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Navratri celebrations are on in full swing as people celebrate the Devi Durga and her nine avatars. The energy during this festival has a particular fervour of its own that is quintessentially its own. The divine feminine energy rises like a wave across the country, vibrant and powerful.  

There are hundreds of temples dedicated to the worship of Shakti Devi across India where the Goddess is worshipped and celebrated throughout the year. Below are five temples out of these that are considered to be particularly powerful and attract millions of devotees each year, and during Navratri. 

 

Vaishno Devi, Jammu and Kashmir: 

With thousands of devotees visiting the Vaishno Devi temple each year, this is probably the most well-known Devi temple in the country. The Shakti tradition considers this to be one of the Shakti Pitha and the Devi here is said to be a manifestation of Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati, and Vaishno Devi is said to worship and wait for the arrival of Lord Vishnu. Devotees often make the 13km uphill trek on foot to the temple which is located on the Trikuta mountain at a height of 5000 feet. A geological study of the sacred cave in which the Goddess is said to reside has revealed it to be about a million years old. The temple celebrates Devi Durga’s triumph over evil for nine nights during Navratri with much splendour and pomp. 

Kamakhya Devi, Assam: 

One of the oldest four of the Shakti Pithas, and considered one of the most powerful Devi temples in the country, the Kamakhya Devi temple is an extremely revered spot to worship Shakti. The temple is said to have been built on the spot where Sati’s womb landed as Lord Shiva danced the tandav holding her lifeless corpse. This is one of the reasons why Kamakhya Devi is said to be an extremely powerful source of feminine power and the temple an all-female deity place of worship. The structure of the temple indicates its origins to be from the 8th or 9th century, with many subsequent rebuilds. While the most well-known festival celebrated at Kamakhya Devi temple is the Ambubachi Mela (which celebrates the menstruation of the Goddess), the festival of Navratri too is celebrated here and attracts thousands of devotees each year. 

 

Chamundeshwari Temple, Karnataka: 

Known as Krouncha Pitha, the Chamundeshwari Temple is one of the main Shakti Pithas in the country. This is the spot where Sati’s hair is said to have fallen when Lord Shiva danced the tandav holding her corpse. The temple is located on top of the Chamundi Hills about 13kms away from Mysuru, and it is on top of this hill that Devi Durga is said to have slayed Mahishasura. Chamundeshwari is a frighteningly fierce form of Durga. Navratri is an important festival for the temple, and it is celebrated elaborately here each year, with the Goddess being decorated with nine different avatars to depict the Navadurgas. 

 

Kalighat Temple, West Bengal: 

Dedicated to Goddess Kali, the Kalighat Temple in Kolkata is one of the Shakti Pithas in eastern India, and is said to be the sacred spot where the toes of Sati’s right foot fell. Ma Kali is an extremely fierce and powerful form of the Goddess who was born from Durga Devi’s fury, and she is associated primarily with death and violence but also with time, female empowerment, and motherly love. The idol of Goddess Kali in this temple has tongue and teeth made of gold, and the Goddess is depicted with a garland of skulls around her neck. During Durgotsav which is celebrated elaborately in West Bengal, hundreds of women visit this temple for Sindoor Khela where they smear each other with vermillion powder. 

 

Harsiddhi Mata Temple, Madhya Pradesh: 

Situated in the ancient city of Ujjain beside the Kshipra River, this temple is the spot where the scriptures say that Sati’s upper lip fell. However, the locals here believe that it was Sati’s elbow that fell here. The Goddess, in her Mahakali form here, is said to protect and safeguard the people of Ujjain. This temple was built by the legendary king Vikramaditya who requested the Goddess to come live in his kingdom where he may seek her blessings every day. According to the scriptures, the demon Andhakasur possessed a boon which enabled a form of him to appear from every drop of his blood that spilled. When he was pierced by Lord Shiva’s trident, Mahakali drank the demon’s blood, thus ensuring his death. This is why the Devi here is also called Rakt Dantika, or “the one with blood on her teeth”. The Goddess here is celebrated and worshipped with gorgeous festivity during Navratri. 

