Maa Kushmanda | The Goddess Worshipped On Day 4 Of Navaratri
Navaratri celebrates the feminine energy that sustains the whole universe. Nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshipped on the nine days of the festival. On Day 1, the Goddess is worshipped as Shailputri (daughter of the mountains).
Maa Kushmanda or the smiling Goddess created light with her effulgent smile.
She is Parvati in her childhood. On Day 2, the Goddess is worshipped as Brahmacharini. She is Parvati doing tapas to win the heart of Lord Shiva. On Day 3, the Goddess is worshipped as Chandraghanta. She is Parvati who has won the love of Shiva. She is about to get married to him. She wears a half moon shaped symbol on her forehead and hence the name Chandraghanta. On Day 4, the Goddess is worshipped as Maa Kushmanda. She is the smiling Goddess. She represents the primordial energy that brought the universe into existence. Ku means small. Ushma means energy. Anda means egg. She is the primordial energy / egg from which all life forms originated. Or she is the small cosmic egg. Thus she is the creator of the entire universe. While Durga is the slayer of all evil forces and can look ferocious, Maa Kushmanda is her happy manifestation. Kushmanda is also believed to be a form of Maa Lakshmi.
Story of Maa Kushmanda
In the beginning there was nothing. There was no life or light. Darkness prevailed everywhere. Then a ray of light emerged from nowhere. Eventually, it took the shape of a woman. She was Maa Kushmanda, the first being of the universe. Then she created the sun, moon, stars, planets and other celestial and earthly bodies. She sits at the centre of the sun is the source of all energy that sustains us. Every form of life originates from her. She is also known as Shakti because she sustains all forms of life. The three Goddesses – Mahalakshmi, Mahakali and Mahasaraswati came from her. She rides a tiger and has eight arms. She was the one who dispelled darkness and created the universe. She blesses her devotees with strength, courage, wisdom and prosperity.