Story of NavDurga

(Day – 7)

7. Story of Maa Kaalratri

Maa Kaalratri is worshipped on the 7th day of the nine-day-long Hindu festival of Navratri. Maa Kaalratri is the fiercest form of Devi Durga. Unlike all other forms of Devi Durga, Maa Kaalratri is dark like the night. She has unkempt and untidy hair and she has 3 eyes. Whenever she breathes, there is a fire that she breathes out from her nostrils. She wears a necklace that gleams like the moon and she has four hands. In one hand she carries a sword, in the other a thunderbolt, the third hand she uses to hold and the fourth to protect.

Maa Kaalratri is literally translated into Kaal and Raatri. 'Kaal' means 'time and death', and 'Raatri' means the 'darkness of the night'. Maa Kaalratri comes to end the darkness. Maa Kaalratri comes to save her devotees from evil. Maa Kaalratri is evil with the evil and she is extremely kind and benevolent to her true devotees. Maa Kaalratri is also known as Shubhankari.

Once there were two demons called Shumbha and Nishumbha. Shumbha and Nishumbha were evil. They had invaded Devlok (God's Land) and even destroyed Indra's kingdom. Seeing all the destruction Indra got worried. It was impossible to kill Shumbha and Nishumbha because they had got a boon that they could not be killed by a human, a God, by Devas, Asuras, or any daitya.

Indra was perplexed and he needed some help. So he went to Devi Parvati. Parvati sent Chandi to the battlefield to kill Shumbha and Nishumbha. Kaalratri is also known as Chandi or Kaali. When Chandi reached the battlefield than Shubhma and Nishubha had sent two demons to kill Chandi. These two demons were called Chanda and Munda, but Chandi was too strong for Chanda and Munda. And at once she slew and killed them.

There she also earned herself the name of Chamunda, the one who slew Chanda and Munda. After that, there was another demon called Rakhtabeej. Rakhtabeej had received a boon from Brahma that he would be invincible. If ever, anyone would like to kill him, whenever one drop of blood from Rakhtabeej fell on the soil, another clone like Rakhtabeej would be born. Chandi was infuriated, she was so angry when she saw this happening. She had only one solution and that is she wanted to avoid Rakhtabeej's blood from falling on the earth and which is when she decided to drink his blood. So each time she slew him, she bent down and drank the blood of Rakhtabeej. That is how she managed to kill Rakhtabeej.

After that Chandi or Kaali went on to destroy and kill Shumbha and Nishumbha as well. And then she completely restored peace in Devlok, helping Indra get back his kingdom. She was bringing about equilibrium or balance in heaven as well as the earth. It is believed that Maa Kaalratri blesses us when there is darkness around us. So whenever there is darkness around, just pray to Maa Kaalratri for she is there for her devotees. As the Shubhankari She blesses and looks out for the devotees and protects them.

Conclusion:

Make sure you have that immense power in yourself to fight the darkness, no matter how terrorizing the darkness is. If you like this article then don't forget to push the Subscribe button and share it with your friends and family. Here I wish you all a Very Happy Navratri.