The festival of Navratri celebrates, very importantly, the woman and all her strengths, derived from Shakti herself. On the third day of Navratri, we worship Devi Chandraghanta, who represents Parvati as a married woman. In Sanskrit, the name Chandraghanta means “one who has a half-moon shaped like a bell”. After Parvati married Lord Shiva, she began wearing the half-moon on her forehead, much like Shiva himself who wore the half-moon in his matted locks. Chandraghanta is Lord Shiva’s Shakti when he takes the form of Chandrashekhara. It is said that Devi Chandraghanta’s third eye is perpetually open, so as to keep a lookout for evil. 

Goddess Chandraghanta is depicted as having beautiful golden-hued skin, ten arms, and she rides a tiger. In four of her left hands she carries a trident, a mace, a sword, and a kamandala respectively, and in four of her right hands she carries a lotus flower, an arrow, a bow, and prayer beads. Her fifth left hand is in Varada Mudra, depicted her as a dispenser of boons, and her fifth right hand is in Abhaya Mudra, a gesture which denotes reassurance and safety. 

Said to help dispel negative energy and bestow forgiveness to all, Devi Changraghanta is one of the Goddess’ more tranquil and serene forms. The sound of the bell-shaped moon on her head is said to dispel evil spirits and while she is associated with benevolence, she is a fierce warrior against evil. 

The story of Chandraghanta tells us of the time Parvati was Lord Shiva’s new bride who was fresh out of her Brahmacharini avatar. When Tarakasura sent a bat-demon named Jatukasur to Mount Kailasha to attack Parvati, she sought her husband’s help. However, Lord Shiva was immersed in deep tapas, and unable to emerge from it he gently reminded Parvati that she is the Mother of the universe, Shakti herself, and is more than capable of fighting off evil that threatens the balance and harmony of the universe. 

Emboldened, Parvati went out to face Jatukasur herself. The demon and his army covered the skies with their vast wings, and Parvati, unable to see in the dark, sought the help of the moon, Chandra Dev. Wearing the moon shaped like a bell on her head, she headed into battle, ringing the bell loudly to scare the bat-demon’s army away after which she killed Jatukasur. 

One of the most important lessons to be derived from Devi Chandraghanta’s story is that no woman is weak without her man. Lord Shiva, as Devi Parvati’s husband, simply reminded his wife of her own innate powers and strength, gently urging her to play the role she was meant to play as the Supreme Mother.  

By Shivam Pathania

Shakti is the universal mother goddess who is the source of energy for everything; living and nonliving, divine and non-divine. She manifests in numerous forms like Parvati, Kali, Saraswati, and Lakshmi. She is loving, caring, nourishing, yet at the same time can be ferocious, menacing and destructive. Just like how energy has the potential to either create or destroy.

Durga is one such ferocious form of the mother goddess who is renowned for her battle prowess. The half buffalo and half asura, Mahishasura who was the king of asuras, easily defeated the devas due to a boon from Brahma. The boon granted the asura partial immortality as only a woman could slay the asura. The defeated devas asked the Trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva for help. The three supreme Gods, with their combined powers, summoned a pillar of brilliant light from which Shakti, in the form of Durga, the ten-armed Goddess of war, appeared. The ten arms symbolise how the Goddess protects her devotees in all 10 directions; the 4 cardinal directions, the 4 ordinal directions and also above and below the living realm. The gods who witnessed the creation of Durga, offered their powerful weapons and adorned the ten arms of the divine mother with the power to destroy the tyrant asura.

Shiva’s Trishul

Shiva, the God of Destruction, gifted Durga with his trishul or trident. The three prongs of the weapon symbolize multiple important trinities in the Hindu myth and philosophy. The most common interpretations being the three Gunas (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas), Time periods (past, present and future) and the universal cycles (creation, preservation and destruction) and the wielder of the Trishul is considered to be the master of all such trinities. During the battle, the Goddess used the weapon to land the finishing blow on Mahishasura.

Vishnu’s Sudarshan Chakra

The God of preservation, Vishnu, offered his divine discus, the Sudarshan chakra, to the Goddess. The discus, with more than a million sharp spikes, has the power to decapitate the enemy beyond resurrection. According to Linga Purana, Vishnu obtained the chakra from Shiva and since then has used this weapon to defeat countless asuras and rakshasas in his various avatars. The imagery of the disc spinning around Durga’s finger is a symbolic representation of how the energy provided by the goddess sets the universe in motion.

