Durga Beej Mantra (108 Chants)

Goddess Durga who is also identified as Adi Parashakti, Devi, Shakti, Bhavani, Parvati and by numerous other names. She is a principal and popular form of Hindu goddess. She is the warrior goddess, whose mythology centers around combating evils and demonic forces that threaten peace, prosperity and dharma of the good. She is the fierce form of the protective mother goddess, willing to unleash her anger against wrong, violence for liberation and destruction to empower creation.

Durga is depicted in the Hindu pantheon as a goddess riding a lion or tiger, with many arms each carrying a weapon, often defeating Mahishasura (lit. buffalo demon). She appears in Indian texts as the wife of god Shiva, as another form of Parvati or mother goddess.

She is a central deity in Shaktism tradition of Hinduism, where she is equated with the concept of ultimate reality called Brahman. One of the most important texts of Shaktism is Devi Mahatmya, also called as Durgā Saptashatī, which celebrates Durga as the Goddess, declaring her as the Supreme Being and the creator of the universe. Estimated to have been composed between 400 and 600 CE, this text is considered by Shakta Hindus to be as important scripture as the Bhagavad Gita. She has a significant following all over India, Bangladesh and Nepal, particularly in its eastern states such as West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Assam and Bihar. Durga is revered after spring and autumn harvests, specially during the festival of Navratri.

This chant has been rendered by Sahil Jagtiani who has been involved in Western music from his teenage years. He has played in two progressive and multi-cultural soft rock bands from Hong Kong and London during his high school and college days. When he met H. H. Poojya Sri Sri Ravishankarji, he knew that he had found his Guru & Mentor. Guruji’s breathing techniques made such a positive impact on Sahil that he decided to devote his entire life to spreading Guruji’s message of love and peace, and he became a Full Time teacher with the Art of Living Foundation. Sahil has done satsangs all over India and in aid of charities such as “Cancer Kids” and participated in festivals such as “The Kala Ghodha Festival” in Mumbai. He has played at an Indian Embassy supported event in the “Mir” Hall in Moscow, Russia and has performed the theme song Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam during the Silver Jubilee Celebrations 2006 at Jakur Airfield in Bangalore in front of almost 2 million people.

Sahil Jagtiani’s music, as well as being very popular within the Art of Living, has reached both spiritual and non-spiritual audiences worldwide and has given bhajans a universal appeal.