Story of NavDurga

(Day – 2)

2. Story of Maa Bramhacharini

Devi Bramhacharini is a form of goddess Durga that is celebrated on the second day of Navratri. After her self-immolation in her previous birth as Sati she took birth again, and this time she was born to the king of the mountains, The Himalayas. In this birth, she came to be known as Parvati, and in this birth of Parvati became Bramhacharini.

'Bramh' over here means Tapasya and 'Charini' means a female devotee, an ardent female devotee. One day Parvati was visited by Narada Muni, and he told her that, 'in this birth too you can get married to Lord Shiva but for that, you will need to do severe penance.' At once Maa Parvati decided that she was ready for any kind of penance, and she went into severe penance. It was no ordinary Tapasya; her Tapasya went on for thousands and thousands of years.

For the first thousand years, she only ate fruits and flowers, for the next hundred years, she only ate vegetables, for the next three thousand years she only ate dried leaves. This kind of Tapasya or penance was different. Nobody had ever seen this kind of Tapasya and after the 3,000 years where she ate only leaves she went on to eating nothing. She gave up water, she gave up food and her purpose of life became severe penance. Maa Parvati became weak and emaciated.

Once when her mother visited her, she was shattered to see her and she remarked, "Oh! Maa." It is because of this remark that sometimes Maa Parvati is also known as Uma. When she gave up eating leaves, she earned herself another name is Aparna that means somebody who lives without the leaves.

After so many years of penance, Lord Brahma was pleased and he visited her. Lord Brahma blessed her saying that due to her penance Lord Shiva too was pleased, and they had Lord Brahma's blessings that both of them could get married in this birth. Bramhacharini is the symbol of immense sacrifice, penance, solitude, purity.

On the second day of Navratri, we pray to her to give us so much strength that we can be completely focused on penance towards God, what we love, and towards sacrifice and solitude. In this form, she carries a rosary in one hand and a Camandal in the other. People pray to her for peace, prosperity, and happiness.

Conclusion:

A lot of people who follow the Navratri also observe a fast for all nine days. They go without food and sometimes even water. On those days they pray to goddess Bramhacharini for strength so that they can stay focused and so that they can deal with whatever they wish for. Here's wishing all of you a very Happy Navratri. May goddess Bramhacharini give you the strength to follow what your heart desires and may it not go astray, never, for a moment.