On the 6th day of Navratri, we invoke and worship Katyayani Mata, the 6th manifestation of Durga. This is an especially powerful day, Thursday, Guruvar, in 2013, as Katyayani Mata rules Jupiter. It was the great Rishi and Grammarian, Katyayana, without whose commentary, the Vedas become obscure, who used the power of his Sacred Speech to invoke Adi Shakti, Herself, to be born as his daughter, and to save Speech by slaying the Great Buffalo Demon, Mahishasura, who oppresses the sacrifice. The very repository of mantras, which we may intuit as the unfolding lotus, Katyayani Mata blesses Her devotees with her two mudra hand gestures of abhaya, “no fear”, and varada, “the giving of boons.”
She may be invoked and worshipped with the following mantra:
YA DEVI SARVBHUTESHU MAM KATYAYANI RUPENA SAMSTHITA
NAMASTASYAI NAMASTASYAI NAMASTASYAI NAMO NAMAH
CHANDRAHASOJJVAL KARA SHARDULVARVAHANA
KATYAYANI SHUBHAM DADYAD DEVI DANAVGHATINI
AND ALSO:
OM HRIM KATYAYANI SWAHA (108 RECITATIONS OF THIS KATYAYANI MANTRA)
Katyayani Mata
