The first reference to Goddess Durga appears in the Virat
Parva of the Mahabharata. According to the terms of their loss in the dice
game, the five Pandavas, along with Draupadi, had to endure twelve years of
exile in the forest and another year in disguise. After completing the
twelve-year forest exile, the Pandavas chose the kingdom of Virata for their
year of living incognito. The condition was that if anyone recognized them
during this period, Kunti’s five sons and their wife Draupadi would have to
undergo another twelve years of forest exile. To ensure that they could
complete this period safely, and following the counsel of sages, Yudhishthira
prayed to Goddess Durga.
Yudhishthira chanted a hymn: “Durgāt tārayase durge, tat tvaṃ
durgā smṛtā janaiḥ.”
The Goddess he worshipped was four-armed, four-faced, and
mounted on a lion, with a body of atashi (flax-flower) color. She was created
from the radiance of the gods themselves. Yudhishthira worshipped Durga in her
fierce form as Mahishamardini, the slayer of Mahishasura. The Goddess, pleased,
said: “Nothing remains unattainable for the sinless person who remembers my
name.” She granted him the boon that the Pandavas would defeat the Kauravas and
regain their kingdom.
After the Virat Parva, the Pandavas again worshipped Durga
in the Bhishma Parva. Kurukshetra was the battlefield where brother fought
brother. Seeing his own relatives and loved ones fighting for the Kauravas,
Arjuna was shaken and hesitant to lift his weapons. Even the sight of
Duryodhana’s army supported by Krishna’s Narayani Sena unsettled the mighty
Arjuna. Acting as guide, Sri Krishna then instructed Arjuna to worship Durga.
Arjuna began reciting hymns. The Goddess, pleased, blessed him with victory
over his enemies. Through Durga’s grace, Arjuna and the Pandavas won the war of
Kurukshetra.