(by Mahesh Raja)
SB 5.18.22
The material opulences a person obtains by offering prayers to the goddess Durga are temporary. As described in Bhagavad-gita (7.23), antavat tu phalam tesam tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam: men of meager intelligence desire temporary happiness. WE HAVE ACTUALLY SEEN THAT ONE OF THE DISCIPLES OF BHAKTISIDDHANTA SARASVATI THAKURA WANTED TO ENJOY THE PROPERTY OF HIS SPIRITUAL MASTER, AND THE SPIRITUAL MASTER, BEING MERCIFUL TOWARD HIM, GAVE HIM THE TEMPORARY PROPERTY, BUT NOT THE POWER TO PREACH THE CULT OF CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU ALL OVER THE WORLD. THAT SPECIAL MERCY OF THE POWER TO PREACH IS GIVEN TO A DEVOTEE WHO DOES NOT WANT ANYTHING MATERIAL FROM HIS SPIRITUAL MASTER BUT WANTS ONLY TO SERVE HIM. The story of the demon Ravana illustrates this point. Although Ravana tried to abduct the goddess of fortune Sitadevi from the custody of Lord Ramacandra, he could not possibly do so. THE SITADEVI HE FORCIBLY TOOK WITH HIM WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL SITADEVI, BUT AN EXPANSION OF MAYA, OR DURGADEVI. AS A RESULT, INSTEAD OF WINNING THE FAVOR OF THE REAL GODDESS OF FORTUNE, RAVANA AND HIS WHOLE FAMILY WERE VANQUISHED BY THE POWER OF DURGADEVI (SRSTI-STHITI-PRALAYA-SADHANA-SAKTIR EKA).
SB 10.1.69
The word karyarthe refers to one who attracted the pregnancy of Devaki and bewildered mother Yasoda. These pastimes are very confidential. The Supreme personality of Godhead ordered yogamaya to bewilder His associates in His pastimes and bewilder demons like Kamsa. As stated previously, yogamayam samadisat. To give service to the Lord, yogamaya appeared along with mahamaya. MAHAMAYA REFERS TO YAYA SAMMOHITAM JAGAT, “ONE WHO BEWILDERS THE ENTIRE MATERIAL WORLD.” From this statement it is to be understood that yogamaya, in her partial expansion, becomes mahamaya and bewilders the conditioned souls. In other words, the entire creation has two divisions–transcendental, or spiritual, and material. Yogamaya manages the spiritual world, and by her partial expansion as mahamaya she manages the material world. AS STATED IN THE NARADA-PANCARATRA, MAHAMAYA IS A PARTIAL EXPANSION OF YOGAMAYA. THE NARADA-PANCARATRA CLEARLY STATES THAT THE SUPREME PERSONALITY HAS ONE POTENCY, WHICH IS SOMETIMES DESCRIBED AS DURGA. THE BRAHMA-SAMHITA SAYS, CHAYEVA YASYA BHUVANANI BIBHARTI DURGA. DURGA IS NOT DIFFERENT FROM YOGAMAYA. WHEN ONE UNDERSTANDS DURGA PROPERLY, HE IS IMMEDIATELY LIBERATED, FOR DURGA IS ORIGINALLY THE SPIRITUAL POTENCY, HLADINI-SAKTI, BY WHOSE MERCY ONE CAN UNDERSTAND THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD VERY EASILY. RADHA KRSNA-PRANAYA-VIKRTIR HLADINI-SAKTIR ASMAD. THE MAHAMAYA-SAKTI, HOWEVER, IS A COVERING OF YOGAMAYA, AND SHE IS THEREFORE CALLED THE COVERING POTENCY. BY THIS COVERING POTENCY, THE ENTIRE MATERIAL WORLD IS BEWILDERED (YAYA SAMMOHITAM JAGAT). IN CONCLUSION, BEWILDERING THE CONDITIONED SOULS AND LIBERATING THE DEVOTEES ARE BOTH FUNCTIONS BELONGING TO YOGAMAYA. TRANSFERRING THE PREGNANCY OF DEVAKI AND KEEPING MOTHER YASODA IN DEEP SLEEP WERE BOTH DONE BY YOGAMAYA; MAHAMAYA CANNOT ACT UPON SUCH DEVOTEES, FOR THEY ARE ALWAYS LIBERATED. BUT ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR MAHAMAYA TO CONTROL LIBERATED SOULS OR THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, SHE DID BEWILDER KAMSA. The action of yogamaya in presenting herself before Kamsa was the action of mahamaya, not yogamaya. Yogamaya cannot even see or touch such polluted persons as Kamsa. In Candi, in the Markandeya Purana, Eleventh Chapter, Mahamaya says, “During the twenty-eighth yuga in the period of Vaivasvata Manu, I shall take birth as the daughter of Yasoda and be known as Vindhyacala-vasini.”
