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jai/jaya: Victory to! Celebration of. An emphatic "Hooray God!"

jagadambe: Mother ("ambe") of the Universe ("jagat")

mā/mātā: Mother.

durgā: Supreme Goddess, Devi, Divine Mother, Shakti... Durga's name means "the invincible."

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"Jagat ambe means mother of the world. Jagat is world, ambe is mother. Durga means 'she who takes you across Durgati, the ocean of difficulties, the ocean of trouble.' You know, I'm very involved with Siddhi Ma, who is Maharajji's devotee, and she's really incredible. She is Durga, and she's really something, very powerful."  ~ Krishna Das


"O Mother of this vast universe,
all action is accomplished only
through Your unpredictable Will.
You take counsel with no one.
No one other than You knows why
You manifest every phenomenon,
every living being, every event.
Your Manifestation, O Mother,
awakens, purifies, sanctifies,
and deifies the human soul.
You accomplish Your own Goals
through this inscrutable Play.
Men foolishly claim responsibility."  ~ Ramakrishna


"In some parts of India, such as West Bengal, the autumn festival of Durga Puja, also known as Navaratri, is the year's most important holiday. Worshipers celebrate in lavish style for nine days, holding great processions in which images of Durga are paraded and worshiped. In this festival she is especially lauded as a battle queen and as the regulator of the cosmos. In fact she is described in the Vedas as being the personification of the material energy, the very basis of creation."  ~ Krishna Dharma

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