The seventh day of the holy festival of Navratri is dedicated to the worship of Mother Kalaratri who is the most fierce and powerful form of Adi Shakti. Her appearance seems extremely terrifying in which her complexion is black like dense darkness she has disheveled hair and flames emerge from her eyes. The entire battlefield of the universe trembles just by her presence. Even after this devotees know her by the name Shubhankari because she provides protection, courage and auspicious results to her devotees. The most wonderful story connected with Mother Kalaratri is that of the battle between the goddess and the mighty demon Raktabeej in ancient times in which the strange power of the demon had made him invincible.
The Rise of Demon Raktabeej and the Crisis of the Gods
A long time ago the demon kings Shumbha and Nishumbha had conquered heaven and forced the gods to abandon their divine kingdom. The gods began to wander here and there helplessly and finally they prayed to the Mother Goddess for protection. In response to their call Mother Durga appeared and she started fighting with the huge army of the demons. Many powerful demon generals were defeated in the early battles but soon a much more dangerous warrior entered the battlefield.
That demon was Raktabeej. Raktabeej possessed an extremely terrifying power obtained through penance. Whatever drop of blood fell from his body onto the ground another demon just like him would instantly take birth from it. Every new demon possessed the same immense strength and abilities as the original demon. Due to this strange boon it became almost impossible to defeat him.
Expansion of Demons in the Battlefield
When the battle started the goddess attacked Raktabeej with divine weapons. Every time he was wounded drops of his blood fell on the earth. But instead of weakening the demon something unexpected began to happen. From every drop of blood touching the ground a new demon would emerge. Within no time the battlefield was filled with hundreds and then thousands of identical demons. Each of them attacked the goddess with terrifying strength. The more the goddess fought the larger the army of demons became. The gods watching the battle from heaven began to worry because if this process continued the entire world would be filled with countless demons.
The Fierce Manifestation of Mother Kalaratri
At this very moment the fierce power of the Mother Goddess awakened. From the intense energy of the goddess the extremely scary form of Mother Kalaratri appeared. Her color was black like the night sky her hair was waving in the air like storm clouds and sparks of fire were emerging from her breath. Her arrival completely changed the energy of the battlefield. The rapidly growing demon army suddenly had to face a power that was even more strong than their magical abilities.
The Wonderful Strategy of the Goddess and the End of the Demon
Mother Kalaratri soon understood the secret of the power of Raktabeej. If his blood continued to fall on the ground the number of demons would continue to increase forever. Therefore she adopted a different strategy. As the goddess attacked Raktabeej she stopped every drop of blood before it could fall on the earth. According to some legends she drank that blood while in others it is described that she absorbed it with her divine energy. Because the blood could never touch the ground no new demon could be born. For the first time that demon began to lose his strength.
Without his strange reproduction capacity Raktabeej was no longer invincible. The goddess continued to strike with divine weapons and her fierce energy. Finally Mother Kalaratri defeated that demon and killed him and ended that crisis which had terrified the gods. Silence slowly returned to the battlefield. The gods praised the Mother Goddess for saving the universe once again.
Significance of Worshiping Mother Kalaratri
This legend clarifies why Mother Kalaratri is considered one of the most powerful forms of the goddess. She represents that power which faces fear darkness and problems that seem impossible. Her fierce form reminds devotees that sometimes evil cannot be won with ordinary strength. For this wisdom courage and divine power are required. On the seventh day of Navratri devotees worship Mother Kalaratri to remove fear obstacles and negative powers from their lives. Her story teaches that even when darkness appears endless the awakening of divine power can restore balance and light in the world.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Glory of Mother Kalaratri
Why is Mother Kalaratri called Shubhankari?
Mother Kalaratri always does good for her devotees and grants them auspicious results by freeing them from every type of fear which is why she is called Shubhankari.
What special boon did Raktabeej have?
Raktabeej had a boon that whatever drop of his blood fell on the earth another powerful demon like him would be born from it.
How did Mother Kalaratri defeat Raktabeej?
The mother took the blood of Raktabeej into her mouth before it fell on the ground due to which new demons could not be born and his end occurred.
What is the result of worshiping Kalaratri Mata on the day of Saptami?
The seeker gets indomitable courage from the worship of Saptami and all the negative energy and enemies of his life are destroyed.
What message does the form of Mother Kalaratri give?
Her form gives the message that the goddess can take an extremely harsh form for the protection of truth but she always remains kind to her devotees.
