October 14, 2026
As part of the ritual recitation of the Durga Saptashati, we take special note of an inspiring half-verse. The Divine Mother, the Cosmic Energy, is endowed with several special potencies which are for a very special purpose, thus stated in the half-verse: "For the removal of the body of the demons, and to bestow upon the devotee the boon of fearlessness". This is surely what tempts us to repeat the prayer, the feeling: "I am a devotee eligible for this boon of fearlessness."
But then, if I discover that I continue to be a prey to fear, to a sense of insecurity, sorrow and suffering, then surely it is not because the law of grace has become inoperative in my case, but because I am not a devotee. Devotion to the Cosmic Power and fear (and all the rest of it) do not go together. If the latter is present, then devotion is not. If I am no devotee, then I partake of the nature of demons (if we are honest we shall discover that we all carry a little demon in our own heart and mind). And what does the scripture say?
The Cosmic Power removes the 'body' of the demon. This does not mean only the physical body, but the mental, intellectual and karmic sheaths as well. This action of the Cosmic Power is made manifest in our own life in different events which the ignorant mind, the demonic mind, interprets as 'old age' (which removes pride of youth), 'poverty' (which removes the arrogance of wealth), 'illness' (which removes our reliance on physical strength), 'dishonor' (which removes the veil of vanity). If the mind and the heart are able to see these events as actions of divine grace instead of as calamities, we are instantly transformed into devotees and we become instantly eligible for the boon of fearlessness, which is granted to us without the least delay.
Sounds simple, but often it is not that simple. For suffering and even its understanding do not lead to enlightenment which alone ends evil. Only when all actions and endeavors in life have a single direction, when all these are made to flow towards the divine, does the ego come to an end.