The Attributes of Goddss Parvathi

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Goddess Durga/ Parvathi is Adi, ancient and boundless as the soul. She is Shakti, the personification of powerful energy in its feminine form. She can be as wild and fearless as Kali or gentle and affectionate as Gauri. She stands between these two Goddesses, reconciling the extreme forms. As the consort of Lord Shiva, she symbolises the warrior form of a goddess, reflecting the violent and destructive qualities of Shiva.

She is the Mother Goddess, the invincible one, who looks after mankind, destroying the evil on earth with her divine powers. Yet, even while she tames, she herself is never bound.

Characteristics
The very name 'Durga' epitomises invincibility, the word 'Durg' meaning fortress symbolising the indomitable spirit of the Goddess. As 'Durgatinashini', she is the one who destroys all evil and suffering on earth, thus protecting morality.

The embodiment of the divine feminine power of Lord Shiva, as 'Shakti' Goddess Durga offers strength and protection to the mortals. She is the Mother Goddess who maintains righteousness and order, by correcting the imbalances. She is the universal mother, who looks after the interests of every individual.

Attributes
Goddess Durga is 'Treyembake' the three-eyed Goddess, where the three eyes represent the powers of the moon (desire), the sun (action) and the fire (knowledge).

Her ten arms representing the ten quadrants in Hindu philosophy, suggest protection from evil forces in all these directions. The arms also represent divine attributes, of health, will power, knowledge, wealth, unity, courage, truth, organisation, success and invincibility. Her vehicle, the lion, symbolises the need for power and determination to ride against all odds.
As 'Trishul-Chakra Dharini', the invincible one, she destroys the demons with her divine weapons.

She has 108 names, each of which refer to her attributes. These are symbolic of the many incarnations of Goddess Durga, as she assumed nine appellations to vanquish the demons on earth. Her nine manifestations are Skondmata, Shailaputri, Kusumananda, Kaalratri, Brahmacharini, Mahagauri, Katayayani, Chandraghanta and Siddhidhatri. As one who comes riding on her lion from the skies, she is called 'Aakahgamini'. As 'Trailokyarakshini', she augments the triple powers embedded within her third eye, to protect man. Goddess Durga is 'Devi' the Supreme Goddess, the 'Papaharini', as the one who destroys all sin and kills the demon as 'Mahishasuranashini'.

In her 'Abhay Mudra' she is worshipped for all her attributes, as she rides the lion in her regal splendour, suggesting that she is universally present for the protection of mankind.

Fertility, marital felicity, devotion to the spouse, asceticism and power are different virtues symbolized by Parvati. These virtues are highly valued by the Hindu tradition. As per a famous literary work on the goddess, Saundarya Lahiri, Parvati is the source of all the power in this universe and Lord Shiva gets all his powers from her.

The word Parvati has been derived from a Sanskrit word "Parvat" meaning mountain. So, "Parvati" means "she of the mountains" and suggests that Parvati is the daughter of Himavat (the personification of the Himalayas) and the apsara (fairy) Mena. Lalita, Uma, Gauri, Kali, Durga, Haimavati etc are the other names for Parvati. Amba is the other name of Parvati being the mother of the universe and Ambika, being the 'mother'. As Lalita, she represents the aspect of beauty and magnificence. Lalita Saharanama contains a thousand of her names.

Durga's Vehicle - the Lion

The lion represents power, will and determination. Mother Durga riding the lion symbolises her mastery over all these qualities. This suggests to the devotee that one has to possess all these qualities to get over the demon of ego.

The weapons include Sword (Khadga), Trident (Trishula), Thunderdisc (Chakra), Arrow (Tir), Javelin (Bharji), Club (Khitaka), Bow (Dhanush), Noose (Pasha), Goad (Ankush), Shield (Sipar) and Axe (Parashu). These weapons were given to Goddess Durga who is one of the forms of Goddess Parvati to destroy evil.

Durga's Many Weapons

The conch shell in Durga's hand symbolizes the 'Pranava' or the mystic word 'Om', which indicates her holding on to God in the form of sound.
The bow and arrows represent energy. By holding both the bow and arrows in one hand "Mother Durga" is indicating her control over both aspects of energy - potential and kinetic.
The thunderbolt signifies firmness. The devotee of Durga must be firm like thunderbolt in one's convictions. Like the thunderbolt that can break anything against which it strikes, without being affected itself, the devotee needs to attack a challenge without losing his confidence.
The lotus in Durga's hand is not in fully bloomed, It symbolizing certainty of success but not finality. The lotus in Sanskrit is called "pankaja" which means born of mud. Thus, lotus stands for the continuous evolution of the spiritual quality of devotees amidst the worldly mud of lust and greed.
The "Sudarshan-Chakra" or beautiful discus, which spins around the index finger of the Goddess, while not touching it, signifies that the entire world is subservient to the will of Durga and is at her command. She uses this unfailing weapon to destroy evil and produce an environment conducive to the growth of righteousness.
The sword that Durga holds in one of her hands symbolizes knowledge, which has the sharpness of a sword. Knowledge which is free from all doubts, is symbolized by the shine of the sword.
Durga's trident or "trishul" is a symbol of three qualities - Satwa (inactivity), Rajas (activity) and Tamas (non-activity) - and she is remover of all the three types of miseries - physical, mental and spiritual.