Goddess Kanya Kumari कन्याकुमारी is known as the goddess of penance and renunciation. She represents purity in thought, word, and action. When someone practices meditation and lives a truthful life, they become eligible for penance and higher learning. Goddess Kanya Kumari guides those who stray from the path of truth to find their spiritual path again. She is an avatar of Goddess Kathyayani कात्यायनी, who is one of the Navadurgas (9 Durgas) worshipped in the Devi Navaratri (9 nights of the Devi). She is also mentioned in the Durga Mantrapushpam दुर्गा मंत्रपुष्पम् where we are used to chanting the root mantra at the end of the Mantra pushpam:
Om Katyayanaya Vidmahe Kanya Kumari Dhimahi Tanno Durga Prachodayat
ॐ कात्यायनाय विद्महे कन्याकुमारी धीमहि तन्नो दुर्गा प्रचोदयात्.
In the text called Devi Mahatmya देवी महात्म्य, Kathyayani is mentioned as the one who killed the asura (demon) Raktabija- therefore she is also called Raktabija nihantri (destroyer of Raktabija). Raktabija was an asura whose Siddhi or superpower was that every blood drop that spilled on the earth made a new Raktabija to form. This made it imposible to kill him. Therefore, Kathyayani made her tongue so large that it swallowed any drop of blood spilling from Raktabija and this brought him to an end. In the perspective of how this relates to us, we must see that there is a Raktabija inside every one of us, i.e. the renewing of endless desires that is akin to new Raktabijas forming from every drop of blood. Those who seek shelter from Kathyayani are able to free themselves through her grace, from the bondage of endless desires, which uplifts them in every way in the spiritual plane. They will get eligible to know the ultimate truth, which is only possible in reality, after severe (sincere) penance (sadhana). She is often represented with four, 10 or 18 hands and is often seen sitting on a lion and holding a sword and lotus in two of her hands, the other two representing Abhaya mudra (see picture below). One may meditate upon the Goddess through her Dhyana sloka
Chandrahasojwala kara sardhulavara vahana
Katyayani subham dadyadevi danava ghaathini
चन्द्रहासोज्ज्वल करा शार्दूल वर वाहना
कात्यायनी शुभं दद्यादेवी दानव घातिनी
The temple of Goddess Kanya Kumari is located at the edge of the Indian ocean, the renowned southern tip of India, known as Kanya Kumari. Despite its modest size, the temple exudes a palpable energy. I was fortunate to seek her blessings and visit this temple in 2009, where we had the opportunity to witness her resplendent true form in all its glory. The temple is also a Shakti-peetha where the back of Goddess Sati had fallen after being chopped by Vishnu following the Daksha Yagna destruction. Those seeking a higher purpose (non-materialistic) in life may perform Sadhana (intense penance) here at the lotus feet of the Goddess Kanya Kumari. One key example of such a sadhaka is Svami Vivekananda, whose penance at Kanya Kumari led him to become the ultimate inspiration India needed to regain its lost glory. His works have been known ever since as the ways to inspire youth towards realizing their true potential and reaching their goals with a strong Hindu-centric spiritual foundation in their lives.
One famous and rare (now rarely sung) Thyagaraja krithi that mentions Goddess Kathyayani is the melodious Nannu kanna thalli naa bhagyamaa (on it’s my forture that you’re my mother, oh Kathyayani) in raga Sindhu Kannada the rage also known as Kesari (lion, the vehicle of Kathyayani Devi). You may listen to the famous BMK sing this composition here.
Life@ 24/7 