Durga or Shakti ?

Taking the cue from my previous article – Insurance, I wanted to lament upon the different goddesses mentioned in the Hindu Mythology – Durga and Shakti. Though the two goddesses have often been mentioned synonymously or interchangeably in many stories, the scriptures hold them as different.

Those who are familiar with the Shaktas, would know that Shakti represents supreme power or energy who replicated herself in many forms to bring them to life. She represents the life force. In a way she represents the power within oneself. The scriptures have been pretty much silent where Shakti herself has engaged in a war. She represents power, but does not exerts herself. She is always represented as an epitome of peace. 

Maa Shakti

Durga was invoked by the gods when they needed to kill a demon – Mahishasura. They joined together, provided their own weapons to the form of Goddess to make her all powerful and provide protection to them from Mahishasura.  Incidentally, the word Durga is also related to hindi word – “Durg” meaning fortress or a citadel. The forts or buildings were built to provide protection to the dwellers from the forces outside the boundary. One may deduce that Durga represents power to protect. She represents the power that is exchanged or is seen from outside. In one of my previous posts – Trinity, I also mentioned her as the goddess of the emotional quotient. Exchanges of compliments can also boost one’s sentiments or thought processes. Thus even an exchange of emotions is an exchange of power.

Maa Durga

While Durga represents the power on the outside, Shakti represents the power in the inside. Importantly, we all have a part of Shakti in ourselves. However, we are always searching for Durga all the time. We are all searching for Durga to feel powerful. As the human mind is capable of imagination, it is also open to the fear. It can imagine if it looses what it has today? Its this fear of loss that invigorates the search for power in the humans. It is the search for Durga in us, that leads us to do some inhumane acts as well.

One must understand that the life force is sustained by the power from within and not from outside. At the same time, the mental peace and the sense of achievement are all triggered from one’s self and not from outside yet again.

Understand and realize your Durga and Shakti appropriately. Be sure to nurture them and respect them. Mismanaging the power has never been fruitful for anyone.