Durga

Meaning of Durga

Durga, etymologically deriving from the Sanskrit term dūrgā—denoting “inaccessible” or “invincible”—occupies a central position in Hindu religious thought as the martial manifestation of the Divine Feminine, tasked with the eradication of malevolent forces and the restoration of cosmic equilibrium. Within the canonical iconography of South Asian traditions, she is frequently represented astride a lion or tiger, her multiple arms bearing implements that symbolize protection, courage, and moral authority, while her veneration culminates annually during the Navaratri festival. Transposed into an Anglo-American naming context, Durga retains a rare but persistent presence: in 2024, it ranked 945th among female names bestowed in the United States, with five documented occurrences, a pattern that echoes its intermittent usage since the early 2000s. Such statistical modesty, however, belies a growing scholarly interest in the adaptation of culturally resonant names across linguistic and geographic boundaries, with the original Sanskrit pronunciation approximated as DOOR-guh (/ˈdʊrɡə/).

Pronunciation

Sanskrit

• Pronunced as DOOR-guh (/ˈdʊrɡə/)

• Kali
• Lakshmi
• Uma
• Ambika
• Gauri
• Parvati
• Saraswati