Brahma’s Kamandala

Brahma, as the God of creation, does not carry any weapons. Instead, he offered his Kamandala, a water pot, to the Goddess. The pot containing holy water symbolises purity, wisdom and life and Brahma uses it to create various life forms by chanting different mantras. Durga’s possession of the Kamandala, which plays a crucial role in the creation of the universe, explains the importance of the existence of Shakti in the universe.

Indra’s Vajra

Vajra, the thunderbolt, is Indra’s signature weapon and he offered this mighty weapon to Durga. The weapon was specifically made by Vishwakarma out of Sage Dadichi’s bones so that Indra could defeat Vritra, an asura who is an embodiment of droughts in the Rig Veda. The Vajra is used to punish sinners. In Sanskrit, the word vajra also means a diamond, which is the hardest material found in nature, to symbolise the weapon’s strength and indestructibility.

Vayu’s Bow and Quiver of Infinite Arrows

The god of wind, Vayu provided the Goddess with a bow and a quiver with unlimited arrows. The weapon set is a great representation of how Goddess Shakti exists as different forms of energy. The bow and the arrow represent potential and kinetic energy respectively. Before the arrow is launched from the bow, it contains potential energy, but the moment it gets launched towards the target, the potential energy is converted to kinetic energy. And thus, the goddess being an adept archer is a symbolism of how the universe functions due to the conversion of one form of energy to the other. 

Varuna’s Conch

Varuna, befitting his role as the god of water bodies and marine life, offered his auspicious conch to the Goddess. When blown inside a conch, it produces the sound of ‘Aum’, which in Hinduism is the primordial sound of creation. Water and creation have close ties with each other, as according to modern science, life on Earth started in the oceans. The conch was also used as a trumpet during the start of a war or to declare victory at the end, which is appropriate for Durga as she is the Goddess of war. 

Agni’s Burning Spear

Agni, the god of fire and a deity associated with sacred yagnas, offered his spear with a burning head to Durga. The projectile weapon with a sharp-pointed head and enveloped in scorching flames, can impale the target with complete accuracy when launched. The weapon is a symbol of power, valour and courage. The burning flames of the spear signify the role of Shakti as the ultimate source of energy. 

Yama’s Sword

Yama, the god of death and justice, gave his sword to the warrior goddess. The sword is an embodiment of both aspects of death and justice. The weapon is utilized by the god to punish the sinners and bring justice to the world. A sword symbolizes bravery, authority and power.

Vishwakarma’s Axe

Brahma’s son, Vishwakarma, who was the engineer and carpenter of gods, was responsible for constructing numerous divine weapons. He gifted the goddess an axe, which symbolizes the creative and destructive aspects of energy. An axe used to bring down a tree represents destruction, but using the same axe to chop wood to construct a house represents creation. Thus, symbolizing the dual nature of Shakti in the universe.

Surya’s Sunrays

The radiant Surya, the celestial Sun God and the ruler of the Navgraha, bestowed his blinding sun rays to the goddess. The blinding radiance of the goddess signifies her duty as the goddess of war to banish evil and darkness in all ten directions. Since every living creature is dependent on sunlight for survival, the light emanating from Durga can also be a representation of her nurturing and nourishing nature as a mother goddess. It also symbolises her role as the universal source of energy.

After obtaining offerings in the form of divine weapons and other divine objects from the Trimurti and the devas, the king of mountains, Himavan offered Durga a vahana, the lion. With her ten arms equipped with the power offered by different gods, Durga, who was, as radiant as the sun, rode on her lion and arrived on the battlefield. She challenged the buffalo asura and after a fierce battle that lasted for nine days, Durga defeated Mahishasura, restoring peace in all three realms.

Read the full story of the goddess of war in the title Tales of Durga. It is now available on the ACK Comics app, Kindle, Flipkart, Amazon, and other major e-tailers.

In the Vedas, the word “brahmacharini” means a female who pursues or studies sacred religious knowledge. The word is derived from the word “Brahma” or “Brahman” and refers to the Absolute Reality. Devi Brahmacharini is the second aspect of Goddess Durga and is worshipped on the second day of Navratri. A pious ascetic, Devi Brahmacharini is depicted in a figure of sparse simplicity clad in pure white, holding prayer beads in her right hand and a kamandalu in her left. 

