Durga and me
Sheena Patel
The odds were always stacked against me ever knowing anything about my culture. Growing up, I was never sure what it meant to be a Hindu. I grew up in a quiet town where my family ran (surprise, surprise) a newsagent shop. There weren’t any other Hindus my age in the area. In fact I never really got a chance to mix with any non-white people until I went to a university in London at the age of 18.
CLICK HERE TO READ REST OF ARTICLE
Â
Â
May 17th, 2006 at 10:10 pm
Nice article. I have a similar feeling when I see Shiva.
May 18th, 2006 at 9:39 am
Namaskar,
Good feeling you have mentioned in your article. Definitely/no doubt there is subtle world which is beyond this physical world. Where all Devas and Devis are united, one could tell that existence Brahman, GOD, Atman, Supreme, Durga, Kaali, Saraswati, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Rama, Krishna and so on, these all are terms to tell that greatest existence which is Omniscient, Omnipresent and Omnipotent, which is neither Male nor Female. THAT is realized by your Heart only, because that is the source from where that manifests. When you take pure food, your Mind gets pure and when your Mind is purified you are able to observe that Supreme in the ether of your Heart as well as outer. ‘Ayam Atma Brahman’.
May 18th, 2006 at 10:05 am
Namaskar
It is refreshing to read such honest expression of personal experiance and feelings. I am sure more of our youths would be encouraged by such an article and learn not to shy away but to have the courage to seek the true hindu culture and values and thus be in a position to pass the knowledge on to the next generation.
May 18th, 2006 at 5:11 pm
I found your article very interesting.
Check out Sri Ramakrishna, a saint from Bengal, who was one of the greatest Durga devotees, and who was blessed with Her Darshan after intense Bhakti.
May 18th, 2006 at 6:48 pm
Govinda - I think Shri Ramakrishna was a great Kali devotee, rather than Durga.
However I guess ultimately they are all different forms of one Divine Mother!
May 18th, 2006 at 7:44 pm
JAI MAA DURGA ——- thank you for the article , am on the Bhakti Shakti marg and devotee of Mother Durga and Mother Kali , especially , all aspects of The Divine Feminine generally . am also very interested in exchange and friendship with devotees engaged seriously in Bhakti Yoga and Shakti sadhana , from Mother India , England , Holland or elsewhere , as well am looking for a soul mate , partner , with same spiritual practices and orientation , for spiritual friendship , possible marriage . Namaste , may Divine Mother bless , guide and protect us , Jai MAA
May 22nd, 2006 at 12:05 pm
Isn’t it really uplifting and inspiring that as Hindus we can perceive the Divine in a female and motherly form. Hinduism offers so much respect to women so much so that we have as much Goddess as we have Gods! I don’t think that any other religion can put women in such a respectful position.
Jai Bhavani!
May 22nd, 2006 at 5:16 pm
JAI MAA DURGA ——- thank you for the article
May 23rd, 2006 at 6:09 am
Namaskaar,
Sheena Patel’s article describing here experience with goddess Durga was interesting and so were the comments and discussions of the readers. It is of greater importance to understand the broader meaning of Durga and not limit it to a Goddess in the human form. The very word Durga is derived from “DURG” which means a fort or a repository. Thus Durga is the repository or the fort of all the energies present in this universe. Over and above this Durga is that force or energy or Shakti through which this universe manifests in the forms we find all around. God is referred to as male and the mere presence of God alone is not sufficient to create the universe or any thing in it. He needs energy or Shakti by which He contemplates on the plan of creating this universe and more so to make it appear and to maintain it in the created form for a given span of time and, in the end, involute all that was evolved. The Force or Energy or Power or Shakti, which is in its Primary or Involved stage of the universe, is undifferentiated and is termed as “Aadi Shakti” or “Primordial Shakti” or “Mother Durga”. Since the sum total of the energy is constant, all the other energies when added up must necessarily add up to this constant. Energies cannot be different from each other though their sources of origin may be variegated. This constant is Aadi Shakti or Maa Durga.
[Edited in length for being too long]
acharyshrikrishna@gmail.com - acharyashrikrishna@yahoo.com
May 23rd, 2006 at 7:26 am
ADMINISTRATORS NOTE
Dear Acarya - sorry I had to edit your post. Despite being very informative it was far too long for the comments section - it was about the length of a full Hindu Voice article. I am going to consider using your piece for other use.
Regards, Administrator
May 25th, 2006 at 12:08 am
Hi. That was a charming article. As a Westerner, I approach Hinduism from a rationalistic (i.e. Vedantic) perspective. I wish I could have a raw experience like yours, but I’m afraid it’s too late (at least in this lifetime).
May 25th, 2006 at 11:56 am
dear administrator,
namaskaar,
i read your reply to the comment i wrote May 23, on Sheena Patel’s experience with Mother Durga. I am sorry my article was too long to be regarded as a comment. You have written that you would consider using it for other use. Srimaan, you can willingly use it where ever you find it to be of use to all. whether you use my name or not has no importance. In future whom shall I forward my articles to?
acharya shrikrishna
May 25th, 2006 at 6:40 pm
FAO: Acharya Shrikrishna
You can e-mail any other writings of yours to ‘editor@hinduvoice.co.uk’. Your submissions will be read and considered for publication.
Regards, Administrator
Jai Durga
February 19th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
Sheena was honest and brave to write her article. There is so much beauty and diversity in Hinduism that everyone should do all he or she can to bring this jewel to others’ attention. I would urge you, Sheena, to read “Autobiography of a Yogi” by Paramhansa Yogananda - it might take o onto the next level.
May 12th, 2007 at 12:33 am
Even though this article was written some time back, I only just read it. Many thanks to the author of this piece for sharing such a beautiful, insightful and moving account of her personal spiritual journey. The ‘deep sense of reverence’, the inexplicable feeling of ‘awe and mystery’, the sheer primacy of the feelings described; this is the best description of pure Bhakti that I have come across - sheer devotion, unadulterated by any need for intellectual analysis or academic understanding. My thanks again, and best wishes as you continue on your journey in Bhakti.