The sixth day of the holy Navratri festival is dedicated to Mother Katyayani the goddess of power. This is a very strong and warrior form of the goddess which was created specifically to end a crisis that had caused panic in heaven and on earth. The appearance of Mother Katyayani is considered the result of the collected anger and collective willpower of the gods. Her story is not just a tale of the end of a demon but it is proof of how divine justice appears when unrighteousness begins to cross its limits.
When Mahishasura Won the Kingdom of Gods
It is a matter of ancient times when a very powerful demon named Mahishasura performed difficult penance to Lord Brahma. Pleased with his penance Lord Brahma gave him a boon that no man or god in the world would be able to kill him. This boon filled Mahishasura with ego and he started considering himself immortal. He attacked the three worlds with his huge army. He defeated the gods and took control of heaven. The situation became so bad that all the gods were removed from their own kingdom and they started wandering helplessly.
The Appearance of the Goddess from the Anger of the Gods
When the gods completely failed to defeat Mahishasura they reached the divine trinity Brahma Vishnu and Shiva with their pain. After hearing the bad condition of the gods deep anger arose within the trinity. At that same time a divine and glowing energy started coming out from the bodies of all the gods. All these energies combined to become a mass and took the form of a very beautiful and powerful goddess. Sage Katyayan was the first to worship this goddess and she appeared in his ashram which is why her name became Katyayani. Her form was as bright as millions of suns which created fear in the minds of the wicked.
Offering of Divine Weapons and Arms
To prepare the goddess for battle all the gods offered her their main weapons. To increase her power Lord Shiva gave his Trishul (trident) and Lord Vishnu offered his Chakra (discus) to her. Lord Indra gave his Vajra (thunderbolt) and other gods also offered divine weapons like swords shields and bows to the mother. Equipped with these powerful weapons and riding on a lion Mother Katyayani set out to end Mahishasura.
| God | Weapon Provided |
|---|
| Lord Shiva | Trishul (Trident) |
| Lord Vishnu | Sudarshana Chakra (Discus) |
| Lord Indra | Vajra (Thunderbolt) |
| Lord Varuna | Shankh (Conch) |
The Fierce Battle of Mahishasura and Mother Katyayani
When Mahishasura saw a goddess riding a lion and coming towards the battlefield he started laughing loudly. He had full faith in his boon that a woman would not be able to do anything to him. But as soon as the battle started the illusion of Mahishasura began to break. Mother Katyayani showed amazing bravery and skill. This battle continued for many days and shook the entire universe. Finally the mother pierced the heart of Mahishasura with a single strike of her trident and killed that arrogant demon.
Restoration of Peace in the Universe
With the death of Mahishasura the gods got their heaven back and peace spread everywhere. All the sages and gods praised the mother and honored her as the protector of the universe. This form of Mother Katyayani teaches us that no matter how big the evil is the power of truth and religion is always capable of defeating it. Even today she destroys obstacles and enemies from the lives of her devotees.
How did Mother Katyayani get her name?
Since Sage Katyayan had performed difficult penance for her and she appeared in his ashram she is called Katyayani.
What is the vehicle of the mother?
Mother Katyayani rides a lion which is a symbol of great courage and power.
What boon did Mahishasura have?
Mahishasura had a boon that no man or god would be able to kill him which made him very proud.
On which day of Navratri is Mother Katyayani worshiped?
Special worship and prayer of Mother Katyayani are done on the sixth day of Navratri.
What blessing does Mother Katyayani give to devotees?
She blesses her devotees with courage and fearlessness and removes all enemies and obstacles of life.
