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Q1. Why does Goddess Durga sit on a lion?
Goddess Durga is the warrior Goddess. She has multiple arms that carry different weapons to kill the demons. The Vedic literature often describes the Goddess seated on a lion, her Vaahan (vehicle) The lion symbolizes her strength, bravery, and victory. She is the external potency (Maha-Maya) of the Supreme Lord Vishnu, and therefore, she is responsible for punishing the rebellious souls within this material world who are envious of the Supremacy of the Lord. The Lion also represents the power of destructive time that snatches away everything from the conditioned souls who are too attached to material opulence.
Q2. How is Durga shown in a murti?
Goddess Durga is described as the external energy of the Supreme Lord Vishnu or Krishna in the Vedas. The statues and deities portray her as a young and beautiful woman expressing her martial skills that show her as the Goddess of war. She is often depicted seated on a lion and having multiple arms carrying different weapons and items. She wears a pleated saree and is decorated with beautiful ornaments. Although her iconography shows the Goddess in passion, her face is seen as calm and serene.
Q3. What does Durga symbolize?
According to the Vedic scriptures, Goddess Durga is the presiding deity of the entire material universe. She is considered as a form of Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva, and is responsible for punishing the forgotten and ignorant souls who are envious of the Supreme Lord Krishna or Vishnu and do not act according to the injunctions of the Vedas. She rides on a lion and represents the destructive time that eventually takes away all the material opulence that the conditioned souls enjoy upon.
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