SB 10.1.69 P The Advent of Lord Krsna: Introduction
THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TWO MAYAS–YOGAMAYA AND MAHA-MAYA–IS DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS. KRSNA’S RASA-LILA WITH THE GOPIS AND THE GOPIS’ BEWILDERMENT IN RESPECT TO THEIR HUSBANDS, FATHERS-IN-LAW AND OTHER SUCH RELATIVES WERE ARRANGEMENTS OF YOGAMAYA IN WHICH MAHAMAYA HAD NO INFLUENCE. The Bhagavatam gives sufficient evidence of this when it clearly says, yogamayam upasritah. ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE WERE ASURAS HEADED BY SALVA AND KSATRIYAS LIKE DURYODHANA WHO WERE BEREFT OF DEVOTIONAL SERVICE IN SPITE OF SEEING KRSNA’S CARRIER GARUDA AND THE UNIVERSAL FORM, AND WHO COULD NOT UNDERSTAND KRSNA TO BE THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD. THIS WAS ALSO BEWILDERMENT, BUT THIS BEWILDERMENT WAS DUE TO MAHAMAYA. THEREFORE IT IS TO BE CONCLUDED THAT THE MAYA WHICH DRAGS A PERSON FROM THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD IS CALLED JADAMAYA, AND THE MAYA WHICH ACTS ON THE TRANSCENDENTAL PLATFORM IS CALLED YOGAMAYA. When Nanda Maharaja was taken away by Varuna, he saw Krsna’s opulence, but nonetheless he thought of Krsna as his son. Such feelings of parental love in the spiritual world are acts of yogamaya, not of jadamaya, or mahamaya. This is the opinion of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura.
Adi 6.79
There are eleven expansions of Rudra, or Lord Siva. They are as follows: Ajaikapat, Ahibradhna, Virupaksa, Raivata, Hara, Bahurupa, Devasrestha Tryambaka, Savitra, Jayanta, Pinaki and Aparajita. Besides these expansions there are eight forms of Rudra called earth, water, fire, air, sky, the sun, the moon and soma-yaji. Generally all these Rudras have five faces, three eyes and ten arms. Sometimes it is found that Rudra is compared to Brahma and considered a living entity. But when Rudra is explained to be a partial expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is compared to Sesa. Lord Siva is therefore simultaneously an expansion of Lord Visnu and, in his capacity for annihilating the creation, one of the living entities. As an expansion of Lord Visnu he is called Hara, and he is transcendental to the material qualities, but when he is in touch with tamo-guna he appears contaminated by the material modes of nature. This is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam and the Brahma-samhita. In Srimad-Bhagavatam, Tenth Canto, it is stated that Lord Rudra is always associated with the material nature when she is in the neutral, unmanifested stage, but when the modes of material nature are agitated he associates with material nature from a distance. In the Brahma-samhita the relationship between Visnu and Lord Siva is compared to that of milk and yogurt. Milk is converted into yogurt by certain additives, but although milk and yogurt have the same ingredients, they have different functions. Similarly, Lord Siva is an expansion of Lord Visnu, yet because of his taking part in the annihilation of the cosmic manifestation, he is considered to be changed, like milk converted into yogurt. IN THE PURANAS IT IS FOUND THAT DURGA APPEARS SOMETIMES FROM THE HEADS OF BRAHMA AND SOMETIMES FROM THE HEADS OF VISNU. THE ANNIHILATOR, RUDRA, IS BORN FROM SANKARSANA AND THE ULTIMATE FIRE TO BURN THE WHOLE CREATION. IN THE VAYU PURANA THERE IS A DESCRIPTION OF SADASIVA IN ONE OF THE VAIKUNTHA PLANETS. THAT SADASIVA IS A DIRECT EXPANSION OF LORD KRSNA’S FORM FOR PASTIMES. IT IS SAID THAT SADASIVA (LORD SAMBHU) IS AN EXPANSION FROM THE SADASIVA IN THE VAIKUNTHA PLANETS (LORD VISNU) AND THAT HIS CONSORT, MAHAMAYA, IS AN EXPANSION OF RAMADEVI, OR LAKSMI. MAHAMAYA IS THE ORIGIN OR BIRTHPLACE OF MATERIAL NATURE.
