Recorded at the Vedanta Society of Western Washington on October 14, 2012.
In this lecture, Swami Bhaskarananda presents the Vedantic understanding of the Divine Mother Durga by situating the concept within the broader framework of Vedic and Upanishadic thought. He explains how the ancient sages of India understood the ultimate reality, Brahman, as transcending time, space, and causation, yet manifesting the universe through its creative power, known as Shakti. When this creative power is viewed in relation to the world, it is naturally conceived as the Divine Mother. Drawing on Vedanta, he emphasizes that Brahman and Shakti are not two separate realities but one indivisible truth, comparable to fire and its power to burn. Because the human mind cannot grasp the formless and infinite directly, sacred literature employs symbolic language, imagery, and narrative to convey profound metaphysical truths.
Swami Bhaskarananda then turns to the Puranic account of Durga found in the Devi Bhagavatam, clarifying its symbolic purpose rather than treating it as literal history. Through the story of the demon Durgama and the appearance of the Divine Mother as Shatakshi, he illustrates how divine power restores harmony, sustains life, and overcomes forces that obstruct spiritual and moral order. These narratives, he explains, were intended to guide minds not yet prepared for abstract metaphysics toward an understanding of the all-pervading Divine. Whether God is approached as Mother, Father, or in another form, Vedanta affirms a single, universal reality present in all beings. The lecture concludes by reaffirming that the worship of the Divine Mother points ultimately to knowledge of the Self and the recognition of inherent divinity within all.
