Narrator:
The meaning of "Durga" is invincible. She is the possessor of auspicious power, the creator of good intellect, and on the other hand, the destroyer of inauspicious forces. Sometimes she is Shivani, the wife of Shiva; sometimes she is Himani, the daughter of the Himalayas. To her devotees, she is Mahamaya and Uma. She became "Mahishasura Mardini" by slaying the demon Mahishasura, and she became "Durgatinashini" by destroying the sorrows of her followers. But how much do we truly know about Goddess Durga? Today, I have come before Gurudev with various known and unknown questions. Pranam, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Pranam, child. Speak.
Devotee:
I have some questions for you today. My first question is about Durga Puja. When we look at the almanac, we see that sometimes she arrives on a horse, sometimes on an elephant, and she departs on a boat or a palanquin. What is the reason for this? How can we tell which vehicle she is using?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Well, it is not a matter of calculation but rather of the days. From Monday to Sunday, each day is associated with a specific vehicle. If the seventh day (Saptami) falls on a Sunday or Monday, she arrives on an elephant. If it falls on a Saturday or Tuesday, she comes on a horse. On Wednesdays, she arrives by boat, and on Thursdays or Fridays, she comes in a palanquin (Dola). The same logic applies to her departure on the tenth day (Dashami). It is all based on which day of the week the specific dates fall.
Devotee:
In many pandals, we see a "Kala Bou" (the banana plant wrapped in a sari) placed next to Ganesha. People often call her Ganesha's wife. Is this true?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
That is a completely wrong concept. Ganesha's wife is actually Lakshmi. What you see is the "Naba Patrika" (the Nine Leaves). On the sixth day (Shasthi), she is awakened under a wood-apple (Bel) tree. The priests take a banana plant and incorporate nine different plants into it. Each plant represents a different goddess: Paddy (Dhanya) representing Lakshmi; Wood-apple (Bel) representing Shiva; Turmeric (Haridra) representing Durga; Colocasia (Kachu) representing Kalika; Man-kachu representing Chamunda; Pomegranate (Darimba) representing Raktadantika; Ashoka representing Shokarahita; Jayanti representing Kartiki. Along with the banana plant, these nine represent the nine forms of Durga. They are bathed on the morning of Saptami. It has nothing to do with Ganesha's wife.
Devotee:
We commonly believe that Ganesha, Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Kartikeya are Durga's children. Is that correct?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
No, that is another misconception. We say "Durga with her family," but this "family" includes Mahishasura and the lion as well. They aren't her literal children. There is a deeper mystery here. Goddess Durga represents a tri-fold power — Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwar. Ganesha is Narayana with Lakshmi; Kartikeya is Brahma with Saraswati. They are various manifestations of the supreme power.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Actually, even the name "Durga" is a corruption of the original name "Duggi." Sage Katyayana called her Duggi when she resided in his ashram in her maiden (Kumari) form. Even in ancient times, she was referred to as Duggi.
Devotee:
Why is "Sandhi Puja" performed on the eighth day (Ashtami)?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Sandhi Puja marks a specific moment. It occurs during the final 24 minutes of Ashtami and the first 24 minutes of Navami — a total of 48 minutes. This time is dedicated solely to Goddess Chamunda. During this time, it is said that no other deity receives offerings, only Chamunda.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The story goes back to the battle with the demons Chanda and Munda. Before that, there were the demons Madhu and Kaitabha, who were born from the earwax of Lord Vishnu (Narayana). They fought Vishnu for 5,000 years. Eventually, Mahamaya (Durga) influenced them with her power. They told Vishnu, "You are very powerful. We accept defeat. You may kill us, but only in a place where there is no water." At that time, the whole world was covered in water. Vishnu then expanded his thighs (as there was no water on his body) and beheaded them there. Their flesh and fat (meda) fell and formed the earth, which is why the earth is called "Medini."
Devotee:
What is the origin of Goddess Chamunda?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
During the great war, the demons Chanda and Munda attacked. Before them came Raktabija. Every drop of Raktabija's blood that touched the ground created a new demon. Durga sought the help of the Primordial Power (Adya Shakti). The goddess expanded her tongue to cover the earth so that not a single drop of blood would touch the ground. She drank all the blood, and thus Raktabija was destroyed.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Then came Chanda and Munda. The goddess beheaded them and presented their heads to Durga. Durga then blessed her, saying, "Because you have slain Chanda and Munda, you shall be known in the world as Chamunda." Her puja is performed during those 48 minutes of Sandhi Puja.
Devotee:
Does the goddess have many names?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
She has 108 names, but she is primarily worshipped in three forms: Dakshayani (daughter of Daksha), Katyayani (associated with Sage Katyayana), and Kumari. Great figures like Swami Vivekananda and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose are said to have had visions of her. Vivekananda was the one who popularized the "Kumari Puja" at Belur Math, as he believed deeply in the goddess's maiden form. She is the protector, the source of power, and the destroyer of all evil. Whether we call her Durga, Duggi, or Chamunda, she represents the ultimate victory of good over evil.