Brahmacharini is the second of the nine forms of Durga and is worshipped on the second day of Navaratri. She is Parvati during her long tapas to win Shiva as her husband. Dressed in white, she holds a japa mala (rosary) in one hand and a kamandalu (water pot) in the other.
Brahmacharini dhyana sloka and meaning
दधाना करपद्माभ्यामक्षमालाकमंडलू । देवी प्रसीदतु मयि ब्रह्मचारिण्यनुत्तमा ॥
dadhānā karapadmābhyāmakṣamālākamaṇḍalū | devī prasīdatu mayi brahmacāriṇyanuttamā ||
Meaning: May the supreme Devi Brahmacharini, who holds a rosary and a water pot in her lotus hands, be pleased with me.
Watch the story
A narrated retelling from our YouTube channel, in the regional language of this site.
What the name Brahmacharini means
"Brahma" here means the Veda, the highest truth, and tapas. "Charini" means a woman who practises or follows. So Brahmacharini is the Mother who lives in tapas. The name does not describe a goddess who stays away from the world. It describes one who gives herself fully to a single goal.
The story of Brahmacharini
Narada's words to Himavan
When Sati was reborn as the daughter of Himavan, she was named Parvati. From childhood she grew up listening to stories of Shiva told by the sage Narada.
One day Narada came to Himavan's home and said: "This girl was born to become the wife of Shiva. But to win Shiva, she must do fierce tapas." From that day Parvati began her tapas with a firm resolve.
A tapas beyond belief
Her tapas was unlike any other.
- For the first thousand years, she ate only fruits.
- For the next hundred years, she ate only leafy greens.
- For three hundred years, she lived on dry leaves that had fallen to the ground.
- After that, for some time she took only air, and for a long time only water.
- In the end, she gave up food altogether.
Because she did tapas without eating even a leaf, she came to be called Aparna, "the one without a leaf."
Her mother, Menadevi, could not bear to see her daughter grow so thin. She cried out "U ma!", which means "Oh child, don't!" From those words came another of the Mother's names, Uma.
The power of her tapas made the three worlds tremble.
Shiva's test
Shiva decided to test her. He came to her in the guise of an old Brahmin and asked why she was doing such hard tapas. "To win Shiva," Parvati answered.
The old Brahmin then began to speak ill of Shiva. Parvati grew angry. But she held her anger back, and instead she spoke of Shiva's greatness.
That restraint was the real test. Pleased with her devotion and self-control, Shiva showed himself in his true form and promised to marry her.
The lesson people take from this story is simple. Parvati's tapas was more than going without food. Its hardest moment came when someone insulted what she loved, and she answered with calm praise instead of anger.
Her form and what it means
Brahmacharini wears white. In her right hand she holds a japa mala, in her left a kamandalu, and her face is calm.
- The japa mala stands for constant meditation, the steady repeating of the divine name.
- The kamandalu stands for the nectar of knowledge.
- The white clothes suggest the simplicity of a life given to tapas.
Unlike several of the Navadurga, she carries no weapons and rides no animal. In most pictures she stands or walks barefoot, the picture of a seeker on her way.
How to worship Brahmacharini on Day 2
The second day of Navaratri, Ashvayuja (Ashvin) Shukla Dwitiya, belongs to Brahmacharini.
- Flowers: White flowers are offered to her, especially jasmine.
- Naivedya: A popular custom is to offer payasam (a milk pudding) and curd rice.
- Mantra: Devotees chant her mantra 108 times:
ॐ ऐं ह्रीं क्लीं ब्रह्मचारिण्यै नमः
oṃ aiṃ hrīṃ klīṃ brahmacāriṇyai namaḥ
Some devotees keep a small vow of their own on this day, such as a simple meal or a set number of japa, in the spirit of her tapas.
Blessings of worshipping Brahmacharini
Tradition holds that worshipping Brahmacharini gives control over the senses, firm resolve and spiritual knowledge. Students preparing for exams and anyone working toward a long, hard goal often feel close to this form of the Mother.