The legend of Devi Brahmacharini tells us of Parvati in her most severe phase of asceticism when she performed extreme tapas to attain Lord Shiva as her husband. The story goes that Parvati, knowing it was her destiny to be married to Lord Shiva, decided to perform penance to make herself worthy to be his wife.  

At the time, the demon Tarakasura was wreaking havoc and ran the devas out of their abode. He had been granted a boon by Lord Brahma that he would only be killed by Shiva’s son. After the death of his first wife, Sati, Lord Shiva had retreated deep into Mount Kailasha and refused to see anyone or take another wife. It was because of this that Tarakasura was certain that Shiva would never have a son. 

In her tapas, Goddess Parvati consumed only bilwa leaves and water. Even after she had performed such strict penance for thousands of years, Shiva remained unconvinced that she was indeed his true consort. Desperate for Tarakasura to be defeated, the devas approached Kamadeva, the god of love and lust, to generate desire for Parvati in Lord Shiva. However, when Kamadeva shot his arrow at Shiva, he was burned to ashes by the fire that shot out of Shiva’s third eye. 

Remaining unwavering in her resolve to win over Lord Shiva, Parvati lived in the mountains like Shiva himself did – as an ascetic yogini who spent her days immersed in tapas. It is this state of hers, the pure Brahmacharini Devi that we worship on the second day of Navratri. Donned in simple white, signifying untouched purity, Devi Brahmacharini with her austere self-denial catches the attention of Lord Shiva who finally concedes that her intense tapas was indeed worthy of his attention. 

Still hesitant to place his trust in Parvati, Lord Shiva, wearing a disguise of a Brahmachari, then approached her as she performed penance in the mountains. He tested her devotion with a series of riddles and insulted Shiva’s name and weaknesses, all of which Goddess Parvati responded to with wisdom and unflinching loyalty to her chosen husband. 

In Devi Brahmacharini’s pious simplicity and painful austerity, Lord Shiva finally saw ultimate truth and reality. Convinced of her devotion and love, as well as seeing her intelligence and beauty, Lord Shiva assumes his true form and asks Devi Parvati to marry him. 

The first day of Navratri celebrates Devi Shailaputri who is also known as Adi Parashakti. She is the daughter of the king of mountains and the reincarnation of Goddess Sati. Born to King Himavat, Devi Shailaputri’s name literally translates into daughter (“putri”) of the mountain (“shaila”). Representing the purest form of Goddess Parvati, Shailaputri Devi is the first of the Navdurgas (nine manifestations of Durga) to be worshipped during Navratri. 

The story of Devi Shailaputri begins with Devi Sati who was the daughter of Prajapati Daksha, and Shiva’s first wife. Displeased with her father’s callous treatment of her husband, Devi Sati self-immolated after stating her wish to be reborn or reincarnated to worthier parents. She was then born to King Himavan as Goddess Parvati and went on to marry Lord Shiva once more. 

Goddess Shailaputri, or Parvati, is depicted wearing the crescent moon on her head, holding a trident in her right hand and a lotus in her left, and she is seated upon the back of the bull, Nandi. Each of these elements holds a symbolic significance: the moon symbolises the infinity of nature and consciousness, the blooming lotus signifies peace, purity and awakening; the trident with its three prongs represents the past, present and future, while Nandi signifies determination and single-minded devotion, particularly to Lord Shiva.  

Devi Shailaputri is the giver of life and has power over nature. She sustains cycles, routines, and preserves the natural order of the universe. The embodiment of Shakti, Parvati is said to be the ultimate Mother Goddess, the source, and the manifestation of all power of the Trimurti – Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. 

Devi Shailaputri is associated with the Muladhara Chakra, or the root chakra, the starting point of spiritual discipline. It is said that on the first day of Navratri, Devi Shailaputri, seated upon Nandi’s back, begins her upward journey towards her Shiva, who is seated in the Sahasra Chakra – the crown chakra – with all of her focus on him and on attaining him.  

This is why, for Yogis and ardent devotees, the first day of Navratri is extremely auspicious, and is considered the ideal day for spiritual awakening. People commonly observe fasts on this day, either sticking to a meal of only fresh fruit, or eating very sparse meals that have been prepared especially for fasting. 

It is also very common for devotees to wear a specific colour on each day of Navratri. This year, the designated colour on the first day of Navratri is yellow. 

