The first form is that of Shailaputri,
Daughter of King Himavat and Queen Mena,
She gave up her cozy life and went to Mount Kailash,
To win heart and marry Lord Shiva.
She lives inside us in the form of strength,
For this quality can make you go to great lengths.
The second form is that of Brahmacharini,
A name given to Shailaputri whilst she was in deep meditation.
She gave up food and battled great storms and rains,
For she knew that was the only way to get Lord Shiva’s attention.
She lives inside us in the form of patience.
Working hard and honestly will help you live a life of excellence.
The third form is that of Chandraghanta,
A name given to Shailaputri when she got very angry.
On her wedding day when a scary looking Lord Shiva had arrived,
But she quickly changed into Shailaputri after he had said he was sorry.
She lives inside us in the form of generosity,
Sharing your good things with others will make you very happy.
The fourth form is that of Kushmanda,
When she smiled and created the Universe.
Galaxies, moons, planets, sun and the solar system
Why, even the Gods, asuras and humans so diverse.
She lives inside us as creativity,
Use your imagination and create many possibilities.
The fifth form is that of Skandamata,
Mother to brave and powerful boy named Skanda.
Skanda was a warrior who killed the mighty Tarakasura,
And won a peacock and a lion as a Vahana.
Skandamata lives inside us in the form of love,
Be kind and gentle and rise above.
The sixth form is of Katyayani
Who defeated the powerful demon Mahishashura.
Riding her lion, she slayed his half-buffalo, half-demon form,
And freed the Devlok from this terrible monster.
Inside us, she lives as determination,
Don’t give up, keep trying and your day will brighten.
The seventh form is that of Kaalratri,
A ferocious goddess with skin as dark as the night sky.
She drank drops of blood from the demon Raktabeej,
Finally, the demons Shumb and Nishumb and Raktabeej had to die.
She lives inside us as courage,
Don’t fear anything, be brave instead.
The eight form is that of Mahagauri,
The fair-skinned goddess.
She is dressed in all white clothes,
Riding the Nandi bull, she blesses.
She lives inside us as “fairness”,
Treat everyone and everything with equality and respect.
The final form is that of Siddhidatri,
The giver of supernatural powers.
She fulfils wishes of all beings,
And lives with Lord Shiva in the form of Ardhnarishwar.
Inside us, she is the knowledge,
To keep learning always, let’s take that pledge.
And so, we now know the Nava Durga,
The powerful and divine goddesses.
Let us pray to them and seek their blessings,
And search inside us and use their shaktis.
Disclaimer: This poem is inspired by the book Nava Durga:The Nine forms of the goddess, written by Nalini Ramchandran & illustrated by Priyanka Pachpande.