<p><br />G</p>.<p>oddess Durga is portrayed with ten hands. The ten hands represent the control acquired by the spiritual seeker over the ten divisions: prana (vital energy), apana (downward breath), vyana (outer flowing air), udana (outer flowing air), samana (balanced air), naga (eructation), kurma (opening of eyes), krikara (inducing hunger, thirst), devadatta (yawning) and dhanamjaya (decomposition of body).<br /><br />The lion lying at the feet of the Goddess represents passion. Durga is in the act of spearing the asura (demon). The demon represents anger; the seeker needs to overcome anger and negativity.<br /><br />Goddess Lakshmi is on the right side and Her mount is the owl. In his search for wealth, the seeker should not become like the owl, because it is a nocturnal bird and is practically blind during the day. <br /><br />Goddess Saraswati is on the left side and Her mount is the swan. The swan is known for its ability to separate water from milk if the two are mixed. When a seeker reaches such an exalted state, he acquires the faculty of viveka or discrimination which gives him the ability to extract the essence from the murky water of worldly existence much like the mud fish that lives in the mud but does not allow the mud to stick to it. This is the state of a Paramahamsa! <br /><br />Next to Saraswati is Kartikeya, the commander in chief of the Gods. Kartikeya symbolizes heroism. His mount is the peacock and the eye in the plume is the Kutastha or godhead. Spiritual practice must be heroic and the seeker must be persevering in his efforts. Lord Kartikeya wields a bow and arrow: bow represents the body and the arrow, breath. The seeker who guides his internal breath with arrow-like precision and executes the airlike pranakarma is Kartikeya! <br /><br />The deity who grants success is Lord Ganesha, whose mount is the mouse. The mouse represents restlessness; the seeker must guard against doing harm.<br /><br />Finally, Siva is the essence of the Supreme Self. Even while He the Controller of the Universe, nothing belongs to Him. When the seeker is irreversibly established in non-duality, he merges into the Siva essence and becomes everything. The drum symbolizes the sound of Omkara. The trident symbolizes the three attributes of purity, activity and sloth which is transformed into satyam (truth), shivam (peace) and sundaram (bliss).</p>
<p><br />G</p>.<p>oddess Durga is portrayed with ten hands. The ten hands represent the control acquired by the spiritual seeker over the ten divisions: prana (vital energy), apana (downward breath), vyana (outer flowing air), udana (outer flowing air), samana (balanced air), naga (eructation), kurma (opening of eyes), krikara (inducing hunger, thirst), devadatta (yawning) and dhanamjaya (decomposition of body).<br /><br />The lion lying at the feet of the Goddess represents passion. Durga is in the act of spearing the asura (demon). The demon represents anger; the seeker needs to overcome anger and negativity.<br /><br />Goddess Lakshmi is on the right side and Her mount is the owl. In his search for wealth, the seeker should not become like the owl, because it is a nocturnal bird and is practically blind during the day. <br /><br />Goddess Saraswati is on the left side and Her mount is the swan. The swan is known for its ability to separate water from milk if the two are mixed. When a seeker reaches such an exalted state, he acquires the faculty of viveka or discrimination which gives him the ability to extract the essence from the murky water of worldly existence much like the mud fish that lives in the mud but does not allow the mud to stick to it. This is the state of a Paramahamsa! <br /><br />Next to Saraswati is Kartikeya, the commander in chief of the Gods. Kartikeya symbolizes heroism. His mount is the peacock and the eye in the plume is the Kutastha or godhead. Spiritual practice must be heroic and the seeker must be persevering in his efforts. Lord Kartikeya wields a bow and arrow: bow represents the body and the arrow, breath. The seeker who guides his internal breath with arrow-like precision and executes the airlike pranakarma is Kartikeya! <br /><br />The deity who grants success is Lord Ganesha, whose mount is the mouse. The mouse represents restlessness; the seeker must guard against doing harm.<br /><br />Finally, Siva is the essence of the Supreme Self. Even while He the Controller of the Universe, nothing belongs to Him. When the seeker is irreversibly established in non-duality, he merges into the Siva essence and becomes everything. The drum symbolizes the sound of Omkara. The trident symbolizes the three attributes of purity, activity and sloth which is transformed into satyam (truth), shivam (peace) and sundaram (bliss).</p>
