the supreme divine power. It has this
name because the text is 700 verses
long, and Durga is one of the common
names designating this powerful god-
dess. The Devimahatmyais well-known
for its assertion that God is female. This
is a notion with no clear source in the
earlier tradition, where female deities
were insignificant. The text begins with
a frame story, but the bulk of the work is
three stories describing the salvific
activity of the Goddess, who is portrayed
as far superior to the pantheon’s male
gods. See Devimahatmya.
Durvasas
In Hindu mythology, a sage who is a par-
tial incarnation of the god Shiva.
Durvasas is the son of Anasuya, who for
her influence in persuading another
woman to remove a curse has been
given boons by the gods Brahma,
Vishnu, and Shiva. Anasuya requests
that each be born as one of her sons,
and Vishnu is born as Dattatreya, Shiva
as Durvasas, and Brahma as Chandra. As
a mythic figure, Durvasas is noted for his
magicpowers, which are not surprising
given his background. He is also known
for his bad temper and for his tendencyDurvasasWorshipers immerse an image of the goddess Durga in the Yamuna River, near New Delhi.
Durga is depicted riding a lion and holding a weapon in each of her eight hands.