Durga is the supreme source of energy and power in the universe. Called Ma or Mother Durga, she is the fierce protector of all who she gathers in her fold. Her strength is no match for the gods themselves as she combines the potent forces of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. 

As the consort of Shiva, she wields immense power and yet, once a year she visits her maternal home, as all daughters in Indian tradition do.  

The Goddess’s Journey

She begins her journey home on Mahalaya, the dark night of Amavasya or the new moon. Accompanied by her children, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha, and Kartikeya, she descends from the heights of Mount Kailasha, where she lives with Shiva, and goes to the warmth of her father’s house on earth. The people get up early that day to welcome her and fill her stay with happiness and festivity. Among Bengalis, the highlight of the morning is to listen to a recital of Mahishasura Mardini on the radio – a tradition followed for decades. The composition remembers the birth of Durga and the destruction of Mahishasura. It celebrates female power. 

Mahalaya also marks the end of the period of ‘Pitri Paksha’. The 16 days during which people remember and give offerings in the name of three past generations of ancestors. The offerings are believed to help them on their way to swargaloka or heaven. 

Durga’s Vahana

The mode of transport that the goddess comes and goes by foretells good or bad fortune for the people. The mode is decided by the day on which she arrives or ‘Ghatasthapna’ and the day on which she leaves, which is ‘Vijayadashami’. The vehicles she chooses between are the elephant, horse, palanquin, buffalo, rooster, man and boat. 

If the Mother Goddess arrives on an elephant, it symbolises prosperity and a good harvest. If she comes on a horse, it means drought. A palanquin indicates epidemics, and a boat promises the fulfilment of the people’s desires and hopes. If she comes and departs on a horse it foretells great social and political unrest. The rooster indicates suffering, but the man foretells peace, good fortune and happiness.  

It is believed that this year, in 2023, she has come riding on an elephant but goes back on a rooster. 

Pujo in Kolkata

Kolkata is the city that welcomes Durga with a fervour that is unmatched in the country. With a rich tradition of music, art and culture, Pujo – as it is known here – is a festival that gives the visitor a deep and intense cultural experience. 

With the aura of female strength at its highest, this is one occasion when men walk a step behind their wives. Women dressed in their finest clothes and decked in glittering jewellery go from pandal to pandal praying to the goddess to give their families health and happiness. During the evening aarti or worship, the sound of their ululation coupled with the sound of bells and chanting fills the incense laden air. 

Ma Durga lives in the hearts and minds of all who believe in her and her benevolence. Protector, nurturer and defender of good, may she destroy all that is evil in this world.  

Celebrate Navratri with the stories of Goddess Durga from Amar Chitra Katha’s wide range of comics or on the ACK Comics app!

According to the Puranas, Goddess Durga was born from the powers of the supreme trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, to defeat the powerful buffalo demon, Mahishasura. Because she is a consolidation of their collective energy, she is also known as Shakti and is greater than any of them. Perceived as Devi and the Goddess Parvati, Goddess Durga is the creator and the protector of the universe and the destroyer of evil, the perfect confluence of the Hindu trinity. She is usually depicted as having eight to ten arms, with just as many weapons gifted to her by various gods to destroy Mahishasura. Her mount is usually a lion or a tiger.

Goddess Durga has many forms, nine manifestations to be exact, together called Navadurga. They are worshipped during the nine days of Navratri in the order below, with different prayers dedicated to each Navadurga during the festival.

Shailaputri

Sati was reborn to Lord Himavan, the mountain king, as Goddess Parvati in her next birth. She was also called Shailaputri, meaning ‘daughter of the mountain’. She later married Lord Shiva. Her vehicle is a bull.

Brahmacharini

Born to Prajapati Daksha, this mother goddess is the form of Goddess Parvati called Sati. She was determined to marry Lord Shiva. In order to fulfil her aim, she performed severe penance. Pleased by her faith and devotion, Lord Brahma stated that her unmarried form will be worshipped as Brahmacharini, the ascetic woman. Eventually, she did get married to Lord Shiva, but during a subsequent ceremony, her father insulted Shiva. Furious, she immolated herself with a wish to have a father who would respect her divine husband and her in her next birth. Brahmacharini is depicted having two hands and walking bare feet.

Chandraghanta

After getting married to Shiva, Goddess Parvati adorned a bell on her forehead in the shape of a half-moon, signifying the origin of this Navadurga’s name. Her mount is the tigress and she has ten hands.

