Kanya Worship, Swami Satyananda

I have always wondered about Kanya puja during Navratri & this made lots of sense ... so here goes .... simple put ....

 

KANYA  means virgin. Man's soul is virgin. That virginity cannot be contaminated. Its pristine beauty and glory cannot be sullied.But you can't see the virgin soul; you don't know what it is or where it is in you. That purity of soul is the KANYA, which is the form of the Mother. Kanya represents the innocent & pure spirit, And, your inner being , which you cannot and will not see.

 

In Devi Tantra, the tantric system of the cosmic mother, the virgin is considered to be the true replica of the Cosmic Mother.

 

Kanya puja , is Devi puja. Devi , the Cosmic Mother. Devi means Luminous, illuminated, lustrous, the Light that is Within.

 

There resides a Kanya within all of us , a Devi , within all of us.

 

It's the concept. One does not have to prove it. The replica of fear is a tiger. The replica of greed is money, The replica of passion is woman. And so , the replica of Devi , the Cosmic Mother is Kanya.

 

 

Law of the Universe, Swami Satyananda

This made a lot of sense , so here goes ...... simply put ....

Everything is predetermined. Who determines this , we dont know. If things were not predetermined , there would be chaos in the Universe. The moon & the Sun would rise at their own will, the Ganga would flow from Calcutta towards the Himalayas.

Karma , is also part of destiny , as are self-will, sel-effort, even ego & patience. Everything comes as a part of our destiny, but within the rules !

The thought that I am free & I can do anything is not true. Everyone & everything is bound by some rules. Ritam cha Satyam cha, say the Upanishads. The universe depends on the 2 rules of Ritam & Satyam. RITA means Natural law. SATYA means the Reality. An incident happens; Satya is what happened & Rita is the rule according to which it has happened.

2011... the new book to hit the stores ! :-)

2011 Arrives ! The latest bestseller par excellence , a book which has emotions , drama, laughter and more  ....jiska ending shall remain a mystery till one reaches the last line of the book , even then , be prepared for the sequel ...... :-)

 

Read somewhere this quote ," Break a Vase, and the love that re-assembles the fragments, is stronger, than that Love, which took its symmetry for granted, when it was whole". A tongue twister of sorts , which , however , gives complete Logic to the year that's decided to disappear into oblivion , with nothing to give , except Vase's , Vase's that are intact & Vase's that broke, to be assembled with Mega Love !

 

Thank the mercy , no one threw the Vase & Flower on someones head !!!! Or broke it into pieces , never to be assembled again ....

 

A year in photographs, with , Facebook , being the prime champion of this phenomenon , with most of Us ;-) ! And brought forth not only a photographer, but a writer , a blogger, and some more ……

 

Time as always, refuses to keep an even pace & jeeeez , do we have a hard time keeping track of the events ! A zig zag of intriguing Happenings !

 

And the sun has set , waving goodbye to 2010 , rising  once again , welcoming 2011 into its fold with the rays of the first golden light !

 

A toast to all for having made this year so Momentous & Impeccable. And to the Blessings & Grace in abundance, which flows unconditionally!

 

I , Me, Myself

I , Me & Myself ,
we are the best of friends.
When , we are together ,
it's a Party. 
No fourth is allowed to enter this clique,
of friendship that was formed when wisdom found its way.
No time for Loneliness , only Solitude,
where Silence senses, where Silence communicates.
A process of conversations , a process of learning,
knowledge and wisdom which continues to unfold.
A threesome , that shall withstand any situation,
a bond , that shall smile through any tragedy.
A Chain , that shall always connect to others,
without intruding the sanctity of I, Me, Myself.
Where Time too acknowledges this energy,
and makes I, Me , Myself , hold hands, till death do them apart!


 

Disappointment ?

I am Disappointment .

Just 3 words , which brought forth these questions !!!!!

Why am I disappointed.

Is it because I put in too much Anticipation in what I want.

Is it because I wanted what I wanted , with no Thought of what the other Desired.

Is it because in my Aspiration, I forgot the Apprehension of the other.

Is it because in my Craving , I neglected the Wish of the other.

Is it because in my Longing , I overlooked the Vision of the other.

Is it because my own Passion were beyond my Expectation.

Answer a Question with A Question & The Answer is totally Within the Individuals Grasp!

The nest of young eagles hung on every word as the Master Eagle described his exploits. This was an important day for the eaglets. They were preparing for their first solo flight from the nest. It was the confidence builder many of them needed to fulfill their destiny.

