Brief Description Of Katyayani Vrata

Goddess Katyayani

KATYAYANI-VRATA  

Katyayani-vrata is a month-long vow of worshipping the demigoddess Katyayani, a form of Krishna's material, illusory energy. Katyayani is often worshiped for temporary, material gains, but Krishna's cowherd girlfriends, the gopis, worshiped her to have Krishna as their husband. The Srimad-Bhagavatam describes how the gopis followed this vrata in the chapter entitled "Krishna Steals the Garments of the Unmarried Gopi Girls."

Krishna stole their dress for THREE REASONS:

(1) The Gopis bathed in the holy river Yamuna naked. It is an offence. So, Krishna wanted to teach them lesson. So, He played like this.

(2) The Gopis were praying to have Krishna as husband. So, Krishna asked them to come in natural state before Him by stealing their dress. As only husband can see a girl without dress, they became His wives.

(3) Krishna is the Purusha (enjoyer) and all the jeevas are Females though we live in male or female bodies.

Let us read that lila briefly:

Early in the morning, the gopis used to go to the bank of the Yamuna to take bath. They would assemble together, capturing each other’s hands, and loudly sing of the wonderful pastimes of Krishna.

It is an old system among Indian girls and women that when they take bath in the river they place their garments on the bank and dip into the water. The portion of the river where the girls and women take bath was strictly prohibited to any male member, and this is still the system.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, knowing the minds of the unmarried young gopis, benedicted them with their desired objective. They had prayed for Krishna to become their husband, and Krishna wanted to fulfill their desires.

At the end of the month, Krishna, along with His friends, appeared on the scene. Another name of Krishna is Yogesvara, or master of all mystic powers. By practicing meditation, the yogi can study the psychic movement of other men, and certainly Krishna could understand the desire of the gopis.

Appearing on the scene, Krishna immediately collected all the garments of the gopis, climbed up in a nearby tree, and with smiling face began to speak to them.

Krishna spoke to the gopis: “My dear girls,” He said. “Please come here one after another and pray for your garments and then take them away. I’m not joking with you. I’m just telling the truth. I have no desire to play any joke with you, for you have observed the regulative principles for one month by worshiping goddess Katyayani. Please do not come here all at once. Come alone;”

Gopis begged their best. But, Krishna was firm in His order. When the gopis saw that Krishna was strong and determined, they had no alternative but to abide by His order. One after another they came out of the water. Their simple presentation was so pure that Lord Krishna immediately became pleased with them.

All the unmarried gopis who prayed to Katyayani to have Krishna as their husband were thus satisfied. A woman cannot be without dress before any male except her husband. The unmarried gopis desired Krishna as their husband, and He fulfilled their desire in this way. Being pleased with them, He took their garments on His shoulder and began to speak as follows:

“My dear girls, you have committed a great offense by bathing without dress in the river Yamuna. Because of this, the predominating deity of the Yamuna, Varunadeva, has become displeased with you. Please, therefore, just touch your foreheads with folded palms and bow down before the demigod Varuna in order to be excused from this offensive act.”

The gopis were all simple souls, and whatever Krishna said they took to be true. In order to be freed from the wrath of Varunadeva, as well as to fulfill the desired end of their vows and ultimately to please their worshipable Lord, Krishna, they immediately abided by His order.

Thus they became the greatest lovers of Krishna, and His most obedient servitors.”

When this lila happened, Krishna was just about eight years old. Thus, Krishna taught them lesson to take bath with dress and also fulfilled their wish to get Krishna as husband.

Today is start of Katyayani Vrat. The Month when the Gopis of Vrndavan worshipped Mother Katyayani to get Krsna as their Husband. One many question why did the Gopis worship Katyayani Mother Durga?

Srila Prabhupada explained in the 4th verse of Srimad Bhagavatam 10.22 that they Durgadevi they worshipped is different from the Durgadevi in the material world. 

"According to various ācāryas, the goddess Durgā mentioned in this verse is not the illusory energy of Kṛṣṇa called Māyā but rather the internal potency of the Lord known as Yoga-māyā...

"The name Durgā therefore refers also to that personality who functions as the internal potency of the Lord and who is thus on the platform of śuddha-sattva, pure transcendental existence. This internal potency is understood to be Kṛṣṇa’s sister, known also as Ekānaṁśā or Subhadrā. This is the Durgā who was worshiped by the gopīs in Vṛndāvana. Several ācāryas have pointed out that ordinary people are sometimes bewildered and think that the names Mahā-māyā and Durgā refer exclusively to the external potency of the Lord.

In a Room Conversation Srila Prabhupada said that Durga is a advent of Radharani.

"getting facilities to approach gopīs they worship Kātyāyanī for getting Kṛṣṇa as a husband. So we according to the order of Govinda. Therefore to approach Govinda, if one prays to Kātyāyanī, it is very helpful. 

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: Kātyāyanī is also Durgā?

Prabhupāda: Yes, advent of Rādhā, maidservant. [end]"

The demigoddess have their original personalities in the spiritual world. The Brahma Samitha also talks of a DIVINE SARASVATI, The consort of Lord Narayana. Before Lord Brahma received the Gayatri Mantra from Lord Krsna, he received another mantra from Mother Saraswati. 

Translation

Then the goddess of learning Sarasvatī, the divine consort of the Supreme Lord, said thus to Brahmā who saw nothing but gloom in all directions, "O Brahmā, this mantra, viz., klīṁ kṛṣṇāya govindāya gopī-jana-vallabhāya svāhā, will assuredly fulfill your heart's desire

(Brahma Samitha 5.24.)

But this was before Lord Brahma started creation. So there is a DIVINE Sarasvati. Similarly there is Divine Durgadevi known as Yoga-Maya. It was to this Yoga Maya Durga that the Gopis prayed too.