The Secret Power of Goddess Durga Every Indian Woman Must Know
Riya Kumari | Mar 15, 2025, 23:50 IST
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
You know that moment in every rom-com where the heroine finally snaps, throws off her pastel cardigan, and struts out of a terrible situation like she owns the damn universe? Yeah, that energy? That’s Goddess Durga energy. For centuries, Indian women have been fed a steady diet of be nice, be soft, be patient. Meanwhile, Goddess Durga—the actual embodiment of divine femininity—is out here riding a lion, wielding weapons, and straight-up annihilating demons. Sweetie, the memo got lost in the mail.
There is a version of you that the world has tamed. A version that has learned to be agreeable, to measure her words, to soften her edges so that others feel comfortable. And then, there is Durga. Goddess Durga does not shrink. She does not hesitate. She does not ask for permission to be powerful. She is divine feminine energy in its fullest, most untamed form—strong, fearless, and absolutely uninterested in being anything less than what she is meant to be. So why do so many women today live like they are apologizing for their own existence? Because somewhere along the way, we were told that power makes us dangerous. That strength makes us unlikable. That softness is the only way to be loved. Durga exists to remind us: That is a lie. And it’s time to wake up.
1. Power Does Not Need Permission
If there is one thing Durga does not do, it is wait for someone to give her the right to be powerful. She does not ask if her strength is "too much." She does not wonder if the world is ready for her. She is power itself—unapologetic, undeniable, unstoppable. And yet, so many of us hesitate. We wait for a sign, for validation, for someone else to say, Yes, you are allowed to be bold, to be fearless, to take up space.
But the world will never hand you power. You have to step into it. You are not here to be small. You are not here to be agreeable. You are not here to be defined by other people’s expectations. You are here to own your power fully—without apology, without hesitation, without fear. Because the moment you stop seeking permission is the moment you become unstoppable.
2. Strength Is Not the Absence of Kindness
There is a lie women have been told for centuries: that you must choose between being kind and being strong. Durga shows us the truth: Strength and kindness are not opposites. Strength is what protects kindness. She is a warrior, but she is also a mother. She fights, but she also nurtures. She destroys, but only to protect what is sacred. Strength is not cruelty. Strength is not anger without purpose.
True strength is knowing when to be soft and when to be unshakable. It is knowing that being kind does not mean being weak. And being strong does not mean being unkind. And the day a woman understands this, she stops letting the world tell her who to be.
3. The Rage of a Woman Who Has Had Enough
There is a reason society fears an angry woman. Because when a woman is no longer afraid to express her anger, she is no longer controllable. Durga’s rage is not senseless—it is sacred. It is the fire that burns down injustice. It is the force that removes what no longer deserves to exist. For too long, women have been told to suppress their anger. To be agreeable. To smile even when something is deeply wrong.
But anger is not the enemy. Suppression is. The rage of a woman who has had enough is the beginning of change. So the next time someone tells you to "calm down," remind yourself: Durga did not come here to be calm. She came here to set things right. And so did you.
4. You Cannot Save Others If You Are Destroying Yourself
Durga is a protector. But she is not a martyr. She fights for others, but never at the cost of herself. She gives, but she does not allow herself to be depleted. She loves, but she does not tolerate disrespect. Women are taught to put themselves last. To give until there is nothing left. To sacrifice even when it breaks them. But Durga reminds us: You are not meant to pour from an empty cup.
Your strength is not infinite if you do not protect it. Your love is not limitless if you do not replenish it. You cannot be the warrior of your family, your community, your world—if you do not also fight for yourself. So stop apologizing for your boundaries. Stop explaining why you need space. Stop feeling guilty for choosing yourself. Because Durga does not burn herself out for others. She stands in her power so she can lift others up—without losing herself in the process.
The Power Was Always Yours
Durga does not exist outside of you. She is not just a goddess in a temple, a story in a scripture, a festival once a year. She is in you—waiting to be remembered, waiting to be reclaimed. Every time you stand up for yourself, you channel her strength. Every time you refuse to shrink, you honor her presence within you. Every time you take control of your life instead of waiting for permission, you live as she would. So ask yourself: Have you been living as the tamed version of yourself? Or is it time to awaken the goddess within? Because the world has enough women who are quiet, agreeable, and afraid of their own power. What it needs now is more women who remember they were never meant to be anything less than unstoppable.
1. Power Does Not Need Permission
Time
( Image credit : Pexels )
If there is one thing Durga does not do, it is wait for someone to give her the right to be powerful. She does not ask if her strength is "too much." She does not wonder if the world is ready for her. She is power itself—unapologetic, undeniable, unstoppable. And yet, so many of us hesitate. We wait for a sign, for validation, for someone else to say, Yes, you are allowed to be bold, to be fearless, to take up space.
But the world will never hand you power. You have to step into it. You are not here to be small. You are not here to be agreeable. You are not here to be defined by other people’s expectations. You are here to own your power fully—without apology, without hesitation, without fear. Because the moment you stop seeking permission is the moment you become unstoppable.
2. Strength Is Not the Absence of Kindness
Pray
( Image credit : Pexels )
There is a lie women have been told for centuries: that you must choose between being kind and being strong. Durga shows us the truth: Strength and kindness are not opposites. Strength is what protects kindness. She is a warrior, but she is also a mother. She fights, but she also nurtures. She destroys, but only to protect what is sacred. Strength is not cruelty. Strength is not anger without purpose.
True strength is knowing when to be soft and when to be unshakable. It is knowing that being kind does not mean being weak. And being strong does not mean being unkind. And the day a woman understands this, she stops letting the world tell her who to be.
3. The Rage of a Woman Who Has Had Enough
Anger
( Image credit : Pexels )
There is a reason society fears an angry woman. Because when a woman is no longer afraid to express her anger, she is no longer controllable. Durga’s rage is not senseless—it is sacred. It is the fire that burns down injustice. It is the force that removes what no longer deserves to exist. For too long, women have been told to suppress their anger. To be agreeable. To smile even when something is deeply wrong.
But anger is not the enemy. Suppression is. The rage of a woman who has had enough is the beginning of change. So the next time someone tells you to "calm down," remind yourself: Durga did not come here to be calm. She came here to set things right. And so did you.
4. You Cannot Save Others If You Are Destroying Yourself
Self care
( Image credit : Pexels )
Durga is a protector. But she is not a martyr. She fights for others, but never at the cost of herself. She gives, but she does not allow herself to be depleted. She loves, but she does not tolerate disrespect. Women are taught to put themselves last. To give until there is nothing left. To sacrifice even when it breaks them. But Durga reminds us: You are not meant to pour from an empty cup.
Your strength is not infinite if you do not protect it. Your love is not limitless if you do not replenish it. You cannot be the warrior of your family, your community, your world—if you do not also fight for yourself. So stop apologizing for your boundaries. Stop explaining why you need space. Stop feeling guilty for choosing yourself. Because Durga does not burn herself out for others. She stands in her power so she can lift others up—without losing herself in the process.