The Navadurga are the nine forms of Goddess Durga: Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri. During Navaratri one form is worshipped each day, starting with Shailaputri on the first day and ending with Siddhidatri on the ninth. All nine are the same Mother, Mahadurga, who took these forms to protect dharma.
How Mahadurga came into being
Long ago, the devas and the asuras fought a war that lasted a hundred years. The devas lost, and Mahishasura took over the heavens.
With nowhere to turn, the devas went to Lord Brahma for shelter. Brahma took them to Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva came there too. The three gods saw that Mahishasura could not be defeated in the ordinary way. They decided to bring together the divine powers of all the gods and form one great power.
Then a brilliant light came out of the body of every deva. The Durga Saptashati describes the moment like this:
अतुलं तत्र तत्तेजः सर्वदेवशरीरजम् । एकस्थं तदभून्नारी व्याप्तलोकत्रयं त्विषा ॥
atulaṃ tatra tattejaḥ sarvadevaśarīrajam | ekasthaṃ tadabhūnnārī vyāptalokatrayaṃ tviṣā ||
Meaning: That matchless light, born from the bodies of all the devas, gathered in one place and became a woman whose radiance filled the three worlds.
That woman was Mahadurga. She had eighteen arms, with a divine weapon in each hand. Her face shone like ten million suns, and her body glowed the colour of gold. Her eyes were like lotuses in full bloom, and her hair was like dark rain clouds.
The devas praised her with joy and begged her to destroy Mahishasura. The Mother promised to kill him and protect dharma. A mighty lion then appeared to be her mount. She rode it into battle, fought a terrible war with Mahishasura, and on the day of Dashami she killed him and ended the grief of the devas.
Watch the story
A narrated retelling from our YouTube channel, in the regional language of this site.
Why one Durga became nine
Mahishasura was not the only demon troubling the worlds. To destroy many more of them and set dharma back on its feet, Mahadurga appeared in nine forms. These nine forms are the Navadurga.
The Devi Kavacha, recited by many devotees before the Durga Saptashati, names all nine in order:
प्रथमं शैलपुत्री च द्वितीयं ब्रह्मचारिणी । तृतीयं चन्द्रघण्टेति कूष्माण्डेति चतुर्थकम् ॥
पञ्चमं स्कन्दमातेति षष्ठं कात्यायनीति च । सप्तमं कालरात्रीति महागौरीति चाष्टमम् ॥
नवमं सिद्धिदात्री च नवदुर्गाः प्रकीर्तिताः । उक्तान्येतानि नामानि ब्रह्मणैव महात्मना ॥
prathamaṃ śailaputrī ca dvitīyaṃ brahmacāriṇī | tṛtīyaṃ candraghaṇṭeti kūṣmāṇḍeti caturthakam ||
pañcamaṃ skandamāteti ṣaṣṭhaṃ kātyāyanīti ca | saptamaṃ kālarātrīti mahāgaurīti cāṣṭamam ||
navamaṃ siddhidātrī ca navadurgāḥ prakīrtitāḥ | uktānyetāni nāmāni brahmaṇaiva mahātmanā ||
Meaning: The first is Shailaputri and the second Brahmacharini. The third is Chandraghanta and the fourth Kushmanda. The fifth is Skandamata and the sixth Katyayani. The seventh is Kalaratri and the eighth Mahagauri. The ninth is Siddhidatri. These are proclaimed as the Navadurga, and these names were spoken by the great Brahma himself.
The nine forms and their Navaratri days
| Day | Form | Who she is | |---|---|---| | 1 | Shailaputri | Daughter of Himavan, the mountain king | | 2 | Brahmacharini | The Mother in fierce tapas | | 3 | Chandraghanta | A sign of peace and gentleness, with a bell-shaped moon on her head | | 4 | Kushmanda | The Mother who created the universe | | 5 | Skandamata | Mother of Kumaraswamy (Skanda) | | 6 | Katyayani | The Mother who killed Mahishasura | | 7 | Kalaratri | Destroyer of evil forces | | 8 | Mahagauri | A sign of purity | | 9 | Siddhidatri | Giver of every siddhi |
Navaratri begins on the Pratipada (first day) of the bright half of the month of Ashvayuja (Ashvin). Because the lunar calendar shifts, a day is sometimes added or dropped in a given year, so it is best to check a local panchanga for the exact dates.
Each form has her own vehicle and weapons
Every form of the Navadurga has her own colour, vehicle and weapons, described in her dhyana sloka (meditation verse). Mahagauri's dhyana sloka is a good example:
श्वेते वृषे समारूढा श्वेतांबरधरा शुचिः । महागौरी शुभं दद्यान्महादेवप्रमोददा ॥
śvete vṛṣe samārūḍhā śvetāmbaradharā śuciḥ | mahāgaurī śubhaṃ dadyānmahādevapramodadā ||
Meaning: May Mahagauri, who rides a white bull, wears white clothes, is pure, and brings joy to Mahadeva, grant us what is good.
Read the other eight dhyana slokas the same way and a picture of each form comes alive: Shailaputri on her bull with a trident, Brahmacharini with a rosary and water pot, Kushmanda with eight arms on a lion.
What the nine forms teach
The Navadurga are more than names to worship. Devotees also see in them different stages of life and different sides of the mind. Brahmacharini teaches tapas, discipline and steady effort. Kalaratri gives the courage to face fear and overcome it. Shailaputri, the first, stands for a firm beginning. Siddhidatri, the last, stands for fulfilment.
Tradition holds that worshipping the Navadurga brings strength, knowledge, wealth, health and success, along with spiritual growth. Shakti upasana, the worship of the Mother as power, is believed to awaken the strength already hidden inside us, so that we can face any difficulty with courage and come through it.
A simple way to worship through the nine days
Many families set up a kalasha or a picture of the Devi on the first day and keep a lamp lit through Navaratri. Each morning they recite the dhyana sloka of that day's form, offer flowers, and chant her name mantra, often 108 times. Some read a portion of the Durga Saptashati every day. Even a short daily prayer with the right form in mind follows the spirit of the festival.
Nine days, nine stories
| Day | Goddess | Story | 108 names |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shailaputri | Read the story | Ashtottara |
| 2 | Brahmacharini | Read the story | Ashtottara |
| 3 | Chandraghanta | Read the story | Ashtottara |
| 4 | Kushmanda | Read the story | Ashtottara |
| 5 | Skandamata | Read the story | Ashtottara |
| 6 | Katyayani | Read the story | Ashtottara |
| 7 | Kalaratri | Read the story | Ashtottara |
| 8 | Mahagauri | Read the story | Ashtottara |
| 9 | Siddhidatri | Read the story | Ashtottara |