Kushmanda is the fourth of the nine forms of Durga and is worshipped on the fourth day of Navaratri. In devotional tradition she is the Mother who created the universe with a smile, when there was nothing but darkness. She has eight arms and rides a lion.
Kushmanda dhyana sloka and meaning
सुरासंपूर्णकलशं रुधिराप्लुतमेव च । दधाना हस्तपद्माभ्यां कूष्मांडा शुभदास्तु मे ॥
surāsampūrṇakalaśaṃ rudhirāplutameva ca | dadhānā hastapadmābhyāṃ kūṣmāṇḍā śubhadāstu me ||
Meaning: May Kushmanda Devi, who holds two full kalashas (pots) in her lotus hands, grant me every kind of good fortune.
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What the name Kushmanda means
The word Kushmanda has three parts:
- Ku means small.
- Ushma means warmth, heat or energy.
- Anda means egg.
Put together, the name points to a small cosmic egg filled with energy, the seed of the whole universe (the brahmanda). The name fits her story, because she is the Mother from whom all of creation came.
The story of Kushmanda
A smile in the darkness
According to devotional tradition, at the start of creation there was only darkness everywhere. In that endless emptiness, Kushmanda Devi smiled.
From that smile the universe was born, and it filled with light. The stars, the planets, the sun and the moon all came from the Mother's smile.
It is a gentle picture of creation. There is no battle and no struggle in it. The Mother does not build the world through effort. She smiles, and the world appears.
The Mother who lives in the sun
In the stories commonly told about her, after creation the Devi placed her power in the orb of the sun (the Surya mandala). It was she who gave the sun its light and energy. This is why she is called the Mother who dwells in the sun. Her radiance is said to equal the light of a hundred crore (one billion) suns.
The source of the three great powers
With her smile, Kushmanda Devi also brought forth the three great powers: Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati. From these powers the Trimurti, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, were born along with their consorts. In this way the Mother became the root cause of all creation.
So when devotees pray to Kushmanda, they are praying to the source behind the source: the one from whom even the creator gods arose.
Her form and what it means
Kushmanda Devi has eight arms, which is why she is also called Ashtabhuja Devi. She sits on a lion. In her hands she holds:
- a kamandalu (water pot)
- a bow
- an arrow
- a lotus
- a kalasha of amrita (nectar)
- a chakra (discus)
- a gada (mace)
- a japa mala (rosary)
Devotees believe that her japa mala grants every siddhi and every kind of wealth. The kalasha of nectar, held beside her weapons, shows the two sides of the Mother: she protects, and she nourishes.
How to worship Kushmanda on Day 4
The fourth day of Navaratri, Ashvayuja (Ashvin) Shukla Chaturthi, belongs to Kushmanda.
- Flowers: Red flowers are offered to her.
- Naivedya: A popular custom is to offer dishes made with ash gourd or pumpkin, since "kushmanda" is also the Sanskrit word for this gourd.
- Mantra: Devotees chant her mantra 108 times:
ॐ ऐं ह्रीं क्लीं कूष्मांडायै नमः
oṃ aiṃ hrīṃ klīṃ kūṣmāṇḍāyai namaḥ
Since she is linked with the sun, some devotees like to begin the day's prayer in the morning light.
Blessings of worshipping Kushmanda
Tradition holds that worshipping Kushmanda increases long life and good health, and keeps illness and sorrow away. Devotees also pray to her for peace of mind, prosperity and self-confidence. Because the whole universe began with her smile, many people see her as the Mother to turn to when life feels dark and they need a fresh start.