⨠Mahalaya: The Sacred Dawn of Devi Paksha and the Homecoming of Maa Durga â¨Â
Mahalaya (Mahishasura Mardini) | The Eternal Voice of Birendra Krishna BhadraÂ
āĻĻā§āĻŦā§ āĻĻā§āϰā§āĻāĻžāϰ āϧā§āϝāĻžāύ āĻŽāύā§āϤā§āϰ⧠āĻĻā§āĻŦā§āϰ āϰā§āĻĒ
đ This is the meditation verse describing the appearance of Goddess Durga, so the devotee can visualize Her form in the mind before worship.
ā§§.
āĻāĻāĻžāĻā§āĻ āϏāĻŽāĻžāϝā§āĻā§āϤāĻž āĻā§°ā§āĻĻā§āϧā§āύā§āĻĻā§ āĻā§āϤ āĻļā§āĻāϰāĻžāĻŽā§āĨ¤
â She has matted locks of hair (jata-juta), upon which the crescent moon rests like a crown.
⧍.
āϞā§āĻāύ āϤā§āϰāϝāĻŧ āϏāĻāϝā§āĻā§āϤāĻžāĻ āĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖā§āύā§āĻĻā§ āϏāĻĻā§āĻļāĻž-āύāύāĻžāĻŽā§âāĨĨ
â She has three eyes (sun, moon, fire) and a face bright like the full moon.
ā§Š.
āĻ āϤāϏā§-āĻĒā§āώā§āĻĒāĻŦāϰā§āĻŖāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ āϏā§āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋāώā§āĻ āĻžāĻ āϏā§āϞā§āĻāύāĻžāĻŽā§âāĨ¤
â Her complexion is like the blue Atasi flower (flax blossom). She is firm and has beautiful eyes.
ā§Ē.
āύāĻŦ-āϝā§āĻŦāύāϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāύā§āύāĻžāĻ āϏāϰā§āĻŦā§āĻŦāĻžāĻāϰāĻŖ āĻā§āώāĻŋāϤāĻžāĻŽā§āĨĨ
â She is in the prime of youth, adorned with all ornaments.
ā§Ģ.
āϏā§āĻāĻžāϰā§-āĻĻāĻļāύāĻžāĻ āϤāĻĻā§āĻŦā§ āĻĒā§āύā§āύā§āύāϤāĻĒāϝāĻŧā§āϧāϰāĻžāĻŽā§āĨ¤
â Her teeth are beautiful, and Her breasts are full and high, symbolizing motherhood and nourishment.
ā§Ŧ.
āϤā§āϰāĻŋāĻāĻā§āĻ-āϏā§āĻĨāĻžāύ-āϏāĻāϏā§āĻĨāĻžāύāĻžāĻ āĻŽāĻšāĻŋāώāĻžāϏā§āϰ-āĻŽāϰā§āĻĻā§āĻĻāĻŋāύā§āĻŽā§âāĨĨ
â She stands in the tribhanga posture (graceful three-fold bend) as the slayer of Mahishasura.
ā§.
āĻŽā§āĻŖāĻžāϞāĻžāϝāĻŧāϤ-āϏāĻāϏā§āĻĒā§°ā§āĻļ-āĻĻāĻļāĻŦāĻžāĻšā§ āϏāĻŽāύā§āĻŦāĻŋāϤāĻžāĻŽā§āĨ¤
â Her hands are delicate like lotus stalks, and She has ten arms.
Weapons in Her hands (visualization continues):
ā§Ž.
āϤā§āϰāĻŋāĻļā§āϞāĻ āĻĻāĻā§āώāĻŋāĻŖā§ āϧā§āϝā§āϝāĻŧāĻ āĻāĻĄāĻŧāĻāĻ āĻāĻā§āϰāĻ āĻā§āϰāĻŽāĻž āĻĻāϧāĻāĨĨ
â In Her right hands: a trident (trishul), a sword (khadga), and a discus (chakra).
⧝.
āϤā§āĻā§āώā§āĻŖāĻŦāĻžāĻŖāĻ āϤāĻĨāĻž āĻļāĻā§āϤāĻŋāĻ āĻĻāĻā§āώāĻŋāĻŖā§āώ⧠āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāύā§āϤāϝāĻŧā§ā§āĨ¤
â Also in the right hands: sharp arrows and a spear (shakti).
ā§§ā§Ļ.
āĻā§āĻāĻāĻ āĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖāĻāĻžāĻĒāĻā§āĻ āĻĒāĻžāĻļāĻŽāĻā§āĻā§āĻļāĻŽā§āĻŦ āĻāĨĨ
â In Her left hands: a shield (khetaka), a bow, a noose (pasha), and an elephant goad (ankusha).
ā§§ā§§.
