In the golden pages of Krittivasi Ramayan, there lies a tale that bridges the world of gods and men — a story of devotion that gave birth to Bengal’s grandest celebration. When Shri Ramchandra stood on the battlefield of Lanka, his heart was burdened not with fear, but with reverence. Before facing Ravana, the ten-headed embodiment of adharma, Ram sought the blessings of Mahashakti — the Mother who sustains and destroys. Let’s dig deepr into the the story of Sri Ramachandra’s Durga festival in the Lankakanda of Krittivasi Ramayana. Sri Ramachandra is going to kill Ravana. But Ravana has already invoked Goddess Ambika. Goddess Haimavati’s mind was moistened and moved by Ravana’s praise. Goddess Abhaya also offered protection in Ravana’s praise (Akal Bodhan of Sri Rama).
“স্তবে তুষ্টা হয়ে মাতা দিল দরশন।
বসিলেন রথে কোলে করিয়া রাবণ।।”
(“Pleased with the praise, the mother gave her darshan.
She sat in the chariot and took Ravana in her lap.”)
Raghupati, coming to the war, saw that Haimavati herself was sitting in Ravana’s chariot. He threw down his bow and bowed to her. The plot for Ravana’s destruction thus got interrupted. What will happen then? He sat down on the ground in despair. What is the solution? He asked the gods. The rules said that one should worship Goddess Chandi by invoking her through Akālbodhan (অকালবোধন). The king of gods, Indra, said, let it be done without delay. Thus, the preparations for the killing of Ravana began.
In that autumn, Brahma enlightened Goddess Durga. Ramchandra began worshipping Mahamaya along with the gods.
The night paved the way for the morning. Following the rules, Shri Ramachandra bathed and prepared himself. He sat on the seashore offering flowers and leaves, fruits and roots from the forest. He also composed Chandi-Gan.
“পূজি দুর্গা রঘুপতি,
করিলেন স্তুতি-নতি,
বিরচিল চণ্ডী-পূজা গান।।”
(“Durga puja by Raghupati,
was performed with hymns,
and the songs of the Chandi Puja.”)
Ramchandra recited the Chandipath. Dance-song-plays were performed in the devotion of the Goddess. The monkey army gave a shout of victory. They sang songs describing the Goddess’s qualities in joy. Thus the day ended and evening fell.
Ramchandra himself has made a clay idol of the Goddess. He has completed the Adhibās (অধিবাস) of the Goddess according to the rituals prescribed by the scriptures. The Navapatrika form of Goddess worship has been composed. Each plant of the Navapatrika houses one of the Mother Goddesses. They are the forms of Goddess Durga. Their combined form is this Navapatrika.
“The ritual of performing Aarti is a residence.
The luxury of a bundled magazine is a new tree.”
Ramachandra completed all the arrangements following the methods and rules of the scriptures. Devotee Hanuman went around the three worlds and collected all the remedies and brought them back.
“আচারেতে আরতি করিলা অধিবাস।
বাঁধিলা পত্রিকা নব বৃক্ষের বিলাস।।”
(“Thus, the Arati was done, and
the leaves of nine trees were tied.” )
Ramachandra completed all the arrangements following the methods and rules of the scriptures. Devotee Hanuman went around the three worlds and collected all the remedies and brought them back.
“এইরূপে উদ্যোগ করিলা দ্রব্য যত।
পদ্ধতি প্রমাণে আছে নিয়ম যেমত।”
(“Thus, the initiative was made, and
the method is proven, as in the rule.”)
It is mentioned in the Krittivasi Ramayana that, according to the Vedas, Sri Rama performed the Saptami, Ashtami, Sandhi Puja, and Navami Puja. This was accompanied by dance and song arrangements to entertain the goddess.
“শুদ্ধসত্ত্বভাবে পূজা সাত্ত্বিকী আখ্যান।
গীত নাট চণ্ডীপাঠে দিবা-অবসান।।”
(“Prayer in the purest form, Sattvic narration.
Songs, dances, and Chandipath marked the end of the day .”)
The Kapibahini has brought various wild fruits and arranged the offerings. অশোক- Ashoka
কাঞ্চন- Orchid
জবা- Hibiscus
মল্লিকা- Jasmine
মালতী- Creeper/ Indian Jasmine
ধবা- Mussaenda
পলাশ- Palash/ Flame tree
পাটলী- Trumpet
বকুল- Spainsh cherry
গন্ধরাজ- Cape Jasmine/ Common Gardenia
স্থলপদ্ম- Land Lotus
কদম্ব- Kadam/ Burflower tree
পারুল- fragrant padri tree
রক্তোৎপল- red water lily
শতদল- Lotus
কুমুদ- Water lily
পারিজাত- night Flowering Jasmine
শেফালী- Coral Jasmine/ night Flowering Jasmine
করবী- Oleander
কনক-চম্পক- Maple leaved Bayur tree
কোকনদ- Red lotus
অতসী- Flax
অপরাজিতা- Butterfly pea
চম্পক- Champa
নগেশ্বর- Indian rose chestnut
কাষ্ঠমল্লিকা- Jasmine
দোপটি- Balsam
জাতি- Jasmine
যূথী- Arabian Jasmine
আচিঝাঁটি- Hibiscus
দ্রোণপুষ্প- white dead nettle/ common leucas
মাধবী- Rangoon creeper
টগর- Crape Jasmine
তুলসী- Basil
তিসি- Flax and linseed
ধাতকী- Red bell bush
ভূঁইচাঁপা- Indian crocus
কেতকী- Screw pine
পদ্ম- lotus
বক- vegetable humming bird/ agati
কৃষ্ণকেলি- four o’ clock Flower
স্বর্ণ-যূথিকা- Champa
বান্ধুলী- Scarlet
আঁধুলী- Madagascar Periwinkle
কুরচি- Ivory
গোলাপ- rose
কৃষ্ণচূড়া- Flame tree/ Gulmohar/ royal poinciana
Shri Ramachandra is worshipping Shankari in bliss. But where is the kindness and gentleness of the Goddess? Will the Goddess deprive him! Will Sita Devi not be rescued?
