02/10/2024
Shardiya Navaratri 🪔
October 3rd -12th , 2024 Sacred Nine Days of Devi Worship
“May the sweet smile of the Goddess Durgā, which is the stainless light that illumines the cosmos, made of earth and water, drive far into the distance all our sorrow.”
Kavyakantha Ganapati Muni
Jai Maa Guru 🌹 Auspicious occasions and celebrations remind us of our divine aspirations, inspiring us to transcend our Maya nature. Sadhana or spiritual practices connect us with our deeper sense of harmony and well-being, celebrating the balance of Shiva and Shakti within us.
🪔 Throughout the world in every Devi Seeker’s home as well as Devi worshippers heart, during the Navaratri or Nine days of Goddess worship women play a pivotal role in Shakti worship, connecting deeply to the essence of their Divine Feminine energy and grace. Women are a valuable part of society, the play a very vital and sacred role in human progress.
🪔 Shakti Yoga is about a return to stillness, silence, calm and resting in our Being. We must undo our negative or disturbing thoughts and rest in the fullness of our inmost harmony and Self-awareness.
Take this opportunity for knowing your deeper Self and harmonizing at the deepest core level of your being on this celestial journey.
🪔 Every Devi Bhakta performs sacred rituals, austerities, intense worship and celebrates in the fanfare of the Mother Goddess’s festivities. Shakti, the Mother Goddess holds the key to universal healing and well-being and Her worship encompasses women and men from all walks of life. Men draw out their Shakti nature to understand their deeper Selves and to relate with the Shakti form in all its sacredness. A deep understanding and reverence to the feminine spirit draws in the auspiciousness and blessings of the Divine Feminine.
🪔 Navaratri is celebrated twice a year - ‘Chaitra’ or ‘Vasant Navaratri’ (March-April), and ‘Shardiya Navaratri’ in October this year. Navaratri commences on the first day (pratipada) of the bright fortnight of the Hindu lunar month of Ashwin during Sharad Ritu.
🪔 Different parts of India honor the Devi in their own respective traditions.
The ancient Brihat Dharma Purana reiterates the Dasha Mahavidya originating as a powerful form of reverence and worship. Devi assumes the forms of the Divine Mother with intrinsic personalities relating to the Ten Mahavidya Goddesses, drawing Shiva to every form of Her inherent, innate nature.
🪔 Sri Ganesha is always worshipped first to remove all negativity, bestowing buddhi to achieve our sacred goals in life. First 3 days Maa Durgā is honored, decimating all negativity and misfortune. Next 3 days Lakshmi Devi is worshipped willing both spiritual and worldly prosperity. The last 3 days Saraswati Devi is worshipped bestowing all learning and wisdom, where we honor and revere the Guru and Guru-Jnana. We also worship the Nine forms of Maa Durga through the Navaratri. In the North we worship Maa Kali through the first 3 days, working through the darkness of our karmas.
🌙💫Navaratri Vedic Astrological Significance💫🌙
An important aspect of Navaratri celebrations is the Navagraha Shanti Puja, a propitiation of all the Nine Planets. Work with the mantras for all the nine planets through he Navaratri.
In the sacred text the Devi Mahatmya the story of Markandeya Purana Maa Durgā was bestowed the grace of all the weapons by the Devata forces to fight the negative force of Mahisasura in her form as Chamunda Devi.
🪔 Maa Durgā appeases, calms and reigns in the energies of Rahu, the lunar north node. Rahu represents the aspect of maya- illusion and delusion in our lives. Only when we spiritualize this Rahu nature can we turn these forces into harmonizing our existence.
As a goddess, Maa Durgā's feminine power contains the energies of the gods. Each of her weapons was given to her by various gods: Rudra's trident, Vishnu's discus, Indra's thunderbolt, Brahma's kamandalu, Kuber's Ratnahar.
🪔 After 9 days of aggression Maa Durgā emerged victorious on the tenth day which is celebrated as Dussehra or Vijaya Dashmi the triumphant victory of the Goddess. In North India, the tenth day, signifying Lord Rama’s victory in his battle against the demon Ravana, is celebrated as Dussehra where effigies of Ravana are burnt.
🪔 The Nine days of Shakti worship symbolise dealing with our own samsaric karmas of worldly maya. Connecting with the deeper potential of the Mother Goddess we spiritualise our lives seeking out the higher self. Rahu energy signifies our worldly temptations and distractions. Rahu serves us the higher purpose of grounding in our spiritual self through discrimination and sadhana. The Navaratri is the best time to tame this Rahu force with the Durga Raksha mantra.
🪔 Navaratri Celebration 🪔
Awakening early one moves through the rituals of cleansing and decorating the home and preparing for the rites. One must maintain a sattvic lifestyle of vegetarian food, celibacy and prayer offerings to the Goddess. One of the observances during Navaratri is the Akhand Jyot or ghee lamp which is kept lit continuously for nine days. The light represents the Shakti force which permeates the home and the jiva or embodied soul unfolding purity and divine consciousness.
One usually fasts during these Nine days, taking one meal at sunset of particular sattvic food.
Navadurga or Nine manifestations of Maa Durgā
Shakti manifests as Nine forms of Goddess Durgā representing Her various sacred attributes.
🌺Shri Shailaputri - daughter of the Himalayas yielding steadfastness
🌺Shri Brahmacharini – personifying purity, deep love and shraddha
🌺Shri Chandraghanta – who holds the power and soma of the Moon
🌺Shri Khusmanda – unfolds bliss, happiness and well-being
🌺Shri Skandamata - Mother of Skanda, she personifies eternal fire
🌺Shri Katyayani – the power of transformation as the aspect of Ma Kali
🌺Shri Kalaratri – destroyer of darkness and ignorance.