Prabhupada750418SB.VRN Lectures
SRIMATI RADHARANI IS ALSO MAYA, YOGA-MAYA, AND DURGA IS ALSO MAYA, EXPANSION OF RADHARANI. BUT DURGA’S BUSINESS IS DIFFERENT THAN RADHARANI’S BUSINESS. DURGA’S BUSINESS IS YAYA SAMMOHITO JIVAH, TO KEEP THE LIVING ENTITIES COVERED NOT TO BECOME AWAKENED TO KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS. THAT IS MAYA’S DUTY. SO VYASADEVA SAW THIS MAYA, THIS MAHA-MAYA, WHO IS KEEPING THE LIVING ENTITIES UNDER THE COVER OF ILLUSION. SO IT IS SAID, “THIS MAYA.” “HE SAW THE SUPREME PERSON, AND BACK OF THAT SUPREME PERSON HE SAW THIS MAYA.” WHICH MAYA? YAYA SAMMOHITO JIVA: “THAT MAYA WHICH IS KEEPING THE LIVING ENTITIES IN ILLUSION.” WHAT IS THAT ILLUSION? THAT IS ALSO HERE: YAYA SAMMOHITO JIVA ATMANAM TRI-GUNATMAKAM. TRI-GUNA, TRI-GUNA MEANS THE SATTVA-GUNA, RAJO-GUNA, TAMO-GUNA. So, under the influence of maya, we are identifying with the different gunas or qualities of this material world. So sattva-guna, yes, sattva-guna is the brahminical qualification. So one is thinking that “I am brahmana.” One is thinking, who is under the control of rajo-guna, “I am ksatriya.” Or in other words, this is, this identification, is all over the world. Now you may not think, “I am brahmana,” but you may think, “I am American.” Or I may think, “I am Indian.” There is some sort of identification. And therefore the whole world is full of anarthas, unnecessary, unnecessary thing. I am not brahmana; I am not Indian; you are not American; you are not ksatriya; or… This is all false identification. So this is the work of maya, that all the living entities they are under certain impression that “I am this. I am this.” And this “I am this. I am that,” they cannot make any solution
Prabhupada741011SB.MAY Lectures
So these things are going on in the name of worshiping God. But that is not God worship. That is worshiping the fearful personified by the criminals. Just Durga… Kali is expansion of Durga. Just like Visnu is expansion of Krsna, similarly, Krsna’s energy… Energy has also many expansions. Dasa maha-vidya. THERE ARE MANY EXPANSIONS OF DURGA BECAUSE SHE HAS TO LOOK AFTER… JUST LIKE POLICE DEPARTMENT. POLICE DEPARTMENT IS THERE, BUT THERE ARE MANY OFFICERS IN THAT POLICE DEPARTMENT. SIMILARLY, DURGA IS THE SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE OF THIS UNIVERSE. DURGA. DURGA MEANS THE FORT, DURGA. GA MEANS GOING, AND DUR MEANS DIFFICULTY.
So where you cannot go unless you accept so many difficulties, that is called durga, or fort. SO THIS UNIVERSE, MATERIAL WORLD, IS JUST LIKE A DURGA. YOU CANNOT ESCAPE. CONDITIONED SOULS, YOU CANNOT ESCAPE. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT. DAIVI HY ESA GUNAMAYI DURATYAYA.
