Navaratri Day 6- Katyayani: Goddess of Power
Appearance of Goddess Katyayani
Goddess Katyayani has three eyes and four hands. In her left hands, she holds a sword and a lotus. Her right hands are in the Varada mudra (blessing) and Abhaya mudra (protection and dispelling fear). Adorned with a crescent moon on her forehead, she rides a lion, embodying courage and strength.
Symbolism of Katyayani
Goddess Katyayani rules over the subtle and unseen world, representing all that is invisible and incomprehensible. She embodies the deep and complex mysteries of divinity, which cannot be easily perceived or understood.
Mythology Behind the Form of Katyayani
Sage Katyayan desired Goddess Durga to be born as his daughter. He performed years of intense penance. During this time, the demon Mahishasura was causing havoc on earth. Desperate, the gods appealed to Lord Vishnu for help. Lord Vishnu, along with Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma, combined their powers to create Goddess Katyayani, who was born as the daughter of Sage Katyayan. It is said in the Kalika Purana that Sage Katyayan was the first to worship Goddess Durga in her form as Katyayani.
Significance of Katyayani
Katyayani arises from the seer aspect of consciousness. Katyayan is the seer, and you become the witness. When you realize, “I am not the body, I am not the mind,” you go deeper within and become the observer of everything. Energy flows from this witnessing consciousness, and this intuitive wisdom is known as Katyayani.
What we see and perceive, known as prapancha, is not limited to the visible. The unseen, which cannot be grasped by the senses, is far greater than what we can comprehend.
The power to see beyond the senses and know beyond reason is what Katyayani represents.
In creation, there are both divine and demonic forces. Similarly, anger can be a positive or negative force. Positive anger arises from wisdom, while negative anger stems from emotions and selfishness. Positive anger comes from a broad perspective, and it is justified when directed towards injustice and ignorance. Normally, we think anger is justified when it’s directed at some injustice, but in deeper levels of existence, that’s not always the case. In such instances, anger becomes a bondage for the person. The righteous anger that arises for just causes and is directed at negativity and injustice is represented by Goddess Katyayani.
Goddess Katyayani also symbolizes the anger that arises to restore and uphold the principles of truth and dharma (righteousness) in the universe. She represents the divine principle and the form of the Mother Goddess behind the fierce natural calamities and disasters.
Katyayani is the divine force that arises in the subtle layers of creation to oppose negativity and restore righteousness. It is said that the anger of a wise person only brings forth more good, while the love of an ignorant person may lead to more trouble. Thus, Goddess Katyayani represents a benevolent and uplifting force.