History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.631

v6.c81.631

This pūjā is nitya as well as kāmya;³⁹⁸ it is the first because the Kālikāpurāṇa (63 12-13) prescribes that whoever, through laziness, hypocrisy, hatred or stupidity, does not celebrate the great festival of Durgā has all his desires frustrated by the angry Devī, it is also kāmya because rewards are promised when one celebrates Durgotsava 'all should always perform the worship of Devī in order to secure incomparable eminence which confers the puruṣārthas, viz Dharma, Artha, Kāma and Mokṣa' and 'one should worship Bhavānī for pleasing her, for happiness in that year, for the destruction of evil spirits and goblins and for delight' (Tithitattva p. 65) The original purposes and objects of this festival were high and noble as stated in the Devīpurāṇa³⁹⁹ "This is a great and holy vrata conferring great *siddhis*, vanquishing all enemies, conferring benefits on all people, especially in great floods; this should be performed by brāhmaṇas for solemn sacrifices and by kṣatriyas for the protection of the people, by vaiśyas for cattle wealth, by śūdras desirous of sons and happiness, by women for blessed wifehood and by rich men who hanker for more wealth; this was performed by Śaṅkara and others". But in course of time, the objects were brought down to the ordinary level as stated in the Devīmāhātmya⁴⁰⁰ 'by listening with devotion to my greatness in the great annual pūjā performed in autumn, a man becomes free from all troubles and becomes endowed with wealth and agricultural produce by my favour’. The exaggerated importance of this Durgā-pūjā will be clear from one verse of the Bhaviṣya ‘rites like Agnihotra, solemn sacrifices described in the Vedas and completed with dakṣiṇā are not equal even to one hundred-thousandth part of the worship of Caṇḍikā.’⁴⁰¹