🌺Shri Mahagauri – bestower of purity and endless virtues
🌺Shri Siddhidatri – bestower of siddhis, mystic powers, all accomplishments, spiritual powers and knowledge.
🙏🏼🌹 Durgā Sankalpa Shakti 🌹🙏🏼
When lighting the akhand jyot offer a flower and make a sankalpa for universal peace, strength and love…..this encompasses our personal wish as well. Following the sankalpa chant the Durgā Mantras and Durgā Gayatri.
🔥 🪔 Navaratri Puja 🪔 🔥
All offerings and prayer with deep shraddha (divine faith) and reverence paves the way for the Devi’s benevolence and divine grace. In my book “Yogini Unfolding the Goddess Within” my experiences during the Navaratri are shared, as well as explanations on revering the Devi and celebrating the Navaratri.
🪔 Creating a sacred space with placing the vigraha or murti of Maa Durgā, Sri Ganesha and Shiva Maheshvara , the Durgā Saptashati, pomegranate, coconut, roli (red color for tilak), moli (red sacred thread), chawal (rice), paan (betel leaves), supari (beetle nuts), cloves, cardamom, kumkum (vermilion) and gulal. One must bathe before beginning the puja.
🪔 Ghatasthapana 🪔
🪔 For the puja we place a Kalasha, the clay or metal pot filled with water and decorate it with a coconut and Mango or betel nut leaves. Tie the moli or red thread around its mouth. We may also place a ghee lamp inside the kalash.
🌾सप्त धान्य Sapta Dhanya or 7 Grains are used for Navratri Ghatasthapana Puja
जौ Barley, तिल Sesame, चावल Rice, मूँग Moong bean, कँगनी Millet, चना Chickpea, गेहूँ Wheat
🍃Auspicious offering of Nine Leaves used during Navpatrika Puja
कदली (केला) पत्र Banana, दारूहलदी (कवी) Berberis, हल्दी or हरिद्रा Turmeric, जयंती common sesban, बेल or बिल्व Bel, अनार Pomegranate, अशोक वृक्ष Ashoka, धान, चावल Rice, अमलतास Golden Shower tree
🪔 Akhandjyot 🪔
lighting a ghee lamp constantly through the nine nights and days. This takes a lot of nurturing, shraddha, deep faith, vigilance, concentration and alertness. The flame represents the presence of Shakti so we ensure She is ever present. Staying awake at night unfolds many spiritual experiences.
🌺Offer red flowers, rice, pomegranate and two sticks of incense to the Goddess. Offer her the Arati with mantras or her sacred verses.
🌾Hariyali 🌾 Navaratri marks the symbolism of fertility and auspiciousness with the nurturing of the ‘Hariyali’, where barley seeds are planted in a clay pot and closely nurtured every day through the nine days. My hariyali would sprout to over two feet high. After the nine days this pot is offered at the temple or into flowing waters.
🦢Lalita Panchami 🦢or the fifth day it is customary to seek the blessings of Sri Saraswati by offering all the books within the house before a sacred lamp and invoke the blessings of Saraswati. Artisans lay down their tools before the goddess and seek her blessings for their work.
🐚Kanchika Pujan or Kumari Puja 🐚- Worship of a young nubile girl
During the Navaratri young girls are worshipped for nine consecutive days, offering them meals. A nubile girl symbolizes the unmanifest pure Shakti which we must revere to draw into our own consciousness. On the last day of the Navaratri we invite 9 young girls and revere them with washing their feet, offering them prasada and giving them a token.
🥭Naivedya or offering consecrated food to the Goddess🥭
During Navaratri we prepare sattvic, pure food dishes for the Goddess, as is customary. Singhare ka Atta, kuttu ka Atta or buckwheat flour is used to prepare rotis or puris, for the fast. Food is prepared with broken rice, yellow lentils, sago and potatoes during the fast. Spices are restricted to red chillies, turmeric, cumin seeds and rock salt is used for cooking. All fruits and foodstuff made of fruits are eaten during the seven days. Vegetables used are pumpkin, potatoes, cabbage. One may drink beverages like tea, coffee and milk during the Navaratri.
I always offer my favorite chocolates to Devi.
🪔 On Ashtami, the eighth day we end our fast by worshipping 9 young girls with washing their feet and offering prasad. As per the tradition, puris (deep fried Indian bread), halwa (sweet dish made of suji) and Bengal gram made dry are served to the young girls. In some instances the fast is ended on the 9th day.
�Mantras For Navaratri
Om hrim Srim krim dum Durgayai svaha
Om Girijayai vidmahe Shivapriyayai Dhimahi
Tanno Durga pracodayat
�Ya devi sarva bhutesu, matra rupena sansthita
Ya devi sarva bhutesu, shakti rupena sansthita
Ya devi sarva bhutesu, shanti rupena sansitha
Namastasyai, namastasyai, namastasyai, namo namaha!
�Sarva mangala maangalye shive sarvaartha saadhike
Sharanye trayambake Gauri
Narayani namostute
Annapoorne sadapoorne shankarah praanavallabhe
Njana vairaagya sidhyardham bhikshaam dehi cha parvati
Navagraha Shanti Mantra
Om suryadi navagraha devatabhyo namo namah
Om shanti shanti shanti
🪔🌹Jai Maa Guru 🌹🪔