The Mother
with Letters on the Mother

Durga

The lion is the attribute of the Goddess Durga, the conquering and protecting aspect of the Universal Mother.

12 July 1929

Durga is the Mother's power of Protection.

15 April 1933

The lion with Durga on it is the symbol of the Divine Consciousness acting through a divinised physical-vital and vital-material force.

November 1933

What aspect of the Mother's personality comes out on Prosperity day? Is it something like the goddess Annapurna, who satisfies one's material needs?

I suppose it would be some aspect like that—an aspect of Durga.

2 March 1934

Your attitude towards any divine manifestation in the Mother's external consciousness is illuminating, "terrifying not only to the Asuras, but to the sadhaks". And yet it was only a limited and particular force—the Durga power! Others did not go so far as that, but they found her high, far-away, aloof, severe—asked what was the cause of her displeasure against them. And that comes to the same—to be severe against the Asuras is also to be severe against the sadhaks. A few struck a different note, delight at the greatness of the Power they felt, or, even when feeling nothing of that, a sense of the sudden lifting of obstacles. But that is not the general tone. It follows that the Mother cannot manifest anything in her external material because she has to

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keep on a level with the sadhaks. And what then? If she is not to be allowed to protect herself, the work, the sadhaks, against the attacks of the Asuras on the physical plane—for it is there that there is the whole question,—then what is to be done? what can be done? Nothing. We can only wait for the supramental descent—and that descent is methodical but slow, for the opposition to that too is obstinate in the material Nature.

However, we must go on and do what can be done under these difficult conditions. I do not know how far it is wise not to come to pranam,—the results in others have not been brilliant but if it is only for a few days, and you insist, I shall not refuse. The real thing is however a change of the mental attitude—getting out of the world of ideas and feelings built by your mind which is a prison into a freedom and openness to the Divine that would be the most helpful to you. There would soon then be a compass and a rudder.

17 October 1934

Is Durga a form and name of Mahalakshmi? Recently I heard the name "Durga" repeating itself in me and I felt release from heavy oppression. I am also attracted to the name "Krishna" and sometimes in a semi-sleep condition I find myself repeating "Durga-Mahakali-Krishna".

Durga combines the characteristics of Maheshwari and Mahakali to a certain extent,—there is not much connection with Mahalakshmi. The combination of Krishna and Mahakali is one that has a great power in this Yoga and if the names rise together in your consciousness, it is a good sign.

21 March 1938