Parvathi
Parvathi is Lord Siva's consort & like Lord Siva,
she is portrayed in her roudra & serene aspects.In her serene
aspect, she is depicted as Uma or Parvathi & is usually seen along
with Siva & also their children Lord Ganesha & Lord Muruga. She
is seen with only two hands, holding a blue lotus in her right hand. |
Durga
As Kali ( the Goddess of Time ) she presents the most
terrifying aspect, usually seen in a burial or war field. She is
standing on a dead body with her hair let loose and dishivelled. She
wears a garland of skulls.
Goddess Parvathi is worshipped by several other namas - Maheswari,
Kaumari, Varahi, Vaishnavi, Chamundi, Durga, Kali, Bhuvaneswari,
Mathangi, Lalitha, Annapurani, Rajarajeswari. |
In her terrifying aspects, the
most commonly worshipped forms are Durga & Kali. These are forms
taken by the Goddess in an effort to destroy some form of evil &
hence even these forms need not invoke fear, for she is the mother who
has risen in anger only to destoy evil forces and provide eternal
happiness and peace to her children.
As Durga she is seen with four - twenty hands. She has 3 eyes, the 3rd
eye in her forehead. She is adorned in bright red sari. In her hands she
holds the discuss, bow, trident, bow & arrow, sword, gadha, etc.,
Her vahana is the lion and she is sometimes seen as standing on a lotus
or on a buffalo's head. |
The other forms of Parvati are Durga and Kali which are awesome and terrifying. In
these forms the goddess rides a lion, wields a number of weapons and wears a garland of
skulls, holds a severed head in one hand and a lotus in another etc.all these represent
destruction of evil and protection of good (lotus). This goddess is therefore invoked by
the seeker to destroy all his desires (vasanas) and unveil his supreme Self. |
