History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.746

v6.c81.746

About the antiquity of the worship of Durgā, vide H. of Dh. vol. II pp. 738–739. A few matters that were not and that could not be mentioned there are noted here. Ambikā is said to be the sister of Śiva in Tai.⁴⁷⁷ S., but in the times of the Tai. Ār. X. 18 Śiva is said to be the husband of Ambikā or Umā. In the Vanaparva chap. 6 (where there is a long laud of Durgā⁴⁷⁸ by Yudhiṣṭhira), she is described as the daughter of Yaśodā and Nanda and as the sister of Vāsudeva, is addressed as Kālī, Mahākālī and Durgā, in verses 10–11 the weapons carried by her in her hands are mentioned and in verse 15 she is said to have destroyed Mahiṣāsura. When Arjuna (in Bhīṣma 23) offers a Durgāstotra at the bidding of Kṛṣṇa, he gives her several names, among which are Kumārī, Kālī, Kapālī, Kapilā, Bhadrakālī, Mahākālī, Caṇḍī, Kātyāyanī, Kauśikī, Umā. But as the dates of these passages in the Mahābhārata are far from certain no chronological conclusion can be stated. Literary works and coins supply some firm data about the antiquity of the Durgā cult. In the Raghuvamśa chap II a lion is said to have been appointed a guard to protect a *devadāru* (pine) tree planted by Pārvatī. Pārvatī is called Gaurī in Raghu. II 26 and in Kumārasambhava VII. 95 and Bhavānī in Kumārao (VII. 84), Caṇḍī in Meghadūta (I. 33). Similarly, in the Kumārasambhava the Ardhanārīśvara form of Śiva is mentioned.⁴⁷⁹ The *mātṛs* are referred to in the same work (VII 30, 38) and also Kālī with skulls as ornaments (ibid VII. 39) In the Mālatī-mādhava (Act V) the offering of human victims to Cāmuṇḍā in the city of Padmāvatī is mentioned. In the Mṛcchakaṭika VI. 27 the legend of the killing of Śumbha and Niśumbha by Durgā occurs. If we hold that Kālidāsa flourished between 350-450 A D., the above evidence makes it quite probable that the worship of Durgā may go back some centuries before 300 A. D The evidence of coins lends support to this conclusion. A *simhavāhinī* goddess is seen on the reverse of the coins of Candragupta I of the Gupta⁴⁸⁰ dynasty (about 305-325 A.D). On a coin of the late Kuṣāna king Kaneshko the reverse shows the figure of a goddess with a lunar crescent seated 'full face on a lion crouching left and the godddess appears to have a noose and sceptre⁴⁸¹ The lion as vehicle and the noose indicate that the goddess should be Durgā and not Lakṣmī. This would take us to the first or 2nd century A. D.