Page:Durga Puja - With Notes and Illustrations.djvu/31

 worshipping Durga, the Dawn of the Puranas. The Morning of the Equinoxes is the Dawn of Dawns, and hence held sacred to the worship of Durga the goddess Dawn. From the text and the notes it will be seen that the Sastras have laid great stress upon the performance in morning of all ceremonies connected with the worship of Durga, Dawn. According to the Puranas the term Sandhya, junction, Twilight, includes both the Dawn and the Gloaming, but the Tantras have extolled the Gloaming, evening, the Sandhya par excellence, and the worship of Sandhya therefore has superseded that of Dawn. The principal puja of Durga is accordingly held at the great Sandhya of Ashtami and Navami Tithis, a moment very near the centre of the bright fortnight. From the Navami tithi of the bright fortnight the reign of Light may be said to prevail. Springing grass is the emblem of light, for the sun brings forth the plants and the corn, and in the worship of Dawn the precursor of Light, the sun, springing grass is borne on head as the token of the festival. With the approach of spring, which follows the Vernal Equinox plants revive and blossoms burst forth in profuseness and Dawn is therefore said to have appeared in the form of blossoms.

Both the diurnal and the hexamensic Dawns are considered auspicious moments for bathing, and the anointing of Durga at that time is for the same reason held to be meritorious.

Dawn having vanquished the demon Darkness establishes the reign of Light. Durga is therefore designated Vijaya, Victoria, or the bestower of victories. It is remarkable that the constellation of Berenice is on the north of Virgo.