"How far can I travel?" asked one of the eaglets.
"How far can you see?" responded the Master Eagle.

"How high can I fly?" quizzed the young eaglet.
"How far can you stretch your wings?" asked the old eagle.

"How long can I fly?" the eaglet persisted.
"How far is the horizon?" the mentor rebounded.

"How much should I dream?" asked the eaglet.
"How much can you dream?" smiled the older, wiser eagle.

"How much can I achieve?" the young eagle continued.
"How much can you believe?" the old eagle challenged.

Frustrated by the banter, the young eagle demanded, "Why don't you answer my questions?"
"I did."
"Yes. But you answered them with questions."

"I answered them the best I could."
"But you're the Master Eagle. You're supposed to know everything. If you can't answer these questions, who can?"
"You." The old wise eagle reassured.
"Me? How?" the young eagle was confused.
"No one can tell you how high to fly or how much to dream. It's different for each eagle. Only God and you know how far you'll go. No one on this earth knows your potential or what's in your heart. You alone will answer that. The only thing that limits you is the edge of your imagination."

The young eagle puzzled by this asked, "What should I do?"

"Look to the horizon, spread your wings, and fly."

Navratri

When I decided to do some back ground check on Navratri, I had no clue I would be flummoxed by so much of literature.

 

Hear me  ( Read, Actually) out  , then decide for yourself , what your essence will be. This is my practical, religious & spiritual synopsis !

 

The Universe would just be a place of lifeless elements, if not for the Energy , that resides within this entire Cosmos!

 

Shiva would be Shav , if not for Shakti !

 

Shakti is the Manifestation , of various forms of energies of either gods, goddess , or both. Shakti is also another form of themselves , with different power/ virtue.

 

Shakti , is the personification of the active side of the divine energy of Lord Shiva. In fact,  represents the furious powers of all the male gods, and is the ferocious protector of the righteous, and destroyer of the evil.

 

We obtain our life energy or life force from a power field operating between cosmos and earth. This Cosmic power is fed into the energy body through the Chakras.  Chakra's are energy centers along the spine located at major branchings of the human nervous system, beginning at the base of the spinal column and moving upward to the top of the skull. The 7 primary chakras have been amalgamated with the Shakti's of Navratri , moving from the Root of Spirituality towards Moksha, each form representing each Chakra.

 

Nine Days Navratri Celebrations:

 

Nine forms of Shakti are worshipped during the Navratri. Navratri is separated into sets of three days. These sets are made in order to emulate/worship, different facets of the supreme goddess.

 

1^st  - 3^rd day of Navratri: On the first day of the Navratri, a small bed of mud is prepared in the puja room and barley seeds are sown on it. These initial days are dedicated to the Supreme powerful force, Ma Durga , the Goddess of power and energy, to cleanse all our contaminations, evils and defects.
 
4^th – 6^th day of Navratri : During these days, Goddess of peace and prosperity, Ma Lakshmi , is worshipped as the mother of spiritual wealth, with her Blessings of  never ending Wealth.   

7^th – 8^th day of Navratri :These final days belong to Ma Saraswati, Goddess of Wisdom, The one is responsible for spiritual enlightenment/ knowledge and overall success in life. On the 8th day , yagna/ havan is performed. 

9^th day is Mahanavami :The festival of Navratri culminates in Mahanavami. On this day Kanya Puja is performed. Nine young girls representing the nine forms of Shakti are worshiped.  

 

Shakti,  is also worshipped under nine different names for the nine days in Navratri. Every day, she assumes a new character, a new look and a new duty. For the initial six days , the Puja celebrations are limited to home. The celebrations acquire a festive form since the seventh day when the festivities of Navratri ( Garbha ) surround the atmosphere.

1^st Day: The first form of Shakti is Shailputri . She is considered the daughter of the Himalayas, who inspires us to be innocent, pure and to do good to all. She is the embodiment of the power of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

 

The representation begins with , Muladhara : Base or Root Chakra (last bone in spinal cord), and starts its Ascend all the way towards Moksha!

2^nd Day : The second form is of, Brahmacharini, who practice's devout austerity, & whose sacrifice's and focused meditation's are unparalleled.Her name is derivative of the word 'Brahma', which means 'Tapa' ( Penance ), and endows, happiness, peace, prosperity and grace upon all.

 

She  represents  , Swadhisthana : Sacral Chakra (ovaries/prostate)

3^rd Day : On the third day the goddess is worshipped as Chandraghanta, for peace, tranquility and prosperity in life. She also reminds us of the need to crush evil & demons within us.  She is the symbolic representation of beauty and bravery.

