Kotravai also known as Kotravai Devi and as Kotravai Amman is considered to be the goddess of war and victory as per ancient Tamil Literature. She is also the affectionate mother goddess and the goddess of fertility, agriculture, and she is the family deity for the ancient kings, queens, Landlords, village people and hunters. She was also praised by the South Indian devotees like Atha, KaruMari Amman, MahamayiAmman, Suli, Kali, and Neeli. She is an aspect of Ma Shakti Devi.
The war goddess Kotravai would be worshipped by the ancient soldiers and kings before going to the battle, in order to taste the success during the war. She was referred in the ancient Tamil Sangam literature, and she was mentioned in the famous Tamil Song Paripatal , but since the poem was not properly preserved, now the contents are unavailable, and these details are mentioned on the wall inscriptions of some ancient temples.
In Tamil Nadu, the blackbuck (Kalaimaan) is considered to be the vehicle of MA Kotravai, and apart from blackbuck, lion is also considered to be her other vehicle. We can see the statue of Ma Kotravai in a standing posture along with her Divine Vehicles, black buck and lion, at the Varaha mandapam of Mahabalipuram.
She is depicted as a most generous, benevolent, beautiful and affectionate female deity with several arms holding different weapons. She is said to be mother of the Tamil God Murugan. Animal sacrifices and dancing rituals are also forms part of the worship of this goddess.
Songs in praise of Ma Kotravai are as follows:-
My humble Salutations to Ma Kotravai,
who is called by various names, who looks very beautiful like a fresh lotus flower, and who also contains divine weapons on her hands in order to destroy the bad behaviour from us.
My humble Salutations to Ma Kotravai,
Who is the daughter of king Vasudeva,
and the sister of Lord Krishna,
and let the holy mother removes the thorns on our path, and guide us in our life.
My humble Salutations to Ma Kotravai,
Who is the greatest goddess,
and the one who gives good knowledge, courage and wisdom to her devotees.
My humble Salutations to Ma Kotravai,
Who holds the sacred conch on her beautiful hands, and the Chakra and mace, similar to her brother Lord Vishnu, and she is the one who used to wear yellow coloured dresses.
My humble Salutations to Ma Kotravai,
Who dwells in the four Vedas,
and the one who gives the creation powers to Lord Brahma.
My humble Salutations to Ma Kotravai,
Who is the controller of the entire universe, and the one who permanently stays on the souls of her sincere devotees.
My humble Salutations to Ma Kotravai,
Who is the holy consort of Lord Shiva, and who acts as a witness for our activities.
My humble Salutations to Ma Kotravai,
whose festival is celebrated for nine days as Navaratri festival in a grand manner.
My humble Salutations to Ma Kotravai, and I sincerely worship her, to give enough strength to all of her devotees on this earth, and let her shower her full grace on them.
As per Devi Mahatmya Purana, those who regularly recite these wonderful Stotra of Ma Kotravai, would get all of their desires fulfilled,
and would attain the divine world.
“JAYA, JAYA, JAYA, MA KOTRAVAI DEVI SARANAM”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR
