5 sections of this entry are open to everyone: the summary, the people, the symbols, the lineage and the sources. The other 9 (Name and epithets, In the ancient sources, The myths, Worship and archaeology, How the god was depicted, What scholars debate, After antiquity, Did you know?, Codex relic) are part of the full Codex: PRO opens the whole study of all 500 deities, and without a subscription you can read one full entry a day, just like in the app.
The Hindu deities have been worshipped for over three thousand years across the Indian subcontinent, from the Vedic hymns to the living Hinduism of today. Billions of devotees dedicate to them temples, festivals such as Diwali and Holi, and daily rituals in the home. It is one of the largest religious traditions still practiced in the world.
Diwali lights up India with oil lamps in honor of Lakshmi, and Holi celebrates spring with clouds of colored powder. At the Kumbh Mela, the largest pilgrimage on Earth, tens of millions bathe in the sacred rivers, and daily puja brings flowers, incense, and food to the altars.
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At a glance
Durga (Durgā, universally venerated under the heroic epithets Mahiṣāsuramardinī, Caṇḍikā, and Ambikā) is the supreme Hindu warrior goddess of cosmic order (dharma), impregnable protection, and the righteous eradication of demonic and tyrannical forces. In Shakta theology, she transcends the status of a secondary consort, being worshipped as the Supreme Absolute Goddess (Mahadevi or Adi Parashakti), the primordial and self-subsisting creative energy of the entire cosmos. The classical scriptural foundation of her theophany, the revered Devi Mahatmya (embedded within the Markandeya Purana), recounts that when the buffalo-demon Mahishasura conquered the heavens by virtue of a cosmic boon rendering him immune to death by any mortal man or male deity, the dispossessed gods converged their divine wrath: from the blazing light emitted by Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma emerged a luminous, ten-armed warrior goddess. Bestowed with the weapons of the gods and mounted upon a roaring lion, Durga marched to cosmic war, slaying Mahishasura, bringing forth the terrifying dark goddess Kali from her brow to decapitate Chanda and Munda, and exterminating the self-replicating demon Raktabija. Her autumn festival, Durga Puja, is celebrated by millions across South Asia.
8 min read · Reviewed on September 28, 2026 · How we research
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Sacred symbols
Lion or tiger, the trident, the ten armed hands and the lotus
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Family
Parents
Himavat (in Puranic genealogies and theological fusion with Parvati)
Durga
Unions
Shiva (in Shakta and Shaiva traditions)
Children
KKartikeyaGanesha (remover of obstacles and lord of beginnings)
Genealogy according to Devi Mahatmya (Markandeya Purana 81-93); Mahabharata (Virata Parva 6 e Bhishma Parva 23); Devi Bhagavata Purana 5
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Sources and further reading
Primary sources
Anonymous (Purāṇic tradition) / Thomas B. Coburn (trans.), Devi Mahatmya: The Crystallization of the Goddess Tradition (Markandeya Purana 81-93). translation: Thomas B. Coburn, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1984. read
Veda Vyasa (atribuído) / Kisari Mohan Ganguli (trans.), The Mahabharata (Virata Parva, Section 6: Yudhishthira's Hymn to Durga). translation: Kisari Mohan Ganguli, Bharata Press, Calcutta, 1896. read
Veda Vyasa (atribuído) / Swami Vijnanananda (trans.), The Srimad Devi Bhagavatam (Book 5: The Battles of the Goddess Durga). translation: Sacred Books of the Hindus, Sudhindra Nath Vasu, Allahabad, 1921. read
Anonymous / Arthur Anthony Macdonell (ed.), Harivamsa (Chapter 120: Arya Stava Hymn to the Goddess of the Mountains). translation: Arthur Anthony Macdonell, Vedic Mythology, Strassburg, 1897. read
Studies
Thomas B. Coburn, Encountering the Goddess: A Translation of the Devi-Mahatmya and a Study of Its Interpretation. State University of New York Press, Albany, 1991. open
David R. Kinsley, Hindu Goddesses: Visions of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Tradition. University of California Press, Berkeley, 1988. open
Heinrich Zimmer, Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization (Edited by Joseph Campbell). Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1946. open
Alain Daniélou, The Myths and Gods of India: The Classic Work on Hindu Polytheism. Inner Traditions International, Rochester, 1991. open
Name and epithets
The Sanskrit theonym Durgā (दुर्गा) is a feminine substantive derived from the neuter noun durga (दुर्ग), formed by the intensive prefix dur- (expressing difficulty, danger, adversity, or distress) and the verbal root g…
In the ancient sources
Devi Mahatmya / Durga Saptashati (देवीमाहाatm्यम्), C. 5th–6th centuries CE. The supreme scriptural authority of Shaktism, consisting of 700 verses structured into three exploits (charitas) recounting the fiery emergenc…
The myths
The Cosmic Confluence of Radiant Splendor and the Genesis of Durga. In the second chapter of the Devi Mahatmya, cosmic order was completely overthrown when the demon Mahishasura, possessing shape-shifting powers between…
Worship and archaeology
The ritual adoration of Durga balances deep contemplative devotion with grand community festivities and liturgical celebration.
How the god was depicted
Classical treatises on iconometry (Shilpa Shastras) prescribe for Durga a majestic, radiant appearance combining maternal serenity with focused martial intensity.
What scholars debate
. Scholars of Indian religion, including Thomas B. Coburn in 'Devī-Māhātmya: The Crystallization of the Goddess Tradition' and David Kinsley, have investigated the historical coalescence that brought regional tribal god…
After antiquity
The imagery and symbolism of Durga played a transformative role in South Asian culture and modern politics. During the Indian independence movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, nationalist thinkers such as…
Did you know?
In December 2021, the Kolkata Durga Puja was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, celebrated as the world's largest ephemeral open-air public art installation.
Codex relic
Weapons of the Gods. In each of her ten hands, a divine weapon granted by the gods to destroy evil.
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