8. Mahagauri

Dhyana Mantra

श्वेते वृषे समारूढा श्वेताम्बरधरा शुचिः। महागौरी शुभं दद्यान्महादेवप्रमोददा॥

May Mahagauri, who is mounted on a white bull, who wears white garments and is pure, who delights Mahadeva, grant auspiciousness.

The eighth power of Mother Durga is named Mahagauri. Her complexion is entirely gaura (fair). This fairness is compared to Shambhu, the moon and the kunda flower. Her age is said to be eight years — 'Ashtavarsha bhaved Gauri'. All her garments and ornaments are white too. She has four arms. Her mount is the bull (vrishabha). In her upper right hand is the abhaya mudra and in the lower right hand a trident. In the upper left hand is a damaru (drum) and in the lower left hand the varada mudra. Her posture is extremely calm.

In her Parvati form she performed very hard penance to obtain Lord Shiva as her husband. Her vow was — "Vrine'ham varadam Shambhum nanyam devam Maheshwarat." (Narada Pancharatra) According to Goswami Tulsidas too, she took a firm resolve to choose Lord Shiva:

जन्म कोटि लगि रगर हमारी। बरउँ संभु न त रहउँ कुँआरी॥

For countless births may my body be so: I will choose Shambhu, or else remain unmarried.

Because of this hard penance her body became utterly black. Pleased and satisfied with her penance, when Lord Shiva washed her body, rubbing it with the holy water of the Ganga, then it became extremely radiant — gaura — like the splendour of lightning. From then on she received the name Mahagauri.

On the eighth day of Durga Puja is the ritual of Mahagauri's worship. Her power is unfailing and immediately fruitful. By her worship all the devotees' impurities are washed away. Their previously accumulated sins are also destroyed. In the future, sin, affliction, poverty and sorrow never come near them. They become pure in every way and worthy of imperishable merit.

The remembrance, meditation and worship of Mother Mahagauri is universally beneficial for devotees. We should always meditate on her. By her grace extraordinary siddhis are obtained. Making the mind single-pointed and exclusive, a person should always meditate on her lotus feet. She certainly removes the devotees' suffering. By her worship even the impossible tasks of the afflicted become possible. Therefore we should make every effort to obtain refuge at her feet. Her glory is abundantly described in the puranas. She inspires a person's tendencies toward truth (sat) and destroys untruth (asat). We should always take refuge in her with the attitude of complete surrender.