āĻāĻŖā§āĻāĻžāĻ āĻŦāĻž āĻĒāϰāĻļā§āĻ āĻŦāĻžāĻĒāĻŋ āĻŦāĻžāĻŽāϤāĻ āϏāύā§āύāĻŋāĻŦā§āĻļāϝāĻŧā§ā§āĨ¤
â Also on the left side, She holds a bell or sometimes a battle axe (parashu).
Scene of the battle:
⧧⧍.
āĻ āϧāϏā§āϤāĻžāύā§āĻŽāĻšāĻŋāώāĻ āϤāĻĻā§āĻŦāĻĻā§āĻŦāĻŋāĻļāĻŋāϰāϏā§āĻāĻ āĻĒā§āϰāĻĻāϰā§āĻļāϝāĻŧā§ā§āĨĨ
â Beneath Her is Mahishasura, decapitated.
ā§§ā§Š.
āĻļāĻŋāϰāĻļā§āĻā§āĻĻā§āĻĻā§āĻāĻŦāĻ āϤāĻĻā§āĻŦāĻĻā§āĻĻāĻžāύāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻĄāĻŧāĻāĻĒāĻžāĻŖāĻŋāύāĻŽā§āĨ¤
â Another demon, emerging from the beheaded buffalo, holding a sword.
ā§§ā§Ē.
āĻšā§āĻĻāĻŋ āĻļā§āϞā§āύ āύāĻŋāϰā§āĻāĻŋāύā§āύāĻ āύāĻŋāϰā§āϝā§āϝāĻĻāύā§āϤā§āϰāĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āώāĻŋāϤāĻŽā§âāĨĨ
â Her trident pierces his heart, his body decorated with spilling intestines.
ā§§ā§Ģ.
āϰāĻā§āϤāϰāĻā§āϤā§āĻā§āϤāĻžāĻā§āĻāĻā§āĻ āϰāĻā§āϤāĻŦāĻŋāϏā§āĻĢā§āϰāĻŋāϤā§āĻā§āώāĻŖāĻŽā§āĨ¤
â His body is smeared in blood, and his eyes are wide, flaring with rage.
ā§§ā§Ŧ.
āĻŦā§āώā§āĻāĻŋāϤāĻ āύāĻžāĻāĻĒāĻžāĻļā§āύ āĻā§āϰāĻā§āĻā§āĻā§āώāĻŖāĻžāύāύāĻŽā§āĨĨ
â He is bound with a serpent-noose, and Her face is terrible with knitted brows.
ā§§ā§.
āϏāĻĒāĻžāĻļāĻŦāĻžāĻŽāĻšāϏā§āϤā§āύ āϧā§āϤāĻā§āĻļāĻā§āĻ āĻĻā§ā§°ā§āĻāϝāĻŧāĻžāĨ¤
â With Her left hand holding the noose, Durga also grabs the demonâs hair.
ā§§ā§Ž.
āĻŦāĻŽāĻĻā§āϰā§āϧāĻŋāϰāĻŦāĻā§āϤā§āϰāĻā§āĻ āĻĻā§āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ āϏāĻŋāĻāĻšāĻ āĻĒā§āϰāĻĻāϰā§āĻļāϝāĻŧā§ā§āĨĨ
â Her lion is shown beside Her, its mouth dripping blood.
Divine posture of the Goddess:
⧧⧝.
āĻĻā§āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāϏā§āϤ⧠āĻĻāĻā§āώāĻŋāĻŖāĻ āĻĒāĻžāĻĻāĻ āϏāĻŽāĻ āϏāĻŋāĻāĻšā§āĻĒāϰāĻŋāϏā§āĻĨāĻŋāϤāĻŽā§āĨ¤
â Her right foot rests evenly upon the lion.
⧍ā§Ļ.
āĻāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻŋāĻĻā§ā§°ā§āĻĻā§āϧāĻ āϤāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāĻžāĻŽāĻŽāĻā§āĻā§āώā§āĻ āĻ āĻŽāĻšāĻŋāώā§āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĨĨ
â Her left big toe presses slightly upwards on Mahishasuraâs body.
⧍⧧.
āϏā§āϤā§āϝāĻŧāĻŽāĻžāύāĻā§āĻ āϤāĻĻā§āϰā§āĻĒāĻŽāĻŽāϰā§āĻ āϏāύā§āύāĻŋāĻŦā§āĻļāϝāĻŧā§ā§āĨ¤
â This form is being praised by the gods (devas) all around.
Epithets of Durga:
⧍⧍.