“নয়নে বহিছে ধারা অসুখী অন্তর।
কাঁদেন করুণাময় প্রভু পরাৎপর।।”
(“The eyes are filled with tears of an unhappy heart.
The merciful Lord, the Most High, weeps.”)
He was overcome with grief, and then Vibhishana said,
“তুষীতে চণ্ডীরে এই করহ বিধান।
অষ্টোত্তরশত নীলোৎপল কর দান।”
“To satisfy Chandi this is the law;
Give a hundred and eight blue lotus flowers.”
The worship of the goddess will require a supply of blue lotuses! But where can they be found?
Shri Hanuman took the responsibility of collecting the blue lotus. He said,
“স্বর্গ মর্ত্য পাতাল ভ্রমিয়া ভূমণ্ডল।
এক দণ্ডে এনে দিব শত নীলোৎপল।।”
(“From the Heaven, earth, and the underworld,
I will bring you a hundred blue lotuses in one go.”)
Vibhishan says that only the blue lotus blooms in Devidaha. Hanumanji went there after offering pranam to Shri Ramchandra. He quickly picked up a hundred and eight lotuses and came back. Whille counting them, he gave the Pankaj flowers to the Lord. Shri Ram resolved to offer the lotus to Devi. But to test her, Devi had already snatched one lotus.
“করিলেন ছল, বুঝিতে সকল,
দেবী হরমনোহরা।
হরিলেন আর, এক পদ্ম তাঁর,
মহেশ্বরী পরাৎপরা।”
“She played a trick, to understand,
Devi Harmanohara.
She hid back, a lotus of him,
Maheshwari Paratpara.”
One lotus is missing! Sri Ramachandra is surprised. Will the resolution be broken? What is the solution! He again tells Hanuman, go to Devidaha and bring another lotus. Hanuman says —
“শুন হে গোঁসাই, আর পদ্ম নাই,
দেবীদহে বনমালি।
হেন লশ চিতে, তোমারে ছলিতে,
পঙ্কজ হরিলা কালী।।”
“Listen, O Gosai, there is no more lotus,
At the garden in Devidaha.
The fact is, you are being deceived,
Lotus is hidden by Kali.”
To overcome his embarrassment, Sri Ramachandra was performing the স্তুতি stuti of Goddess Kalika.
“বিপদে আমার, না হয় তোমার,
বিড়ম্বনা করা আর।
মম প্রতি দয়া, কর গো অভয়া,
ভবার্ণবে কর পার।”
(“In danger, whether mine or yours,
stop the irony.
Be kind to me, O Abhaya, and
Make me feel safe.”)
Ramachandra is lying at the feet of the goddess in agony. Ram is crying with a saddened heart. He says that he would die by jumping into the sea. Finally, it striked to his mind that people call him ‘Neelkamalaksha’ (blue lotus eyed),because of his two eyes. He can offer one of them to the Goddess.
“যুগল নয়ন মোর ফুল্ল নীলোৎপল।
সঙ্কল্প করিব পূর্ণ বুঝিয়ে সকল।।
এক চক্ষু দিব আমি দেবীর চরণে।
এত বলি কহে রাম অনুজ লক্ষ্মণে।।”
(“Both of my eyes are of blue lotus.
I will make a resolution and explain everything.
I will give one eye to the Goddess’s feet.
This is what Rama says to his younger brother Lakshman.”)
Shri Ram is crying while praising. Then he is about to pluck out his eyes with an arrow from his quiver, when Goddess Durga holds his hand.
“চক্ষু উপড়িতে রাম বসিলা সাক্ষাতে।
হেনকালে কাত্যায়নী ধরিলেন হাতে।।”
“Ram is facing the sight of the eye to pluck out his eye.
In the midst of this, Katyayani holds his hand.”
Now the Goddess has ordered to kill Ravana. The Goddess says, “Is Ravana capable of abducting Janaki, the Supreme Prakriti?” In fact, to destroy the demons, Sri Ramachandra has been brought here by building a bridge in the middle of the ocean and pretending to abduct Sita. Otherwise, the demons will not be destroyed, nor will the demonic power be killed! The goddess says,
“অকালবোধনে পূজা, কৈলে তুমি দশভূজা,
বিধিমতে করিলা বিন্যাস।
লোকে জানাবার জন্য, আমারে করিতে ধন্য,
অবনীতে করিলা প্রকাশ।”
(“Puja in the Akālbodhan, you built the ten-armed
in the clay, arranged all according to the rules.
For people to know, blessed to do it,
I have revealed in the form of earth.”)
This is the story of Akālbodhan. After worshipping Goddess Durga from Shasthi to Dashami, on the day of Vijaya Dashami, Raghupati Ram started his struggle by completing the worship of Maheshwari. He won the war and rescued the Ma Sita from the clutches of the demonic forces. Since then, the Sharadiya Durga Puja has been practiced on earth. This Durga Puja has become the greatest festival of Bengalis. Thus was born Sharadiya Durga Puja — the festival of strength, devotion, and renewal. What began as Ram’s plea for divine grace became Bengal’s eternal celebration of good over evil, of the Mother’s descent among her children. Every beat of the dhak today still echoes that ancient invocation — the sound of Akal Bodhan, when man called upon the Goddess, and She answered.
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