Kushmanda

When Siddhidhatri took a physical form, she created the universe from her smile. ‘Ku’ means ‘a little’, ‘Ushma’ means ‘warmth’, and ‘Anda’ indicates the ‘cosmic egg’. Goddess Kushmanda had started living in the center of the sun, helping him radiate energy. She has eight hands and rides a tiger.

Skandamata

Goddess Parvati is the loving and kind mother of Skanda or Kartikeya, the god of war and brother to Lord Ganesha. The maternal nature of Goddess Parvati is worshipped in this form. The ferocious lion serves as her mount.

Katyayani

Goddess Durga manifested in this form to destroy the demon Mahishasura. The warrior form of Goddess Durga, Katyayani is fierce and armed with numerous weapons. Her vengeance led to the ultimate destruction of the powerful demon.

Kaalratri

The most violent form of Goddess Durga is Kaalratri who manifested to slay the two demons, Chanda and Munda. She sprang from the third eye of Parvati and wreaked havoc until she killed the two asuras and their army. Kaalratri means the night of death. In this form, Goddess Durga rides a donkey and carries a deadly iron hook and a sword in her hands.

Mahagauri

When Goddess Parvati went to fight the demons, Shumbha and Nishumbha, she transformed into the dark and fierce Kaushiki, leaving part of herself on Mount Kailasha to protect it. This part of herself, known as Mahagauri, is fair complexioned and very pure and clean. She provides knowledge and is the goddess of all achievements.

Siddhidatri

Siddhidatri is the Adi Shakti avatar of Durga. She existed as pure energy and had no physical form. Lord Rudra worshipped her for  creating the universe and she appeared from the left half of Shiva. That is why she and Shiva represent the duality of the universe in the form of masculine and feminine energies. They unite to form Ardhanarishwara. Devi Siddhidatri sits on a lotus and rides a lion.

Read the stories of the powerful Hindu goddesses in our title ‘Shakti‘, available on the ACK Comics app, Kindle, Amazon, Flipkart, and other major e-tailers.

By Kayva Gokhale 

One particularly hot summer, all the lakes and rivers in a forest dried up. A herd of elephants living in the forest knew that they must find a source of fresh water, otherwise they would suffer from extreme thirst. Soon, after searching far and wide, one of the elephants found a huge lake full of fresh, clear water. Overjoyed, all the elephants, led by their kind and wise king, marched towards the lake.

A colony of mice had also made their home near the lake. When the thirsty elephants came marching towards the water, they trampled everything in their path. A lot of mice came under their heavy feet and lost their lives. That evening, the mice that had managed to survive, gathered to find a solution to this problem. The mice decided to speak to the king of the elephants and request him to not use the path on which their colony was settled.

The next day, a small group of mice approached the king and told him of their worries. The king of the elephants was kind and compassionate. He immediately assured the mice that he would lead his herd through some other route and ensure that the mice were not harmed. The mice were relieved and grateful and in turn, they promised to help out the elephants whenever they were in need. The king smiled, convinced that these tiny mice could never help a majestic elephant, like him.

The elephants and the mice settled into their lives by the lake. However, soon a problem arose. One day when some elephants entered the lake to wash themselves in the cool water, they found that their feet were trapped in thick ropes and that they could not come out, no matter how hard they tried! They realised that they had walked into a trap set by poachers, who wanted to capture them for their ivory tusks. In the evening, a group of poachers arrived and pulled the ropes and the elephants out of the water. They then tied the elephants to the nearby tree and left to make some arrangements.

The captured elephants were worried. They could find no way to free themselves, and even the king was out of ideas. Then, he suddenly remembered his mice friends. When one of the free elephants came to visit him later in the night, the king told him to go to the mice colony and ask for help.

Soon, the escaped elephant returned with the mice, who were distressed seeing their elephant friends in trouble. They got to work immediately and chewed through the thick ropes that the poachers had used.

Within a few hours, the ropes gave way and the elephants were free once again! The king elephant thanked the mice for their help and realised how he had underestimated the mice due to their small size. From then on, both the elephants and the mice remained friends and kind neighbours to one another.

