DURGA, a form of Parvati, and wife of Siva. She corresponds with Juno of the Greeks and Romans, and the Isis of the Egyptians, as also with Ceres and Proserpine. Durga is also known as Bhawani, Kali, Devi, and Singliwani. As Durga, she is representhd with ten arms. lu one hand she holds a spear, with which she is piercing the giant Mahesha ; in another, a sword ; in a third, the hair of the giant, and the tail of a serpent is twined round him ; and in others, the trident, the discus, the axe, the club, the arrow, and the shield. One of her knees presses on the body of the giant, and her right foot rests on the back of a lion, which is lacerating his arm. Ou her bead she has a crown richly gemmed, and her dress is magnifi cently decorated with jewels. The giant is issuing from the body of the buffalo, into which he had transformed himself during his combat with the goddess. From this victory she took the names Durga and Singhwani, or Lion Rider.
Like the Ephesian Diana, Durga wears the crescent on the head. She is also the turreted Cybele,' the guardian goddess of all plac,es of strength (durga), and like her she is drawn or carried by the lion. As Mata Janavi, the 'Mother of Births,' she is Juno Lucina ; as Padma, whose throne is the lotus,' she is the fair Isis of the Nile ; as Tripura, governing the three worlds.' and Atma-devi, the goddess of souls,' she is the Hecate Triformis of the Greeks. In short, her
power is manifested under every form, from the birth through all the intermediate stages until death, whether Janavi, Gouri, or the terrific Kali, the Proserpine or Calligenia of the West.
As Parvati, Bliavani, Durga, or Devi, she is the sakti or personified energy of Siva. And the yoni, the symbol of female energy, is the emblem of this goddess, as the lingam is that of her husband.
In the different terrific forms of Siva and Durga, a necklace of skulls forms au invariable decoration, as does the crescent moon on her forehead ; and the moon is considered to be the peculiar reservoir of Amrita, or the beverage of immortality. In Hind. Theatre, ii. p. 59, Aghora Ghanta, invoking Chamunda, says of Durga : The elephant hide that robes thee, to thy steps Swings to and fro ; the whirling talons rend The crescent on thy brow ; from the torn orb The trickling, nectar falls ; and every skull That gems thy necklace laughs with horrid life.' She combines the characteristics of Minerut, Pallas, and Juno, and in her amiable character is often called Bhawani. Durga is worshipped in the form of a water-pot. It is called Ghata puja, also Ghatashthapana. A water-pot is placed, and, after certain ceremonies, Durga is supposed. to enter it, and she is then worshipped.—Tod's Rajas than, p. 576.