Shakambhari Utsavarambha

The Shakambhari Festival begins on the eighth day of the Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of the moon) during the month of Paush and continues until the full moon day of Paush, known as Shakambhari Purnima. According to the Puranas, Shakambhari Mata is an incarnation of Goddess Durga.

The eleventh chapter of the Devi Bhagavata and the Atharva Murti Rahasya describe that six goddesses emanate from the body of the deity: Nanda, Raktadantika, Shakambhari, Durga, Bhima, and Bhramari. The Puranas clarify that Shakambhari Mata is also known as Devi Shatakshi and is referred to as Durga because she vanquished the demon Durga.

Shakambhari Mata is the deity who destroys all evil and tyranny, and she eliminates sins and misfortunes. Those who devote themselves with sincere faith to meditation, chanting, and worship of Shakambhari Mata are blessed with wealth, prosperity, and eternal fruits.

The Form of Mata Shakambhari

Mother Shakambhari's form is exceedingly beautiful. Her body radiates with a blue hue. Her eyes are as lovely and enchanting as blue lotuses, and her navel is adorned with a divine mark. Her abdomen is delicate, enhancing her beauty and grace even further. Mata Shakambhari resides in a lotus and always holds a bow, a bundle of vegetables, and a radiant bow in her hands.

Mother Shakambhari is imbued with highly desired essences and is known for destroying hunger, thirst, and the fear of death. She is adorned with fruits, flowers, vegetables, and various leaves.

The Story of the Descent of Goddess Shakambhari

Durgam was a powerful son of the demon Ruru, who, after pleasing the Lord Brahma and receiving a boon, came to dominate the four Vedas. With this boon, Durgam caused such disturbances on Earth that even the deities trembled. As a result of the demon's control over the Vedas, all Vedic practices began to vanish. The Vedic scholars and deities of that time also became involved in wrongful activities. During this period, acts of charity, penance, homa (ritual offerings), and yajna (sacrifices) ceased. Consequently, there was no rainfall on Earth for a hundred years.

The absence of rain led to chaos across the three realms. People everywhere were suffering from hunger and thirst, roaming about in distress. Wells, ponds, lakes, rivers, and even the oceans became dry. The lack of rain also caused trees and vines to wither away. Observing this catastrophic situation, all the deities went to seek the assistance of Maheshwari Yogamaya.The deities, having made their plea, earnestly requested, "O Great Divine! Your entire realm is suffering from hunger and thirst, wandering in distress. Please protect your subjects, or they will all perish."

In unison, the deities urged the deity, "O Compassionate One, just as you have vanquished powerful demons like Shumbha, Nishumbha, Chanda, Munda, the mighty Rakta Beej, Madhu Kaitabha, and Mahishasura, please also destroy this demon Durgama soon."With voices filled with compassion, the deities prayed to the deity, saying, "O Divine Mother, whenever there is suffering among the deities and humans, you swiftly take an incarnation to alleviate their distress.

Upon hearing the deities' heartfelt pleas, the compassionate deity immediately revealed her form with countless eyes. Her face was radiant with joy, and she held a bow, arrows, a lotus, and various fruits and roots in her four hands.

Seeing the suffering of all living beings, the deity’s heart trembled, and tears filled her eyes. Overwhelmed, she wept continuously for nine days and nights. From her tears flowed streams of water that nourished the earth, quenched the thirst of all beings, and revived the medicinal herbs. Rivers and oceans overflowed with boundless water, and the earth began to sprout vegetables, fruits, and roots. The deity herself distributed the fruits she held to the pure-hearted sages, and offered grass to the cows and appropriate food to other creatures. Once all the deities and living beings were satisfied, the deity asked, “What more can I do for you?”

The deities, gathered together, responded in unison, “O Deity! You have bestowed your grace upon us and alleviated our suffering. Now, please protect us and all creatures by destroying the demon Durgama and returning the Vedas he has taken from us.”

Hearing this, the deity assured them with a “Tathastu” (so be it) and instructed them to return to their realms with peace of mind, promising that she would soon restore the Vedas to them.

Upon hearing that the diety Jagadamba would restore the Vedas, the deities were extremely pleased. They bowed to Jagadamba, whose eyes were like blue lotuses, and returned to their realms with peace of mind. Enraged, Jagadamba created a tremendous upheaval in the three worlds. Hearing this commotion, the demon Durgama surrounded the divine realms on all sides. To protect the deities, Jagadamba formed a protective circle and stepped outside it to engage in battle. Filled with rage, Jagadamba let out a fearsome roar and challenged the wicked demon to combat. The demon, intoxicated with arrogance, began a fierce battle with the deity. A storm of arrows rained down from both sides.

Amidst the battle, the deity’s body manifested the ten Mahavidyas—Kali, Tara, Chhinnamasta, Sri Vidya, Bhuwaneshwari, Bhairavi, Bagala, Dhumra, Tripurasundari, and Matangi—armed with various weapons. Following them, many divine forms of the mother goddesses appeared, each adorned with a crown of the moon and glowing like lightning.The battle between these goddesses and the demons was intense. Together, they annihilated the demon Durgama’s vast army. Ultimately, the deity Jagadamba slew the demon Durgama with the edge of her trident. The demon fell to the earth like a gigantic tree.

Thus, Jagadamba defeated the tyrannical and powerful demon Durgama and restored the four Vedas to the deities.

Worship Method

On the Ashtami Tithi of the Poush month, wake up in the morning, complete your daily rituals, and wear clean clothes. First, worship Ganesh, and then focus on the deity Shakambhari. Place a red cloth on a wooden platform, set up the deity's image, and perform the worship of the deity with devotion according to your traditions.

After the worship, offer fruits, vegetables, and greens around the deity. Perform the Aarti of the deity. Once the worship is complete, offer a meal of halwa-puri, fruits, vegetables, sweets, and nuts to the deity.

Significance of Shakambhari Festival and Purnima

The Shakambhari Festival is celebrated as Shakambhari Navratri. This festival continues until the Purnima of the Poush month, which is also known as Shakambhari Purnima. This Purnima is celebrated with great enthusiasm in various parts of the country. Performing rituals and fasting during these days helps to alleviate all troubles and fulfill one's desires. It is also known as Poush Purnima.

On this day, worship is performed for the deities Surya, Chandra, Vishnu, and Lakshmi. Listening to the story of Satyanarayana during the Purnima holds special significance. This story brings immense benefits and alleviates all hardships. It is customary to donate sesame seeds, jaggery, blankets, and other essentials to the poor and needy on Purnima, which helps to free one from all sins of life.