68-05-28. Letter: Uddhava
SAMBHU IS THE PRINCIPLE BY WHICH THE LORD IMPREGNATES THE MATERIAL NATURE WITH THE SEEDS OF LIVING ENTITIES. DURGA IS EXPANSION OF INTERNAL ENERGY AND RADHARANI IS THE QUINTESSENCE OF INTERNAL ENERGY. IN THAT SENSE DURGA IS EXPANSION OF RADHARANI. Brahma is the father of Rudra or Sambhu, therefore Brahma is the original creature for creation. Generally Sambhu is the creator of many many demons. Demons are therefore mostly worshippers of Lord Siva.
69-02-09. Letter: Hamsaduta
REGARDING YOUR QUESTION ABOUT SUBHADRA AND DURGA, THEY ARE NOT AT ALL THE SAME. DURGA’S OTHER NAME IS BHADRA, NOT SUBHADRA, AND DURGA’S ACTIVITIES ARE WITHIN THE MATERIAL WORLD. SUBHADRA DOES NOT WORK AS DURGA. SUBHADRA IS INTERNAL ENERGY, AND DURGA IS EXTERNAL ENERGY. AS ENERGY, THEY HAVE A RELATIONSHIP AS MUCH AS WE ARE ENERGIES OF KRISHNA, BUT THE ENERGIES ARE WORKING IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES. ALTHOUGH ORIGINALLY THE ENERGY IS ONE, BY THEIR EXPANSION, THE ACCENTS OF THE ENERGIES ARE DIFFERENT, AND AS WE ARE NOT IMPERSONALISTS, THIS VARIEGATEDNESS OF ACTIONS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, AS MUCH AS THE GOVERNMENT IS ONE BUT THERE ARE MULTI-DEPARTMENTS FOR MANAGEMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT. THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THE CRIMINAL DEPARTMENT ARE ALL DEPARTMENTS OF THE GOVERNMENT. THE GOVERNMENT IS CONNECTED WITH ALL PARTS AND DEPARTMENTS, BUT THE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES. This is the philosophy of inconceivably simultaneously one and different manifestations of the Absolute Truth
Prabhupada711111RC.DEL Conversations
Guest: In that expansion can’t we take Durga and Siva, even for…
Prabhupada: Yes. THAT IS SAKTI-TATTVA. We have to take expansion according to the tattva. Substance and categories; in which category. THE SUBSTANCE IS VISNU, AND ALL OTHER TATTVAS ARE CATEGORIES. SO DEVATAS, THEY ARE SAKTI-TATTVA, SAKTI CATEGORY, THE SAME CATEGORY AS YOU ARE. The same example. Just like here a government officer, he is also Indian gentleman, you are also Indian gentleman, but he has got his power on account of his high qualities. SIMILARLY YOU CAN BECOME ALSO DURGA. YOU CAN BECOME INDRA, CANDRA, SURYA.
DURGA
SB 6.5.16 Narada Muni Cursed by Prajapati Daksa
srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka
chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga
THE MAYA-SAKTI, DURGA, IS IN CHARGE OF SRSTI-STHITI-PRALAYA, CREATION AND DISSOLUTION, AND SHE ACTS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE SUPREME LORD (MAYADHYAKSENA PRAKRTIH SUYATE SA-CARACARAM). When one falls in the river of nescience, he is always tossed here and there by the waves, but the same maya can also save him when be surrenders to Krsna, or becomes Krsna conscious. Krsna consciousness is knowledge and austerity. A Krsna conscious person takes knowledge from the Vedic literature, and at the same time he must practice austerities.
