Why Maa Durga Sometimes Gives Pain: The Hidden Meaning Behind Her Divine Discipline

Discover Maa Durga’s divine discipline from a Sanatangyan perspective — why she gives pain to awaken, guide, and protect her children with love.

Do you know that this entire world is like a fort (durg)? And the divine guardian of this fort is Maa Durga. She protects, nurtures, and disciplines every soul living within it. Just as a loving mother sometimes scolds her child for his betterment, Maa Durga too sometimes gives pain — not out of cruelty, but to awaken and purify her children. This is the deeper Sanatangyan truth behind her divine discipline — pain is not punishment; it is guidance from the Mother who loves beyond measure.

The World as a Divine Fort

In Sanatangyan understanding, the whole universe is described as Durga, meaning “fortified.” The scriptures say that all beings live inside a divine fortress. Maa Durga is its eternal protector. She is the greatest force, Shakti, who directs the divine drama of the universe. She ensures that each and every being gets what every being needs — nourishment, shelter, affection, and vital instruction.

Maa Durga is not just a goddess. She is the Jagat Janani, the Universal Mother. She nourishes all beings with her grace, called anugraha. But when needed, she also shows her discipline, called nigraha.

A mother does not always shower affection on a child. She sometimes scolds and corrects, for the sake of the child, to help the child grow. Maa Durga is like that, too. She becomes strict when her children forget the divine path.

The Mother’s Discipline: Why She Gives Pain

In the Sanatangyan tradition, every pain or suffering is not random; it carries a deeper divine purpose. The Shastras (scriptures) explain that Maa Durga’s apparent harshness is an expression of her infinite compassion.

 “मातृवत् परदारेषु परद्रव्येषु लोष्ठवत्।” — Manusmriti 2.215

 Translation: “Regard every woman as your mother, and others’ wealth as dust.”

This teaching reminds us that the true mother — like Maa Durga — guides her children to righteousness through both affection and correction.

Maa Durga’s discipline often comes in the form of suffering known as the Tri-Tapa — the three types of pain described in the Vedic shastras:

1. Adhidaivik – Sufferings caused by divine or cosmic forces (like storms, droughts, or destiny).

2. Adhibhautik – Sufferings caused by other living beings or the environment.

3. Adhyatmik – Internal sufferings like stress, fear, depression, or guilt.

Each of these is a reminder for the souls. They are signposts to those who have strayed from the paths of devotion, known as bhakti, and from the path of righteousness, known as dharma.

Pain as a Path to Awakening

When a person faces distress, the first response is often, “Why me?” But the Sanatangyan wisdom says that pain is a messenger — a whisper from the Divine Mother urging us to return to our spiritual roots.

 “दुःखं जनयति ज्ञानम्।”

Translation: “Suffering gives birth to wisdom.” — Mahabharata

Maa Durga converts suffering to her purpose, to awaken and reinforce the dormant devotion that resides within the suffering soul. She knows when her child is lost to the secular and the rational, delightful world, suffering, and the blunt instrument of worldly pain, is the only hope to redirect the child to the Divine. 

In those moments of despair, a person naturally turns toward the Divine and cries out, “O Maa! Please save me!” That surrender (sharanagati) is what Maa Durga truly waits for.

The Moment of True Surrender

When life’s difficulties become unbearable, the human heart naturally cries out, “O Maa, please save me!” This cry of surrender is what Maa Durga waits for. The instant one turns to her with pure faith, she embraces them in her boundless compassion.

“सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज।”

“Abandon all other duties and surrender unto Me alone.” — Bhagavad Gita 18.66

Maa Durga’s discipline centers on the sober expectation of suffering. She aims to teach us, not to wound. She does not punish but seeks to purify. She does not cast us away but seeks to draw us to the Divine.

In essence, Maa Durga’s discipline is a sign of her endless love. Through pain and challenges, she awakens, guides, and purifies her children. She leads them back to the path of dharma and devotion. True surrender to her, as Sanatangyan wisdom teaches, turns suffering into spiritual growth. It also deepens our connection with the Divine Mother.