"Hindu" Mythologies: The Illustrative Case of "Devi Durga"

[Sukla Sen]

I/II. In Hindu mythologies, quite often, too many different narratives overlap and tend to merge - over time.

At times, quite confusing.

(Thus, there're multiple "Durga"s - merging into one, e.g. "Uma"/"Gouri", "Sati" and "Ayonisambhuta Mahishasurmardini Durga".)

This is because, what would, in course of time, come to be tagged - initially by aliens, as "Hinduism" is, essentially, a basket of loosely interconnected variegated traditions.

Across time spans and spaces - physical and social, the "dominant" element(s) vary/ies.

There obtains a large degree of heterogeneity that, to a significant extent, favours plurality - even if in a rather restricted way.

With gradual homogenisation - spontaneous and, also, agenda driven - deliberately privileging a certain strand, the original inbuilt bias in favour of plurality is visibly shrinking.

The gradual convergence and gelling of (different) traditions (in the basket) is, essentially, a socio-historical process - regardless of the (subsequent) philosophical spins.

Sukla

II. From: Devdutta Pattanaik (at: <https://www.facebook.com/100044589272367/posts/382474926582147/>)

For those who do not know, Durga, worshipped by Ram, is Dakshayani, daughter of Daksha Prajapati, who married Shiva to make the hermit align with the householder ideologies of her father. It is a metaphor to explain the synthesis of opposing ideologies that constitute Hinduism.

We can argue that "actually" Durga is born from the inner shaktis of all the gods and so embodies the power of collective effort and collaboration. 

The connection between Sati-Parvati-Durga-Kali-Gauri is part of Tantrik literature, where the male principle is dormant (shava) and needs to be activated into Shiva by the goddess. This complements the Vedanta idea that from the male principle of Narayana arouses the female energies of Sri (Lakshmi) and Vidya (Saraswati). 

Tantra values body and technology more than Vedanta that values emotion (bhakti) and mind (gyan). They are the two streams of Hindu thought.