Day 5 | Skandamata & Tara: The Strength to Care

Skandamata, the fifth Navadurga, is depicted with the child Skanda. Her image expresses the protective, nurturing dimension of the Divine Mother.

Today's symbolic companion is Tara, a Mahavidya whose name evokes guiding or carrying across. In Hindu Shakta traditions, Tara is a powerful protective and liberating form; her iconography and worship should not be conflated with every Buddhist form bearing the same name.

Placed side by side for reflection, these images reveal something important: care is not the opposite of strength.

Protection can be dramatic, but it can also appear as patient teaching, helping a colleague through difficulty, caring for family or creating a safe environment in which others can grow.

Skandamata speaks to the courage of nurturing. Tara suggests guidance amid uncertainty. Together they invite us to think about responsibility—not just for our own progress but for those who depend on us.