In the days of yore, the war between the devas and asuras for control of the three worlds was an endless one. Whenever the devas managed to overpower the asuras in battles, they managed to revive themselves from the dead and attacked the abode of the gods again with new energy. This was thanks to the asura guru, Shukracharya, who possessed the knowledge of the Sanjivani Mantra. Unfortunately, despite being the guru of the devas and the wise Shukracharya himself, Brihaspati lacked this knowledge. The helpless devas turned to Brihaspati’s son, Kacha, and asked him to join the tutelage of Shukracharya to learn the Sanjivani Mantra from him without raising any suspicion.

Kacha was warmly welcomed by Shukracharya as he was the son of his guru after all. As learning was handed down by word of mouth, it was customary for the pupil to live with the family of his teacher till he completed his education. Thus, Kacha came to live with Shukracharya and his daughter Devayani. Over time, Kacha bonded with Devayani and soon, Devayani was determined to marry him as soon as his education was completed. This gave rise to a lot of jealousy and contempt on the part of the other asuras. It didn’t help matters that they were already suspicious of Kacha, fearing that he may learn the secrets of the Sanjivani Mantra by tricking Shukracharya.

One day, Kacha went to the forest for cattle-grazing. However, the cattle returned to Shukracharya’s abode in the evening without him. Devayani grew worried and terrible thoughts began to cross her mind. She went to her father Shukracharya and asked him to trace Kacha using his divine powers. Shukracharya soon realised that his asura students had killed Kacha in the forest. Using his gifts, he immediately brought him back to life to ease his distressed daughter. The asuras were terribly disappointed by this action of Shukracharya and killed Kacha again when they managed to catch him alone in the forest. Luckily for Kacha, Shukracharya revived him once again out of love for his daughter.

Realising that Shukracharya would always bring Kacha back from the dead, the asuras began to plot a way to kill Kacha that would make Shukracharya hesitate before bringing him back. This time around, the asuras killed Kacha and cremated his body. They then carefully collected his ashes, mixed it in the goblet of wine and presented the wine to Shukracharya who happily accepted it. With Kacha missing, a distraught Devayani went to her father in tears and begged him to revive Kacha once again. However, this time, when Shukracharya divined Kacha’s location, he realised he had been tricked and that Kacha was in his stomach. Shukracharya told Devayani that if he were to revive Kacha, only one of them would survive as Kacha would tear through his stomach when he came back to life. Devayani insisted that she wanted them both to be alive and could not live in a world without either of them. Shukracharya realized that it was time to fulfil Kacha’s objective. He passed on the secrets of the Sanjivani Mantra to the yet-to-be revived Kacha, and after Kacha emerged from his guru’s stomach, he used the secrets he had learnt to revive Shukracharya. Shukracharya was pleased with this noble act of Kacha and blessed him.

Having accomplished his mission, Kacha sought Shukracharya’s permission to leave. Devayani was dismayed to hear this and confessed her love for him, asking Kacha to marry her. Kacha pointed out that since he emerged from her father’s stomach, he was now the brother of Devayani and it would be incorrect for him to marry her.

Devayani’s disappointment on hearing these words from Kacha soon turned into rage. She cursed him,

“You used the one who was sinless in her devotion to you. You will never be able to use the Sanjivani Mantra.”

In return, an angry Kacha said that she had cursed him for no fault of his and hence, she would never marry a rishi’s son. Kacha also proclaimed that he would teach his fellow gods the mantra, even if he couldn’t use it himself. Thus, Kacha departed to Indra’s abode, his mission completed but his heartbroken, never to see Devayani again. 

Read the complete story of Kacha in our title ‘Kacha and Devayani’ on the ACK Comics app and Kindle. 

By Nitya Menon

The Mahabharata, the timeless epic of dharma, is filled with stories of treachery, deceit, and revenge. One such story of revenge was between the guru Dronacharya and king Drupada, father to Draupadi. Their story not only shows the vicious cycle of revenge, but also portraits the extent a vengeful soul can go to achieve its motive. Interestingly, this story of revenge started with a deep bond of friendship. 

