Devi suktam: Tales of lesser Durgas

He was little sensitive as a kid. People told him to be strong like a Man. "Don't cry like a girl." " Go wear bangles if you can't fight"
He grew up equating femininity with weakness. He treated his daughter like a delicate little flower. Girls always need to be taken under the wing...protected, secluded...He believed.

Some where, somebody chanted...

या देवी सर्व भुतेषु शक्ती रूपेण संस्थिता
नमस्तस्ये नमस्तस्ये नमस्तस्ये नमो नमः।

She was always served bony pieces of chicken. "Learn to sacrifice for the family. See if there's enough for men That's why women should eat after men." Her mother advised.

Some where, somebody chanted...

या देवी सर्व भुतेषु क्षुधा रूपेण संस्थिता
नमस्तस्ये नमस्तस्ये नमस्तस्ये नमो नमः।

'Unfortunately' she found love outside her caste. She was killed for shattering the family honor. How could they forgive the woman who decided to live a life on her own terms?

Some where, somebody chanted...

या देवी सर्व भुतेषु दया रूपेण संस्थिता
नमस्तस्ये नमस्तस्ये नमस्तस्ये नमो नमः।

She worked for an advertisement agency. The client was some insurance company. "We are there, for your son's education and for your daughter's wedding..." description read. She was uneasy for rest of the day...how come nobody found this...unfair? She thought.

Some where, somebody chanted...

या देवी सर्व भुतेषु बुद्धी रूपेण संस्थिता
नमस्तस्ये नमस्तस्ये नमस्तस्ये नमो नमः।

"project is unviable" "You are ineligible for the fund" Venture capitalists rejected her application.
"where do these women want to enter into Electronics...switch manufacturing and all"
"She will be fed up in 2-3 months max" "can't take the pressure of such intensive tasks." "Masala-papad-pickles is enough no" "Business for women is just another hobby idea"

The ridiculed her. They didn't see her degrees, her qualifications, her experience, All they could see is that She was a woman, trying to do herculean task of entering into male dominated industry,
And hence they could not trust her.

Some where, somebody chanted...

या देवी सर्व भुतेषु श्रद्धा रूपेण संस्थिता
नमस्तस्ये नमस्तस्ये नमस्तस्ये नमो नमः।

She was atheist. but was made to observe fast...'if not for god and me, please do it for my parents' he pleaded.

She craved...for something she never thought she would...for one sip of water.
She could not understand what was hurting her more...unbearable thirst for water or thirst for standing up for her principles, her views.

Some where, somebody chanted...

या देवी सर्व भुतेषु तृष्णा  रूपेण संस्थिता
नमस्तस्ये नमस्तस्ये नमस्तस्ये नमो नमः।

"I will handle our investments. Mutual funds, Equity...You don't have to stress yourself. where do you women understand all this anyways?"
He smoothly talked her into giving her salary in his hands.

Some where, somebody chanted...

या देवी सर्व भुतेषु लक्ष्मी रूपेण संस्थिता
नमस्तस्ये नमस्तस्ये नमस्तस्ये नमो नमः।

They called them mother...because then the exploitation becomes the right. exploitation without guilt. Because mother always forgives...mother always gives!
Mother earth, Ganga Maiyya, Kaveri amma, Bharat Mata....tolerated years of abuse...silently.

या देवी सर्व भुतेषु मातृ रूपेण संस्थिता
नमस्तस्ये नमस्तस्ये नमस्तस्ये नमो नमः।
...

इन्द्रियाणामधिष्ठात्री भूतानां चाखिलेषु या।
भूतेषु सततं तस्यै व्याप्ति देव्यै नमो नमः ॥

(residing over the senses of all beings and pervading all existence, to the omnipresent Goddess who individualizes creation we bow, we bow!)

Chanting was finished...so was the navratri...

The behavior continued and so did her insult.