āĻāĻā§āϰāĻāĻŖā§āĻĄāĻž āĻĒā§āϰāĻāĻŖā§āĻĄāĻž āĻ āĻāĻŖā§āĻĄā§āĻā§āϰāĻž āĻāĻŖā§āĻĄāύāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻŋāĻāĻžāĨ¤
āĻāĻŖā§āĻĄāĻž āĻāĻŖā§āĻĄāĻŦāϤ⧠āĻā§āĻŦ āĻāĻŖā§āĻĄāϰā§āĻĒāĻžāϤāĻŋāĻāĻŖā§āĻĄāĻŋāĻāĻžāĨĨ
â She is fierce and terrible:
Ugra-chanda â Extremely fierce.
Prachanda â Intensely powerful.
Chandogra â Terrible in battle.
Chanda-nayika â Leader of the fierce ones.
Chanda â The fierce.
Chandavati â The embodiment of fury.
Chandarupa â Of a fierce form.
Atichandika â Beyond all ferocity.
Final meditation:
ā§¨ā§Š.
āĻ āώā§āĻāĻžāĻāĻŋāĻ āĻļāĻā§āϤāĻŋāĻāĻŋāϏā§āϤāĻžāĻāĻŋāĻ āϏāϤāϤāĻ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦā§āώā§āĻāĻŋāϤāĻžāĻŽā§âāĨ¤
â She is always surrounded by Her eight Shaktis (Matrikas).
⧍ā§Ē.
āĻāĻŋāύā§āϤāϝāĻŧā§āĻā§āĻāĻāϤāĻžāĻ āϧāĻžāϤā§āϰā§āĻ āϧāϰā§āĻŽā§āĻŽāĻāĻžāĻŽāĻžāϰā§āĻĨāĻŽā§āĻā§āώāĻĻāĻžāĻŽā§āĨĨ
For Bengalis, Mahalaya is not merely a dateâit is a sacred dawn, the moment when faith, tradition, and devotion unite. As autumn unfolds with the white blooms of kaash flowers, the gentle fragrance of shiuli, and the crisp blue sky, Mahalaya announces the end of Pitru Paksha (fortnight of honoring ancestors) and the beginning of Devi Pakshaâthe sacred fortnight when Mother Durga begins her descent from Kailash to Earth.
It is the day that bridges remembrance and hope, past and future, ancestors and divinity. Above all, Mahalaya is the Agomoniâthe invocation of the Goddess, when Bengalis across the world whisper: âMa is coming home.â
In Bengal, Mahalaya begins before sunrise, when countless devotees gather at the banks of the Ganga or other holy rivers to perform Tarpan. With wet clothes, folded hands, and sacred chants, they offer water, sesame, and prayers to their departed ancestors.
This ritual is more than remembranceâit is gratitude, the acknowledgment that we live because they lived. By offering tarpan, devotees seek blessings from their forefathers for peace, prosperity, and strength as the new sacred fortnight begins.
Mahalaya is inseparably linked to the immortal broadcast of âMahishasuramardiniâ, first aired in 1931. Even today, Bengali households awake in the darkness of dawn, light incense, and tune into the recitation of the Chandi by Birendra Krishna Bhadra.
The sacred hymns narrate how the gods, oppressed by the demon Mahishasura, invoked Adi Shakti. From their collective energy emerged Maa Durgaâten-armed, radiant, and invincibleâarmed with weapons to restore cosmic balance.
The air fills with the hymn:
âYa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Shakti Rupena Samsthita,
Namastasyai, Namastasyai, Namastasyai Namo Namah.â
âTo the Goddess who abides in all beings as Power,
We bow to Her, we bow to Her, we bow to Her again and again.â
For devotees, this broadcast is not soundâit is prayer, it is awakening, it is the spiritual signal that Durga Puja has truly begun.
Chokkhudaan (Painting of the Eyes) â On Mahalaya, artisans in Kumartuli and across Bengal traditionally paint the eyes of Maa Durgaâs idol. This sacred act, done with utmost reverence, symbolizes the awakening of the Goddessâthe moment when She comes alive to bless Her children.
Beginning of Devi Paksha â With Mahalaya, Pitru Paksha concludes, and Devi Paksha commences. It is the turning of time from remembrance of ancestors to worship of the Mother Goddess.
Homes in Prayer â Families rise early, light oil lamps and incense, blow the conch, and chant hymns, inviting Maa Durga into their hearts and homes.
Mahalaya is more than ritualâit is a spiritual reminder. It teaches us to honor our ancestors, acknowledge the cycle of life, and prepare ourselves for the blessings of the Goddess.
It reminds us that whenever adharma (unrighteousness) rises, the Divine Mother manifests to protect Her children. For Bengalis, Mahalaya is not only the sound of the Chandi, the fragrance of autumn, or the beauty of the skyâit is the reassurance that Maa Durga is on Her way.
đ¸ On Mahalaya, let us bow to our ancestors with gratitude, invoke the Divine Mother with devotion, and pray that Maa Durga removes all darkness from our lives and fills us with strength, peace, and divine grace. đ¸