Kathmandu, September 28: On the sixth day of Navaratri, observed during the Bada Dashain festival, devotees worship and venerate Goddess Katyayani.
Traditionally, Katyayani is worshipped as the sixth form of the Ashtamatrika goddesses.
According to religious belief, worshipping Goddess Katyayani on this day removes disease, grief, fear, sorrow, and poverty, leading devotees toward the path of progress. As per scriptures, she became known as Katyayani after Goddess Bhagwati was pleased with the penance of Sage Katyayan and was born as her daughter.
According to the Puranas, to destroy the demon Mahishasura, who had spread terror across the three worlds, Goddess Katyayani was born from the combined divine energies of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwar. She accepted worship from the seventh to the ninth day of the bright fortnight of Ashwin and, on Dashami, slew Mahishasura.
Thereafter, she came to be revered as a symbol of righteousness and justice.
Goddess Katyayani is depicted with four arms, riding a lion. Her complexion is radiant like gold. Her right hands display gestures of protection and blessing, while her left hands hold a sword and a lotus flower. She is regarded as the bestower of unfailing rewards.
On the sixth day of Navaratri worship, devotees believe in offering themselves in surrender and in beholding the goddess with pure devotion. There is also a tradition of staying awake in vigil at the base of a bel (wood apple) tree on this day. It is believed that devotion to Katyayani can bring about fulfillment of the four human goals—dharma (righteousness), artha (prosperity), kama (desire), and moksha (liberation).
People’s News Monitoring Service.
In the contemporary context, Goddess Katyayani is also regarded as a symbol of women’s empowerment, inner strength, and social justice.
People’s News Monitoring Service.
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