Form 4 of 9 · Night 4 of Navratri
Kushmanda
The fourth form of Durga, worshipped on the fourth night: Kushmanda, who smiled the universe into being and lives at the heart of the sun.
- Her name means
- She who made the cosmic egg
- Rides a lion
- Her night
- Night 4
- of Navratri
The story
Before creation there was only darkness. Then the Goddess smiled, and from her smile the cosmic egg, the brahmanda, came into being: the whole universe.
Her name is read as ku (a little), ushma (warmth) and anda (the egg): with a little warmth she made the egg of the world. Kushmanda is also the ash gourd, which is offered to her.
She lives in the heart of the sun, the only one who can, and gives it its light and power.
What she gives
Health, strength and light: the warmth that makes life grow.
How she is shown
Eight-armed, so also called Ashtabhuja, riding a lion, holding a water pot, bow, arrow, lotus, a pot of nectar, a discus, a mace and a rosary.
Her verse
सुरासम्पूर्णकलशं रुधिराप्लुतमेव च।
दधाना हस्तपद्माभ्यां कूष्माण्डा शुभदास्तु मे॥
Surasampurna kalasham rudhiraplutameva cha,
Dadhana hastapadmabhyam Kushmanda shubhadastu me.
Holding in her lotus hands a pot full of nectar and one of blood, may Kushmanda bring me good.
अपने कमल जैसे हाथों में अमृत से भरा कलश और रक्त से भरा कलश लिए हुए, कूष्माण्डा मेरा कल्याण करें।
Her mantra ॐ देवी कूष्माण्डायै नमःOm Devi Kushmandayai Namah
Her night
The fourth night of Navratri
Kushmanda is worshipped on the fourth night of Navratri, the tithi of Chaturthi, in spring (Chaitra) and in autumn (Sharad).
Find this year’s NavratriWhere she is worshipped
In every Durga temple and festival pandal on her night of Navratri. In Varanasi each of the nine forms has a temple of her own, and pilgrims visit one each night.
Questions
What does Kushmanda mean?
Read as ku, a little, ushma, warmth, and anda, the egg: she who made the cosmic egg with a little warmth, with her smile. It is also the name of the ash gourd.
Why is she linked to the sun?
She is said to live at the heart of the sun, giving it its light.