Kātyāyani is the sixth form amongst Navadurga or the nine forms of Hindu goddess Durga (Shakti), worshipped during the Navratri celebrations.
Kātyāyani (कात्यायनी) is an aspect of Mahadevi and the slayer of the tyrannical demon Mahishasura. She is the sixth among the Navadurgas, the nine forms of Hindu goddess Durga who are worshipped during the festival of Navaratri.[1] She is depicted with four, ten or eighteen hands. This is the second name given to the goddess Adi Parashakti in Amarakosha, the Sanskrit lexicon (Goddess Parvati names- Uma, Katyayani, Gauri, Kali, Haimavati, Ishwari).
In Shaktism, she is associated with the fierce forms of Shakti or Durga, a warrior goddess, which also includes Bhadrakali and Chandika.
Once there lived a sage called Katyayana who prayed to the goddess to be born as his child in order to kill Mahishasura. She agreed and was born as his daughter and thus was called Katyayani. When the gods invoked Mahashakti – the primordial feminine power to protect them from the demon, Mahisha, she emerged from the sacrificial fire of the sage Katyayan. All the male gods bestowed their special powers and weapons on her. She is the avatara of Parvati in the form of the warrior goddess and is one of the most well-known and beloved of her forms.
Riding a lion, she proceeded towards the Vindhya mountains where the demon lived and killed him. Hence, she is also known as Mahishasuramardini. Skandamata gives the devotee success in the material plane but from the sixth night she starts to nudge us towards the spiritual.
Her planet is Jupiter. Her favourite flower is the marigold and favourite colour – green.
She is the virgin goddess, completely capable of protecting herself without the help of any of the male gods. She is actually a great example to all women that they can protect themselves if need be. She has a beautiful golden colour, three eyes and a calm face even though she is a warrior. She is dressed in green and pink clothes. Her four hands hold a sword, shield, lotus and trident. Her vehicle is a fierce looking lion.
Mahishasura the demon was born as a union of Rambha and a she buffalo (Mahishi) and consequently was a half man and half buffalo. The mighty demon was rendered more powerful as a result of a boon from God Agni, according to which he could be killed by a woman only. He managed to wreak havoc in heaven by chasing away all Gods from there. All the Gods then approached lord Vishnu and lord Shiva who were aware that only a woman could kill Mahishasura. They decided to create a Goddess out of the collective powers or 'Tejas' of all the God's and so was born a Goddess who combined in herself all that was mighty and powerful in each God. She was armed by a trident from Shiva, Chakra from Vishnu, a Lion from Himalayas and bows and arrows from Vayu. Indra created a Vajra from his powerful weapon Vajra and gave it to her, which had the power and swiftness of the thnderbolt. Airavata, the four-tusked white elphant, the vehicle of Indra gave a bell to Her. Yama, the lord of death and wielder of the deadly staff, produced a staff from his weapon and gave it to Goddess. The Prajapati gave her a arland or Rudraksha and Brahmaji, a holy water pot Kamandalu. The Sun filled the pores of her skin with his brilliance. Time gave her dazzling sharp sword and a shield. The Milky Ocean - this is the repository of all divine things and beings, Lord Vishnu is portraid as lying on this ocean on His bed of Ananta, the thousand-hooded serpent. It was by churning this ocean that the divine nectar was obtained. It also brought out from its depths, precious things and divine beings, including Sri Mahalakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. This ocean signifies the Sattvic state of the Universal Mind - adorned Her with a pearl garland and beautiful clothes. Vishvakarma adorned Her with a crest juwel, ear-rings, crescent of the moon, bracelets, anklets, necklaces, diamond rings, and various types of weapons and an imenetrable armour. The oceans presented the Goddess a garland of red lotuses which never faded. The Himalayas gave Her a lion to ride on and also various types of precious gems. Kubera, the lord of wealth gave Her a wine pot which remained ever full. Ananta, the lord of serpents , gave a garland studded with the most precious and rarest of jewels. Other celestials also adorned Her with various kinds of ornaments and weapons.
Mahishasura on the other hand, waged a valiant fight against her and assumed the form of a buffalo, a lion, a man carrying a sword, an elephant and lastly again as a buffalo. The battle raged for ten thousand years and finally the Goddess was able to pin down Mahishasura and chop off his head. The Gods, rid of the demon, showered the Goddess with innumerable praises and with reverence prayed her to appear every time they were in need of her. Granting the same to the Gods, she disappeared to appear again when called with devotion.
Everything that happens and unfolds before us, which is called Prapancha is not limited only to what is visible. That which is invisible and cannot be perceived by the senses is far greater than we can even imagine and comprehend.
How can anger be a positive or a divine quality, and when can it become a negative or a demonic quality? There is a huge difference between the two. Do not think that anger is only a bad quality. Anger is also important and has its own place. Good anger is associated with wisdom, while bad anger with emotions and selfishness. Good anger comes from a sense of broad vision. Anger is appropriate when it is directed towards injustice and ignorance. Usually whoever gets angry tends to think that his anger is justified and directed towards some injustice only! But if you go deeper into more subtle levels of existence, you will find that it is not really so. In such cases, anger actually creates bondage for the person. So, the anger that arises for righteous reasons and is directed towards negativity and injustice is represented by Devi Katyayani.
You must have witnessed so many natural calamities which people call the revenge of Nature. For example, many places get struck by huge earthquakes, or severe floods. All these happenings are attributed to Devi Katyayani. Devi Katyayani represents that divine principle and form of the Mother Divine which is behind such terrible natural calamities and disasters. Devi Katyayani also represents that anger that arises in Creation to restore and revive the principles of Dharma and truth. Katyayani is the divine force or principle of the unmanifest Divinity that arises in the subtle layers of creation against negativity and for the purpose of restoring Dharma. It is said that the anger of a wise person only brings about greater good; whereas even the love of an ignorant or foolish person can only cause more trouble. That is why Devi Katyayani actually represents a beneficial and uplifting force.
Yogis & Sadhaks penance on Agya Chakra on this day.
