Nava Durga - Brahmacharini

Brahmacharini

The second day of navratri is dedicated to mother Brahmacharini . The word ‘Brahma ‘means ‘Tapas’ and charini means ‘Performer’. Brahmacharini is one who performs severe penance to attain what she desires. She is the goddess of wisdom and devotion. The worship of Maa Brahmchaarini is conducive to penance, renunciation, virtue and nobility.  Her devotees are endowed with peace and prosperity. She is the “tapaswini” form of goddess who is the icon of free from Kaama, krodha. She is in a highly pious and peaceful form or is in meditation. This form of Durga is related to the severe penance undertaken by Sati and Parvati in their respective births to attain Lord Shiva as husband. Some of the most important Vratas observed in different parts of India by women is based on the strict austerities followed by Brahmacharini. She is also called as ‘Uma’ and ‘Tapacharini’ and provides knowledge and wisdom to her devotees.

 Mother brahmacharin is born as shailaputri  daughter of himavan  was brought up in palace amidst pleasures and riches. When she had grown up into a beautiful maiden, the celestial Sage Narada while roaming about happened to reach the court of  King Himavan . King Himavan welcomed Sage Narada with grand splendour and took him to his palace . King Himavan and Queen Maina prayed to Sage Narada to predict the future of Parvathi by reading her palms. Sage Narada agreed to predict the future of Parvathi.

Seeing Goddess Parvathi , Sage Narada stood and bowed to her with great reverence. The mountain king himavan and queen maina were ashtonished at  the unusal behaviour of sage narada. They were curious to know the cause of this unusual behaviour. Narada explained the King Himavan and queen maina that their daughter is not an ordinary mortal but in her previous birth she was Sati, who was consort of lord shiva and daughter of Prajapathi Daksha. He enumerates how sati immolated herself in the yagjna and is reborn as Parvathi thats is why  payed my reverence to her by bowing. Narada  predicts that parvathi by her virtue of her merits will again beget Lord Shiva as her husband.

Having listened to the prediction of sage narada, Goddess parvathi inquired of him how to beget Lord Shiva  as her consort. Sage Narada counsels Mother Parvathi to undertake  austere penance to get Lord Shiva as her husband.

Acting  upon the advice of Sage Narada, Goddess Parvathi renounced all the pleasures of the palace and started performing penance to beget lord shiva as her husband. She spent the first thousand years of her penance by living on fruit and roots.  Thereafter she lived on Bilva leaves for another three thousand years of her penance.  She was called Aparna when she was eating Bilva leaves. Then she lived on water and then air alone braving heat and cold, rain and storms and all kinds of sufferings.

As legends says Goddess immolated herself when she was sati by wishing to get a father who can respect her husband Shiva in her next birth.

As she did her penance without food and water she was also called aparna.after few thousand years of penance when queen mena saw parvathi  state she was sad and she asked her to stop it (uma) so one of her name is also uma.

Goddess Parvati meditated on Lord Shiva for thousands of years.  The austere penance performed by her reduced her to a mere skeleton.  A great hue and cry prevailed in the three worlds because of her severe penance.  All the Gods including Indra and Saints and Sage were terrified by her penance.  They approached Brahma in a body and prayed to him to bestow the desired boon on Parvati.

At last Brahma, appeared before Parvati and said to her, “O Goddess!  All the Gods bow to you in deep reverence.  Such an austere penance can be performed only by you.  Your cherished desire shall soon be fulfilled.  You shall beget Lord Shiva as your consort.  By virtue of this austere penance you shall be known as “Brahmchaarini” – a woman of celibacy.  Thereafter Brahma restored her physical charm and grace.

Brahmacharini had to undergo much rigourous penance and sacrifice worldly pleasures to attain Lord Shiva as her consort. As Brahmacharini mother personifies love and loyalty. 

As per Hindu  Iconograqphy, Brahmacharini is  two-armed, clad in white sari and has a Japa mala in her right hand and sacred kamandalam in her left hand.

Each one of the Navadurga is known by a particular name and the deity has a particular dhyana-mantra, a mantra for meditation, a free English version of which is mentioned below:

Maa Brahmacharini Mantra

दधाना करपद्माभ्यामक्षमाला कमण्डलु !
देवी प्रसीदतु मयि ब्रह्म्चारिन्यनुतमा !!

Dadhana karpadmabhayaam aqshmala kamadalu !

Devi prasidatu mayi brahmchaarinyanutama !!

English version:

May the supreme Brahmachari Durga, who holds rosary and kamandalu in her lotus hands and whose nature is to attain Sachchidanandamaya Brahmaswarupa the Existence-Knowledge-Bliss absolute, be propitious on me. Devi is Devi's that phase when Maa Parvati before marriage was Devi Yogni and Devi Tapsvini.

Explanation:

 Goddess Brahmchaarini wears white color clothes, she holds rudraksh mala, lotus flower, kamandalu, in her hands. Goddess brahmcharini is the ”tapaswini” roop of goddess.. who gives freedom from Kaama, krodha