SB 6.17.29 P Mother Parvati Curses Citraketu
In Bhagavad-gita we find, MAYADHYAKSENA PRAKRTIH SUYATE SA-CARACARAM: THE MATERIAL WORLD WORKS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE GODDESS DURGA, THE MATERIAL ENERGY OF THE LORD, BUT SHE ACTS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD. This is also confirmed in the Brahma-samhita (5.44):
srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka
chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga
DURGA–THE GODDESS PARVATI, THE WIFE OF LORD SIVA–IS EXTREMELY POWERFUL. SHE CAN CREATE, MAINTAIN AND ANNIHILATE ANY NUMBER OF UNIVERSES BY HER SWEET WILL, BUT SHE ACTS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, KRSNA, NOT INDEPENDENTLY. Krsna is impartial, but because this is the material world of duality, such relative terms as happiness and distress, curses and favors, are created by the will of the Supreme. Those who are not narayana-para, pure devotees, must be disturbed by this duality of the material world, whereas devotees who are simply attached to the service of the Lord are not at all disturbed by it. For example, Haridasa Thakura was beaten with cane in twenty-two bazaars, but he was never disturbed; instead, he smilingly tolerated the beating. DESPITE THE DISTURBING DUALITIES OF THE MATERIAL WORLD, DEVOTEES ARE NOT DISTURBED AT ALL. BECAUSE THEY FIX THEIR MINDS ON THE LOTUS FEET OF THE LORD AND CONCENTRATE ON THE HOLY NAME OF THE LORD, THEY DO NOT FEEL THE SO-CALLED PAINS AND PLEASURES CAUSED BY THE DUALITIES OF THIS MATERIAL WORLD.
SB 10.2 Summary Prayers by the Demigods for Lord Krsna in the Womb
After Kamsa killed the sad-garbhas, the six sons of Devaki, one after another, Anantadeva entered Devaki’s womb and was transferred to the womb of Rohini by the manipulation of Yogamaya, who was following the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord Himself, who was soon to appear as the eighth son of Devaki, ordered Yogamaya to take birth from the womb of Yasodadevi. BECAUSE KRSNA AND HIS POTENCY, YOGAMAYA, APPEARED SIMULTANEOUSLY AS BROTHER AND SISTER, THE WORLD IS FULL OF VAISNAVAS AND SAKTAS, AND THERE IS CERTAINLY SOME RIVALRY BETWEEN THEM. VAISNAVAS WORSHIP THE SUPREME LORD, WHEREAS SAKTAS, ACCORDING TO THEIR DESIRES, WORSHIP YOGAMAYA IN FORMS LIKE DURGA, BHADRAKALI AND CANDIKA. Following the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Yogamaya transferred Baladeva, Sankarsana, the seventh child of Devaki, from the womb of Devaki to the womb of Rohini. Because Sankarsana appears in order to increase love of Krsna, He is known as Baladeva. One may take auspicious strength from Him to become a devotee of the Lord, and therefore He is also known as Balabhadra.
SB 10.2.11-12 Prayers by the Demigods for Lord Krsna in the Womb
LORD KRSNA BLESSED MAYADEVI BY SAYING: IN DIFFERENT PLACES ON THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH, PEOPLE WILL GIVE YOU DIFFERENT NAMES, SUCH AS DURGA, BHADRAKALI, VIJAYA, VAISNAVI, KUMUDA, CANDIKA, KRSNA, MADHAVI, KANYAKA, MAYA, NARAYANI, ISANI, SARADA AND AMBIKA.
PURPORT
Because Krsna and His energy appeared simultaneously, people have generally formed two groups–the saktas and the Vaisnavas–and sometimes there is rivalry between them. ESSENTIALLY, THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN MATERIAL ENJOYMENT ARE SAKTAS, AND THOSE INTERESTED IN SPIRITUAL SALVATION AND ATTAINING THE SPIRITUAL KINGDOM ARE VAISNAVAS. BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GENERALLY INTERESTED IN MATERIAL ENJOYMENT, THEY ARE INTERESTED IN WORSHIPING MAYADEVI, THE ENERGY OF THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD. Vaisnavas, however, are suddha-saktas, or pure bhaktas, because the Hare Krsna maha-mantra indicates worship of the Supreme Lord’s energy, Hara. A Vaisnava prays to the energy of the Lord for the opportunity to serve the Lord along with His spiritual energy. Thus Vaisnavas all worship such Deities as Radha-Krsna, Sita-Rama, Laksmi-Narayana and Rukmini-Dvarakadhisa, whereas durga-saktas worship the material energy under different names.