She represents , Manipura: Solar Plexus Chakra (navel area)

 

4^th Day : Kushmanda, is the form of the Shakti worshipped on the fourth day. It is believed that She is the creator of the entire Universe and she has created the entire Universe by her laugh. She is the ideal wife to Shiva, who complements the work of her husband and performs her duty in peace,  unconditional love.

 

She represents, Anahata: Heart Chakra (heart area)

 

5^th Day : On the fifth day, Skand Mata, is worshiped , who radiates energy , nourishment and happiness, just as every mother does.

 

She represents, Vishuddha : Throat Chakra (throat and neck area)

 

6^th Day : On the sixth day, the goddess is worshipped as Katyayani,. Katyayani has three expression filled eyes and ten arm to hold the weapons with which she destroyed the demons, just like she helps us destroy all our failings.

 

She represents, Ajna : Brow or Third Eye Chakra (pineal gland or third eye)

 

7^th Day : On the seventh day, the Goddess is worshipped as 'Kalratri', destroyer of ignorance& make's one Fearless .

 

Last representation is Sahasrara : Crown Chakra (Top of the head; 'Soft spot' of a newborn).

 

8^th Day :On the eight day, 'Maha Gauri', is worshipped. She embodies the spirit of womanhood – power, compassion and beauty. She represents calmness and exhibits wisdom.

 

Once , your spiritual knowledge/journey has reached the Sahasrara, one shall manifest in become one with Shiva , himself, totally in Bliss .

9^th Day :On the ninth day, Siddhidatri, is worshipped for power, prosperity & knowledge. It is believed she consists of all the eight siddhi's (virtue's – honesty, compassion, valour, justice, sacrifice ,honor , spirituality, humility).

 

Since she has all virtues , she is the one who represents, Moksha, one's final destination, Liberation from the cycle of birth & Death !

 

Symbolism of the Shakti's :

Many Arms : The Goddess are all depicted as having eight or ten hands. These represent eight quadrants or ten directions in Hinduism (north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest , north pole , south pole). This suggests that she protects the devotees from all directions.

Three Eyes :  Like Shiva, Shakti, is also referred to as "Triyambake" meaning the three eyed Goddess. The left eye represents desire (the moon), the right eye represents action (the sun), and the central eye knowledge (fire).

Vehicle - the Lion :The lion represents power, will and determination. This suggests to the devotee that one has to possess all these qualities to get over the demon of ego.

There are various Objects in her hand, out of which some symbolize thus:

·         The Conch shell symbolizes the 'Pranava' or the mystic word 'Om', which indicates her holding on to God in the form of sound. conch shell represents the vibratory powers of manifestation

·         The Thunderbolt signifies firmness. The devotee 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 confidence.

·         Lotus in the hand is not in fully bloomed, 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. lotus refers to both spiritual and material abundance

·         The Sudarshan-Chakra , which spins around the index finger of the Goddess, while not touching it, signifies that the entire world is subservient to her will and is at her command. She uses this unfailing weapon to destroy evil and produce an environment conducive to the growth of righteousness.

·         The  Trishul (Trident) is a symbol of three qualities - Satwa (inactivity), Rajas (activity) and Tamas (non-activity). Trident pierces through the veils of the past, present and future and teaches us about birth, life and death

·         The Kamandal is viewed as a symbol of ascetism .

·         The Rosary is lessons on concentration and spiritual growth.

·         The Gada is club she wields can be used to beat a new path

·         The Shield is for protection, a bow for determination and focus, and an arrow for penetrating insight.

·         The Bell is used to invoke mental clarity and to clear the air of negativity.

·         The Skull or severed Head,  is a common motif also associated with Durga in her fiercest of forms, represents the ego and all the ways we become slaves to our egos.

·         The Axe, the Javelin , Noose & other Weapons symbolize the cutting through the obstacles that impede our progress & clear the path for spiritual growth.

·         The Bow and Arrows represent energy. Holding both the bow and arrows in one hand, indicate's  control over both aspects of energy - potential and kinetic.

·         The Knife is a Symbol of Liberation, it severs or excises that which no longer serves us whether it be a destructive belief, an unhealthy relationship, or a toxic situation we find ourselves embroiled in.

·         The Khadga (Sword)  that she holds in one of her hands symbolizes knowledge, which  points to the focus and discriminating wisdom that is necessary in life.

Trivia : The word "Garba" or "Garbha" means "womb", and in this context the lamp in the pot, symbolically represent life within a womb.