SRIKALAHASTI

Accordingly, Mother Gouri descended, and with the timely guidance of Narada and Vinayaka reached Kalahasti. Giving up her divine body, she started penance in the earthly mortal frame. Before commencing, she bade her divine aspect of Durga, the most frightful to ward off all the untoward that might likely visit to frustrate the attempt. Taking her seat on the mount nearby, she did what was bid. Lord Siva created a big ocean there at the exact spot of meditation to disturb her penance with its turbulent tempests and dreadful acquatic animals. Mother Gouri remained unmoved, but when the trouble shat up to the highest extreme, Durga drank up the entire jalarasi with animals in it. Calm returned anon. The tapas thus went on unhindered. Impressed with the unshakable constancy, Lord Siva gave darsan on the Pournami day of the Pushya masa falling in Pushyami Nakshatra and fulfilled her, desire of learning the Siva Panchakshari Mantra from the Lord himself. No sooner did she receive it than she practised it in strict accordance with it tenets. She emerged soon and appeared in her unparalleled physical radiance and incomparable intellectual effulgence on account of Sivagnana permeating her entire physical frame. As the Sivagnana flowered in her to the fullest extent, she was fittingly named Gnana Prasunambika. Lord Siva pleased at the outcome, remained here with her eternally. And also granted the ardent desire of Durga to change her form the frightful aspect into a golden-hued, graceful, radiant form, pleasant to look and fit to be propitiated by all. She is called Kanaka Durga since then. And she is assigned a beautiful shrine atop the nearby hill. Devotees pray to this goddess with equal fervour on their visit to this holy kshetra.

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