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Om Vishnupad 108 Tridandi Swami Sri Srimat Bhakti Sravan Tirtha Goswami Maharaj ki Jai !!

 

The spiritual form of Durga is Yogamaya. The external form of Durga is Mahamaya, the illusory energy. The spiritual form of Durga who functions on the platform of shuddha-sattva, pure transcendental existence, is understood to be Krishna's sister, known as Ekanamsha or Subhadra.

The name Subhadra means auspicious. So Subhadra also paves the way for the devotee's spiritual progress by supplying that which is auspicious and taking away all that is inauspicious. This is also the spiritual form of Durga, the shadow of whom is the external material energy, Mahamaya.

Durga works in the material world. Subhadra plays the part of Lord Krishna's sister and is the internal or spiritual energy, and does not work as Durga in the material world. So, originally their energy is one and the same, but through her expansion as Durga she works in a different capacity within the material realm.

Higher than Subhadra is Radharani, Lord Krishna's consort and the quintessence of spiritual energy. She is the personification, essence and origin of Lord Krishna's internal pleasure potency, hladini-shakti. This pleasure potency of Lord Krishna manifests as Radharani for the sake of the most intimate spiritual pastimes in Goloka Vrinadavana, the eternal spiritual realm.

This potency expands further into the forms of Krishna's queens in the other Vaikuntha planets, and also as His sister, Subhadra, for other purposes and pastimes. And Durga is an expansion of this internal or spiritual energy.

In this way, Durga also can be considered an expansion of Radharani. Therefore, Radharani is the source of the pleasure essence in the spiritual dimension, while Durga provides the means for all pleasure in the material realm.


From Jiva Goswami's commentary on verse 3 Brahma Samhita

Sometimes Goddess Durga is also described as the Supreme Controller. This is also correct because there is no difference between the potencies and Lord Krishna, the shakti and the shaktiman.
 
Durga is the personal potency of Lord Krishna, and therefore She is non-different from the Lord Himself. For this reason Durga should not be considered manifested from a portion of the Lord's illusory potency Maya.
 
Durga is also described in Narada-pancaratra, in the following conversation of Sruti and Vidya:
 
"Durga is the Supreme Goddess. She is the transcendental potency of the Lord. She is manifested from the form of Lord Maha-Vishnu.
  
"She is identical with Gokula's queen Sri Radha, who possesses a great treasure of love for Krishna. By Her grace the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all living entities, is easily understood.

Paurnamasi Devi

In Krishna's eternal pastimes, Paurnamasi-devi is the expansion of the Lord's Yogamaya potency. She makes the arrangements of Lord Krsna's pastimes to be properly performed. She is slightly tall in stature and has a fair complexion. Her hair is the color of kasa flowers and she wears red garments. She is greatly respected by Nanda Maharaja and all the other residents of Vrajabhumi. She was the dear student of Devarsi Narada and on his advice she left her favorite son, Sandipani Muni, in Avantipura and came to Gokula, impelled by great love for her worshipable Lord Krsna.

Baba used to say that Goddess Kali's thick black hair signifies the darkness of maya. It is like the curtain between two realms - the spiritual and the material. Once when someone asked him how to overcome maya, Baba smiled and said don't try to overcome maya - you cannot. But if you seek her shelter with a desire to serve Sri Radha Krishna, she will herself take you beyond maya.

Baba used to recount the following story very expressively: once in Vrindavan, Srimati Radharani was dallying with Krishna in a nikunj. Jatila Her sister-in-law, suspecting that She was with Krishna in the grove went and informed Ayan her brother. An enraged Ayan marched over to the kunj swearing profanities and vowing to teach his 'wife' a lesson.

When Srimati Radharani heard him approaching She implored Krishna to leave but He assured Her that all would be well. When Ayan barged into the kunj, what does he see? Srimati Radharani is devoutly engaged in worshipping Kali.

Thus Krishna becomes Kali.

 

Jai Sri Radhey !!

Jai Gurudeva !