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Childhood buddies 

Drona’s father, Bharadwaja, was a sage whereas Drupada’s father, Prishata, was the king of Panchala. The two were dear friends. When Drona and Drupada grew up, they began their studies under the guidance of Bharadwaj. The two boys followed their fathers’ footsteps, a strong friendship blossoming between them. Later, they started studying the science of arms from Rishi Agnivesha. Over the years, they helped each other with their studies and daily routines. Their friendship grew stronger. So deep was their bond that Drupada promised Drona that once he becomes the king, his palace will be Drona’s home and the two will be together forever. Drona felt blessed to have a friend like Drupada and more than his promise, he appreciated his generosity. After their studies, they both parted ways and moved on to have families of their own. 

The seed of revenge

Drona got married and had a son whom he named Ashwathama. He cared deeply about his wife and son. So attached he was to them that he would do anything for their wellbeing. Even though he did not have any materialistic urges, he tried to acquire wealth for them. It was then that he learned about Parashurama, a brahman warrior who was also the sixth incarnation of Vishnu, distributing his wealth among the brahmans. Unfortunately, by the time Drona arrived, Parashurama had already given away all his wealth and was to retire to the forest. Yet Parashurama did not want Drona to go back empty-handed. He offered him the choice of his body and his divine weapons, the only things left with him. Drona opted for the weapons along with the mantras to use them. He was extremely happy and felt blessed to receive it from the great Parashurama himself. Unfortunately, this did not help his financial condition. 

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Around the same time, Drupada had ascended the throne and was now the king of Panchala. On recalling the bond that Drupada and he had shared, Drona approached him for help with great confidence in his friend’s generosity. He assumed that Drupada would welcome his family and be willing to share his newfound wealth. When Drona reached the kingdom of Panchala, things had completely changed. It seemed power and pride had gone to Drupada’s head, who feigned ignorance at their childhood friendship. “How can there ever be a friendship between a king and a wandering beggar? Leave at once.” Hearing these harsh words Drona was heartbroken. He vowed revenge on Drupada and left the palace in anger. 

Drona gets his revenge

Drona’s vow had made him determined to earn fame and fortune and use his skills to prove his worth to the world. He cultivated a tremendous longing to acquire wealth and prove himself to Drupada. Soon, on the bases of his knowledge and fame, Drona became the guru of the cousin clans, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, but only on the condition that his students would avenge his insult as his fee. 

Years passed by. It was soon time for his students to make good on their promise to him. Both the clans attacked the Panchala kingdom, but the Kauravas fled the battlefield fearing the powers of the Panchala army. Meanwhile, the Pandavas fought the army fearlessly, with the Pandava prince Arjuna managing to capture Drupada for his guru with his Gandiva. This was the moment Drona had been waiting for all his life. He said,

“Drupada, you broke your promise and insulted me. Look, my students captured you fulfilling my revenge. Now your entire kingdom belongs to me. I do not wish to live in enmity. Let’s revive our friendship. I will return you half of your kingdom. You need not be ashamed to owe me now because I am a king too.”

Hearing this, Drupada smiled and folded his hands in gratitude. He thanked his friend for being so kind and forgiving. 

Little did Drona know that Drupada’s smile was a mask, one he wore to cover his vindictive motives. In the same breath he ‘thanked’ his erstwhile classmate, he vowed to himself that he would avenge Drona’s affront.

Drupada Retaliates 

Drupada desired a son whose sole purpose in life would be to slay Drona. He sought the blessings of a sage who advised him to perform a Yagya, a sacrificial ritual in front of a sacred fire. Out of the flames rose a young boy followed by a young girl. The brahmans named them Dhrishtadyumna and Draupadi, also revered as Draupada and Panchali, respectively. 

In the great war of Mahabharata, which was fought for eighteen days, Drona fought for the Kauravas and Drupada and Dhrishtadyumna fought for the Pandavas. On the fourteenth day, Drona killed Drupada. Grief-stricken by his father’s death, Dhristadyumna pledged to kill Drona at the earliest, eventually slaying the mighty guru while he was meditating, something that was technically against the established rules of war at the time. Unfortunately for Dhristadyumna, Drona’s son, Ashwathama, felt the same way about his father’s death, tracking down Dhristadyumna on the 18th night of the great war, and slaying him, showing no mercy. Thus ended the blood feud between Drona and Drupada, a bloody cycle of violence because of one man’s haughtiness and another man’s pride.

Choose from many stories of the Mahabharata in Amar Chitra Katha’s wide range of mythology titles, now available on the ACK Comics app, as well as Kindle, Amazon, Flipkart, and other major e-tailers. 

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