Brahmacharini (Sanskrit: ब्रह्मचारिणी) means a celebate woman dwellinginto divinity. She is the second aspect of the Navadurga forms of Parvati Durga Mahadevi and is worshipped on the second day of Navaratri (the nine divine nights of Navadurga). The goddess Brahmacharini is an aspect of Parvati and wears white clothes, holding a japamala in her right hand and a kamandalu in her left, in physical manifestation.
Etymology
The word brahmacharini stems from two Sanskrit roots:
Brahma(ब्रह्म, shortened from Brahman), means “the one self-existent Spirit, the Absolute Reality, Universal Self, Personal God, the sacred knowledge”.
charini is the feminine version of one who is a charya(चर्य), which means “occupation with, engaging, proceeding, behaviour, conduct, to follow, moving in, going after”.
The word brahmacharini in Vedic texts means a female who pursues sacred religious knowledge.
Legend of Brahmacharini
According to Shiv Puran, Ling Puran and other Hindu Scriptures, Himalaya daughter Parvati resolves to reunite, marry Shiva. Her parents try to discourage her from marrying Ultimate God Shiv whose divine physical attire is not pleasant though his ultimate truth is formless without any inherent 5 elemental quality of प्रकृति universe, but she remains steadfast and performs a penance for about 5000 years.
Goddess Parvati resolves to win over Shiva. She begins to live in mountains like Shiva and engage in the same activities he does, such as asceticism, yogin and tapas; it is this aspect of Parvati that is deemed to be that of goddess Brahmacharini. Her ascetic pursuit draws the attention of Shiva and awakens his interest. He meets her in disguised form and tries to dissuade her by counting Shiva’s weaknesses and personality problems.[8] Parvati refuses to listen and insists in her resolve.
During this time, the demon named Prakandasura attacks Parvati with his million asuras. Parvati is at the last stage of completion for her tapas, and is unable to defend herself. Seeing Parvati helpless, goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati intervene but are outnumbered by the demons. After many days of fighting, the kamandalu beside Parvati falls and all the demons are washed away in the resulting flood. At last, Parvati opens her eyes, emitting fire and burning the demon to ashes.
Devtas in various divine planes praise her peace and prayers. Almighty God Shiva at last manifests himself infront of Devi Parvati. Parvati realizes he is Shiva and accepts the offer for reunite after marriage rituals with parents blessings. During the second last part of her penace tapas Goddess incarnate Pravati was feeding herself with belpatra and river water. And finally she had stopped consuming even Belpatra
Her abode in Kundalini Tantra is in the Svadhishthana Chakra. Brahmacharini signifies being celebate, unmarried, dwelling into divinity and the colour white signifies purity.
After marrange, Lords presiding over various inherent powers of Nature Prikriti, approach Almighty God Shiva to relieve them from pain inflicted by Demon Tarkasur who had received boon from Lord Bramha that except child of Shiva , he can’t be killed by any other, thinking that highest divine Shiva, beyond any trace of desire, free from any attachment, beyond three characteristics of trigun prakriti Universe, will never bear child. Realizing the reason of their approach, Goddess Parvati, Divine Tejas (non physical energy) emanate from Parvati and enters Shiva who opens his third eye and Skand knows as Kumar, Kartikeya is born on grass of reeds who finally kills Asur Tarkasur in Dev-Asur war commanded by Lord Kartikeya.
Prayers
Mantra of Brahmacharini:
ॐ देवी ब्रह्मचारिण्यै नम:
Oṃ Devī Brahmacāriṇyai Namaḥ
Prarthana or Prayer:
दधाना करपद्माभ्यामक्षमालाकमण्डलू।
देवी प्रसीदतु मयि ब्रह्मचारिण्यनुत्तमा॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु माँ ब्रह्मचारिणी रूपेण संस्थिता।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः॥
Dadhana kara Padmabhyam akshamala kamandalu।
Devi prasidathu mayi brahmacharinya-uttama॥
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu Maa Brahmacharini Rupena Samsthita।
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah॥[11]
Temples
Maa Brahmacharini Devi Durga Mandir is located at Panchganga Ghat, Ghasi Tola, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221001
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