Who is Durga Devi?

Introduction : Durga is the primordial cause of this universe , identified as adi para shakti.

The name has varied meanings as

Durgeya iti durga one who is hard to achieve is durga

Durgamasurhantri iti durga one who killed the demon durgamasur is durga

Durgati harti iti durga one who removes the sorrows of people is durga

And so own, hundred of meaning of the name durga could be identified in similar fashion.

It's really hard to say about her. Even the vedas can be unable to speak on her. That is why gods please her in saptasati as

यस्याः प्रभावमतुलं भगवाननन्तो
ब्रह्मा हरश्‍च न हि वक्तुमलं बलं च। 4.3

One whose eternal glory cannot even be sung by brahma or vishnu or hara

So how could mere individuals like this body can say of her. Even ananta , the thousand headed serpent has no power to do so.

The following description by lord narayan in srimad bhagvaan canto 9 chapter 50 Sums it all

Now I am telling you the method of worship of the Durgâ Devî. Hear. When any one remembers Durgâ in this world, all his difficulties and troubles are removed. It is not seen that anybody does not remember Durgâ. She is the object of worship of all. She is the Mother of all and the Wonderful S’akti of Mahâdeva. She is the Presiding Deity of the intellect (Buddhi) of all and She controls the hearts of all and She removes the great difficulties and dangers of all. Therefore She is named Durgâ in the world. She is worshipped by all, whether a S’aiva or a Vaisnava. She is the Mûla Prakriti and from Her the creation, preservation and destruction of the universe proceed.

Preface : i would like to present the puranic view about who sri durga is. Mainly concerning with the shakta and shaiva purana.

OM SRI KANAK DURGA PARMESHVARI VIJAYATE.

The first sloka of ninth skanda of srimad devi bhagavatam says

गणेशजननी दुर्गा राधा लक्ष्मी सरस्वती ।

सावित्री च सृष्टि विधो प्रकृति पंचधा स्मृता ।।

This (Highest) Prakriti is recognised as five-fold. When She is engaged in the work of Creation, She appears as :-- (1) Durgâ, the Mother of Ganes’a, (2) Râdhâ, (3) Laksmî, (4) Sarasvatî and (5) Sâvitrî.

In the same canto , chapter 50 the last of chapters , narayan rishi identifies durga as - She is the Mother of all and the Wonderful S’akti of Mahâdeva. The word used in sanskrit text is shaivishakti or shakti of shiva.

Further in fifth skanda of same book , the incidence of devas having defeated by shumbha nishumbha and now praying to goddess for help is presented in chapters 34. The following dhoka is of next chapter , where in gauri produces kaushiki from her body.

When Kaus’ikî was created out of the body of Parvatî, the Parvatî’s body became transformed and turned out into a black colour and became known as KâIikâ. Her terrible black appearance, when beheld, increases the terror even of the Daityas. O King! This Devî is now become known in this world as Kâlarâtri, the night of destruction, at the end of the world, identified with Durgâ, the Fulfiller of all the desires.

So, the goddess parvati is identified as kalika in her raudra form , kalratri at the end of ages and as durga when she fulfills wishes and her devotees.

Another instance is from 8th skanda chapter 31 where gods pray to primordial goddess for her help to destroy the terror reign of tarakasur. Here , she is again praised as follows

We take refuge to Thee, the Durgâ, the Devî, we bow down to Thee, that can well make others cross the ocoan of Samsâra.

This parts also fits with what has been described in chapter 4 of parvati khand of shiva puranam where goddess of three worlds appears to devas tormented by tarakasur. Here too she has been identified as durga.

And in chapter 40 of devi bhagvatam canto 8,

The Haimavatî next took Her birth in the house of the Himâlayâ and was known by the name of Gaurî.

Himvan himself confirms this in chapter 31,

Thou hast raised me muoh higher, that Thou dost me so great a favour; otherwise where am I inert, and unmoving and where art Thou, of the nature of Existence, Intelligence and Bliss! It manifests the Greatness of Thy Glory. O Sinless One! My becoming the father of Thee indicates nothing less than the merits earned by me for doing, countless As'vamedha sacrifices or for my endless Samâdhi.

This incidence is also mentioned in sri skanda purana under the description of sri durga shasranama where in goddess is pleased by himavan using various names. There the devi who is giving boon to himalaya was identified as durga herself .

     स्कन्द उवाच -
शृणु नारद देवर्षे लोकानुग्रहकाम्यया ।
यत्पृच्छसि परं पुण्यं तत्ते वक्ष्यामि कौतुकात् ॥ ३॥
 
माता मे लोकजननी हिमवन्नगसत्तमात् ।
मेनायां ब्रह्मवादिन्यां प्रादुर्भूता हरप्रिया ॥ ४॥
 
महता तपसाऽऽराध्य शङ्करं लोकशङ्करम् ।
स्वमेव वल्लभं भेजे कलेव हि कलानिधिम् ॥ ५॥
 
नगानामधिराजस्तु हिमवान् विरहातुरः ।
स्वसुतायाः परिक्षीणे वसिष्ठेन प्रबोधितः ॥ ६॥
 
त्रिलोकजननी सेयं प्रसन्ना त्वयि पुण्यतः ।
प्रादुर्भूता सुतात्वेन तद्वियोगं शुभं त्यज ॥ ७॥
 
बहुरूपा च दुर्गेयं बहुनाम्नी सनातनी ।
सनातनस्य जाया सा पुत्रीमोहं त्यजाधुना ॥ ८॥
 
इति प्रबोधितः शैलः तां तुष्टाव परां शिवाम् ।
तदा प्रसन्ना सा दुर्गा पितरं प्राह नन्दिनी ॥ ९॥
 
मत्प्रसादात्परं स्तोत्रं हृदये प्रतिभासताम् ।
तेन नाम्नां सहस्रेण पूजयन् काममाप्नुहि ॥ १०॥
 
इत्युक्त्वान्तर्हितायां तु  हृदये स्फुरितं तदा ।
नाम्नां सहस्रं दुर्गायाः पृच्छते मे यदुक्तवान् ॥ ११॥
 
मङ्गलानां मङ्गलं तद् दुर्गानाम सहस्रकम् ।
सर्वाभीष्टप्रदां पुंसां ब्रवीम्यखिलकामदम् ॥ १२

Goddess herself points to this stotram, in chapter 40 of 8th skanda in srimad devi bhagvatam in skola 21 - then one should praise me with the thousand names stotra created by you (himavan )

Interesting , no shasaranamam by himavan appears in whole of devi bhagvatam let alone 8th skanda. So, it is a clear reference to the stotram appearing in skanda puranam.

Even in the shiva puranam ,

Brahma praises durga as shakti of shiva in chapter 11 of sati khanda

Even daksha when instructed by his father approaches to please durga who appears in front of her as kalika who is identified as uma.

This perfectly fits with what has been said in the srimad devi bhagvatam about kalika , durga and gauri.

Also in varied places , the terms kalika , gauri , uma , parvati and durga are used interchangeably in the shiva puranam.

Also in the brahmand puranam, upodghata pada, chapter 32 , parshuram visits shivloka and is pleased to see lord maheshvar in his divine form . sloka 23 - 24 describe following

On seeing kartikey to his right , ganeshvar to his left , nandisvara , mahakal and veerbhadra in front of him and thousand handed durga in his lap , he prostrated before her too.

Conclusion: hence as per the various purana , durga and uma are not two different by the same goddess mahashakti . The primordial jagadamba appeared as uma and durga at different times for protecting good and to destroy evil.