DURGA Worship of Durga, the mother-goddess, dates back 7000 years. Durga is first mentioned in the Mahabharata as a virgin delighting in wine, flesh, and animal sacrifice, although her primary scripture is the Chandi. Durga has many different forms which are often quite different. As Uma, she plays the role of the lover and Siva's Sakti, although later tradition has Durga dance on the corpse of Siva. As Sakti, she is the “ultimate female principle of …showed first 75 words of 590 total…

…showed last 75 words of 590 total…first female deity in the universe, she is the essence of creation. She slays demons and exists with out male protection or guidance. This role reversal can be representative of a new version of reality, creating her heightened role in worship during the kali-yuga. Despite the wealth of information surrounding Durga, her name is translated as "inaccessable." Perhaps Durga is so absolutely present that we cannot separate her from anything in attempt to define her.