By Swami Harshananda
Kṣemaṅkari literally means ‘one who brings about the welfare of beings’.
Worship of God as the Divine Mother is a very old tradition in the religion. Most of the goddesses are the facets of Pārvatī, the spouse of Śiva.
One of the nine aspects of Durgā (Navadurgās) is called ‘Kṣemaṅkari’. She is shown with four arms exhibiting:
- Triśula - trident
- Kamala - lotus
- Pānapātra - drinking bowl
- Varadamudrā
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore