Last Updated on 26 September 2022, 3:29 PM IST | Durga Puja (Durga Ashtami) 2020: In Navratri, nine forms or incarnations of Mata / Mother Durga are worshipped for continuous nine days. This year Ashtami/ Durga Puja/Mahanavmi is going to be celebrated on 3 October, Monday.  During this, the devotees of mother Durga keep fasts (mostly eat fruits and other saltless food items) for nine days to worship Durga and get her blessings. It is said that worshiping the goddess in Navratri fulfills the wishes of the devotees. Is that completely true? We will find out for our readers!

Durga Puja and Durga Ashtami Is on Same Day

Durga Puja is the beginning of Hindu festivals in India. Durga Puja/ Durga Ashtami is held in the month of Ashwin in Shukla Paksha. Ashwin is the seventh month according to the Hindu calendar. Durga Puja is hugely celebrated in West Bengal, Assam, and few other eastern states of India.

Goddess Durga is worshipped in the form of goddess Lakshmi and goddess Parvathi. Navratri is dedicated to the feminine divinity.  Durga puja’s celebrations end with Vijay Dashami (Dussehra).

Durga Puja (Durga Ashtami) 2022: According to the Mythological Tales

Durga Puja is celebrated to mark the victory of Goddess Durga against the demon Mahishasur. It is said that the demon Mahishasura was a devotee of Brahma Ji (eldest son of Maa Durga) and he prayed to Brahma Ji and asked for many boons. After this, demons waged war against the deities. Mother Durga killed the demon Mahishasura. Therefore, this festival is considered to be the victory of good over evil.

Is Maa Durga Worthy to Worship?

Garibdas Ji’s Speech, Aadi Ramaini (Sad´Granth, page no. 690 to 692)

Aadi ramaini adli saara | ja din hote dhundhukaara ||1||

Sat Purush kinha Prakaasha | ham hote takhat Kabir khawaasa ||2||

Man mohini sirji Maya | SatPurush ek khyaal banaaya ||3||

Dharmrai sirje darbaani | chausath jugtap sewa thaani ||4||

Purush prithvi jaaku dinhi raaj karo| deva aadhini ||5||

Brahmand ikees raaj tumh dinha | man ki ichchha sab jug linha ||6||

Maya mool roop ek chhaaja | mohi liye jinhu dharmraja ||7||

Dharm ka man chanchal chit |dhaarya man Maya ka roop bichaara|| 8||

How Durga Came Into Existence?

The meaning of the aforesaid sacred Speech is that Respected Garib Das Ji is saying that earlier there was only darkness here and the Supreme God Kabir Ji was sitting on a throne in Satlok. God gave rise to Jyoti Niranjan. Then, He gave him 21 brahmands in return for his meditation. After that, He created Maya (Prakriti/Durga). Jyoti Niranjan (Brahm) got attracted towards young Durga’s (Prakriti) looks and tried to rape her. Brahm got its punishment. He was expelled from Satlok and was also cursed that he would eat one-lakh human beings and produce a lakh and a quarter daily.

Why Are We Suffering From the Agony of Birth and Death?

The three gods (Rajgun-Brahma, Satgun-Vishnu, Tamgun-Shiv) under the influence of Jyoti Niranjan (Kaal), by glorifying themselves, make the living beings wander in heaven, hell and in this Bhavsagar (ocean of world) (in the 84 lakh births of various living beings). Jyoti Niranjan produces living beings through his Maya.

We All Are Trapped in Durga and Kaal’s Trap

Maya kaali nagini, Apne jaaye khaat| 

Kundali mein chhode nahin, Sau baton ki baat।।

Kaal’s trap is like this. Even if we do bhakti up to Niranjan after taking naam from a Complete Saint, we cannot get out of his coil (twenty-one brahmands). Even Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, and Aadi Maya Sherawali, themselves are in Niranjan’s coil (trap). These poor souls come as incarnations and keep revolving in birth and death.

■ Read in Hindi: Durga Ashtami  [Hindi]: इस दुर्गा अष्टमी पर जानिए क्या माँ दुर्गा की भक्ति से मोक्ष संभव है? 

Brahm’s Worship Does Not Allow Any Soul to be Free

Until a living being returns to Satlok, he will keep performing actions in Kaal lok in this very way and after spending his earnings of Naam and meritorious acts like charity, etc in heaven-like restaurants, on the basis of his actions will again keep revolving in Kaal lok to suffer in the bodies of 84 lakh types of living beings.