The names by which Mayadevi is known in different places have been listed by Vallabhacarya as follows. IN VARANASI SHE IS KNOWN AS DURGA, IN AVANTI SHE IS KNOWN AS BHADRAKALI, IN ORISSA SHE IS KNOWN AS VIJAYA, AND IN KULAHAPURA SHE IS KNOWN AS VAISNAVI OR MAHALAKSMI. (The representatives of Mahalaksmi and Ambika are present in Bombay.) In the country known as Kamarupa she is known as Candika, in Northern India as Sarada, and in Cape Comorin as Kanyaka. Thus she is distributed according to various names in various places.
Srila Vijayadhvaja Tirthapada, in his pada-ratnavali-tika, has explained the meanings of the different representations. MAYA IS KNOWN AS DURGA BECAUSE SHE IS APPROACHED WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY, AS BHADRA BECAUSE SHE IS AUSPICIOUS, AND AS KALI BECAUSE SHE IS DEEP BLUE. BECAUSE SHE IS THE MOST POWERFUL ENERGY, SHE IS KNOWN AS VIJAYA; BECAUSE SHE IS ONE OF THE DIFFERENT ENERGIES OF VISNU, SHE IS KNOWN AS VAISNAVI; AND BECAUSE SHE ENJOYS IN THIS MATERIAL WORLD AND GIVES FACILITIES FOR MATERIAL ENJOYMENT, SHE IS KNOWN AS KUMUDA. BECAUSE SHE IS VERY SEVERE TO HER ENEMIES, THE ASURAS, SHE IS KNOWN AS CANDIKA, AND BECAUSE SHE GIVES ALL SORTS OF MATERIAL FACILITIES, SHE IS CALLED KRSNA. IN THIS WAY THE MATERIAL ENERGY IS DIFFERENTLY NAMED AND SITUATED IN DIFFERENT PLACES ON THE SURFACE OF THE GLOBE.
SB 5.23.3 P The Sisumara Planetary Systems
The question of how the planets and stars are floating is also answered in this verse. It is not because of the laws of gravity. Rather, the planets and stars are enabled to float by manipulations of the air. It is due to such manipulations that big, heavy clouds float and big eagles fly in the sky. Modern airplanes like the 747 jet aircraft work in a similar way: by controlling the air, they float high in the sky, resisting the tendency to fall to earth. Such adjustments of the air are all made possible by the cooperation of the principles of purusa (male) and prakrti (female). By the cooperation of material nature, which is considered to be prakrti, and the Supreme personality of Godhead, who is considered the purusa, all the affairs of the universe are going on nicely in their proper order. prakrti, material nature, is also described in the Brahma-samhita (5.44) as follows:
srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka
chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga
icchanurupam api yasya ca cestate sa
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
“THE EXTERNAL POTENCY, MAYA, WHO IS OF THE NATURE OF THE SHADOW OF THE CIT [SPIRITUAL] POTENCY, IS WORSHIPED BY ALL PEOPLE AS DURGA, THE CREATING, PRESERVING AND DESTROYING AGENCY OF THIS MUNDANE WORLD. I ADORE THE PRIMEVAL LORD GOVINDA, IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHOSE WILL DURGA CONDUCTS HERSELF.” MATERIAL NATURE, THE EXTERNAL ENERGY OF THE SUPREME LORD, IS ALSO KNOWN AS DURGA, OR THE FEMALE ENERGY THAT PROTECTS THE GREAT FORT OF THIS UNIVERSE. THE WORD DURGA ALSO MEANS FORT. THIS UNIVERSE IS JUST LIKE A GREAT FORT IN WHICH ALL THE CONDITIONED SOULS ARE KEPT, AND THEY CANNOT LEAVE IT UNLESS THEY ARE LIBERATED BY THE MERCY OF THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD. The Lord Himself declares in Bhagavad-gita (4.9):
janma karma ca me divyam
evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti so ‘rjuna
“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” Thus simply by Krsna consciousness, by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can be liberated, or, in other words, one can be released from the great fort of this universe and go outside it to the spiritual world.
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