Waking Up: The First Victory

The first battle: the cosmic sleep, the two demons born of the deep, and the Goddess who wakes the world by letting go.

Lessons in this chapter

• When Vishnu Slept and the World Dissolved — The cosmic night; the Goddess is Yoga-nidra, the sleep itself. The comfortable sleep you do not want to wake from.
• The Two Demons Born of the Deep — Madhu and Kaitabha rise to destroy Brahma; Brahma's hymn to the sleeping Goddess. Excess and attachment, the two things that keep you under.
• The Goddess Withdraws, and the World Wakes — She releases her hold, Vishnu wakes, the demons are undone by their own boon. Waking is not force; it is the Goddess letting go.

Back to Durga: The Goddess Who Saves the World