Anant koti avtar hain, Maya ke govind| 

Karta ho ho avtare, Bahur pade jag fandh।।

Crores of Govinds (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiv) have died after being born from Maya (Durga). They had come as incarnations of God. Then binding in the bondage of actions, bearing the results of their deeds went into the 84 lakh births of various living beings. Like, god Vishnu was cursed by Devrishi Narad. Vishnu then took birth as Ramchandra in Ayodhya and killed Baali in that lifetime. To bear the punishment of that deed, Krishna was born (another incarnation of Vishnu only). Then the soul of Baali became a hunter and took his revenge from Shri Krishna. He hit Shri Krishna Ji in his foot with a venomous arrow and killed Krishna Ji.

A living being can become liberated only by doing worship of SatPurush Kabir Ji.

All the Deities Including Durga Are Perishable

SatPurush KavirDev (God Kabir) is above all these five (Brahma-Vishnu-Shiv-Maya and Dharmrai) and is the Master of Satlok. All the rest of the gods, ParBrahm, Brahm, and Brahma, Vishnu, Shiv Ji, and Aadi Maya, are perishable gods. All these and their loks will finish in Mahapralaya (the great destruction). Their age is several thousand times more than that of a common living being. But their time, which has been predetermined, will definitely come to an end one day.

God Kabir Is the Immortal God

God Kabir Himself gives His (Purna Brahm’s) information that above these gods, there is a SatPurush (True God) who has infinite arms, who lives in Satlok (Sachkhand, Satdhaam) and all the loks, [Brahm’s (Kaal’s) 21 brahmands and the loks of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiv, and Shakti and the seven Sankh brahmands of Parbrahm and all the other brahmands] come under Him. One can go to Satlok with Satnaam and Saarnaam’s incitation and these can be obtained from a Purn Guru (a Complete Guru).

A soul, which goes to Sachkhand (Satlok), will never be reborn. SatPurush (Purna Brahm) God Kabir (KavirDev) is Himself present in other loks by different-different names. Like, He is sitting in Alakh lok as Alakh Purush; in Agam lok as Agam Purush and in Anami/Akah lok as Anami Purush. These are titles of His Posts, but the real name of that Purna Purush/Supreme God is Kavir Dev (in different languages is also called Kabir Sahib / God Kabir).

Knowledge Giver of Gita, Kaal Describing Supreme God Kabir

• Gita Adhyay 15 Shlok 4

TatH, Padam, tat, parimargitvyam, Yasmin, gata, na, nivartanti, bhooyH,

Tam, ev, ch, Madhya, Purusha, prpadhye, yatH, prvrttiH, pasta, purslane || 4||

Translation: When one finds the Tatvdarshi saint (tatH) after that (tat) of that Supreme God (Padam ) place i.e. Satlok (parimargitvyam) should properly search (Yasmin ) in which/where (gataaH) having gone, devotees (bhooyaH) again (na, nivartanti) do not return to the world (ch) and (yatH) Parmatma – Param Akshar Brahm, from whom (puraani) ancient (prvrttiH) creation-nature (prsrta) has originated (tam) ignorant (Aadhyam ) Aadi Yam i.e. I, Kaal Niranjan (Purusham ) of Supreme God (ev) only (prpadhyate) I am in the refuge and worship Him alone.

Translation: When one finds the Tatvdarshi saint after that one should properly search for the place i.e. Satlok of that Supreme God. Having gone where, devotees do not return to the world, and the Supreme God/ Parmatma-Param Akshar Brahm, from whom the ancient creation-nature has originated, Ignorant Aadi Yam i.e. I, Kaal Niranjan also am in the refuge of that Supreme God only and worship Him alone.

One Must Know About Almighty

• Gita Adhyay 15 Shlok 17

Uttam, Purusha, tu, anyway, Parmatma, it, Sidharth,

YaH, loktryam, lavish, Bharti, avyyaH, dishware ||17||

Translation: The Supreme God is, however, someone else other than the two aforesaid Gods “Kshar Purush and Akshar Purush”. In reality, He is called God/Parmatma, who by entering into the three looks, nurtures and protects everyone, and is Eternal God (Ishwar means the greatest among the gods i.e. is the Almighty God).

Conclusion

Based on the aforesaid knowledge, readers may be able to decide with certainty that worshiping Durga in any way is not the right way to worship. And such worship does not allow any devotee to be free from the strings of death and birth. For this, everyone will have to take shelter in the Tatavdarshi Saint Rampal Ji Maharaj. To know more, read the Sacred Book “Gyan Ganga”.

FAQS about Durga Ashtami 2022