga Maa is usually shown riding a lion or tiger. A tiger represents unrestricted power. Durga riding a tiger symbolizes Her limitless power, which she utilizes to safeguard virtue and punish evil. The lion represents uncontrollable animalistic tendencies (such as anger, arrogance, selfishness, greed, jealousy, desire to harm others, and so on), and Her sitting on it reminds us to exercise control over these traits so that we are not controlled by them.
She is frequently depicted wearing a red sari. The color red denotes activity, and Her crimson clothing denotes that She is slaying evil and shielding mankind from anguish and sorrow.
As a result, Goddess Durga represents the Divine forces (good energy) that are used to combat evil and wrongdoing. She is the personification of feminine and creative energy, and she represents pure energy (positive), also known as divine light or Jyoti.
This month, we must pray to Maa Durga, the Universal Mother, asking Her to use Her destructive force to eliminate the vices, defects, and faults inside us (anger, selfish desires, greed, ego, and undue attachments), and purify us so that we can receive her Divine Shakti—Anandamayi Shakti).
Wrap up:
Goddess Durga is also thought to have been created by Lord Vishnu as a warrior goddess to protect righteous people (devas) from the demon Mahishasur. In the form of weapons and emblems, her divine shakti encompasses the united energy of all the gods (mudras).
While you get the best Durga Art for yourself and your house- make sure to be a good devotee amidst the worship of Goddess Durga.
