English
Kushmanda
Source: Popular Navadurga tradition; the state before creation: Rig Veda, Nasadiya Sukta (10.129); the Devi as creator: Durga Saptashati, chapter 1
Imagine the time when nothing existed. No earth, no sky, no sun, no moon, no stars. There was no day and no night.
The Nasadiya Sukta of the Rig Veda describes that state: then there was neither being nor non-being. There was darkness hidden in darkness. All around, only a deep, fathomless silence.
In that darkness there was no movement and no sound. Even time seemed to stand still. There was no one to see and no one to hear. There was only a power, beyond all of this, resting in itself.
In the Durga Saptashati, Brahma praises the Devi: “O Devi, you uphold this universe, you create it, you sustain it, and at the end you draw it back into yourself.”
The popular Navadurga story tells that before creation, in that endless darkness, this primal Shakti was present. The whole universe lay asleep within her like a seed, waiting to appear. In this telling, even the three great gods had not yet appeared. There was no one to create, no one to sustain, no one to dissolve. Everything lay within that one Shakti.
And then, in the midst of that silence, a faint smile came to the Devi's lips…
From that soft, gentle smile, light burst forth. The darkness began to part, and a cosmic egg full of energy, the egg of creation, appeared. From it the worlds, planets and living beings came forth.
That is why the Devi is named Kushmanda. In the popular explanation, “ku” means a little, “ushma” means warmth or energy, and “anda” means the cosmic egg. She who gave birth to the whole universe with a little energy, with a smile, is Kushmanda.
Tradition says the Devi dwells within the orb of the Sun. Only she has the power to live in that blazing radiance. The Sun receives its light and energy from her, and her body shines like the Sun itself.
Maa Kushmanda is also called Ashtabhuja, the eight-armed. In her hands are a water pot, bow, arrow, lotus, a pot of nectar, discus and mace, and in the eighth a rosary that grants siddhis and treasures. She rides a lion.
In Sanskrit kushmanda also means the ash gourd or pumpkin. So in many places pumpkin is offered in her worship.
This is not a story of war or demons; it is a story of beginning. Where there was nothing, a smile created everything. Devotees believe that worshipping Maa Kushmanda removes illness and grief and increases long life, fame and strength.
The fourth day of Navratri is dedicated to this primal Shakti, who lit the first light in the darkness. On this day devotees worship the Mother with a glad heart, and in many homes malpua is offered to her.
What this story teaches
Creation need not begin with a roar; it can begin with a gentle smile. A small beginning made with a glad heart can create a whole world.
Maa Kushmanda is worshipped on Chaturthi, the fourth day of Sharad and Chaitra Navratri. The story of creating the universe with a smile comes from the popular Navadurga tradition, not from a single Purana.
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